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In this episode, inspired by the widespread panic surrounding the Death of the Club, we assess the contemporary state of nightlife and the sartorial, musical, and social considerations of the Going Out experience. Drawing from our own fieldwork as well as numerous studies, we discuss bottle girls, pickup artists, natural wine bars, section mindfulness, the infamous events of the TikTok Rizz Party, and much more. 

TikTok Rizz Party (original)

TTRP Lana edit

TTRP Sylvia Plath edit

The Man Who Has Everything: Mark Fisher on Drake’s Nothing Was The Same 

Venkatesh Rao — The Gervais Principle 

Millennials vs Gen Z in the club on Reels (lol) 

Sizing Up The Nightlife: A Study on Status Distinction

Why Gen Z Gave Up on Clubbing — The Telegraph

Gen Z and Nightlife Safety — Hunger Magazine

Gen Z Tell Us What They Think of Millennials’ Party Habits — VICE 

Boiler Room and Charli XCX Presents: PARTYGIRL

In this episode, the hosts are joined by our favorite fashion theorist and Rick Owens collector, Rian Phin, to analyze the recent rise of post-apocalyptic desert drip, inspired by the release of Dune 2. We discuss the different factions of Rick Owens wearers, the influence of Middle Eastern fashion, climate absurdism, exoskeletons, and hero worship in uncertain times. With the insight of our honored guest, we speculate on the battle for fashion futurism and the legacy of the Rick Owens house.

Links: Image boardInterview with Dune costume designer Jacqueline West — Vogue Luca Maxim worldbuilding wikiLuca Maxim on TikTokCoperni Futurism — Vogue

Rian Phin on YoutubeRian Phin on TwitterRian Phin on InstagramRian Phin on TikTok 

In this episode, we reflect on what we call the Loner Girl aesthetic, an eccentric style epitomized by the vulnerable yet spunky YA protagonistas of decades past, best accessorized with a messenger bag, sneaker flats, and a starry-eyed disposition. We reinvigorate the teen traumacore literary canon, including the works of John Green and Ellen Hopkins, and discuss its associated social phenomena, mental health themes, and expression through personal style. We also take stock of Manic Pixie Dream Girl discourse and discuss early-career Marc Jacobs, "Banal Eccentricity" at Prada, the forgotten appeal of eggplant purple, and our own personal thirteenth reasons ...

Links: Image board reasons-why-1516116120.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:*">Thirteen Reasons Why book cover stylingRelated aesthetics on CARI: Hipness Purgatory, Corporate GrungeWhen Miuccia Prada Invented Ugly Chic – NSS Mag (Prada S/S 1996)Marc Jacobs Fall 2005 RTWYour Fave is Problematic: John GreenThe Teen Whisperer (John Green 2014 New Yorker profile)green-by-the-book-interview.html">Why John Green Likes Writing for Teenagers (2019 NYT interview) John Green and his Manic Pixie Dream Girls – LA Review of Books fashion.fandom.com/wiki/Mori_Girl">Mori-kei – Japanese Fashion Wiki

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In this exclusive episode, we discuss a litany of misguided rebrand attempts, interrogating the dogwhistles of Gen Z bizarro cash-grab styling. Inspired by the ignominy of Camila Cabello's new "era," we unpack the major influences behind alternative rebrands, from Myspace celebrities to the visual identity of PC music. We investigate the authenticity crisis, the definition of hyperpop, being niche gay famous, the digital camera and camcorder renaissance, and more!

Links: Image boardCamila Cabello for PAPER Magazine (came out after we recorded LOL)Call Me Back by James CharlesCharlotte Rutherford PhotographyTrisha Paytas shot by Alyssa KazewAyesha Erotica Twitter RantThe Media's Succession ObsessionTara Yummy's 1 Million Subs Party

In this episode, we conduct a meeting of the minds with brilliant wordsmith and beauty industry critic Jessica Defino. Together with Jessica, we embark on an impossible journey of cosmetic ethical dilemmas, unpacking the undulating discourses of makeup and skincare. Tune in as we ask questions that keep us up at night: are Sephora Tweens canaries in the coal mine of disintegrating self-esteem? Can the age of the multi-hyphenate sustain the explosion of celebrity beauty brands? Is self-actualization possible in a minefield of appearance optimization? Why is there such a thing as baby skincare? 

Read Jessica’s Work:

defino.com/">Jessica’s Website

The Unpublishable – Substack

Ask Ugly – The Guardian

Links:

Sephora Tweens

ffrench-beauty.html">ISAMAYA 

2016 Makeup Nostalgia 

Tarte Brand Trip Controversy  

beauty-lines-guide.html">A Guide to Every Celebrity Beauty Brand

This week, we address the critical levels of silliness we've detected in today's culture, from the debut of Drake's adorable alter ego Anita Max Wynn to the rise of cute-forward hypewear. We theorize as to why silly ass white boys are suddenly doing dances in crews, rediscover the influence of mid-2000s ringtone rap, and canonize a new generation of digital Merry Pranksters, including Joeyy, the Laundry Day boys, Sexyy Red, and others.

