浪漫刺客

二 |     "What the revelations appear to show is that there was a close relationship between Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, and that there was likely high mutual awareness of one another’s business interests and, possibly, mutual support for some of these," said Joseph Oliver Boyd-Barrett, a professor emeritus at Bowling Green State University. "I don’t think the scandal has the power in itself of firing widespread outrage against Biden: there are just too many other things to be outraged about just now.",A review of Hunter Biden's personal calendar on the so-called "laptop from hell", which was abandoned by Hunter at a repair shop in Wilmington, Delaware, in April 2019, shows that the younger Biden and his business associate Eric Schwerin frequently met with then-US VP Joe Biden between 2008 and 2016. Hunter held at least 30 business meetings with his father either in the White House or the latter's vice-presidential residence, the Naval Observatory. Schwerin was reportedly invited to 21 out of the 30 confabs.,The New York Post found that all of the meets occurred days or even hours after Hunter's negotiations with high-profile foreign clients, prompting the media outlet to suggest that the younger Biden apparently discussed his business dealing with his father. The Post even goes so far as to not rule out that Hunter passed messages and requests from his clients to the then-vice president.,'Laptop From Hell': Hunter Biden's Calendar Suggests President Joe Was Well Aware of Business Trips17 July, 16:44 GMT,The latest revelation apparently has earmarks of an influence-peddling scheme, according to Charles Ortel, a Wall Street analyst and investigative journalist. What's more, Hunter's dealings with foreign tycoons and politicians have already been in the crosshairs of the US Department of Justice (DoJ) for quite a while.,"In theory, at least one US attorney has been investigating Hunter Biden and likely others for years, possibly in conjunction with a grand jury," said Ortel. "If this investigation is serious and objective, it must examine how Joe Biden and his family amassed so much wealth during decades of 'public service'.",However, "the practice of trading influence for off-market financial benefits is not confined to the Bidens or to Democrats alone," the analyst pointed out, asking rhetorically: "How did the Obamas, Bushes and Clintons become so wealthy?",At the same time, an in-depth investigation into the Bidens' shady conduct could also shed light on the unfolding Ukraine crisis, given Joe's role as Barack Obama's Ukraine appointee shortly after the 2014 coup d’état in Kiev, and Hunter's service at the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma at the time, according to Boyd-Barrett.,"It would be important, in a more rational polity – which of course this isn’t – to look very critically indeed at Joe Biden and Hunter Biden’s peculiar history with the 2014 coup and, subsequently, with Ukrainian energy interests, even marveling at the possibility that a private history with Ukrainian elites may have contributed to a fatally rash misreading of the events of February 24 and the lead-up to it," the professor said.,Talented Mr Biden: Hunter's Art Sales Reek of Pay-to-Play But DoJ Lost Sense of Smell, Analysts Say29 October 2021, 13:00 GMT,Laptop From Hell Exposure Comes Ahead of Midterms,The timing of the latest revelation comes as partisan strife for the control over the US Congress intensifies. The specter of the GOP