In October of last year, I was posting on Substack once a day.

I had grown to a few thousand subscribers.

I was going to PR events every single night of the week — eating complimentary tray passed hors d'oeuvres and cocktails for dinner.

And I was drowning in cardboard boxes from all of the products brands were sending me in hopes I’d give them space in the newsletter.

Then one day — I quit.

Why? I found a new purpose: the opportunity to help scale a generational company. And I want you to (potentially) join me.

First, let’s rewind a bit.

I first started my Substack in November of 2023. I had just moved to New York City and I barely knew anyone. I had a steady remote marketing job at a fintech startup which was hardly taking 8 hours a day to do.

So basically I had a lot of free time and a lot of ambition.

I didn’t move to New York so I could wither away in my apartment all day sending meaningless Teams messages and looking at Instagram wishing I was at the events all the “cool” people were at.

I had no connections to the world I wanted to be apart of and certainly no connections that would help me level up my career.

All I had was a lot of opinions about brands, marketing, and tech that I had no outlet for. And so my first move? Screaming into the void until someone would notice me.

I knew I had to be consistent if I was ever going to make a dent. So I started posting every single day. I’d use the free time I had between leaving Equinox and starting work to write my newsletters, and I’d use my evenings to source stories, digging through social media to find gems.

I dedicated my life to writing the best Substack possible and… it wasn’t exactly a resounding success. I literally had like 50 subscribers for 4 months, all friends and family just subscribing out of pity to me.

That was until Spring of last year — when a few viral posts, mentions in larger Substacks, and figuring out how to crack the algorithm skyrocketed my growth.

For the first time in my life, people were finally paying attention to me. I was getting invited to events, meeting new people in marketing, getting free packages every day— and making money from paid subscriptions.

All of a sudden brands were reading what I had to say and thinking I knew what I was talking about when it came to brand strategy (which I did!) and my consultancy took off!

By Fall, I was making more money than I had in my entire life and the flexibility to work when I wanted. But something still felt missing…

Then I took a call that would change my life.

A recruiter had reached out to me about a job opportunity as a marketing manager at a startup. I was intrigued so I took the call.

On the other end was Will Gao, Head of Growth at Rilla.

He told me they were on a mission to make the world of offline sales as indexable as Google made the internet.

Think about all of the in-person sales conversations that happen everyday. They are currently lost to the ether. But these conversations hold so much value!

Insights on what consumers want, what they’re concerned about, and the secrets to how to effectively sell a product or service. I saw the vision.

Rilla is one of the fastest growing startups of all time, and had a higher NPS score than the iPhone!

As someone who is incredibly interested in bold missions, consumer habits, and AI— I was intrigued. Will told me the median age of the company was 25, they worked 6 days per week, 12 hours per day.

This company was the antithesis of all the bullshit marketing jobs I had ever interviewed for. A culture of young people that worked tirelessly towards a vision to change the world — and to make a fuck ton of money along the way.

When I went into the office I was even more enthralled. I found a ton of young people with exceptional backgrounds — D1 athletes, former founders, and Ivy League grads — packed into a tight office in Long Island City working from 7AM - 11PM every night.

All unconventional people working towards one singular goal: creating the next generational company.

A company on the same level as the giants that came before us.

I knew this was the place I was looking for. Somewhere that valued moving fast, breaking shit, and building a generational company. But I was nervous— did I want to give up what I was building independently to help build Rilla?

A few hours before taking the job offer, I was at the World Trade Center in the GQ office taking photos for a story was writing about Gen Z workaholics who love Zyn.

I asked her to give me her appraisal of the situation and give me some advice. She told me to take the job. It was one of the best pieces of advice anyone ever gave me.

That night, I signed the job offer and got to work. I quit my other job the next day and began the greatest journey of my life so far.

Over the last 6 months of Rilla, I’ve leveled up in ways I never could have imagined. Let me give you an example—

When I joined Rilla, I got told we were throwing our first conference and we had a goal of getting 500 people to come join us in Las Vegas.

It was a huge swing for the fences, and I had no clue how to market a conference let alone sell tickets.

After researching, experimenting, failing, and trying again and again we finally cracked the formula.

3 months later we held the first ever Rilla Masters, and were joined by 1,000 of the top sales pros in the country. We launched our biggest product update yet. And we raced supercars around a track at 150MPH.

One of the best things about working at Rilla — if you’re not failing often you’re probably playing it too safe.

We value the concept of the reinforcement learner, someone focused on failing, learning, and trying again… and again… and again until they solve the equation.

People with unconventional ideas, unafraid of failure, and an unrelenting drive thrive here at Rilla.

In just a few short months I’ve significantly scaled my skills as a growth marketer, have had the opportunity to lead projects I used to dream of, and I feel truly hungry every single day I wake up.

And we have so much fun doing it. I'd argue Rilla is the most exciting place in the world to work right now if you’re want to go far and are willing to put in the work.

If you’re reading this and this sounds like a place you’d thrive in then I have great news.

We’re looking to grow the team.

We’re hiring a Marketing Manager.

You’ll help continue to grow one of the strongest software brands of all time.

We have one of the strongest brands our customers have ever seen.

This didn’t happen by accident.

We think most B2B softwares and products suck. And we think the way they market themselves sucks even more.

Our heroes are the consumer companies that capture attention and deliver some of the most widely used products in the world.

Just because contracts are signed and people have to use software for work, doesn’t mean we can’t put the same level of attention, care, and creativity that Apple or Nike does in their work.

As a result…

We are one of the fastest-growing startups in the world right now and in history.

And we want to add another marketing savage to help us scale to $100M+ in ARR.

Here’s what you should be—

🧠 An infinite learner. Someone who is always curious. You quickly learn new technologies and execute independently. You are a generalist who will deep dive into a challenge.

🔍 A customer obsessive. Someone who deeply cares about delighting customers and solving their pains, not about vanity metrics.

🏆 A superstar. You dedicate your life to mastering your craft and leaving your mark on the world, and want to be around a team that is similarly obsessed with greatness. We work 6 days a week, 12 hour days, because to us, building and defining the future is the most fulfilling thing in the world.

🏅 A quality obsessive. Someone who deeply cares about our users and the quality of their work. Our customers are not tech companies. They’re people who live and work in the real world. To solve problems for them you need to have extreme empathy. You have to understand how they work, what they need, and want, and how to make their lives better.

🤝 A team player. You love giving and receiving feedback, and learning and growing as a team.

📈 Unafraid of failure. You take risks. You see failure as an opportunity to learn, grow, and be better the next time. In a weird way, you trick your brain into being excited when you fail, because it means you got a new opportunity to learn more.

So if you’re tired of your bullshit marketing job and are looking for a place to take your talents and truly grow, then I want you to apply.

Let’s build generational brand campaigns. Let’s figure out new ways to growth hack. Let’s go to war together.

➡️ Apply here

and email me if you have any questions: jake@rilla.com

“People buy from people they know, like, and trust”

This is one of the universal power laws any consumer brand must understand when trying to scale.

Consumers are less swayed than ever by out of home marketing efforts like billboards, and unlikely to interact with your paid Meta ads in a sea of other brands fighting for attention.

Brands are not just competing with other brands. They’re competing with billions of people posting daily content online— all fighting in the war for our collective attention (and money)

And in this new landscape, many brands have resorted to a tried and true method to getting their products in the hands of influencers and incentivizing them to promote.

Enter affiliate marketing. Today, our most common exposure to affiliate marketing is on TikTok Shop, which has seen an astounding 219.4% in sales growth in its first 5 months of existence.

You’ve definitely seen brands like Peter Rahal’s David Protein Bars (great taste, great macros) use affiliate marketing to dominate the airwaves.

And affiliate marketing has propelled David into a phenomena.

@letsgosk8bordReplying to @Mitchell10 you won’t find a better deal on these David protein bars #david #davidproteinbar #davidbars #davidprotein #proteinbars #tiktokshopjumpstartsale #tiktokshopjumpstart

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, recently reported on the bars being sold out across NYC bodegas, representing insane sales velocity powered by flooding the zone with affiliate marketing videos.

Last Fall, I was at a preview of a new skincare brand launching soon. The one platform beauty insiders could not stop talking about was Substack.

And this isn't just a here today, gone tomorrow trend.We’ve seen countless brand partnerships with writers who hold real influence. And it creates a win-win for the brand and the writer.

But this new landscape is difficult for brands not from this world. They don’t know which writers to partner with, or what publications will help them reach their target consumer.

So how can other brands leverage affiliate marketing to nail their landing and become household names? And how can they develop this channel with the same level of tracking offered in other channels (and ensure a great LTV:CAC ratio)

To learn more and to get a deep dive on affiliate marketing, I sat down with an expert—

is the founder of Praize, a boutique Affiliate PR agency. She’s currently based in Paris, France, but lived in New York City for about six years before this, working in-house at DTC brands and agency side at VaynerX, helping brands scale their Affiliate PR efforts before founding Praize in 2021. On the side, she’s an interior design nerd, always with a book in hand, and a long-distance runner!

We spoke about Praize’s work in Affiliate PR, how other brands can leverage this channel, and their new Masterclass which makes entering the world of Affiliate PR simple.

My Interview with Emma Grace Moon

Jake Bell: Tell me more about Praize.

Emma Moon: At Praize, we specialize in Affiliate PR for DTC brands, using data-driven strategies to transform PR into revenue-generating engines. Praize is revolutionizing how DTC brands approach PR, uncovering the smoke and mirrors and bringing measurable growth to a historically top-of-funnel channel.

JB: What does the affiliate marketing landscape look like in 2025?

EM: The affiliate landscape has evolved dramatically since 2019. We've moved far beyond the 'get rich quick' blogs and coupon sites to partnerships with top-tier media like Vogue or Bon Appetit. But what's fascinating is watching two major trends converge: brands seeking alternatives to increasingly expensive META ads, and publications needing sustainable revenue streams. This intersection is where Affiliate PR thrives.

The shift has brought unprecedented interest, but also significant misinformation. There's a real knowledge gap in understanding what Affiliate PR truly entails. Many brands are unknowingly leaving money on the table or damaging press relationships through improper management.

But those who invested early and properly are seeing remarkable results - we're generating an average of $1 million in revenue per year for each client, with 50+ pieces of press coverage monthly and solving the pain points that brands have had with PR for years.

JB: What are some notable partnerships Praize has worked on?

EM: We've worked with some incredible DTC brands, including Great Jones, Jennifer Fisher, Dame, Golde, Jones Road, and Kinfield. Great Jones is particularly interesting - they came to us frustrated, unable to track revenue from press mentions and unsure how to reinvigorate their PR channel. Like many brands, they'd hit that wall where they'd exhausted their editor list and couldn't see a path to growth beyond re-pitching the same publications.

The beauty of Affiliate PR is its trackability. We can actually measure revenue from coverage and build a growth marketing strategy for PR - something that was impossible before. Not to mention, publications are incentivized by commission, so if you're not offering competitive rates, you're more often than not going to be overlooked in the editorial process. We completely revamped Great Jones' PR approach, transforming it into a significant revenue channel through a growth marketing, Affiliate PR approach rather than traditional PR.

