The Relevancy Read

Hot takes, early calls and astute observations, carefully curated.

A Sampling

Rock stars and english majors.

March 07, 2023

Dust off your bell bottoms, rock ‘n’ roll returns.

Pre-fall runway embraces glamourous rebellion, while the long awaited premiere of Daisy Jones & The Six teases an influx of 70’s rock aesthetics. Suki Waterhouse, one of the shows leading ladies, is already debuting street style inspiration throughout the press tour, a hint at fashion to come. Consider this your warning to brace for an incoming glam rock obsession and act quick on this merchandising and marketing moment. Give your favorite Fleetwood Mac album a listen to get the juices flowing.

Pop quiz! When’s the last time you read a classic?

On college campuses, English majors and overall enrollment in the humanities are in free fall. The writing is on the chalkboard—modern society values numbers and data over impressions and observations, dampening free thinking and the understanding of humanity, empathy, and history. Recently in publishing, novels like James Bond and the works of Roald Dahl have been reprinted to censor offensive language, sparking such backlash that Puffin Books reproduced a classics collection for the latter author with original text intact. We see this ushering in a renaissance of the life of the mind, materializing anywhere from prose and pens to bookish looks and soft skills. Study up on the classics and expect to see consumers value creditability and wisdom from the brands they engage with.

Lace, ballet flats, and bows. Oh my!

As we flagged in July 2022, unabashed femininity is flourishing in fashion, resulting in an array of "cores," like "ballet core" and the currently trending "coquette aesthetic." Part "cottage core," part update to the 2010's Lolita-Tumblr-style, this direction has a moody edge in which Lana Del Rey is "mother" and "sad girl" memes are doctrine. This Nylon article points out that Gen Z has recontextualized the aesthetic from exploitative and naive to an embrace of all that is divine and darkly feminine.

Co-ords are still cool.

Call it a co-ord progression or a match made in heaven, monochromatic dressing remains a fool-proof and effortless styling method. Designers add newness to the mix by incorporating accessories and footwear—see the psychedelic plaid pants and boot combo from Sunnei’s FW23 collection. Shying away from symmetrical and monotonous patterns, Kid Super colors outside the lines with a dynamic and artistic allover print.

When life gives you inflation, make Crunchwrap Supremes.

Elevating fast food gospel, Super Burrito’s Taco Bell-inspired Crunchwrap Supreme makes dining on a budget a delight. In expensive cities like London and New York, consumers are opting for intimate supper series over pricey restaurants, such as Jessie Jenkin’s £75 pre-fix Supper Club. At the grocery store, pretty packaging no longer justifies the splurge. Last week Sir Kensington’s discontinued its premium ketchup that once promised to disrupt the condiment isle with an aristocratic mascot.