My Mythology - Creating our own living legacy at Zappos.

One of the joys about working at Zappos is the freedom to be ourselves through our own personal style. Style shouts! Individuals identify themselves through their personal style. Taking the chaos out of the closet and using clothing as a celebration to create personal
mythology or legend is something I have been fascinated by.

What is someone trying to say through their style?

Join me in the discovery. Each week I will take an employee from Zappos and find out their personal psychology through their favorite outfits.

Today we study the mythology of Jen S., Buyer for Couture Fashion at Zappos.com.



Jen S. is draped in a delightful Emilio Pucci tank, a Dolce and Gabbana black skirt and Prada sandals.

How would you define your look?
That’s a hard question since I don’t feel I have just one look. When you asked me to wear my favorite outfit I had a hard time picking just one. I have loved everything in my closet at some point in time.

What inspires your style?
Me, and I hope that didn’t sound bad. I buy amazing pieces from tons of designers from couture to moderate prices. I mix and match them to make my own style. You will rarely see me in one brand from head to toe. What makes style in my mind is to be able to mix it all up and still look like a million bucks.

Who is your favorite designer?
Miuccia Prada…She manages to out do herself with every collection and be so ahead of the trends. The items she designs are classic with so much style but still timeless. I can’t stop myself from buying her pieces season after season.

What fashion item would you never leave the house without?
My credit card.

Who are your fashion/style icons?
This may sound silly but the ladies from Sex and the City which really means Patricia Field. She has made so many designers household names, it is incredible.

What are your favorite labels?
DSquared2, Alexander McQueen, Etro, Roberto Cavalli and Prada of course!

Preppy or Punk?
No question…PUNK!

How would you define your mythology that you portray through your style?
I just like to look and feel good about myself everyday and this is expressed through my fashion choices. If I love what I am wearing I feel amazing!

What is your favorite decade for style?
For me it is always the future. Being a buyer and seeing what’s to come in 6 or 9 months I am more excited about what’s coming than what’s happened.

What is your favorite fabric?
I have 2 extremes…cotton or leather.

Psychedelic ‘60’s or Rockabilly?
Psychedelic.

What is your favorite color?
Green.

What item do you allow yourself to splurge on?
Sandals and Boots.

Do you need to take out a second mortgage for your style?
My mom had me calculate the total of all the footwear in my closet and I could have put a down payment on a house and that was years ago.

Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds and lots of them.

Marc Jacobs or Alexander McQueen?
McQueen because he is so demented.

Which bag?
Right now it’s McQueen.

Sunglasses?
Right now it’s Prada.

What are your fashion rules?
Don’t ever be over dressed or under dressed!

What is the most you’ve spent on a handbag?
If it’s not $1,000 it’s not a handbag in my world.

Would set foot in a thrift store?
Of course! I took my boss Eileen once in the East Village and she about died.

If your answer was yes, what is the best thing you’ve ever found at a thrift store?
A vintage Valentino black dress. It didn’t fit me so I gave it to a customer of mine at my last job. She was ecstatic.

What is the most you’ve ever spent on fashion and for what item?
$3,200 for a mini tangerine Prada suitcase. I got it in Rome with my mom.

My Mythology - Creating our own living legacy at Zappos

One of the joys about working at Zappos is the freedom to be ourselves through our own personal style. Style shouts! Individuals identify themselves through their personal style. Taking the chaos out of the closet and using clothing as a celebration to create personal mythology or legend is something I have been fascinated by.

What is someone trying to say through their style?

Join me in the discovery. Each week I will take an employee from Zappos and find out their personal psychology through their favorite outfits.

Today we study the mythology of Claire S., Merchandising Assistant 3 for Fashion at Zappos.com.



Claire is wonderfully wardrobed in a Trunktank top, D&G Dolce and Gabbana black satin pants and Givenchy shoes.

How would you define your look?
I attempt to do a little of everything (with the exception of athletic- I don’t think anyone looks good in spandex).

What inspires your style?
A little bit of everything I guess. High fashion magazines & ready to wear.

Who is your favorite designer?
Marc Jacobs.

What fashion item would you never leave the house without?
A great handbag.

Who are your fashion/style icons?
Classy: Coco Chanel. Street trendy: Mary-Kate Olsen.

What are your favorite labels?
Dolce and Gabbana , Catherine Malandrino, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Dsquared2, Moschino and the list goes on and on.

Preppy or Punk?
Preppy.

Emo or Athletic?
Emo I suppose- I do love my skinny jeans and graphic print tees.

How would you define your mythology that you portray through your style?
Ever-evolving.

What is your favorite decade for style?
I doubt I could choose just one- since everything old becomes new again. I am a big fan of the 80s though.

What is your favorite fabric?
Cotton: it’s simple & comfy.

What is your favorite color?
I tend to gravitate towards bright colors: yellow, red, turquoise and white.

What item do you allow yourself to splurge on?
Footwear and handbags.

Do you need to take out a second mortgage for your style?
Eventually, yes.

Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

Hello Kitty or Kid Robot?
Hello Kitty of course.

Which bag?
Kooba.

Sunglasses?
Chanel, Marc Jacobs or Ray-ban.

What are your fashion rules?
Don’t try every trend- dress for your body type.

Would set foot in a thrift store?
YES! I adore thrifting- especially in Palm Springs, New York and LA.

What is the best thing you’ve ever found at a thrift store?
Clutches and Jewelry.

What is the most you’ve ever spent on fashion and for what item?
D&G Dolce and Gabbana dress… a lady never tells.

