Twenty-year-old London-based twins Evelina and Lola Tajie have turned the double-take into an art form with a delightfully absurd series of videos in which the models evoke the eerie, unsettling symmetry of the Grady sisters in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980). On the final day of Gemini season (and their birthday!) we caught up with the pair to talk matching outfits, twin telepathy, and why spending seven hours apart can feel like losing a limb.

When did you start posting online, and what made you want to

Evelina Tajie: We started posting videos when we were 16. Initially, we enjoyed dressing up in interesting outfits, putting on makeup, and making videos for ourselves, but later we started going viral. This motivated us to take filming more seriously.

@_evaat__ @_evaat__ ♬ оригинальный звук - PIVNEVA🪩🏹

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Where are you based?

Lola Tajie: We live in London. It really inspires us. We love walking in parks and enjoying nature.

How do you relate to being Geminis?

Evelina: I think we’re a perfect representation: It’s like we have two personalities within each of us.

What’s something only the two of you would understand?

Lola: Life as the center of attention.

Describe each other in three words.

Evelina: Confident, eccentric, fun.

Lola: Perfectionist, caring, stylish.

What was your first shared obsession growing up?

Evelina: We crocheted toys and clothes together.

What’s your favorite movie?

Evelina: Crash (1996).

Lola: Dreamers (2002).

What’s the best part of having a twin?

Lola: The unconditional love. Your twin is the closest person you have: They will support you in everything, take care of you, and love you with the purest love forever.

@_evaat__ @_evaat__ ♬ оригинальный звук - PIVNEVA🪩🏹

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Who would survive longer on a reality show?

Evelina: Lola because she loves being social and interacting with people.

Lola: Yeah, I’m better at getting along with people and smoothing over conflicts.

What’s the last thing you influenced each other to buy?

Evelina: I pushed Lola to buy some colored jeans. She didn’t want to buy them because she thought they were useless, but I thought the idea was really funny. She ended up buying them but never wore them.

Lola: Just yesterday, I pushed Evelina to buy some pastries. She’s usually very careful about her figure and doesn’t like junk food, but I insisted and she enjoyed them.

How many hours do you spend together a day?

Evelina: We spend all our free time together and are rarely apart. We love shopping and coming up with new outfits for our videos. We also play sports together and hang out with friends.

What’s the longest amount of time you’ve ever spent apart?

Lola: Probably 7 hours, but whenever we’re away from each other we immediately start to feel like we’re missing some part of ourselves.

Who’s more likely to answer a text immediately?

Evelina: Lola is more likely to answer. She’s responsible for all our communication.

A whisper of fabric hugs the foot so delicately it looks less like a shoe and more like a second skin in Evelina Kryvopust’s designs. Ever since she began sharing snippets from her latest collection online, the 22-year-old has been ricocheting across explore pages and moodboards. Created as part of the Ukrainian designer’s thesis show for the Florence fashion university Polimoda, the idea began with a photograph of Susan Sontag at work, her feet in thin, almost invisible flats. We caught up with Kryvopust, who graduated earlier this week, to talk early obsessions, studio life, and what comes next.

Where did you grow up, and what was your world like there?

I grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine in a fairly large family that started to grow during my teenage years because I was the first child. Despite this, I was almost always quite detached from family matters and children, although I love them very much. Mostly I was in my room, in my own world full of films and books. I’ve always listened to a huge amount of music, and I used to make my own videos on YouTube. I made playlists for specific moods, kept enormous lists of reviews of the books I read, and wrote my own poems.

When did you first become interested in fashion, and when did you realize you wanted to become a designer?

I had a very academic education, and the school where I studied made us think that only serious work could be considered respectable. Because of this, I retreated from the idea of engaging in a creative profession. Although I painted all my life, danced professionally, sang, and played instruments, the main thing that always brought me back to creativity was the fact that I did not have a large circle of friends. I spent a lot of time in my head and in communication with myself. I was always as honest with myself as possible, and I understood that fashion is what I would like to do, but it took me a long time to return to this thought. I even studied journalism for 3 years at a university in Ukraine before the full-scale invasion began and I moved to Italy to study. Although I think about it now, I remember when in elementary school we were asked what our dream job was, and my answer was a fashion designer.

What’s your earliest memory of making something?

My vivid memory is of making collages between the ages of 5 and 12. At that time I lived in an apartment with my parents and grandparents. My grandmother always collected all the magazines from the mailboxes, knowing that in the evening I would cut them out and make collages. They are still preserved in her folders.

Do you usually start from films, images, or personal feelings when you design?

