Arielle Noa Charnas[1] (née Nachmani;[2] born June 13, 1987)[3] is an American fashion blogger and influencer known for her blog Something Navy, launched in 2009. She designed a line of apparel in partnership with Nordstrom,[4] and following its success, she started a clothing brand called Something Navy in 2020.[5] She gained attention for series of controversies during the COVID-19 pandemic[6] and for the subsequent backlash from Nordstrom.[1][7]
Arielle Charnas | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 13, 1987 |
| Occupations |
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| Website | somethingnavy |
Early life
editCharnas was raised in Old Westbury, New York, on Long Island to a Jewish family.[1] She graduated from Syracuse University in 2009.[8]
Career
editInfluencer and blogger
editIn 2009, Charnas began posting photos of her outfits and showcasing her personal style online on a blog named Something Navy.[9][10] Initially, the posts were to impress an ex-boyfriend.[5] She describes her personal style as "elevated basic".[11][12]
Before her blog gained in popularity, Charnas worked at a Theory store in the Meatpacking District.[12] She later signed a four-year endorsement deal with TRESemmé and appeared in television ads for the shampoo brand that began airing in January 2016.[10][12] By September 2017, she had over one million followers on Instagram.[1]
Nordstrom partnership
editCharnas later launched her first collection of apparel with Nordstrom in fall 2017.[13] Her first fashion line named Something Navy X Treasure & Bond was launched on September 25, 2017, in 52 Nordstrom stores across the United States and Canada. The collection included 30 ready-to-wear outfits, including shoes and accessories.[14] Sales online exceeded over a million dollars in the first 24 hours.[15]
In February 2018, Charnas signed a long-term contract with Nordstrom to license Something Navy and her likeness, as well as establish a stand-alone brand.[11][16] In March 2018, a single Instagram story promoting Bandier, an activewear retailer in which Charnas owns a small stake,[9] generated more than $207,000 in sales in just four hours.[10] In September 2018, Something Navy released Charnas' second collection of apparel with Nordstrom, and the first under the standalone brand. On the launch date, high traffic temporarily shut down the Nordstrom website an hour after the collection's release, but sales for the day reached $4 to $5 million.[10][17] In August 2019, it was announced that Charnas raised $10 million in funding from investors, valuing the Something Navy brand at nearly $45 million.[18][19]
On April 2, 2020, Nordstrom further disassociated themselves with her brand due to her actions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. They stated: "Our partnership with Arielle Charnas ended in 2019, and we have no foreseeable collaborations".[6]
Something Navy clothing brand
editIn July 2020, Charnas launched Something Navy without Nordstrom. She hired Matthew Scanlan as CEO, and his company Nadaam Inc. owns 20%. Charnas served as chief creative officer.[20] The company opened stores in Dallas, New York and Los Angeles.[5][20] Something Navy received a $10 million of funding from Silas Chou's Vanterra Capital fund, which valued the Something Navy business at about $45 million.[21] According to Scanlan, Something Navy had $12 million in sales during its first six months.[20] In 2021, Forbes projected Something Navy to grow by a factor of 300.[22] Scanlan says that Something Navy did $24 million in sales in 2022.[20]
In late 2022, the celebrity gossip Instagram account DeuxMoi posted unvetted allegations about Arielle and Something Navy, sparking extensive online gossip on Reddit and other social media.[5] In December 8, 2022, Business Insider published an article that made several claims about the company's apparent struggles. The article claimed that Something Navy owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to vendors, suppliers, and freelancers and that it had lost almost half of its employees within the last year. According to a spokesperson from Something Navy, the payments were completed by the time of the article's fact-check. Business Insider reported that CEO Matthew Scanlan had shielded Charnas from the day-to-day operations.[5] The article was behind a paywall and prompted "thousands" of signups to Business Insider, according to Vanity Fair.[5]
Charnas posted on social media that Something Navy planned to open at least ten more locations, but the plans were never fulfilled. In 2023, the company closed its stores and stopped posting on social media. Wall Street Journal reported in December 2023 that Something Navy was being sold in a "fire sale."[20] According to the brand's term sheet, it is offloading "$7.5 million in liabilities and $483,000 worth of outstanding bills." The consideration of the purchase was listed at $1.[20] Some reports said that IHL Group, which has a portfolio of brands including Aéropostale, was interested in purchasing Something Navy.[23]
Personal life
editCharnas married Brandon Charnas, a lawyer and real estate advisor with degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, on October 18, 2014, in Fisher Island, Florida.[24][14][25] The couple has three daughters, who she frequently features on social media.[13][26][27] She lives on the Upper East Side of New York City and frequently travels to The Hamptons and South Florida.[5]
In March 2020, Charnas announced she had tested positive for COVID-19. She received criticism for using personal connections to receive a COVID-19 test at a time when tests were limited and her symptoms were not severe enough to warrant one.[6] She also received backlash for leaving New York City eight days after her diagnosis to go to the Hamptons despite stay-at-home orders in place.[6][28][29]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Shapiro, Bee (September 5, 2017). "How to Prep for the Front Row, and Beyond". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
Arielle Noa Charnas, 30 [as of September 5, 2017]...
