Episode 264: pLEAsE, no more nostalgia slop (dELiA*s revisited)

As we discussed in the previous episode, nostalgia is so @#$%ing lucrative. So of course, everyone is trying to cash in with some nostalgia slop of their own...including Target.  In this "very special episode," we get started by dissecting the Target x dELiA*s "collab." The second half of the episode is pulled directly from the vault: a 2020 minisode all about the rise and decline of dELiA*s!

In this episode, we will discuss:

• More examples of "zombie brands" and licensing
• Why a company like Target is desperate for a way to win back customers
• The history of dELiA*s (with some stops along the way with Alloy and Moxiegirl)
• The power of a mailing list in the catalog world
• The origins of the iconic dELiA*s font

And so much more!

Want some more dELiA*s nostalgia? Check out this amazing tumblr account!

The new Clotheshorse PO Box: 69 Main Street, Box 16  New Providence, PA 17560

Get your Clotheshorse merch here: https://clotheshorsepodcast.com/shop/

If you want to share your opinion/additional thoughts on the subjects we cover in each episode, feel free to email, whether it’s a typed out message or an audio recording:  amanda@clotheshorse.world

Did you enjoy this episode? Consider "buying me a coffee" via Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/clotheshorse

Clotheshorse is brought to you with support from the following sustainable small businesses:

Slow Fashion Academy is a size-inclusive sewing and patternmaking studio based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded by designer and fashion professor Ruby Gertz. Ruby just launched CLO3D for Custom Fit: a 12-week beginner-friendly online course in virtual patternmaking with CLO3D software. Instead of making sample after sample, you can now customize avatars that match your real body measurements and fit-test garments virtually—before cutting into a single piece of fabric. You can also work from your pre-existing paper or PDF patterns! 

This course is designed to get you over the initial hump to working confidently in the program. It includes 300+ bite-size video lessons spaced out over 12 weeks, weekly live Q&A calls for accountability, a custom body scan to use as a you-sized virtual dress form, and a super supportive community of like-minded designers that are all learning together in a cohort. Perfect for indie patternmakers, emerging designers, or anyone who wants to design clothes that actually fit their one-of-a-kind body.

Learn more about the course, as well as our in-person sewing and patternmaking workshops at www.slowfashion.academy.

Deco Denim is a startup based out of San Francisco, selling clothing and accessories that are sustainable, gender fluid, size inclusive and high quality--made to last for years to come. Deco Denim is trying to change the way you think about buying clothes. Founder Sarah Mattes wants to empower people to ask important questions like, “Where was this made? Was this garment made ethically? Is this fabric made of plastic? Can this garment be upcycled and if not, can it be recycled?” Signup at decodenim.com to receive $20 off your first purchase. They promise not to spam you and send out no more than 3 emails a month, with 2 of them surrounding education or a personal note from the Founder. Find them on Instagram as @deco.denim.

Selina Sanders, a social impact brand that specializes in up-cycled clothing, using only reclaimed, vintage or thrifted materials: from t