JB: What does Praize do that other affiliate partners don’t?

EM: The affiliate landscape has been split into two main camps for the last few years: traditional affiliate agencies working with coupon sites, cashback sites, and obscure tech partners, and PR agencies that simply add "Affiliate" to their services to retain clients. There's only a handful of agencies doing Affiliate PR extremely well. We are growth marketing first, PR second. That's why we actually love to partner with PR agencies who own the traditional PR lever and are experts at storytelling. When you blend an Affiliate PR expert with a traditional PR expert, brands hit the jackpot.

JB: What are some tips for success for brands looking to try Affiliate PR?

EM: First, having the right person managing your program is non-negotiable. You need a partner who can report and analyze performance, build growth strategies, forecast revenue for your PR channel, secure consistent coverage in top-tier media, and work with Affiliate Managers at publications - the vital contacts who oversee affiliate partnerships at pubs.

Second, ditch the coupon sites - they'll actually steal attribution from press coverage and damage your relationships with publications.

Third, your business needs to be primarily DTC-focused (70-80%). If you're mainly retail, this might not be your channel.

Fourth, commission rates matter more than most realize. You need to be competitive within your category - publications won't give you a second look otherwise. You can't just simply offer a commission. It's got to be worthwhile for publications.

Finally, be patient. This isn't a 'quick wins' channel - it typically takes six months to really see results. But once it's working? You're looking at potentially $1M+ in additional revenue.

JB: Tell me more about your new education offering?

EM: I launched our Affiliate PR Masterclass because the industry has only existed since 2018/2019, and the landscape has changed dramatically. Initially, only a handful of us were doing true Affiliate PR. When the pandemic hit in 2020 and everything shifted online, the industry boomed. Publications needed to monetize digital content, brands needed online revenue streams, and Affiliate PR took off.

However, this rapid growth led to widespread misinformation. Many folks, fearing obsolescence, started adding "Affiliate" to their services without truly understanding the growth marketing mindset needed for brands to succeed. That's why I created this hub - to give brands the confidence to evaluate and implement Affiliate PR effectively.

To give people a sneak peek into the Masterclass, we launched a Free Three-Week Email Course. You can sign up HERE.

JB: What can we expect for Praize this year?

EM: Two things:

First, we're doubling down on education because even after almost six years in this industry, there are still many brands and leaders who don't fully grasp Affiliate PR, leaving money on the table. We're expanding our Substack, , too.

Second, we're expanding our strategies beyond traditional publication partnerships to include Substacks. From our experience working with growth-focused businesses, the biggest wins come from combining proven PR strategies with innovative approaches. Expanding to new platforms like Substack is more important than ever.

The future of PR is measurable, and Affiliate PR is leading that charge. Whether you're a brand looking to dive in or just curious about the space, there's never been a more exciting time to explore this channel. Check out our free email course if you want to learn more - we're here to help demystify the process.

To learn more about Praize and sign up for their Masterclass visit here.

This first few weeks of 2025, I’ve been experimenting with style of dining.

I’m at a point in my life where I do not cook.

I haven’t even made a cup of coffee at my apartment in 3 months.

I eat every single meal out of the house.

Largely, these meals are ‘slop bowls’

The type of fast-casual make-you-own-bowl meals that have become the quintessential dietary staple for thousands of bros, just like me, working long hours at an office in New York City.

Chipotle. Sweetgreen. Cava. Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

This routine is one of function and pure utilitarianism.

But enjoying a long meal at a great restaurant is one of my favorite things to do.

So on Saturday, the one day I have the time to hit a restaurant, I want it to be a guaranteed success.

I don’t want to take a risk on an experimental Peruvian wine bar in Ridgewood where the whole staff hates you.

I don’t want to make a reservation 4 months out for place that just blew up on TikTok.

And I don’t want to spend $36 on some mid crudo and stale bread in the Lower East Side.

Here’s what I am looking for—

1. Table availability

2. Fast, pro staff

3. Great food

4. Big, dark room

5. Martinis

And for me, I’ve found a new level of restaurant serenity by experiencing restaurant ego-death.

I don’t care about signaling my taste on Beli anymore.

I want to eat at Hillstone. Nobu. Carbone. Buddakan. Catch.

So now every Saturday I hit a new basic, gauche, douchey restaurant.

The types of place people have their birthday parties at.

And I’ve never been happier.

Here are a few of my favorite recent dishes—

French Dip, Hillstone

I love Hillstone because it feels like a nicest restaurant at a mall. Like I should be dining with several Saks Fifth Ave bags sitting in the booth with me. The menu has no curveballs or big swings, just classic staples done pretty well. You can turn your mind off and before you know it you’re eating artichoke dip and shrimp cocktail. It’s like a slow dream. My favorite thing on the menu is the French Dip. This shit is so fire. Hillstone is known as Houston’s in most part of the country and they have 37 locations now. They’re doing something right.

Yellowtail Sashimi w Jalapeno, Nobu

When I want sushi I don’t bother trying to get a reservation at a 21-course omakase. I just give in and go to Nobu. Similarly, there are Nobu’s all over the world, which is a testament to their consistency. I order like a table of girls on Spring Break in Miami. I get the crispy rice with spicy tuna, the miso black cod, lobster rolls, rock shrimp and most importantly the yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno. This is a perfect bite of salt and spice that really melts in your mouth.

Dim Sum Tower, Buddakan

Perhaps the most ostentatious of the basic restaurants I’m mentioning is Buddakan. It’s sprawling, thumping with club-like music, and decorated with art that “marries the serenity of Asia with the flamboyance of 16th-century Paris." e.g. there are tons of bacchanal-esque paintings adorning the walls. They have a communal dining table in the main room that makes you feel like you’re at Church of Golden Goose. I am fond of the Dim Sum for two which comes out served on a fun little tower.

These restaurants, albeit a bit basic, are hits amongst the masses because they are actually really good. The spaces are vibey, the staff is professional and kind, and the food is dependably pretty good.

No my mind is not blown away by new avant garde culinary delicacies on a weekly basis.

But that’s okay. I think I am on the whole having a significantly better dining experience than most.

The bliss of basic can feel so good if you let it.

Long time no see.

I went from daily posting to weekly to abruptly stopping, with my last post being over a month ago.

A few of you have sent kind messages asking where I’ve been.

The reality is I’ve been really busy with work, helping to scale a generational company.

Which requires a lot of dedication, focus, early mornings, late nights, and Delta flights.

Before I took this gig I remember talking to the day after the election and she told me I should keep writing and I want to as well.

I am so appreciative of everyone new who subscribed this year and made this the best year ever.

So in 2025, Who Do You Know? is going to take a new form. Perhaps a weekly column, more interviews, and different content.

But in the meantime, here are my favorite things from 2024—

Clothing

• Our Legacy Polar Coat: I wanted this coat so bad at the end of ‘23 and finally picked it up the beginning of this year. Warmest and coziest jacket I own despite it making me look like that monkey in the meme.

  

• Drake’s Scottish Wool Sweater: Yeah, I’m in my grown man era. We only wear the sweater if the material is 100% pure. No blends on this side.

• Ven. Space pants: The best flowy black trousers on the planet, created by the best menswear store in Brooklyn, owned by friend of the newsletter, Chris Green who I interviewed and spoke the the New York Times about.

  

• Oliver People’s glasses: I went into the OP store, asked for the exact same glasses Patrick Bateman wore in American Psycho and now I wear these glasses everyday.

  

• Morjas Loafers: I picked these up in June at the Morjas NYC pop-up and they’ve been my go-to loafer ever since.

Food

This is just some new favorites, I’m still mostly dining at my Keith McNally owned haunts: The Odeon, Minetta Tavern, etc.

• Mr. Moto: A 21-course omakase surrounded by Japanese artifacts dating back to the 1800s. Best sushi of the year by far.

  

• Kings Imperial Co: My favorite Chinese spot in Williamsburg.

• Hillstone: IDC if its basic this restaurant slaps. NYC Cheesecake Factory vibes.

• Court St. Grocer: Best sandwiches near me. God I miss going here.

  

• Raf’s: Get the escargot.

Music

• brat by Charli xcx (duh)

• This is How Tomorrow Moves by beabadoobee

• Charm by Clairo

• Mixtape Pluto by Future

Writers

• : the source for wellness and beauty content.

• : Erika tapped me for several pieces this year and I adore her writing.

• : Always has incredible recommendations.

• : the GOAT

• : the best restaurant recommendations in NYC.

Beauty + Wellness

• Eighth Day: Bro this shit is like skincare for the ultra-rich. The regenerative serum is too good.

  

• Freaks of Nature: My favorite sunscreen, I wore it when I ran the perimeter of Manhattan a few months back.

• YSL fragrances: My friends at YSL kept me smelling good the entire year.

Thanks to all the incredible guests that came on Who Do You Know? this year.

And the readers who kept me going the entire time.

Biggest and best year ever.

Have a happy New Year’s I’ll talk to you guys soon.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

When is the last time you spent a decent amount of $$$ on a piece of clothing and actually felt satisfied with the quality of the garment?

I picked up a few pieces on the SSENSE sale last week, notably this Our Legacy trench coat and this wool boucle fleece from Drake’s.

While I enjoy both pieces— neither are incredibly memorable from the standpoint of craftsmanship.

And largely, the je ne sais quoi you feel when feeling a well made piece has been annexed from our buying habits.

Fashion is getting faster and faster, as evidenced by the massive success of companies like Shein, which rollout 2000+ pieces per day and have increased revenues by 30% last year.

And even some menswear brands once known for their quality have received huge investments from conglomerates like LVMH and seen the production get outsourced to Tunisia and quality go way down while prices go up.

So when Lindsay Mark reached out and introduced me to her and her husband’s new menswear brand, founded on the principles of craftsmanship and tailoring, I was intrigued to say the least.

Mark the Tailor is a Boston-born menswear brand with origins dating back to the 1960s, now being revived with care 60 year later, offering elegant, modern takes on menswear staples, crafted from the finest natural materials they could get their hands on.

Their initial collection features an eclectic mix of pullovers, hoodies, corduroy pants, and an impressive wool coat— all catering the the old money aesthetic that has helped catapulted Loro Piano and Brunello Cucinelli into the lexicon of Gen Z menswear enthusiasts.

I was sent the Statler shirt, a boxy button up made from ultra-soft heavyweight moleskin, boasting the details that make me smile, like a navy poplin collar lining and a locker loop for hanging. I styled it with my new Our Legacy coat, and Ven. Space pants, and Who Do You Know? hat on a visit to Quarters furniture store & cafe.

The shirt’s quality struck me as soon as I opened the garment bag, and I was even more pleased when I tried it on and it fit perfectly. The moleskin is thick enough to keep you warm when layering with a jacket.

I spoke with Lindsay and Adam to get more info on the brand—

An Interview with Mark the Tailor

JAKE BELL: First can you introduce yourselves?

