In 2009, Arielle Charnas launched her personal style blog, Something Navy, which later grew into a full-fledged fashion empire through a partnership with Nordstrom and an independent launch. Although the brand was originally profitable, it had difficulties and eventually sold for $1 after making $50 million. It developed into a media and lifestyle brand over time, gaining more than a million Instagram followers. The company sold sleepwear, home and bath collections, clothing for women and children, and even set up five physical shopfronts. At a later point, Something Navy started to decline its sales and which eventually led to the closure of the business. Read the entire article and know the complete details about The Rise of Something Navy: From Personal Blog to Fashion Empire.
The Rise of Something Navy
Arielle Charnas founded Something Navy in 2009 as a personal blog, which has since expanded to become a well-known media and lifestyle brand. The company ventured into the fashion industry and introduced collections and partnerships that were successful, including a noteworthy cooperation with Nordstrom that produced $4 million in sales on its first day. Something Navy encountered difficulties like poor quality control, financial difficulties, and leadership changes in spite of its quick expansion and popularity. These finally resulted in shop closures and a declining online presence. With Arielle Charnas turning her attention to personal and artistic endeavours, the brand’s future is still unclear following a possible sale.
Something Navy: The Early Days
- In 2009, Arielle Charnas launched Something Navy as a personal blog to share her fashion finds, lifestyle tips, and personal experiences. Because of Arielle’s accessible material, sense of style, and captivating storytelling, the site quickly became well-known.
- In 2017, Something Navy X and Nordstrom worked together on the Something Navy X Treasure & Bond line as a result of the blog’s increasing popularity. With over a million dollars in online sales in the first day, this debut collection with Nordstrom was a huge success.
- Something Navy became a stand-alone brand in 2020, with Arielle Charnas as chief creative officer and Matthew Scanlan as CEO.
What are the Key Milestones of Something Navy?
These milestones show Something Navy’s journey from a personal blog to a fashion empire, which has seen remarkable growth, expansion, and innovation in the industry.
1. Blog Growth: Something Navy gained a sizable and devoted following as it developed into a well-known lifestyle and fashion blog.
2. Partnership with Nordstrom (2017): On the day of its debut, the brand’s apparel line with Nordstrom sold almost $4 million worth of merchandise, making it a great success.
3. Growth into Clothing and Home Goods: Something Navy introduced its clothing, sleepwear and home goods lines, broadening its product line beyond blogging.
4. Brick & Mortar locations: To further solidify its position in the fashion sector, the business built five physical locations.
5. Leadership and Funding: Something Navy raised $17.5 million in funding and appointed Matthew Scanlan as CEO in 2020 to help expand the business.
6. Quick Revenue Growth: With $12 million in sales in the first half of the year, the brand brought in $32 million in its first year, demonstrating its quick rise to prominence.
Challenges and Controversies Surrounding Something Navy
As Something Navy expanded and changed in the competitive fashion business, the issues and disputes brought to light the complexities and challenges the company faced.
Challenges:
1. Quality Control Issues: The Navy came under fire for having poor quality control, which led to dissatisfied clients and negative evaluations.
2. Financial Difficulties: Internal conflict, late supplier payments, and cash flow problems all affected the brand’s overall stability.
3. Leadership Changes: In June 2023, CEO Matthew Scanlan left the company, casting doubt on the brand’s future.
4. Over-Expansion: The brand’s rapid expansion and growing operating costs may have contributed to its financial troubles.
Controversies:
1. Criticism of business procedures: The Navy’s business practices were criticised, particularly the way it handled suppliers and employees.
2. Insensitivity Accusations: The business faced backlash for its alleged insensitivity and tone deafness in its advertising and communication campaigns.
3. Potential Sale and Uncertainty: The brand’s potential sale and eventual closure of its stores and operations worried and perplexed staff, customers, and partners.
What is the Current Status of Something Navy?
Arielle Charnas founded the fashion brand Something Navy, which seems to have shut down its physical locations and drastically scaled back its online presence. Although the company had become well-known for its apparel lines and partnerships, it still had to deal with problems like poor quality control, financial difficulties, and changes in leadership.
- Store Closures: The brand’s physical stores have closed, and production has been halted.
- Sale Talks: According to some reports, Something Navy is being sold to IHL Group for $1, with the buyer assuming $7.5 million in liabilities. Arielle Charnas would retain a 14.5% stake in addition to serving as a brand ambassador.
- Future Uncertainty: Despite the fact that the sale is still pending, the brand’s future remains uncertain. IHL Group previously withdrew from a deal in January 2024 due to problems with business practices.
- Present Situation: The brand’s website is currently unavailable due to a notice stating that it is undergoing a refresh.
FAQs On Rise of Something Navy
On the first day of their collaboration, Nordstrom and Something Navy generated $4 million in sales.
The Navy experienced leadership changes, financial difficulties, and problems with quality control.
Something Navy’s future is uncertain as its physical stores have closed and its online presence has diminished.