DATES: June 9-10, 2008

LOCATION: L.A. Mart

BUYER: Christin C. – Assistant Buyer,
Private Label

Monday, June 9th

4am-Suffering from Jetlag, flew into LA from Taipei the night before; checking email
8am-Checking emails and catch up on some work
9am- took a shower and got ready for the show
10am- Got some breakfast at a Deli before meeting Kathryn C. at the hotel
11am- Met with Hazel Clothing and Jaloux
12pm- got some lunch at a Japanese restaurant inside the California Market
Center.
1pm- Met with Revolver Los Angeles
2pm- Met with Notice
3pm- Met with the Great Room
4pm- Met with Mary Brennan & Co.
5pm- Went back to the hotel to check emails and review the information from our appointments.
6pm- Went to Cabo Cantina for some Margaritas. It’s been a long day! Jet lag isn’t
helping either!
7pm- Drove to Hermosa Beach to meet with vendor.
8pm- Dad dinner at the Mediterraneo with vendor
11pm- Time for bed to start a new day!

Tuesday, June 10th

8am- Got up to get ready for the show.
10am- Met with Classy Brides.
11am- Met with VFish Designs.
12pm- Met with Theme.
1pm- Met with Charlotte Tarantola.
2pm- Met with Brigades and Hearts.
3pm- Finally had lunch at an Italian restaurant before heading to the airport. I was
starving!
4pm- Returned our rental car at Enterprise and at the Burbank airport trying to
catch an earlier flight home!
5pm- Plane departs from the Burbank Airport.
6pm- Arrives in Las Vegas! Glad to be home!

DATES: May 31 thru June 8, 2008
BUYER: Shyloh C, Buyer - Casual Apparel



May 31, 2008

4:05 AM -Awake at 4am, (barely).
5:30 AM – Packed: CHECK, Laundry: CHECK, Dishes: CHECK, Honey 'to do list': CHECK, Children’s caregiver 'to do list': CHECK, Hugged and kissed sleeping beauties: CHECK, Loading up car: CHECK
6:31 AM - Inhaled banana BEFORE it was radiated in security. Have a thing about eating
food after it’s gone through X Ray machine.
7:17 AM - About to board when I notice deoderant on my top. Lordy. That's what happens
when you dress in the dark!! Will have to carry handbag on that side all day!
2:42 PM - Landed in Charlotte. Read some of customer evangelists, and carrot principle and watched the movie 27 dresses (LOVED IT!!)
3:33 PM - Having lunch and catching up on mens sportswear periodicals. Did you know that
Goretex MBT's are featured in the first pages of GQ for June???
4:32 PM - Sitting in VERY humid airport reading and waiting.........
5:53 PM - Just boarding plane for W Palm Beach. Looking
forward to getting to hotel and seeing the Atlantic!!
8:53 PM - Just landed in W Palm Beach! Wow! It's green!
9:09 PM - Car service had wrong pickup time, place and person. Finally arrived in hotel
after all was sorted. Starving!!
10:16 PM - Just paid check. Waitress a BIG fan of Zappos. Got her email to send her a
coupon when I get back to the room.
11:00 PM - Forcing myself to go to bed, (8:00 pm West Coast) but doubt it will come easy
after eating the 4 raspberry truffles Lilly Pulitzer left in a basket in my
room!!

June 1, 2008

6:02 AM - 5 hours of sleep is not enough.
7:47 AM - Headed to welcoming breakfast. Of course I purchased.a new Lilly Pulitzer top
from Zappos to wear for the day!! (in photo)
9:39 AM - Just sat through presentation. Owner and President LOVES Tony and referenced his seminars in his Jubilee Launch.
10:50 AM - Lilly is doing a Steinway Piano, Florida Naturals special edition juice box,
new fragrance etc etc!! Good for them!!
11:48 AM - Bought Ponte, square necks, straight legs, wide legs and that darn lurex that won't
go away and keeps selling!!
12:50 PM - Got them hooked on Twitter. They are coming in for a tour and training. All of
management!!!
2:40 PM - I have never seen so many women in Pink and Green in my life!
3:44 PM - Still entering buy. On 4th cup of coffee -pooped. Jeanne look out. I am going
to beat your record for caffeine (is that possible?)
4:35 PM - STILL writing orders!! On to chocolate now!!
5:51 PM - Finished 5 minutes before driver picked me up for airport. Ran to front door to
catch him.
7:00 PM - Ran to gate. Was too preoccupied with eating and trying to get notes to Andy
for AB class tomorrow!!
9:24 PM - In charlotte -Jumping on next flight. Can't believe I was at the Breakers in Palm Beach and was never able to stick my feet in the ocean!
11:34 PM - Just landed. Pooped. Will need to catch up on sleep this week as I travel again next weekend for LA market. .

June 2, 2008

12:55 AM - Just got home. Need to authorize payroll but can't access site. Will get up early to do so!

June 7, 2008

4:00 AM - Up again on a sat at 4:00am. Bad habit
5:00 AM - Loading up on airborne!
6:02 AM - Holding on to hand rail in train while typing into diary. Talent!!
7:06 AM - Just boarded. Nice and quiet. That is the beauty of flying early on a sat morning!!
8:12 AM - Landed in LA at 8:10. Running to the mart downtown for a 9am appt.
9:14 AM - Late for TinT your World thank goodness! Looking at plus lines!!
10:08 AM - Just finished 3 plus lines. A mix of silks, twills, linens and velvets. Looks great!!
11:23 AM - Maternity is into mesh. Looks good! Inhaling lunch before next appt...
2:10 PM - Just worKed Kay celine, Isda and Pure and simple. Animal prints will not give up!!
3:39 PM - Jumping from one to the next. Did lots of burnouts at Allen Allen and now lots
of lace and watercolors at David Cline!!
4:52 PM - Going to do more plus sizes at Vikki Vi!
6:12 PM - Headed in for last appt - maternity. Getting hungry.
8:16 PM - Just finished 4 maternity lines!! Pooped and picked up pizza for dinner.
9:13 PM - Ate, called to say goodnight to kids, and now going to sort through all paperwork and prioritize!