Links: Image boardThe birth of Anita Max WynnEvanDaGreat, Maxevasi0n, Laundry DayJerseyyJoe, Hugo Hilaire, That's My DawgZack Bia and Yeat getting sillyWhite guys dancing to afrobeatsChief Keef style on TikTok: one, two, three, four, five, six"Narcofashion" Polo trend in MexicoPlayboi Carti Is in His Hello Kitty Era on “EvilJ0rdan” – HypebeastAnonymous Club by Shayne Oliver Resort 2024 – Vogue RunwayCreature WorldBustaMove StoreKerwin Frost x McDonalds MerchTisaKorean silly merch also McDonalds Sprite song and Soulja Boy tribute? Dirty Decade: Rap Music and the U.S. South 1997–2007 – Matt Miller in Southern Spacestaffy-so-light-so-sugary-so-downloadable.html">'Laffy Taffy': So Light, So Sugary, So Downloadable – New York Times, 2006Rondell Conway snap rap cover story for Vibe magazine, June 2006Hurrikane on TikTok, Y2K Dallas style in Brazil, Dallas boogie style (2009)  9 ways Soulja Boy revolutionized today's hip hop culture – RevoltNettspend on Know Your MemeTimothee Chalamet's digital footprintGlorb – The Bottom 2 (Official Music Video) (SpongeBob AI rap?) 

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In search of the zeitgeist, we make our way out west to discover the spirit of Los Angeles and its enigmatic hold on our collective imagination. We analyze its patchwork urbanism, its thrilling eroticism, and its enduring associations with novelty, maximalism, and existential dread. From midcentury novelists to Y2K socialites to nouveau riche influencers of the 2010s, we draw upon a wealth of references to make sense of the city's cultural milieu and distinctive sartorial character. BONUS: Ky Newman of Emergency Intercom joins us as an expert witness to discuss the reality of the LA content creator lifestyle, the future of influencing, and the city's fashion landscape. 

Links: [Subscribe on Patreon for full LA Bibliography Masterlist!!!]  Image boardEmergency Intercom Ky Newman on YouTubeKy Newman on Instagram

In this episode, we open up the yellow Kanken of history and unpack one of the most influential archetypes of the 2010s: the art hoe. We rediscover the work of the Art Hoe Collective, revisit the Tumblr art historical canon from Matisse's cutouts to Van Gogh's sunflowers, and trace the aesthetic's propagation through musicians like Mac Demarco and Tyler the Creator. We also discuss the forms in which art hoeism lives on today, from TikTok's indie teens to zillennial art world professionals. 

Links:Image board Art Hoe Collective in the Dazed 100#Arthoe: the teens who kickstarted a feminist art movement – The GuardianAmandla Stenberg: Don't Cash Crop on my CornrowsRex Orange County - Loving is Easy [Official Video]Claud - Wish You Were Gay [Official Video]

This week, we investigate the recent destigmatization of theater kid energy and its resurgence in mass culture, from musical-movie adaptations to the irresistible charms of improv-trained comedians. We discuss the peak of the NBC fandom, the timelessness of "difficult" leading ladies, star factories such as SNL and NYU Tisch, the ineffability of theatrical sexuality, the rise of craft and tryhardism, and more. 

Links:Image board Renee Rapp on Call Her Daddy1975-cast-plot-release-date-details.html">SNL 1975 (upcoming SNL movie)Ariana Grande - yes, and? (Official Music Video) Audio-Visual Cocktail Party by Steven Phillips-Horst for Spike Magazine (on late night shows) diamond-julian-sewell-interview.html">Paloma Diamond is Winning Awards Season – Vultureemma-seligman-rachel-sennott-ayo-edebiri.html">Power Bottoms: The NYU classmates behind the year’s most delightfully dumb comedy – VultureNYU brainstorming sesh for BottomsTina Fey clip that came out after we recorded this episode?!

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In this emergency roundtable, we drop everything to take a walk through the streets of Paris with John Galliano, discussing the viral Margiela show that brought on a fashioncore love surge the likes of which the world has seldom seen before. We talk about the broken down babydoll effect, the emerging field of cosmetic forensics, our love for steampunk, the body shop, fashion hunchbacks, merkinis, early career Adele, despair, theatricality, and more. We celebrate the termination of the "Year of the Girl," and herald the arrival of the "Year of the Lady" ... and the Tramp. 

Links:Maison Margiela Spring 2024 Couture – Vogue RunwayMaison Margiela Artisanal Collection 2024 – Full Show on YouTubereview-margiela.html">Maison Margiela’s Couture Collection Will Go Down in Fashion History – Cathy Horyn for The CutOsman Ahmed's Instagram Captiona-star-that-shutters-stereotypes-who-is-lucky-love-a-singer-without-an-arm-and-with-the-face-and-soul-of-freddie-mercury-29-11-2023.html">Interview with Luc Bruyère