Inside Kering’s disappointing Q1, Vanity Fair’s E.I.C. shortlist, Saks Global’s new headache, and an intriguing potential Met Gala appearance… From @laurensherman.bsky.social

The late, great New York department store Barneys lives on—well, sort of, and in name only, really, inside a few Saks stores, a gated community in Tulum, and a 2010s zombieland in Tokyo. @laurensherman.bsky.social chronicles the efforts to resurrect the brand:

An examination of Oscar de la Renta’s strategic—if slightly risqué—approach to sponsoring this year’s Save Venice ball at the Plaza, in light of Louis Vuitton underwriting the Met Gala. Read @laurensherman.bsky.social's dispatch here: puck.news/more-saks-gl...

The tariffs are just one of many concurrent challenges facing LVMH, and the luxury industry at large, which is in a legitimate crisis—one that’s not as easily navigable as the micro-recessions of the past… From @laurensherman.bsky.social

Inside Celine’s partnership with the world’s most expensive group Pilates class, how LVMH is bracing for a potential 200% Trump alcohol tariff, and why Macy’s acquired the “exclusive option” to adapt Julie Satow’s book. From @laurensherman.bsky.social & Rachel Strugatz

What precipitated the messy departure of Pat McGrath Lab’s “C.E.O.”? Will the Prada Group acquire Versace? And how did Nordstrom poach Neiman Marcus’s “most powerful personal shopper”? @laurensherman.bsky.social and Rachel Strugatz explore:

“Everyone is pissed, and Metrick’s plan will only work if he and his team can convince the majority of brands to comply.  I’ve already heard rumors of side deals…” @laurensherman.bsky.social breaks down that Saks memo:

NEW: A Nike x Skims collab is happening. Will it lead to an acquisition? Puck’s @laurensherman.bsky.social has details:

Fashionworld intel on the dissolution of Condé Nast’s relationship with its longtime Middle Eastern publishing partner, how GLP-1s are changing the plus-size modeling profession, and more. From @laurensherman.bsky.social and @sarah-shapiro.bsky.social

Until now, New York magazine’s union members have never threatened a work stoppage. And while their demands seem reasonable, structural challenges of the parentco might preclude a tidy ending… @laurensherman.bsky.social reports:

From ‘selling hope’ to outdated fantasies, Victoria’s Secret’s rise + fall reveals how lingerie + gender politics are intertwined. Can the brand rebuild in an era of actual authenticity? We ask @laurensherman.bsky.social + Chantal Fernandez about #SellingSexy www.theglobeandmail.com/podcasts/lat...

Everything you want in life in this issue of Line Sheet @puck.news puck.news/newsletter_c...

Puck fashion correspondent @laurensherman.bsky.social makes 7 predictions for the luxury fashion business in 2025, following its toughest year in recent memory:

The latest revival of Calvin Klein may represent a reversal back toward high fashion and relevance, but it’s also probably a last-ditch effort for PVH executives to determine whether it has any influence left beyond its advertising. From @laurensherman.bsky.social

Capri C.E.O. John Idol is in a pickle after his failed attempted merger with Tapestry, and now he’s looking to sell off assets like Versace. But who will buy it? And at what price? And what will happen to Donatella? @laurensherman.bsky.social explores:

Why is an American LVMH so difficult to achieve? Will Glossier finally be acquired in 2025? And what’s really going on with the Blake Lively haircare sitch? Line Sheet’s @laurensherman.bsky.social , Rachel Strugatz, and @sarah-shapiro.bsky.social answer burning reader questions:

Puck’s @laurensherman.bsky.social has behind-the-scenes details on new Chanel designer Matthieu Blazy’s exit from Bottega Veneta, plus the unexpected leading candidate to replace him.

🎙️ Part 2 on Selling Sexy with Chantal Fernandez & @laurensherman.bsky.social on the Remarkable Retail podcast is here! Dive into the rise of supermodels, Victorias Secret's fall, Lex Wexner's genius, & retail lessons. ICYMI: P1 explores VS's origins, mall dominance, & the Angels. loom.ly/p6YWh0s

WE RECOMMEND: Selling Sexy: by Lauren Sherman and Chantal Fernandez "Selling Sexy memorializes the life cycle of a phenomenon gone zombie, the writers coming to the subject with the benefit of both lived experience and a cultural anthropologist’s critical eye." @laurensherman.bsky.social

“The thing about the so-called mall brands is that, after years of bad headlines and doomsday scenarios, the ones that survived are mostly faring relatively well,” @laurensherman.bsky.social writes. “The question, for me, is about their ceiling.” Read Lauren’s dispatch:

great day @pucknews.bsky.social Subscribe! puck.news/newsletter_c...

Puck is proud to welcome retail expert @sarah-shapiro.bsky.social aboard as our newest writer, contributing to @laurensherman.bsky.social’s “Line Sheet” fashion newsletter. Sign up to receive Line Sheet directly in your inbox: puck.news/newsletters/...

Meditations on the new (and, in many ways, overdue) partnership between Gwyneth Paltrow and Cassandra Grey—and the “fixer” at the center of it all: former Jenni Kayne C.E.O. Julia Hunter. From Puck's Rachel Strugatz.

