Designers

Could Substack supersede Instagram in the race for affiliate clicks?



Liana Satenstein Neverworns Substack

It’s no secret that Instagram’s strategy is pushing video content over carefully curated fit pics. The result? OG influencers are feeling rejected and dejected. After 10 years of rapid-growth followings lapping up their fashion recommendations (and clicking on their affiliate links), it’s understandable that Instagram’s star tastemakers feel unceremoniously side-lined, not to mention concerned for their future earnings. And there’s not much they can do about it. To paraphrase Francis Fukuyama, it’s the algorithm, Stupid!

The solution appears to be a mass exodus to Substack. (more…)



On the gentle patina of archive Armani in Arena Homme Plus



Arena Homme Plus Armani by Alasdair McLellan


Max Pearmain
and Alasdair McLellan’s Armani tribute portfolio in Arena Homme Plus is a fab reminder of the casual greatness of Emporio Armani and Armani Jeans (aside from Giorgio’s soft tailoring legacy).

Pearmain’s mix and mismatch layered styling is complemented by McLellan’s contemporary lens and Piotr Chamier’s casting and all are underscored by Ashley Heath’s editor’s letter (below) celebrating the decades-spanning appeal of the recently departed sprezzatura master. (more…)



Random Recs: ‘Unplugging’, Soshiotsuki x Zara, Spud shoes, TURN Paris and more



Zara x Aaron Levine

A few snippets of digital ephemera and IRL recommendations I’ve enjoyed lately…

1/ Unplug me. I’m never sure if these anti-digital ’trends’ are real or if I’m just seeing them in my echo chamber because I want them to be. Nevertheless, Vogue Business has intel to back up its claim that unplugging ‘has become luxury’s most valuable currency’, reporting that The Global Wellness Summit’s The Future of Wellness trend report named ‘analogue wellness’ as its top trend for 2025. It also reports that 67% of Americans long for the “pre-plugged-in” era, while 79% of US Gen Zs actively aspire to interact more in the physical world. (more…)



Are we ready to dress up?



Dries van Noten ss26 by Morgane Maurice

Robert Armstrong made a good point a few weeks ago in the FT. “Intentional underdressing [normcore et al] has become ubiquitous and so lost its power. It’s less fun for the mogul to wear a hoodie when his toadies do too; this explains why dressing up is, slowly but surely, coming back in”.

With the long-awaited arrival of NikeSKIMS, this suggests we’ve reached the apex of casual underdressing. It only recently dawned on me why athleisure was so popular for the last five years. Firstly, it’s easy to wear – pull on and go. (more…)