I start by trying things on myself. I try to move away from that to some extent and teach people how to make things without my physical presence in them, but I always have to see all my pieces on myself, from the first draping to the final pieces.

Are there any designers or artists you’re really inspired by right now?

Oh yes, I’m absolutely obsessed with Colin Benders and dream about hearing him live. For me, his music is a pure, mastered art. And then Florentina Holzinger, for me she’s an artist of the year.

What was the process of developing your shoe prototype?

The idea of creating this particular shoe was inspired by a photo of Susan Sontag, where she talks to her son in her office. I noticed the shoes she was wearing in that photo, and they were very thin ballerina flats that literally followed the shape of her foot. I started doing more research on different women who worked in the intellectual field, journalists and writers, and I noticed that a lot of them wore shoes that were very close to anatomical ones. From that moment on, I started collecting various vintage and small socks that I just tried on myself, saw how they looked and how they fit. The person who was involved in actually creating the shoes and putting all the pieces together is this man named Nicolo in Naples. In 2 weeks he managed to make six pairs of shoes, which required very painstaking work because they are all made of quite thin materials like lace, nylon pantyhose, and socks. He did an almost unreal job. I took a photo with a silicone variation of the sock where I simply attached the heel with glue, and posted the photo to Instagram. In a day I had 100,000 views.

How would you describe your studio life while working on this collection—what does a typical day actually look like?

Usually, I’m a person who finds it quite difficult to get up very early, so I would go in around 10 a.m., have breakfast, and start working on my things. It’s very different every day. Maybe I’m working on the sketch, maybe I’m working on pattern-making. Usually, I spend most of my time on pattern-making and fitting sessions. I was always at the university’s studio until it closes at 8 p.m.

What was the most intense or stressful moment during your graduation collection development?

I worked in Italy where I had to constantly stay in contact with different suppliers and companies that were involved. Every day, I had to call everyone to ask how they were doing, then find out if someone had forgotten something, lost something, didn’t have time to finish it, and all the deadlines were constantly being pushed. I’m used to the fact that in Ukraine it’s possible to solve any problem as quickly and easily as possible, while in Italy somehow any small problem turned into a gigantic one.

Now that you’re graduating, what comes next for you—what are you hoping to do after Polimoda?

I’m looking for an internship. I am open to different offers and open to moving, so I am currently applying to different companies.

Interview by KIRSTEN CHEN
Photos by ELSA HAMMARÉN

Kirsten Chen: Hi, Sotce. Where in the world are you?

Sotce: Thailand. It’s 10:30 p.m. here. Sorry, I look kind of scary. I got micro-needling done, and now I have a black eye.

Kirsten: What are you doing in Thailand?

Sotce: I’m working on my novel and preparing a retreat in Estonia for July.

Kirsten: What is your novel about?

Sotce: How to love. It takes place in a secluded monastery. The protagonist falls in love with the guru and with a fellow disciple.

Kirsten: Is there a type of novelist that you aspire to be?

Sotce: I don’t know, but novelist is just such a fun word, like it’s so elitist and niche. Calling myself one, I feel like I’m a little girl wearing her mom’s high heels. But I guess I like when I read something that’s so precisely related to an experience of mine that I could never articulate myself. I do feel so overwhelmed by the amount of books there are in the world. I try not to think about it.

Kirsten: People want to talk about how many clothing brands there are, but nobody’s talking about how many books there are, and books are the oldest thing.

Sotce: Yeah, exactly. But in general, there’s probably too much of everything—or maybe not enough.

Kirsten: How many hours a day do you spend writing?

Sotce: Not many.

Kirsten: What about drawing?

Sotce: I guess it varies, but most of the time I think I just do the same shit as everyone else.

Kirsten: Who is Sotce?

Sotce: An image that perfectly fills a role, and is watched and listened to.

Kirsten: How do you pronounce it?

Sotce: Sot-see.

Kirsten: Where did she come from?

Sotce: I needed someone to be braver than I was. For a long time it was a specific storyline and professing the questions related to that. Now, I think I will always work under this name. It’s nice to have some privacy.

Kirsten: How much of yourself as Amelia goes into Sotce? How do you draw the line?

Sotce: It is all me just without the heavier bits, and I try to make everything fresh-seeming and universal.

Kirsten: Do you ever want to stop being Sotce?

Sotce: It can be a bit lonely, to keep something going that makes no sense. And the entertainment industry can be quite risky and harmful. But I like her. I will keep being her.

Kirsten: Did you spend time online when you were young?

Sotce: I was in fairy forums with other little girls.

Kirsten: Where did you grow up?

Sotce: I grew up on both coasts of America and moved four times by the time I was 9.

