Latest news with #Americana-inspired
Business of Fashion
7 days ago
- Business
- Business of Fashion
How Tuckernuck Went From Fashion Outsider to E-Commerce Darling
Tuckernuck has always been an anomaly in fashion. For one, the online retailer's home base of Washington, DC is decidedly not a fashion capital. Its preppy, Americana-inspired assortment — shift dresses, cable knit sweaters and floral-printed linen pants — is more likely to appeal to a Congressional staffer than a fashion insider. Tuckernuck's biggest distinction, however, is that it's growing in the midst of a multi-brand e-commerce slump. Farfetch was sold in a fire sale in 2024 and has yet to recover its once-dominant stature in the space. Net-a-Porter too was offloaded last year at a much depleted value, while Matches Fashion has folded altogether. While Tuckernuck is a smaller business, over the past three years, it's managed to increase sales by a double-digit percent each year, and expects to do the same in 2025. Named after an island off the coast of Nantucket, the ultra-preppy, ultra-wealthy destination near Massachusetts' Cape Cod, Tuckernuck caters to exactly the customer who summers there or dreams of doing so. It usually draws comparisons to not luxury e-tailers like Net-a-Porter, but its business model is a combination of the two: 60 percent of its product offering comes from third-party brands, while the rest are from its private labels. Combining Tuckernuck's preppy aesthetic with a hybrid assortment has proven to be a successful formula: In 2021, it hit $100 million in sales. At the same time, its loyal and growing base of customers has made it an increasingly attractive partner for the sort of blue-chip labels that were once wary of the indie platform. In the past 18 months, it's onboarded a handful of brands including Rosie Assoulin, Altuzarra, Erdem in addition to the already stocked Emilia Wickstead, Zimmermann and Polo Ralph Lauren. It also sells pre-owned bags from the likes of Chanel, Gucci and Dior. 'A lot of amazing third-party brands were always skeptical of coming onto our platform. They wanted to be on the majors or nothing at all,' said Jocelyn Gailliot, Tuckernuck's co-founder and chief executive. 'But as there's been disruption with the majors, they've really started coming to us.' And unlike other online retailers, Tuckernuck has opted for a slower, more sustainable trajectory of growth. Since its launch in 2012, Tuckernuck has not raised any venture capital funding. It operates one store, a 700-square-foot shop that opened in 2016 in Washington, DC's Georgetown neighbourhood. But that's starting to change. The company, Gaillot said, is at 'a big inflection point.' This month, Tuckernuck is opening its second brick-and-mortar location, a shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side, located at Madison Avenue and 84th Street, with more stores in the works as well as plans to boost its tech infrastructure to support growth in e-commerce. Tuckernuck's path offers a new blueprint for what it takes to stand out in a sea of multi-brand offerings online: Start with a defined point-of-view, rather than the generic for-the-masses approach; build and develop tastemaker relationships over the years; and sell a mix of aspirational and attainable products, including private labels that boost the bottom line. Entering the Fashion Mainstream Tuckernuck's first viral moment in fashion carried a trace of controversy. Last year, its private label's popular Jackie Dress, a tweed shift with gold buttons and a braided collar, made headlines after it became something of an unofficial uniform for young female staffers at the Republican National Convention. Given its headquarters, Tuckernuck has long had fans on 'both sides of the aisle' on Capitol Hill, said Gailliot. But Jackie's ubiquity is just a sliver of Tuckernuck's story. When they launched Tuckernuck in 2012, Gailliot and her co-founders, her sister Madeline Grayson and longtime friend September Votta, struggled to raise capital, getting an infusion of less than $500,000 from a small friends-and-family round and a grant from incubator 500 Startups. None of them had a background in fashion or retail. Grayson and Votta had co-founded a short-lived social commerce startup for college students called UScoop, while Gailliot had spent a decade in investment banking. What they did have was a deep understanding of their core customer: a woman who may not keep up with runway shows, but 'wants to still feel confident and stylish in a classic Americana way,' said Gailliot. 'We were all doing our shopping at big single-label retailers like and we'd show up wearing the same things from head to toe,' Gailliot recalled. 