LINDSAY MARK: I started my career in the business of fashion - my first job out of college was at Bloomingdale’s. I was so excited, but it didn’t take long for me to become disenchanted with the corporate world. I left and somewhat unintentionally landed in the spirits industry, where I worked across data, finance, and marketing at established (The Macallan) and startup (Cincoro Tequila, Calirosa Tequila) brands. I’m finally back to my roots in the business of fashion - I’m now the co-founder and CEO of Mark The Tailor, a modern heritage menswear brand dedicated to making clothes the way they used to be made.

ADAM MARK: I’ve been in media sales my entire career, but for as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with clothes. I grew up in a family that placed a lot of emphasis on how we dressed, an emphasis that was passed down by both sets of grandparents. Outside of my day job, I’m the co-founder and Creative Director of Mark The Tailor in partnership with my wife Lindsay. We met as summer camp counselors when we were 17, straight out of a bad rom-com, and we’ve been together ever since.

JB: Tell me a bit about the process behind building Mark the Tailor? What was the inspiration? The gap in the market you saw?

AM: Mark The Tailor was inspired by my late grandfather’s tailor shop of the same name. After surviving the Holocaust, he immigrated with his family (including my dad, a baby at the time) to Boston and built a life as a tailor, opening his own shop in 1960. He epitomized elegance, always dressed to the nines despite having very little. He was obsessive about fabric and valued how clothes felt just as much as how they looked - a principle we carry into the brand today.

LM: There are so many brands nailing either style or quality but very few focus on both. We’ve gotten frustrated with the high concentration of synthetics in clothes nowadays, especially at such high price points, so we chose to use only premium natural fibers and quality construction techniques. We don’t think you should have to sacrifice style for clothing that lasts, so we saw an opportunity to follow in Adam’s grandfather’s footsteps.

JB: Can you tell me a bit about the shop and how it informed what you’re building 60 years later?

AM: My grandfather’s shop was a true family business. He focused on quality above all else - famously closing his eyes to feel for the right fabrics while shopping. Even as synthetics became popular in the 60s, he stuck to natural fabrics. Today, our mission mirrors his: combining exceptional quality and timeless style with a personal, family-oriented touch. Our ultimate goal is to recreate his shop one day. He passed away in 1969 so I never knew him, but I know he’d be so proud to see it coming back to life.

JB: The brand is backed by craftsmanship, which is seldom seen these days. Tell me a bit about the process behind one of the garments from ideation to sampling to production?

LM: Our Dorchester Coat was a labor of love. Inspired by vintage cinched-waist ski jackets, Adam reimagined it in wool for versatility - elevated enough for dinner, yet easygoing with sweatpants. We were lucky enough to connect with the incredible people at American Woolen Company, who took over the Connecticut-based mill and team from Loro Piana in 2014. They are revitalizing New England’s textile industry, a mission we feel similarly passionate about. We worked with them to find the right wool fabric for the coat - something with enough weight to keep you warm yet not too much weight that it wouldn’t cinch and drape elegantly. Once we found the right fabric, we moved onto lab dips and fabric finishing to get the color and loftiness right. This process alone took months, so we had to do most of our sampling in the ‘wrong’ color fabric.

After months and months of sampling and many iterations later, we finally nailed it. The end result required 35 pattern pieces, 3 different fabrics, 2 layers of interlining, 8 different pieces of trim and hardware, and hundreds of hours of meticulous work by our factory partners. The NYC-based factory we produced with is known for their craftsmanship and attention to detail, and it shows. It’s a luxury item at a luxury price point, but it really is such a special garment that its owners will be wearing for the rest of their lives.

JB: Curious as to who you guys think has amazing style and which Celeb or fashion icon you think would look amazing in the brand?

AM: To me, amazing style always feels effortless - think Steve McQueen’s layered looks or the natural evolution of Devin Booker and Jeremy Allen White’s style. All of them have consistently stayed true to themselves, never letting the clothes wear them. Seeing Jeremy in our Leon Cords or Devin in our Park Place Pullover would be a dream come true.

JB: When does the brand launch and where can readers purchase?

LM: We officially launch today! You can shop the Fall Winter 2024/25 collection at markthetailor.com.

Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

GM guys. Up top, if you guys are Feed Me readers you need to go and read ’s interview in Semafor.

Its a great profile that sheds light on the history and success of the now 2 year old publication. And it also gives a hint into Sundberg’s thinking about where to take Feed Me in the future—

That being said, I don’t think I will be a newsletter business. I have a real studio mindset in that. I want to make audio projects. I want to make another movie. I really enjoyed making merch. I kind of joked a few weeks ago that I wanted to make a really great boxcutter, because everybody orders so much stuff online. I was like, “Yeah, I could make a cool boxcutter.”

In Today’s Newsletter

• The SSENSE Sale is Here

• Inside Gem’s New Home Store

• Ben Affleck’s AI Take

• Nike’s Ugliest Shoe Yet

• Charli xcx in Time Square

• and more…

The SSENSE Sale is Here

Where were you when the SSENSE sale email hit your inbox?

While it may seem like the Montreal-based e-com retailer is shilling discounted, random designer garments year round— it does actually still have a proper Holiday sale.

And the discounts are pretty good. I sifted through a ton of items yesterday from some of my favorite brands and ended up picking up this espresso brown Our Legacy coat. I will not be styling it like the photo below…

What’s on your SSENSE Sale hit list?

Leave a comment

Inside Gem’s New Home Store

If you read this newsletter, chances are you’ve spent some time drinking a orangey natural wine at Gem in lower Manhattan.

But now, Gem has expanded, opening a new home store and cafe over on Mott St.

Flynn McGarry, the chef behind Gem, took inspiration from cafe / store hybrids in LA like Jones on Third and Sqirl, telling Vogue—

“It’s not quite a full restaurant, but it’s also not quite a full retail store,”

While the store is beautifully designed and features a candlelit dining hall in the back, I have to come out and say I got the worst coffee of my entire life there on Saturday.

Ben Affleck’s Smart AI Take

While on a CNBC panel, frequent Matt Damon and Dunkin Donuts collaborator, Ben Affleck, was asked his thoughts on AI and Hollywood.

His answer was, to the surprise of many people on the internet, incredibly on point. Affleck describes AI as a tool to create efficiency, but keeps it real when he said it could never compare to actors or Shakespeare.

And he has a point— the people fully rejecting AI are missing out on so many productivity benefits, but on the flip side the “AI will replace us all” people show little regard to the magic that comes when humans interact with one another.

AI is but a tool, and I would not expect to see AI generated films anytime soon. We can’t even get people to show up for $200M+ films with A-list talent!

Nike’s AirMax 1000

I have a serious love-hate relationship with Nike. While I love the brands heritage and think they make the best running shoes on the market— their lifestyle output is seriously so confusing.

Over the weekend, they previewed a new take on the classic Air Max silhouette—

I really thought we left the foam-based clog shoes in the past 3 years ago… What are we doing with this Nike?

Charli xcx Takes Over Times Square

Just when you think Charli xcx has hit mass pop culture saturation, she ups the stakes and does something even more extraordinary.

After delivering ‘Brat’, following up with a remix album, hosting SNL, and unintentionally shaping the early branding of a failed presidential campaign, she hosted a free concert in Times Square last night, taking over every single billboard.

What a run.

@hypebaeCharli XCX in the biggest apple of them all 🍏 Video: Hypebae #charlixcx #newyorkcity

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LeBron’s Big Media Moves

I always forget every A-list celebrity has their own production company. Well, now LeBron’s Spring Hill entertainment is merging with Fullwell 73, a UK based production company thats worked on The Kardashians.

The new joint studio will receive an additional $40M in investments from SpringHill’s current cap table (Nike, Epic Games, etc.)

As LeBron’s time in the NBA draws to a close we are seeing the signs as to where he’ll be focusing his time post-retirement: MEDIA!!!

Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

GM guys. Yesterday I wrote about Market airing out Sweetgreen on social media for a ‘stolen’ merch concept. I loved the comments and emails I got around this topic, notably I enjoyed what , self-proclaimed sh*t-stirrer had to say—

This newsletter is more fun when you guys comment because I really care about what you have to say. Also side note, I’ve had a chance to meet so many readers both over calls or in-person lately and my readers are SOOOO smart and interesting. I love you guys, let’s link more often.

In Today’s Newsletter

• Jacquemus Taps Alex Consani for Holiday Campaign

• Peter Do Leaves Helmut Lang

• Polymarket CEO Gets Raided

• X Users Are Abandoning the App (Again)

• Rocco’s New Green Fridge Comes with Kin Euphorics

The Aesthetic Holiday Campaign Battle is On

Every year it feels like all of our favorite brands have a battle for the best, most aesthetic holiday campaign.

Jacquemus may have won the battle already and we’re still 2 weeks out from Thanksgiving.

The immensely popular French label tapped Alex Consani to star in an excellently creative directed campaign— featuring a mix of quirky one-shots that has become so quintessentially Jacquemus.

Shot by Lisa Jahovic, the campaign shows Consani on a rowing machine, getting covered in cucumbers, and placed amongst a sea of Jacquemus candles.

Lisa is an incredibly talented visual artist, here’s a bunch of her other work—

Peter Do Exits Helmut Lang

Following a short 2 year stint at Helmut Lang, Peter Do is OUT as the brand’s creative director.

Do, a talented designer in his own right, never seemed to find success at Helmut Lang, receiving mixed reviews from the jump when he debuted his first collection at New York Fashion Week last Fall.

Writers at the time had some pretty scathing reactions—

Do is going to have to find his own point of contact with Lang and then express that spirit in a contemporary way, without respect for his legacy. Otherwise, we might as well go to Uniqlo — Cathy Horyn

Helmut Lang is an iconic brand, but has struggled to find its place since Lang left the brand in ‘05, and since then its been quite mixed. For a period of time, you’d find hundreds of Helmut Lang logo hoodies at the Sak’s clearance rack.

Do was expected to course correct, but his avant garde and often awkward looks didn’t resonate with consumers who are embracing muted silhouettes and chasing after the ‘quiet luxury’ aesthetic.

Polymarket CEO Gets Raided

Remember 9 days ago when betting on the election was at the top of everyone’s minds?

A mind-boggling $3.2 billion was spent on just Polymarket alone, with the majority of that being bet on Trump.

And just yesterday, the CEO of Polymarket, Shayne Coplan, had his NYC apartment raided by federal investigators.

Its currently unclear if Coplan is under investigation or what the government may have seized, but Polymarket is already trying to win the public narrative, saying—

“This is obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election,”

While initially, U.S. residents were not allowed to bet on public elections, a judge overturned a previous ruling, opening the floodgates for legal election betting.

Polymarket has been raising venture funding, after previously getting backed by Peter Thiel’s founder fund.

Will Coplan be the next Sam Bankman-Fried? We’ll see…

People Are Leaving Twitter (X) (Again…)

Time is a flat circle believers, scored another win as we are reliving the same discourse around people abandoning X for a competitor app we see every year.

Droves of celebrities and news outlets are publicly proclaiming they’re finally done with Elon Musk’s social media site, after the new terms of service proclaim all lawsuits waged against the app must “be filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas” which apparently has a more favorable (conservative) judge selection.

Amidst this, we’ve seen Bluesky soar to the top of the App Store rankings, receiving 1M new sign ups this week alone.

We really are stuck on the hamster wheel of history because this happens EVERY SINGLE YEAR. But does it ever work? No.

