11. behind: ASICS, Erewhon and Frankies Bikinis
Erewhon builds LA lifestyle, these trainers snuck back into our lives and it-girls wear swimwear from this brand
Hey! Writing this on the go—omw to a party ◡̈
Enjoy my super-condensed thoughts on these three popular brands and the importance of getting partnerships/collabs right.
Every week I go behind my favourite brands, unpicking things I love or maybe don’t love so much, all in an effort to give you the necessary insights to help build your brand. So many brands exist for you to follow by example. So maybe you should x
Over 200k videos come up when you look up ASICS on TikTok. StockX reported that the brand had a huge 72% growth in the first half of 2023, the third highest of any sneaker brand. I was gifted a pair for my birthday and I almost caved and bought myself a pair (and still probably will).
The tea is: Asics are in.
The sportswear company, nearing its 74th year, traditionally attracted two main groups. On one side were athletes who appreciated its high-performance, specialised designs. On the other were dads who valued the brand for its comfort. Much like the journey of New Balance and Onitsuka Tigers, Asics has now also captured the interest of Gen Z and the fashion-forward crowd.
Without boring you too much on why these kind-of boring trainers are trending right now, here are the key points about ASICS' resurgence:
Strategic collaborations: Partnerships with influential designers and brands, such as Angelo Baque of Awake NY and Cecilie Bahnsen, brought fresh, stylish perspectives to classic ASICS designs.
Retro revival: Reissuing classic models like the Gel-Kayano 14 has triggered nostalgia, appealing to longtime fans and a new generation of sneaker enthusiasts.
Cultural shift to athleisure: The growing trend towards integrating athletic wear into everyday fashion has positioned ASICS’ performance-driven yet stylish sneakers perfectly within the market.
Enhanced visibility: Hailey Bieber wears the iconic Asics Gel Kayano 14 sneakers on repeat. Increased visibility through high-profile collaborations and innovative designs has re-established ASICS as a significant player in the contemporary sneaker and fashion landscape.
The other day I was lying in bed with a friend whilst watching British TikTokker @ellieevelynsmith try Erewhon food for the first time and I’ll admit I was experiencing some serious FOMO. My friend, also experiencing this same desire to spend a ridiculous amount on a smoothie, asked why there wasn’t an Erewhon in the UK. The closest we could come up with was a mix of Harrod’s and maybe Panzer's. It made me think: would Erewhon even work anywhere outside the US? Probably not, but that doesn’t take away from its success as an upscale supermarket.
If you haven’t heard of it, then the best way I can describe it is that Erewhon is somewhat of a cultural icon in Los Angeles, frequently featured on social media by celebrities and influencers. The store's smoothies and other products have become symbols of the LA lifestyle.
What makes Erewhon work is their demographic and the lifestyle of their demographic. It’s like matchmaking. Erewhon and Angelenos couldn’t be a more perfect match made in heaven.
Demographic alignment: Erewhon's success is heavily tied to the LA demographic, which values high-quality organic products and the prestige associated with shopping at such a store.
Cultural and economic conditions in LA: The combination of health consciousness, wealth, and celebrity culture in LA creates a perfect environment for Erewhon that may not be easily replicated elsewhere.
Marketing and visibility: Erewhon leverages social media to amplify its brand presence, engaging a broad audience and cementing its status as a lifestyle brand. The store's visibility is further enhanced by its association with LA's affluent and health-conscious community. And lest not forget all the celeb collabs.
Anytime I hear about Frankies Bikinis—effortlessly cool Malibu swimwear brand founded by Francesca Aiello—it’s almost always to announce a new collab. I watched Pamela, a documentary on Pamela Anderson, on Netflix, and a few months later, Frankies Bikinis released a capsule collection with Anderson. It turns out Aiello, actually grew up adjacent to the world of California fame with Anderson’s son, and is even a close friend of Gigi Hadid.
“I grew up with [Anderson’s] sons in Malibu and have looked up to her for as long as I can remember,” says Aiello. “The number one goal and priority for collaborations is always to work with women who inspire me and whose creative vision I trust.”
The brand has built a formidable reputation in the swimwear industry through strategic collaborations. These partnerships have played a significant role in the brand's success by creating buzz and expanding its audience. There are a few ways to do partnerships:
Brand + Celeb
Partnerships with Sofia Richie (months before her viral wedding moment) and Sydney Sweeney (months before her viral Anyone But You moment).
Focus on aligning with collaborators whose personal style complements the brand’s ethos.
Brand + Brand
Frankies Bikinis x Alo Yoga: seamless integration of Alo’s activewear with Frankies Bikinis’ vibrant swimwear. Highlighting lifestyle alignment between both brands.
Frankies Bikinis x Djerf Avenue: Malibu Girl Summer meets Scandi Girl Summer. Introducing the brand to new, differentiated audiences.