Thankful for a job where we get to cover LVMH, Goop, Violet Grey, Gap, Old Navy, J.Crew, and French spies all in one day! puck.news/newsletter_c...

more Matthieu! puck.news/newsletter_c...

Watch Puck’s @laurensherman.bsky.social moderate a panel discussion with the costume designers behind some of the biggest movies of the year: Emilia Pérez, Gladiator II, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Challengers, and Queer. Stories of the Season is presented by Polestar.

Puck’s @laurensherman.bsky.social digs into the Sabato De Sarno sitch at Gucci, Kering’s executive shuffle, and where Matthieu Blazy might land:

The decision to release VF’s annual star-packed Hollywood issue three months early did little to quiet speculation about Roger Lynch & Co’s strategy to grapple with Condé’s rough ’24, an ongoing China problem, and expected layoffs. From @laurensherman.bsky.social

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Assessing the collateral damage and lessons learned—particularly that “winner-takes-all” nonsense—from Farfetch’s humbling: the delisting, the bridge loan, and the failed Yoox Net-a-Porter merger. New, from @laurensherman.bsky.social

Will Mansur Gavriel ever really climb out from under its It-bag baggage? @laurensherman.bsky.social on life after the bucket bag.

Insights into the Arnault family horse race to be the heir apparent. From @laurensherman.bsky.social

It’s feeling increasingly likely that Alessandro Michele will be announced at Fendi. Meanwhile in Kering land, all eyes are on Balenciaga and what Demna’s L.A. show means for the future of the brand. New, from @laurensherman.bsky.social

A prolonged and botched layoff cycle has called attention to the financial engineering and further brand dilution of Si Newhouse’s former empire. @laurensherman.bsky.social reports on Condé Nast’s woes.

How did Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos end up in Vogue? @laurensherman.bsky.social digs into this and other pre-Thanksgiving fashion industry chatter, from the Todd Snyder revenue trap to Matthew M. Williams’ new investor.

An update on Saks’ Dior deal, the Estée Laundry rumors, all that fundraising, and the Neiman Marcus roll-up fantasies. New, from @laurensherman.bsky.social

We know what McQueen is without McQueen, and will soon find out what McQueen is without Burton. But the question remains: What is Burton without McQueen? @laurensherman.bsky.social explores.

Why has it taken more than two years for Phoebe Philo to launch her LVMH-backed line? And will it ever really launch? @laurensherman.bsky.social has the inside story.

Mickey Drexler, the legendary merchant and former impresario of Gap, J. Crew, Ann Taylor, and more, is now the C.E.O. of Alex Mill, which operates off of his own personal investment.  Read @laurensherman.bsky.social’s candid conversation with Mickey:

Is Saks’ hunt for the more upscale Neiman a brilliant retail play, a smart real estate move, or the luxury Pam and Tommy sitch of our time? @laurensherman.bsky.social has exclusive intel on the Saks-Neiman Marcus tie-up rumors.

The inaugural Line Sheet mailbag has it all: intel on a new Richemont brand, Goop strategy, musings on the future of fashion media, and yes, some shopping advice.  New, from @laurensherman.bsky.social

An $8.5 billion union of near-luxury brands—Versace, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, etcetera—promises to be good for shareholders. But can it produce great fashion? @laurensherman.bsky.social explores.

Todd Shemarya essentially created the Hollywood-fashion industrial complex—matching celebs like Jennifer Aniston with brands, and eventually helping them take equity stakes in businesses and then even build their own companies.  @laurensherman.bsky.social presents a candid conversation.

Is LVMH really buying Bergdorf Goodman?  After years of rumored talks, the conversation between Neiman Marcus Group and LVMH is heating up, @laurensherman.bsky.social reports.

Gwyneth Paltrow has put all of her eggs in the Goop mogul basket, but what’s the endgame for a newsletter-turned-lifestyle brand that doesn’t turn a profit? Dave Portnoy’s Barstool may provide a comp… New, from @laurensherman.bsky.social

New Line Sheet @pucknews.bsky.social for everyone who still at work! —Rothy's—who wears 'em? —Loewe and retail as marketing —GOOP: Who in the world wants to buy it? (+ a scoop on a new Gwyneth book in the works) —ILYSM https://puck.news/newsletter_content/gwynethology-loewe-stuff-tabloid-news-2/

Activist investor Bluebell Capital is pushing for major moves at Kering, and François-Henri Pinault seems to be listening.  Will this financial love tap compel him to make more changes at the group, like pushing forward a Richemont-Kering merger? @laurensherman.bsky.social explores.

NEW: Kylie Jenner is launching a fashion brand. The label, being developed by the same holding company as Skims, is currently in stealth mode.  @laurensherman.bsky.social reports.

New Line Sheet @pucknews.bsky.social is OUT! —Kylie Jenner, Fast Fashion, Coming to a URL Near You (From the People Who Brought You SKIMS) —Valentino, Kering, What Does it All Mean??!!! —Real Talk About the New Gap Inc. CEO! notes on my favorite stories of the week