A wild feud has broken out between two popular direct-to-consumer cashmere brands, and it escalated by the minute.
The apparent dispute is between Quince, a clothing brand that focuses on creating high-quality garments at an extremely affordable price, and Naadam, a sustainable cashmere brand that comes “directly from the pastoralist communities of Mongolia.”
Notably, both brands make comfortable sweaters in a variety of different colors and styles, with Nadaam’s prices starting at $98 for a knit, while Quince’s start at $50.
It all started when Quince put an infographic on some of their product pages that compared their quality to that of Naadam, Jenni Kayne, and Rag & Bone, among others.
The apparent dispute is between two direct-to-consumer cashmere brands, Quince and Naadam.
It all seemed to start when Naadam caught wind of some of Quince’s ads, including this one that says, “Like Naadam, without the price tag.”
On the Quince website, they also have an infographic comparing them to other brands, like Naadam and Jenni Kayne.
The infographic is labeled “beyond comparison” and claims to have collected information from the competition in January 2024, listing how Quince is made from “100% Grade A Mongolian Cashmere,” while Naadam and other competitors are not. are.
Naadam also seemed to catch wind of the fact that Quince was producing targeted ads on Instagram that read: “Like Naadam, without the price tag.”
So, in true competitive fashion, Naadam decided to take the feud to the next level.
On February 22, the brand posted a screenshot of Quince’s targeted ads on its Instagram, accompanied by a video of the viral meme from the TV show Good Luck Charlie, showing a girl shrugging and looking confused.
That same day, the company also posted a comparison chart between the two brands that looked very similar to the one Quince had on its website.
Naadam wrote categories like “attractive,” “funny” and “great dancer” on the chart, giving Quince an “X” in each class.
The brand subsequently also posted a few more photos to its grid: one showing an alleged “illustrative request” that Quince had placed on Naadam’s website, and another, a popular meme featuring an exhausted-looking Charlie Day from the comedy Always Sunny In Philadelphia standing in front of a cork board covered in papers.
The cashmere brand edited the meme, captioning it “Quince when Naadam launches a new product,” labeling Day as the “CEO of Quince.”
On Naadam’s Instagram page, they posted a series of posts mocking their competitors, like this similar-looking infographic they captioned: “We’d win on the dance floor.”
The brand also posted an alleged ‘illustrative request’ that Quince had made on Naadam’s website.
Naadam also created a popular meme featuring an exhausted-looking Charlie Day from the comedy Always Sunny In Philadelphia standing in front of a cork board covered in papers.
However, it seems that this dispute is not as serious as it seems, at least in Naadam’s eyes.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, Naadam CEO and co-founder Matthew Scanlan said they were just trying to have “a bit of fun” in light of the situation.
“Our only goal with this Quince v. Naadam thing was to have a little fun,” Scanlan told DailyMail.com.
‘At the end of the day, we didn’t care and we didn’t really care about Quince or its marketing.
‘As an entrepreneur, I think what they are building is great and I am happy to see them succeed. But I saw an opportunity to poke fun at them a little bit and make fun of them a little bit.
“The whole exercise was immature, but that was the point, we wanted to make light of the obvious absurdity, so we acted like ‘Mean Girls’… and had a little fun doing it.”
Quince has not responded to Naadam on social media, but a representative for the brand told DailyMail.com: “At Quince we are focused on continuing to offer the highest quality of affordable luxury basics while also challenging the idea of that beautiful things have to cost a lot.
“Part of our brand ethos is to educate consumers and empower them to make the best purchasing decisions.”
In the comments section of Naadam’s various Instagram posts, many users also weighed in, with some finding the graphics amusing.
—So what you’re saying is… They started it. And they tried to distribute it but couldn’t receive it in return? “I’m so glad I’m warm and comfortable in my Naadam sweaters,” wrote one Instagram user.
The two brands sell some similar items, like these two black cashmere crewneck sweaters. Quince’s (left) sells for $50, while Naadam’s (right) sells for $98.
In the comments section of Naadam’s multiple Instagram posts, some came to his defense, while others shook their heads at all the “negativity.”
Another agreed: ‘All my Naadam cashmere is MUCH prettier than any of the quince pieces I have. Thicker, holds shape better. The quince is half the thickness and is not flattering.
“You chose violence today and I’m here for it lol,” someone else wrote.
One user praised: “Importantly, the inclusion of your size is also much better (although I hope going over a 3X is on the horizon too!).”
Others, however, practically shook their heads at the “negativity.”
‘Love Naadam AND Fifteen, don’t love this negativity of Naadam. There is enough space in the market for both brands. Silence until this marketing campaign ends,” one person wrote in response.
Someone else agreed: “It’s not a good idea to attack other companies.” I like both brands for different things, but I don’t like the negativity!’
“I like both brands,” one person lamented. ‘Both are EXCELLENT. But why choose to post every little argument/attack on social media? What happens between your company and another is none of our business. We don’t have to take sides. We are clients. We’re here for the brand experience and quality clothing. Don’t involve us. Pettiness doesn’t sit well with either of them.
However, it seems like the feud might be coming to an end, as they haven’t posted any more memes since Friday.