The Levi's x Barbour collab, the rise of Sailing(core), and baby Wallabees
What's in my brain right now.
Quick note
I’ll be dropping more shopping guides over the next 1-2 weeks, and if you’re interested I’ve already dropped guides on trousers, socks, and knitwear.
Outerwear, footwear, and shirting are next.
If you want access to my seasonal shopping guides (think of me as personal shopping who finds interesting things for you), you can get access to them here.
More brand websites should feel like libraries
Is it just me, or does it feel like too many brand websites look great but say nothing?
Flip through and it’s a clean design, fast load times, sexy fonts… But when it comes to actually teaching people something about the brand and the product, it falls flat.
So it’s got me thinking about brands that do a good job of using their website more like a library or an encyclopedia.
Because if you design something that’s even remotely built on innovation, culture, or craftsmanship, you owe it to yourself (and us!) to make it feel like a living library, not a digital storefront.
Here are some examples of brands that nail this for me…
Take Satisfy Running, who turn every product page into a mini masterclass on fabric, weather, and performance.
Jacques Marie Mage dedicates entire sections of its website to the philosophy behind its product, diving into craftsmanship as a theme and how it relates to eyewear, and its own commitments to sustainability.
But perhaps one of my favorites is Stone Island’s iconic Research Hub, where they open you up to the art and science behind how they create their products, putting fibres, fabrics and materials to the limit.
Maybe I seem jaded, but I think as consumers we’re tired of the “funnel” in eComm, where we’re just herded around like sheep from our phones and social apps, to websites that are designed to painlessly convert us.
Obviously, I want a clean and simple checkout experience, but I think it’s also worth having a website that adds value, educates, and tells you something.
That’s the difference between a brand that sells products and one that builds believers.
Anyway, enough yapping about websites. I recently put together a mini playbook for how brands should think about their website as a vehicle for storytelling and trust-building.
And I made it with my friends at Vaan, a top-tier design agency from New York (shout out to my guy Xavier!), and wanted to share with you in case you’re interested in where you work, your own brand, agency, etc.
Sailing(core) is the next frontier
The almighty GHIAIA just launched Vela, a sailing-inspired line under their brand.
And I am now on Craigslist looking at vintage sailboats!
If you know anything about how I feel about GHIAIA, you know I’ve likened them to a young Brunello Cucinelli or Ralph Lauren. The brand is steeped in refinement, sport, and heritage, but still early enough in its story that we’re watching the brand (and the man, Davide Baroncini) mature in real time.
What makes this drop so interesting is the intent. Baroncini’s note on Instagram about growing up around marinas but never feeling like he belonged there hits home.
This collection is about reclaiming the romance of sailing (and sport) for the everyman. It’s what Ralph did with Polo back in the day, and I love how GHIAIA is owning their version of that with the water.
Speaking of which, we’re seeing more of this lately, with brands leaning into “sailing-core,” tapping the nautical world not for status, but for soul. It speaks to the interest in selling freedom and aspiration through a humbler, more grounded lens.
There’s something luxurious about that.
When a heritage collab just hits
The new Levi’s x Barbour collab is one of those rare crossovers that actually makes sense. We have two heritage brands with deep histories in craft (denim and waxed cotton) that come together in the perfect blend.
What I love about it is that neither brand tried to outshine the other.
You can feel both identities in the product.
It’s Barbour’s rugged outerwear DNA, Levi’s Americana roots… It’s all there, working together instead of competing for attention.
If you’re a brand (or creative) thinking about collabs, I think this is a good one to learn from. Bring your own point of view to the table and let the contrast create the spark.
I’m having regrets about this
I saw this post from Clarks’ Instagram page yesterday about how they launched toddler sizes for the classic Maple suede Wallabee through their retail partner, Journeys.com.
I saw the sizing availability for my two boys, I had the shoes in my shopping cart, and then I got carried away with end-of-day father duties.
And so I woke up this morning to go and buy them, and (SHOCKER) they were sold out 😭
If you work at Clarks or have any spare toddler Wallabees lying around, holler!