'We just really felt like there had to be an in between, a one-stop shop for busy women, curated with new brands and big names styled all together delivered in a really fast, easy way.' Tuckernuck's approach to brand curation is less about courting the biggest names possible and more oriented toward discovery, allowing consumers to stumble upon new labels that align with their idyllic coastal lifestyle. This assortment includes both legacy names like waxed-jacket maker Barbour and New York-based designer Ulla Johnson, but also Colombian brand Agua by Agua Benita and London-based resort label Juliet Dunn. Tuckernuck's founders, Jocelyn Gailliot, Madeline Grayson and September Votta (Courtesy Tuckernuck) Clothes for the Modern Prep This brand matrix formula has attracted both new shoppers and wholesale accounts. Brands have increasingly been drawn to its 'unique way of blend approachable fashion with a clear point of view,' Lela Becker, president and co-founder of Mother Denim, which is stocked at Tuckernuck, said in an email. 'Their effortless aesthetic and strong connection to their customer makes them stand out in a crowded retail space,' she added. Influencers, particularly preppy bloggers like Carly Riordan and Mackenzie Horan, served as some of the retailer's earliest — and most important — advocates. This was partly out of financial necessity, as influencers were a low-cost way to market back then. But Tuckernuck's founders also saw the power of word-of-mouth, tapping friends and nearby Georgetown students early on to serve as models, who would tell everyone from their classmates to their moms about the brand. 'A lot of more traditional brands were reluctant to adopt influencer marketing and Tuckernuck was the opposite of that,' said Riordan, who today counts Tuckernuck as her top-performing retailer via affiliate links. 'They saw that this is where the modern young customer is going for shopping recommendations,' she added. Influencers remain a major buzz-building tactic for Tuckernuck, rolling out collaborations with creators like Blair Eadie and Shea McGee. Above all else, the three founders make decisions driven by their own preferences and taste. In 2019, they launched their first private label because they saw a lack of brands catering to their modern preppy consumer that hit below a $300 price point. The idea was to create items that complimented rather than competed with their third-party brands. Best-sellers include a $298 eyelet shirt dress, $248 cashmere cardigans that can be monogrammed and a $138 gingham golf dress. Representing 40 percent of its assortment and 70 percent of sales, it's resulted in a higher profit margin for the business. 'Once we launched that complimentary relationship between the third party and the private label, we were able to really start to scale in a profitable way,' said Gailliot. Tuckernuck Goes to New York While private label represents the bulk of sales, Gailliot said her company is committed to being a multi-brand retailer first, with third-party brands making up 60 to 70 percent of the total assortment. 'Maybe the margins would say you should [focus entirely on private label], but that's something that we'll absolutely never do,' she said. 'The third party brands are so important and exciting.' The focus remains on providing value. Tuckernuck may sell $2,000 designer dresses for a customer looking to splurge for a special occasion, but 'you won't see us putting $400 T-shirts on the site,' said Gailliot. Retail expansion will play a major role in Tuckernuck's next chapter. Its 700-square-foot Georgetown location was a way to test out brick-and-mortar, but the new Upper East Side location will offer a different experience, meant to emulate an old-school neighbourhood specialty store with in-store personalisation and eventually, same-day delivery for local shoppers. Store associates will be encouraged to develop close relationships with top clients. It won't take another nine years for the next shop to arrive, with plans to open at least one more retail location in 2026. Beyond D.C. and New York, top markets include Chicago and Dallas. Success on the Upper East Side is not guaranteed. Tuckernuck enters a competitive shopping destination that has attracted top-tier tenants like downtown cool-girl brand Khaite, Brazilian label Farm Rio and Tuckernuck-stocked Staud. Gailliot, who now lives in the neighbourhood, said she is confident Tuckernuck will appeal to both locals and tourists. Perhaps its advantage lies in its multi-generational appeal: while consumers 25 to 40 years old make up its key demographic, its customer base ranges from recent college graduates (a growing cohort) to retirees. 'They're just getting more and more in touch with their customer base, and drilling deeper into that,' said Riordan. 'They've embraced this beautiful editorial style, while also staying true to who they are.'
