Hi! I\u2019m so excited for you to read this week\u2019s Glossy Pop Newsletter, which combines so many of my interests \u2014\u00a0fashion and beauty, of course, but also how both worlds are more entangled with sports than ever. And it\u2019s also a nod to my hometown, New York City, which couldn\u2019t feel more sentimental, as this is my last Pop Newsletter, which is truly bittersweet. Thank you to everyone who read it every week. You will continue to see the Pop Newsletter in your inboxes on Fridays. \u2013Sara Spruch-Feiner, Pop Editor<\/p>\n
Since Saturday \u2014\u00a0when the Knicks won the NBA title, ending a 53-year-drought \u2014\u00a0there has been a phrase floating around the internet: \u201ccollective effervescence.\u201d Coined by the sociologist \u00c9mile Durkheim, the term refers to the intense feeling of energy and emotional connection that can arise when a crowd shares the same experience or emotion. It\u2019s been palpable in New York for weeks, through the playoffs\u2014\u00a0the Knicks won the Eastern Conference Finals before, against all odds, capturing the NBA championship.<\/p>\n
Sports have offered something positive that people can agree on, noted Jodie Snyder Morel, co-founder of the fashion-forward licensed-apparel brand Dannijopro. \u201cAfter Covid, sports became bigger than ever. The world is so divided in so many ways, including politics. AI is changing a lot of industries\u00a0\u2014 sports are one of the only things that people can find common ground on.\u201d<\/p>\n
After trailing by 16 points early in the final game of the finals, the Knicks mounted yet another impressive comeback in the closing minutes of Game 5, as team captain Jalen Brunson scored 13 consecutive fourth-quarter points to seal the franchise\u2019s win. Immediately, the streets of New York City erupted \u2014 and so did the retail opportunity.<\/p>\n
Brands quickly launched championship merchandise, building on weeks of surging demand from both new and longtime Knicks fans eager to stock their closets with blue-and-orange gear.<\/p>\n
Kendall Glazer, co-founder of Stoney Clover Lane, grew up a sports fan, and her brand has created sports-related merchandise for several years now, beginning with the NFL in 2023. \u201cSomething I found so beautiful about this entire thing has been the welcoming of any type of fan, whether you are a lifelong Knicks fan, whether you\u2019re just going to a bar with your friends and want to look cute, whether you became a fan six weeks ago \u2014 everybody is embracing everybody [else]. And I think that, in New York, and in the sports world, that\u2019s not always the case,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ten days ago, Stoney Clover set up a pop-up-in-shop at its West Village outpost to celebrate and capitalize on the city\u2019s energy. \u201cWe love sports, but we also love fandoms, culture and being a part of the moment,\u201d Glazer said, adding that she called a number of friends to make the pop-up special. Birdie\u2019s, another West Village business, supplied frozen yogurt; Spicy Dan sent over Knicks-colored necklaces; and \u201947, which Stoney Clover has collaborated with before, sent its own finals merch. In addition, Stoney Clover and \u201947 worked together to produce Knicks-themed items, such as bag charms and patches, domestically, with an impressively quick turnaround.<\/p>\n
The pop-up was scheduled for June 8-10, but demand outpaced expectations, and the brand decided to keep it open until June 12 \u2014\u00a0before deciding to keep it open through June 18, driven by ongoing demand due to the New York Knicks Championship Parade held that day.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was basically a line from the moment we opened till the moment we closed, Glazer said. \u201cEvery single day, we would have to shut down the line and [ask people to] come back the next day, just because of capacity.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added, \u201cWe were [originally wondering], \u2018Are people going to come to the store?\u2019 We knew there was a demand for merch, but I didn\u2019t know how we would fit into that conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Proving its place was a common thread among the brands interviewed for this piece, all of which have seen increased demand, notably from female sports fans. <\/p>\n
