Blake Lively's Preserve is shutting down: 'We launched before it was ready'

Blake Lively announced on Wednesday, September 30, that she will be shutting down herwebsite, Preserve, just a year after it launched. The 28-year-old told Voguethat she has chosen to end the project, which she felt was launched"before it was ready" and "isn't the best we can do." She plans to focus instead on a new business venture.

Blake Lively Photo: Getty Images

"We have an incredible team of people who do beautifulwork, but we launched the site before it was ready, and it never caught up toits original mission," Blake told Vogue. "It's not making adifference in people's lives, whether superficially or in a meaningful way. Andthat's the whole reason I started this company, not just to fluff myself, like,'I'm a celebrity! People will care what I have to say!'"

She added: "It was so never meant to be that and that kind ofbecame the crutch because it was already up and already running, and it's hardto build a brand when you're running full steam ahead — how do you catchup?"

The former Gossip Girl star, who welcomed daughter James inJanuary with husband Ryan Reynolds, also admitted that while she expects toface some criticism for shutting down the site, she has a plan for anexciting new business, closer to her original vision.

Blake Lively launched Preserve in July 2014

"I know what it'll look like, what I'm facing publicly,that people are just going to have a heyday with this. But it's so much worseto continue to put something out there — to ask my team to put something outthere — that isn't the best we can do," she explained. "I'm going totake this hit, and the only way I can prove all the negative reactions wrong isto come back with a plan that will rock people. And I have that plan."

Blake firstlaunched Preserve in July last year, joining other celebrities whorun lifestyle brands including Gwyneth Paltrow, who has Goop; Jessica Alba,who's turned The Honest Company into a multi-million dollar enterprise andReese Witherspoon, who launched Draper James.

"While the whole world races to keep up withtechnology, we tighten our laces, join the race, but our end goal is topreserve what's already there," she wrote in her first ever editor'sletter.

The site, which comprises of e-commerce, charity initiativesand inspirational quotes and pictures, is set to close on October 9, withproducts still on sale until then. Blake collaborated on designs for the site, including her first-ever dress creation, as well as a bag named after her daughter, James.