Valence

Valence [vey-luh ns] n The capacity of a person or thing to react with or affect another, as by attraction or the facilitation of a function or activity.

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Ralph's Buzzy New Hire, Facebook Buys WhatsApp and Rihanna Is In Vogue Again

The week in…

Fashion

“Ralph Lauren taps Valerie Hermann to head luxe division.” Strategically a smart move, but a broader, more directional approach to its design will need to be just as necessary to grow the biz. (WWD)

“Richard Nicoll appointed creative director of Jack Wills.” Let’s hope the collab won’t come at a cost to Nicoll’s own brand (above) which has been getting better every season. (Telegraph)

“The Rihanna effect.” Vogue is convinced the industry is massively influenced by the pop star. Or is it a case of designers angling to get her in their clothes? (Vogue.com)

“Is Donna Karan leaving DKNY?” The designer would be wise to take notes from Marc Jacobs, whose successors at his secondary label have done a brilliant job. (Vogue UK)

“Made in Britain: Fashion Enter, a social enterprise giving a creative boost to the UK’s fashion industry.” I love this story about being in fashion for all the right reasons. (Telegraph) 

Business

“The anti-Under Armour: tiny Swedish company wins big on speedskating.” Someone with very keen eyes at BW decided to cover the company that dressed the gold medal speed-skating team. Genius. (Bloomberg)

“Meditation makes people feel better. Can it help you work smarter, too?” Don’t hate Chip Wilson because he was right. Now, across corporate America, a growing movement in favor of meditation. (Business Week)

“The secret of Taobao’s success.” Know how your customers want to pay! (Business Week)

“Bloomberg Pursuits making lifestyle push.” A reminder that luxury publishing is no longer the exclusive realm to publishers like Conde Nast or Du Jour. Ergo: even fewer ad dollars for publishers to go around. (WWD)

“6 ways to make people love your brand.” So simple and yet easier said than done. (Mashable)

“Justifying WhatsApp’s $16 billion price tag to Facebook.” Facebook floors everyone in its latest acquisition, effectively squashing the competition but also adding a huge, separate revenue stream. (BuzzFeed)

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It's All About Marc, A Splashy Debut for Hunter and Everything is Awesome

The week that was in...

Fashion 

“Re-making his Marc.” In one of the most anticipated interviews of the season, Jacobs opens up about plans for his own label. (W Magazine)

“Under Armour’s Sochi problem.” The company’s big debut at the Games backfires amid criticism of its new speed-skating suits. (Bloomberg)

“Why is Jos. A. Bank buying Eddie Bauer?” BW suggests Jos should have pursued something closer to its DNA, but what if the company was looking to jump altogether into sportswear? That may in fact be just the point. (Business Week)

“BAFTA Awards 2014.” Nominees went dark for the red carpet, while Angelina Jolie helped move the trouser trend (something to watch) into the spotlight. (Vogue UK)

“Horst Rechelbacher dies at 72.” The visionary founder of Aveda had battled cancer. (WWD)

“Hunter borrows some ideas from Burberry for its first fashion show.” Watch for this line, helmed by Alasdhair Willis, husband to Stella McCartney, to blow up in the next six months. (Fashionista)

“Tory Burch said planning move into men’s.” Amid a flurry of men’s to women’s moves this past week, the womenswear brand surprises almost everyone with rumors of its move into the currently hot menswear arena. (WWD)

“Marc Jacobs: Happy Days?” Jacobs’s overskirts aside, most New York designers struggled to find something new to say, according to Suzy Menkes. (NY Times)

“Style.com makes two key hires.” Already looking dramatically different these past few months, the digital portal is beefing up and promising to have a heavier digital footprint. But for whom the question remains? Consumers or the trade? (WWD)

Business

“12 eye-popping stats for retailers on Instagram.” Memo to execs: the social platform isn’t showing any signs of fatigue. (Digiday)

“Wearable smart bands set for 350% growth in 2014.” They’re coming and they’re here, says one study of wearable tech bands. (CNBC)