June 8, 2008

7:00 AM - Wake up – shower. Fell asleep at 10:30 with lights on and paperwork all over bed. Oops.
8:00 AM - Call kids and try to do payroll - oops - can't bc can't get on wifi without paying
$9.95.
9:00 AM - Shuttled to la mart and had tea. Headed into Jag Jeans appt.
10:00 AM - Looking at new plus tops line - going to wait until late Fall for it. Need to prioritize other lines.
11:00 AM - Bernadette Conte lifestyle looks amazing!! Liquid - metallics- Need more money!!
12:00 PM - Magaschoni - we are going to have shawls, pashminas, and novelty cashmere in
the portfolio this year in yummy colors! Yeah!!
1:00 PM - At xcvi gobbling up super wide legs. Can't keep them in stock!!
2:00 PM - Reviewing holiday at Scanty pj's. Dancing reindeer and christmas trees out of
peace signs are adorable!
3:00 PM - Just saw Lindsay Lohans new legging line. Looks a lot like Lindsay Lohan!
4:00 PM - Going to LAX
5:00 PM - Finished organizing all paperwork for Patricia. Will drop off after I land as I
will be flying out in the morning to Dallas.
6:00 PM - Dying for a vanilla soy latte from SB.
7:00 PM- Just about to take off! Guess I should turn my phone off
8:00 PM - Just landed and getting my car. Need to go to Zappos.
9:00 PM - Finished dropping off paperwork for Patricia to work on and headed home.
9:30 PM - Home. Doing a few things on computer than going to bed. Flight to Dallas at 6:00am tomorrow.

DATES: June 1 to June 6 ,2008
SHOW: FFANY
LOCATION: New York, NY
BUYER: Amber R., Assistant Buyer, Comfort

June 1, 2008

2:20 AM - Waiting to fall asleep. First night in NY. Tomorrow I will get some work done with W Hotel wireless and shop the market.

June 2, 2008

8:00 AM - At the “make sure everyone is alive” breakfast we always have during the week of shows. Eating at the Blue Fin restaurant downstairs of the W Hotel. Here with Galen, Graham, Kathy, Nicole.

10:33 AM - I am in hotel room hooked up to wireless getting a few things done, before I head out this afternoon to "shop the market". I must admit it is pretty nice working from the 36th floor with a view of Manhattan.

1:54 PM - At Macy's in NY. This is overwhelming. I had never been in here before. It's huge, with many endless floors!

3:22 PM - Almost the whole store is on sale. Scary!

5:00 PM - Nicole just called and asked if I wanted to have dinner with her and one of Andrea C.'s friends who lives in NY and also works as an Apparel rep for Tripp Apparel. We will go out for Sushi at 6:30.

8:00 PM - Sushi was very good and the company was great as well. I am now back at the lounge in the lobby of the W. Hanging out with several Zappos folks from my team, monkey row and Fashion.

June 3, 2008

8:04 AM - I am eating breakfast with the team and Steve Gebhart, before we all head separate ways for our first day of appointments. I have 4 brands today, and they aren't too far from the W, so minimal walking today. Should be wrapped up by 5:00PM.

9:46 AM - Walking into Warwick Hotel for Aerosoles appt. Galen will be joining me.

11:04 AM - Met with Aerosoles earlier. Line looks good. Looks like huaraches are going to make a comeback next year! We discussed some possible marketing ideas for Aerosoles on 6PM.com.

11:45 PM - Just left Perlina meeting. Such nice people. Can't wait for the Fall styles to hit. Perlina is doing very well. My senior rep, Yves, hopes someday that Perlina will be the biggest brand on Zappos.

12:45 PM - White Mt. was able to see me 2 hour early and now I have a nice break in schedule to grab some lunch. Met lots of people from White Mt as I was the only account present at the time I was there. Nice group of people, and they all speak very highly of Zappos.

2:35 PM - Organizing folders for my appointments tomorrow and Thursday. I have one appt left today with Duck Head at 4:00.

4:10 PM - Finished up with Duck Head short and sweet. Women's Spring looks great.They are doing lots with color. I have been way ahead of schedule all day and gotten in and out of appointments early all day. Love when that happens! Tomorrow will be a bit harder to stay on schedule as I’m meeting with some big brands from my portfolio.

9:20 PM - Just finishing up dinner with Born at Mesa Grill. Large group of us including Tom McClaskie. Great food, wine, the best white peach margarita I've ever had! We are so blessed to "live the good life".

June 4, 2008

7:39 AM - Day off to a great start. I have the giggles this morning. I am in the cab with Jeanne and Galen on our way to meet with the Clarks family. Have a big day today. Born, Ugg, Merrell, and Ecco. I will probably skip Merrell and Ecco to go back to hotel and get some work done on laptop.

11:00 AM - Met with Clarks/Privo/Indigo first thing this morning. Clarks line looks great. They know who their customer is and update in their own ways, while keeping up with current trends.

11:24 AM - About to meet with Born.

