Meet Jamagansett, an MBA-founded jam business.
+ a correction to yesterday's newsletter, new summer internships, and more.
Good morning everyone. Last night I had the pleasure of eating the pancake souffle at Pitt’s with
. I’ll leave the restaurant review to him. I did like their carrot-print wallpaper.Today’s letter includes: a Hamptons-based preserves company from a former McKinsey employee, summer internships at KHAITE and a Hudson Valley farm, and post-fashion week WWD layoffs.
Yesterday, Feed Me published an anonymous tip about Moda Operandi’s home line — that Alibaba has what looks like dupes of some of their Venetian glass products. The tip was published along with two theories: that suppliers on Alibaba were ripping off Moda, or that Moda was sourcing from Alibaba. I didn’t talk to the Moda Operandi team before I published the letter, but they contacted me yesterday afternoon after reading the speculations. It was an oversight in reporting, considering Feed Me could’ve gotten a quote from the team while looking into this story.
After speaking with Moda Operandi's team, I can confirm that the Alibaba listing features an image used without permission, and does not correspond to the product that is currently being sold on Moda. Moda Operandi's Moda Domus glass products in question are, as claimed, made in Italy.
I can also confirm that:
Moda has never sourced or copied Moda Domus products from Alibaba, and does not intend to do so in the future. In fact, their team told me that they employ a number of measures to detect and enforce their IP rights. “Unfortunately, we have sighted hundreds of instances of infringement of Moda Operandi’s IP rights, and the copycat products on Alibaba—which also use Moda Operandi’s copyrighted images without our permission— seems to be yet more of that.”
But Moda Operandi sources from all over the world, their labels will tell you where they’re from! “Moda Operandi accurately describes and labels the country of origin of the goods we sell, including our Moda Domus products.”
And they have close relationships with the artisans who are creating the original designs. “Moda Domus was created to bring products to Moda Operandi’s customers that we felt couldn’t be found elsewhere in the tabletop market. Since the beginning, it has been of utmost importance to Lauren Santo Domingo and the Moda Home team that all private label products are produced with exceptional quality and design. To achieve this, we have worked with Krieger, an independent sourcing and buying agent for premiere European manufacturers and artisans since the 2018 launch of our first private label items.”
In 1-2 days I will have my own set of (made in Italy) Moda Domus footed water glasses that I bought today. I will not be using them for water.
I know there are a few thousand college students who read Feed Me. While researching for the letter over the past few weeks, I came upon some exciting internships that I’d be applying to if I was in college and didn’t have a summer game plan lined up yet.
Emily Dawn Long SS26 Internship: “Sketching. Sewing. Knitting. Photoshop. Figma. Excel. Slightly OCD. Likes to laugh.” To apply, email studio@emilydawnlong.com
Blue Hill at Stone Barns Research Internship: Farm life. 🐄 Summer Interns will contribute to the mission of building a better future of food by working with Blue Hill’s Special Projects team on projects ranging from culinary and agricultural history, to processing techniques, data collection, and media.
KHAITE Retail Excellence and Operations Internship: This intern will support key initiatives aimed at enhancing the overall retail experience, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction. This role will report to the Director of Stores and will be based out of the NYC HQ offices. Shockingly, UNPAID!
WWD’s executive editor was part of the media company’s recent layoffs. “Got home from Paris Fashion Week at 11 pm last night and was laid off at 9:30 am this morning after six years at WWD.”
The New York Times published a White Lotus-inspired warning about prescription drugs like lorazepam. I get it, because since I’ve been prescribed lorazepam for flights, I do have a creeping excitement while making myself a huge tea in the Chase lounge, pop one while walking onto the plane, and getting ready to doze off through hell. A 2019 study found that, “nearly 20 percent of people who take benzodiazepines misuse them.” But you know who probably needed a pill? This guy who swallowed a string of rosary beads on a flight yesterday.
A new jam brand from Amagansett is dropping new flavors of jam every month. It’s called… Jamagansett. I spoke to Jamagansett founder Lena Kristy (formerly McKinsey and Columbia Business School) this morning about how the business came about:
“I’m an SF native with a lifelong love of food—cooking, baking, farmers’ markets, all of it. After undergrad, I earned my culinary degree and worked in the SF food world before shifting gears to business school in NYC and a career in management consulting. But I kept feeling pulled back to food. In June 2024, I quit my job and started Jamagansett—Small-batch, handmade, lower-sugar jams with bold, elevated flavors—crafted with locally sourced ingredients from farms out East. In October, I launched a Test Kitchen to experiment with new recipes, and in April, we OFFICIALLY go live online. We’re cooking up fun activations in Amagansett this summer —stay tuned!!”
Nepotism has a French ring to it, n’est-ce-pas? In the latest installment of LVMH Succession games, Frederic Arnault, the second youngest and CEO of LVMH watches has been appointed CEO of Loro Piana, in order to bolster his experience in the conglomerate’s main department: fashion & leather goods.
Allbirds just reported its worst earnings ever. A reminder of how lack of sex appeal (along with mismanagement) can tank a business.
Conde Nast is hiring three senior commerce editors.
The stars of J.Crew’s most recent campaign are the staff at Cafe Gitane.
New York City parents are planning $50k birthday parties for their 5-year-olds. Give these kids 20 or so years, and I'm coming at them with an updated dating survey to hear about their wedding plans. Dangerous to throw parties like this in the era of parent group texts and screenshots. “I’ve had clients rent a suite at the Plaza. Another client asked me to decorate an entire business floor of a hotel, like where they would normally host conferences. Everything had to look dreamy, and I bought something like 40 fluffy carpets.”
The San Francisco Standard just dropped merch. Apparently it’s available for subscribers, so I subscribed… but still don’t see how I can get my hands on one.
John Mulaney’s new late-night show premiered on Netflix last night. Last time I sat down and watched him speak for an hour straight was when watching Baby J. He looks really good. Almost too good….
I will leave you with an Easter investigation into lamb cakes, written by .
unpaid internships in the fashion industry😍😍
It should be illegal to have unpaid internships, ESPECIALLY if you’re a luxury brand. Such a bad look.