“An innovator in fashion wholesale, Joor could become a global network for buyers and designers.” It's not immediately clear yet on how this will contend with Nu Order, but unlike that online platform, this one (this editor will attest) was visibly omnipresent at New York Fashion Week. (Fashionista)

Culture

“Box Office: ‘Lego Movie’ crushes competition with $60 million-plus holiday.” Everything is awesome because Lego is having a moment globally. (THR)

“Lena Dunham unveils debut book.” (Sigh!) The creator of “Girls” is still on a roll. (Telegraph)

“NFL prospect Michael Sam: ‘I am a gay man and happy to be one.’” Sports fans woke up last Monday morning to a big revelation that America can't stop talking about. (THR)

“Kelly Cutrone talk show slated to debut on CW Seed.” The fashion PR publicist is getting her own show on the one CW channel that’s quietly blowing up. (WWD)

“#Unapologetic Barbie: brilliant, boneheaded or both?” The strangely or, dare we say it, brilliantly disruptive strategy lands the American icon not only in Sports Illustrated but back in popular culture. (Digiday)

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New York Fashion Week Gets Underway, Goop-Gate and Sochi

The week that was in...

Fashion 

“Slave no more.” Cathy Horyn bids adieu to the life she led as fashion critic of the Times. (T Magazine)

“Gwyneth Paltrow enlists Taylor Tomasi Hill to cover New York Fashion Week for Goop.” Goop is getting a fashion beat, but will Paltrow herself turn up for the shows? (Telegraph)

“Abercrombie & Fitch hires tech company to help regain relevance.” Just what does our reliance on technology to gauge what our kids want say about how in touch we are with the next generation? Or are kids all just automatons? (Fashionista)

“Fashion Week A-Z: Vogue’s Guide to the Fall 2014 shows.” So basically, Alexander Wang’s Brooklyn show and Spring Studios are the place to be at for shows this season. (Vogue.com)

Business

January jobs report: US creates 113,000 jobs, unemployment rate dips to 6.6%.” As this report reminds us, close to 13,000 jobs were also cut from the retail sector. (HuffPo)

“Prepare for the Club Monaco British flagship.” Is London’s high street beginning to look a little saturated? (Vogue.co.uk)

“Networking site LinkedIn shares fall 15% on weak outlook.” Tech stocks took a hit this week, but no one really expected LinkedIn, particularly after acquiring Bright Media, to tumble. (BBC)

“Topshop gives Adidas a makeover.” Another sports brand, another big fashion collaboration. Just how challenged is the activewear industry for innovation? (Vogue.co.uk)

Culture

“Glenn Greenwald-led digital magazine’s first issue will focus on NSA documents.” Potentially riveting, explosive stuff to be unleashed in less than a week. (HuffPo)

“Why Pierce Brown might be fiction’s next superstar.” Because The Mortal Instruments is so last year? It’s all about Brown’s Red Rising now. (BuzzFeed)

“More men in their prime working years lack jobs, says WSJ.” There have been several reports on the disappearing middle class this week. This story gives the issue its urgency. (CNBC)

“Inside Jay Leno’s teary, guest-filled ‘Tonight Show’ Goodbye.” A reminder that late-night television is no longer what it used to be. (THR)

“Canada proposes citizenship changes.” Better rethink Canada’s immigration reputation. Immigration reform is apparently sweeping that country too. (BBC)

“Sochi 2014: Russian city prepares for Olympics opening ceremony.” And oh yeah, that business of the Winter Olympics. 163K followers and counting on @SochiProblems says it all. (BBC)

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Score for Barneys, Cathy Horyn Retires and Super Bowl XLVIII Ads

The week that was in…

Fashion

“Keith Pollock named Editor in Chief of Interview.” Pollock is a great editor and it will be interesting to see which direction he takes Interview in: Vanity Fair or Hollywood Reporter? (WWD)