X is literally the funniest app on the planet and its something I could never personally give up. For a brief time, they really thought they could make Threads happen.

And now I see people saying Substack’s ‘Notes’ feed could replace X…

Guys the Notes feed on this app is the most garbage experience on the internet— a spammy mess of self congratulatory posts about hitting subscriber counts.

I use social media to be entertained, and there’s not better place for that— flaws and all— than X.

Rocco’s Aesthetic Fridge Comes in Green, and Stocked with Kin Euphorics

Secret Santa season is almost here, and for those of you who have a $1500 limit, I have the perfect gift that comes in just under— a sexy green Rocco fridge that comes stocked with Kin Euphorics unreleased Matchatini bev.

Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

In Today’s Newsletter

• Did Sweetgreen Steal the Idea for their New Merch Capsule?

• Zendaya is Fueling On’s Growth

• Fragrance-Tok UPDATE!

• Charli xcx Links with Acne Studios

• and more!

Sweetgreen Made an Ugly Hoodie and Its Even Worse Because they Stole the Idea

• Don’t get me wrong, I love Sweetgreen. While its fallen to #3 in my unofficial slop bowl rankings (1. Cava 2. Chipotle 3. Sweetgreen … 99. ThisBowl) I still pop in 2-3 times a week for a crispy rice bowl.

• And I can’t shade the concept of them jumping into the world of merch… but I will critique the execution.

• Just yesterday, the unveiled a Kale-inspired hoodie—

• While its not the most egregious brand merch, rocking a Sweetgreen hoodie is a questionable sartorial decision.

• And what makes it worse it they allegedly stole the idea…

• Market, formerly known as Chinatown Market, took to IG to BLAST Sweetgreen, sharing screenshots of an email chain showing they were cooking up this idea last September to no fruition.

• Now a year later, Sweetgreen ran away with the idea…

• Its gotta be a rough f*cking day for the Sweetgreen social media manager…

Zendaya is Fueling On’s Growth

• On is one of the most exciting athletic brands on the market right now. Due in part to their innovative product lineup, which I commented on in The Guardian last Summer.

• And this investment in innovation, as well as strategic partnerships with Zendaya and this year’s Olympics are fueling massive sales.

• In their quarterly report, the brand says sales have risen 32.3%

• This comes as the running world is experiencing an inflection point, as smaller brands like On and Hoka are eating into Nike’s market share, amidst internal turmoil.

• BUT… on the ground I am seeing more Nike’s than ever. At the NYC Marathon, literally everyone was wearing the new Nike AlphaFly 3.

• I picked up the last pair in Williamsburg and can attest they’re the best running shoe I’ve ever worn.

Fragrance-Tok’s Biggest Star Isn’t Backing Down

• In Monday’s newsletter I covered the current drama happening on Fragrance TikTok.

• Scout Dixon West, a popular influencer in the space, was under fire for alleged posts she made critiquing COVID lockdowns.

• Now she’s responded—

@scoutdixonwestAnd a very merry touch grass to you all

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• Her response goes to show that cancel culture is essentially dead. We’ve seen time and time again creators outlasting public drama by just doubling down and refusing to concede defeat.

• The strategy certainly worked for the next President…

Speaking of Which… Biden Met with Trump Today

• That whole ‘threat to democracy’ angle seems to be over. The two oldest Presidents of all time appear to have squashed their beef.

• In another life, these two could have been golf pals…

Charli xcx Links with Acne Studios

• Big win for fans of $750 muddy jeans.

The Founder of APC Made a Natural Wine

• The NYT interviewed Jean Touitou, founder of APC, about his natural wine.

• This is far from the typical celebrity backed alcohol brand, Touitou reportedly spent a considerable amount of time sourcing and preparing his debut natty wine, telling the Times his goal was to—

To make the natural wine for people who don’t like natural wine.

• Touitou has a ton of time on his hands since selling a majority stake in APC.

• I’m so ready to pull up to Gem in my selvedge denim and get a glass of this.

Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

Happy Monday! Free letter today :)

In Today’s Newsletter

• Somebody check on the graphic designer who put an XXX rated link on the final packaging design file.

• Fragrance-Tok Skewers a Massive Creator

• Vogue gets a guest editor

• Emma Chamberlain doesn’t need to make YouTube videos

Double Check Those Final Deliverables

• The new Wicked movie drops in theaters soon, and like most tentpole children’s films their is a line of branded toys and action figures hitting store shelves.

• The only issue is that the packaging designer put the wrong URL on the box…

• Instead of going to the film’s official website (wickedmovie.com) they left out the movie part and it goes to a porn website.

  

• And now Mattel, the brand behind the toys is on the defense…

Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel ‘Wicked’ collection dolls, primarily sold in the U.S., which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page. We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this. Parents are advised that the misprinted, incorrect website is not appropriate for children. Consumers who already have the product are advised to discard the product packaging or obscure the link and may contact Mattel Customer Service for further information.

• Anyone who has done packaging design knows that you’re bound to have countless revisions, I suggest you come up with a good file naming system and double check those final deliverables.

• Its hard to work in this world again when you’re reputation is the designer who put a porn website link on a children’s toy LOL

Fragrance-Tok Is Cancelling this Creator

• I don’t know about you guys but my TikTok FYP serves a ton of videos about fragrances.

• One of the most prominent creators on Fragrance-Tok is Scout Dixon West, whose risen to fame with her incredibly detailed scent breakdowns, eclectic home decor, and Americana adjacent style.

@scoutdixonwestCatch me on a fall foliage cruise next year… Bois d’Ascese by Naomi Goodsir Yatagan by Caron Parfum d’Habit by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Oeilleres by Roberto Greco #perfume #perfumetiktok #fragrance

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• She even debuted her own collection recently which sold out.

• But now West is in hot water over alleged tweets from several years ago… with many labeling her a Trump supporter.

• West also critiqued lockdown policies during the pandemic, allegedly saying:

“Can everyone who’s gonna die from covid just die already so I can go to the movie theatre? Let’s get this show on the road.”

• Viewers are growing increasingly upset and alienated, leaving only two options for West—

  1. Join the Trump administration

  2. Go on Red Scare

Vogue Gets a Guest Editor

• Marc Jacobs was tapped to be the first ever guest editor for Vogue.

• Retelling the moment Anna Wintour asked him over a Balthazar lunch, Jacobs said to himself—

You can’t do this, what do you know about putting together a magazine?

• But they pretty much let anyone who looks cool and eats lunch at Keith McNally owned properties edit a magazine these days so Jacobs was more than qualified.

• He tapped Kaia Gerber to be the cover star, producing some cool covers for the December issue

Emma Chamberlain Doesn’t Need to Post

• After amassing millions of fans for her honest and lo-fi YouTube videos, Emma Chamberlain has grown to be more than just another internet creator.

• In a new profile with The New York Times, Chamberlain discusses her lack of consistent content— as she focuses more on running her fledgling business empire.

• Just this year ascended to become co-CEO of her coffee brand, Chamberlain Coffee, hosted the Met Gala again, and is launching her second collection with Warby Parker.

• Chamberlain Coffee is on track to hit $20M in revenue this year, fueled by strategic collaborations and distribution in big-box retailers.

• We love to see a star successfully pivot into being a great business owner, and I’m sure we’ll see Chamberlain hit billionaire status in the next decade.

From the Cosmos

Selections from my personal Cosmos board.

Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

In Today’s Newsletter

• Our Legacy gets an LVMH investment… what’s next?

• AI is Being Used to Verify Sneaker Authenticity

• Australia Might Ban Social Media for Kids

• We are About to Start Seeing A LOT More Cybertrucks

Our Legacy’s LVMH Investment

• Bernard Arnault, the world’s 5th richest person, is backing up a dump truck worth of money to cult-favorite Our Legacy.

• The Scandinavian sleeper brand is selling a minority stake to LVMH Luxury Ventures Fund— with exact figures not being disclosed.

• But previous fundraising is rumored to be around $25M for 25% of the business according to the New York Times’ Jacob Gallagher.

• Founded nearly 20 years ago, the brands early collections were incredibly subdued, but over various mens and women’s collections— they’ve grown to prominence for their unique tailoring, fabric choices, and avant garde collections that somehow look good all the damn time.

• I’ve personally spent more money than I’d care to admit on several grey sweaters, jeans, an insulated parka, etc.

• This is a major co-sign for the brand, but I do worry about what comes next.

• Take for example, Aime Leon Dore, which received a massive LVMH investment and has seen its quality and brand equity diminish, presumably to scale the business at an unsustainable pace to meet investor demands.

• So I certainly hope this new investment helps the brand move from just under the the radar to the mainstream, but I hope they continue to employ their unique perspective in new collections.

Can AI Verify a Sneaker with… Smell

• The growing ‘hype’ market consisting of secondary sales of coveted sneakers, jewelry, watches, and collectibles is attracting a new wave of startups.

• These startups mostly revolve around helping e-commerce platforms like StockX verify the authenticity of sneakers.

• Osmo uses sensors and AI to literally smell if a shoe is real.

• Basically, counterfeit sneakers have traces of chemicals typically used in fake factories and this AI can detect the subtle nuances of them.

• They did a pilot program that apparently yielded a 95% success rate.

Australia’s New (Potential) Social Media Ban

• Emerging data around growing teen depression is being largely linked to the rise of social media.

  

• The problem is especially evident with teen girls, who have seen depression rates rise 14% since social media became common on every teen’s device.

• In the aftermath of a teen committing suicide after allegedly developing an online relationship with an AI chatbot made by Character.AI, I saw many podcast hosts and pundits argue we need to enact legislation to ban social media for teens.

• Now Australia may be doing just that.

• Proposed legislation would ban social media apps for teens under the age of 16.

• The bill, if passed, would put the onus of enforcement on social media companies like X, TikTok, and Meta, and not outline any specific punishments or exemptions.

• I think the issue lies with how social media is used. In many ways it can be used as a valuable tool to meet new people, discover new ideas, and promote your talents— but its darkest sides can lead to conspiracy, divisiveness, and isolationism.

• What do you guys think about a teen social media ban?

Leave a comment

We Are About to See WAYYYY More Cybertrucks

• The Cybertruck is inherently a polarizing design— which is now associated with crypto bros in Miami.

• And if you’re one of those this is great news, but I’d imagine for most of you this next story is going to hurt…

• Tesla has announced you can lease a Cybertruck for just $999 a month (with $7500 down)

• So get ready to start seeing a whole lot more Cybertrucks driving around New York.

• Just a year ago, the Cybertruck was going for $100,000+, but the market has cooled significantly as production numbers rose.

• And now this lowered entry point is sure to increase numbers on the road.

• Tesla reported it was the 3rd best selling EV last quarter…

Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

In Today’s Newsletter

• Election Day is Here and the Winner is Anyone’s Guess

• Studio Nicholson Drops a Paraboot Collaboration

• Sporty & Rich Collabs with The Carlyle

• Aime Leon Dore’s Holiday Installation at Hirshleifers

• Wellness is a $3.5T Industry

Election Day

Welp we finally made it to the finish line of one of the most peculiar general elections in recent memory.

