The Nine Spell Sisters Youâll Meet in the Cactus Garden of Insta
If you've found this blog lovely, deep down you already know you have a serious problem. Itâs cool. As useless as reading this will be to save your wallet, youâll find some peace in knowing weâre in this together. So letâs get on with the first step in solving acknowledging our shared problem by admitting that some or all of the following shit has been going on lately:
âWeâ* have been frantically Googling Spell and the Gypsy Collective, Joplin Jacket or worse Spell Xanadu eBay... or even more hopelessly tragic Spell Folktown. We've been waking from dreams of blue skies and going to bed fantasizing about Lotu...actually we don't go to bed - at least not lately. Weâre not sleeping much are we? No. Weâre up sweating; obsessing over the one that got away... or in all probability will, at the next drop - because our internet isn't fast enough; because 7 seconds is suddenly an eternity during check out; because XS sells out first. Every. Fucking. Time. What we have is full blown PTSD - Post Traumatic Spell Disorder, with more than a healthy side case of drop anxiety.
* Please note the use of the âSpell sister weâ here. Â Much like a âspousal weâ this in fact means you.
Welcome friend. It's nice to have you. Youâre safe here. At least until the end of May, when Lotus drops.
Ever wonder how this started?
I do (and so does my husband, my wallet and all my abandoned hobbies.)
Since science is ignoring me wonât explain the root cause of my condition, I've been working on a few conspiracy theories to help explain how one innocent retail therapy sesh, consisting of a Route 66 dress, turned into a full blown brand dependency that has me mapping out intricate buying strategies a full 48 - 72 hours before every drop:
Conspiracy Theory 1: Spell infuses their hand drawn fabrics with Stevie Nick's breath which they have bottled into microscopic nanotubes that fit into the heads of sewing needles. After the Australian TGA denied approval on a Stevie Nicks Vape pen, wherein the user would actually inhale the museâs vocal chord filtered CO2, Spell had a shitload of unregulated gypsy breath on their turquoise encrusted hands. As Spelly and Lizzy are committed to sustainability, they quickly found a way to repurpose this rare and precious resource. The result? Once you start wearing a Spell piece, Stevieâs magical gypsy breath whispers into your pores, delivering you an effortless high that obviously demands you chase it again and again... on the wings of an enormous owl, obviously. Why this is probably true: Look no further than yourself - yes or no, you increasingly find yourself totally down with multiple layers of lace you would have never considered wearing at this age (or since that rad 1990 Jr. Prom dress)? Yes or no, you have found yourself with both a Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac Spotify Channel on endless rotation? Yes or no, when someone mentions the word leather, you blurt the lyrics âtake from me my laaaace?â (note: There is actually a Spell Sisters 70âs Festival Jamboree playlist on Spotify. Youâre welcome from Lulu Mey, the goddess who created it.)
Conspiracy Theory 2: Spell runs a genius instagram account 782k followers strong and just when you think you can âtotally survive without another piece from Festival â17 BAM - you see it styled on a muse that could easily be you. You could be in Thailand, in that backless Lolita, in front of that waterfall, with those lovely beachy waves in your hair and no shoes because you floated there (on the owl - duh.) In fact it probably IS you⊠because they plucked that image straight out of your unicorn mind, put a 72% Lark filter on it and fed the âtravelling youâ right into that instagram channel. They did this as a courtesy ICYMI; you know, all the retargeting ads the other gentle signs reminding you that you actually do NEED this piece in your life and itâs no longer optional. Why this is probably true: because it is true. See: @spell_byronbay.
Pick your theory but the FOMO (Folktown Obsessed Must Own) is real. Obviously, they have put a serious Spell on us - sorry not sorry, pun was too obvious. Show me another brand tribe that feels compelled to share their instant bond on insta when they show up full twinsies at a party (Who wore it best? Both of us! Yay! Love you! Love you more! #twinsemoji) Show me another brand tribe that has women from ages 18 - 81 searching for a magical unicorn in the shape of a mumu. Show me another brand who has more authentically gorgeous UGC. See: #myspellcollection #spelldesigns #spellskirtswish #vintagespell #spellluxelace #spellfestivalstyle
While we share a familiar ache in our wallets and art museums for closets, weâre a globally diverse tribe to be sure. Still yet, with every Spell Sister you meet, you connect with a little piece of yourself, right? Just in case your affliction is fresh and youâre still trying to find your cactus rose footings...
Hereâs the short list of the nine Spell Sisterâs youâll meet fall in love with in the cactus garden we call Insta (ps, Iâm @jennvonhagen )
1) The Unconditional Lover: She buys something from every drop, and even if she's secretly not 100% sure it works on her, she's committed to making it work and her tribe is there to help her rock it hard. Queue the extra large knotted hemline and for Godâs sake woman - just belt it. Spell can do no wrong - not even a dress recall phases her - she kept that Blue Skies Maxi Wrap dress, and she wears a kimono made of bubble wrap over it - and somehow it actually works for her - because she belts it.
2) The Fresh Collector: She "just found this new brand OMG" Bae got woke somewhere right after Hotel Paradiso and she can't shut the fuck up about her OZ obsession - because she DISCOVERED it you guys. We donât blame her for the misconception, we felt EXACTLY the same way. Her insta is full of âlowered gazeâ shots that have you wondering WTF sheâs staring at. Educated guess - itâs 16 trash bags full of labels sheâll never wear again. Regardless, she looks amazing in that dress, so we donât give a shit - we welcome her with open kimonos.  Babushka was her first âfully aware dropâ; her collection has a shit ton of it. Weâre simultaneously proud and worried, because she has no idea what sheâs gotten into.