Kirsten: What did you want to be when you grew up?

Sotce: A pilot.

Kirsten: What is it about flying that you like the most?

Sotce: The feeling of being nowhere.

Kirsten: Have you ever worked a more conventional job?

Sotce: Not really. I’ve been kind of exempt from that, but I wish I knew what it was like. I guess I worked at [redacted] at 18, but let’s not include the name... I feel like it’s a little too earthly to keep in.

Kirsten: Is there a mantra you currently live by?

Sotce: Improve or dismiss. No fear. Focus on safety. Courage and decency. Every day is an opportunity.

Kirsten: What kind of protection do you maintain for your spirituality?

Sotce: I’m very, very private about that stuff, especially as I go further into my public domain.

Kirsten: Privacy is a great form of security across all aspects of someone.

Sotce: Do you think privacy is lying?

Kirsten: No, for me, it’s when I get to be the most truthful. Do you have any spiritual advice on masturbation?

Sotce: Keep calm and carry on.

Kirsten: What are some words that you do not let enter your daily life or vocabulary?

Sotce: I never curse.

Kirsten: Is spiraling good, bad, neutral?

Sotce: I think the body shows you where it needs more support. A lot of the time, we can step back from our emotional currents and understand them as a reaction, whether that means a need for safety or quiet or exercise.

Kirsten: If a person doesn’t have the vocabulary for something, are they safe from feeling it?

Sotce: This is kind of Lacanian, like how when we call something by a name it ceases to be what it actually is because the truth of it is indefinite. The names assigned to things flatten them. There’s more purity to the undefined experience, like, how when a baby cries, you feel it in your heart because it’s so true—just this pure emanation of suffering.

Kirsten: How do you know when an image is right for a meme?

Sotce: To be honest, I use everything I have. If I take something, it’ll go somewhere. I do like things that have a kind of creepy feel.

Kirsten: Are memes a lazy form of communication?

Sotce: No. I think we’re all just trying our best. Do you make memes?

Kirsten: No, I want to be nostalgic, like, write me an email.

Sotce: Do you get good emails?

Kirsten: I’m writing paragraphs to some deep-sea fisherman in rural Alaska right now.

Sotce: Is he hot?

Kirsten: Eh, I think he’s bored. What are your thoughts on yearning?

Sotce: You’re probably the fifth person to ask me this. I like when someone else wants something, but I don’t like when I want something.

Kirsten: What do you think people want from you?

Sotce: Freedom.

Grace Ives is deep in her Girlfriend era, still riding the bright, slightly disorienting afterglow of her third studio album, released earlier this spring. This summer she's been touring her new music across America and Europe, where songs that once lived in the privacy of her bedroom now bloom across rooms full of strangers. Below, we catch up with her on a day off in Paris—where she takes us along on a trek through the city, from an encounter with the most perfect strawberries to a rum-soaked dessert that nearly broke her three years of sobriety. A perfect day, almost.

Tuesday. Off day in Paris. Played a show last night. It was really good/great. The sheer nightgown I played in is hanging, still damp, in the bathroom, which is two feet to my left (smallest room in the world, classic Paris, I think). The floor is completely covered in different dopp kits, trinkets, and dirty clothes. A pile of dirty cotton pads stacked on my nightstand. I didn’t charge my phone last night.

12:31 p.m. My eyes open. I feel both bloated and empty. Hungry. I pull back the window’s curtain and let in air and light. Sam and I both groan and smack our lips to say “so thirsty, so hungry.”

1:05 p.m. John texts me. We are more awake now, having drank some water, taken meds, peed, etcetera. We start planning the day. I say I want to go to the graveyard.

1:20 p.m. John, Sam, and I walk to the Cimetière de Montemartre.

1:30 p.m. We pass by a fruit stand and see some perfect looking strawberries. I buy them for 5 euros. Maybe less, I can’t remember. They are perfect. We eat most of them as we walk to a café we were told to go to. I quickly make peace with the thought of carrying a bag of strawberries with me all day. I eat a million, and leave a trail of the little green tops as we walk.

1:40 p. m. At the café, I use my remedial French to order us une quiche aux champignon et deux cappuccino. The person I order from heats up the quiche, but only the sides get warm, and it is not mushroom, it’s mixed vegetables, which is fine. We eat outside. It’s delicious. I take a polaroid of the strawberries, but I’m too close to them, and the flash is too bright. We all think it’s a cute picture anyways.

2:00 p.m. We start walking towards the cemetery. We went the wrong way for about 2 minutes. I’m really glad I wore my hokas instead of my little white flats.

