The Pre-Read

The Pre-Read
Archive
Page -148

Something I've been sitting with

Erewhon x med spa, GEO wars, Starbucks fashion strategy, Cardi’s hair bet, Hermès vs GDP, De Meo effect

Feb 09, 2026

Imperfect in Public

Anxiety Arbitrage defines 2026 consumers, premium fashion gets squeezed, Wella eyes an IPO, creator brands grow up, and Gulf capital reshapes Italian luxury.

Olga Merzlyakova

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Feb 02, 2026

Why Fashion Never Makes Sense

No Spend January, luxury wellness rebrands burnout, Gen Z stops buying (again), Arnault cools luxury optimism, Sydney Sweeney’s bras break the internet (and maybe the law), Anta eyes Puma, and celebrities turn into cap-table players

Olga Merzlyakova

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Jan 26, 2026

The Confidence Gap

Clinical gym memberships, the automation of micro-influence, Burberry stabilizes (maybe), PE flips L’Occitane back to IPO mode, and founders go to war with funds

Olga Merzlyakova

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Jan 19, 2026

2026 is the new 2016

NikeSKIMS’ weirdest shoe, Gap’s play for IP, the designer coffee and tech era, the $3.4B luxury debt crisis, and Topshop’s EU relaunch.

Olga Merzlyakova

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Jan 12, 2026

The case for substance

The "grocerant" gold rush, branding your bedroom, the luxury betrayal, Olaplex’s billion-dollar round trip, the Philo pivot, and supermodels selling longevity.

Olga Merzlyakova

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