Episodi
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In this edition of Study Break, we go deep on Sombrâs ED summer track âMy Body Isnât Ready,â make the case for Obsession star Inde Navarette as this generationâs Dead Wife Montage Stacy, and extol Erling Haalandâs universal Homo Erectus charm. We also assess Olivia Rodrigoâs and Gracie Abramsâ claims to girl-loserdom and the influence of childrenâs literature on menâs fashion week.
Links:
sombr - My Body Isnât Ready (official video)
James Blunt - Youâre Beautiful (official video)
James Bluntâs 13 most savage tweets
Olivia Rodrigo - honeybee
Olivia Rodrigo addresses the âbaby boy, honeybeeâ allegations
Olivia Rodrigo - the cure (official video)
Gracie Abrams - Look at My Life (official video)
Gracie Abrams - Daughter From Hell album art
Grace Abrams - The Secret of Us album art
Dior Menâs Spring 2027 Ready-to-Wear Collection
Celine Menâs Spring 2027 Ready-to-Wear Collection
Prada Menâs Spring 2027 Ready-to-Wear Collection
Worldpeace DMT - Love Yourself (official video)
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In this episode, we kick off the summer by denominating a colorful attitude toward dress manifesting bicoastally. Epitomized by brands like Emily Dawn Long, Brooke Callahan, and Cleo Camp, Crayola Casual is the funky counterpart to freaky minimalismâ accessory agnostic, anti-synthetic, built around hot saturated colors and the art of the easy-on easy-off. We review this aestheticâs historical antecedents, from fluid disco formalwear of the 70s (Halston, Stephen Burrows) to globalist chic sportswear of the 80s (Esprit, United Colors of Benetton). We also discuss Downtown New Yorkâs Maryam Nassir Zadeh as the missing link, classics of rainbow urbanism including Sesame Street and the Vignelli Subway Map, our predictions for an aerobics renaissance, and the creative exuberance of a season of parades, pop-ups, and pennants.
Links:
Image board
Cleo Camp
Brooke Callahan
Emily Dawn Long
Rummage Stretch
âVintage Sportswear Will Crush Your Alo Yoga Setsâ by Liana Satenstein for Neverworns
Allegra Samsen on Instagram
Ventriloquist Sophie Becker for Paloma Wool
âThe Accidental Trendsetterâ by Emilia Petrarca in The New York Times (Emily Dawn Long profile)
âThe Sisterhood of the Unraveling Pantsâ by Sarah Shapiro in Puck (on the rise of the easy pant)
âThe Sexy Sincerity of Maryam Nassir Zadehâ by Rachel Tashjian in Harperâs Bazaar
âHow Does Maryam Nassir Zadeh Stay in Business?â by Madeline Leung Coleman in The Cut
â1970â1979â from FITâs Fashion History Timeline
âA 1970s Fashion History Lesson: Disco, Designer Denim, and the Liberated Womanâ by Lilah Ramzi in Vogue
âThe Halstonettesâ by The Museum at FIT from the 2015 exhibit Yves Saint Laurent + Halston: Fashioning the 70s
âStephen Burrows, the CFDAâs 2024 Lifetime Achievement Winner, in the Words of 7 of His Closest Collaboratorsâ by Laird Borrelli-Persson in Vogue
âThe Radical History of Sesame Streetâ by Figgy Guyver in Frieze
âThe Quintessential Urban Design of Sesame Streetâ by Anna KodĂ© in The New York Times
âTowards a Better Way: The âVignelliâ Map at 50â (Digital Exhibit) â New York Transit Museum
Supergraphic Ultramodern â Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute
âThe rise and fall of Esprit, San Franciscoâs coolest clothing brandâ by Joshua Bote in SFGATE
âopening ceremonyâs founders on how esprit changed fashion (and the world)â â i-D
âEspritâs Brand Booksâ by Jill Singer in Sight Unseen (on Esprit: The Comprehensive Design Principle from 1989)
âFrom Plain Jane to Esprit: The Making of a California Iconâ by Bertrand Pellegrin
âBenetton: Celebrating a Colorful Historyâ by Amanda Kaiser in WWD
âHistoryâ â Gap, Inc.
