CULTURE
DIM THE LIGHTS // The good ol’ game has grown up. And it’s good-looking. The new Food Mah Jong club looks like a great dinner party. Club Chess is effortlessly cool. NYC Backgammon isn’t bad, either. We want less online chatter, more real chats and chill. This also explains why voice notes are exploding, people are paying to be offline, and Chinese movie theatres are booming. People are looking for the antidote to ‘faster.’
U UP? // As predicted, brands are misbehaving. This week, Ikea slid into people’s DMs. Last week, between 10pm-5am, Ikea started messaging people “u up?” Anyone who replied with a mattress discount. Between this, the Mercedes’ make-out sessions, and Dunkin’s inuendos, it’s safe to say cheeky is making a comeback.
GOOD SPANXING // Spanx feels designer gowns take too much credit. This year, for Award Season, they’ve put up billboards around the Dolby Theatre proudly claiming to be “the most worn designer on the red carpet for 25 years.” Feisty looks good on them.
F&B
BASEMENT SUSHI -> Nadine // The Stanza // If you don’t have a restaurant, are you even a luxury brand? One approach: super branded like the Armani Cafes and Louis Vuitton’s Cafe with branded ravioli. Another: quiet luxury. Saint Laurent opened a Sushi Park at their Paris store. It’s underground, refined, and there isn’t a logo in sight—yum.
ACT THEN TELL // Unleashed Starbucks baristas are writing long notes, memes, movie quotes, and lyrics on cups. I like Starbucks’ shifts, but their Super Bowl ad felt like stock footage. Had they waited for this to emerge, it would have been 10000x better. Brands should do, then tell. People want real. That’s why Taco Bell’s ad was so good.
DRUGS & BOOZE
ME-O-MARG // To celebrate National Margarita Day, Chili’s made a Lifetime movie. ‘I’ll be home for Margarita Day’ stars Maria Menounos and Taye Diggs. This concept is funny but given that it’s 2025, it should have rolled out as a 3-part TikTok show.
SILVERS, ALPHAS & ZS
GEN-SEX // Women of a certain age are having more sex than the rest of us. Gen-X women, mostly post-divorce, are living their best (sex) lives. Though these women are far from ‘elders’, I did say that Silver Sexuality would be a louder conversation this year.
FAM FUN -> Michael Abata // Parents will spend good money for a fun weekend. And brands are getting it. The MoMA is launching a Family Festival with interactive exhibits for kids—fun. And, Netflix built a permanent location of its Bites concept at MGM. Despite its reputation, Vegas is a popular family vacation destination—it’s a smart play.
RETAIL
PASTA IS A SPORT // Sarah Shapiro wrote a fantastic article about Staud. And Staud’s approach to athleisure really piqued my interest. “For our customer,” Staud told WWD, “hydrating is sport, WFH is sport, motherhood is sport and we want them to look good in every capacity.” It’s witty, real, and rare for a luxury-adjacent brand.
KIM COUP // Yes, NikeSKIMS not being a collab but a full brand, a la Jordan Brand is huge. But what feels even bigger is Kim coup-d’etat. Kim is the new Martha. People love to hate her, but she continues time and time again to rise to the top. Whatever you think of Kim, you can’t deny her brilliance. Nike is all in on women and this is a winning move.
HIGH PRICE HIGH STREET -> Running Sucks // Zara is getting into running with a new carbon-plated running shoe aimed at marathon runners. Given everyone’s obsession with running marathons, it’s smart, but what interests me is the high-end nature of the shoe. It tracks a trend Casey Lewis mentioned this week: High street brands (COS, Arket, Mango, JCrew, and yes, Zara) are selling high-end $1000 coats. Everyone is becoming luxury-adjacent.
TECH
DUSTY APPLE // “While Microsoft is trying to change the very nature of computing, Apple is reinventing cellular modems.” For the first time, Apple should be worried.
INTELLIGENT TEXTS // WeChat, China’s big messaging app, is integrating DeepSeek into its search function. Cool, but just wait until your apps have agents. Texting with your partner about planning a birthday party? DeepSeek will get to work buying what you need. This future is closer than you think and ties into my AI retail predictions.
SPORT
FAIRWAY -> RUNWAY // David Skilling did say we’d see more golf fashion in the next 3 years. At LIV Golf Adelaide is turning the fairway into a runway. And a new members club, Even House, is mixing golf and design, too. Golf is surging among 18-34-year-olds, and as the consumer gets younger, things are getting much cooler.
ADIDAS SCORES // Women’s fan apparel is having a moment. And Adidas’ new away kits for the Women’s Euros ‘25 get it. The styling of this shoot makes it very clear who Adidas is designing for, and it’s not just the players—smart.
PADEL PROS -> Offball // Padel’s profile is growing, but you already know. Cristiano Ronaldo is now an investor, and he’s using his influence. He streamed the PPP1 finals in Riyhad to his 74M YouTube fans, garnering 686K views. French soccer legend Zidane has opened dozens of Z5 Padel centers across France. Andy Murray owns a Padel team. And Lionel Messi co-owns the Hexagon Cup. Padel is a real pros’ sport.
WELLNESS & BEAUTY
BLOOD SPORT -> The Hustle // The blood space is drawing a crowd. Hims & Hers Health acquired Trybe Labs, an at-home blood testing company. Watch out Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics. And Level Zero, raised £5.5M for a hormone blood testing patch.
PLANT AMNESIA -> Feed Me // Diptyque is taking on ‘plant amnesia.’ They have started a new foundation to support and protect “gardens and remarkable botanical spaces, reflecting the poetic and artistic universe of Diptyque. Glorious.
MON AMOUR // Sephora says it will stock Violette_FR across all 4 product categories (makeup, skincare, fragrance, and hair)—rare. This is a brand to watch. Their Boum Boum Milk probiotic mist is already big. And they are ready for the blue shadow comeback.
TRAVEL
BOUGIE BABIES // Belmond has a new bougie barge concept in Burgundy called Les Bateaux Belmont—book me a room. And the Now Now Noho is a high-end capsule concept—like a fractionally smaller Ace. Note: GameBoys as a ‘room add-on’—told you.
