008. On the merchification of brand deals

Is it just my timeline, or is everyone launching a capsule, or edit, or co-branded collection right now? And why can't I see it as anything other than merch?

Hello👋🏾 Sorry to be coming to you on a day that is not the 13th of the month — sometimes I am just not in the mood to write or post anything. Thankfully, I’m not in the business of creating content for a living, so my disappearing acts have little consequence. Nevertheless, I am happy to be back in your inbox, and as always, thank you for having me.

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unnecessary disclaimer: the below has nothing to do with any individuals featured. They’ve been included for illustrative purposes. No shade, just examples and context. Don’t make it weird!

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While I wasn’t posting, I was spending a lot of time looking at my Instagram feed this month — leading me to the realization that I wanted a fresh start. I’ve been iterating wardrobe thirteen for a while now, and my feed really reflected that (in a bad way). So I archived all my posts and will be starting over… stay tuned.

Before this mass removal, I conducted a poll on whether influencer collections, curations, and edits with fast fashion or contemporary brands can be classified as merch.

yes, I have been considering writing this for 4+ weeks… I told you I haven’t been in the mood.

Responses were mixed & uncertain. Consider this my official endorsement of “yes” voters.