âKhaki Swingâ â 1998 Gap Commercial on YouTube
Something Wild (1986) dir. Jonathan Demme â Official Trailer
Excerpt from Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There by David Brooks
âEverything You Need to Know About the Battle of Versailles on the 50th Anniversary of the Eventâ by Laird Borrelli-Persson in Vogue
âFashionâ - The 1973 World Book Year Book
âYanks Pull Off Paris Fashion Heistâ by Eugenia Sheppard in The Los Angeles Times
Big Bad Wolf workout class on TikTok
Aerobics by Kenneth H. Cooper
ăšăąăăăŻă«ăčïœAeropickles on YouTube
â1988 Crystal Light National Aerobic Championship Openingâ on YouTube
Audrey Hobert live performances: trenchcoat reveal, mini trampoline
Audrey Hobert x Fishwife Tinned Fish Bundle
âForget Euro Summer. Brands Are Having a Wet, Hot American Summerâ by Madeleine Schulz in Vogue (pop-up economy write-up)
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Episodi mancanti?
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In this episode, Sam is joined by friend of the pod Anika Jade Levy, author of Flat Earth and founding editor of Forever Magazine, for a sprawling investigation into the paranoid spirit of the United States of America. Beginning with the Americaâs founding fantasy of paradise, Anika and Sam trace how the countryâs utopian dream soured into a national aesthetic of suspicion: from Puritan invisible enemies and the feminized conspiracy of the Salem Witch Trials, to the pastoral terror of data centers humming in the American wilderness, to cyberpunk stealthwear, urban camouflage, hollow earths, Atlantis, visions of a lost world, and much, much more. Drawing from Leo Marx, Richard Hofstadter, Adam Curtis, Cotton Mather, Anette Kolodny, Silvia Federici, and Anikaâs own novel, the girls move through history, politics, media, and fashion to uncover what conspiracy reveals about American self-invention.
Links:
Anikaâs Instagram
Flat Earth by Anika Jade Levy
Forever Magazine
Agens Denisâs A Confrontation: Battery Park Landfil
The Machine in the Garden by Leo Marx
The Paranoid Style in American Politics by Richard Hofstadter
The Lay of the Land by Annette Kolodny
Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici
The Significance of the Frontier in American History by Fredrick Jackson Turner
Wonders of the Invisible World by Cotton Mather
The Cultural Cold War by Frances Stonor Saunders
CV Dazzle
Balenciaga Panic of 2022
Lotta Volkova Conspiracy
Data Center Hum on TikTok
Mr. Bean/Princess Diana Reel
The Century of the Self by Adam Curtis
MAGA as Fan Fiction by Gideon Jacobs
Player One and Main Character by Gideon Jacobs
New Models: The Online Marketplace of Ideas with Joshua Citarella
The Gurdjieff Movements
The New Age Bible by Sheila Heiti
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In this episode, weâre joined by legendary TikTok creator, Slushy Noobz creative director, and certified #SWAG Dadaism pioneer Chase Rutherford to further interrogate the ideas introduced in our previous episode. We discuss the freedom of default aesthetics and the legacy of normcore, the provocative power of readymades over a century after Fountain, how Kanye anchored the preppy misfit years of Chaseâs youth, and how Chase resisted the siren song of LA influencer culture in favor of creative autonomy. We also discuss the art historical impact of BeyoncĂ© and Jay-Z at the Louvre, how Sombrâs personal brand might still be salvaged, and the importance of reframing transient microtrendsâfrom clout goggles to Brazil baby teeâas the significant cultural artifacts of our time.