jumping at the opportunity to use Joe's apparent involvement in his son's business activities to crush the Dems during the midterms and impeach the US president with a congressional majority has been raised.,While Republicans "may well, in effect, take control by next year," it is unclear whether they will double down on investigating the Bidens, especially given the mainstream press' reluctance to cover the issue, according to Boyd-Barrett.,The professor suggested that the GOP "could weigh the advantages earned them by the Durham investigation" instead. Special Counsel John Durham's indictments of former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann and ex-MI6 agent Chris Steele's source Igor Danchenko are very important for the Republicans as they help debunk the Russiagate hoax and mainstream media lies about Donald Trump's "collusion" with Russia, according to the academic.,Durham's Probe: Hillary Clinton Sowed Dragon's Teeth by Peddling Trump-Russia Hoax, Analyst Says5 October 2021, 16:30 GMT,Could Joe Biden be Impeached?,House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik previously signaled that she would subpoena Hunter Biden if Republicans win back control of Congress in the 2022 midterm elections. She noted that the Post's latest exposure appears to be yet more evidence of corruption.,While potential House investigations into the Bidens may indeed take place and even turn into impeachment hearings if the lower chamber is controlled by the GOP, the fate of this effort seems unclear, according to Ortel.,"Conservative, non-RINO [Republicans in Name Only] candidates now appear poised to win a wave election in 2022," he projected. "Things may change, but no current projections show Republicans reaching 67 out of 100 seats in the US Senate which is the number of votes required to convict an impeached person.",What's more possible, according to the analyst, is that the Democrats, already damaged by Joe Biden's incompetent domestic and foreign policies, will turn on him and force him out.,"Influence-shapers are far to the left of Joe Biden and mounting evidence shows they are done protecting Biden and rightly so," Ortel said.,If Joe Biden steps down, it's unlikely that the Dems will agree to see Kamala Harris replacing him, the analyst continued.,"Behind the scenes, major Democrat donors are trying to decide whether they can convince Michelle Obama to jump in and also to convince the Clintons to remain home with all their political and personal baggage packed up for good," he said, projecting that a new centrist Democrat presidential candidate could potentially emerge in order to fill Joe's shoes.。LISA的LLOUD推出GYM系列，灵感来自泰拳；金·卡戴珊和耐克打造的NikeSKIMS不日将「落沪」；赵露思的ROSYDOEDIAN曾结合网球设计上新；「国民教练」刘畊宏和妻子创办运动品牌VIVICYCLE；白敬亭关联的公司孵化出户外品牌30C，还举办跑步社群活动……图源：LLOUD社媒这背后既是运动元素在消费市场的影响权重提升，品牌们主动迎合，也客观得益于运动服饰供应链的成熟——设计、面料到代工生产，整套体系已经足够支撑品牌快速将运动元素转化为产品落地。从印花贴牌的街潮穿搭到健身装备，从生活日常到具体运动场景，现在的明星品牌流行用运动语言讲故事。明星做品牌，并不是什么新鲜事。过去，这套生意的逻辑大概是：开个不用花太多成本的网店，设计里加一些个人元素，主理人自己和圈内好友上身，小有声量后还会再找成熟的潮流或运动品牌联名，几番动作下来粉丝和一些喜欢追赶时尚的年轻消费者自然会买单。周杰伦、林俊杰、五月天以及薛之谦等知名歌手都曾主理过品牌，大多是oversize的版型男女皆可，印上与明星关联性极强的品牌logo，若是赶上出道周年、生日这些特殊节点还可以推出限定版。最近的演唱会旺季，常见汪苏泷、周深等不少明星有文创品牌，制售服饰配件周边，长期在线上或巡演时售卖。明星品牌制售服饰已成常态但如今，套模式之外有了更多玩法。首先最直观的便是运动元素占比提升。这一趋势可以从较早时候陈冠希的CLOT、权志龙的PEACEMINUSONE嗅到迹象。前者带着国风元素和「凝结」价值观与耐克联名多年后，转向阿迪达斯开启另一个时代；后者的小雏菊联名耐克直接掀起一波「炒鞋」热潮。除了明星光环之外，二者出圈的一大原因就是不限于街头潮流叙事，往彼时运动服饰火热的风口上靠——这也是眼下不少明星品牌正在强化的部分。白敬亭的GOODBAI 最初的主线同样是无性别潮流，靠自己和一众明星好友上身先为娱乐圈粉丝熟知。当「治愈经济」体量不断增大，他又结合自身形象设计出IP，卖起毛绒玩具、挂件，联名丝芙兰、好利来、屈臣氏等国民熟知的品牌。