“Girl Fight! Kanye West confronts Anna Wintour over putting Lena Dunham on ‘Vogue’ cover instead of fiancée Kim Kardashian.” The gist is Anna still wins. (Radar)

“Exclusive: Diesel’s Nicola Formichetti goes hell for leather.” Time will tell if Formichetti's plan to drop collections outside of the normal calendar will work. The move should spur debate again over the relevance of the fashion calendar. (Style.com)

“Times Fashion Critic Cathy Horyn to Retire.” The announcement comes amid ongoing hires at the Styles section. (NY Times)

Business

“Mulberry issues profit warning.” Not really a surprise. For all its tony ambassadors, the brand still needs to make its identity clear. Does anyone understand what the brand is? (Telegraph)

“J.Crew lowers prices.” You know retail is in a bad place when J.Crew has to lower its prices. Expect price slashing to ensue elsewhere. (Vogue UK)

Tech

“Facebook’s plan for artificial intelligence: transcribe your calls, decipher your photos.” It’s a big year for AI and Facebook’s the latest company to make a push for it. The future looks creepy, indeed. (HuffPo)

Culture 

“Brothers, sisters, sons & daughters: introducing the spring 2014 campaign.” The season’s most original campaign yet pitches transgendered men and women front and center. (The Window)

“OD eyed in Philip Seymour Hoffman death.” The actor, best known for his brilliant supporting roles and later Oscar-winning performance as Truman Capote, died on Sunday from a suspected drug overdose, igniting a media frenzy on the return of heroin to popular culture. (NY Post)

“Super Bowl 2014 commercials: watch them all here.” These were the ads that played to a record 111.5 million viewers as the Seattle Seahawks crushed the Broncos 43-8. (Mashable)

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Becks Hits Skype, Atrium Loses Nick Wooster and Indiegogo Fever

Fashion

“Victoria Beckham lifts the lid on her fashion label with Skype.” Mrs. Beckham continues to do just about everything right, from getting up close and personal with fans to expanding her brand stateside. (Telegraph) 

“Nick Wooster departs Atrium.” The breakup highlights just what an intransigent retail climate the fashion industry is facing. (WWD) 

“The Winner’s Interview.” Target's latest partner Peter Pilotto is this year’s BFC/Vogue Fashion Fund winner. (Vogue UK)

Business

“Obama taking up economic issues on his authority.” The President stressed opportunity, equality and action for the year ahead. (NY Times)

“Abercrombie & Fitch strips Mike Jeffries of chairman title.” Shares rose on the news today. (NY Post)

Tech

“Indiegogo raises $40 million to expand globally.” All of a sudden, Indiegogo is a crowdfunding magnet. (Mashable)

“Google Glass gets way more wearable, releases four new frames.” The search-turned hardware giant issues minor tweaks to its signature Glass. Fashionistas are mildly stoked. (Fashionista) 

Culture

“Pope Francis’ Rolling Stone cover cements his prominence in pop culture.” Trending right now: the new Pope. Believe it. (HuffPo)

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Kate Moss for McQueen, Why Ezra Klein's Move Matters and Pharrell's Hat

Business

“Amazon’s complicated deals with luxury brands.” The emergence of pay-to-play in online retail. (Bloomberg)

“Hudson’s Bay to debut Saks in Canada, sell Toronto flagship.” American retailers are flooding Canada through 2015. Meanwhile, is anyone really asking just how Canadians will respond to the Americanization of its retail landscape? (Reuters)

“Ezra Klein is joining Vox Media as web journalism asserts itself.” Don't miss David Carr's piece on the business of content. It's totally on point. (NYT)

Fashion

“Grammys 2014: Pharrell Williams’s hat gets lucky in the spotlight.” Timeline of that now-famous Vivienne Westwood hat. (Telegraph)

“The NYT hires Style.com’s deputy editor, just in time for Fashion Week.” The young critic Matthew Schneier will take over Eric Wilson’s former role at The Times. (Fashionista)