Fashion Network
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Hunter and Represent get together on streetwear-meets-Americana collab
July 2 will see the debut of an interesting collab between two British premium-luxury names with Represent's latest link-up being with heritage brand Hunter. And it's interesting not only because of the two names getting together but also stylistically. Their new mini collection 'blends British tradition with American influence, tapping into Represent's vision to bring a fresh, Americana-inspired edge to the brand's UK streetwear roots'. The collection 'explores Western iconography, focusing on the cowboy boot which has been reimagined onto Hunter's iconic Original Wellington Boot silhouette'. The capsule features two exclusive boot styles — the OG Short Boot and Play Short Boot — 'which draw inspiration from the classic Western aesthetic, redesigning Hunter's Original Wellington with a cut top line, distressed detailing and 3D embossed textures to echo the silhouette and decorative stitching seen on vintage cowboy boots'. But true to Hunter's heritage, both styles are made from 100% rubber. They're available in traditional black and dark brown colourways in unisex sizing. As Represent is involved, there's apparel too with a curated range of co-branded 100% cotton T-shirts and hoodies, with a washed finish 'to give the collection a faded vintage look'. Plus there are accessories, such as a baseball cap and bandana decorated with Western iconography. The range features a unified emblem blending the Hunter logo with Represent's signature 'R' initial. Matthew Salter, executive VP, Partnership – Marketing at Hunter's owner Authentic, said: 'By blending British heritage with an Americana edge, this collection speaks directly to a new generation of style-conscious consumers.' And Represent creative chief and founder George Heaton added: 'A year ago I moved to Los Angeles, California to build the brand from the ground up over here, and as a concept we're digging into American history through design and details. What if British Classics met Americana on a Hunter boot? This is probably my favourite collaboration idea in our history, because it was so natural and didn't come as a pitch or a conversation, it was simply an artistic idea on an existing silhouette.'
Fashion Network
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Hunter and Represent get together on streetwear-meets-Americana collab
July 2 will see the debut of an interesting collab between two British premium-luxury names with Represent's latest link-up being with heritage brand Hunter. And it's interesting not only because of the two names getting together but also stylistically. Their new mini collection 'blends British tradition with American influence, tapping into Represent's vision to bring a fresh, Americana-inspired edge to the brand's UK streetwear roots'. The collection 'explores Western iconography, focusing on the cowboy boot which has been reimagined onto Hunter's iconic Original Wellington Boot silhouette'. The capsule features two exclusive boot styles — the OG Short Boot and Play Short Boot — 'which draw inspiration from the classic Western aesthetic, redesigning Hunter's Original Wellington with a cut top line, distressed detailing and 3D embossed textures to echo the silhouette and decorative stitching seen on vintage cowboy boots'. But true to Hunter's heritage, both styles are made from 100% rubber. They're available in traditional black and dark brown colourways in unisex sizing. As Represent is involved, there's apparel too with a curated range of co-branded 100% cotton T-shirts and hoodies, with a washed finish 'to give the collection a faded vintage look'. Plus there are accessories, such as a baseball cap and bandana decorated with Western iconography. The range features a unified emblem blending the Hunter logo with Represent's signature 'R' initial. Matthew Salter, executive VP, Partnership – Marketing at Hunter's owner Authentic, said: 'By blending British heritage with an Americana edge, this collection speaks directly to a new generation of style-conscious consumers.' And Represent creative chief and founder George Heaton added: 'A year ago I moved to Los Angeles, California to build the brand from the ground up over here, and as a concept we're digging into American history through design and details. What if British Classics met Americana on a Hunter boot? This is probably my favourite collaboration idea in our history, because it was so natural and didn't come as a pitch or a conversation, it was simply an artistic idea on an existing silhouette.'