What began as a relatively boring rematch between Biden and Trump ended up being marked by criminal convictions, assassination attempts, a sitting President dropping out, a Charli xcx endorsement, and millions dollars being poured into the race by the richest man on the planet.

It seems like every recent election is close, the ‘24 race is setting a new precedent. According to ’s final election model, it really is essentially a coin toss at this point.

Millions of people are heading to the polls today, and quelling their election anxiety with massages, manicures, and self-care days.

As for me? I’ll be working all day.

Who do you guys think is going to win?

Studio Nicholson’s Paraboot Collaboration

Last week at Ven. Space I got an early look at Studio Nicholson’s newest collaboration with Paraboot.

This extremely limited take on the brand’s classic ‘Michael’ shoe is crafted from incredibly plush deer skin, sheep skin lining, and a rubber sole.

The boot was made in Paraboot’s small-run French factory.

I told Felix from Studio Nicholson that I LOVE the hiking laces they chose.

I believe only 250 were made worldwide, and they dropped today.

So if you want these and are ready to drop $650 then act quick.

Sporty & Rich’s Carlyle Collaboration Looks… Rich.

Has anyone noticed more and more people rocking merchandise from the luxury hotel they stayed at on vacation?

Read more

Note: Nothing in this newsletter should be construed as financial advice.

20 years ago, when I was in elementary school and teachers asked the class what they wanted to do when they grew up— commons answers would be: astronaut, scientist, doctor, president, now 57% of Gen Z list ‘becoming an influencer’ as a primary career aspiration.

Given the shifting media landscape, can we really blame them?

The creator economy is currently valued at around $250B, and on track to reach $480B by 2028. Additionally, 44% of advertisers are planning on spending more on creator / influencer advertising this year.

And its hard to deny that ‘influencers’ shape consumer perception and have huge sway in getting people to buy products and services.

I was asked recently how a new product launching in the US soon should start its marketing rollout… and I told them not to waste a ton of money on a massive celebrity endorsement, and instead set up relationships with smaller creators with highly engaged audiences.

Today, your favorite podcaster, vlogger, or writer on Substack has significantly more influence on your purchasing decisions than a massive SoHo billboard of Kendall Jenner wearing Calvin Klein.

And with any booming market, it was only a matter of time before big finance and other legacy institutions started poking around.

Inside a BlackRock Influencer Event

Last week, iShares invited me to an event in the West Village to celebrate their new ETF TOPT: a collection of 20 of the largest companies in the US (Apple, Amazon, Nvidia, etc.)

For context, iShares ETFs are managed by BlackRock, one of the largest investment management companies in the world.

I was really excited and curious about the event, as someone who invests and cares about financial wellness.

The event was like most ‘influencer’ events I get invited to each week— vibey wine bar or restaurant, branded napkins and cups, and a partnership with Lil Sweet Treat, a candy store founded by Elly Ross.

My takeaway is that this new ETF and Lil Sweet Treat are similar in that people can get a mixed bag of all of their favorite stocks (or candy) with just one investment.

On the surface, I think this makes total sense and was actually a nice metaphor. I ate some candy, had some wine, talked to people about what they’re up to, then I went to American Bar and got a burger.

Should Financial Institutions Be Using Influencers?

But I was surprised to see a massive amount of curiosity, skepticism, and hate around this ‘BlackRock’ influencer event the next morning.

@rachelinarealwayHow is this even allowed #nyc #nyclife #nycgirls #financegirls #corporatelife #corporatetiktok

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This visceral reaction struck me— we are marketed each and everyday by influencers, what made this different?

I reached out to numerous friends who work in finance— who raised concerns around the potentiality of regulatory guidelines around having influencers give financial advice.

I wanted to get to the bottom of this, so I started looking at the regulations around marketing:

BlackRock, and all other major investment institutions, are carefully analyzed by the FTC and FINRA, which has laid out pretty clear guidelines for influencer promotions:

• Fair and Balanced Content: FINRA’s Rule 2210 mandates that promotional content must be fair, balanced, and not misleading. Influencer posts that make exaggerated or misleading claims or are otherwise biased are in violation. This includes avoiding “promissory language” that might give potential clients unrealistic expectations​

• Supervision and Approval Requirements: Firms are required to supervise influencer-generated content and retain records of communications. FINRA enforces strict guidelines to ensure that firms using influencers have systems in place for reviewing, approving, and archiving all promotional posts​

• Privacy and Consumer Protection: Under Regulation S-P, firms must protect consumers' nonpublic information and provide clear privacy notices. FINRA’s oversight includes ensuring that influencers do not share sensitive data improperly and that firms offer clear opt-out options for customers concerning their data use​

• Compliance with Transparency Requirements: Influencers must disclose their financial relationships with firms, and the SEC has been particularly active in penalizing firms for inadequate transparency about such partnerships. This includes making disclosures about incentives or bonuses given to influencers for customer referrals

🚨 I do want to make clear, iShares DID NOT instruct influencers to promote TOPT or give any investment advice to their followers in any capacity 🚨

Ultimately, creators simply went and were made aware of the event. What they did after is up their prerogative.

This event was the first of its kind as far as I could tell, and I wanted to get more information on iShares’ influencer strategy, and how they ensured it was compliant with strict regulations.

They declined to comment on specifics saying they’re focused on key initiatives related to the product launch.

All this is to say, I don’t know how I feel about this quite yet.

From a marketing perspective, I think financial institutions need to adapt to changing media landscapes just like any other brand, and part of that involves working with influencers. I’ve seen some people on TikTok say this was a good idea—

@drakepooleyAbout that blackrock influencer event #blackrock

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On the other hand, there is a lot of room for error and misinterpretation when working with influencers who are not equipped to give financial advice.

I am really curious what you guys think of this— should big financial institutions be using influencers to market their products?

Leave a comment

A $100M Credit Fund for Creators

On the other side of the industry, big financial companies are also developing new credit funds to help fuel creators.

Lucky Hand Capital serves to keep influencers and creators funded. If you’ve done any brand work, you know that payment terms often favor the brand as opposed to the creator, leaving people waiting 30-90 days to receive payment for deliverables.

Lucky Hand is changing this— offering a new way for creators to get paid faster by uploading their invoice documents to the platform.

And just last week they launched a $100M creator fund, offering a unique opportunity for content creators to secure capital based on future earnings, leveraging a fully digital, simple, streamlined process to convert receivables into cash within 48 hours.

I spoke with Vanesa Atala, Head of Investor Relations at Lucky Hand Capital, to learn more about the fund and how it can help creators.

JAKE BELL: First off, can you give my readers a summary of what Lucky Hand Capital does and the inspiration behind starting this service? 

VANESA ATALA: Lucky Hand is an innovative fintech company focused on providing receivables financing to influencers and content creators. Our digital platform simplifies access to capital, allowing creators to secure funding efficiently and in less than 48 hours. Most often, creators can receive payment the same-day.

With the fast-growing creator economy, there have been significant shifts in how quickly content is being monetized, yet the speed in which payments are being made to creators hasn't entirely caught up. Our receivables-based financing allows creators to secure capital based on their future earnings, effectively bridging the gap caused by lengthy payment cycles. This means creators can access funds within 48 hours, enabling them to continue producing high-quality content without financial delays and reducing the stress associated with cash flow management.

JB: Payments and liquidity are always a struggle in the life of a creator, how does Lucky's new fund help address this?

VA: This is exactly the problem that we're trying to solve with Lucky Hand LP – we're making it easier for creators to get the money they need when they need it. With just a few simple steps in our fully digital platform, creators can tap into their future earnings and get cash in hand within 48 hours. This means no more stressing over delayed payments—creators can keep doing what they do best: making amazing content and growing their community without any financial hiccups.

JB: What size creators is the fund anticipating servicing? 

VA: Our fund is designed to cater to a diverse range of creators, from emerging influencers to established content producers. We target  to provide financial solutions to Micro (10k to 100k Followers) and Macro Influencers (100k -1M Followers)

We aim to support creators of various sizes, recognizing that both smaller and larger creators face unique financial challenges in the creator economy. By providing tailored financing solutions, we can help empower all types of creators to scale their businesses.

JB: Walk me through a scenario in which a creator may find Lucky Capital's new fund useful?

VA: A micro-influencer has secured multiple brand partnerships but is experiencing delays in payment from past partners, causing cash flow issues. They need immediate funds to cover production costs for upcoming partnerships. By utilizing our services, the creator can upload a few easy documents and with just a few clicks, quickly convert their future receivables into cash. 

Within 48 hours, they have the money needed to continue producing content without interruption, allowing them to maintain momentum, fulfill their brand commitments, and scale their business. 

JB: Data shows 14% (27M) of the US workforce is involved at least part-time in the creator economy, but the average salary is just $51,000: is the goal of this new fund to potentially help creators turn their part-time hustle into a sustainable revenue stream / business model?

VA: Our goal is to alleviate the financial pressures that can often otherwise hinder sustainable business growth. By offering quick access to capital, we aim to help creators – whether it's a part or full time job – invest in their projects, expand their offerings, and ultimately build a more stable revenue stream. 

With the right financial support, we believe that creators can unlock their full potential and thrive in this dynamic creator economy. 

Both the BlackRock influencer event and Lucky Hand’s new creator fund are early glimmers into a post-influencer world for financial institutions.

Whether it be holding a PR event in the West Village, or launching a fund to support creator endeavors— these massive institutions are not living under a rock anymore.

They’re adapting, changing strategies, meeting audiences where they’re at, and leveraging the growing creator economy.

It’s not a question as to if we want this or not— its going to keep happening regardless— rather these precedent setting events open more questions like:

• What happens if an influencer markets a stock that results in their followers facing significant financial loss?

• Do influencers want to assosciate themselves with big financial institutions?

• Can they work together to properly disclose paid relationships in the future?

• Which creators should take funding?

These are all questions I don’t know the answer to. So I want to get your thoughts—

What do you think of big finance coming for the creator economy?

Let’s chat in the comments.

Leave a comment

Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

One year ago today I started this newsletter. This was the first one…

Back then it didn’t really have a name— I just had a lot of sh*t to say and nowhere to put my thoughts.

At first I was really hesitant, putting your opinions on the internet whether it be on a newsletter or a TikTok video is hard at first.

Little did I know it writing that first newsletter was one of the best decisions of my life.

In the time since, I’ve had the opportunity to interview and meet so many interesting, cool people behind my favorite brands, have great discussions with my readers, and figure out how difficult it is to write a daily newsletter while juggling a million other things.

I’ve written this newsletter on planes, in the back of Uber’s, and sometimes literally running down the West Side Highway typing it out on my phone.

In the beginning, literally no one read it. I probably published every day for 6 months before I started to grow any sort of meaningful following.

So if you’re thinking of starting or about to quit: I really urge you to keep going until you find your audience that resonates and appreciates your unique POV.

I really appreciate each and every one of you whose given me space in their inbox, and I promise major things are on the way.

I think I have a couple of Who Do You Know? hats left. Comment if you want one and I’ll ship it to you for free.

Leave a comment

Here are a few of my favs from the last year—

To many more years!

