The July Edit

As we kick off the month that is most famous for grilled meat sandwiches, pyrotechnics, and freedom, it’s hard not to be inspired. This is also the time of year corporate America seems to have an unspoken peace treaty that grants everyone a breather. This can look as lavish as unbothered PTO, Summer Fridays, OR a simple as a camera-off zoom call. Being able to take some restorative moments no matter how big or small is absolutely necessary knowing that winter (q4) is coming…

A short reprieve should be used for not only restoration, but it also provides optimal circumstances for reinvention.  This time and/or space you do not typically have provides you an opportunity to get honest with yourself and look inward to figure out what is next for your very own personal evolution. In the world of marketing, we call this a rebrand.  This term is thrown around quite a bit, because it is a term with great range. I like to think of it as a way to spice up your image personally or publicly. It can be as small as a new way you part your hair or as massive as an entire career change.

For me, this month always feels extra reflective because it’s the last 31 days before my birthday, so I use this time for my personal performance review to set me up for who I want to become this following year. As I review the first year of my third decade, I am proud of consistently showing up in things that are way out of my comfort zone. This has led to many new opportunities and iconic relationships. If you allow me to get vulnerable, the biggest challenge I have faced is finding the balance between the many things I am extremely passionate about both personally and professionally.  In a world of constant stimulation, it can be difficult to navigate who you are, who you were, and who you are meant to become… AND once you have that clarity you can put together the steps necessary to execute a strategic rebrand. Like how our founding fathers turned a traditional government system upside down 249 years ago!

Tasteful Truth: It’s chic to repeat an outfit.

Disney made young girls across the country fear being seen wearing the same outfit twice when they coined the derogatory term “outfit repeater” in the Lizzie Mcguire movie in 2003. Lizzie’s opp, Kate Sanders, a stereotypical mean girl, brings the whole auditorium to pin drop silence when she makes this call out at high school graduation. This scene highlighted every young girl’s most relatable nightmare - her insecurities being brought to the attention of an audience of her peers.   

Nearly 23 years later, the young women who internalized secondhand embarrassment for a fictional character, now live in a world where not being an outfit repeater is extremely accessible. With fast fashion running more rampant than ever before, you can get an entirely new wardrobe for your upcoming weekend extravaganza for under $100 that emulates whatever aesthetic is currently trending. This flippant attitude doesn’t come with a high price tag for the clothes, but the consequences are much greater than you would expect.  Like the promotional products industry, things that aren’t purchased with strategy typically get tossed in one way or another, which isn’t sustainable. Slow down your fast fashion just a bit by taking your time to purchase your looks. This way you can intentionally invest in pieces that are better quality and ultimately last you longer, so you won’t be embarrassed to repeat an outfit… you will be empowered!!!

Merch Moments:

My Emotional Support Labubu – My last post on the Labubu craze was written as a passive observer of the trend. Since, I have become a participant by purchasing my very own Lychee (pink) Labubu  on Stockx for $80 and these little bag monsters seem to be everywhere. Now that I am in it, I can see it for what it is – more than a status symbol, but emotional support. There is no way in which I can explain the psychological phenomena as to how the Labubu does this, but there is definitely more pep in my step as I walk into a room with one hung on my YSL tote. A piece of me even finds pride in the fact that people from the outside looking in don’t get it. This proves the trend is still early, but you heard it from MERCH GIRLY first - in some way the Labubus will enter the corporate merch space AND you will have to let me know immediately when you have a client request a quote for a Labubu inspired project.

BoatKins – A ten-piece order isn’t something I typically entertain these days, but when a client reached out requesting 10 Boatkins for her offsite the following week, I stopped on a dime to try to bring this to life. For those of you who are not fluent in niche luxury, the Boatkin bag, is the iconic intersection between the highly coveted Hermes Birkin and classic americana LL bean Boat & Tote. This bag was thoughtfully designed by the independent luxury brand, Hathaway Hutton, as a sustainable way to repurpose designer textiles by deconstructing the Boat & Tote canvas and by hand, reworking it into the exact pattern of a Hermes Birkin. It was a perfect recipe for being deemed the “It” bag of the summer. So much so that not only did these $1500 bags go viral, resulting in esteemed media coverage, but ultimately driving up the demand creating a 6–8-month waitlist similarly to that of a real Birkin bag. The scarce nature of this project intrigued me, because the solution to this challenge was not in my typical supply chain, so I did the next best thing…. And called upon social media for sourcing help. At first, people were shocked I had the audacity, to be asking for 10 of these bags that nobody could seem to get their hands on, but then slowly but surely, options came in. First came the DIY-ers, then came the knock offs, and then I was able to get in contact with the owner of Hathaway Hutton and propose a solution to my client. It goes to show the value in which people place on quality products that are not being mass produced. I anticipate a dupe will eventually make its way into our industry, but the clientele that is sitting tight on the Hathaway Hutton waitlist is happy to be there to ensure they get an authentic bag. These two worlds are vastly different but can exist simultaneously.

Bethennyisms – The most inspiring women are the women who are unapologetically themselves, which is why it would be impossible to not deeply respect Bethenny Frankel’s work. Not only is there is nobody on this planet who can tell her who she is, but she also so passionately leans into the things that light her up. This combo makes her an undeniable branding queen, which is a title I don’t bestow lightly.  The second I found out she dropped merch I had to not only buy it but analyze it. It wasn’t the least bit surprising when six out of the nine listed products were sold out by the time I went to purchase.  So how did she do it?

All products were fully private labeled, but rather than calling it “Bethenny’s Merch Label”, she called it “Bethennyisms”, and the marquee branding on all the products were the “isms” her fans know and love her for, with a subtle “b” logo as a secondary decoration location. She is a chicken salad enthusiast and so am I, so I purchased the I *heart* chicken salad crewneck. It’s very niche and somebody who doesn’t follow her may be confused by this sweater, but that’s okay because it is not for everyone, which is why I am giving her an accredited degree from MERCH GIRLY’s ON BRAND UNIVERSITY!  

Mantra of the Month: Keep moving forward!

When it feels like your to do list is never ending, it is easy to become overwhelmed especially when you are doing things for the first time that are way out of your comfort zone. Now, this mantra is not so much about time management as it is about momentum. When there is a massive delta between where you are and where you know you are meant to be, momentum is something you must manufacture. This is the part that discourages many people from pursuing their passions. However, having the courage to just take one step forward, no matter how small, will be the way to unlock your untapped potential. As you take these tiny steps forward, your confidence will start to compound and before you know it, you will become more and more comfortable with the idea of taking leaps. The people you see putting themselves out there, that seem like they are “naturals”, have had to go on their own version of a momentum journey at some point… or they were blessed with delusion… Move forward, take the win, pat yourself on the back, rinse, repeat, and watch your life change!