Fashion Network
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Hunter and Represent get together on streetwear-meets-Americana collab
July 2 will see the debut of an interesting collab between two British premium-luxury names with Represent's latest link-up being with heritage brand Hunter. And it's interesting not only because of the two names getting together but also stylistically. Their new mini collection 'blends British tradition with American influence, tapping into Represent's vision to bring a fresh, Americana-inspired edge to the brand's UK streetwear roots'. The collection 'explores Western iconography, focusing on the cowboy boot which has been reimagined onto Hunter's iconic Original Wellington Boot silhouette'. The capsule features two exclusive boot styles — the OG Short Boot and Play Short Boot — 'which draw inspiration from the classic Western aesthetic, redesigning Hunter's Original Wellington with a cut top line, distressed detailing and 3D embossed textures to echo the silhouette and decorative stitching seen on vintage cowboy boots'. But true to Hunter's heritage, both styles are made from 100% rubber. They're available in traditional black and dark brown colourways in unisex sizing. As Represent is involved, there's apparel too with a curated range of co-branded 100% cotton T-shirts and hoodies, with a washed finish 'to give the collection a faded vintage look'. Plus there are accessories, such as a baseball cap and bandana decorated with Western iconography. The range features a unified emblem blending the Hunter logo with Represent's signature 'R' initial. Matthew Salter, executive VP, Partnership – Marketing at Hunter's owner Authentic, said: 'By blending British heritage with an Americana edge, this collection speaks directly to a new generation of style-conscious consumers.' And Represent creative chief and founder George Heaton added: 'A year ago I moved to Los Angeles, California to build the brand from the ground up over here, and as a concept we're digging into American history through design and details. What if British Classics met Americana on a Hunter boot? This is probably my favourite collaboration idea in our history, because it was so natural and didn't come as a pitch or a conversation, it was simply an artistic idea on an existing silhouette.'
USA Today
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Most popular Memorial Day shoe sales at Allbirds, HeyDude, Crocs
Most popular Memorial Day shoe sales at Allbirds, HeyDude, Crocs Save on summer sandals, cowboy boots, sustainable sneakers and trendy slides this MDW. Memorial Day weekend isn't just the unofficial start of summer—it's also one of the best times of the year to score serious savings on shoes. And with tariffs expected to drive up footwear prices by as much as 15% this summer, now is the perfect time to refresh your closet with everything from sneakers to sandals. Our readers have been obsessed with Memorial Day shoe sales at Allbirds, Hoka, HeyDude, Crocs and more. So, we've put all the best sales in one place for you! Shop the best 2025 Memorial Day shoe sales Whether you're looking for stylish kicks, comfy walking shoes or everyday sandals, these are the top Memorial Day shoe deals you don't want to miss in May. 👗 Looking for more stylish savings? Save on dresses, sandals and other summer styles at the best Memorial Day clothing sales 1. Allbirds Memorial Day shoe sale More: New and best-selling Allbirds shoes are up to 40% off at this Memorial Day sale 2. Merrell Memorial Day shoe sale On sale for $76.99: Merrell Women's Alpine 83 Sneaker Recraft More: Merrell Moab hiking boots are less than $60 at this Memorial Day shoe sale More: 🚨 Hoka just slashed prices on its most popular athletic shoes, apparel for Memorial Day 4. Dr. Martens Memorial Day shoe sale More: 5 pairs of Dr. Martens boots and sandals that I would buy again 5. HeyDude Memorial Day shoe sale More: HeyDude's new Americana-inspired slip-on shoes are here for summer 2025 🍉 6. Rothy's Memorial Day shoe sale More: Rothy's viral buckle sandal is $40 off at this wild Memorial Day shoe sale 7. adidas Memorial Day shoe sale More: Score 30% off adidas styles to refresh your summer wardrobe 8. Tecovas Memorial Day boot sale Last call! Military members get an extra 20% off at the Tecovas boot sale 9. Cariuma Memorial Day shoe sale Enter your email address to save an extra $25 on your first Cariuma order. More: Pre-order the newest Cariuma Parrot Print shoes before they sell out 🦜 10. Clarks Memorial Day shoe sale More: Use code FF30 to save an extra 30% on select Clarks shoe styles Right now, you can save up to 50% at the Crocs Memorial Day sale. The craziest part is that the super popular Crocs Classic Cozzzy Slippers are back in stock and on sale! This rarely happens, so don't snooze on the discount. When is Memorial Day 2025? Memorial Day 2025 is on Monday, May 26. The USA TODAY Shopping team will continue tracking all the best sales and deals to help our readers shop top products at sweet prices. More: Follow USA TODAY Shopping on Instagram for the best product recs, trends and savings.