2:35 p.m. We get to the cemetery. The map says that Dégas is buried in the left back corner of the site, so we head in that direction. It’s beautiful. The air is green and sweet, and we take off our sweaters. It’s feeling like a perfect day.

3:00 p.m. We can’t find Dégas’ grave. We agree that everyone buried here is just as important as Dégas, and decide to head to Sacré-Cœur.

3:25 p.m. We’re deep in a tourist area. We have to climb multiple steep flights of stairs. We’re basically hiking. I’m sweaty. John and I are permanently tired from being on tour. Sam seems happy to be hiking. I’m trying not to complain or fall behind. I have chubby girl fear of being seen as slow and out of shape, so I’m steadily ascending, but it kind of sucks.

3:35 p.m. We reach the top of the world. The city looks cramped and romantic. The Sacré-Coeur is behind us. I don’t take a picture for some reason. I feel like I’ve been here before, but I couldn't say when. It’s massive, and so is its line to get in. We decide not to wait in line. We say it doesn’t feel worth it, but really I think we all just want to lie down.

3:40 p.m. We stand around saying “well…” and “uhhhh, what now?” We decide to head towards the Seine. I think we all secretly want to go back to the hotel, but we’re trying to be brave.

4:10 p.m. We’re waiting for the train. I take a picture of myself, and a polaroid of Sam and John.

4:30 p.m. We get off the train, and immediately enter a palatial scene. It feels like we time traveled. I don’t know where we are, or the significance of any of the buildings. We walk through a park of wide paths paved with dusty gravel and lined with short bushy trees. We sit down. It feels amazing. I decide to throw away the strawberries because I’m basically just carrying around warm jam. We’re hungry. John says we can walk to Café le Flore. I say, “but John, it only has 3 stars,” which comes out bratty so I play it off as a joke. We cross the Seine and I ask how boats float.

5:15 p.m. We’re at the restaurant. We order a charcuterie plate, a Mediterranean salad, and a crème brûlée. It’s all fine. Very expensive. There’s a popular (touristy) pharmacy nearby I want to check out. We’re killing time before we meet our friend/drummer, Mikee, for dinner at a spot her friend told her to go to. She wants to try candied pork. It starts to pour. Big blobs smacking our heads like water balloons. They feel almost viscous. We aren’t saying it, but we’re miserable.

6:15 p.m. City Pharmacy feels as crowded as Primavera. We are in and out in under a minute. We stand under an awning waiting for the rain to stop.

6:20 p.m. We’re on a train to “Bouillon Julien,” where Mikee has been told to go. I’m still of the belief we’re getting candied pork.

6:45 p.m. We get off the train near a bunch of beauty supply stores. I look for pink hair dye. I find really shitty pink Wella hair masks that I buy for some reason. I also buy a little bag of bright pink mini hairbands.

7:00 p.m. We’re in line waiting for a table. I peel off most of my nail polish. It’s still kind of raining. I only brought one sweater on this trip and it’s soaking wet. I really need to do laundry.

8:00 p.m. We get a table. The restaurant is a huge pale green banquet hall with a stained glass ceiling. There are art nouveau murals on the walls. It’s crowded, and I hear a lot of people speaking English, which I take as a bad sign. There is no candied pork here. We’ve been led astray. The waiter hates us. I forget how to say “share” in French. I feel slow and cold. Sam and I share a steak. It’s not good. I’m bummed because I had all these restaurants saved that people had told me to go to, but I followed the group plan of candied pork, and now I am cutting cold steak with a butter knife, thinking it’s not even as good as Smokehouse in LA. I’m grateful to be alive, with friends, and that I have a body that can climb stairs.

8:50 p.m. We decide to go big on dessert after our entrée disappointment. We order chocolate mousse, french toast, rum baba, and something called a Julien that the recipe claims as a specialty. They are all freezing cold. They all taste the same, except for the Rum Baba. I try a bite of the rum baba, it is soaked in uncooked rum. It stings my mouth and instantly I feel a sober panic. I am brought back to taking shots, to having no chaser. I spit it out instantly and try not to lose my shit. I am a week away from 3 years sober. I feel like crying and sticking my fingers down my throat. I want to go home. I check how many steps I took today and it says 19,159.

9:20 p.m. After waiting a little too long to pay the check, I call us an uber back to the hotel. The driver is listening to a reggaeton mix. I press my cheek to the cold glass. I can still smell the rum.

9:45 p.m. We’re back in the hotel room. I take the hottest shower my skin allows and stand with my head bowed under the water. I crouch to the shower floor and tuck my knees to my chest.