“Kate Moss’s haunting McQueen campaign.” Here’s looking at you, Kate. The British supermodel stars in a short film about obsession inspired by “Peeping Tom,” the 1960s classic. (Vogue UK)

Culture

“The 2014 Grammys: watch all the big performances from the show.” The better way to watch the Grammys. (Mashable)

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Stars and Stripes Overkill, Tisci Does Nike and Patagonia Names A Woman CEO

Fashion

“Editor’s Picks: 30 menswear must-haves from the Capsule trade show.” The latest edition of Capsule, the fashion industry’s go-to show of the moment for cutting-edge contemporary menswear, took place earlier this week. Here, GQ’s best picks from the show, which you should get behind. (GQ)

“Meet Up Mondays: Ernest Alexander.” My Q&A with Ernest Alexander. (The Manual)

“Team USA reveals ultra-patriotic Olympic outfits.” Ralph Lauren is making sure American athletes will be front and center at the opening ceremony in Sochi. (Mashable)

“Riccardo Tisci takes trainers knee-high for Nike.” Another reason why Nike is killing it right now. (Telegraph)

“The Cambridge Satchel Company to receive $21million investment.” CSC had already been looking better over the past year. It’s now well on its way to becoming a major global lifestyle brand. (Telegraph)

Tech

“How Imgur became a photo-sharing hit.” Imgur 101 for those who haven’t heard of the Internet's most influential content well. (Business Week)

“The YouTube whisperer to brands: you’re doing it wrong.” The line drawn between “good content” and “bad content.” (Digiday)

“82% of women think social media drives the definition of beauty.” Proof that if you’re in beauty, you need to be social, as well as why Michelle Phan, beauty blogger, is raking it in. (Mashable)

Business

“Outdoor gear titan Patagonia names Rose Marcario CEO as company bets on sustainable food.” Forget Lululemon, here’s what investors should be eyeing. (Forbes)

“It’s Black Friday again! Retail woes as deep as the discounts.” Reality check: consumers are just not buying, even with the deep freeze gripping the country these past few weeks. (CNBC)

“P&G says growing beard popularity is trimming grooming sales.” Fact: not all beauty trends are a good thing for big business. (Bloomberg)

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Oscar Noms, Outer Space is Trending and Kate Wins (Again)

  Business

“Yahoo CEO Mayer dismisses Operating Chief De Castro.” The word now is that Marissa Mayer in fact dismissed Yahoo’s COO, contrary to earlier reports that Henrique de Castro left on his own accord. Also reported: friction between the two execs. (Bloomberg)

“Can Daniel Dienst turn the Martha Stewart empire around?” Here’s a look at what really went wrong at MSLO over the last year. (Business Week) 

Tech

“Small-business guide: Facebook revamps ads to compete with Google.” What marketers should know about the new changes to Facebook Ads. (NY Times) 

“7 Net Neutrality questions you were too embarrassed to ask.” Bet you didn’t know ISPs could do that. (Digiday)

“Facebook will now tell you what’s most popular on Facebook." "Trending" ought to show now just how robust Facebook’s algorithms are (and probably freak you out as to how well it knows you). (Mashable)

Culture

“Oscar nominations 2014: ‘Gravity,’ ‘American Hustle,’ ’12 Years A Slave’ lead nominees.” Alas, foregone conclusions for many of the categories this year, with the exception of lead actor. My bet’s on Matthew McConaughey. (HuffPo)

Fashion

“L.L. Bean tops in online fulfillment: study.” L.L. Bean topped Net A Porter, Ralph Lauren and J.Crew when it came to online service satisfaction, including e-mail responses, according to a new survey. (WWD)

“Louis Vuitton’s Satellite View.” Finally, after two weeks of shows, a trend worth reporting about from the likes of Vuitton and Zegna (above) at the F/W 2014 men’s collections: space travel. (NY Times)

“Kate’s big date.” Give it up for Kate Moss today, who turned 40 today and in so doing owned virtually every fashion blog today. Pics of the megamodel this way. (Vogue UK)