3) The Hider: Everything is NWT. She hasnât even worn what she's got, and the challenge of justifying the spend is getting exponential. With her towers of white boxes getting harder and harder to conceal, the Husband is now on to her. Busted a few times during a delivery, she now sends the white boxes to the neighbors house and swears:
âItâs from Target/ Iâve had this forever/Iâm borrowing it/Yay Swapped!â
(Rejoice hiders: the boxes are being transitioned out. Youâll no longer have to hide them - now you can simply obsess over collecting the cute new calico bags.)
4) The Girl Next Door: Nobody knows what she does for a living, but apparently she lives at Spell. I mean right inside the fucking Byron store... 12 minutes after a drop goes live, she's #spellswishing in the latest sold-out-soon-to-be-Unicorn. We hate her. Just kidding we love her. Just kidding we want to be her. Just kidding, weâll settle for a sleepover - in her bohemian yurt, which is probably located right outside Spellâs cactus garden.Â
5) The Historian: Her collection dates back farther than Gypsy Queen and she probably has that first Sugarhigh+Lovestoned tee they styled the early jewels with in a safety deposit box. She can recite the name of every collection and every piece in it. She can spot fakes too, because she knows exactly when the logo lock up changed thanks to Rachel Pony Gold (circa April/May 2012). She indulges in the bootstrapped sisterly romance of it all. Damn right she owns the book; itâs signed - obviously.
6) The Cheerleader: She likes EVERY photo with Spell in it, and she will tell you you look GORGEOUS every single time she sees you on Insta because she believes that you have a beautiful unicorn soul. âYou in that Sunset Road + Festival â16 mashup = AMAZING!â
She imagines you in your private cactus garden teaching your children how to hand letter affirmation mantras and macrame their own diapers as you sip organic kombucha and braid your bestieâs hair. She loves you. So. Fucking. Much. Her pronouns are heart eye emoji and kiss emoji.
7) The Impulse Buyer: constantly swears to God and all that is will-powerful that she WILL. NOT. CAVE to the next drop. She is going to be practical for fuckâs sake. (Yah, Lotus has alot of yellows and olives.. Iâm more of a âsummerâ) But then she buys the Joplin Jacket because Florida winters are âbrutalâ. She has a large return shipping bill, admits that this is merely an endless paypal exchange and knows the Customer Service Angels by name (Oh, hey Angela). She uses the RA form and chat feature to send them love notes and see how theyâre holding up after each drop.
8) The Wing-Woman: you either are one, have one - or both. Sheâs as hardcore as you are and she doesnât judge your illness. You both have issues. This is the person you spend hours strategizing with before every drop. You two have your own kind of math and itâs harder to follow than âconceptual math. But this secret Spell math is a thing of fucking beauty: no matter what the equation, you always get the answer you want:Â
âOk, I returned my Blue Skies Wrap, so I have a credit, plus what I saved on the Babushka Midi equals the price of the Joplin âŠ. Iâm net zero!âÂ
You size up the line, screen shotting Snapchat and teasing each other via text. You pro/con every piece based on some fictional, rational version of you that âdoesnât need another gown, but needs to go with 2 piece sets you know, for more daily use.â (Um, sure - whatever you need to tell yourself hun.)  If youâre on vacay during the drop, sheâs got your back - as in your paypal payback - unconditional support is just a click away. Sheâs also hunting unicorns for you on the side and blowing you up on text in the middle of the night with buyerâs guilt (note the lack of remorse. There is never remorse, just fleeting guilt and temporary indulgence shaming for going overboard with both the Stardust Cami AND the Jacket âIâm a living Goddamned disco ball, WTF have I done? But I lurrve them.Yay me!)
9) The Unicorn Hunter: Sheâs next level obsessed, willing to throw cash and half her current Spell stash at the "last ever of it's kind, ever."Â âEvil-bayâ is alternately her nemesis, and her reluctant savior. After multiple talks off the Buy It Now button and pleas to her practical side, she eventually caves for her Unicorn, pays an obscene price and then never takes it off. See: Anything Folktown or a Xanadu Maxi Dress on eBay/Poshmark/Depop/Facebook Swap & Sell insert streaming tears emoji + unicorn emoji
As different as we may be - thereâs something beyond swirling around in art that pulls us together. Perhaps itâs the addictive cocktail of anticipation + adrenaline + winning. Even as weâre confident that Spelly, Lizzy and all the Angels are sorting through the surprise growing pains, deep down we know thereâs a small part of us that will miss bonding/sweating/crying over the chaos. More likely though, itâs the authentic friendships formed while supporting each other. ( I just heard a story from two best friends who met via a hashtag. They live a world apart, but talk every day.)
While I can't offer a cure (because Lotus/May/God help us), we can still justify our spending take comfort in knowing weâre not alone. (Or maybe that just adds to our stress because at least 20K+ of us have the notifications turned on for an intense Facebook page where we channel our obsession into smarter ways to buy/sell or swap more pieces.) Either way - rejoice in the Spell Sisterhood - our love runs deep, our tribe is epic and your OOTD is eternally on point.
PS - does anyone have a Turquoise Folktown Skirt and Top set in XS?
Seriously, I die.
Note:
You can follow more of the saga on Insta @jennvonhagen After I wrote this blog, I stumbled upon a hilarious thread on the Facebook Spell Designs Buys Swap and Sell page where fellow sisters are sharing their legit addiction and proven survival techniques. Iâm currently interviewing for a follow up to this post, where Iâll share stories from all nine types of sisters. If you identify with one or more of the above, comment with your number(s) and if youâd like to be a part of the next post, message me here, on Insta or email me at [email protected]
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