10:05 p.m. I’m in bed and I decide to start watching Big Love. I’ve never seen it. It’s good enough for me right now. Sam reads, which I’m jealous of. I have a book, but no book light. Huge packing error.

12:00 a.m. I try to sleep. Try not to think about how in Brooklyn it’s 6pm. My cats are eating dinner. I inhale to my diaphragm, hold, inhale to my ribs, hold, and inhale into my heart. Hold. Count to three, then exhale counting to eight. I roll my eyes around in my skull because I once read that this releases melatonin in your body. I think about packing up tomorrow morning at 9 and driving to Brussels. I wonder if it’s still raining.

1:30 a.m. I’m asleep.

Acrid yellows, electric greens, bruised purples, hot pinks: Debby Fasingha has an eye for color that will make you stop scrolling. Despite her digital fluency, the 24-year-old designer’s style feels like a refreshing break from the Internet’s endless flurry of trends. Based in Lagos, Fasingha finds inspiration everywhere throughout the day. But ask her where she’d rather be, and she’ll tell you her closet. Whether she’s styling her friend and fellow fashion-obsessive Rachel Ojuromi, breaking down runway archives for her “Behind the Look” series online, or working on the next idea for her namesake label, Fasingha pours life into everything she makes.

Age: 24

Occupation: Designer and stylist.

Where are you from and where are you based?

I’m from Bayelsa State, Nigeria. I moved to Lagos 3 years ago, and am based here at the moment.

If a friend visits, where is the first place you take them?

My closet! Some of my grails are my Nike Acg jacket in grey and yellow, red and leopard print Obey hat, Sergio Rossi chainmail heels, and Ed Hardy yellow high-top sneakers. I’m very proud of it. I really love my space. I’m either home or hanging out with my friends. But don’t side eye me if you see me out in the club. I still love a good time.

How does living in Lagos influence your personal style?

It provides me with the freedom to try new things. A lot of people here lean into their personal styles, so I know there’s no judgement.

What’s always on your moodboard?

Right now, I’m just so obsessed with color. Whatever I’m looking at, just know I’m looking at whether the colors work well together.

What is your favorite thing about your creative community?

We littttt. The kids are so lit. Everyone is super talented in their own field. Odey Ikpa on photography, Enoch Itua with art, and so many others. There’s so much coming out of Africa. It’s really exciting.

Do you remember the first time you got dressed and felt like you were really creating a whole look? What was the outfit?

I’ve been dressing up since I was very little, courtesy of my mom. But I really started to get into it when I was in high school and had to dress myself up for church. I still remember this black dress with tulle I loved to wear with some black tights. I paired it with these blue heels my aunt sent to me.

Sum up your style in three words.

Fun, playful, daring.

Who are your fashion role models?

Rihanna.

Favorite designer and specific season, and why?

Martin Margiela, Spring/Summer 1990. He was my introduction to high fashion, although at the time, he wouldn’t even be considered that. I guess I’ll say fashion with meaning. It was a really beautiful show, raw and unapologetic. Deciding to do the show at a kids’ playground and allowing them to walk alongside the models felt like such a beautiful experience. I cried the first time I watched a breakdown of it. I wish I could’ve witnessed it in person. Even the clothes… Margiela’s idea of layering and deconstructing was something incredibly special.

Favorite contemporary designers?

Right now, August Barron, Dauan Jacari, and Ben Doctor.

What’s the inspiration behind your clothing brand?

The brand is Debby Fasingha, and “Hope” is the name of my debut collection. The inspiration behind it was this idea of endless possibilities. I wanted to push past where I was at that moment as I knew there was so much more to reach for. I was hungry for story, for fantasy, and I took all of that feeling and poured it into the clothes. It’s incredible to see how much has happened since the genesis. Everything happening right now is “Hope.”

In your “Behind the Look” series, you educate your followers about fashion design. Why do you think it’s important to make fashion theory and history accessible?

Because there’s more kids like me who need resources. Big love to creators like Fashionroadman, Rian Phin, Ashantéa Austin, and Chani Ra. I love them to death for providing me with knowledge I couldn’t have gotten anywhere else.

What isn’t a trend yet but should (or will) be?

Me.

What song would be the soundtrack to your life?

This is really hard. I’ll say “Gratitude” by Asake.

What’s something you saw recently that inspired you?

I saw my friend, Semzi, record music. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it was incredible to witness.

You’re going out in the morning and won’t be back home all day: What are you wearing and what are you bringing in your bag?

Whatever I’m wearing depends on my mood for the day. These days I’ve been gravitating towards sweats and a tank top. I’m prioritizing comfort. What’s in my bag? EVERYTHING. I always have my iPad with me. My chargers, perfume, earphones, sunglasses, sanitizer, tampons. I take my jewelry bag with me as well. An extra tank top and some shorts just in case I want to change up my outfit.

