Westman Atelier founder Gucci Westman is noticeably demure when it comes to thinking of herself as a tastemaker. But that’s exactly what makes her an ideal partner for the affiliate marketing giant ShopMy.
“The people who are the best at selling are the people who aren’t trying to sell,” said ShopMy president and co-founder Tiffany Lopinsky.
Westman has worked with ShopMy since its launch in 2020, with the famed makeup artist’s shopping picks of Khaite boots and Loro Piana cardigans offering credibility to the emerging platform — which has since earned a $1.5 billion valuation. On Friday, Westman Atelier and ShopMy are bringing their partnership to the real world with a three-day pop-up.
Timed to New York Fashion Week and the launch of Westman Atelier’s new Suprême Bio-Complex Liquid Foundation, the pop-up will allow consumers to shop picks from Westman’s Shop My recommendations — like the weighted Omorpho G-Vest and Leset’s $78 T-shirts — get shade matched with the foundation and participate in a neighborhood walk led by pilates instructor Ashley Patten.
“People do often ask, which is going to sound a little bit uncomfortable coming from me, but people do ask about my clothing and things like that,” said Westman. “And I guess [working with ShopMy] is just sort of just embracing that. And I like the fact that [Westman Atelier] feels very much like a lifestyle brand.”
The multi-pronged event allows the brand to flex its founder’s credentials as a woman of taste — an increasingly valuable asset as makeup brands seek to associate themselves with stylish tastemakers. But it also speaks to affiliate platforms’ efforts to push shopping recommendations outside of traditional influencer channels.
For ShopMy, that includes embracing micro-influencers as a powerful selling agent, with even casual users able to cull a commission from sharing affiliate links within their group chats.
“Word of mouth is the most powerful thing,” said Lopinsky. “So many people who have smaller followings move a lot of product, especially product at a high price point…. You think of when your friend tells you about something. You buy it, and then you also love it, and the conversation can continue after that.”
According to data from Emarketer, U.S. affiliate spending is projected to reach $13.81 billion in 2026. And affiliate networks are in an arms race to find new ways to reach consumers. LTK, whose members drove $6 billion in sales in 2025, partnered with Sports Illustrated in April to make its Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition into shoppable content. TikTok Shop has created a quarterly matching program to help brands match with users large and small who can push their products through its extensive affiliate network.
Lopinsky said ShopMy has done in-person events before, but sees the Westman Atelier pop-up as an “experiment” on how to further interact with shoppers in an IRL context.
“I think [the pop-up] will inspire us to think about long-term how we want to collaborate with brands on things like this. Or do our own retail kind of concept,” she said. “Shopping is a very social thing.”
The event, hosted in the trendy Nolita neighborhood smack in the middle of New York Fashion Week, has ample competition when it comes to drawing in the crowds. But Westman hopes the event’s mix of wellness and shopping activities will help it attract the brand’s loyal consumers, who have reportedly helped it reach $100 million in annual net revenue. According to the brand, roughly 100 people signed up in advance for each of the three sessions.
“Whenever I go to something, I want to walk away feeling like I had either good conversations or some form of memorable experience,” said Westman. “It doesn’t have to be huge. But it’s so difficult to impress people today, and everyone is so busy. Nobody wants to do anything really where it requires too much effort, you know.”
