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A single story has dominated every social media & news platform for the past two weeks: the Allbirds AI pivot. As Forbes wrote, “The company surged roughly 600% in a single session, from $2.49 to an intraday high of $24.30, after announcing it would sell its entire footwear business to American Exchange Group for $39 million, rebrand as NewBird AI, and pivot to leasing GPUs. The next day, the stock gave back 30 to 35%. No customers. No named partners. No hardware yet. Just a press release and a new name.”
Despite reading what feels like an entire dissertation on the unexpected move, I still don’t feel like I have a solid grasp on what the hell happened. From global supply chain issues to sustainability virtue-signalling to AI stock inflation, there are a million angles in on the subject. To help us all get our heads around the pivot, I’ve compiled a few of my favorite pieces, sourced from the New York Times, Substack, and everywhere in between.
- First up, a general primer from the New York Times on Allbirds’ sudden shift from sustainable sneaker brand to AI infrastructure investor.
- Next, Fast Company’s coverage included an interesting focus on how embracing AI isn’t just a fundamental change in Allbirds’ core business, but is a complete 180˚ turn on the sustainable values that built the brand in the first place.
- Over on Substack, Emily Sundberg’s quick, hot take made me laugh, especially since she seems completely disinterested in a story that feels designed for her readers.
- & Quality Stocks offered some useful context & healthy skepticism from a self-described “AI optimist,” comparing the Allbirds AI of it all to previous tech-related business fads like NFTs and the dot-com bubble.
Is this all a meaningless cash grab designed to turn a faltering footwear brand into the memestock-du-jour? A meaningful move worthy of analysis? A poorly-messaged pivot in need of some crisis PR? It’ll be interesting to see if this headline-grabbing story has any influence beyond this week’s news cycle.
While we try and wrap our heads around it all, here are this week’s best product launches:
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First Up: Screen Sirens
Bridalwear designer Alexandra Grecco swept us away with Dream, Baby, Dream, her stunning new collection launched during New York Bridal Fashion Week. It’s rare that we cover bridalwear, but her old-Hollywood inspired designs were too good not to mention. Blending sleek early 20th c. silhouettes with a contemporary approach to scale and sheerness, Grecco’s collection was a refreshing reminder of what it means to put timelessness before trendiness.
Trending: 4/20-Friendly Treats
Seth Rogen’s cannabis lifestyle brand Houseplant launched its new Italian Collection, a celebration of la dolce vita through design and cannabis culture. The thoughtfully selected range of Italian-made and Italian-inspired pieces includes hand-painted ceramics from Deruta, Murano glass ashtrays, espresso cups, and leather catchalls. They also announced a limited-edition Italian marinara in partnership with Carbone Fine Food with a playful “dime bag” of oregano (exclusive to Erewhon + Pop Up Grocer), and a Blood Orange THC beverage, inspired by Sicilian citrus. The ceramics are particularly impressive!
Salt & Straw ice cream launched the Waste Less Series as their monthly flavor series for April – perfect for both Earth Day and those partaking in 4/20-friendly festivities. The set of flavors spotlights often overlooked ingredients to highlight the importance of upcycling ingredients to minimize food waste. Food waste continues to be an urgent issue that plagues the restaurant & food/beverage industry at large. For their part, over the past three years, Salt & Straw’s annual sustainability efforts have rescued over 50,000 pounds of food waste from the landfill.
Trending: Wildly Sustainable Scents
Abel Fragrance launched their new, fascinating fragrance Miami Split. The edgy white oud is made with 100% natural fragrance and features three kinds of labdanum contrasted with a punchy, avant-garde green banana top note. I’ve never smelled anything like it, and have been alternating it with my beloved Abel Fragrance Cyan Nori all week.
Ojai Wild unveiled its first-ever Eau de Parfum, The Clearing Magician. Ojai Wild grows, distills, and handcrafts every ingredient of its body care, skincare, and fragrance collection on its 10-acre farm in Ojai, California. Bright and clarifying, the farm-to-formula scent moves from crisp herbal notes into a smoky, slightly sweet, resinous depth- evoking the smell of damp, grassy soil after rain.
Before You Go…
- In further fragrance news, INITIO launched SUPERCHARGED, a collection of two new fragrances developed in partnership between INITIO and the fragrance innovators at dsm-firmenich. Findings from their pioneering neuro-olfactive research protocol were used to develop “The Joydrop Complex,” a proprietary molecular system designed to stimulate key neurological pathways and intensify joy.
- Jones Road introduced The Blushing Stick, a buttery, buildable lip and cheek tint. Tied to the launch, they also announced their new “Chief Blush Officer,” model and influencer Emily Didonato.
- Our Place released its new non-toxic Rice Cooker, developed in collaboration with chef and New York Times bestselling author Kenji López-Alt. The new 6-in-1 Rice Cooker’s non-stick coating is made without PTFE, PFOA, lead, or cadmium and is available in 4 signature colors plus a limited edition pistachio shade.
- Active intimates and loungewear brand LDMA entered a new category with their Bodywear collection. The debut drop introduces three elevated essentials designed to be worn as versatile, sculpting foundation pieces: a bra tank, bodysuit, and romper.
Happy shopping. Email me directly – hannah@thequalityedit.com – with any launches you’d like to see in the spotlight, or DM us over @thequalityedit.
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