Somehow in a blink of an eye, it’s mid-July. Despite how many time I’ve complained about how much I hate summer, this one seems to be going by faster than even I want it to. I attribute it to two reasons: a major uptick in travel and a big project/work assignment. Travel wise, it’s been a whirlwind — Los Angeles, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Bahamas all in the last eight weeks or so. And before the end of the season, one major destination that’s been on my bucket list forever: Australia at the end of August. I’m joining Nike for the women’s World Cup and then adding on another week of my own. For some people this schedule sounds awful but I guess this is the Sagittarius in me? I get restless if I’m sitting in my apartment for too long. Nothing makes me appreciate living in New York like the time I spend away from New York.
The other reason this month has flown by is that I decided to take on a teaching project, a two-week course on streetwear, to 22 teens for the School of the New York Times. Waking up at 6:30 a.m. every morning was rough, I’m not a morning person in the least and by the time the day ended at 3 p.m., I was basically ready for bed. But talking to the students really put my career into perspective — it’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day absurdities of working in fashion (freaking out over samples! freaking out over show seating!) that you lose sight of all the good and fun stuff happens because of work. They were also a great sounding board on what’s interesting and relevant namely The Idol and Never Have I Ever are unwatchable, The Summer I Turned Pretty is fun but cringe, Iris Law has great style, and thrifting is their preferred method of shopping. My biggest takeaway however, is that I could not be a teen today, they’re so much more confident and have way better taste than I ever was at 16 or 17.
Speaking of taste, a few random things have come my way recently and felt rather timely for a midsummer odds-and-ends newsletter, so let’s get into it:
The Perfect Inexpensive Yet Chic Thank You Gift
For the class I had a mix of industry folks come speak or we went to them for site visits. I wanted to send everyone a small token of appreciation, because it’s so time consuming to do these talks. Instead of flowers or champagne, which are lovely but definitely add up when you’re sending it out to eight people, I opted for my go-to thank you present. My favorite inexpensive yet unique gift will always be incense, namely this Nippon Kodo cypress one. It comes in an elegant wooden box and smells incredible. At just under $12, it’s perfect when you have to do a group gifting but I don’t recommend stocking up as the smell does fade over time.
The Return of HaaT
I swear Issey Miyake’s PR people are not paying me to write about them as much as I do, I just really love the brand and everything they do. They announced that HaaT is back in their Tribeca store as well as online, after a temporary hiatus. The brand, designed by Makiko Minagawa, started in 2000 as a label that drew its inspirations from textiles. Since 2021, they offer three lines. “EVERY MONTH” features materials and original designs by skilled artisans, “EVERY WEEK” are products that bring vitality to daily life, and “EVERY DAY” responds to seasonal and temperature changes. What that translates to is a lot of interesting textures and layering friendly pieces that perfectly complement the rest of the stuff you’d find from the other brands at the Issey Miyake shop (Pleats Please, Bao Bao, main collection, etc.)
The brand kindly sent me a sleek black dress that’ll be great for when the temperature drops a bit but another late summer favorite is this bell sleeve number with the matching flared hem. The fabric is semi-sheer, to keep it from feeling too covered up. I’ve been really into sheer black pieces lately and having bits of skin showing. It’s probably a reaction against the dress code I had to abide by when I was teaching which barred midriff revealing or see-through pieces. Once you tell me I can’t wear something, it makes me want to wear it. Anyway, back to HaaT, it’s an interesting brand to check out if you consider yourself a tactile person who loves mixing and matching textures in their wardrobe.
The Only Crop Top I Need All Summer
Going back to the teaching dress code, it definitely didn’t apply to the students and there were plenty of crop tops. It got me thinking how universal it is now, to show off a bit of midriff, regardless of age. For the longest time I hesitated but the combination of a crop top coupled with a high-waisted pair of trousers or skirt feels especially seasonally appropriate. I’ve talked about these Aritiza tanks before but I realized that I’ve been reaching for them way more lately. Made with a super soft, almost swimsuit like material, they’re ideal for extremely hot and humid weather aka every day so far in July. You’ll find that they sit against the skin lightly while breathing well, plus they dry quickly in case you’re a sweaty mess like me. I will be so sad if they ever stop making them!
A Very Moody Candle
At $395 these candles are not cheap but oh my god, they’re SO good. I sniffed them all recently for a story and I was maybe semi-secretly hoping I could just keep one. You don’t tend to associate Alexander McQueen with anything beyond their clothing and accessories but these candles could not be more on brand. Described as the juxtapositions between darkness and light, tradition and modernity and power and vulnerability, it’s what I’d imagine a rich witch to own in her home.
There are three scents: Savage Bloom, Pagan Rose, and Ghost Flower. Made with black glass and metal, they’re heavy and packaged in a giant wooden crate — the design is hefty. Savage Bloom is a tuberose and oud scent while Ghost Flower features freesia, peony, and patchouli. My personal favorite, hands down, is Pagan Rose, which combines wild rose and peat as if my favorite whiskey was served alongside a bouquet of fancy flowers. I don’t even know if I’d burn it to be honest, I’d probably just huff it every now and then.
A Twisted Bag
Casey Cadwallader’s work at Mugler has been fun to watch over the years — it’s so sexy and futuristic. It’s surprising that he’s held out this long before launching a bag of his own. Usually brands are quick to jump on that accessory money making train the second a designer gets a little traction but Mugler waited until now to do one. I think that’s a smart move because the style feels very true to their customer. Called the Spiral Curve 01, there are quite a few iterations both on the Mugler site as well as SSENSE, Farfetch, and other retailers.
The silver one is my personal favorite, the color matches Cadwallader’s design so well. I love how it looks like warped metal — an unusual shape befitting someone who owns a wardrobe full of unusual shapes. As much as I appreciate a classic tote from the likes of Hermès or Chanel, there’s definitely something equally as attractive about a weirdly designed carryall, that doesn’t quite fit into the mold of what a commercially successful luxury handbag looks like. Coincidentally it’s also on sale. I’m not sure why but if you’re into it, it’s a good chance to grab one on markdown.
Semi-related to the Spiral Curve 01 bag is this spiral tote, also by Mugler, that I came across while writing this newsletter. I wish I saw this before I left for the Bahamas — it would have made for the perfect beach bag. Made with rubber, the design s great to withstand the sun and surf. If you’re still hunting for a cool tote to bring on your seaside vacation, I beg you to get this one and wear it on my behalf.
That’s it for this week! See you on Wednesday, which features a reader request on guy-friendly gifts. In all fairness, in my relationship we don’t give each other milestone gifts — our money always goes towards a trip of some sort but I do occasionally buy little things that I think Chris would like. I know that doesn’t work for everyone so this guide will include some bigger present ideas for those needing a special something.
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