1:00 PM - Met with Born and watched fashion show for Interim into Spring 09. Line looks great as usual, and they are trying a few things no one has thought of yet. Love my Born reps. They are awesome! The are using many shoes with a “Carrie Bradshaw” type flower on the top.

9:16 PM - Sushi Samba was some of the best food I've ever had! Having a great time in NY. Ate dinner with White Mt. crew. My White Mt rep took her first Sake Bomb, it was awesome and she was a natural champ. Go Marianne! After Sushi Samba, headed over to an Irish Pub style place and saw the Deer Stags rep Danny’s family perform in their band. Lots of fun, but it was ending right as we arrived. Headed back to W to check out the lounge. Late night!

June 5, 2008

7:42 AM - Last night was such a fun time at Sushi Samba with White Mt. Delicious food and great company. Then ended up running into Eric and his Steve Madden reps who we had a few drinks with. This afternoon, I am off to the Piers for my last appt of the show with Eastland. Clarks dinner tonight. Can't wait!

11:00 AM - Just finished up a revision of my Privo and Timberland Outdoor plan. Thank you Caron for giving us the last chance.

3:55 PM - So I am at the Piers. Finished up with Eastland. Women's Spring looks great and I can't wait for the styles to hit the site. Men's was interesting as they are taking more of an urban approach. The shoes looked good. Very nice distressed leathers. I’m outside Dansko booth, waiting for Jeanne, Dave, and Galen to finish up, so we can share a cab back to W.

5:17 PM -
Back at hotel, getting a head start on packing for return flight tomorrow afternoon. Heading to Porterhouse for dinner with Clarks at 7:00.

7:16 PM -
At Porterhouse restaurant in Time Warner building. Dave and I took an interesting picture with a statue. I have to give it to Graham for the blog! Also, very humid outside right now. I am not into the humidity!



10:00 PM - Dinner with Clarks tonight was amazing, but the coldest restaurant I have ever been in!

11:53 PM -
All packed up and ready to go bag home tomorrow. Having a hard time falling asleep. Don't know why, considering I haven't had much sleep at all throughout the week. All in all, the trip was a great success and I look forward to receiving many new styles from my brands when they hit the site late fall and Spring 09!

June 6, 2008

10:18 AM - On my way to JFK for return flight to Vegas. Sharing a cab with Eileen and Graham. Glad the show is over, because it is a bit chilly today and starting to drizzle. All in all, the weather held up great all week. Certainly very muggy though! Makes me appreciate the dry heat we are about to enter for a hot Vegas summer. Busy week next week, from catching up on work after FFANY. Good bye New York, see you in December!

This is the third installment of Q&A with the CLT business units. We have previously interviewed our Kids team CLT group and the Outdoor team. This week features the candid responses of our Running CLT business unit!



From the left: Renea W. and Eleni D.

Question: Why are you passionate about running?

Renea: "Oddly enough, I'm not much of a runner these days. I'm more into cross training, hip hop-zumba classes, and playing volleyball."

Eleni: "Running gives people a sense of accomplishment. No matter how bad of a day they've had or what's going on in their life, after running a couple miles or even just 1, they can say that they have completed a goal. My mom who is 62 and she participated in and completed the Full Zappos.com Las Vegas Marathon last year. Although her body hurt afterwards, she was so proud of herself for finishing that she hasn't stopped talking about it."

Question: Other than running competitively or for exercise purposes, when have you run the fastest?

Renea: "The last time I ran real fast was back in the '80's (high school track). I was running from a girl who eventually passed me and kicked my butt in the race! My track career was
officially over at that point!"

Eleni: "I was walking with a friend when, from out of nowhere, a big giant horse looking dog started coming towards us and started barking. I pushed my friend in front of the dog and took off. All that dog saw was my dust!!! Sorry Lakisha, but somebody had to go for help!!" :)

Question: If you had to choose between being able to run and being
able to fly, which would you choose?

Renea: "I would rather fly because (a) I wouldn't be stuck in traffic, (b) driving is so overrated (everybody's doing it, and not very well!), (c) it would give me a greater sense of freedom and (d) I would save a ton of money on airline tickets and gas!"

Eleni: "I would definitely have to say Run. I would need a cape to fly. It's not a good thing to have when there are planes and elevators or big fans around. As Edna Mode from "The Incredibles" said "No Capes"!!"

Question: What are you most excited about now that summer
has arrived?

Renea: "The fact that I'm going back home for a week (Alaska) and won't have to deal with 100 degree temperature!"

Eleni: "Sending the kids out of town! WOO HOO!! Momma loves you but I need a break!!!"

Question: What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?

Renea: "People asking questions they already know the answer to, the SLOW clap, and drivers talking on their cell phones.

Eleni: "People who order cheeseburgers & then say with "no
cheese"(what!?!?!), patting me on my head, and Kool-Aid with only one
cup of sugar in it...YUCK!!

Question: Which summer blockbuster movies are you most excited to
see?

Renea: "There are a few...Sex and the City, Indiana Jones, and Iron Man."

Eleni: "Kung FU Panda, Wanted, and THE HULK!!"

Question: What are your top 5 songs for the summer?

Renea: "I don't really have any favorites...anything with a good beat!"

Eleni: "(1)"HONEY" by Erykah Badu, 2)"THE RIVER" by Noel Gourdin,(3)"CUSTOMER" by Raheem Devaughn,(4)"SUMMERTIME IN THE LBC" by The Dove Shack, and (5) Any oldies song between the years '72-78 (The Isley Brothers mainly)."

Question: What do you love most about your job?

