The Digest 19
Fashion's return to pastels, workplace fetishization, and otherworldliness
Welcome back!
I lied to you last week when I said that I’d be sending more emails than usual. I was already sick at that point, but it was all downhill from there and, 8 days later, I’m only now beginning to approach near-normal levels of functioning. Feel free to blame the respiratory bug that destroyed me for your lack of engaging reading material last week.
I genuinely miss this newsletter so much when I have to step away for something like this. It renews my appreciation and love for this space, and I’m truly so grateful for each and every one of you for not making me feel as though I’m simply screaming into the void. Every like and share and comment means more to me than you could ever imagine. This is my baby! Thank you for loving her!
Happy digesting xx
PS: So you know, there will be sprinklings of NYFW thoughts in this letter, but I have a dedicated fashion week piece coming your way this week as well.
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
One other thing before we get started: If you’re using my newsletter as a source for yours, please credit me. *Especially* if you’re using it multiple times. I’ve noticed a lot of my work and ideas popping up, verbatim, in other places, and others have noticed too. Imitation isn’t flattering when I don’t get linked. Let’s lift each other up, not rip each other off.
Jello mold sighting! Violette_Fr launched a limited-edition set of their Bisou Jelly Lip Balms and used jiggly jello on the packaging and in the marketing materials, right on par with one of my top predicted trends for the year
Speaking of those predicted trends - pillbox hat sighting! Gigi Hadid is also on board with the 60s, with Vogue calling her “Flipped Bob” “the Flippiest Bob to Ever Flip”
The 1960s continue their grip on 2025. Popular fitness brand Bala partnered with Pucci on exclusive workout gear. Pucci was massively popular during the 60s, dressing stars like Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. Fun fact - I love to look at airline advertising + culture from the 60s as inspo, and Pucci designed the uniforms for the now defunct but previously very chic Braniff airlines1
I was delighted to discover that the 2002 America Ferrera movie Real Women Have Curves is coming to Broadway and I cannot wait to see it
“Is your favorite artist’s merch sustainable and inclusive?”
“Seriously comfy beauty” brand Tilt Beauty launched last week. All of Tilt’s products are made with ease of use in mind, and they’re the first beauty brand to receive The Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use certification. And it’s cute! AND refillable & recyclable!
Hannah Einbinder absolutely won the Critics Choice award red carpet for me. I haven’t loved anything in quite a while as much as I love this look. 10/10
“The Emerging Designer Raising Silkworms and Sourcing from Women Farmers”
Hims & Hers’ Super Bowl ad was, in my opinion, a disgrace. As Childish Gambino’s This is America played, they focused on obesity in America while claiming to be anti-establishment. In reality, they’re trying to sell you weight loss drugs without disclosing their risks, and profiting off you just the same. “It just engages in this sort of rebellious teenager language… but this is the absolute most mainstream, capitalist endeavor you can get.”
While H&H showed a variety of fat people simply existing, saying that they should shrink, Carl’s Jr employed Alix Earle in their Super Bowl ad to tell you that “you need double bacon” - let’s think critically about how this commercial would be received if it wasn't a size 2 blonde shilling burgers. The double standard will scramble your brain. (Samyra pointed it out first! She’s a must follow)
On the bright side of Super Bowl advertising, I’ve genuinely been laughing my ass off at this for a full week
“According to the Super Bowl, We’re in the Era of the Men’s Power Bag”
Dove appealed to the girl dads (not my words) with a Super Bowl spot that highlighted how “48% of girls drop out of sports after being told they have the wrong body type”. Their message? Keep her confident. This isn’t a new concept from Dove, but it made me smile. How our parents talk to us about our bodies matters so much2
I predict 2025 will be the year of Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin
+ Sophie Thatcher. Very much the year of Sophie Thatcher, thankfully
Okay lastly, promise, it is the year of Hellmann’s. You know how I feel about this one (positive)
I just finished Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson and loved it. She recently spoke to Elle for their Shelf Life series and recommended some really great titles. All The Colors of The Dark was fantastic
The Lit Girl lives on in fashion. Prada enlisted Ottessa Moshfegh, author of cult favorite My Year of Rest and Relaxation, to create a collection of short stories called The Ten Protagonists, inspired by their SS25 campaign. This i-D write up on the collection features my word of the year for fashion: otherworldly
Cynthia Erivo is exactly the otherworldly queen we need. More aliens in fashion pls!