Links:
Chase Rutherford on Instagram
Chase Rutherford on TikTok
Slushy Noobz on Patreon
Slushy Noobz official merchandise
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In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the less-than-triumphant return of Euphoria and Sam Levinsonâs pivot to everythingsplotation Western, Michael Jacksonâs new hagiography and the grotesque legacy that transcends it, and recent fashioncore highlights from the literalism of the Met Gala to the nostalgia of The Devil Wears Prada 2. We also discuss the Substack truth nuke that rocked the indie music scene, Olivia Rodrigoâs coquette comeback, The Dramaâs fresh take on the tribulations of female adolescence, and more.
Links:
Suga Free the Pimp on Instagram
Pimp: The Story of My Life by Iceberg Slim
âWhy Is Everything So Ugly?â in Issue 44 of n+1
âFashion Is Not Art (And Thatâs OK)â by Valerie Steele in Someone Else
âSee Every Look from the Met Gala 2026 Red Carpetâ in Vogue
Hudson Williams MUA Aika Flores Pinterest board leak
Hudson Williams heading home at 7am following the Met Gala after party
âAbnormals, Freaks, and Michael Jackson: Foucault, Baldwin, and the Truth of the Grotesqueâ by Brad Elliott Stone
âFreaks and the American Ideal of Manhood (Here Be Dragons)â by James Baldwin, originally published in Playboy, January 1985
Rabelais and His World by Mikhail Bakhtin
Michael Jackson describes his first sexual encounter with Tatum OâNeal (2003)
Telephone Stories: The Trials of Michael Jackson on Spotify
On Michael Jackson by Margo Jefferson
âMeryl Streep and Anna Wintour on Power, Fashion, and Acting the Partâ (April 2026 cover story) by Chloe Malle in Vogue
Synopsis: Innocence by Kaija Saariaho from the Metropolitan Opera
Olivia Rodrigo â drop dead (Official Music Video)
Olivia Rodrigo â begged (Live) on Saturday Night Live
âFake Fansâ by Eliza McLamb in words from eliza on Substack
Nancy Pelosi Endorses Jack Schlossberg For Congress
Acquired Style x Swan Beauty Viral Bachelorette Party
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In this episode, we coin a new term for one of the most interesting creative impulses of our generation: #SWAG Dadaism. Like the original Dadaists responding to the whiplash of industrialization and WWI, a certain subset of young creatives are responding to the vertigo of global instability and breathless technological futurism through fashion assemblage, IP maximalism, and a fearless embrace of all things chopped and random. We conduct a historical survey from Clement Greenbergâs theory of kitsch and the avant-garde to the early days of meme culture to explore page fashion parodists of the past decade. We also get into Justin Bieber and TimothĂ©e Chalametâs parallel #SWAG rebrands, the collapse of the secondhand market and its unexpected creative upside, and how #SWAG exists as the antithesis of refinement culture.
Links:
Image board
Dada Manifesto by Tristan Tzara (1918)
âAvant-Garde and Kitschâ by Clement Greenberg from The Partisan Review (1939)
âThe First Meme of 2026 Is About Not Explaining Yourself. And Buttons.â by Madison Malone Kircher for The New York Times
Chase Rutherford on Instagram (referenced posts one, two, three)
Chase Rutherford interview for Perfectly Imperfect
@okniceok on Instagram
@kalebphobic on TikTok re: digicore sampling
Canal Street Research Association and Shanzhai Lyric on Instagram
âBags, Bootlegs and Art: A Quirky Communion on Canal Streetâ by Siddhartha Mitter in The New York Times
Ava Nirui / @avanope interview in Office magazine (2017)
âMeet Ava Nirui, The Creative Force Behind Marc Jacobsâ Heaven Lineâ by Eni Subair in Vogue (2020)
âGo To The Thrift Store Thatâs Where The Heat Isâ on Know Your Meme
@harmonytividad âfilet minionâ post on Instagram
Middle school boy bar crawl on TikTok
Tung Tung Tung Sahur boxers outfit on TikTok
@twylatoktok on TikTok (referenced posts one, two, three)
@turtlewithhat_ / Izzy and Emma pink leggings outfits