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Vogue Goes Gritty, JC Penney’s Spiral and LinkedIn’s Smartest Move Yet

Business

“J.C. Penney to cut 2,000 jobs while closing 33 stores.” Another retailer announces massive layoffs amid a dismal retail climate. (Bloomberg)

“People is best in ad pages as print mags stabilize.” The numbers are in. People topped all consumer mags in 2013, as men’s titles grew significantly. Guess guys don’t just read blogs, after all. (NY Post)

Fashion 

“Lena Dunham: The New Queen of Comedy’s First Vogue Cover.” See the month’s most talked about profile and photo shoot here. (Vogue.com)

“Tom Ford sends Hayden Panettiere flowers post-Golden Globes dress drama.” Surely Tom Ford could have afforded to send one of television's biggest stars more than flowers. (Fashionista)

Culture

“LinkedIn adds search for volunteer opportunities.” LinkedIn is looking more social and volunteerism more popular than you think. (Mashable)

“Star-crossed screen lovers: Kristen Stewart and Nicholas Hoult.” Let the buzz begin for “Equals,” which could be significant breakout serious roles for both young actors. (Vogue UK)

Tech

“Infographic: the best Facebook advice of 2013.” How marketers can ace Facebook, courtesy of ShortStack. (Inside Facebook)

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Anna Wintour’s New Costume Center, the Newest CFDA Incubator Designers and Warby Parker on the Future of Retail

Business

“Seven Nobel economists endorse a $10.10 minimum wage.” Big-name economists are admitting that income inequality is a massive problem. (Business Week)

“Building the iTunes of porn.” Or rather another case study in paywall content. (CNBC)

Tech

“Warby Parker’s retail trends to watch.” Read and learn, folks. (Digiday)

 “Tumblr introduces @mentions for users.” The platform aims to become more social. (Mashable)

“Rocket Internet-backed fashion site Zalora to launch marketplace in Asia.” Flying under the radar until now, the site has nothing on Amazon. But Zalora's opportunity in South East Asia is about to make this company explode globally. (Tech Crunch)

Fashion

“Metropolitan Museum to designate renovated Costume Institute the Anna Wintour Costume Center.” The power broker she is. While co-chairing 15 benefits since 1995, the Vogue editor has been quietly instrumental in modernizing the museum. (Met Museum)

“CFDA announces next wave of the fashion incubator.” The new 2014-16 lineup includes an intriguing collective of designers, with Misha Nonoo, Lucio Castro and Nomia’s Yara Flinn amongst the most established of the lot. (CFDA)

“Here is Louis Vuitton’s new hyper-luxe line of handbags.” LVMH is redrawing the definition of luxury once again. (Fashionista)

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Golden Globe Red Carpet Wins, The Lure of Womenswear and America Goes Dark

Business

“December job growth is the slowest in three years.” Here's what the numbers really mean. (Business Week)

“Neiman Marcus: Hackers stole customers’ payment information.” Another retailer succumbs to hacking in the US, adding to an already troubled climate in which consumers are already spending less. (NY Post)

“What Zegna, Ferragamo CEOs expect for 2014.” Sobering clothes to match sobering times, say these two executives. (Bloomberg)

Fashion

“Public School to debut womenswear at New York Fashion Week (but only if it’s perfect).” Tease of an article, considering anyone showing at fashion week, less than a month away, would have sent away for samples months ago. The better question is why are more menswear brands than ever (cue Duckie Brown) getting into a segment that is more costly and more competitive? (Fashionista)

“Retailers see tailored boom in 2014.” Clean, contemporary tailored clothing is menswear’s biggest trend for Fall 2014, if vendors at this January's Pitti Uomo have anything to do with the trends. (WWD) 

“Blue is the warmest color.” Colorblocking, clean lines and a certain Armani Prive backless, lace dress worn by Cate Blanchett stole the show last night at the 71st Annual Golden Globes. (Style.com) 

