Latest news with #ChelseaKramer
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Storytelling Power Behind Parke's Rise And Pop-Ups
By 3 a.m., the first eager fans were waiting. By 10 a.m., the line wrapped around multiple SoHo blocks. And by day's end, Parke had its biggest sales day in history. When Parke popped up in SoHo on the weekend of May 16, the turnout surpassed all expectations. Some eager shoppers arrived as early as 3 a.m., taking trains from New Jersey and Connecticut — all to support founder and CEO Chelsea Kramer and her namesake brand ("Parke" is her middle name). The lines continued through Sunday, and Friday marked the brand's single biggest sales day ever, with nearly 1,000 shoppers walking through the door. If that sounds like a fluke, it's not. The beloved direct-to-consumer brand best known for its mockneck sweatshirts (with 'PARKE' embroidered across the chest) has gained a reputation for selling out of collections in less than five minutes. The frenzy isn't just luck — it's a perfect storm of product design, branding, storytelling, and community. And Parke has pulled it off without spending a single dollar on paid media (a notable flex). "From the beginning, I wanted Parke to grow from genuine connection, not paid reach," says Kramer. "I'm a consumer first, and I know how I connect with brands. Paid can be done well, but we've never needed it. The product and story resonated enough to be shared naturally. Word of mouth has been our most powerful tool, especially on college campuses. We've seen organic growth that performance marketing can't always replicate." What the data reveals is a masterclass in modern brand building: $16 million in revenue in 2024, and over 3,500 people lined up around the SoHo block for its most recent pop-up (1,000 more than the year prior). It's the type of momentum that earned Kramer a spot on Forbes' 2025 30 Under 30 list in the Retail and Ecommerce category. At the heart of Parke's engine is consistency. Launches follow a deliberate rhythm, with every detail — from teaser posts to email sends — timed to create anticipation and habit. "If the launch is on a Tuesday, we'll start the build-up on Thursday," Kramer explains. 'That typically looks like an inspo photo in-feed and a story set to introduce the vibe. Friday we share a few sneak peeks from the campaign shoot. Saturday, we always post the full line sheet. And by Sunday, our audience knows it's almost time for the full unveiling.' The marketing playbook extends beyond product. At the start of each month, Kramer writes a newsletter that blends reflection, behind-the-scenes updates, and a calendar of what's coming: including restocks, limited releases and seasonal collections. 'It builds real anticipation,' she says. 'Sometimes it's just: 'Here's what we're celebrating this month.'' This consistent cadence helps the consumer develop a habit to anticipate Parke's emails and accompanying news. Predictability and consistency breed trust — and trust builds loyalty. And great product, supported by great content, travels far — even without a paid push. Kramer adds: 'As a consumer, I love knowing when a brand will launch their collections. Tuesday at 10 a.m.? I'll make time for that.' It's no surprise, then, that Parke's pop-ups aren't just shopping events, they're brand pilgrimages. Treating pop-ups and IRL activations as cultural moments underscores that retail isn't just transactional: it's emotional. Photo Credit: PARKE, Madison Lane Photo Credit: PARKE, Madison Lane From hotdogs and pretzels to iconic taxi cabs, the NYC-themed branding – designed by brand design lead Camila Walter (@itsgpf) – at this May's SoHo pop-up wasn't just playful — it transformed the venue into a visual love letter to the city. For fans, it wasn't just merch. It was memorabilia. 'It wasn't just a store,' says Kramer. 'It was a physical extension of the brand. We brought in real things from my office: sketches, fabrics, notes from friends. Our whole team was there, and people could feel the energy. It's about memories and connection, not just sales.' Kramer refers to herself as a 'visual storyteller' and approaches content creation from the lens of a consumer and creative. Photo Credit: Madison Lane Photo Credit: Madison Lane "I never want something to feel salesy, whether it's Parke or a brand I collaborate with. I share because I love the product, and that goes back to before Parke even existed. My sister-in-law (Kira Kramer, who is the brand's COO) says I've always been like this — if I loved something, I'd buy it for everyone around me.' 'I didn't start with a platform or a big following,' she says. 'But in this digital age, giving people a window into your world matters. I don't share everything, but I love showing the behind-the-scenes — it makes the brand feel personal.' The moment that made it all feel real? Valentine's Day 2024. 'We sold out in seconds,' Kramer recalls. 'That was when I knew something big was happening. I only had two employees at the time. Since then, I've just kept my head down and kept going.' (Today, Parke has 12 full-time employees.) Of course, with popularity comes scrutiny. In April, a TikTok user accused Parke of white labeling items sourced from Alibaba. Kramer denied the claims, clarifying that all of Parke's products are developed in-house with a technical designer and go through multiple rounds of fit, wash and fabric refinement. 'Just keep showing up,' Kramer says. 'That's my mantra. On the hard days, on the tired days — just show up. That's when the magic happens.'