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In this weekâs episode, weâre joined by critical mastermind Caroline Cai (aka Clairolime) to unpack what weâre calling Catalan Chicslop, the downtempo, sophisticated, quietly freaky aesthetic championed by brands like Paloma Wool and Gimaguas. We discuss how this look evolved from avant-basic dopamine dressing, its influences from â90s minimalism to early 20th century experimental couture, Barcelonaâs history as a modernist aura farm, post-Phoebe Philo feminist-lite brand mythos, and strategies to transcend the tyranny of chicness. We also analyze the aestheticâs appeal to women across successive life stages, from 13-year-old Penelope Dissick to microinfluencer gallerinas to mysterious pregnant brunettes. Links:
@clairolime on Instagram
Image board
Relevant brands: Paloma Wool, Gimaguas, Susmieâs Collection, Belle Anna, Deiji Studios, Buci, Geel, DĂ©modĂ©MODĂ
âHow Spainâs Indie Fashion Scene Nailed Global Growthâ in Business of Fashion
âThese Brands are Putting Spanish Style on the Mapâ by Zoe Suen in W
âPaloma Wool: From Cool to Basic and Back Againâ by Yola Mzizi in The New York Times
Paintings by Ramon Casas (Ex. 1, Ex. 2, Ex. 3, Ex. 4)
Paloma Woolâs âSan SebastiĂĄn 2025â campaign featuring Carlotta Baan
âStudio Visit: Paloma Woolâ in Sleek magazine (2023)
âWhere Are All the Women Designers?â by Emma Childs in Marie Claire
Chicslop runoff examples from Miaou, Frankieâs Bikinis, Guizio, Jaded London, Revolve house brands Lioness and Lovers and Friends, With Jean, UNIFHAIM - Relationships (Official Music Video)
Crumbs from Penelope Dissickâs deleted TikTok photo dump
Emma Chamberlainâs âi got rid of (almost) everythingâ closet video
âT-boy swag: Claiming space where trans people feel we donât inherently belongâ by Reanna Cruz in NPR
Note from Alexi: Iâm sorry I mispronounced Phoebe Philo omg put your chic pewter pitchforks down!!
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In this edition of Study Break, the girls review the latest cultural dispatches, including the newest wave of attention-seeking fashion week stunts (from Fakemink at Balenciaga to Bryan Johnson lurking at MatiĂšres FĂ©cales), the Buffalo Bill realness of Robert Pattinson and Zendayaâs Interview Magazine cover, Tyra Banksâs wacky legacy, Hillary Clintonâs bleach-and-tone, the rise of Wuthering Heights womanslop, and more!
Links:
Fakemink for Dazed
Brian Johnson for Fecal Matter in Paris
Robert Pattinson and Zendaya for Interview Magazine
Jim Carrey Clone Allegations
Alexis Stone Jim Carrey Prank
Punch the Monkey
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In this weekâs episode, we discuss Romantasy, the Franken-genre that has conquered the publishing world and defined the libidinal landscapes of a generation of women. We decode the genreâs DNA from dimestore bodice-rippers to high fantasy epics, examine the sociological profile of its authors and audiences, and explore how itâs mutated in the digital age via AI visualizers and high-budget audio erotica. We also talk about Renaissance faires, fujoshi discourse, the mirror image of male vs. female gooning in popular culture, Emerald Fennellâs Wuthering Heights as the BookTok movie of the century, and more. Links: Image board
Samâs Romantasy Spotify Playlist
âDid a Best-Selling Romantasy Author Steal Another Writerâs Story?â by Katy Waldman in The New Yorker
âShe Fell in Love With ChatGPT. Then She Ghosted It.â (r/MyBoyfriendIsAI profile) by Kashmir Hill in The New York Times
âGender difference in brain activation to audio-visual sexual stimulationâ by Chung et. al. in PubMed
âSexual Scripts: Permanence and Changeâ by William Simon and John H. Gagnon in Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 15, No. 2
âHow the Renaissance Fair became Americaâs favorite fantasyâ by Kelly Faircloth in National Geographic
r/AskAHistorian discussions about medievalism and high fantasy (one, two, three)
The Oxford Handbook of Victorian Medievalism ed. Joanne Parker and Corinna Wagner
Hard to Be a God (2013) dir. Aleksei German
Candlelight Ecstasy Romance Guidelines c. 1980
Love Story magazine ed. Daisy Bacon (1921â1947) (see covers here)