Culture

“What’s black and white and all over the Internet? #Lawrencing.” Jennifer Lawrence’s dress by Christian Dior was a miss, unless you’re of the belief that there’s no such thing as bad press. (Mashable)

“TV Ratings: ‘True Detective’ is HBO’s best launch since 2010, ‘Girls’ hits series high.” Dark material proved to be a draw last night for those who avoided The Granthams or The Globes.  (THR)

Tech

“Groupon moves into flash fashion, buys Ideeli for $43M in cash.” Access to aspirational brands may be the one reason for this risky investment. (TechCrunch)

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Retail’s Reality Check, Miley Again and “Girls” Gone Couture

Fashion

“Juergen Teller didn’t want to photograph Miley Cyrus for those Marc Jacobs ads.” Dare to disagree that there is really no one right now who channels Marc Jacobs’s Victorian tomboy spring collection better than Miley Cyrus. She cleans up and looks fantastic in this week's breaking Marc Jacobs ad. (Fashionista)

“Fabulous and Forty: Diane von Furstenberg’s Wrap Journey.” An excellent retrospective in LA is underway for the queen of wrap dresses, who, according to this article, is mulling an IPO, gearing up for a book launch and, oh, cementing her reputation as the Oprah of fashion. (WWD)

“Can Duckie Brown pull off womenswear?” It’s really happening, folks. (Fashionista)

“Girls’ Lena Dunham to appear on Vogue’s February cover—get the details!” Millennials get a big endorsement by Anna Wintour. (EOnline)

“Meet Harvey Nichols’s new CEO.” A Burberry alum turns up at the top rung of Harvey Nichols. (Vogue UK)

“London Collections: Men—As It Happened.” The only blog you should be reading for the British menswear collections is live again. (GQ UK)

Business

"Macy's laying off 2,500 employees." All is not well, and has not been well for a long time, in the retail sector. The store openings and closings are not significant factors here, because retailers are constantly opening and shutting stores based on performance. Macy's, however, did undergo an expensive makeover of its Herald Square store, a costly suit with Martha Stewart and continues to pump out fast fashion. (BuzzFeed)

Culture

“Confide, a Snapchat for the office.” Voyeurs and leaks are to become part of the new normal for the workplace. (Business Week) 

“Anthony Bourdain to open NYC food market.” Foodie culture is going mainstream. (Page Six) 

Tech

“5 Key SEO Questions for B2B Companies.” Because it's a New Year and you can never over-optimize your site. (Mashable)

Finally, The New York Times has a new (old) look, having appropriated its print fonts and shrunk its font size so that the paper is overall more digestible at a glance (since how many of you actually read more than headlines?).

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The Christmas Edition

Fashion

“World of interiors: Dover Street Market New York’s designers of the space they designed for the New York megastore.” Cream yourself over New York’s hottest retailer right now. (Style.com)

“Nasty Gal makes two key hires.” Amazon and Net-A-Porter still have nothing on this surprisingly savvy retailer. (WWD)

“Versace hires Anthony Vaccarello.” The collaboration that should have happened years ago. (Vogue UK)

“John Koblin named Styles reporter at The New York Times.” Twitter feeds blew up after the news was announced, so apparently a lot of people were excited about Eric Wilson’s replacement. Or does that mean people thought the paper was sorely lacking the kind of gravitas Koblin is known for? (WWD)

“Exclusive: Kanye West’s creative consigliere Virgil Abloh launches his own fashion label, Off-White.” Good, instructive piece in Style.com on the emerging cult of advanced streetwear. (Style.com)

“Has Nike’s very special sneaker strategy gone too far?” So according to this story, Nike only just lost its soul. (Business Week)

Business

“Target says data for 40M shoppers was stolen.” Simply put, the breach was massive. (NYT)

“Egdar M. Bronfman, billionaire who expanded Seagram, dies at 84.” A business titan passes. (Bloomberg) 

“Loro Piana Vice President dies.” And then there was one. (Vogue UK)

