The Digest 18
Hedonism, psychodermatology, and why I don’t like the new Rhode campaign
Welcome back to The Digest
We have a good one today! It’s also a bit of a long one. I included a decent chunk at the end about my thoughts on the new Rhode campaign (bad!) and wanted to also give a men’s fashion week rundown, but will be sending separately so you don’t tune out halfway through. We’ll also have Grammy’s red carpet coverage coming this weekend, and my “Dispatches from Dystopia” aesthetics essay coming… as soon as I finish it. Hope you enjoy!
Throughout the week, I keep track of everything that feels culturally relevant in the areas that I care about. I take that list from my notes app and turn it into this download of understanding consumer culture, tracking trends, and dismantling beauty standards 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 a curated morning paper to replace your AM doom scroll, best read with coffee in hand
x Jo
We all know that fashion, beauty, and sports are in it for the long haul. Some recent tidbits: BOF says that running has a “big fashion opportunity”
Glossy put out a podcast episode last week with the NFL’s fashion editor Kyle Smith. I didn’t find anything particularly groundbreaking about this episode besides the discovery that the NFL *has* a fashion editor
Slightly older news, but worth noting that E.L.F. sponsored the largest high school girls’ wrestling tournament as part of their brand mission to “serve the underserved”. They also are a founding sponsor of the iHeart Women’s Sports Audio Network + were the first beauty brand to sponsor the Professional Women’s Hockey League
The Women’s Lacrosse League is now The Maybelline Women’s Lacrosse League, welcoming the beauty brand as their official beauty partner (I’m here for this Maybelline ad, too. Space!)
In some exciting personal news, I was a guest on one of my favorite podcasts this week! I joined
and on Bad on Paper to recommend my most anticipated 2025 reads. I brought Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang and Old Soul by Susan Barker (I have now read and LOVED both, especially Old Soul)I’m constantly singing the praises of this dystopian book. Upsettingly, one of the most shocking parts of it is perhaps coming true?
Elle published a comprehensive piece today about the online book community, asking “Can Influencers Predict the Next Big Thing in Books?”
J.Crew dropped a “literary-inspired collection”, complete with a very bookish catalogue cover
Willah Bennett’s first Cosmopolitan cover as Editor in Chief is also the first to feature a romantic couple on the cover, Macauley Culkin and Brenda Song, for Cosmo’s Love Issue
Alex Cooper is on the cover of Marie Claire’s “Mogul Issue”
Adding to the list of beauty requirements that “should” be undetectable is “no makeup makeup hair”, otherwise known as the hair color you had as a child
Popular, fruity, and colorful skincare brand Glow Recipe’s “next frontier expands into makeup (or “no-makeup” makeup) products”, starting with “not a blush, but a flush”, alleging that even the pigment in the product is taking care of your skin
On the other end of the spectrum, Pat McGrath’s groundbreaking glass skin from Margiela’s 2024 couture show is now available to the public. When this look was first revealed last year, I felt it was the first truly futuristic and innovative beauty look we had seen in a very long time (still stands)
Last week we talked about fragrance powered by moods. This week we have skincare powered by “psychodermatology”. Selfmade is a skincare brand aimed at Gen Z that “seeks to address both physical and mental wellbeing” to “explore the interaction between mind and skin”. We will be seeing so much more of this type of thing
“Y2K Trends Are Back, But What Happened To The Optimism?” - Bustle + a Composite reader brought my attention to this book by Colette Shade. I wrote recently about our desperation for 1960s optimism, and this is such an interesting related angle!
This Zoe Report article references both Y2k and the 60s in the first paragraph before diving into the mod-inspired minidress trend
My predicted light purple color trend continues - Who What Wear is “dreaming of lavender fields”
Another thing you saw first on The Composite: Julia Fox carried our beloved Chopova Lowena x Hellmann’s Mayo bag on a late night show appearance this week! And to quote her, “mayo is back for 2025”
Unexpected, chaotic pairings aren’t going anywhere - in food or otherwise. Baked by Melissa released recent cupcake collabs with both Cabot Creamery (cheese) and Tabasco (hot sauce)
Olaplex dropped a bag charm that houses their hair oil and I honestly think it’s very cute - love the red and brown pairing in this imagery
Found this article via
at - “Investors lose their appetite for the obesity trade” (hate that wording). “Some investors are also unconvinced that the (weight loss) market will be worth the $100bn plus by the end of the decade that analysts predict”There seems to be some corroborating information in this wellness trends article, which discusses “Ozempic’s Supersized Economy” and “Long Live Longevity” alongside other trends we’ve also been chatting about like functional fragrance, as well as citing the far-right’s effects on the wellness industry being ushered in by the new administration
Related and disturbing: “A Vogue Editor Attends the MAHA Gala—and Leaves Hungry” - I’m still trying to understand what the intended tone of this article is
Absolutely required reading from
this week: “Inside Trump’s Cosmetic Cabinet”“The Wellness Industry Has No Use for My Cancer Diagnosis”. Loved this reporting by Sue Williamson for Allure. “There also isn’t a clear definition of what wellness is in today's world. It’s everything and everywhere—and it’s nothing at all”. And as Ericka Hart commented, “Healthism is built on fatphobia, anti blackness and ableism- this checks out!”