Renea: "The laid back atmosphere, the people I work with, the "culture" and being one of the first people to see the catered lunch carts go
by!" :)

Eleni: "Everything! The ATMOSPHERE IS OFF DA HOOK!! The vendors are friendly, and ALL of my co-workers rock!!!"

Dates: May 27, 2008 to May 28, 2008

Brand: Two Lips

Location: Los Angeles

Buyer: Meghan B. Assistant Buyer, Fashion

May 27, 2008

5:24 AM - Rise and Shine! It is way too early to be awake after
Memorial Day festivities, but no time to press the snooze this morning. I
better make a big cup of coffee to sip on while I watch the news and check
email via Blackberry.

6:30 AM - At the gym. Today is a weight lifting day. I like
weight lifting days because after lifting I get to drink a protein shake, and
they are yummy!

7:36 AM - Chocolate protein shake! +Mmmm+!!

8:45 AM - Got ready for work and packed for a night in LA in
less than an hour. Hope I didn't forget anything! I'm going to have to hit up
Starbucks on my way to the office for the caffeine fix I need to really focus
on my emails before heading to the airport. Should be a good day though...
Elisa (one of the Assistant Buyers on my team) and I are going to LA to meet
with one of her brands... We are going to work the line and checkout their
showroom and production facilities. But first, a tall skinny caramel latte with
no foam, please!!

10:30 AM - Still trying to clean out my inbox. Only 170
emails left to answer. In between emails, I'm also working with Elisa on the
search engine terms for her portfolio.

11:30 AM - Process Efficiency Committee meeting! Zappos is
focusing on improving the efficiency of our processes this year and I am on the committee. We gatherideas from the merchandising department and meet once a month to select the
winning idea. The winner is "clocked" with the ‘Do More with Less
Time’ award and receives a $50 prize. One small change that saves 5 minutes a
day adds up to 1825 minutes saved a year... That's 30 hours per employee and
considering we have about 250 in merchandising, that's 7,500 hours saved!! It’s
neat to see how the small changes we implement add up to something really
significant.

1:00 PM - Headed to the airport. I really could have used
another 10hrs in the office today, but I'm going to miss my flight if I stay
any longer. I will have to continue answering emails from my Phone and
work on my laptop at the airport. Wireless cards ROCK and help me work from
everywhere!!

1:30 PM - Settled in with my laptop at the airport. Flight
was delayed a half hour which is usually annoying, but today I am happy because
it gives me more time with my emails! Sooooo many emails! Elisa just went to
get coffee, but I decided to pass so I can sit still on the plane… I’ve already
had a lot of caffeine today!

1:45 PM - Elisa just suggested we get Zappos tattooed on our
butts while we are in LA! I heart Zappos, but that’s weird! I think someone must
have spiked her coffee while she was gone! Back to email!

2:30 PM - Just boarded the plane. I was hoping to catch up
on my reading during the flight but just realized I took "The Carrot
Principle" out of my handbag and forgot to put it back in! Guess I will
read Footwear News and celebrity trash gossip magazines instead. (Gossip magazines
are great for fashion trends research plus oh so entertaining! BONUS!)

4:00 PM - Just got picked up at the Burbank airport by our reps from Two Lips. Going to go trend shopping for a while this afternoon. I try to always spend time shopping the markets when I travel.

5:00 PM - Traffic too bad so unable to go shopping. At "Gladstones" on the beach in Malibu for appetizers and drinks instead. The ocean is amazing! One thing I miss about living in Vegas is seeing water.

7:08 PM - Just convinced our Two Lips reps to sign up for a twitter account after seeing Skechers president Michael Greenburg with bunny ears via Tony's (@zappos) twit pic! Off to meet Two Lips president, Chahe, for dinner at an Armenian restaurant. I've never eaten Armenian cuisine so I'm very curious.

9:50 PM - Just finished dinner. It was absolutely delicious and the conversation was great. We ate, talked business and smoked a hookah.
Dinner is a fun way to get to know and build relationships with our vendors. Now we are going to check in the hotel. I am so exhausted. I can't wait to shut myself away in my room, work on some more emails and then go to bed!

May 28, 2008

6:30 AM - Time for my morning ritual of watching the news
and reading emails on my blackberry in bed. Decided to skip the gym portion of
my routine this morning. I’m still sleepy!

9:40 AM - Just got to the factory and we are taking a tour.
It is soo amazing watching all of the samples be constructed by hand and seeing
how all the pieces come together. The craftsmanship involved is incredible.
Shoemaking is certainly a lost art in America... Well, almost everywhere
but here that is!

11:00 AM - Viewing samples from the new Two Lips collection. There are some very exciting things in the works! An upcoming style that I particularly liked was a pair of woven rider boots that we ordered for Zappos for October. Chahe, the owner and president of Two Lips, told me that it takes 11 and 1 /2 feet of leather to make one pair of these boots! Chahe is a very hands-on Owner/President and actually makes all of the initial prototype shoes himself. He travels around the world for inspiration and to source materials and then gets hard to work in his LA studio designing, cutting leather, stitching uppers, gluing soles, etc. You should see the rows and rows of materials; beautiful bright leathers, funky patterned fabrics, rolls of raffia and linen for sandals, jeweled ornamentations, and so much more. It would be very fun to
be turned loose in his factory and let the creative design juices flow!!

12:00 PM - Checking out all the latest trends and upcoming styles is the fun part of our job, but now its time to get down to the nitty gritty of our business. Elisa reviews numbers and selling with our reps and we talk about current business trends. Numbers, numbers, numbers.... More than half of what we do on a regular day is crunch numbers... But it’s a necessary evils and part of what makes days like this so fun!