Brand + Personal connection:
i.e., Gigi Hadid: longtime friendship with founder Francesca Aiello. Collection inspired by Hadid’s summers in Pennsylvania.
“Collaborations bring another layer of expression, and even elevation, to brands—especially within a category like swimwear,” she says. “It's always a great exercise to see the brand through someone else's lens, with which comes endless creative opportunities.”
It’s super easy to get partnerships wrong. Success can be attributed to:
Authentic alignment: ensuring the collaborator’s personal brand resonates with Frankies Bikinis' identity to build consumer trust and appeal.
Creative freedom: allowing collaborators to bring their unique vision, resulting in genuine and innovative designs.
Strategic timing and surprise elements: launching collaborations at optimal times (e.g., summer season) and including unexpected themes to generate interest.
Weekly musings
Sabrina Carpenter Surprises Fans: Recently, I can’t do anything without seeing Sabrina Carpenter. No, literally. She was recently at the Blank Street near my office to promote her latest hit song, "Espresso." The rise of Sabrina is random (industry plant?) but I also don’t follow pop stars so maybe not. I do think that by interacting directly with fans and customers, Carpenter is creating a memorable experience that ties her music to a relatable, everyday activity but then again, she’s also facing backlash for this… Still memorable nonetheless. Brands can take inspiration from this approach by organising similar interactive events to foster a closer connection with their audience and drive community involvement. Just maybe don’t be tone-death?
Nicola Coughlan Stars in SKIMS' New Lounge Campaign: Kim’s got her finger on the pulse… as usual.
POSTER GIRL Releases Love Factory Campaign: The brand’s new collection was rolled out “as a social series paying homage to the golden era of reality television,” featuring Alton Mason as the bachelor, the Clermont twins, Kim Petras, and more. Poster Girl know a thing or two about creating fun campaigns. I think this is great.
drop 007. coming 06/27: Khy dropped the announcement of their new collection and I realised what bugs me so much about Jenner’s line. There isn’t any UGC on the main Instagram feed. Just campaign imagery. To see influencers and other regular people like myself, I had to go to the tagged feed. And it made me feel a little less uneasy. I don’t know why. But she’s leaned into the same style her older sister has incorporated on the SKIMS Instagram feed. Other brands that typically do this are larger clothing companies like H&M or Zara. Do we prefer this or do we like the styles of Adanola and PLT that post their customers on their main feed?
Who Is Going to Buy All These Makeup Brands? Another week, another makeup line looking for a buyer. Makeup by Mario has hired J.P. Morgan to explore its exit options, joining other brands like Kosas, Merit, Glossier, and Rare Beauty in the crowded market. Despite strong sales and celebrity backing, these brands face an uphill battle due to high valuations and cautious buyers. Here's the thing: celebrity beauty brands might have stellar marketing, but they often lack longevity. History shows they’re in it for the quick exit, which can lead to declining quality over time. Quality and longevity often take a back seat when the goal is to cash out quickly.
Marc Jacobs' TikTok Proves That Gen Z Are Indeed the 'New Adults': Marc Jacobs keeps coming up on my fyp and I love what they’re doing right now. Very entertaining. There’s clearly a BIG shift in strategy conversations towards content creation and its impact on brand success. Brands need to enable customers and influencers to create better content. And it isn’t one-and-done. Continuous content creation culture within brands is crucial.
Disney deepens CTV strategy with new shoppable formats, ‘advergaming’: Disney is expanding its Connected TV (CTV) strategy with new shoppable formats and "advergaming." Very different from Netflix games, actually. This approach integrates advertisements into gaming environments, allowing viewers to make purchases directly from their screens.
Tubi outperformed Disney+, Peacock, and Max last month: Tubi surprisingly outperformed Disney+, Peacock, and Max in terms of viewership last month. This is probably down to its extensive content library, because, let’s face it, the rest have been giving us nothing recently.
Luxury should not overlook the aspirational customer, Bain report says: This report really drives home the importance of not ignoring aspirational customers. As the luxury market shifts, it's key for brands to connect with those who dream of owning high-end products, even if they aren't the usual luxury buyers just yet. Focusing on these eager customers can help build lasting loyalty and grow the market in the long run.
Jhené Aiko launched a self-care brand: The brand focuses on holistic wellness and self-care products, aligning with Aiko’s personal brand and the broader consumer trend towards health and wellness. Not much to say—pretty unexciting, IMO.
Aura Bora + anti-design: The rise of anti-design is partly a pushback against the cookie-cutter "Canva-fication" of online content. When mainstream design gets too samey, the opposite style starts to shine. Brands like Gentle Giants, Ain't Normal Coffee, and Ffups have got this down. Also, this Baggu x Collina collab feels VERY anti-design.
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