Netflix has a new show coming out about a “Cancer-Faking Influencer”: “Set at the birth of Instagram, Apple Cider Vinegar follows two young women who set out to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online communities along the way. All of which would be incredibly inspiring if it were true”
When I posted my 2025 ins/outs list analysis, someone commented that “there's a real divide between 'ins' that veer toward hedonism (the drunk/cheeky cig, red meat, dirty martinis) and those that are about 'clean' living (Poppi in a wine glass, board games, reading before bed)”. Bustle is leaning into the hedonism with Vice Week. “Turns out, however, that there’s a limit to the power of lotions and potions — that no matter how much you exercise and eat well, there is no immunity tincture for the chaos around you”. I am kinda here for it.
I feel like Martha Stewart and Charli XCX would both agree. Love seeing them in this partnership for UberEats
The underconsumption trend hits fragrance with “perfume decluttering” videos becoming popular alongside trends like “project pan”. Interesting quote in here about how even influencers push fragrance as a more accessible luxury entry point item
It’s very interesting to see flannels as the new luxury brand it- item. Unsurprising though, as we’ve seen a co-opting of “blue collar” signifiers by the upper class, such as camouflage, barn jackets, and more as of late. More on this soon
Sigh. I have to address the elephant in the room. The new Rhode campaign.
I approach all visual media and advertising through a particularly critical lens when it comes to one specific thing: body diversity. Because my background is in inclusive fashion and I am entrenched in this part of the industry, I’d say I’m more attuned than the regular consumer to the failings of fashion and beauty when it comes to this type of representation - although, I would argue that any fat person likely has the same keen eye for being left out of the conversation. I don’t expect to see size inclusivity from anyone at this point, which is its own sad realization. And so, unfortunately, I am disappointed but fully unsurprised to see a total lack of body diversity in Rhode’s new product launch ad campaign.
The product is a “lip shaper” and its campaign imagery is centered around a theme of fitness and gym-adjacent imagery, with words like “healthy, contour, smoother, firmer” peppered into the copy. I work in marketing, yes I can see how it’s a clear jump from this beauty verbiage to the gym. All of the product shades are named after workout terms, like balance, lunge, and lift. And honestly, I think there was so much power to be found with this theme! Untapped power, that is.
Rhode chose Tate McRae to be the face of the launch, which is timely with her new single, upcoming album, and impending meteoric ascension. No issues there. Once I saw this image, however, I was immediately put off by the campaign. Fashion lovers will know that this is inspired by a 90s Versace campaign, from the cropped turtlenecks down to the socks and heels combo. The individual models also posed for solo shots, still in their heels and hoisting various weights and gym paraphernalia above their heads.
Here’s the thing. There’s nothing special or proprietary or innovative about this campaign. Case in point that the group photo is inspired by 90s Versace - and the original campaign has nothing to do with fitness or working out, by the way. The only through line I can find between the two is Claudia Shiffer - she is one of the original Supers featured in the 90s campaign, and she was the face of a Rhode campaign last year. She also has a book coming out soon, the cover of which features the very same Versace photo. But otherwise, no real thematic connection between them. So why not recreate something more relevant to the campaign creative, like a cool 90s workout video? Tap Jane Fonda as the face of the launch and recreate one of her iconic exercise looks? The silver economy is booming and older women are basking in the spotlight more than ever. But hey, maybe you’re really focused on young people for this one - cool! So why not (and I’m just spitballing here) create something new and fresh?
Beyond that, my main irritation lies in the fact that, especially in a workout-centric campaign, we see no diversity of bodies. How much more impactful would this campaign be if it showcased women of varying body types, quietly and without fanfare? I’m not even asking for the world’s widest range of bodies, but maybe just not the narrowest, as it stands now - certainly intentionally so. I feel certain that even if this campaign was not rooted in fitness, it still would exclusively feature slim women. It’s just that much more egregious when it emphasizes the assertion that fitness only looks one way. And let me remind you that this brand does not sell a single item that requires thinness as a prerequisite for use. They do not sell clothes, they sell skincare and makeup - so why not welcome women of all sizes to your brand, capitalizing financially on just how broad your potential market opportunity can be? Inclusive casting is arguably more impactful when the messaging/ brand/ product is not specifically about inclusivity and representation. The only thing stopping a beauty brand from creating size inclusive marketing is the willingness to do so.
I was going to do a short rundown of men’s fashion week and some couture shows here, but I’ve been talking for so long that I think that’s best sent as a separate thought - keep an eye out for it soon! Many thoughts to share.
I’d love to know what resonated most with you this week so I can continue honing this newsletter into being the best version of itself. Thanks for reading!
Also the rhode campaign just didn't make sense to me as a LIP product...why are we a million feet away and not able to even see the actual product on their lips??
Also get ready for more fertility wellness x beauty intersection. It's coming, I just know it.