12:30 PM - Meeting is done and we've had a very successful trip. Not only did we get to have a great time and see what's new, but we accomplished all of our business objectives, wrote boot orders for fall and learned a lot about the art of shoe construction.

1:00 PM - Rushing to the airport so we don't miss our flight. Lucky for us we are carrying on so don't have to be at the airport an hour in advance to get our luggage checked in. My fingers are crossed that security is a breeze!

2:00 PM - Just boarded flight back to Vegas. I really
enjoyed the trip, but fun’s over; now its time to focus on the 2009 Q1 plans my inventory analyst emailed over. I downloaded them onto my desktop so hopefully I can finish them
during the flight.

3:20 PM - Just landed back in Vegas. Didn't get as much work done on the plane as I would have liked because it was super turbulent... So much so that Elisa almost had to use the little white bag! Traveling is fun, but I'm looking forward to getting back to the office and catching up on all of the daily grind.

Wendi B, Office Assistant at Zappos.com shaves her head has part of an annual team
building event. Her hair was donated to Locks of Love, a charity
organization that uses human hair to produce wigs for children with
cancer. www.locksoflove.org

Tony and Alfred can also be seen having their heads shaved, but I think we can all agree, Wendi's move was pretty admirable!

Welcome to the first posting of a new blog series from Zappos.com and the Merchandising Department. The series, titled: Buyer’s Diary, will give readers a glimpse into the life of a buyer at Zappos.com.

Each buyer profiled has volunteered to jot down exactly what they’re doing and thinking as often as they can throughout the course of a buying trip.

This week, Eric Y., an Assistant Buyer on our Fashion team travels to sunny L.A. to visit Diesel.

Dates: May 19, 2008 to May 20, 2008
Brand: Diesel – Holiday/Pre-Spring Buyer
Location: Los Angeles
Buyer: Eric Y.

May 19, 2008

4:00 AM – Woke Up. Monday’s are usually rough but 4am came way too soon! Heading to L.A. with Scott J. to
meet with Diesel.

5:00 AM – Just arrived at the McCarran Intl. Airport, surprisingly it is extremely crowded. Thankfully, I am carrying my luggage on so all I had to do was print my boarding pass.

6:00 AM – Emergency exit row = more leg room. Flight taking off.

6:50 AM – Just enough time to down a glass of OJ, Landed at LAX.

7:00 AM – In a cab, lap top open and wireless card in.

7:30 AM – Traffic was minimal, checked into Standard Downtown.

8:00 AM – Grabbing a quick breakfast at the Café.

8:30 AM – Sitting through traffic on the way to the Diesel showroom on Robertson.

9:00 AM – Waiting in the Lobby of Diesel, meeting women’s Rep to view Women’s Apparel.

10:00 AM – Deep into Women’s clothing. The Holiday/Pre-Spring line looks amazing! With some bright pieces that will have you craving warm weather.

11:00 AM – Moved onto Women’s Denim and accessories- belts and hats. Drinking a Red Bull.

12:00 PM – Now meeting with the Hand Bag Rep. Viewing the Men’s and Women’s bags and small leather goods.

1:00 PM – Lunch is delivered to the showroom. Take a break to eat and chat.

1:30 PM – Start viewing Resort swimwear for Men.

2:00 PM – More banana hammocks and board shorts…

3:00 PM – Now looking at the sleepwear and men’s underwear.

4:00 PM – Leaving Diesel. Walking down Robertson, checking out trends, trying to catch a cab.

4:50 PM – Arrive back at The Standard.

5:00 PM – Call the office to check in with my Merchandise Assistant, get the 411 on what’s happening in the office, catching up on e-mails in the room on laptop.

6:00 PM – Take a 20 minute power nap.

7:00 PM – Met Mikey (Taryn Rose Rep) - Roof top at the Standard for cocktails before dinner.

8:00 PM – Still at the bar enjoying drinks and great people watching.

9:00 PM –Just got to Little Tokyo for a Sushi Dinner. I think we ordered more Saki then we did Sushi.

10:00 PM – Green Tea Ice Cream- the perfect ending to an amazing dinner.

11:00 PM – Back at the Standard and calling it a night…long day!

May 20, 2008

7:00 AM – Wake Up Call

8:00 AM – Finally woke up, packing, getting ready.

8:30 AM – Crazy traffic today. Trying to hack away at some e-mails on my BlackBerry.

9:00 AM – Arrived at Diesel. Working Men’s Apparel.

10:00 AM – Just sifted through sample’s (majority tops, T-shits, jackets, wovens, hoodies, ect.) now detailing color ways and delivery dates.

11:00 AM – Still detailing men’s.

12:00 PM – Working Men’s Denim. Awesome treatments!

1:00 PM – Working Women’s intimates and resort bathing suits.

2:30 PM – Finished up Diesel Holiday/Pre-Spring Buy.

3:00 PM – Came to Mexican Restaurant to eat prior to our flight.

3:45 PM – On the way to LAX.

4:00 PM – Arrived at the airport, working on laptop before flight.

5:00 PM – Flight taking off – have my own row, am exhausted.

6:00 PM – Landed back in Las Vegas!

This is the second installment of Q&A with the CLT business units. The first post happened last week when I picked the brains of the Kids team CLT group. This week features the candid responses of our Outdoor CLT business unit!

Read on to live vicariously through the exciting experiences of William B, Lacy J, and Max M!

From left: William B, Max M, Lacy J

Question: What is the most exhilarating outdoor activity you have done?

William: "Scuba diving."

Lacy: "Rock climbing. There is no comparison."

