By Sonal Gandhi
Chief Content Officer at The Lead
In this week’s new highlights, the US Open was once again a place to be seen for both the fashionable and the high-fashion brands. Pacsun, meanwhile, is showing up at a college football games this fall, starting with Ohio State. And Gap Inc is planning to offer beauty products at its stores starting with Old Navy.
Unexpected designers Khaite and Pucci joined legacy brands like Nike and Ralph Lauren for a fashion grand slam at the US Open. This year’s Open has seen a mix of high-fashion tennis stalwarts going all out, smaller brands taking advantage of the event’s buzz to reach new consumers via pop-ups and viral moments, and athletic wear brands giving their usually basic kits a more fashion-forward edge. (Vogue Business)
Gap Inc is expanding into beauty starting with Old Navy. This fall, the value brand will launch beauty and personal care products in 150 stores, with some locations offering staffed shop-in-shops. This is the test-and-learn phase of a plan to scale an Old Navy beauty business next year. The company’s other retailers — Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta — will also launch “brand-right expressions” in the category. (Retail Dive)
William-Sonoma is investing in AI to improve customer service and experiences across channels. The brand is preparing to launch an AI-powered “culinary companion” that will help customers with product discovery and offer advice on topics like holiday entertaining. (Retail Dive)
Aldo is revealing a new campaign it’s calling “Try Every Thing”. The prime focus of the campaign is social media, including user-generated content through a “Branded Mission” on TikTok. TikTok’s Branded Mission solution lets brands put out a call to action for video content from users and then pay to elevate the best ones into ads on TikTok. (Glossy)
On is expanding its ambassador roster with another buzzy name: Afrobeats trailblazer Burna Boy, who joins the Swiss athletic brand for a multiyear partnership that blends sport, culture, and creativity. (WWD)
Skechers has brought its experiential “Performance” store format to the United States. Located at Dolphin Mall in Miami, the 26,017-sq.-ft. performance-oriented store is the footwear company’s largest factory mall store in the world. It features an immersive environment that includes a running racetrack, basketball and pickleball courts, golf green and soccer and sport adventure areas. (Chain Store Age)
Pacsun kicked off its college game day series by hosting a dedicated pop-up shop in Columbus, Ohio at the Ohio State vs. University of Texas football game. From there, Pacsun will hit the road and visit campuses across the country this fall with all the “must-have styles” for college students. (Chain Store Age)
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