三 | 随着运动逐渐成为更多人生活方式，其品牌做出「她们的球队」「高尔夫女孩」「网球夏令营」等运动风格系列；而当户外、跑步流行起来，他持股的品牌管理公司便孵化出户外品牌30C，在推出越野跑服饰的同时也不忘运营跑步社群。

四 | 图源：GOODBAI社媒「国民教练」刘畊宏做健身装备；LISA给自己品牌加入的泰拳、冲浪等东南亚热门运动元素；运动员出身、沉迷健身的王嘉尔在TEAM WANG推出过运动背心、短裤……健身、跑步、户外，将这些运动元素加入产品、用运动语言讲述故事是不少明星品牌在潮流之外找到的新答案。

五 | 然而，产品风格层面的变化只是一个切面，如何持续将这股运动潮流吸引来的流量转化成收入和「留量」同样是关键问题。对此，不少明星品牌选择现身线下找「存在感」。成立不过5年，白敬亭的GOODBAI已经带着篮球、棒球、网球等系列服饰在北京、上海、成都、杭州、阿那亚等地开店；海外，品牌至今已走过巴黎、新加坡等，不久前才现身首尔。LISA的LLOUD登陆曼谷、东京、首尔等地；赵露思曼谷演唱会期间，其品牌ROSYDOEDIAN开出同城快闪；刘畊宏夫妇的运动品牌一年前开出首店，官宣直营+加盟超过100家店的「百城百店」计划。VIVICYCLE线下门店以前的明星品牌大多将重心放在线上渠道，因为实体门店意味着必须承担租金、装修、水电、人工以及各种有形无形的运营成本，同时还要花大量心力维护，即便短期快闪店也比不过线上的轻量、高灵活性。可近年来，重视线下渠道建设的明星品牌却越来越多。他们大多在保留小程序直营、电商平台入驻的同时开实体门店，因为大家都明白：要想长期把品牌做下去，只依赖一种渠道是不够的。店铺链接、新品橱窗，实时追踪偶像动态的粉丝们自然不会错过，但对于那些冲着名人光环偶尔点进来看看的「路好」乃至普通消费者来说，各大社媒、电商平台的个人偏好算法会将明星品牌和真实市场的距离越拉越开。

六 | 在这样的背景下，门店价值便凸显出来了。视觉、动线、陈列，甚至是门口排队打卡的队伍，这些通过门店呈现出来的内容本身就是品牌介绍的一部分。就像王鹤棣开在上海安福路的D.Desirable，随着整条街区在国内外社媒的走红，已经成了知名「City Walk」打卡点；白敬亭开在阿那亚海边的快闪店靠设计感出圈，在这里试水成功后紧接着开更大门店……不少粉丝跨城、跨国来到现场只为入手偶像同款、拍摄同机位照片。

七 | 海外媒体将D.Desirable纳入City Walk热门打卡点（左）GOODBAI在阿那亚的快闪店（右）产品直接触达消费者、视觉展示品牌形象，把抽象的品牌调性变成具体可感的体验，甚至带给粉丝无法用金钱衡量的情感价值——门店的很多特性是线上渠道无法完全替代的。

八 | 只不过相较消费者熟知的大体量品牌，明星们更喜欢用快闪店摸清或激活当地市场，走一种先轻量验证再决定要不要落子的路径。GOODBAI联名申留真8月中旬落地上海的舞房快闪店近年来在娱乐行业式微、大环境不好的焦虑情绪渲染下，明星们发展副业做品牌的热情愈加高涨。但在这股热潮之下，不少品牌依然高度依赖国内成熟的服饰供应链，以代工贴牌方式为主，意在快速收割短期流量。随着初期热度和新鲜感慢慢过去，如果产品和营销依旧跟不上，便会慢慢被遗忘直至查无此名，真正能始终留在「牌桌」的只是少数。如果不满足于仅粉丝可见的「自嗨」，品牌们都要直面代工品控参差不齐、营销翻车，还有「明星不红了品牌无人在意」这些真实风险。尤其是对那些决定讲运动生活方式叙事、对更大的消费市场怀有野心的品牌而言，还要面临专业门槛、圈层壁垒、运动爱好者认可等多层考验。赵露思品牌曾推出的网球风服饰从线上平台到实体门店，从街头潮流到运动时尚，不同明星品牌各有锚点，也都在不同程度上把产品线和招牌立了起来，甚至吸引着更多人跃跃欲试。只不过，他们搞运动真的能变成一门可行生意，还是风潮之下的昙花一现，一切都只能等时间告诉我们答案。