- ^ "Arielle Charnas' company, Something Navy, is floundering amid dwindling sales, an employee exodus, and furious suppliers". Business Insider.
- ^ "Arielle Charnas Instagram Birthday Post". Instagram. June 13, 2014. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021.
- ^ "Arielle Charnas Bows Something Navy Brand With Nordstrom". WWD. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g "How Arielle Charnas and Something Navy Became a Social Media Punching Bag (Again)". Vanity Fair. January 12, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Griffith, Janelle (April 3, 2020). "Influencer Arielle Charnas faces renewed backlash for retreating to Hamptons after COVID-19 diagnosis". NBC News. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ Crain, Abbey (January 10, 2018). "What Happens When You Reach a Million Instagram Followers". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ Lieber, Chavie; O’Brien, Sara Ashley (January 23, 2024). "Investors Poured Millions Into Her Fashion Brand. Then It All Fell Apart". WSJ. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Strugatz, Rachel (November 1, 2018). "Influencers Are Investors Now, Too". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Strugatz, Rachel (October 11, 2018). "Is Arielle Charnas the Future of Fashion?". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Strugatz, Rachel (February 26, 2018). "Arielle Charnas Bows SomethingNavy Brand With Nordstrom". WWD. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ a b c McCall, Tyler (September 24, 2018). "How Arielle Charnas Turned Her Blog, 'Something Navy,' Into a Lifestyle Brand". Fashionista. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Azoulay, Bonnie (June 20, 2018). "Arielle Charnas of 'Something Navy' Shares The Gory Details of Childbirth". The Forward. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Strugatz, Rachel (August 28, 2017). "Influence peddler: Arielle Charnas teams with Nordstrom for collection". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ Strugatz, Rachel (September 29, 2017). "'Superinfluencer' Something Navy Soars at Nordstrom". WWD. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ "Something Navy's Arielle Charnas: "Influencers are the best way to keep retail alive"". CBS News. March 25, 2019. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
- ^ Lockwood, Lisa (September 25, 2018). "Something Navy Crashes Site, Beats Expectations at Nordstrom". WWD. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ "The Billionaire Who Backed Michael Kors Is Investing in Influencer Arielle Charnas". The Business of Fashion. August 15, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ "Influencer tests positive for COVID-19, then posts a picture outside". Dazed. March 30, 2020. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f O’Brien, Chavie Lieber and Sara Ashley. "Her Brand Had $100 Million Ambitions. Now It's Being Sold in a Fire Sale". WSJ. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Lauren (July 13, 2020). "Fashion influencer Arielle Charnas relaunches Something Navy line following run at Nordstrom". CNBC. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Hines, Morgan. "How Influencer Arielle Charnas Overcame Professional And Personal Challenges While Launching Her Brand During Covid-19". Forbes. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ Frischer, Brooke (December 19, 2023). "Something Navy Is Reportedly Being Sold for $1". Fashionista. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Media, earned. "About Us". Current Real Estate Advisors. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ Mackey, Jaimie (December 3, 2014). "*Something Navy*'s Arielle Nachmani's Chic Miami Wedding Photos". Brides. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ Curotto, Merin (December 12, 2018). "Something Navy's Arielle Charnas Is More Successful Than Ever—But at What Price?". Observer. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
- ^ "Something Navy Blogger Arielle Charnas Welcomes Third Baby Girl with Husband Brandon". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ Lorenz, Taylor (April 2, 2020). "Flight of the Influencers". The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "How Influencer Arielle Charnas Became The Face Of "Privilege In The Age Of The Coronavirus"". BuzzFeed News. April 2, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2021.