âThe Uses of Reading Mass-Produced Romance Fictionâ (Harlequin study) by Susan B. Neuman (1985)
History of the âsex and shoppingâ genre by Pascal TrĂ©guer
âGirls Who Love Boys Who Love Boysâ by E. Alex Jung in Vulture
Interview with Quinn founder and CEO Caroline Spiegel in Refinery29
âAural Fixation: Celebrity Audio Erotica Is 2025âs Answer to the Centerfoldâ by Hannah Jackson in Vogue
âThe Importance of Critical Thinking in a Zombiefied Worldâ (Why romantasy is crucial to understanding Apple TVâs hit show Pluribus) by Maris Kreizman in The Atlantic
âLiking Books is Not a Personalityâ by Hannah McGregor in Electric Literature
@shauna_the_author on Instagram
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In this weekâs episode, weâre joined by actress and generational internet phenomenon Ivy Wolk (Anora, The English Teacher) to discuss her sartorial origins from roller derby to riot grrl to rockabilly, the sorry state of the Theatre, the evolving identity of the character actor, the cult mystique of a volatile decade-long online presence, and why cultural curiosity may be the closest thing we have to world peace. Ivy also weighs in on the uncanny e-girl invasion of the latest Guess campaign and reflects on the spirit of authentic Angeleno style.
Links:
Ivy Wolk on Instagram
Theatre and Film on Tape Archive at NYPL for the Performing Arts
Mike Tysonâs âfat and nastyâ MAHA Super Bowl ad
Pelotonâs Kendall Toole in viral âget âem bannedâ clip
Guess girl Instagam campaign
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In this edition of Study Break, we survey the triumph and tragedy of the 2026 Grammys and deliver our official assessment of the Momania (The Moment + Melania) double feature. The declaration of war on Sombr is formally expanded to include newcomer Olivia Dean, and the strange theater of Latino representation in Hollywood comes under review. Elsewhere, several urgent notes are issued to the pop music PR puppeteers who seem to have lost motor control of talents like Jelly Roll and Billie Eilish. We also unpack the honky tonk heartbreak of Bella Hadid and Adan Banuelos, Gagaâs McQueen resurrection, Justin Bieberâs soulful Captain Underpants realness, the newest wave of Windrush Generation excellence, and more!
Links:
Sacheen Littlefeather accepting an Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando
Adan Banuelos Arrested for Public Intoxication
Bella Hadid dancing in a Honky Tonk with Adan Banuelos
Theo Von on Jelly Roll Acceptance Speeches
Zillennial Cozy Funk Wedding
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In this week's episode, we examine a specific brand of dark femininity that feels like a vestige of 2016, embodied through dramatic imagery of luxury accessories, cartoon vixens, and predatory wildlife, and expressed through a paradoxical strain of man-hating male centrism. We discuss this aestheticâs positioning in opposition to the Clean Girl and how interpersonal dynamics popularized by sex work inform its understanding of power and money. We also investigate why the dark feminine resonates so deeply among women of the so-called âLatina belt,â drawing connections to chola culture and Arabic literary traditions to explore how this affect functions as a negotiation between patriarchal tradition and Western ideas about female sexuality and autonomy. Finally, we identify the aestheticâs greatest arbiters and muses, from Helmut Newton and Riccardo Tisci to Maddy Perez and BLACKPINKâs Lisa.Links:
Image board
Examples on Instagram, TikTok
Ralph Bakshi: A Forgotten Pioneer
Rihanna - B***h Better Have My Money (Explicit) (Official Music Video)
BbyMutha - RULES (Official Music Video)
Why Men Love B*****s: From Doormat to Dreamgirl by Sherry Argov
âHow the Cholo Clown Became the Face of L.A.â by Frank Rojas for LA Times (âSmile Now, Cry Laterâ history)
Viral Alexa Demie Yo Voy clip
Ghazal History â Encyclopaedia Iranica
BLACKPINKâs Lisa introduces âVixiâ
@shopnou_ on Instagram
âThe Wild World of Chris von Wangenheimâ by Daisy Woodward for AnOther
Chris von Wanghenheim on TheFashionSpot
