For context, I currently rent but am trying to buy. This RE only has my details from a rental I applied for with them previously. Now I've been sent this weird market update with no unsubscribe function without ever opting in. What even is the point of this?
Me thinks though doth protest too much
Everlane, but make it fast fashion.
For years, Everlane sold us “radical transparency” alongside $120 basics and the promise that ethics cost more. Now it’s being acquired by SHEIN - the ultra-fast-fashion giant synonymous with overproduction, opacity and disposable consumption.
Which raises a pretty uncomfortable question: was sustainability ever a founding principle, or was it simply a premium marketing strategy for a generation of consumers willing to pay extra to feel morally aligned with their shopping habits?
Because if your brand can move seamlessly from “buy less, buy better” to ownership by one of the most criticised fashion companies in the world, what exactly was the moat? The ethics, or just the aesthetic of ethics?
Consumers aren’t just reacting to the acquisition itself. They’re reacting to the collapse of a narrative. One that suggested fashion brands could build loyalty through values, transparency and conscious consumption; only for those values to suddenly become negotiable when the exit opportunity arrived.
Turns out “radical transparency” may have only extended as far as the marketing strategy, and wasn't ever deeply rooted in the morals of the founders.
This one feels icky.
Looking back fondly to my Tony Bianco point heels of 2004 (which are back in fashion haha), this collab was a good reminder of how a legacy Australian brand can actually do something interesting. More of this!
Any other notable collabs lately that you've loved?
Rant incoming as I feel sharing these experiences is a good warning to others.
I recently bought a jacket from Zara with a faulty zip. The quality is terrible so I asked if they could repair/ replace the zip.
They said they don't do repairs and offered a refund. I asked for a part refund so I could do the repair myself. They said they don't do part refunds. I asked for a replacement (even though the zipper quality is terrible) and that I would only send mine back if they could assure they had one on hold for me as I knew stock was low. They agreed to send me one first.
I then get an email from a no reply email saying it's out of stock.
I go back to customer service who then try to offer me 10% off my next purchase. I say no and that, again, id like a part refund so I can repair it. They say they'll escalate and give me a remedy.
Then I get another email from their no reply email asking for my address to send a replacement. I go back to live chat who again ask for my address. I again try to push that I just want to repair the one I have as last time I agreed to a replacement I got an email saying it was out of stock. So before we waste everyone's time can I confirm it's in stock.
Sorry this item is out of stock. We can give you a refund if you return your jacket.
I again explained I don't want a refund. I want this jacket with a working zip
They then offered me a 5% discount off a future purchase.
At this point it feels like im being trolled and I won't ever shop at Zara again cos wtf was that experience 😅 also incredibly non-sustainable to not provide for a repair or a part refund for a repair.
It's already such an over saturated mess of a marketplace, and then the filtering doesn't even work. (I'm only there as I have a 'her' gift card that I'm trying to use)
Interesting to see the ACCC finally cracking down on this! Under the Australian Consumer Law, influencers must disclose where there is a relationship between them and a company/ product they're promoting (paid posts, gifted product etc). Both the company and the influencer can be responsible where this disclosure isn't made, as it can amount to misleading and deceptive conduct under the ACL.
An only photobook retailer was recently fined for expressly asking influencers not to disclose that they were being paid for posts.
Seriously?
Looking through our feed we think there's some fashion brands skirting the law too. Any that smell off to you?
Mother’s Day campaigns are becoming their own genre of performance art.
Every year:
beige linen
soft piano music
“to the mamas”
a founder letter about womanhood
“community”
an emergency pivot to “mother figures” in slide 7 after the comments turn hostile
Meanwhile half the staff making the campaign probably couldn’t get annual leave approved for actual Mother’s Day.
Also fascinating how many brands suddenly discover:
emotional storytelling
unpaid care labour
intergenerational femininity
women over 40
…for exactly 11 business days.
Not saying every campaign is cynical. But some of them feel less like genuine appreciation and more like:“Q2 revenue with a serif font.”
What’s the most unhinged / transparent / strangely moving Mother’s Day campaign you’ve seen this year?
I quite like the strategically thrown pieces of LEGO throughout the otherwise immaculate, beige and linen house of Lisa Green for DISSH and Aesop's attempt at saying anything except Mother's Day.
Hey everyone! Welcome to r/eaudefineprint.
This is the new home for all things related to fashion culture, consumer rights, brand controversies, marketing chaos, industry whispers, luxury pricing, creative copycats, influencer economics, and the legal fine print and subtext behind the fashion world. We’re excited to have you join us.
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Post anything you think the community would find interesting, helpful, suspicious, fascinating, or mildly unhinged.
Feel free to share:
• questionable brand campaigns
• pricing markups
• strange return policies
• sustainability claims
• “inspired by” designs
• PR disasters
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If it makes you think:
“wait… what’s the fine print here?”
…it probably belongs here.
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This is a place for commentary and conversation, not pile-ons or harassment. Bring receipts, use your brain, and remember there are real people behind the brands.
Smart > loud.
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Commentary > cruelty.
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1. Introduce yourself in the comments below.
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Would love to know everyone's thoughts on what's reasonable here.
We rent a two level house in an inner city Melbourne suburb and pay a lot of rent for it. Our landlord is a slumlord and owns about 10 investment properties, all of which (according to his trades) are in various states of disrepair as he's notoriously cheap and attempts to do most repairs and maintenance himself despite being a c-suite professional with zero trade experience.
He recently hired some hack to fix our leaking balcony which didn't work. So he's hired another trade to come out to do structural work without a permit (where one is required for this work) and who isn't a licensed builder. Apart from us feeling pretty sure the balcony won't be safe going forward, we're also now living in a construction zone for over a week while trades come in and out doing works. To add to this, the trades have now broken one of our windows on the balcony level. This happened last night. Our landlord is saying he can't get someone out to fix it until tomorrow. In the meantime we are house bound as our house effectively isn't secure and our room is unsafe to be in due to the broken glass window. No offer has be made to board it up or secure it pending works.
I know we could issue an urgent repairs notice and pay for a glazier but getting money out of the landlord will be a headache and I'm worried about getting a bad rental reference. We have no plans to buy as we own our own beach house (which we aren't slumlords of. Only used by family and friends) so will be renting for the foreseeable future.
In this situation do you think it's reasonable to ask for a rent reduction for the period of the works? Given we are basically living in his renovation rescue project.
Would you also push for some sort of certification that the balcony is safe?