Hope you’re hungry…
Throughout the week, I keep track of all the bits and bobs that stand out to me from the onslaught of media I consume. I take that list from my notes app and turn it into this download of books, bodies, and consumer culture news to keep you in the loop on what I think you should know about this week. I hope you enjoy and take your time to Digest.
Think of this as your curated morning paper, best read with coffee in hand
x Jo
Why don't we see love stories in entertainment that start on dating apps when 60%+ of all couples now meet online? I imagine it’s because the concept of dating apps has never been seen as a particularly romantic one. I also think the more common it becomes, the less we’ll see it represented in books + tv as we look for escapism over realism. (I found this visual incredibly interesting)
Conservative men are downplaying their political views on dating apps
Hot off The Who What Wear press: Individualism is the hottest fashion trend - if you’ve been reading The Composite for a while, you know this. You can read more here (or listen here) about the trends that defined 2024 + why, according to WWW
Side note: really hope this one for 2025 is not true though
Dogs are having a huge moment in fashion this year. A few months ago we had Dogue + the NY Mag very creepy pets spread released in the same week. This week, Aritzia released puffers for dogs (Super Ruff Puff) inspired by their very popular Super Puff coats, Reformation released a knit collection collab inspired by playing cards (love that inspo) that includes a dog sweater, and my personal fave Ester Manas released “Everybody Every Doggy” t-shirts
More travel thematics for non-travel brands: I love love love this vintage airline inspiration for Ghia’s holiday campaign
AWAY released a new limited edition Cosmic Collection (BTW: I definitely think space travel is the next ad thematic frontier for brands!). The collection is made up of blue and silver sparkly luggage, and I even kinda love this silly little Train Case they debuted
Brands are still loving making edible versions of their products out of food, too
Speaking of space - Taylor Jenkins Reid (Daisy Jones & The Six, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo) is releasing a book about a woman who works at NASA in the 1980s. Reid is a polarizing author, sometimes for good reason, but I must admit I do find myself intrigued by the premise as someone who loves space stories + an 80s setting
By the way - did you catch this space fashion news?
If you’ve been keeping up with the candle releases here, I have a new one for you: Chipotle. They released an “All I Want Is Chipotle Holiday Collection” featuring a candle shaped like their water cups, cilantro soap, and a car napkin holder
Pain is beauty: How injury became a make-up trend: “From bruised and bloody make-up looks to bandaged runway models, the aesthetic of pain is becoming increasingly common, but at a time where we are seeing very real images of injuries on our feeds, this can cause a dissonance” (so many good Dazed pieces this week!)
Now for the new fragrance releases: Khloe Kardashian is up first. Can confidently say I don’t think we needed this. And I really don’t think we needed this campaign imagery that feels very toxic to me, personally
At the top of the “things we didn’t need” list is literally anything that Danielle Bernstein creates. Not to be a hater, but I’m a hater. We Wore What’s fragrance is dropping 11/18
Amy Poeppel’s The Sweet Spot was a fun read that is going to make for a very fun movie! It has a sort of Love, Actually loosely interrelated characters format, and Jennifer Wesfeldt is producing + starring in the adaptation (any Younger fans here!?)
Fashion's Alt-Right Flirtation: Is it possible to co-opt the aesthetics of extremism without also espousing its ideology?
We’ve said that grocery store basket shots are the new TSA bin shots. Are bike basket shots the new grocery store basket shots? Bless you if you followed that
When I’ve mentioned upcoming color trends embodying a dystopian, utilitarian aesthetic that mirrors our collective dread for the future, this color of the year for 2026 is exactly what I mean (especially in applications like the Qasimi SS25 collection)
Really wonderful feature on Eva Longoria from Marie Claire. Not only does she look incredible in the very good styling + photography (the red look!), I had no idea she was involved in so many successful ventures lately - the Flamin’ Hot movie, Siete Foods - or that she heavily campaigned for Harris and founded a grant-giving organization. Really worth a read and a look. Gabrielle Solis forever!!
If the Marc Jacobs guest edited issue of Vogue means that Anna is on her way out, I’m here for it. I will say this photo of them is the only time Anna’s appearance in anything has elicited a positive response from me
Who’s Really Writing Celebrity Novels? The writers and agents working behind the scenes tell us how it actually works
I’ve written recently about the sudden increased popularity of tights - Cami Tellez’s new venture, Sabrina Carpenter’s tights as a portent for customized tights with typography hitting the mainstream. I feel we’re getting closer every day! The colored tights trend is yet another form of customization for your outfits as we work towards more individualism + identity in fashion, and away from minimalism / quiet luxury (and a natural progression of the no pants “trend”)
Ester Manas, your SS25 colored tights will always be famous to me!! (also, I know I talk about this brand a lot, but they are so ahead of the curve on so much - ALSO ALSO: how did I JUST discover these seemingly Fererro Rocher inspired earrings!?)
After shuttering an earlier version, Nuuly is launching a thrift shop. I’m a recent Nuuly user and honestly really enjoying it - the plus selection is surprisingly sufficient. Also notable stat from the article: “Nuuly reported $90.7 million in quarterly net sales for the three months ending in July, up 62.6% from the same time a year ago”
How Vera Bradley Rode Nostalgia to a Comeback: TikTok and the secondhand market brought the colorful bags back into our consciousness. Now, the aughts favorite has embarked on a rebrand (sent me on a journey down their IG feed - and, of course, they too have a Wicked collection)
here for all the space news! escapism is in
peep toe jump scare