âPomellato Revives Helmut Newtonâs Daring â80s Campaigns in a New Showâ by Annie Davidson Watson for W
Ricardo Tisci by Donatella Versace for Interview
Givenchy Fall 2011 Menswear on Vogue Runway
Givenchy Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear on Vogue Runway
Givenchy Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear on Vogue Runway
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In the first Study Break of the year, Biz and Sam survey the state of the world refracted through the prism of pop culture. They discuss Odessa AâZionâs wig allegations, the hypernormal clownery of Nicolas Maduroâs kidnapping, Bella Hadidâs blonde hair omen, and the pop-princess perfection of Zara Larsson. Plus: a meditation on time in the second quarter of the 21st century, viewed through the anamorphic looking glass of Hollisterâs 2016 anachronism, Cameron Winterâs Dorian Grey agelessness, and North Westâs prodigious beat-making potential.
Links:
Hollisterâs Tumblr Drop
2016 Revisionism
Stateside + Zara Larsson by Pink Panthress
North Westâs Beatmaking Sample
Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall
Bella Hadid for Dazed MENA
@shop_reallifeasliv
Carnival Time, Hardness, and the Machines That Process Excess by Sachin on Substack
Work-Hardened Archetypes by Sachin on Substack
Venezuelan Oil Explainer in The Guardian
Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques
Oil Company Pushback in The Guardian
Who is Zach Bryanâs Wife?
Rama Duwaji Profile in The Cut
Previous Episodes Referenced:
Ep. 76: Get Silly
Ep. 24: The Snapocalypse
Ep. 25: America (with Light Townsend Cummins)
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This week, we herald the coming of the Pastel Grunge Revival, a new wave of candy-colored femininity characterized by an eclectic and deliberately unsettling fusion of childlike innocence and overt sensuality. We discuss the styleâs influencesâ soft grunge Tumblr imagery, cartoon nostalgia, Harajuku fashion, sex worker style, and moreâ and unpack the social functions of age regression, self-objectification, and homosocial fantasy that resonate with young women online. We also provide a brief overview of pastels in visual culture from the 1950s to present, and we explore the myriad reasons why this aesthetic emerged from Los Angeles in particular.
Special thank you to Monica @finalformfemale for this episode idea!!
Links:
Image board
Ashley Williams â Vogue Runway
f5ve â I Choose You (Official MV)
PGR It Girls and Creative Forces Masterlist: Mazzy Joya, Savannah Hudson, Miss Madeline and Chase Icon, Cannelle, ADĂLA, Manon Macasaet, Lexi Kingery, Kennedy Dechet, Natasha Somerville, Aerin Moreno
Shopbluedream.us and @shopbluedream on Instagram for an inspired selection of PGR clothing
Misc. PGR brands: Lovett, OGBFF, OMIGHTY, Poster Girl, I.AM.GIA, Poison Candy Apple, WeedSlut
TikToks of girls posting their younger selves to sad songs
Accidentally getting a job as a stripper in Japan TikTok storytime
fakemink - Easter Pink (Prod Suzy Sheer) (Official MV)
Rhode remakes Richard Avedonâs iconic Versace 1994 campaign
OG Soft Grunge It Girls: Joanna Kuchta, Shelby Hamilton aka meowshelbs, Erika Kamano fka Erika Bowes
Gwen Stefani and the Harajuku Girls (2005)
Nicki Minaj explains Harajuku Barbie (2009) (+ Nickiâs iconic pastel necklaces by ONCH)
Rapper CeeChynaa shows off her vintage doll collection
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After a brief hiatus, the Nymphies are BACK!! In this annual ceremony, we honor 2025âs greatest achievements in fashion and culture with awards from us at the Nymphet Alumni Academy of Arts and Sciences, including categories such as Best and Worst Rebrand, Outfit of the Year, Best Sillyboy, and Best Brainrot Trend, featuring exclusive access to our careful deliberation process. We lay to rest dearly departed aesthetics of years past, and we end the evening by announcing the winner of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, immortalizing one true legend in the Nymphet Alumni canon. For the first time, weâve also tallied up your votes for the Readerâs Choice Awards!