Best,

jake

Jake Bell is a content marketing, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC. He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

In Today’s Newsletter

• Prada Group Defies Luxury Sales Slump

• Auralee x Tekla is So Good

• Starbucks New CEO Charts Incoming Changes

• Betting on the Election is Skewing Our Perception

Prada is On Fire

• The entire luxury fashion industry is in free-fall, but that’s news to Prada.

• Despite an industry wide downturn and diminished consumer spending that has sent companies like Kering’s stock plummeting

  

  Prada continues to defy gravity and present strong sales numbers.

• Revenue for the group is up 9%, fueled mostly by the insane popularity of Miu Miu, which rose 105% in Q3.

• Just last week, Miu Miu rose to the top of Lyst’s Brand Index, with search volume for the brand rising 30%.

• Their hottest item? The $3,000 suede arcadia bag.

  

• My favorite item? The $1700 grey fleece with the Miu Miu logo hit on the chest.

Auralee x Tekla is So Good

• Auralee, the best Japanese brand at the moment, and Tekla, known for their incredible bedding, are collaborating for an incredibly cozy collection.

• Inspired by ‘the bathing rituals of onsen’ the full range is comprised mostly of sleepwear.

• But in ‘24, sleepwear is no longer relegated to the bedroom or for our work from home friends… we are seeing more people rock robes, boxers, and slippers out of the house as a fashion statement.

• To me, wearing high-end sleepwear (not the cookie monster pajama bottoms) out of the house subliminally communicates wealth— you are indulgent, focused on comfort, and don’t give a f*ck because its literally pajamas but looks so chic.

• This collection has some standouts to me—

ROBE COAT - $ 1,666.50

STRIPE DOWN JACKET - $ 1,534.50

COTTON POPLIN SHIRT - $ 324.50

Shop the full collection here.

Starbucks Pivots

• After taking the helm of the world’s largest coffee chain, Starbucks’ new CEO (formerly of Chipotle) is starting to share his vision for the company.

• On an investor call, Niccol laid out a plan to reverse the chains forecast of a 7% drop in revenue this quarter—

  • Reducing wait times, ensuring customers can get a coffee in 4 minutes or less.

  • Elevating the in-store experience with ‘cozier seating’, ceramic mugs, dine-in orders, and TVs.

  • Slowing store expansion and reducing bloat.

• And just yesterday, they discontinued their disgusting olive oil infused drink.

Betting on the Election is Skewing Our Perception

• This week, Robinhood launched their election betting contracts, joining a growing number of platforms offering users a chance to bet on the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election.

• Thus far, we’ve seen over $100M bet on the election, and expect a whole lot more now that federal judges have legalized election betting for U.S. residents.

• But there is a ton of confusion around the odds these betting websites display and the actual odds of the election results.

• For example, the average likelihood of a Trump win sits at 62% on betting sites, compared to the 52% odds gives the former President.

Silver Bulletin

Silver Bulletin 2024 presidential election forecast

🕒 Last update: 7:15 p.m., Wednesday, October 30. Another high-volume polling day, so we’ve got a second update for you. Kamala Harris got some good results in Michigan and Wisconsin from CNN and Fox. But both firms showed a tied race in Pennsylvania…

Read more

2 years ago · 4013 likes · 4694 comments · Nate Silver and Eli McKown-Dawson

• Silver’s model is a probability model backed with tons of data, compiled from poll aggregates and is reflected as a toss-up election, essentially.

• Side Note: I highly recommend reading Silver’s new book ‘On the Edge’

• Whereas the betting markets fluctuate based on how much users are betting on either candidate.

• Some say the betting markets are more ‘accurate’ because actual money is on the line, but this is pretty f*cking stupid.

• Kalshi, the most-known election betting site, reports its user base is 90% men… which are overwhelmingly more likely to be Trump supporters. So its hardly a representative sample.

• We are only a few days out from the election, but the legalization of election betting, as well as the mainstream acceptance of sports betting (DraftKings is spending $500M on ads this year) is leading me to think… maybe America has a betting problem?

Jake Bell is a brand consultant, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC.

He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

In Today’s Newsletter

• (Good) Brand: Homie Skincare

• Armie Hammer’s New Podcast

• Louis Vuitton’s Surreal Store Design

• The Top Creative Agencies in the World

• Ella Emhoff’s Press Run

Last night I went to a BlackRock event to celebrate the launch of their new ETF called TOPT, which combines 20 of the best performing stocks all in one. This isn’t financial advice but we should all be investing.

And this morning I’m thinking about this Nietzsche quote…

(Good) Brand is a new vertical under the Who Do You Know? banner where I break down the brand strategy of a new-ish brand I love.

Homie Skincare

Men’s skincare is having a moment to say the least.

The Cut recently reported on the rise of skincare focused content aimed at appealing to young men on TikTok. While the mens skincare category is still dwarfed by female spend, 70 percent of Gen Z men, aged 18 to 27, used skin-care products — and so do about half of all American men.

Globally, the men's skincare market was valued at around $13.5 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach approximately $20.15 billion by 2032.

And there are a new crop of brands built around the concept of male focused products. Take for example a new brand I’m curious about— Homie.

Founded this year by Rajiv Lahens, the former global creative director at Levi’s, Homie aspires to be the go-to solution for men building a proper skincare routine.

Being a modern man comes with its own challenges, and at HOMIE, we totally get it—we’re guys too. That's why we created HOMIE. We looked around and saw a sea of same-old products that didn’t really solve the problems we were dealing with. Another 3-in-1 solution? Come on, there’s got to be a better way.

That’s why we made it our mission to create essential hygiene and body care products that seamlessly fit into your daily life—products you'll be excited to use and proud to show off.

Our goal is simple: to empower you to create care-focused rituals that help you feel your best, from head to toe, so you're always ready for whatever life throws your way.

Branding

Part of nailing a rollout for men’s skincare involves creating a brand that appeals specifically to men. Homie has nailed this with their bold, all-caps logo and soft blue hues.

The name in it of itself communicates a sense of care for this category— mens skincare built by men who care about skincare.

While this brand could have gone town the 'man-o-sphere’ rabbit hole and served up some gritty packaging evocative of Axe Body Spray, Homie was smart to position their branding to be more akin to a fashion brand, which makes sense considering the founder’s extensive retail background.

Product Lineup

Thus far, Homie has a very tight, focused product lineup: a body wipe, a face wipe, and their new toner. While these hardly create a comprehensive skincare regimen, they do show glimmers of promise, and a test-fail-learn-scale mindset. New brands often dilute their value propositions by launching too many products all at once. My advice to most founders is to start small and create familiarity and desire before launching new SKUs.

Social Strategy

While Homie has been promoting on their Instagram with aesthetic, on-brand imagery, I was surprised to see they haven’t started promoting via TikTok.

TikTok is the epicenter of tips, tricks, and guidance for young men beginning a skincare routine, and not creating content for the platform is a missed opportunity at driving new customer acquisition, especially if Homie could offer a discounted product on TikTok Shop to get customers introduced to the brand.

And there are a ton of formats and creatives that could work for Homie. I’d even like to see the founder create content discussing the inspiration for starting the brand, and giving followers an inside look how the pivot from creative director to brand founder.

@yanielcolnTHANK YOU SM FOR 80 FOLLOWERS 🦆 #grwm #routine #night #guy #nightroutine #men #skincare #serum #ricetoner #larocheposay #cleanser #trending #viral #teen #goodnight #nightcore #teamwork #teamworktrend #blowthisup

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Overall, I’m stoked to see more brands popping up to cater to the growing men’s skincare market. I do believe this is a category with massive upside and there’s room for tasteful brands to capture discerning consumers with the right brand strategy.

Should I get the founder on the newsletter?

Leave a comment

🗞️ NEWS 🚨

• Armie Hammer is launching a podcast. After being blacklisted for more reasons than I care to count, the once-actor-turned-alleged-cannibal is launching a podcast aptly titled ‘The Armie HammerTime Podcast’ Hammer says the new podcast format will interview a variety of guests, saying: “Throughout the course of the day, every single person you interact with knows at least one thing that you don’t, so teach me what that one thing is,” The first interview features 80s movie star Tom Arnold. To me, this feels like a desperate attempt to get back into the spotlight after his career tanked. Previously Hammer uploaded a video of him selling a truck to CarMax because he “couldn’t afford the gas anymore” In case you were wondering if Hammer has moved past the sex-cannibal stuff, on the first episode he said, “I kind of like the cannibal stuff now.” Oy vey.

• is Making the Downtown NYC Internet Subculture Press Run. The possible future first daughter is making the rounds on all of your favorite Instagram pages and Substacks— writing a ‘10 Things I Hate/Love List’ for Dream Baby Press, getting a New York Times profile, and launching a Substack focused on her crafts hobby called Soft Crafts.

• Louis Vuitton turned their 5th ave flagship store into giant luggage. The surrealist design is pretty impressive and is sure to get maximum street attention. This reminds me of the 3D CGI fakeouts brands like Jacquemus were doing earlier this year, but actually in real life. No word on lowered employee morale due to lack of sunlight indoors.

• Creative Boom dropped a list of the top 25 creative-design agencies in the world. Pentagram, the world’s largest design consultancy and the agency that charged Citi Group $1.5 million for a logo hand sketched on the back of a napkin during the kickoff meeting, held the top spot.

  

  And rightfully so, they’re the go-to for massive brands. But fresher, more exciting design agencies like ’s Mouthwash Studio came in at number 4. Mouthwash has been behind some incredible design work, notably for Thom Browne’s fashion week dinner, a motion design system for Rimowa, and branding for Barcelona based architecture firm, Mesura.

  

  

  

  They also did the branding for Literary Sport, which I covered on the first installment of (Good) Brand.

Jake Bell is a brand consultant, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC.

He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

Good morning everyone, quick newsletter today (so its free) —

In Today’s Newsletter

• I Spoke to the New York Times About My New Favorite Store

• Print Media’s New Niche

• PDF to Brainrot

• Aime Leon Dore’s Paid Ad Campaign

• This Brand Nails Partnerships

Want to be a Fitness Influencer?

First of all, I am working with Harlo to create some fitness content, and I’m looking for New York City based athletes and fitness enthusiasts to help out as talent.

For context, Harlo is really cool because it has electrolytes, creatine, and collagen all-in-one and it supports both physical and mental function.

You’ll get free samples of our 3-1 hydration supplement, become a brand athlete, receive a dope looking video of yourself, get a spotlight on our social media, and more.

If you’re based in NYC and interested please fill out this form.

I Spoke to the New York Times About Ven. Space

• Last week, I told Chris Green, owner of Ven. Space, that he may have the most publicized new clothing store in years.

• Since opening last month, the Carroll Gardens based menswear retailer has received write-ups in Highsnobiety, WWD, this newsletter, and now… the New York Times!

• This time I was able to join in, speaking with legendary menswear reporter, Jacob Gallagher. I told him last week—

“It’s kind of like every single thing you could ever want in one location,” said Jake Bell, 26, a brand consultant living in Williamsburg who recently spent more than an hour and a half at Ven. Space, playing dress up under the direction of Mr. Green and his staff. “They have an ability to say, ‘Oh, you like X, Y, Z brand, here are three other brands that we think complement that,’” said Mr. Bell, who walked away with a shirt and trousers from the shop’s in-house label and a chocolate brown half-zip sweatshirt from Lady White Co. in Los Angeles.