You have followers from around the world, what’s one thing people should know about Lagos?

It’s chaotic asf.

What’s one thing people should know about you?

I’m really funny! I made a group chat on Instagram. I think everyone on there can testify (I hope). I love everyone who’s joined so far.

Hi Bunnies,

This week I am posting the J’adore Last Week in collaboration with, and in celebration of, Takeaway’s new Substack.

If you are new to The Bunny Diaries, I’m Sakura (@sakurasmith), a baker and writer who has spent the last decade in New York, making and selling wild-yeast bagels—among other things under the handle @bagel.bunny. I moved to Tokyo in January with my fiancé (OMG, first time typing that), and have been having an adventure ever since. I’ve started consulting on hospitality for some brands and individuals, picked my ceramics practice back up, all the while still cooking and working on my friend’s bar. I started this series in 2024 as a challenge to write weekly, but also to capture the moments I loved throughout the week. Glad to have you here.

So, as I do, here is everything J’adored Last Week:

My Jiji (じじ) is in the hospital, and it is so out-of-body sometimes to watch people age. What is that about?

I have spoken a lot about grief lately on the newsletter, and this week, I wondered a lot about the ways the body changes, the way energy shifts—where is someone energetically? Where are they going? Like I’ve said before, we are always attached to what we know.

While I don’t actually adore anything about this, I do adore that I can be with my mom and grandma, and cook for them. Drew is currently making us a big salad, and I am snacking on fresh mochi covered with soy sauce and butter from the farm stand in the area. To start the week, my friend Olivia reminded me how hydrating hibiscus tea is. I mix it with raspberry leaves to support my menstrual cycle. I’ve been drinking it every day, and it makes me feel as though I’m having an all-day cocktail.

Not to be that girl, but I got engaged last week. Drew proposed in Kamakura, where my mom grew up. It was private and sweet and something I just loved. Luckily, I didn’t have in-person work the next two days, as he also planned two nights away so we could have writing sessions about what our future might look like. While we are super excited and being very low-key about it all, I feel grateful to have chosen someone like this—someone who cares.

First, we had my favorite meal at this Korean restaurant focused on themes of mother and daughter, health and care. They had a Hay Bonbon lamp hanging in the center of the room, and the space was dressed perfectly in light-colored geometric shapes. The menu was tight with everything centered around health.

I ordered the omija-cha, which is schisandra tea, meant to help balance your body. Damn, it was sooo gooooooood. They sprinkled it with pine nuts, which I do not normally love, but something about the soft bite and nuttiness was so lovely. The flavor you taste tells you about a certain quality of health your body might be lacking. I like this sort of game with food. I wish there was a version of this for every bite. I also ordered soondubu with clams in their typically vegetarian broth. You could tell, but not in a bad way. Drew had cold soba noodles that were still perfectly firm.

We spent the rest of the day on the beach, which led to yogurt soft serve, and finally, to the moment he asked me as the sun set. This usually unshakeable man was awkwardly silent. I laughed in the moment, wondering where his strangeness stemmed from.

We overate at dinner, and I felt like I was going to inflate and float into the sky. In the morning we woke early, went to the sauna and jumped in the ocean.

For breakfast, we ate at a place I love, but only go to at 7 a.m. before tourists arrive. We sat next to and talked with a visitor from the U.K. I bought four pieces of their dried and frozen fish to take home with me.

From there we drove to Izu, passing through the town of Shuzenji along the river, where we looked at the shops and antiques, almost walking away with a tea set. We bought shrimp rice crackers and stopped outside town at まめや, a restaurant in a woman’s home, for lunch.

You could have curry or the lunch set. I had one, Drew had the other. There was a cat, and we played with it, so it felt like an accidental cat café. The cat was funny but wise, knowing how to open the sliding door to greet and say goodbye to customers. It was a great place.

We stayed at the ryokan, Ochiairo, which I had been wanting to visit for a long time. Built in 1874, it seemed like the kind of place people go to celebrate. We pulled up with our sandy feet and a car full of water bottles. We bathed all day and spoke, wrote, and robed up for dinner. Then we slept deeply in fluffy beds.

The food there was the best ryokan food I’ve had by far. Everything was flavorful, but also cooked to perfection. I find that traditional Japanese food, while “good,” isn’t always done well. Sometimes it goes: boil that thing, throw a soy sauce-mirin combo on top, and call it a day. Not truly flavored. You can tell a lot about a cook from their clear soup.