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In this episode, weâre joined (again!!) by Avery Trufelman, the grand dame of fashion podcasting, to discuss the latest installment of her podcast, Articles of Interest, titled Gear. In this meticulously researched series, Avery dives deep into the history of tactical/outdoor fashion and the ways in which the United States Military and the world of high-tech performance wear continuously influence each other. She answers our pressing questions about American frontier cosplay, the symbolism of the modern field jacket, the innovations behind lightweight tech, and why gear has reemerged as a major fashion language. We also touch on the future of patriotism ahead of the countryâs 250th anniversary and the rise of meme-ified military archetypes among Gen Z.
Links:
Articles of Interest on Substack
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In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the return of press tour psychodrama surrounding Wicked: For Good, the concerning midwittery of the Met Galaâs recent theme announcement, DLlegations in the highest office of the nation, and profiles in infidelity and iMessage confessionalism featuring Olivia Nuzzi and Lily Allen. We also review Vanity Fairâs latest Hollywood issue while reflecting on the bygone golden age of Hollywood ensemble editorials, and we launch a counteroffensive against Sombr in his war on 25-year-olds.
Links:
Vanity Fairâs 2026 Hollywood Issue: âLetâs Hear It For the Boysâ
Twilight cast for Vanity Fair December 2008
âHollywoodâs Next Waveâ in Vanity Fair August 2008 (feat. Kristen Stewart, Amanda Seyfried)
âItâs Raining Teensâ in Vanity Fair July 2003
Druski + Timothee Chalamet hold auditions for Coulda Been Records in Brooklyn
Viral Sombr concert review on TikTok + Sombrâs response
PyjamaMann (Johnson Wen)
Anime cardboard cutouts kid (Tobyn Jacobs)
Bob Army â Saturday Night Live sketch on YouTube
Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Spring 2026 Press Release â âCostume Artâ
Ken Burns | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #615
âI Left My Homeâ US Army Cadence on TikTok
Cassius Thundercock on KnowYourMeme
Nicki Minaj speaks at the United Nations on behalf of the Trump administration
âPostscript to an Open Marriage: On Lily Allenâs West End Girlâ by Jean Garnett â The Paris Review
âOlivia Nuzzi Did It All for Loveâ by Jacob Bernstein â The New York Times
Ryan Lizza on Substack
Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun
Ice Spice - Big Guy (from The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants) on YouTube
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In this weekâs episode, we develop a theory of Scientifica, a fashion aesthetic that borrows from the visual language of science, with influences ranging from Victorian taxonomy to Utopian Scholastic nostalgia to legacy science-fiction world-building. We examine recent manifestations of this impulseârunway shows that feel like scientific exhibitions or presentations, references to astronomical phenomena and archival display, and couture idealization of intellegentsia femininityâand question what it means when the fashion world aligns with objective inquiry and institutional knowledge in the face of epistemological crisis.