• I love to support something that feels so unique and fresh. Shopping for clothes has become tainted with the sterile feeling of e-commerce.

• Whether it be sold out items, or the lack of a tactile experience— Ven. Space’s decision to focus on being the best physical retailer is so refreshing.

• Jacob points out in his article that Ven. Space hides labels, so customers move past their preconceived notions and get a true sense of an item just by seeing and feeling in-person.

• The true competitive moat for Ven. Space is Chris and his staff’s excellent taste and direction. Its the perfect menswear edit, every single time.

• and with more brands coming soon and an expansion of their in-house line… big things are on the way.

A big thank you to Jacob for interviewing me for this story!

Go read.

Print Media’s New Niche

• I’ve been discussing the future of print media for quite sometime on this newsletter.

• Two interesting things are happening—

  • Celebrity investors are scooping up failing publications and reinventing them (mostly as vanity projects) Example being Thrive Capital’s purchase of W and i-D magazine.

  • and brands are investing budget into creating branded physical publications. Example being the relaunch of the J. Crew catalog or Hinge’s new love story zine.

• Bloomberg’s Amanda Mull, published an incredibly insightful breakdown on how print magazines can remain relevant.

• Collapsing Revenue: US magazine ad revenue has collapsed, especially with print publications.

• Affluent Readership: As the print media dust has settled, it appears that they may be left with a new target niche: the affluent.

• The legacy publications that still pump out print covers are the ones that target affluent readers interested in restaurants, clothing, politics, culture, etc. (sounds like the readers of this newsletter)

When you think about the new role of print magazines, it’s useful to consider which publications never abandoned them in the first place: Architectural Digest, the Atlantic, Bon Appétit, GQ, New York, the New Yorker, Vanity Fair and Vogue, among others. The readership of these magazines isn’t exactly a cross section of America; they’re disproportionately affluent and well-educated people who are generally willing to pay up for things they think are fancy or high quality or sophisticated. That’s why they still subscribe to magazines, and to these magazines in particular. They’re high-end products, most with glossy pages full of lengthy, deeply reported stories, high style or original photography that take a long time and a lot of expense to produce. — Amanda Mull

• Removing Distraction: As Amanda notes, magazines have a slight competitive advantage over the phones and computer screens that largely dominate our attention— they’re the complete opposite.

• No spammy ads, no pre-roll videos, no algorithmic ranking. Just the pure comfort of glossy pages filled with beautiful images and layouts. Print truly has a luxury quality as compared to the SEO-filled garbage pages spilling out of some publishers CMS.

• And this in turn is why luxury brands should be taking advantage of this opportunity to create branded print publications available in-store and free in e-commerce orders.

• Imagine if Louis Vuitton linked up with an amazing editor-in-chief, who drafted an all-star team that crafted a quarterly publication writing about relevant topics, showing photos of the clothes in the wild, and wrapping it all up in a few hundred pages of gloss, available for SoHo kids to take Instagram photos with and their rich parents to read whilst they wait in the Supreme line.

• If any luxury brands want to do this… HMU.

Side Note: I Yearn for the Days of Ogilvy Style Print Ads

Quick News

• Cadence is a hydration brand from Ross MacKay and George Heaton and they’re being really smart about brand activations. They recently did an electrolyte infused coffee at Rhythm Zero and now a sea salt bagel at Leon. Really great stuff leading up to the NYC marathon.

• My new favorite AI tool is called ‘PDF to Brainrot’ which takes complex documents and recreates it to be more Gen Z/A friendly. Good sh*t.

@memenomeaiNow I am become Rizz, the Mogger of Ohio #memenome #brainrot #brainrottranslator #oppenheimer

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• Aime Leon Dore is getting trashed for running paid ads. The brand once known for sold out drops is seeing its star fade, and hoping to use paid ads to grow the brand. At least that’s what it seems… Since going viral and getting a massive LVMH investment, the brand has lowered quality and raised prices. Now that consumer’s are a bit fed up, its diminished the brand’s equity amongst passionate consumers. I don’t think its inherently bad to be running paid ads, we all need to remember this is a massive brand… but it does feel a bit thirsty. Idk… what would you think if Supreme ran paid ads?

Jake Bell is a brand consultant, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC.

He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

Happy Friday everyone. Free letter today.

In Today’s Newsletter

• Want to become a fitness influencer? I have an offer for you.

• Ven. Space x Studio Nicholson Party Recap

• What I’m Wearing this Fall

Want to Become a Fitness Influencer? I Have an Offer for You.

• Fitness is a really big part of my life— I workout nearly everyday, write often about fitness and wellness brands, and documented my 33ish mile run around the perimeter on Manhattan this past Summer.

• To keep up with this rigorous training schedule, I used to take a ton of supplements. Electrolytes, creatine, magnesium, and a bunch more. And taking all of these is a f*cking huge hassle.

• That was before I discovered Harlo, a 3-1 hydration supplement that has electrolytes, creatine, and collagen all-in-one.

• It comes in several delicious flavors and is sold in tubs or convenient sachets for those of you who are always on the go.

• Now for the offer: Harlo is looking to get this incredible product in as many people’s hands as possible and recruit a roster of Harlo athletes to give their thoughts on the brand and show how they use Harlo in their routines.

• So if you are an aspiring fitness influencer and want free samples in exchange for making some easy brand content: fill out this form.

• I’ll either come document your workout or you can film it yourself! This is a video I made with my boy Aaron, who is currently training for the NYC marathon.

• So you get: free product, a cool video of you working out, and you join Team Harlo as an athlete.

• Feel free to email me if you have any questions: jake@jb.studio

Inside the Ven. Space x Studio Nicholson Party

• Last night I took the G train all the way down to Carroll Gardens to check out Studio Nicholson’s Winter collection at NYC’s hottest new store: Ven. Space.

• Upon arrival, Felix from SN told me the collection experienced a badly timed shipping delay and wasn’t in-store.

• BUT… he did show me a pair of collaborative Paraboot’s crafted in a soft, supple deerskin.

• They’re only making 250 of them and they drop in a few weeks, and I will be securing a pair.

• In the meantime, I browsed Studio Nicholson’s Winter lineup online and here are a few of my favorite pieces—

Voe Knit Sweater - $600

Crafted from 100% RWS Extrafine Merino Wool, this sweater has a great boxy fit.

Cover Coat - $1050

This oversized wool trench coat looks perfect for the incoming snowy days. Pair this with some jeans, boots, and a cashmere beanie and you’ve got yourself a certified Winter banger. I love the espresso color too.

Loft Down Jacket - $1150

Maybe its time to retire that North Face down jacket and upgrade to Studio Nicholson’s Loft Down Jacket. I love how clean this looks.

Shop the full AW24 collection here. and for more info on Ven. Space read my interview with the store’s owner Chris Green below.

What I’m Wearing this Fall

• Summer is a f*cking difficult time to dress, especially in sweltering hot New York, where even the perfectly planned fit can be ruined by a delayed train in a 105°F subway station.

• But with Fall finally here, I’ve been finally able to LAYER again and get some proper fits off.

• I’ve picked up a ton of new stuff I’m excited to share with you all—

Ven. Space Belted Trousers

I picked up these belted wool trousers from Ven. Space a month ago and have effortlessly incorporated them into a ton of outfits. Crafted from gabardine wool and made in LA, Ven. Space’s in-house pants drape perfectly and offer a ton of room in the legs for a flowy, relaxed fit. The built-in belt is a great touch so you can wear them a bit higher above the waist and tuck in a t-shirt.

Balenciaga Denim Swing Jacket

Demna Gvasalia’s has transformed the aesthetic of Balenciaga over his nearly 10 year tenure at the brand. While most of it is too freaky for me, one jacket from his first collection has always stood out to me. I finally picked one up in my size at Luke’s on Broome St. The swing jacket is like a typical denim jacket upon first glance, but upon seeing on body you’ll see the way the jacket’s cut offers an incredibly boxy, cropped fit. You can button it up top and let it flare out around your waist, or button on the bottom and wear around your shoulders. Its pure perfection.

Auralee Mohair Sweater

Auralee makes some of the best sweaters in the game. This grey, collared one from their collaboration with Kith is crafted in Japan and is incredibly fuzzy and fun.

Supreme Flight Jacket

Yeah yeah yeah, I know I’m 26 and bought something from Supreme. Who cares? This cotton flight jacket with a leather collar is really great and doesn’t scream SUPREMEEEEEE!!!!! We’ll take it.

Ven. Space Chore Jacket

Another banger from Ven. Space’s in-house line: their take on a classic chore jacket is a great lightweight jacket to throw on for a chilly night. I like the front pockets.

What are you wearing this Fall?

Leave a comment

Jake Bell is a brand consultant, creative strategist, designer, and writer based in NYC.

He specializes in brand building, content strategy, creative direction, business development, and making things cool.

Want to chat? Email me: jake@jb.studio

GM everyone. Last night I went to the Hotel Chelsea to check out some collaborative Italian home decor and I bumped into Tory Burch.

In Today’s Newsletter

• Substack is the Future of Influence

• Lyst Reveals The Buzziest Brands

• Loretta Caponi’s Handmade Italian Homeware

• Saucony X Minted NY

• Every Luxury Brand Is Making A Collaboration Espresso Machine

• Kering’s Revenue Misses The Mark

• Keurig Buys The World’s Ugliest Energy Drink

We chatted briefly about Substack and I mentioned how I think this platform is slowly defining the taste discourse, a conversation I often have when I’m at events and people ask why I’m there.

Tory Burch is already keen on Substack, the brand launched the newsletter a year ago, written by the brand’s editors and offering monthly fashion recommendations, spotlights into Tory Burch’s collections, and interviews with influential fashion figures like Comme Si’s Jenni Lee.

But its incredible to me how many brands are still unaware of the power the parasocial relationship between newsletter writers and readers. And when I mention it, they often have so many questions about how they can utilize it to promote their brand.

I was discussing this same premise at a product preview last week— big celebrity endorsements honestly do more harm than good to discerning consumers.

The real influence comes from the writers who can tap into readers emails at will, spark new conversations, and engage their audiences in ways that build trust.

In many ways, Substack is the latest mutation in the ‘taste-as-a-service’ model.

My prediction for late ‘24 and all of ‘25 is that Substack writers with even modest followings will develop deeper relationships with brands, getting more free products, getting invited to more events, and being just as influential as legacy media publications and traditional influencers.

And the brands who don’t catch on to this quickly will fall behind.

If you’re a brand or founder and want to chat more on how to utilize Substack, shoot me a message: jake@jb.studio

Lyst Reveals the Buzziest Brands

• Lyst has unveiled their Q3 ranking for the hottest brands in the world.

• Miu Miu is back on top, taking the top spot from Loewe, fueled by a 30% increase in searches, and resilient demand for their $3050 Aracadia bags.

• In a shocking turn, Alaia surged to the number 5 ranking, climbing 12 spots and marking a 50% increase in search volume.