This crane bowl became my obsession of the week. The Spanish mackerel inside ended up being my favorite dish of the night.

Okay, tea drinks have always been in my lane. After deciding I didn’t want anymore sake, I switched to a sparkling black tea. If I ever open anything, this will be on the menu. In ceremony, it feels like a beer or a cocktail.

In the morning, I drank this local milk, and if you haven’t been to Japan and had milk fresh from a farm, I just don’t know what to say to you. Imagine the milkiest milk milk could ever be.

In the lobby, Drew found these cheese snacks called Cheese in Snack, and they are addictive, to say the least. Each package contains a crisp cheese cracker with a softer, slightly sweet cheese tucked inside. It was good and weird, some sort of genius.

The next day, Drew had his wasabi ice cream because this prefecture is known for wasabi. Next week he will be posting his Tokyo/Japan Ice Cream Report on the newsletter. He has been researching this for a long time and I am excited to see what qualifies.

When we got home to Tokyo, I made a soup inspired by avgolemono, but instead of orzo I made it with couscous ’cause that’s what I had. And I want you to know that I was going to write the word “because,” but “’cause” was the right way to go after couscous.

Having friends who also happen to be your new neighbors has been so special. That’s what I want to do every day: meet up with friends at the coffee shop while I’m groggy-eyed and unsure of what’s ahead.

I see so many flower arrangements that I love, but I never arrange them because, truly, I get lazy about it. Finding the right vase and trimming the flowers has always overwhelmed me. But nowadays I really want to let it feel like a creative endeavor. Here is my first one.

Then I saw this bra that I didn’t buy, but I wish I had.

Attempted to do an easy jerk chicken night. The chicken was cooked in our fish grill, and we found jerk seasoning at Dean & Deluca. Thank god. We had some snap peas, so we blanched them and cooked them with garlic. I made some beans with onions and whatever else was around.

For mornings, I have been craving turmeric salmon and edamame. This can be speedy if you plan right. I bought some miso a few weeks ago in Kanazawa from a 400-year old miso shop.

More sourdough from 365 Bakery—look at the wrapping on this bread. She’s perfect. I was inspired, so we picnicked in the park at dusk.

We bought mid cheese from & CHEESE STAND. They did sell mini honey sticks, which I thought was genius, but otherwise the cheeses we chose were primarily just sour, so I look forward to trying again.

I feel lucky living the life I live.

To close out, here is a photo of Yuzu, my sister’s dog, who has brought me joy daily.

Enjoy yourself,
Sakura

Sixteen tracks of woozy, imperfect lo-fi pop draw a line from Arthur Russell to Alan Vega without breaking a sweat in Mori’s debut El Niño Bola. The Spanish musician’s new album has been winning over everyone with ears since its release earlier this year. Intimate and immediate, Mori relied entirely on gut feeling to make it, improvising and recording most vocals in a single take. His PRESS PLAY picks are a love letter to the classics that raised him, like Lole y Manuel, Ray Heredia, Rocío Jurado, Mocedades, and Los Chunguitos, which explains exactly why his music hits the way it does. Below, he talks his process, the Madrid music scene, and the James Blunt song that started it all.

Where do you dance?

Wherever the music is good and the lights are dim.

When do you make your best music?

At night.

Do you start with feeling or sound first?

Feeling always.

What’s the first song you learned every word to?

“You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt. I remember recreating the video of the song in my living room while my parents recorded.

Which record made you think, I want to do this too?

Cody ChesnuTT’s The Headphone Masterpiece.

What’s the weirdest or most unexpected influence on El Niño Bola?

We sampled what appears to be the first YouTube music video in history. “Premature Baldness” by Paul, which actually uses the song “Almost Cut My Hair” by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Dream collab, dead or alive?

David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti.

Who would you hand the aux cord to without thinking?

Either Marcelo Maderuelo, also known as Megansito el Guapo, or Juan Manuel Melerofrom Xiupill.

Favorite smell in the world?

Garlic sizzling in a pan with olive oil… Spain…

Tell us a secret.

Until I watched Zootopia 2 about a month ago, I used to think a gazelle was a kind of big bird.

Interviews by SAHIR AHMED
Photos by CHUNIKA KESH
Fashion by DANIEL GAINES

A.K. Ikko, 23, Virgo; Westerleigh, Staten Island

Biggest fear?

Can’t think of one... I guess ceiling fans once... now, spelling words wrong!

What are you looking for in a relationship?

I have no standards right now. Someone honest—that’s important.

What do others say about you?

People tend to be shocked that I’m not an icy person. I am quiet with good posture. I think that’s what makes me intimidating.

Amber Wynne-Jones, 22, Taurus; Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Love language?