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Influencer slammed over claims she purchases clothing items for cheap overseas and sells them with huge markup
A popular fashion guru has been fiercely slammed online over claims that she purchases clothing items for cheap overseas and then sells them with a huge markup to her loyal fans. The fashion brand PARKE has seemed to take over TikTok and Instagram in recent months, with Gen Z fighting to get their hands on its products every time it drops new items. Created by well-known influencer Chelsea Kramer, the company is mostly known for its sweaters that have the word PARKE etched across them, denim tops and shorts, and comfy loungewear, amongst other things. But its items come at a steep price - one denim skirt, for example, costs $170, while their breezy pajama pants are a whopping $100. Even so, there's no denying that the brand has become a massive sensation since it started less than two years ago - and Chelsea recently revealed that the business has brought in a staggering $16 million. But TikTok's favorite new clothing company has recently become shrouded in controversy after one woman claimed that she discovered a shocking secret about PARKE. The woman, who goes by Sustainable Fashion Friend online, claimed in two now-viral videos that she found evidence that Chelsea's brand buys its clothing pieces from a Chinese supplier known as Alibaba in bulk for a low price, and then resells them for much higher to its dedicated fans. A representative for the brand has denied her claims to stating, 'As we've discussed in recent interviews, we deny all of these claims.' In one of the clips, which was shared last month, Sustainable Fashion Friend said she thought it would be 'pretty easy' to find out where the clothes from PARKE were made since it's a brand that prides itself on 'transparency.' 'But if you go to Parke's website, you aren't going to see where the clothes are made,' she said. 'They won't even say if it's imported or even the country it came from. And if you look up her LLC and import records, nothing is gonna pop up.' She said she decided to go into 'private investigator mode' and looked for clues in Chelsea's TikTok videos; Chelsea often documents her day-to-day endeavors while running the brand on the platform. Sustainable Fashion Friend said she noticed an address written on a document in one of Chelsea's clips that lead her to Qingdao Gu Ang Industry And Trading Co., a manufacturer that sells clothing pieces in bulk on a website called Alibaba. In another video of Chelsea's, she said she found a garment with a tag that appeared to have Alibaba's website on it. She also claimed that Chelsea showed her computer screen at one point, and she had multiple Alibaba tabs open. 'If you don't know what Alibaba is, it's a website you can use to get into contact with garment manufacturers and basically start your own fashion line without actually doing the manufacturing yourself,' Sustainable Fashion Friend continued. She also alleged that she found clothing items on Qingdao Gu Ang Industry And Trading Co.'s Alibaba page that look extremely similar to ones for sale on PARKE - but for a much lower price. 'You can find something very similar to this on that supplier's Alibaba page, and look at the prices,' Sustainable Fashion Friend said while showing off PARKE's $110 Boyfriend Button Down Top. She then showed a screenshot of an extremely similar top for sale on Alibaba for $9 if you buy it in bulk. In addition, she claimed to have found pants similar to PARKE's Striped Boxer Pants (which cost $100 on PARKE's site) for $9. She also pointed out that a long sleeve denim shirt from PARKE is priced at $175, but one that looks almost exactly the same is for sale on Alibaba for roughly $6 if you buy 5,000 pieces or more. In the end, Sustainable Fashion Friend said she's trying to make people 'aware' of what she claimed is a huge pattern going on behind the scenes. 'A lot of brands and influencers are telling you [a story], they're selling you the feeling that you will fit in, but don't let their drops trick you into think it's so exclusive,' she concluded. She added in the caption, 'If [Chelsea] really cared about the brand and what it stands for, she'd show the full process. The factory. The workers. Their names. The wages. The conditions. 'But instead, we get color palettes and face icing routines because that fits the aesthetic better. 'A lot of influencer brands/brands in general sell storytelling instead of real quality and transparency. 'They'll call something sustainable, intentional, or unique when it's really a $15 hoodie from a factory they'll never name, nor visit, and deny when they get connected to it. 'Don't let branding trick you into thinking something is more ethical, more exclusive, more heartfelt or more valuable than it actually is. 'All observations shared are based on publicly available information and my personal opinion as a sustainability researcher. 'These are not definitive claims about any individual or business practices, but rather commentary based on visual similarities and open-source data.' During a chat with The Cut recently, Chelsea vaguely addressed Sustainable Fashion Friend's video. The publication said that Chelsea claimed 'PARKE doesn't white label its products and that she works with a technical designer to design samples that go through several rounds of changes in fit, wash, and color.' Sustainable Fashion Friend's videos has resulted in immense backlash for the brand, as many viewers rushed to the comment section to slam it But they added that she said she is 'not going to publicly respond to the videos about her process.' Chelsea stated, 'When something's still not true, I feel like giving it attention is just gonna make something worse.' Sustainable Fashion Friend's videos has resulted in immense backlash for the brand, as many viewers rushed to the comment section to slam it. 'Disgusting,' one outraged user wrote. Another added, 'I'm so sick of the sustainable LIES. 'Quit selling repackaged cheap clothing. This is exactly why I never buy anything new and 90 percent of my clothes are thrifted.' 'Influencers scamming followers... what's new,' scathed someone else. 'Not Alibaba. Love learning about new brands I'll never support here,' a fourth comment read. A fifth said, 'I'm a fashion designer, have been for eight years, went to school for my degree and everything. 'Now I spend my time at work spoon feeding design ideas to influencers who call themselves 'designers' on brand collaborations. 'Influencers claim they worked hard on making this collab but really it's a team of designers doing ALL THE WORK then just getting approval from the influencer for the styles and colorways we are offering them.' 'American seamstress here... I've been creating garments by hand for 20 years professionally from start to finish,' shared a different user. 'That includes creating the design, pattern drafting, sourcing materials, cutting, and sewing… and have been sewing in general for longer than I can remember. 'It frustrates me to high heaven when new brands claim things that are simply untrue, be transparent about sourcing. 'I can't stand it when pre-manufactured garments are passed off as something original then mark it up 300 percent like the quality is worth that much.'