• Customers came for their signature flats and are now diving deeper into brand’s inventory.

• Ralph Lauren is new to the top 20, due in part to their buzzy activations at the Summer Olympics and the continued popularity of the ‘Old Money’ aesthetic.

• Some of the hottest products I find notable are the—

  • Puma SpeedCat: The low-profile sneaker craze continues, as shoppers scour each brands archives to find their flattest silhouette.

  • Toteme Country Jacket: Like a classic J. Crew barn jacket but pricier.

  • Clark’s Wallabees: A defining shoe built for getting off Fall fits. Matter of fact I need a new pair…

  

• Main takeaway: The old guard of luxury that defined late 2010s fashion is as dead as it gets… and the power lies with modern luxury brands.

Loretta Caponi x Carlos Mota

• Last night I was invited to the Hotel Chelsea to check out a collaboration between Italian haute-couture house, Loretta Caponi, and Carlos Mota, a celebrated interior designer.

• The collaboration produced three distinct collections of home goods, all handmade in Florence, ranging from dining table cloths, bed sets, and throw blankets.

• I was speaking with Guido, who runs Loretta Caponi, about the history of the brand. His grandmother began sewing in a factory at age 9 and delivered her first commission work at 14.

  

• The collection really must be seen and touched in person to get a grasp for the quality and craftsmanship.

• Carlos told me he took inspiration from Dutch paintings, contemporary hart, and Nantucket to create this expansive collaboration.

• Shop the collection here.

Saucony x Minted NY

Read more

GM everyone hope you’re having a great week getting to the money.

Today I have a very special interview with , the baker behind some of New York’s coolest cakes you’ve seen at parties and pop-ups, and writer of the weekly restaurant advice column .

I first started reading Gaby’s column when I moved to Williamsburg and needed a new roster of restaurants. Her thoughtful recommendations I’ve been loving include: Court St. Grocers, Lilia, and of course my neighborhood haunt, Bernie’s.

We chat about her cake baking empire, recent great eats, and why she thinks New York is the perfect city. (Spoiler alert: it is)

In Today’s Newsletter

• An interview with : the baker behind New York’s most delicious looking cakes and writer of the restaurant advice column, Perfect City.

• Flamingo Estate’s Ed Rushca Honey

• Abercrombie & Fitch’s Former CEO Arrested

• Trump to Join Joe Rogan

• Hims’ Wild Ozempic Ads

• Ice Magazine

An Interview with Gaby Scelzo

JAKE BELL: First, can you give an intro to yourself for my readers?

GABY SCELZO: Hi, I’m Gaby. I bake cakes and write a weekly restaurant advice column called Perfect City on Substack. I grew up in New York, so I’m a Knicks fan and a Yankees fan. If you ever want to fight about that, it’s one of my favorite things to do.

JB: Talk to me a bit about your career background? How did you first get involved in the food / social media space?

GS: I studied journalism at SUNY Purchase for a year until my professor told me it seemed like all I wanted to write about was food. She was right, and I really missed the city, so I transferred to NYU to major in Food Studies, which was a cool combination of culinary, food writing and food policy classes. I went out to eat a ton once I was back home and shared where and what I was eating online and found this little community of people who also love food and cooking and restaurants. After school, I always had some sort of food-adjacent job — my first full-time job out of college was at a cookware startup and I’ve worked on the marketing teams of a few restaurant groups, too.

JB: When did you first start baking cakes?

GS: I’ve been baking since I was maybe 12. One of my oldest, best friends reminded me recently that whenever we watched Food Network together as teenagers (almost every day), I would frantically research whatever recipe Giada DiLaurentiis or Bobby Flay or, our favorite, Guy Fieri, was making and compare it to other versions online so that by the time the episode was over, we could try making it ourselves. I loved testing and tweaking recipes and hearing feedback from my friends until I had recipes I was happy with that I could confidently return to.

JB: And when did you decide making cakes could be a full-time gig?

GS: I started baking more seriously than just for friends and parties almost three years ago when I started a pop up bakery series. My best friend really helped bring it to life — she drew me a gorgeous crest and designed my first menus, got Kerrygold to sponsor me, came to my apartment while I baked for hours and hours the night before my very first pop up at The Six Bells. Since then, I’ve sold fat slices of cake and cheesy scones (a sleeper Gaby classic) at Susan Alexandra, Colbo and Happier Grocery. Earlier this year, I was starting to feel sort of burnt out and bored by my social media job and I just had a feeling it was time to do something a little risky. So I took the jump and put all of my time and effort into building my cake business, and as soon as I did I got a big influx of custom cake orders. I feel like one of those annoying people who says “everything just fell into place at the right time!”

JB: It's always hard to pick a favorite— but do you have a cake that stands out as one of your favs you ever baked?

GS: One of those first custom orders after I left my job was this cake for the Minted NYC team to celebrate their Saucony collab. Carl Maynard ordered it, and he wanted to incorporate earl grey and vanilla so that the flavors/colors would match the shoe that was dropping. I love being given a fun, super specific direction like this. We landed on this delicious earl gray cake stacked with brown butter cream cheese filling and frosted in vanilla bean buttercream. I usually bring my friends deli containers full of any cake scrap, but I saved all of these for myself — every bite tasted like a milky, perfectly brewed cup of tea.

JB: I am always seeing you post the most delicious looking cakes on IG. Talk to me a bit about how you get inspired in the kitchen and your testing/experimentation process.

GS: Some people (like Carl) come to me with a specific flavor request, others give me a list of flavors they love and we go from there. When I’m in full control, though, I always look to other desserts I love and think about how to incorporate or transform elements of those into cakes. I love pudding, I love rich, buttery almond cakes and chewy marzipan. I also always keep a pint of ice cream in my freezer, and browsing the Ben & Jerry’s flavors every week gives me a lot of ideas. I have a pretty large rolodex of tried and true recipes at this point, so if I’m trying something new, I’ll try to riff on one of those first and then make tweaks off of that first test based on how it tastes, how it looks, how well it layers and slices, if it’s still as good the next day. Sometimes it’s quick and easy — the first time I ever tested a raspberry frosting it came out perfectly tart, silky and hot pink on the first try. The matcha cake I make now took I think nine tests to get right.

JB: You write the Substack , tell me why New York is the perfect city to you?

GS: Last week, after walking over the Manhattan Bridge, I ran into an old coworker who I hadn’t seen in way too long. We caught up until I peeled off to make it to Penny for dinner with my dad, which was lovely and delicious and enchanting. I convinced him to watch the end of the Yankee game with me at 12th Street Ale House, after,  where we watched them lose in devastating fashion. While we moped out of the bar, a friend texted me that he was around the corner. There, we ran into another group of friends and followed them to a new spot, where I talked to some girls from Texas who were visiting New York to celebrate a divorce. At the bar, one of them told me how shocked she was by how crowded the place felt on a Thursday and that she couldn’t imagine what a Saturday night would be like. As the bartender handed over our drinks, he said “every night in New York is a Saturday night.” Then I took the subway back to Brooklyn. Days like that are why New York is the perfect city to me.

JB: How has the city evolved since you were younger?

GS: I grew up in Hell’s Kitchen, across the street from Manhattan Plaza, which was an affordable housing building for artists. All my friends lived there, I went to pre-school and camp there, it was this very sweet and special community in a neighborhood that wasn’t super developed yet. When I was in high school they opened one of those big food halls with an Ippudo Ramen and an Ample Hills in it, and then a bunch of luxury buildings started popping up around it. Now Hudson Yards, the new “neighborhood” that’s actually just a big mall, is inching closer and closer into Hell’s Kitchen territory. I used to hate that I lived so close to Times Square, and now it’s one of the things I like the most because there’s so much history there. It’s so distinctly New York, which is unfortunately becoming a lot more rare.

JB: Best recent dining experience? Worst recent dining experience?

GS: I was reminded last week how hard those birria tacos from the Birria-Landia truck on Metropolitan Ave go. I was also reminded that restaurant cooking is very different from home cooking after having dinner at a completely outdoor restaurant in LA last month. The food wasn’t bad but none of it was particularly good either. It didn’t help that everything was covered in edible flowers, plated on sheet trays, and served with a set of tongs.

Note from the Editor (Jake Bell): Edible flowers f*cking suck. The only place I’ll let it slide is abcV.

JB: What’s on the horizon for you?

GS: I’m baking for a few weddings next month which I’m excited about — assembling tall, tiered cakes is fun and getting to deliver them on a client’s wedding day is very special. I’m looking forward to all of the holiday baking, too. Pies, gingerbread, yule logs, Christmas cookies. Otherwise, just building my cake empire brick by brick.

To place an order for a cake visit Gaby’s website.

And be sure to follow her Substack .

Flamingo Estate Made Ed Ruscha Honey

• Once again, Flamingo Estate proves they will do sh*t no one else is doing.

• Last Summer, the booming wellness brand placed bee hives near a citrus grove at iconic LA artist Ed Ruscha’s studio.

• Now that the honey harvest is ready, they put the honey in jars adorned with Ed’s iconic Honey drawing, originally made in 1979.

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In Today’s Newsletter

• Did a kinky dating app copy Hinge’s marketing strategy?

• SNL goes TikTok

• How David protein took over your FYP

• New York’s retail revival

• Chick Fil A’s Streaming Platform

• Finally, a new cool pair of Salomon’s

Did this Kinky Dating App Steal Hinge’s Swag?

• The New York Times has an article out this morning about Feeld, a dating app for kinkier individuals— seeking out threesomes, freak-offs, and even no sex at all.

• Feeld hosted a party on the Upper East Side, bringing together New York’s literary scene (Emma Cline, Candace Bushnell, and *checks notes* Woody Allen) were in attendance to celebrate Feeld’s debut magazine: AFM (A Fucking Magazine)

• Feeld is launching this bi-annual print publication, edited by Haley Mlotek and Maria Dimitrova, to bring together writers and essayists to offer a physical distillation of Feeld’s brand.

• They join a number of big brands making an investment in print despite our rapid shift to a 100% digital world. (think J. Crew bringing back their catalog)

• Feeld’s CEO said—

“AFM is a part of our ever evolving vision for human connections. Feeld was founded with the intention to transcend conventional relationship frameworks and identities and embrace a more fluid, non-prescriptive approach to humans, to ourselves and how we connect. By exploring the tangible realm of analog in a variety of ways from our Feeld Socials to, now, AFM, we’re offering new, intimate yet expressive ways to offer perspective and inspire curiosity for ourselves and others,"

• But when looking through this article— it struck me that this feels eerily similar to Hinge’s recent zine, “No Ordinary Love”

• Hinge collaborated with Dazed Magazine to compile 80 pages of writing on the real, sometimes complicated facets of new romance

• Hinge’s CMO said—

“The beginning of most relationships are often not like the kind you see celebrated by rom-coms and pop culture. At Hinge, we believe in showing the honest journeys of real couples as they create intentional and caring relationships”

• So in 2024, two dating apps are investing big into print publications backed by legacy media stalwarts.

• At least neither of these are as bad as Bumble’s relaunch earlier this year, but its begs the question— Have we lost the plot?

SNL Goes TikTok

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