The Drop 🐼
curated insights: fashion, tech, beauty, wellness and biz
🪷beauty🪷
Fragrance in the Middle East is more than a product.
It’s a way of life.
Perfumes here aren’t just about smelling good. They are about tradition, identity, and storytelling.
This market is rooted in cultural significance, and it’s achieving a critical mass that is starting to influence the future of luxury globally. And the numbers prove it.
A booming market:
The Middle East is setting trends, not following them.
Why Niche Brands Are Winning:
Middle Eastern consumers want more than mass-market appeal.
They want meaning.
They want exclusivity.
They want craftsmanship.
Niche brands are thriving here.
How?
They respect the art of scent while pushing boundaries. It’s a delicate balance between tradition and innovation.
Take fragrances based on oudh, for example. Once a regional treasure, now it’s a global icon.
Add saffron, amber, and rose, and you’ve got the DNA of a Middle Eastern fragrance.
These aren’t just perfumes. They’re cultural artifacts in a bottle.
The Gen Z Effect:
Gen Z in the Middle East is rewriting the rules.
For them, fragrance isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
They demand:
Sustainability
Authenticity
Personalization
They’re also using TikTok to share their scent stories and create new ways to visualize scents online.
Love this.
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Gen Z is shaping the narrative. and the Beauty Industry is Watching
Globally, fragrance is the fastest-growing segment in beauty, up 14% in 2023.
Oudh and amber, once regional, are now staples in bestsellers from brands like Tom Ford and Byredo.
The Middle East is leading this growth and setting the future of fragrance.
🤑venture capital🤑
The venture capital industry is shifting. Fast.
A new VC model is emerging.
Born out of necessity in an unforgiving fundraising climate, this model is a masterstroke of differentiation for emerging managers. It unlocks new revenue streams while redefining how to add value to your portfolio.
It feels like déjà vu. Remember when Sequoia Capital and a16z broke the mold?
Their dominance wasn’t an accident; it was built on their ability to exploit their unique strengths and turn them into strategic advantages.
Don Valentine, the founder of Sequoia, didn’t just fund startups; he built relationships as a journalist. He mapped Silicon Valley’s ecosystem, connecting with founders and spotting opportunities no one else saw.
a16z flipped the playbook, turning venture capital into a media powerhouse. Podcasts, books, newsletters, you name it. They didn’t just invest in startups; they built a narrative machine that amplified their brand and portfolio.
Now, a new wave of VCs is blending these strategies into something fresh. And Mario Gabriele from The Generalist captures it perfectly:
Mullet Capitalists are a new wave of firms with a traditional “boring” business in the front and a venture bonanza in the back. They represent an intriguing rebundling of the VC product at a time when the broader asset class reckons with a potential “extinction event” that may cull more than 50% of managers.
So, who are those who are daring to dream and build differently?
Anyone in VC, especially at the early stages, knows the golden rule: your success depends on access. Without access to the best startups, you’re out of the game.
But access isn’t handed out. It’s earned. And to be in the running for those outlier founders, you have to be one thing: top of mind.
That’s why this new wave of VCs doesn’t just choose exposure—they live and breathe it.
They’ve made media, content, and storytelling their secret weapons. And honestly, it’s no surprise.
If you’re not visible, you’re invisible. And if you’re invisible, you aren’t making outsized returns.
💌 startup hacks💌
The venture capital climate has changed.
With tightening markets and a growing focus on profitability, VCs are looking for massive returns ($500M+ exits) to justify their investments.
But here's the truth: most businesses aren’t built for that trajectory and shouldn’t have to be.
Devise your strategy depending on your goals. And then build.
If you, Founder, have decided that VC is your path, check out Carta’s latest U.S. Fundraising Benchmark.
Did you know the median post-money valuation for a Seed round is $18.7M, with founders typically raising $3.8M while giving up 20% dilution?
You need to know these numbers to navigate your next raise confidently.
🪅cool shi*t happening🪅
Miu Miu x Snapchat: A Partnership That’s Shaping the Future of Luxury Marketing
When you think of luxury, you think exclusivity.
When you think of Snapchat, you think accessibility.
But Miu Miu just flipped the script.
They’ve teamed up with Snapchat to create a marketing masterclass:
✨ Demographic Alignment
Snapchat reaches 90% of 13-24-year-olds and 75% of 13-34-year-olds in 25 countries.
Miu Miu’s core audience? Fashion-forward 18-35-year-olds.
Perfect match, right?
But here’s where it gets smarter:
🌟 Digital Engagement Strategy
Snapchat isn’t just a platform; it’s an experience.
Miu Miu is using personalized avatar styling to make luxury interactive and fun.
For Gen Z, this is luxury they can’t wear (yet) but can play with today.
The result?
Brand love at first sight.
💸 Financial Strategy
Snapchatters hold $4.4 trillion in global spending power.
And they’re 34% more likely to purchase products they see on the app.
Even if today’s audience can’t afford a Miu Miu bag, this partnership plants the seed for tomorrow’s loyal customer.
🌍 Future Market Development
With 200 M Snapchat users in India, the partnership also speaks to emerging markets where luxury is on the rise.
It’s an investment in the future of luxury.
🍫 inspo🍫
For many, this week was Thanksgiving.
For others, it was just another week.
But for me, it’s been a moment to pause, reflect, and feel grateful for every single breath.
Sometimes, it’s the quiet acknowledgment of life itself that fills the heart the most. 🌿