“The 7 media predictions others won’t dare write.” Not so much predictions as fact. (Digiday)

Tech

“News Corp. acquires Storyful for $25 million.” A glimpse of how the news, as we know it, will be transforming for 2014. (NY Post)

“How in-store analytics are changing the way you shop.” Insightful clues to the opportunities that lie ahead for retailers. (Fashionista)

“What’s in, what’s out for digital retail in 2014.” Mixed retail experiences and social selling are on the rise. (Digiday)

“65% of world’s top brands are active on Instagram.” You can’t fight fate, as they say. (Mashable)

“Top Pins of 2013.” What’s trending in Pinterest over the past year. (Pinterest)

Culture

“Box Office: ‘Hobbit 2’ beats ‘Anchorman 2’ with $31.5 million, crosses $400 million globally.” Bilbo continues to enthrall pop culture for more than a decade! (“The Two Towers” came out in 2002.) (THR)

“See the first teaser for Johnny Depp’s ‘Transcendence.’” From search to Joaquin Phoenix’s “Her” and now this, it’s pretty clear that artificial intelligence, or AI, is going to be a major theme for 2014. (Mashable)

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Raeburn Does Barbour, Instagram News and Another Win for Beyonce

Business

“The unstoppable postal-service retreat starts in Canada.” Say what you want. Community mailboxes and a sweeping shift in consumer behavior are an intriguing thought. (Business Week)

Fashion

“Christopher Raeburn for Barbour.” Is Barbour becoming too trendy for its own good? (Vogue UK)

“A new hook for Crosby Street shoppers.” Miansai, responsible for bringing rope bracelets and arm candy chic to guys, comes of age with its first official flagship. (Style.com)

“Gianfranco Ferre creative directors to depart.” Stefano Citron and Federico who? Some of Europe’s most august houses are pushing out designers as fast as a Macy’s collab. Where’s the strategy, folks? (Fashionista)

Tech 

“What’s in, what’s out for mobile in 2014.” Glassware and in-store device tracking are early predictions. (Digiday)

“Instagram vs. Snapchat: How the photo-sharing apps stack up.” Instagram Direct? Snapchat is still cooler. (Mashable)

“Twitter tries to get your attention.” Twitter is sending out more push notifications to make it easier for users to jump in on conversations they may have missed before. Brilliant. (AllThingsD)

Culture

“Middle class buying luxury again—but at a bargain.” Though you might argue that aspirational shopping never went away, this article suggests a seismic shift of sorts for the middle class which until recently had abandoned specialty and upscale retailers for the Targets of the world. (CNBC)

“Here are the top trending YouTube videos of 2013.” Foxy is in. (HuffPo) 

“‘12 Years,’ ‘Breaking Bad’ dominate SAG Award Nominations.” Awards season is underway. (THR)

“Jane Birkin’s daughter Kate Barry found dead.” Sadly only now would Barry be more famous to the mainstream. (Vogue UK)

“Amazing Pantene ad defiantly tackles how women in the workplace are labeled.” See the video that news anchors were obsessed with all week. (Ad Week) 

“Surprise! Beyonce releases new album on iTunes.” Or hedges against the kind of epic fail that happened to the likes of Lady Gaga. That said, today’s release of 17 videos also should mean you’ll be spending most of today at your desk watching videos on repeat. It would be Friday, after all. Happy Weekend! (THR) 

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Scott Sternberg Sounds Off, Google's New Ads and Talking About a Revolution

Business

“Wealthy go frugal this holiday amid uneven US recovery.” Consumer sentiment is way, way down. (Bloomberg)

“Abercrombie renews controversial CEO’s contract.” Infamous chief Mike Jeffries is staying. (NY Post)

“Lululemon founder departs after criticizing customers’ figures.” The news just keeps getting worse for the company. (CNBC)

Fashion

“The Dog and Pony Show.” Scott Sternberg has a beef with the fashion industry. Do you care? (Vogue UK)