What do the book All Fours, the movie Babygirl, and the designer Phoebe Philo have in common? The silver economy is booming, menopause is lucrative, and older women are going to continue to be in the sexy spotlight
You know what else isn’t leaving the zeitgeist any time soon? Milk. Yep, milk
Full bush in a bikini also lives on, so here’s everything you need to know about maintaining said bush
The Rise of the Brand World. “At a time when consumer choice is seemingly infinite, brands that can fully immerse consumers into their narrative are the ones that thrive”. Brands will continue to have an experience-first approach - soon you’ll be able to feel, touch, smell, hear, and taste your favorite brands, no matter what they sell3
WGSN reported that their top predicted trend for 2025 interior design is fake food
We’re calling sexy scents “man eater” perfumes now - fragrance is only going to get weirder
“Welcome to the world of “blind buys,” where people spend hundreds of dollars on scents without knowing how they’ll actually smell” - “To put it another way: Perfume is now a personality hire” - would you blind buy?
Hello what is happening with Mary Janes right now?? Since we last spoke, I saw both Adidas Samba Mary Janes AND Ugg Mary Janes. I’m begging to know if you would wear either of these
It is the age of accessories, Mary Jane or not. It’s no coincidence that the cover photo of this article is the L’Eggs rebrand, citing “crayon-hued tights”. We first mentioned L’Eggs here in October and I’ve kept a close eye on them ever since. Waiting for something big to happen there - we need something splashy asap
“Statement Tights—and Socks!—Were the Real MVP of NYFW”. When it comes to accessories trends, “personality is everything”. Layered belts in particular are one I’m seeing everywhere
I’m extremely fixated on monochromatic dressing right now (more soon on why I think this is a reaction to our dystopia) but tights are the ultimate monochromatic look maker. I’m a huge fan of the seamless look of tights + matching shoes
Young people are “so over minimalist tech”
Ouai threw their corporate hat in the office-themed marketing ring. How many more takes on the office do you think we’ll see in advertising this year? Industry and Severance are certainly not blameless in this phenomenon
“Can’t Get Enough Severance? 10 Books That Channel the Show’s Twisty, Dark Vibe” - I see some books I love on this list!
I love loved Jane Wade’s take on workwear in her NYFW collection “The Merger”
And it does appear that corp core is here to stay. “In other words, it’s not about conformity, but about finding autonomy within the rigid frameworks of traditional suiting”. As Jane Wade said, welcome back to the office
I was recently saying that there isn’t enough innovation in the celeb nail space for me. Then Meg the Stallion popped up with these bad boys (very otherworldly, no?). Allure asked Keke Palmer what she thought about the trend and she had strong thoughts
“What happened to body inclusivity in fashion?”
Who What Wear wrote about “fashion’s return to pastels”, claiming they’re “taking over in 2025”. In October I wrote “Contrary to chaotic trends, I think we’ll also see an emergence of these softer colors, evocative of a safe place to land and a quiet, peaceful fantasy world”
Christian Siriano partnered with Hulu + The Handmaid’s Tale on a promotional video for his fashion week collection, saying that “this is where design meets defiance”
“Can a Fashion Brand Still Resist in 2025?”
Really excited honestly by this “valley of the dystopian dolls” at NYFW and excited to write more about it soon
Mentioned this week:
Some other things I loved this week:
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!
Pucci and I also share a love for retrofuturism
Once again begging you to read Big Girl by Mecca Jamilah Sullivan. I will not rest until The Composite community has indulged me on this one. Book club anyone??
Same for TV! Expect more immersion into the worlds of your favorite forms of entertainment