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For the second year in a row, Lands’ End has taken residence in Soho with a pop-up focused on “chaotic customization.” The brand, which prides itself on being “approachable” and “attainable,” according to chief creative officer Kym Maas, sees personalization as a “solution,” which, she said, is always what it seeks to offer its customers.
“For us, solutions are anything that either makes the customer’s life easier, or makes it better,” Maas said, noting that personalization “is a solution by making you an individual and [allowing you to] be yourself. Anything that solves your problems or helps with your happiness, to me, is a great solution.”
At 45 Grand Street, the pop-up kicked off Wednesday and runs through the weekend. The brand is inviting customers to patch, embroider, calligraphy and charm their hero Canvas Pocket Totes, which range in price from $39.95-$59.95, depending on size. Unlimited customization costs $35 and includes everything but bag charms, which are made by Brooklyn Craft Company and sold separately.
But while last year’s pop-up focused solely on totes, this year, Lands’ End is expanding its focus, with a much larger space and a second floor devoted to men’s and women’s cashmere, which can also be customized. The four available sweaters range in price from $199.95-$249.95, with embroidery available for an additional $15.
Remarking on last year’s pop-up, Maas said, “Our biggest focus was really our franchises and getting Lands’ End out to a younger generation.”
In 2024, the pop-up drew over 10,000 visitors, and the brand sold over 1,300 tote bags during its 10-day run. At some points, lines lasted over three hours. This year, the brand is offering appointments instead.
“This is round two, and it’s part of a much broader strategy. The strategy came about because we wanted to [continue to] bring in new consumers, and we have a very famous, well-known product [in our] tote bag, and that’s a great way to introduce people to your brand,” said Matt Trainor, Lands’ End’s svp of brand creative.
The brand is betting on cashmere to bring customers who’ve already fallen in love with its tote bag into its wider offerings. “We have great cashmere. We have great quality. I think people don’t realize the range of offerings we have. It’s entry-level, yet higher-end, and, for a younger customer who may be making their first cashmere purchase, Lands’ End [offers] quality. … It actually lasts. It’s an investment in themselves.”
In the bigger picture, the pop-ups are part of Lands’ End’s strategy to become less of a catalog brand and more of a digital-first brand, Trainor said. This strategy dates back 18 months, when the brand decided to turn on marketing for the tote bag, which was already a best-selling item. The first thing the brand wanted to do was make sure its tote was differentiated from others on the market, he said. The key: Pockets — which, for example, competitor L.L. Bean’s Boat and Tote does not have. The brand intentionally re-named its product, adding “pocket” to the name.
The plan to bring the brand into the digital age is going well. In the past 18 months, the brand’s Instagram following has increased from 125,000 to 460,000. In addition, it has grown its digital sales from 30% of the business to 40%, doubled its social revenue, and increased its social traffic by 70% to 25% of its overall traffic, Trainor said.
In addition to the pop-up strategy, Lands’ End has leaned into collaborations. In September 2024, it partnered with the viral clothing brand Parke on a tote bag anchored to its first-ever NYC pop-up. The bag sold out online in 24 hours. It repeated the partnership in Miami that December and again in February, for Parke’s Valentine’s Day drop. The latter, a brand rep said, generated major buzz and sold out in one minute.
Additional collabs have included Alice & Olivia in March, Charleston-based jewelry brand Hart in May, bag-rental platform Vivrelle in July and The Montauk General Store in August. In August 2024, Lands’ End offered a trade-in deal, letting a limited number of customers each day sign up online to send in a canvas tote from any brand in exchange for not one, but two of its Canvas Pocket Totes. “We have significantly shifted the percent penetrations of our different business mechanisms,” Trainor said. “It’s all about making us a digital brand, as opposed to just a catalog brand. And all the stats say it’s working. We’re bringing in new customers.”
According to Maas and Trainor, the brand does not want to alienate its core customers. Instead, it aspires to be a multi-generational brand. “The way we haven’t alienated our core customer [and have simultaneously] gained a new customer is by staying true to the personality of the brand. Our brand is a little less serious. It’s very happy, it’s very fun. We love celebrating small moments, [and that] resonates with [all ages],” Maas said.