“Mango launches plus-size line Violeta by Mango.” Lane Bryant has an unlikely new competitor. (Telegraph)

Culture

“'Giant of history' Mandela honored.” The world pauses to remember the late South African President. (BBC)

“This season, the Revolutionary War will be televised.” Revolutionary sentiment is riding high and not just in the Ukraine or Singapore. (Bloomberg)

“Which people, events, and places topped Facebook’s year in review for 2013.” The new Pope beats out Miley and baby George. (AllFacebook)

“Grammy nominations: 10 big shockers and snubs.” So far, everyone's only been talking about the snubs. (THR)

Tech

“Google makes its own social ads, with a twist.” Google's latest strategy takes aims at native advertising and other social platforms. (AllThingsD)

“Pinterest is gaining ground on Facebook and Twitter for news.” Pinterest is turning a corner that everyone should be paying attention to. (Mashable)

“The 7 best uses for Tumblr.” A primer for those just getting to know the platform. (Mashable)

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Peter Pilotto Does Target, Wonder Woman is Cast and, Oh Yeah, Apple Bought Topsy

Fashion

“Peter Pilotto hits the mainstream with a new line for Target.” Peter Pilotto is a British force of fashion, but the mass retailer is gambling large with the brand, still seen as an independent, virtually unknown in the US and not nearly as established as Christopher Kane or J.W. Anderson. (Elle.com)

“Thomas Erber brings his Cabinet de Curiosites to Soho.” What Art Basel? Here’s who you need to know in the world of art and design. (Style.com)

Culture

“Meet the New Wonder Woman.” Producers’ long search appears to have paid off. (Vogue UK)

“Surprise! You’re watching more TV than ever.” No surprise to marketers, but to the average consumer you probably didn’t know you were this ADD. (AllThingsD)

“Obama decries US income gap that has widened under his watch.” How to push a lot of people’s pain points? Try talking about income equality. (Bloomberg)

Tech

“8 brands rocking Snapchat.” See if Snapchat is right for you. (Mashable)

“The great potential of Topsy, Apple’s newest purchase.” It’s all about search functionality. (Mashable) 

“The 2014 brand playbook for social.” I’d say this list is pretty spot on. (Digiday)

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Smaug, the Real Thanksgiving Hangover and Drone Mania

Business

“Long on cutting edge of print, New York Magazine cuts back.” The weekly will go to a bi-weekly, as The Cut goes into print. (NYT)

“Amazon plans to deploy delivery drones.” Jeff Bezos unveils the future of retail with a slightly terrifying twist. (BuzzFeed)

“Black box data recorder recovered, eyed after deadly Metro-North derailments in New York.” New York City commuters are freaking out after fatalities resulting from Sunday’s crash. (NBC News)

“Black Friday weekend spending drop pressures US stores.” No surprise here as discounts ate into margins. (Bloomberg) 

“New Zealand airline reveals image of Hobbit dragon.” Terrifying but original marketing that gets your attention. (AP)

Fashion

“Design label tests new strategy with SoHo pop-up shop.” Reportedly profitable, this “chic” maternity line wades into brick-and-mortar territory. However, what to make of a growing number of expectant women who choose contemporary clothing over maternity wear? (NY Post)

“Zappos taps Andre Leon Talley.” The former Vogue editor at large has been named artistic director of Zappos Couture in an effort to raise that company’s fashion profile. (WWD)

Culture

“'Fast and Furious' star Paul Walker killed in crash in Los Angeles.” The actor, known for his surfer good looks and nice-guy personality, looked to be on a career uptick at the time of his death. (ABC News)

“Box office: ‘Catching Fire,’ ‘Frozen’ serve up record Thanksgiving feast.” The former became the top Thanksgiving title of all time, while “Frozen”beat out Toy Story 2 for a new record. (THR)

“The Chronicler of the Kingdom of New York: Peter Kaplan 1954-2013.” The influential editor helped shape the voice of modern journalism. (New York Observer)