Morning! This week Iām writing to you from Boyne Highlands - itās our schoolās annual ski trip where 700+ MBAs descend upon a small resort in the far reaches of northern Michigan.
Because of this and the fact finals are coming up (womp womp), I decided to push doing a brand study to next week.
For those of you also taking finals, good luck! Spring break is right around the corner š.
If youāre returning from last week, thanks! If youāre new, nice to have you! Join the squad andĀ sign up here.Ā Like what you see? Awesome, make it official and click the littleĀ ā¤ļøĀ above to ālikeā my publication.
Starface
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Fresh from raising a $2 million seed round this week, Starface is poised to do something no one has done before (well maybe besides Nelly): make skin blemishes cool.
Starface is a budding acne care company that considers itself part of the āacne positivityā movement. Itās āhydro-starsā are made of hydrocolloids that absorb the liquid within a pimple as well as protect blemishes from outside bacteria.
They come in an AirPod-esque compact yellow case and are priced from $22 to $49 depending on the size you buy.
Wings + Horns
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For all my sneakerhead readers - Iāve found the best pair of high tops ever. Thatās right, I like them more than Converse, Jordans, and Air Force Ones. Say hello to Wings + Horns.
Founded in 2004 by Craig Atkinson, he drew his inspiration from the seven years he spent in Japan. Everything in Japan had a place and function, and his brand followed suit. Every last meticulous detail of his shoes is there for a reason - from the leather cord laces to the chrome side zipper.
Imogene + Willie
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Two brands with plus signs in their names! Exciting, I know. Imogene + Willie was founded by Matt and Carrie Eddmenson in their hometown of Henderson, Kentucky in 2009. Focusing on country chic essentials, they moved to Nashville and opened their first store in a refurbished gas station.
Fans of the brand love their worn-in t-shirts with classic graphics as well as their Stagecoach approved selvage denim jeans.
News Iām FollowingĀ š
šāāļø Millennials are notorious for killing industries, but theyāve also been instrumental in the rise of others. Over the next few decades, Millenials will enter their prime spending years - with over $30 trillion wealth passed down from baby boomers and Gen X.
Industries poised to see the most value created? Fast-casual dining, house plants, skincare, and seltzer are all prime targets for Millenial spending.
šāāļø RompHim announced plans to shut down last week. For those unfamiliar, RompHim was a one-piece menās jumpsuit brand. They launched in 2017 and saw meteoric success on Kickstarter, raising $353,000 in less than a week.
Unfortunately, the brand struggled from becoming a permanent side project. Theyāve spent the past few weeks liquidating their remaining inventory, and will soon be no more.
šĀ Cole Haan has filed to raise up to $100 million in an IPO slated for the next week or two. They had $687 million in revenue last year, with $33 million in profit.
The company name comes from founders Trafton Cole and Eddie Haan and was originally named āCole, Rood & Haanā in 1928. Since then theyāve expanded to belts, handbags, gloves, and many more apparel items.
š UPDATE: Victoria Secret will be going private in a deal that values the brand at $1.1 billion. Sycamore Partners will buy a controlling stake of 55% in the company ($525 million), and L Brands will retain 45%. Sycamore Partners is known for buying troubled brands such as Hot Topic, Nine West and Staples.
Jobs š¼
Away - Customer Insights Senior Manager (NYC)
Bombas - Product Manager, Operations Analytics Manager (NYC)
MATE the Label - Sustainability Marketing Manager (LA)
Rothyās - Marketing Analyst (SF)
M.Gemi - Senior Product Manager (BOS)
Casper - Affiliate Marketing Manager (NYC)
Internships š
Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer - Product Marketing MBA Internship (LA)
Walmart eCommerce - Product Manager MBA Internship (SF)
Shareables š
š Wikipedia used to represent all that was wrong with the web. Now it's a beacon of so much that's right.
šØāāļø How to overcome insecurity, according to Hollywoodās favorite therapist.
š Andreessen Horowitzās Marketplace 100: a ranking of the largest and fastest-growing consumer-facing marketplace startups.
š» The high cost of a free coding boot camp: Students at Lambda School say the program hasnāt delivered on its promise.
š«š· The French Dispatch: Everything you need to know about Wes Andersonās new flick.
š¤ Printing Money: a fun (scary?) infographic comparing hourly salaries and revenues of various companies.
š« In the market for a ālightly usedā private jet? WeWorkās $60 million private Gulfstream is for sale.
š© To understand Elon Musk, you must first get to know his mother.
āļø Whatās the deal with airplane food? The science and secrets behind how in-flight meals are selected and prepared.
š©āš³ This weekās oldie but goodie:Ā Mise En Place - how world-renowned chefs run their restaurants.
Hey! Iām Sean, a first-year MBA at the University of Michigan. Know of a new brand I should feature? Holla at me! Iād also love your feedback - feel free to shoot me a note at seansky@umich.edu.
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