[SIC] 142: Elegant Benevolence

May 27th, 2021

Hi all,

Long post for the long weekend, so I’ll keep the intro short. Rather than categorize the links for this edition I reverted to the original [SIC] style of free association to order things - new readers especially, LMK what you think. Big thanks as always to Iolanda, Tim, Rob, Jeff, Josh and Gordon for suggestions this week. You guys rule.

[SIC] Talks returns today with special guest Noah Wunsch, founder / major domo at Ruby Hibiscus, and architect of “The Rubyverse,” which I’ve cited repeatedly here; essentially Noah’s built his entire way of communicating the brand by acting like a media company, and not asking for permission to talk liberties in that sphere. I love it. We’ll talk at 4p ET / 1p PT today on my IG Live @dietznutz. Come hang, or find our chat in my grid thereafter.

Lastly, since maybe headed to the beach this weekend, two recos for NYC folks headed East: Matthew King’s new show of collage-y, graphical paintings at Harper’s looks cool, and (via fave painter Glen Baldridge), Halsey McKay’s 10 Year Anniversary show down the road is going to be a banger. S/o and congrats to Ryan and Hillary for that!

Now, the free association. x B

=====[SIC] 142: Elegant Benevolence=====

• Listen while you click: [SIC] homie Nicole de Ayora of Brud + Edward Saatchi of Fable Studio on “Same Same but Tech” (podcast) talk Lil Miquela and LA in a parallel universe 🤖💁🏽‍♀️(LinkedIn)

• Related, from Iolanda Carvalho: "Self-portraits without a self" interview with the creator of Ai-Da, the life-size humanoid robot artist making self-portraits without a self (Design Boom)

• Meantime, just call me Retcon Man: Zine’s interview edition with Jaime Cohen is a typically essentially read of present and future. 

• While OG [SIC] Talks guest Ana Andjelic on the fundamentals of modern loyalty. (Sociology of Business)

• Elsewhere, another [SIC] Talks alum Chris Black has apparently turned his back on Uniqlo and gone upmarket (or East to Crosby St, at least) (Drake’s)

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• Speaking of upmarket: Is that a Birkin on the Blockchain? (Airmail)

• Because, via After School: For Gen Z investors, “it’s a lottery ticket that’s meant to send a message.” (Wired)

• Robinhood is giving everybody IPO access.

• While, also via After School: In Email We Trust: Gen Z, Millennials Are Primed For Relevant Newsletters  (Insider)

• Right on time, then:  via Nieman Lab,CNN is turning its 5 Things newsletter into a franchise that spans podcasting and TV (Digiday)

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• Meanwhile, Gen Z’s love of trading streetwear is developing into greater financial literacy.  Vogue Businesslooks at the consumers buying luxury fashion as an asset class in the new era of entrepreneurialism.

• To wit, from Iolanda Carvalho: Snapchat boosts AR try-on tools: Farfetch, Prada dive in | (Vogue Business)

• While via Future Party: Meta-Gucci was briefly more expensive than real Gucci (Polygon) 

• And their first NFT is apparently its most expensive product ever (Highsnobiety)

• While via Dealbook, GameStop is getting into NFTs. (The Block)

• Along with Quincy Jones, for fucks sake (Variety)

• Meanwhile, Dogecoin  is driving up adoptions of Shiba Inus. (CNBC)

• Related? Why Gucci Recruited James Corden to Host a Key Comeback Campaign (Business of Fashion)

• PSFK calls out LARPing as a natural opportunity for brands, particularly in the luxury space, to get involved (Jing Daily) 

• To that end, PSFK just announced Omnichannel Journey of the Future. You can register for FREE. 

• Elsewhere in omnichannel: Adidas Goes Green in Sustainability Partnerships With Disney and Depop (Jing Daily)

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• Also green, from Tim Nolan: “You seen this? Wood is good." (Self Assembly)

• Corollary, via Lean Luxe: Real estate agency The Modern House launched Inigo, a home shopping upstart 

• While IG is adding a section for shoppable product drops (TechCrunch)

• Via Protocol: Oh good, Twitter's getting into shopping, too (CNBC) 

• IRL tho: The 50 best food shops in the world according to How to Spend It. 

