God bless Blake Lively for trying, but her new blog, Perserve, is a massive flop. A few
weeks ago when she announced she would be launching a new website, many flocked to see 
what it was all about. However upon actually visiting it, many (including myself) found
themselves confused and even laughing at its complete and utter ridiculous concept.
So what exactly is Preserve? According to the website, the title itself comes from the art of preserving “elements of what makes life beautiful to us.” As Jezebel so accurately put it, “In reality, it’s a blog and catalog both for and by people who have never had to know or care how much things cost.” This impractical male-oriented catalog is a combination of curated items similar to those found on Etsy and Pinterest except that they have extremely high price points and have all been personally handpicked by Blake.
In her open letter she states, “I’m no editor, no artisan, no expert. And certainly no arbiter of what you should buy, wear, or eat.” Let’s stop there. If you’re no expert, then why should we really trust a site created by someone who just admitted they have absolutely no idea what they’re doing?
Overall it’s a very confusing concept that doesn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason. Every product seems overpriced and unnecessary, especially this $62 bandana:
Although it might be aesthetically pleasing and artsy, the overall concept, content and tone of the website is insulting to those professional sites that work hard to curate specialty products and services. It’s the same tired story we’ve already heard from Gwenyth Paltrow and Jessica Alba who have recently transitioned into growing lifestyle brands…just much less exciting and successful.
– Carolyn Rasley, Account Executive
