I posted a viral note here on Substack and I suddenly have all these new subscribers and it makes me feel funny. Ironically, the post was this:
“You’re doing great, sweetie!” I am proud of building my audience on this platform and thinking outside the confines of the shitty algorithms we chase on other platforms that have largely dictated the cultural and media landscape of the past decade or so. It also seems like 2,500+ of you agree. And yes, on Substack, that’s a lot. I’m finding my voice and my footing on here, despite the lack of the immediate rewards I’m used to such as… likes and lucrative brand deals, ooops. To me, the creative stimulation is rewarding beyond anything. I enjoy writing immensely and I am feel very lucky that I get to do it. Thank you for being here :’)
I can’t stop thinking about the Auralee spring 2025 menswear show in Paris. Word on the street is that it was the show of the season and for good reason. I love the brand’s continuous mastering of the use of color, layering and perfect proportions. The show had all the elements of true wearability, weaving in this narrative of an idyllic yet simple and relatable life. Designer Ryoti Iwai said his inspiration for the collection comes from his fascination with parks and how “people from all walks of life gather in them. There are readers seeking a quiet space, commuters with briefcases and headphones, intellectual newspaper readers, and nonchalant passersby. The common thread is that they’re all out there looking for something.” This is exactly how I seek to live my life—one of ease and comfort, of intentionally carving out time to enjoy a beautiful day in the park amidst a crazy schedule and a crazy life. That there is perfect harmony in all these moments and yes! It is possible to look chic through it all.
Some Auralee pieces that I’m now eyeing that are on sale: a structured midi skirt in the most perfect shade of summer green, an everyday blazer to carry you through every season, lightweight linen-cotton trousers in a gorgeous butter color, a sheer gauzy dress that will make me feel my power
I started the new Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy biography and it’s so good and juicy that it almost reads like a fiction. Of all the icons that typified the effortlessly sexy aesthetic of the 90s, Carolyn Bessette is my most treasured one. She was the ultimate cool girl. Since her death, her life has been an enigma to so many but especially to us fashion girls who understand that it was not just any black jacket she wore, it was Yohji Yamamoto.
I’ve been following several of these Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy fan/tribute accounts on Instagram and love seeing various images of the same outfits pop up on my feed, sending me into an orbit of more inspiring ways to style everyday pieces I already have in my closet. Oh, but I still want that Prada box bag, a re-edition of a 1995 purse Carolyn loved sporting. Carolyn was a girl’s girl and getting to know more about her life, her inner mind and the impact she left on everyone around her has been a beautiful reading and learning experience. I so hope to carry myself the way she does through style, grace, class and joy.
I went on a camping trip with Halfdays, an outdoors wear brand that makes really colorful, design-focused, performance-driven clothes. The founders of Halfdays wanted to make colorful, functional and beautiful skiwear for women in a marketplace saturated with the same dull designs and colors designed by men. Almost seven years later, they’ve replicated that very loved formula to hiking clothes and activewear. I loved getting to experience the great outdoors this way. Yes, we need to be wearing bright pink whilst hiking!!!
I dined at some yummy places that remind me that trying new places in New York, although getting increasingly disappointing, can still be a good time. I know, I know, New York is supposed to be the epicenter of great food but after living here for a decade plus, I do feel as though the restaurants in the city are kind of… uninspired. A lot of these new restaurants popping up are a copy-paste of what’s already good in the city. Do we really need another natural wine bar with small seasonal plates? The answer is almost always no, sorry. It’s why I was so happy and pleasantly surprised with my experience at Marc Forgione’s reopen of his Tribeca mainstay Forgione, now reimagined as FORGE. It has all the inner workings of an acclaimed restaurant from a renown chef but has the coziness and warmth of a true neighborhood haunt. Even the cheugy decor became endearing after sitting in the dining room for a while (I lost count of how many reclaimed live edge wood ~things~ were in the restaurant). The restaurant is just unpretentious, fun and, above all, GOOD. Also, any restaurant that carries any cuvée of Dard & Ribo is a winner in my book.
I blanched sugar snap peas from the farmer’s market, tossed them with sea salt and olive oil and my life instantly got better. I love how my day-to-day happiness can be dictated by such simple pleasures. You should try this at home.
I booked a very last minute birthday trip to Rome for my 29th birthday. It’s giving solar return in a low key but hugely transformative way. I’ve written about this in a previous issue (jump to #5) and also about my Saturn’s return. I’m not saying I’m insane but I may be off my rocker a little and for the last year of my twenties, there are very specific and lofty goals I’m setting for myself and I’m not messing around! I’ll elaborate on this in another issue. There’s much to be said.
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