In the world of celebrity ventures, few have been as short-lived and controversial as Blake Lively's Preserve. Launched in 2014, Preserve aimed to be the actress’s foray into the lifestyle and e-commerce space, seeking to replicate the success of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop. But despite its high aspirations, Preserve quickly fell under the harsh glare of public scrutiny.
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A Glamorous but Controversial Launch
Blake Lively's Preserve was launched with grand ambitions, combining lifestyle content with an e-commerce platform. At first glance, it appeared poised to join the ranks of successful celebrity brands. However, the site soon became a target for criticism, particularly regarding its content and pricing.
The writing on Preserve didn’t escape criticism. Observers took issue with the site’s poetic, sometimes overly elaborate prose. A blog post about fall picnics, for instance, urged readers to “enjoy everything Mother Nature has to offer before she descends into her own euphoric slumber,” leading to mocking responses from readers who felt the language was excessively flowery and pretentious.
Another section about wheat, which was described in terms of its symbolic significance and connection to high fashion icons and religious texts, was similarly ridiculed. Comments on forums like Oh No They Didn’t (ONTD) highlighted how the writing seemed forced and overly reliant on thesaurus-driven language, with some readers expressing bemusement over the site's pretensions.
Source: Instagram/@preserve_us
Pricing and Cultural Missteps
Aside from the critique of its writing style, Preserve also faced backlash over its pricing. Items on the site, such as a $1,350 cloak, were perceived as excessively expensive, prompting ridicule from those who felt the products did not justify the high cost.
More troubling were the site's cultural missteps. One of the most controversial posts was titled “Allure of Antebellum,” which attempted to romanticize the Southern Belle archetype and the antebellum South. This blog entry, showcasing fashion inspired by Southern heritage, drew criticism for its insensitivity given the historical context of slavery and racial oppression associated with the antebellum period.
The criticism was compounded by the fact that Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, had married on a plantation in 2012, further intensifying backlash from those who viewed these choices as tone-deaf to historical realities.
A Brief but Impactful Run
Blake Lively's Preserve shut down in 2015, just a year after its launch. In a statement, Lively admitted that the site had been launched prematurely and that she intended to relaunch it properly in the future. However, Preserve 2.0 never materialized, and the project remains a notable example of the pitfalls celebrities can face when venturing into the lifestyle space.
Despite its ambition, Preserve’s brief existence is a reminder that not all celebrity projects hit the mark. While the site aimed to blend lifestyle content with high-end products, its missteps in execution and cultural sensitivity ultimately led to its downfall.
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