Danielle Meyer, founder of the jewelry brand Spicy Dan, said the brand participated in the Stoney Clover Lane pop-up with a necklace that had been part of Spicy Dan\u2019s collection for about three years, dating back to when Meyer first became a Knicks fan through her fianc\u00e9. <\/p>\n
\u201cI [originally] made it for my own personal use, so I could wear it to the garden and rep [my own brand] at games,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s funny, because it has kind of just been sitting there, and then, this season, it has popped off.\u201d She added that some customers have chosen to go the custom route, using the brand\u2019s \u201cBuild-a-Drip\u201d tool to create their own orange-and-blue combos.<\/p>\n
Glazer said women taking an interest in sports is not new, though the options for expressing their fandom have never been more abundant. \u201cYou\u2019re seeing more women join the conversation,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019re seeing women create incredible outfits [around sporting events], \u2026 and people are paying attention to that instead of [mocking] women for caring about [what they wear] to a sports game. It\u2019s become part of the culture, and it\u2019s a way to show off your fandom and creativity, whether it\u2019s through customization, like we offer, or the way you\u2019re styling [your clothes]. People want an outlet for their creativity so badly \u2014\u00a0[to show the] interests they have, and what makes them unique.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morel noted a shift, too. \u201cThe way sports are incorporated in the fashion world right now seems different from the way they have in the past,\u201d she said. \u201cPeople are mixing in vintage jerseys, and I\u2019ll buy something because I\u2019m obsessed with the way it looks. It\u2019s a bonus if I love the team. You have this fashion crowd that is sporty, and then you also have these people that are [actually] huge sports fans and want to represent that.\u201d<\/p>\n
That growing overlap between fashion and fandom has created enormous opportunities for brands \u2014 but unlike most fashion trends, sports moments can\u2019t be planned for. Even for the industry\u2019s most well-resourced companies have a hard time creating timely merch. <\/p>\n
Seventy-nine-year-old \u201947 Brand is one of the ultimate go-tos for licensed sporting apparel. \u201cThe championship moments are always huge for the brand, regardless of the league,\u201d said Kelsey Newton, the brand\u2019s senior director of marketing. \u201cThe volatility in our business is entirely dependent on what teams make the playoffs \u2014 it\u2019s the one element of our business that is entirely unpredictable.\u201d <\/p>\n
Given that \u201847\u2019s focus is entirely on sports, it is, however, better equipped than just about anyone else to quickly produce new merchandise as teams advance through the playoffs and as a champion is crowned. In fact, Newton explained, \u201cWe literally have what is called \u2018If Win\u2019 collections, and we start ideating on the concepts throughout the season. \u2026 The designers are always heads-down, hard at work, building out exactly what each team\u2019s individual collection would look like.\u201d<\/p>\n
Newton has been with the brand for nearly five years and noted that, while there have been a number of what the brand calls \u201chot market\u201d moments, none has captured the greater country\u2019s attention quite like the Knicks\u2019 championship win. The New York Times\u2019 The Athletic<\/a> perhaps best captured how the Knicks\u2019 run had transcended New York itself, writing: \u201cFor the past few weeks, they\u2019ve turned the New York Knicks into America\u2019s team,\u201d referring to the Knicks team members, many of whom have become bona fide celebrities over the past few weeks. <\/p>\n For \u201947, Newton said, this meant leaning into the cultural moment the win had become. \u201cFor us, the big priority around this moment was the storytelling opportunity, [looking at] how we could create a sense of community and really lean into the emotionality around this moment outside of [the sport itself].\u201d <\/p>\n Newton called the brand\u2019s sales around this playoff run \u201crecord-breaking,\u201d noting how significant that is given that there are plenty of exciting moments in sports and certainly have been throughout the brand\u2019s nearly 80-year history. Echoing Glazer, Newton said, \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just the die-hard Knicks fans that were looking to participate; everyone was just like, \u2018OK, go Knicks.