Links:
âThe Universe According to TimothĂ©eâ by Mattie Kahn, shot by Annie Leibovitz â Vogue (December 2025 cover story)
Chanel Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear by Matthieu Blazy
âThe pioneering âgreat menâ of Victorian science were once attacked for being unmanlyâ by Heather Ellis â The Conversation
âVictorian Egyptomania: How a 19th Century Fetish for Pharaohs Turned Seriously Spookyâ â History Answers
Utopian Scholastic â Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute
âUnderstanding the Japanese Influences Behind Star Warsâ by Ollie Barder â Forbes
Overview of Pseudoarchaeology
âThe Complicating Role of the Private Sector in Spaceâ by Victoria Samson â Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
âGoodbye, $165,000 Tech Jobs. Student Coders Seek Work at Chipotleâ by Natasha Singer â The New York Times
College Board Research Brief on U.S. High School Studentsâ Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence
âHistorians See Autocratic Playbook in Trumpâs Attacks on Scienceâ by William J. Broad â The New York Times
Protecting Freedom of Science and Preventing Distortion of Scientific Truth: A Statement of Concern from the Catholic Churchâs Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Tech oligarch freakshow: Elon Musk says AI is more dangerous than nukes, Peter Thielâs creepy ahh lectures on the Antichrist, Sam Altman creepy ahh references to an AI kill switch
Vogue Paris December 1998/January 1999 Discussion â TheFashionSpot
The Price of Illusion: A Memoir by Joan Juliet Buck
Pradaâs spacesuit design for Axiom Space, âthe worldâs first commercial space stationâ
âAs Prada Pairs With NASA, a Look at the Best Space-Inspired Looks From the Runwayâ by Laird Borrelli-Persson â Vogue
âWas TimothĂ©e Chalametâs Vogue Cover Really So Out of This World?â by Jacob Gallagher â The New York Times
âMichelle Obama Is the Perfect Partner in Matthieu Blazyâs Modern Chanel Suitingâ â Vogue
Venice W. SpringâSummer 2026: Sparkling Sea (Symposium)
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In this episode, we are honored to be joined by pop princess and fashion icon Kim Petras to discuss the world of inspiration behind her newest project, especially the Fashioncore anthem heard around the world, âI Like Ur Look.â Kim walks us through her formative fashion memories, from aspirational MTV programming to inaugural designer grails, and tells us about her latest archival obsessions, including her special connection to Marc Jacobs-era Louis Vuitton. We also discuss the tension between authenticity and reinvention, the heritage of electronic music in Europe, our proposal for party reform, and more.
Links:
Kim Petras on Instagram
Kim Petras HQ
Kim Petras - I Like Ur Look (Official Music Video)
Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton (dir. LoĂŻc Prigent)
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In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the ragebait spectacle of Paris Fashion Week, darksided news from Hollywood featuring Tilly Norwood and D4vd, lives of showgirls everywhere from Taylor Swiftâs possible schizophrenia diagnosis to Addison Raeâs vintage scream queen moment to Zara Larssonâs sublime vocal talent, and the cultural warfare fallout of Bad Bunnyâs road to the Super Bowl. Sam also reviews Paul Thomas Andersonâs One Battle After Another and we discuss the curious case of Chase Infiniti.
Links:
Jean Paul Gaultier Spring 2026 by Duran Lantink
Cardi B âshe was so happy to look a messâ Tweet (Gypsy Sport Spring 2016)
Balenciaga Spring 2026 by Pierpaolo Piccioli
Maison Margiela Spring 2026 by Glenn Martens
âWhen Did New York Fashion Week Get So Boring?â by Rachel Seville Tashjian for The Washington Post
Ben Doctor Spring 2026
Keith Urban and Maggie Baugh affair rumors amid Nicole Kidman split
Tilly Norwood Official Website
âHollywood is Already Falling Behind on AI Videoâ by Lucas Shaw for Bloomberg
âEverything We Know About D4VDâ â Billboard
Chase Infinitiâs K-pop dance cover of âOMGâ by NewJeans
Addison Raeâs performance in Ryan Murphyâs Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Addison Rae performs âDiet Pepsi / New Yorkâ on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Taylor Swift explains her song âActually Romanticâ
âIrony and Proverb Comprehension in Schizophrenia: Do Female Patients âDislikeâ Ironic Remarks?â in Schizophrenia Research and Treatment
Zara Larsson on Swedenâs Got Talent in 2008
El Chavo Del Ocho (English Version) - Saturday Night Live starring Bad Bunny
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