A brand rep noted that while visitors in their 20s and 30s have been the most common at the pop-ups, attendees have ranged from toddlers doing customizations to adults in their 70s, and everyone in between.
“We get letters and pictures from our customers, plus people share on social, and we get reviews on our website that say, ‘I bought this for myself and my daughter. She’s 20, and I’m 58, and we both love it,'” Trainor said. “All of that organic chatter is telling us we can lean into this a little bit more, from a creative representation standpoint.” As such, the brand plans to show more multi-generational imagery, he said, noting that social should be a two-way conversation. “We want to send it back,” he said.
Ultimately, Trainor said, the main reason pop-ups are so integral to the brand’s growth with a younger demographic is simple: They allow the brand to get its product in front of consumers. “Once we get our products in front of people, we’ve won the battle,” he said. “If we can get it in front of the new consumer, they will fall in love with the brand just like the previous generations did.”
Week in review
Collabs of the week
Soft Services x DedCool
Holiday gifts are hitting shelves, and, as of November 1, beauty connoisseurs will have their eyes on the Soft Services Theraplush Hand Cream, now available in Dedcool’s hero Xtra Milk scent. A set that includes a travel-size Xtra Milk perfume, on top of the collab, is available on Sephora.com for $74. “Our goal was to take the familiarity and cult status of Xtra Milk and give it a new, intimate context: the final step before sleep,” said Carina Chaz, founder and CEO of Dedcool, regarding Theraplush’s use case as an overnight hand treatment. (It also contains retinol for hand rejuvenation.)
“This collaboration is about enriching the bedtime ritual Theraplush is known for, and pairing it with a genderless scent that’s universally loved and instantly comforting,” said Rebecca Zhou, founder and CEO of Soft Services. “Xtra Milk has a soft, subtle, yet addictive quality that is the perfect complement to the nightly act of applying Theraplush.”
“It’s a way to deepen people’s relationship with the scent — not just as a perfume, but also as part of their daily ritual,” Chaz said. “We’ll be activating this through strategic retail moments and digital storytelling, and tapping into the built-in enthusiasm of both of our communities to amplify the drop.”
Sakara x Nette
Sakara, the healthy meal delivery service, has partnered with the candle and fragrance brand Nette on a limited-edition candle dubbed “Serene State.” The $85 candle, launched on November 6, uses notes inspired by Sakara’s anti-stress gummies, which bear the same name: the Serene State Stress Release Gummies. Both brands wanted to lean into the meaning of “wellness” for the collaboration.
“At Nette, we’re obsessed with the sensory side of wellness — how scent can shape mood and emotion. I was so excited when the opportunity arose to create a candle that could mirror those same principles through scent. We wanted to design something that not only smells beautiful, but also truly supports relaxation and reinvigoration,” said Carol Han Pyle, Nette founder.
“The candle was designed to perfectly complement our Serene State gummy, helping you release stress with each bite and each breath. Beyond creating a sensory pairing, this partnership connects two like-minded communities, bringing Sakara and Nette clients together through our shared appreciation for intentional, elevated wellness,” said Kathryn Ordower, Sakara’s CEO. She noted that both brands will introduce the candle across their owned channels, as well as through in-person events, inviting audiences to take in a moment of serenity.
Lilly Sisto x Roller Rabbit
Influencer Lilly Sisto (122,000 Instagram followers; 75,000 TikTok followers) has partnered with pajama purveyor Roller Rabbit on a collection of pajamas and intimates featuring 13 new and exclusive prints, each inspired by Sisto’s favorite places — Palm Beach, Italy, Paris and Texas. “I’ve worn Roller Rabbit for years, from home to my favorite vacation spots, so this collection feels personal. It captures the color and ease of the places that inspire me most, from Palm Beach to Paris, and the carefree spirit of travel and adventure I always try to bring into my style,” Sisto said. “Lilly has a way of making every outfit feel personal and joyful, which [is what we love about our own brand]. Collaborating with her allowed us to see our prints through her eyes — her sense of travel, color, and style inspired pieces that are playful, versatile, and effortless,” added Carolyn Phillips of Roller Rabbit’s CMO.
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