\u2019 So, it was just a very, very unique [moment].\u201d<\/p>\n According to Newton, New York teams\u2019 merch is a perennial bestseller. That includes the Knicks\u2019 merch, even though it lacks the \u201cNY\u201d iconography that appears on the city\u2019s other teams\u2019 logos. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to wear a New York logo, in general \u2014 it\u2019s [almost] a fashion default,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd the Knicks have a cultural significance. [They] are a top-performing team for us, in general.\u201d <\/p>\n In addition to making its own merch, \u201947 teamed up with Stoney Clover Lane and Sporty & Rich to create additional Knicks gear. Stoney Clover Lane\u2019s was only available at its IRL pop-up in New York City, while the Sporty & Rich Knicks hat and sweatshirt sold out nearly immediately on the Sporty & Rich e-commerce website, Newton said. As offerings for female sports fans grow (see: the launch of Dannijopro, etc.), \u201947 is prioritizing its women\u2019s assortment. In fact, Newton said, growing the category is \u201cin our top two business objectives\u201d for the year. She noted that, last year, the brand introduced mock-neck sweatshirts, as popularized by Parke<\/a>; and this year, it has added shorts to its women\u2019s collection.<\/p>\n As it has been for \u201947, the past few months have also been record-breaking for New York or Nowhere<\/a>, which has produced Knicks merch since 2018. In recent years, the popularity of its Knicks merch has waned as its more recent MLB offerings have gained attention. But, now, \u201cthat\u2019s just totally [flipped] on its head,\u201d said Quincy Moore, president and CEO, adding, \u201cThe biggest thing that has happened is that the Knicks brand has just exploded in popularity, so we\u2019ve now doubled our buys for fall already \u2014 just because we know the demand is going to be greater than it\u2019s ever been.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike other officially licensed brands \u2014\u00a0see: \u201947, Mitchell & Ness, New Era, Terez, etc. \u00b1\u00a0New York or Nowhere did not drop a full championship collection, but rather just one $75 T-shirt, launched after Saturday\u2019s win. It will not ship for six weeks.<\/p>\n In spite of the wait, Moore said, \u201cIt is our No. 1-selling SKU in history. We did seven figures off of that one T-shirt within 24 hours.\u201d The brand\u2019s evergreen Knicks collection, meanwhile, is mostly entirely sold out. For the brand, this moment has been a major one for new customer acquisition \u2014\u00a0approximately 68% of buyers who purchased a Knicks product since the start of the playoffs were new customers, and 60% of those buyers were female, a rep for the brand shared.<\/p>\n Eventually, likely before the end of the calendar year, New York or Nowhere will drop a commemorative championship capsule collection, alongside a new evergreen Knicks collection. Moore is not worried that interest will have waned by then, he said. <\/p>\n \u201cNo, this is just the beginning. I mean, think about it; think about all the bandwagon fans. Think about all the people who now love the Knicks who didn\u2019t love the Knicks two months ago. The potential market for this product has just exploded.\u201d<\/p>\n Beauty didn\u2019t sit this out, though<\/p>\n While fashion had the more obvious opportunity to participate in the playoff frenzy through official merch and other blue-and-orange items, beauty made sure to seize the moment, too. That included Saie, which became the only beauty brand to sponsor the Knicks \u2014 a noteworthy move at a time when countless beauty brands have rushed to sponsor WNBA teams.<\/p>\n Countless beauty brands chimed in to celebrate the historic win on social. InnBeauty Project posted on Instagram, writing, \u201cPro-level formulas. Champion-level skin. The results don\u2019t lie. KNICKS IN FIVE.\u201d While on Threads, Dieux posted: \u201cMy skin is glowing. My barrier revived. You\u2019re dieux-ing great. Knicks in five.