• Meanwhile TikTok's Cleaning Craze Is Bringing In Brands (Ad Age)

• Who says the degree’s not valuable? Using Her Art History Training, a Tiktoker Debunks Eurovision’s Cocaine Controversy (Hyperallergic)

• Hold the dick pills: A-Rod’s got Hims-elf a concealer now. (Hims)

• Via Public Announcement: The Millennial Vernacular of Fatphobia, in which celery is a calorie-negative food (Culture Study)

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• Virginie Despentes is a don. The Subutex trilogy is highly recommended. (Airmail)

• Elsewhere in iconic European characters:  The strange story of Dagobert, the Duck Tales Bandit. (New Yorker) 

• More strange twists: Munch, munch, munch. The Ref Went Out to Lunch. Or…. Maybe not? (New Yorker) 

• While The Dirt’s Eliza Levinson really goes highbrow / lowbrow with the assertion that “in Berlin, part of the Benjaminian aura of the city’s clubs — in addition, of course, to the undeniable erotics of being surrounded by sweaty, dancing hotties — is that the bouncers cover your phone camera with a small, circular sticker, so photos and videos are explicitly Not Allowed.” (Monoskop.org)

• And then leads into a review of an album called “Double Penetration” by Only Fire, which is exactly as twisted as you’d imagine. (Spotify) 

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• Speaking of twisted: A new Disneyland sandwich will cost $99.99. The Marvel-inspired panini is intended to serve six to eight people. (Quartz)

• Because food is apparently the new streetwear? And drops are selling out in minutes. (Banknotes)

• Elsewhere in streetwear, from Rob Hubbert: “This is cool [Noah/J.Crew designer and [SIC] homie Brendon Babenzien on the Blamo Podcast] (Spotify) 

• Recommended on that pod: the work of the artist Dale Zinkowski.

• Also apropos of Brendon’s picks: New Order’s “The Perfect Kiss” music video is impossibly earnest. (Youtube) 

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• Via The Unbundling: chalk one up for the olds. According to Adam Grant, turns out those who are loudest about the ills of sexism and racism are mostly indifferent to ageism (Twitter)

• Or maybe not? Via Lean Luxe - seems that Wrinkles are in fashion, when twenty-somethings dressing like senior citizens. (WSJ)

• Apropos (hardcore version): DRI’s “Nursing Home Blues” is like Metallica’s “One” but for olds.  (Spotify)

• Meanwhile new post-hardcore jams with abrupt endings FTW this week: It’s Turnstile vs Olivia Rodrigo. Winner vs (extra credit) Dino Jr covering the Cure [Points to Mascis for the video] (YouTube) 

• Normally I might cite links, but this week the whole High Tea update on what’s propelling Olivia Rodrigo is aces.  

• Also trends, from Iolanda Carvalho: "Oh my, nice maps […of “the Trend Universe’] 🙂 Same map, versions on black and white in the .pdf.” (Trend One) 

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• Another trend giving me wild (animal) thoughts: Via 1440: Photography is the new big-game hunting (CNN) 

• Hence, via After School: VCs are atwitter about Poparazzi, an app that could challenge Instagram and Snapchat. (Insider)

• Other than being the best example of branded content ever? What’s wrong with the Michelin guide? (FT)

• Corollary: Space Jam is a massive merchandising opportunity with a movie attached (Quartz)

• And via Future Party: Netflix is looking for talent… in video games. (The Information)

• While Rockstar Games is starting a record label. Video game DJs are about to hit the club. (Quartz)

• Also bleep-tactic, via Music Redef: How Hyperspeed Squeals & Alien Whispers Became Rap’s Final Frontier (Highsnobiety)

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• Elsewhere, Idol Fan Clubs Admit, This May Be Getting Out of Hand (Radii China) 

• Also, obvi…. maybe the data pendulum has swung too far? (Lefsetz Letter) 

• The Next Frontier for China’s Luxury Resale Platforms: Their Own Brands? (Content Commerce Insider)

