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The future of retail is driven by community and wellbeing. That’s the belief of Andrew Rosen — a pioneer in the US contemporary fashion market, who co-founded Theory and has invested in Proenza Schouler and Rag Bone — and Stacey Bendet, the founder of womenswear brand Alice + Olivia. The two executives have come together for the second time (Rosen is an investor in Alice + Olivia) to launch Big Feelings, a new clothing brand rooted in mental health awareness. It marks “a second phase of life” for both executives, Bendet tells Vogue Business.
Big Feelings has a team of five based in New York. Gen Z is the target demographic, and sleepwear and loungewear, priced between $65 and $200, are the main categories. While there are some core items, such as logoed sweatshirts and boxer briefs, the brand operates a drop model of limited-edition products. From today, it will be sold at US department store chain Saks as well as direct retail channels, including e-commerce and a two-storey pop-up on Madison Avenue. The physical space will feature interactive displays — including mirrored infinity rooms — and photo opportunities, as well as activities such as bracelet-making stations, manicures and yoga sessions.
Welcome to the new age of cool, where it’s about being real, being kind and being part of something bigger than yourself. Big Feelings is “meant to be more like a community space as much as it is a place to come and buy things”, says Bendet. The idea, she explains, is to “create a place where girls can come and hang out and get off their phones”. She continues: “You can buy anything you want online, so a retail experience should be about bringing people together and doing things that are not on social media all the time.”
For years, the contemporary fashion market has been squeezed by expensive designer fashion and cheaper alternatives from the high street or fast fashion retailers. Loungewear has also been losing out to dressier apparel, as consumers coming out of pandemic lockdowns shelved their sweats for more glamorous styles. More recently, there has been a pivot to shopping less and buying well. Amid a growing backlash against over-promotion and flex culture, ostentatious clothing is out while thoughtful investment pieces are in. So, where does Big Feelings fit into all of this?
“I think that [post-lockdown] people want really comfortable clothes. It’s not just about wanting pyjamas, it’s about wanting comfortable clothes and Big Feelings is really comfortable and really fun to wear,” says Rosen. “Stacey is a true visionary and she inspires a large community of women. I was moved by her idea of trying to help people through creating a new clothing line.”
A casualisation of fashion, Bendet believes, is here to stay — in particular among teens, who struggle to find clothing that isn’t too childish or too sophisticated, she says. “This is not just about sleepwear or loungewear. This brand is about the way that younger people in their late teens and twenties dress. They’re not wearing suits to go to the office. We’re revisiting the idea of comfy casual clothes but in a more elevated and chic way.” That includes cosy crews, hoodies and pyjama sets in joyful colours. Big Feelings offers a less structured wardrobe that allows for mixing and matching, with more flexibility for multiple looks, she explains.
What’s behind the focus on teens? “More than ever, trends are starting from that market. It starts from TikTok and infiltrates the upper echelons of fashion,” says Bendet. The new venture is also inspired by her personal experiences. “I have three daughters and I’m always thinking about how to raise them in a complicated world where social media has driven young people to have many mental health issues,” she explains. New research from Gallup shows that a smaller share of Gen Z is thriving compared to millennials at the same age, and members of Gen Z are far less likely to describe their mental health as “excellent”.
Loungewear, which includes sleepwear and sweats, is a just under-$20 billion market in the US that declined 4 per cent over the last 12 months ended September, according to Kristen Classi-Zummo, director and industry analyst covering fashion apparel at advisory Circana (formerly NPD Group). “During the pandemic, it was our everyday wardrobe.” But, consumers have since pulled back spending on the category, gravitating instead to tailored clothing and dresses, she explains. It’s a different story when it comes to younger consumers: among shoppers aged between 10 to 20, sales of loungewear grew 7 per cent to $4.3 billion during the period. “Loungewear is really the unofficial uniform of today’s teenagers. They’re wearing it at home; they’re wearing it out. There are so many usage occasions and it has become a staple of their wardrobe,” says Classi-Zummo.
Building loyalty with a focus on wellbeing
The challenge is staying relevant with a demographic that has a short attention span. “If a brand wants to capture a share of that market, they have to focus on innovation and newness,” says Circana’s Classi-Zummo. Unlike luxury customers, Gen Z continues to have an affinity for logos and branding, as they assign more importance to self identity, she observes. “This market has a higher affinity for brands. In the latest back-to-school data, we saw that sales of apparel with logos or [identifiers] of a brand grew, and it was 13 to 18-year olds driving that growth,” she says. “At that age, you’re still figuring out who you are and where you fit in, and some brands can help to solidify and express that.”
“Gen Z is probably the loudest and most diverse generation to date. They are the most vocal group and the most engaged with brands,” says Korinne Wolfmeyer, vice president and senior research analyst covering beauty and wellness for investment bank Piper Sandler. “They don’t have as much spending power yet, but as they get older they are going to be one of the biggest groups to target.” Reaching and building loyalty with this demographic won’t be easy, however. “They’re a bit more choosy and specific. If they don’t find what they need with one brand, they can easily switch over to another, because there are so many options out there right now,” Wolfmeyer adds.
Big Feelings plans to build loyalty through inspiring discussion and creating community — an approach that has been leveraged by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, which uses its retail spaces to foster intimate conversations around physical and mental wellbeing that normally wouldn’t occur outside of a doctor’s office. Big Feelings also donates a portion of sales to Project Healthy Minds, a non-profit that seeks to make mental health services more accessible.
Mental health awareness plays a big role among Gen Z consumers, who are more outspoken and comfortable with sharing various issues than other generations, says Wolfmeyer. She attributes their “open mindedness” to the experiences they have lived through, such as a recession, pandemic and historical events like 9/11. Social media has also helped to unite young consumers and allow them to interact with peers globally. “We are seeing brands that lean into wellness and self care really succeeding with Gen Z right now.”
Wellbeing will become a priority in fashion the way that clean or science-backed products have become table stakes for all modern beauty brands, predicts Wolfmeyer. “Five or 10 years ago, being vegan or cruelty-free was more unique. Now that’s become the norm and you won’t succeed as a brand if you don’t have that. I think the next phase [of fashion] will be this notion of kindness: being kind to the world, as well as yourself.”
New metrics of success
Big Feelings is entirely self-funded by Bendet and Rosen. Bendet declined to comment on how much was invested, but says that she and Rosen have “substantially” gotten behind the new concept because “we feel that the messaging and community is important for the world right now”. The executives were able to get the brand off the ground within eight months by leaning into Alice + Olivia’s infrastructure. “We’ve utilised our existing production, warehousing and operations and that has been very beneficial,” says Bendet.
Asked whether Big Feelings plans to extend its wholesale distribution, Bendet says that the brand will evolve into a hybrid model that includes a strong direct-to-consumer business while also partnering with retailers in a strategic way. The brand launched at Saks not because of the store’s reach, but because of the support and investments it has made to mental health organisations. “They share a passion and bring awareness to the same issues [that we care about].”
Having clear identifiers that communicate the brand’s vision and values will be a focus, she says. Ultimately, the goal is to provide “an uplifting reminder that you’re not alone”: “We want the clothes to make you feel loved, comforted and uplifted.” Revenue isn’t the only metric of success, she notes. “If the product sells, we’re on the right track. If people walk into our shop and smile, we’re also doing things right. We want to use our clothing to create community and bring women together.”
Big Feelings will soon unveil collaborations with “interesting brands” that bring an entertainment element to the clothing, Rosen teases, though he can’t share more at this stage. “In order to build a relevant brand, you need to connect with your customer and be more than the product you sell,” he argues. “You have to have credibility and authenticity.”
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