Max: “There are too many times that I could mention and go on and on... but basically anything outdoors.”

Question: Our customers do a lot of shopping in preparation for upcoming trips. Have they ever shared a trip with you that you were totally jealous of? If so, where were they going?

William: “To Patagonia for four weeks. I was way jealous of that.”

Lacy: “This actually happens everyday. Yesterday I spoke to a mountaineer that's climbing Grand Cathedral in the Tetons this summer. I was born a couple miles from there, so I'm a little biased, but they're some of the most beautiful mountains in the world! I'm not usually the alpine mountaineering type, glaciers scare me, but even I would like to see the world from the top of Grand Cathedral. I've talked to people going to Kilimanjaro, the Alps, and even a couple to Everest and some of the other Seven Summits. I've also talked to rock climbers going to Thailand, South Africa, Madagascar, South America, Europe, etc. I can't go a day without wishing a customer could take me along with them!”

Max: “Some customers taking trips overseas, to Italy, or the one guy who was going to hike across Europe for 2 months.”

Question: What is the craziest animal you have come across in your outdoor journeys?

William: “A giant eagle ray while I was scuba diving. The thing had to be three times my size, it was HUGE. I was both terribly scared and excited at the same time.”

Lacy: “I seem to be a wildlife magnet, so this is hard. But there is a refuge in Jackson, WY where the buffalo can roam and graze freely. You can also drive through this refuge and take a look. I have a picture of a 3-4 year old bull crossing the road, 10 feet from the front bumper of my car. No matter how many times I go see the herd, being that close to such a giant wild animal is a major thrill. And when your little car is surrounded my a hundred of them snorting and grunting and doing their buffalo business...well... let’s just say it's crazy.”

Max: “I saw a panther on the beach in Guam. While on vacation, I was walking on the beach, just as the sun was setting, and I saw what looked like a large dog on the beach. He was with his trainers. So it wasn't exactly a wild animal, but I was walking very close before I realized what it was.”

Question: What 5 items would you pack if you were going to be stranded in the desert for a month?

William: “Flint/Clothing /Jerky /Fresh Water /A signaling device”

Lacy: "Nutrogena Full Spectrum SPF 85/Therm-a Rest mattress/Gerber multi-tool with a decent blade and a shovel attachment/Topo map of the area/Snake tongs or a .22 rifle.”

Max: “Enoughwater/Shelter/Food/Map/Compass.”

Question: Would you rather be stranded on a remote island or lost in the mountains?

William: “I would rather be lost in the mountains because you can - eventually - find your way out of the mountains. On an island you can’t get past the ocean. There is also more potential food and fresh water in the mountains.”

Lacy: “That would depend entirely on the specific island or the mountains I had to choose from. I've seen examples of both that I would be perfectly happy on and could survive on easily enough, and I've also seen examples of each that would kill me in a day. Tropical Islands are okay, Desert Islands are not. The Northern Sierras I could handle, but I would freeze to death in the Himalayas in the first 24 hours. I'd pick whichever one had more stable, temperate weather conditions, lots of available food and fresh water, and potential shelter.”

Max: “I would rather be stranded in the mountains. I don't think I'm that good at building boats... yet! But I sure can hike!”

Question: What is the most common question asked by our customers?

William: “How does this shoe run?”

Lacy: “It varies by season and also by degree of activity. We have hard core customers and casual customers. Right now a lot of casual customers are looking for hydrophobic shoes and sandals, while the hard core folks are looking for backpacking and mountaineering boots. In the winter we get lots of calls for Sorel bootliners and "fashionable" winter boots that will keep your feet warm in -60 degree weather. Haha.”

Max: “Most customers want to know how different shoes, boots, or sandals fit.”

Question: What was your favorite outdoor activity as a kid?

William: “Riding my bicycle and seeing the ocean.”

Lacy: “Horse Camping. It basically involves riding your horse out to the most remote location you can find, and camping there. You can fish and hunt at the same time. It's like backpacking, but with a horse to help carry stuff.”

Max: “Riding bikes.”

Question: What do you love most about your job?

William: “That it happens to be at Zappos.com!”

Lacy: “Product testing! I feel so fortunate to work for the lifestyle department that embodies my lifestyle. I shop on Outdoor.zappos.com constantly! Because I love the lifestyle, I also love the product, buying it and using it. A few minutes ago a lady called for help finding rock shoes for her son, who is just learning. I was able to make several recommendations based on actual hands-on experience. I am also a beginner and have tried several of the styles on our site. I was able to give her real life evaluations and personal experience to help her decide. Customers really appreciate it when I can relate to their situation and they enjoy talking about the activities they love with someone who understands and relates. It makes their experience and mine much more enjoyable. Instead of work, it's just a nice day talking to people about the activities, places and products we love.”

Max: “Being able to help our customers!”

One of the ways we like to WOW our customers at Zappos is by having specially trained CLT members available to answer category-specific questions by dialing them direct between 6 am and 6 pm Monday through Friday. The CLT business unit teams sit on the Merchandising floor alongside our buyers so that they can get answers for customer inquiries directly from the source!



From the left: Heather, Priscilla, and Sarah

Since our CLT business unit teams are here to answer questions all day, I decided to turn the tables on them by asking them a few questions. Please find their candid responses below:

Question: If you
could be 5 years old again for 24 hours, and could do anything, what would you
do?

Priscilla: “I’d probably play with all 500 Barbies I had for the entire day. I miss those good ol’ days!”

Sarah: “I am going to have to be generic on this one and say go to Disneyland! I love that place!”

