Latest news with #Satenstein
Elle
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Why Everyone Is Shopping on Livestream Right Now
In January, writer Liana Satenstein hosted an informal runway show in her living room. As friends-cum-models paraded through the narrow space, she announced each piece over the din of the well-heeled crowd. But to be in the room where it happened, you didn't have to score an IRL invite. You just had to tune in to the live selling-and-buying platform Whatnot. Shopping, for as long as it has existed, has been about more than just the practical act of purchasing goods. It's a chance to socialize, to indulge, to play. And now that e-commerce has become old hat, there's a desire to bring some real-life excitement to the online experience. Enter the livestream. Satenstein, who hosts a series of closet cleanouts she calls 'Neverworns,' started with in-person sales, but kept receiving messages when she'd post teasers online. 'What am I supposed to do? You have to either be here or too bad,' she thought at the time. Livestreaming became a way to bridge the gap—shoppers could get the full Neverworns experience, including a chance to purchase, from the comfort of their own homes. If boomers had QVC, livestreams are shoppertainment for the Twitch generation. 'Gen Z, and the up-and-coming Gen Alpha, sees social media as an entertainment platform just as much as traditional TV,' says Rebecca Rom-Frank, a marketing strategist for the trend forecaster WGSN. 'With the rise of video platforms, it makes sense that livestream shopping would follow.' Satenstein drew inspiration from QVC clips on YouTube and a 1989 interview with Donna Karan on a talk show called Attitudes. 'There's context, layers, history—and [Karan] has a model walk out in the clothes showing how something fits.' Since its founding in 2019, Whatnot has become a buzzy name in the live shopping space. In January, the platform announced that it had raised $265 million in new funding. According to Whatnot, viewers spend an average of over 80 minutes per day watching its content, more time than they spend on Instagram or TikTok. While they buy about 12 items per week, there are also plenty of users who are tuning in just to chat or listen, no purchase necessary. 'I hear time and time again that it feels like a TV show, where each week there's a new episode,' says Nica Yusay, who sells luxury handbags on the account FashioNica. Despite the convenience of a one-click checkout, there's a loss of community spaces. Shopping has become a solo sport, but livestreams can bridge the gap. Customers can get involved, connecting with like-minded shoppers—and the seller on the other side of the lens—without leaving the couch. Watchers ask questions on the fly, and sellers do their best to keep up, offering banter, backstory, and even try-ons in front of their audience. 'People ask me how many unitards I own at this point,' says Nina Chong-Jimenez, a Whatnot seller whose account, Lockitin, has made nearly 68,000 sales. 'At any given moment, I'm stripping down to put anything on that I can. It's important for you to see how a piece is going to fall on a person.' It's an added layer of transparency that's often lacking in apps or large online marketplaces: You can see the person behind the post, and get real-time info on the piece for sale, all while chatting with friends. With higher sale conversion rates than conventional e-commerce and a growing market share, livestreaming seems poised to keep winning new fans. For now, buyers and sellers are still figuring things out. 'There's no rhyme or reason,' Satenstein says of how much she ends up selling in a livestream. 'But I'm having a good time.'
Miami Herald
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Was Melania Trump's wedding dress really for sale on eBay? Here's what we know
Just like the woman herself, Melania Trump's wedding dress is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. On Tuesday, fashion writer Diana Satenstein alerted readers that the historic gem was for sale on none other than eBay. Satenstein wrote on her popular Substack blog 'Neverworns' that a bride-to-be pal recently stumbled upon this 'nuptial motherlode' while shopping for a wedding dress. The article, which went viral, explained that the seller, @Svjabc1, was hawking the haute couture creation for the bargain-basement starting bid of $45,000 or 'best offer.' Bonus: Free shipping. 'Christian Dior wedding dress specifically designed by John Galliano for Melania Trump's wedding in 2005 to Donald Trump,' read the description. @Svjabc1 said that a friend of Melania's helped broker the deal for $70,000 so she could wear it for her own wedding back in 2011. But before interested parties could pick up their online paddles, red flags began popping up, questioning the item's authenticity. First off, anyone who was aware of the highly publicized satin frock, which was featured on the cover of UK Vogue in February 2005, would have been confused right off the bat. The one on eBay looked altered, with such additional features as shoulder straps, a sash across the waist and more intricate beading. @Svjabc1 explained the differences away by admitting she'd had the gown altered because she wears a larger size than the first lady. After numerous outlets picked up Satenstein's story, shocked that such a piece of history could be on such a public forum, a source cleared up the matter to Women's Wear Daily: The eBay dress was not the real McCoy. As for the authentic gown that cost in the neighborhood of $200K? It's stored safely away at the Trump compound of Mar a Lago, where the fancy reception took place after the couple swapped vows at Bethesda by the Sea Church. On Thursday morning, poof, the dress is no longer on the auction site , citing 'an error in the listing.'