• Related (s/o [SIC] homie “Rosso” Rosso): Inside OTB, Renzo Rosso’s “alternative” luxury group (FT) 

• Sinister conspiracy or nah? Recent Birkenstock lead acquirer L Catterton bought pancake mix maker Kodiak Cakes (Baking Business) 

• Related: Clogwave reaches its Zenith / Nadir with this Keen x Garbstore capsule (FYI I’m a US 9M and my birthday is coming up July 10th) (Garbstore) 

• Wardrobe adjacent via Lean Luxe: Other than just putting it on and committing?  How to wear a robe all the time (WSJ)

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• Speaking of committing, from Jeff Carvalho: I’m way older, but I’m still doing it’: Tony Hawk on his skateboarding legacy (The Guardian)

• And closer to home, more old guy skating (with a existential psychotherapy twist) from another one of the best ever, Gino Iannucci:  (Instagram)

• Via CCI: Seven Consumption Trends of China in 2021 (JD Corporate Blog) 

• Corollary? via Today in Tabs: BBC News report that “a camera system that uses AI and facial recognition intended to reveal states of emotion has been tested on Uyghurs in [China’s] Xinjiang [Province]

• Hence maybe why Snap should abandon Spectacles (but keep augmented reality) (The Drum) 

• While via Maekan: 🔥 Google aims to create a more inclusive camera.

• And to make storytelling more accessible to blind and low-vision audiences (Google) 

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• Inside the Movement to Clean Up the World’s Most Toxic Sites (Reasons to Be Cheerful)

• Also toxic: Vogue Business looks at the debate around leather. New findings argue it would be better for the world if hides — even as a byproduct of the meat industry — were left to rot in a landfill rather than processed into the material used for shoes and handbags.

• Meanwhile Seth Godin talks Bananas (and it’s not great).

• Fuck colony collapse, let’s dance: The Bees are a favorite band and “Chicken Payback” is an all-time jam. (Spotify)

• Also, turns out (real) bees are real lookers (Colossal)

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• Via Lean Luxe: Seems that the best design is to be left alone. The soothing world of Instagram’s computer-generated (and people-free) interiors. (New Yorker) 

• Elsewhere in minimal additions: welcome to the Dogme 95 of drinking, everybody. This wine? It’s BRUTAL. (WITI) 

• While, in heavily-processed news:  Future Perfect’s got a great state-of-the-state on Vegan Cheese… (Vox)

• Also heavily processed …. Q-Father Ron Watkins Is Starting a WikiLeaks for Aliens (Motherboard)

• More manipulation, from Josh Gardiner: “Science fiction artist and body architect Lucy McRae's speculative cushion machine has landed at Venice Biennale — made to offer lab-grown humans of the future a womb experience. (Dezeen)

• Also from Josh Gardiner: “Check out the Mont Icons podcast from Australia, hosted by writer Mahmood Fazal and musician Daniel Stewart (Total Control). Good long talks with Iceage's Elias Rønnenfelt, The Birthday Party legend and Bad Seed Mick Harvey, American podcaster and union activist Brace Belden, and more.” (Apple)

• Other listening: Rowing Blazers Jack Carlson talks to Ernest Wilkins and goes deep on philosophy, apparently. (Transistor)

• And other designers: Blackbird Spyplane reveals fave designer / repurposer Nicole McLauglin’s giant shoes and tiny hands…

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• McLaughlin-esque: Italian designer Andrew Kostman’s “flying jacket" is filled with helium instead of down and can be carried around like a balloon. (Dezeen)

• Speaking of flying, from Gordon Hull: [Nike notes that] At 16,000 feet, the folks who doubted you look pretty small” (Instagram) 

• The opposite of Adrian’s Kickback, via The Whippet: Comrade_Sinque on TikTok answers people’s questions about life in prison, and adjusting to life out of prison after 21 years. 

• While hot beach summer is coming (Recode)

• Finally to that end: All the Hacks is a new one from [SIC] homie Chris Hutchins to help people upgrade and optimize their life, money and travel. (Substack)

=====[SIC] 142: Elegant Benevolence=====