Heather: “Eat as much ice cream as I could!”

Question: Have you ever received a phone call to the Kids line from anyone under the age of 10 (approximately)? If yes, what were they trying to buy?

Priscilla: “Haha yes! It was really cute! She wanted these Roxy straight leg jeans and
just wanted to make sure they were long jeans and not capris!”

Heather: “Yes, Heelys.”

Question: What is the
most ridiculous question you have been asked by a customer?

Priscilla:“I’m 5 months pregnant and want shoes for him when he is 2 years old. What size should I get?"

Sarah: “I'm looking for a shoe. Do you have it? Ummm........ sure! We
have two million, which one would you like?!”

Heather: “Do you take cash?”

Question: What is the most common question asked by our customers?

Priscilla: “How do these shoes run, true to size?

Sarah:“How does this brand run and how do I figure out what size my child wears?”

Heather: “What size does my kid wear?”

Question: What activity do you do that makes you feel like a kid again?

Priscilla: “Hmm… I would say, using the ‘paint’ accessory on my laptop! I use to spend hours on that when I was younger, and still do!”

Sarah: “I feel like a kid every day! I like to jump on the trampoline!”

Heather: “*Bringing my son to the playground & playing with him.”

Question: I know a lot of customers call in asking what size of shoe their kids wear. Where did your clairvoyant powers originate from?

Priscilla: “WIKI is my best friend!”

Sarah: "In my past life, I was a child and I memorized every size, age, measurement of every child's foot that could possibly be. hahaha Well...... I have two kids, so it helps!”

Heather: “Being a mom.”

Question:If you had to pick one department in the company that acted most like kids, what would it be?

Priscilla: “CLT, all the way!”

Sarah: “CLT.”

Heather: “CLT.”

Question: What do you love most about your job?

Priscilla: “I love, love, love how amazing everything and everyone
is. I've been here for quite some time (my longest job ever) and look forward
to it everyday! The team I'm with is so awesome! It's a home away from home!”

Sarah: “It's ZAPPOS! ....One must experience it to truly understand. If I had to pin-point one thing, it would be the people and all of my awesome friends that I have made!”

Heather: “The fact that I can come here & be who I want & not be judged for it. Even though I
think I'm pretty normal...for the most part.”

Today is the day of the Smurf here at Zappos! The halls of our offices were invaded by dozens of Smurfs just after lunch. Word has it that the Kids team was responsible for the random act of Smurf but no one will confirm for sure. ?:|



Not only did the Smurfs steal the attention of every department here, they also overhauled the Zappos Core Values! Find a few words of the wise from the creatures in blue below:

1. Deliver SMURF through service
2. Embrace and drive SMURF
3. Create SMURF and a little SMURFiness
4. Be SMURF, SMURF, and SMURF
5. Pursue SMURF and SMURF
6. Build SMURF and honest SMURF with SMURF
7. Build a positive SMURF and family SMURF
8. Do more with SMURF
9. Be passionate and SMURF
10. Be SMURF

Today in C-Life, we interviewed a woman named Melissa. When asked the most facinating thing about her, she explained that she could sing a song with all fifty states. She then agreed to let us film it and post it. Thanks, Melissa for being such a great sport!

The Zappos Merchandising team is working with ZU to put together a Zappos.com Edition of Monopoly. 5000 custom Monopoly boards will be created by Parker Bros. featuring Zappos.com and our Core Values, and will feature properties "sponsored" by many of our top vendors! The proceeds from the property sponsorship and sales of board game set will benifit The Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation.

Special thanks to Andy H., Richard Z. and Mark G. for putting this together! We're almost there! More info to follow!

The Bridge the Gap Project (BGP) put together a "Sweet & Greet" today in the lunch room of the Henderson office. It ended with a good old fashioned eating contest.

Bryan of Merchandising, Amanda of Customer Loyalty, and Jay of the Content Team sat down in front of a crowd of thousands (slight exaggeration)with three minutes on the clock. Who would be crowned champion of this annual event? (This was actually the first one, and likely the last.) Who would claim the $1 Million prize money? (Prize money not actually awarded.) So
many questions were yet to be answered (many of which were made up by me).

The contestants readied themselves, cupcakes in hand. Last minute coaching advice from their trainers: frosting is filling; don’t eat the wrappers; why are we even doing this?

Ladies and Gentlemen, ready your stomachs! DING, DING! And they're off!

For those of you who know Bryan, you may be thinking, "No Contest! The Bull has it in the bag!" And it seemed – for a time – that you might have been right as Jay from Content was easily vanquished by the ravenous AB from Fashion. But the competition was not without its drama! Oh, no, my
friends. There was a dark horse looming on the horizon (or more accurately,
just to Bryan's right). Amanda from Customer Loyalty surprised the capacity crowd and brought fear to the eyes of even Bryan himself!

As the final buzzer rang, the judges announced the unthinkable! WE HAVE A TIE! Bryan and Amanda had each put down ten cupcakes in the three minute round! The results announced, the crowd shouted its anger! "SUDDEN DEATH" was the chant that echoed throughout the halls (actually, I think I was the only one that said it).

And in a One Minute Sudden Death Overtime, Bryan was able to silence his critics as the underdog Amanda fell behind due to an unexpected improvement in judgment! No such improvement on Bryan’s end, I’m proud to report.

14 and a half cupcakes consumed Merchandising favorite son! That’s 13 and a half more than is legal in most states!

Congratulation to all involved, and THANK YOU to the Bridge the Gap Project,
proving that we’re all on equal ground when it comes to our desires to see people makes fools of themselves!