The Digest 37
communal tech breaks and beast mode perfumes
Welcome back!
Sending on a Saturday isn’t my preference, but sometimes reality gets in the way. Hope you enjoy, whether this finds you during the weekend or bright-eyed and back in front of your laptop on Monday morning
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At The Composite, we serve up a curated collection of culture and critique. Think of The Digest as your quick, thoughtful read to replace the doom scroll, offering a bite of everything you need to stay in the loop. Come hungry. Leave questioning everything.
Aperitif
A little taste of what’s to come
Trending Tidbits:
These trends are tracked not for following, but for what they reveal. Not necessarily an endorsement, but a thought starter
Recommended Reading
📖 The Rise of the Gen Z Weird Collector (i-D)
📖 What Happens When Gorpcore Goes to War? (Elle)
📖 Why Gen Z can’t stop watching bad takes (Vox)
📖 The Word Everyone in Fashion Can’t Stop Using (NYT)
📖 What Comes After the ‘Clean Girl’? (BOF)
📖 The Extravagant (and Loud) Candies Adults Can’t Stop Eating in 2025 (WSJ)
The Main Course:
A selection curated to keep you fed
Right off the bat I HAVE to talk about this: the New York Times published an article about the redemption of the aspic and savory Jell-O salads - only *ten months* after me! I just KNEW IT in my bones on this one. Still one of my favorite things I’ve ever written - you can read it here
TikTok ‘Wellness influencers’ are fueling a decline in contraceptive pill use
Meanwhile: “‘Girl, Take Your Crazy Pills!’ Antidepressants Recast as a Hot Lifestyle Accessory”
Aerie adds a new promise to their no retouching pledge - no AI. In a recent IG post they said their content will continue to be created by real people only. While I obviously am on board with this, I’m still over here wondering why the hell Aerie doesn’t carry plus sizes
Fashionista wrote about brands increasingly partnering with older creators - are silver influencers the next big marketing opp? Some interesting comments on the matter in this Business of Marketing post
See also: the new Hotel Lobby campaign
The global creator economy is still growing and influencers are becoming retailers in their own right as more companies launch creator storefronts. These platforms are a direct competitor to AI-powered shopping apps
Gird your loins: shoe company Toms is gearing up for a comeback
Belvedere Vodka published a zine with Devon Lee Carlson as the focal point alongside Gabriella Karefa Johnson and Alana O’Herlihy. You can flip through the pages on their site
Willa Bennet or Tamara Fuentes - if you’re reading this, I wanna be a Cosmo Reads girly SO badly 😩. The magazine’s book imprint has published its first book
A beer for book nerds: Beak Brewery worked with independent publisher Fable & Fable to create a beer can label that unfolds to reveal a 1000-word excerpt from author Lily Macbeth’s book The Lost Folk
Chinese ice cream brand Mixue went viral for their receipts that feature pieces of a serialized novel. With over 20 parts to the story, customers hit socials looking for the chapters they hadn’t found yet
Melanie Masarin created a (stunning) cookbook filled with recipes to pair with your favorite spritz from her NA drink brand, Ghia
Grocery stores are missing the party on nonalcoholic bevs
In keeping with changing attitudes toward drinking, The Golden Ratio is a new bar coming to NYC that offers a spirit-free and alcoholic version of every drink
Heineken has been pulling so many interesting stunts around being more offline. I’ve written before about their Flipper device that flips your phone screen-down when it hears the word “cheers”. This time, they’re riffing off the widely hated subway ads for “Friend”, an AI companion device
The next big business: devices that keep you off your devices
A desire for “communal tech breaks” is leading bars and restaurants to implement no-phones policies, offering ways for patrons to connect IRL and offscreen
Nylon says that being offline is the hottest party trend this fall - “Yes, there are phones in sight, but also books and zines”
Fragrance brands are “going beast mode” and creating hyper-intense versions of their perfumes with younger customers craving standout scents
Should perfume bottles be smaller? Fragrance wardrobes are fueling a desire for more scents in smaller quantities, allowing the wearer to customize their scent based on mood
Coty is reaching into their archives and resurrecting a perfume from 1905, bringing heritage into the current boom of amber and vanilla scented fragrance. They also cite this perfume’s lasting power as an attribute
I’m very intrigued by Abel, a fragrance brand embracing “radical fragrance; biotechnology, master perfumery and 100% natural ingredients”. Very cool visual identity
Really enjoying The Great Try-On from Who What Wear - this is great branded content
Blank Street is continuing to lean into the laundry / dry cleaner trend I’ve been reporting on. We’ve talked already about the imagery, but they’re following it up with actual dry cleaning services and a matcha stain remover pen
Heads up: vending machines incoming
I’m sure you’ve already seen this, but I really loved The Ordinary’s Periodic Fable campaign all about impossible beauty standards
Have we turned exercise into identity?
We’ve been talking about highly produced, serialized social content for a while here. SAG-AFTRA has announced a Verticals Agreement: “a new media contract created for the needs of serialized micro and vertical dramas”
Spotify and Netflix are partnering in a distribution deal, bringing select podcast videos to Netflix. YouTube is TV!!
Fan editors are the future of the film industry, driving interest in media through “participation, not promotion”
Digestif:
An after dinner course on the topic top of my mind
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show
At this point, I’ve been on my computer for about 12 hours today so I will keep it short and sweet. I wrote an extensive piece last year when the 2024 VSFS aired, so you can find most of my thoughts in there if you’re interested in reading more.
Yes, another Victoria's Secret Fashion Show think piece
When I think about the Victoria’s Secret of my childhood, I’m transported directly back to emotionally charged trips to the mall with my friends. Of the group, I was the only girl who couldn’t fit into standard sizing at all the hottest stores - Abercrombie, Hollister, Delia’s, and, of course, Victoria’s Secret. I was mostly financially unable to partic…
What is really grinding my gears in the wake of this year’s show is the praise that VS is getting for “finally getting it right” in terms of both diversity as well as reviving the old school VS Show spectacle. Here’s the one thing I have to say:
Show up or shut up.
Dessert:
A book rec as the cherry on top
I was incredibly enticed by this beautiful cover and am happy to say that I enjoyed the inside of Loved One by Aisha Muharrar just as much. Described as “an emotional mystery spanning years, continents, and relationship statuses”, this book has a little of everything - cozy and atmospheric setting, grief and jealousy, love triangles, and a bit of mystery. Can’t recommend this one enough!
From my scroll: things that caught my eye or match the themes of this week’s letter, formats I think will catch on - you get the vibe
If you’re here for a new perspective on fashion, beauty, and culture, you’re in the right place. Pull up a chair. The table is wide, and the conversation is layered.