\u201d Summer Fridays partnered with Ali Brunson, Jalen Brunson\u2019s wife, on her pre-game glam \u2014\u00a0she posted about the brand\u2019s under-eye masks. In addition, Brunson partnered with the bedding brand Boll & Branch.<\/p>\n And some brands activated beyond social, too. Tarte, for example, found a way to tie its latest launch to the moment. \u201cAt Tarte, we\u2019ve always believed the best launches happen when beauty intersects with culture. With the playoffs capturing the energy of New York, we saw an opportunity to celebrate the fans,\u201d said Maureen Kelly, the brand\u2019s founder and CEO, regarding the brand\u2019s playoff strategy: It gifted a curated group of Knicks fans early access to its unreleased orange faux freckle stick, alongside Knicks merch. \u201cThe response was incredible. Now, we have more than 22,000 people on the waitlist. It [served as a] reminder that when you authentically tap into a cultural moment, excitement follows naturally,\u201d Kelly said.<\/p>\n On Saturday night, as fans took to the streets celebrating, Glossier, which has historically partnered with the WNBA<\/a>, published a social post congratulating the Knicks and announcing that the first 20 guests to visit its Soho store and use the code words \u201cI LOVE NY\u201d would receive a special gift of an upcoming launch. <\/p>\n \u201cThis moment reinforced something we\u2019re thinking a lot about: celebrating New York through the people, places and moments that make the city feel alive,\u201d said Glossier\u2019s CMO Nicole Sol\u00f3rzano. <\/p>\n As other interviewees also noted, the response exceeded expectations.\u00a0\u201cA line formed before the store even opened, and all the products were gone within minutes,\u201d Sol\u00f3rzano said. The upcoming \u201cI LOVE NY\u201d Balm Dotcom was created in partnership with the New York State Tourism Board, so, she said, the timing felt natural. \u201cWhen a cultural moment intersects so clearly with your brand\u2019s roots and what your community cares deeply about, it\u2019s magic.\u201d<\/p>\n Week in review<\/p>\n Free People teamed with British designer Matthew Williamson on a capsule collection. Williamson largely stepped away from the fashion world in 2016 to focus on his interior and lifestyle brand. This collection brings fans a taste of his colorful, boho style in the form of sequin-embellished mini dresses, striped flares and fringed sarongs.<\/p>\n Dr. Diamond\u2019s Metacine, known for having fashion-savvy fans, partnered with Janessa Leon\u00e9 on The Summer Essentials Set ($550), which encompasses the brand\u2019s signature InstaFacial Plasma serum and Leon\u00e9\u2019s Suni Bucket Hat, with a red leather strap \u2014\u00a0Dr. Diamond\u2019s brand color. Just don\u2019t forget your SPF.<\/p>\n Alex Mill and Margaux teamed for the second time, this time on a single style \u2014 the Selene, a $345 flat slip-on, available in red satin, butter yellow leather and a crinkle espresso leather.<\/p>\n New brand to watch: Last Minute California. The brand was built by Gen-Z entrepreneur Lauren Lawson, who started the company while studying at Villanova. The tight edit of a debut collection includes jeans, a bomber jacket, a miniskirt and a T-shirt, all\u00a0inspired by what Lawson found lacking in the current market, where price and quality often feel misaligned.<\/p>\n Bala, known for its workout accessories made Instagrammable, is finally venturing into actual workout apparel. It debuted a collection including a bra, a biker short, flared leggings, a dress, a sweatshirt and sweat shorts.<\/p>\n Mary Philips\u2019 M.ph released shade extensions of its very popular, celebrity-beloved Lip Ciggy lipsticks and Overliner lip liners. There are four new shades of each, in trend-forward hues like a sheer \u201990s brown (Shoop, a Lip Ciggy hue) and a neutral brown (Dare Me, an Overliner).<\/p>\n Dieux partnered with Gill Mechanical on a co-branded Tube Wringer, a tool designed to help loyal users squeeze every last drop from its Instant Angel and Skin Mercy moisturizers before recycling their aluminum tubes.<\/p>\n Inside our coverage<\/p>\n Beauty brands are lining up for the frozen yogurt craze<\/a><\/p>\n Wearables that track sun exposure are here and ready to disrupt the sun-care market<\/a><\/p>\n Aritzia is achieving double-digit e-commerce growth in new markets, amid sped-up US store expansion<\/a><\/p>\n Reading list<\/p>\n A new book says we need to get more sun. Could there be something to it?<\/a><\/p>\n