Dance.

What turns you on?

Someone who is ridiculously themself.

What kind of texter are you?

I’m bad at texting, but once I’ve started, it’s 15 texts in a row and then... nothing.

Avsha Weinberg, 24, Virgo; Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Where do you always end up after midnight?

Aunt Ginny’s in Ridgewood.

Green flag?

Being very good at Dance Dance Revolution.

Red flag?

Wants to teach me home repairing.

Bawila Idris, 26, Libra; Washington Heights, Manhattan

How do you relate to your sign?

I love knowing what the tea is. I’m very into the drama.

Hidden talent?

I’ve played the violin for 12 years.

What’s a big turnoff?

A clout chaser.

Clay Campbell, 26, Libra; Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Biggest fear?

Being ugly and broke.

Best place to meet hotties?

I always meet guys at Animal, sorry.

Why should someone date you?

I’m a good vibe and will put out on a first date.

Frank Nesbitt, 33, Aquarius; Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Guilty pleasure?

No pleasure is punished.

What is dating in New York like?

High stakes.

Have you ever been in love?

Every other week.

Ivy Herndon, 24, Leo; Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

What do you do?

Textile development.

What do others say about you?

They tell me I’m wise for my age, but also naive in all the right ways.

What turns you on?

Sincerity.

Kimberly Jean Baldo, 23, Gemini; Bushwick, Brooklyn

How do you relate to your sign?

There are many sides to me.

What would your theme song be?

“Flesh Without Blood” by Grimes.

How would your friends describe you?

Workaholic. Music geek. Shoe addict. Proud hoarder of things with meaning. Yearner. Fiercely independent, but also free as a horse in a field. Never says no. Fortnite prodigy. Listener. Fun. Fierce. Caring. Dedicated. Absolutely fabulous.

Maximilian Isaacs, 27, Leo; Ridgewood, Queens

How is your dating life?

For me... painful? Lol. I’m a sensitive guy, with big feelings, so I never feel super cut out for the ambiguity of New York dating.

Guilty pleasure?

Smoking my poorly rolled spliffs all day.

What are you looking for in a relationship?

An audience of one to perform for every day in a little bubble away from everything.

Talent A.K. IKKO, AMBER WYNNE-JONES, AVSHA WEINBERG, BAWILA IDRIS, CLAY CAMPBELL, FRANK NESBITT, IVY HERNDON, KIMBERLY JEAN BALDO, and MAXIMILIAN ISAACS.
Hair stylist SERGIO ESTRADA at PARADIS NYC using ORIBE
Makeup artist SHAENA BADDOUR at PARADIS NYC using MAKEUP BY MARIO.
Fashion assistant LALO AMBRIS.

Horoscopes by ILANA KOZLOV

A rare Blue Moon in Sagittarius marked the end of May. The only instance of two full moons in a single month. The lunation served as a second chance to clear out any remnants of everything Scorpio dragged to the surface in the last cycle. After all, Sagittarius is the sign of the philosopher, the wanderer who books a one-way ticket and figures out the return later—and maybe that’s where you’ve been, out there somewhere in the unmapped, finding the shape of yourself against a new horizon. So we enter June with restless legs and wide eyes, some unfinished questions trailing behind us like the hems of a coat we haven’t quite grown into yet. But this month is not asking you to keep running. In fact, it wants you to come home.

The big gravitational pull of this month is Cancer, a sign that understands home not as a place but as a feeling. On June 9, Venus and Jupiter conjoin in its waters, so if you’ve been waiting for permission to soften and to sink into something sweet and uncomplicated, here it is. This is one of the most romantic and fortunate alignments of the year, a cosmic embrace that says: Yes, you are allowed to need things, and yes, you can let yourself be held. But being held requires being known, and the new moon in Gemini on June 14 brings with it a chance to rummage through the way you speak and listen, to notice which words you reach for out of habit. What sweetness might you allow yourself if you thought of yourself differently?

When the sun enters Cancer on June 21 for the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, our attention turns collectively toward what is worth holding onto. By month’s end, this focus reaches its culmination with the full moon in Capricorn on June 29, which faces Cancer across the sky, illuminating the axis the month has been building toward: the push and pull between what we retain and what we eliminate. Mercury also stations retrograde in Cancer this same day, turning our focus inward. See this as an invitation to further reassess—and ask, honestly, whether the life you’re living truly reflects the life you want.

Aries Rising

Every time you enter your home, take care of a chore you’ve been putting off—maybe one that’s been on your mind for months, or years. And when you exit, I want you to have the biggest play-date of your life, like a bright-eyed child. Give yourself permission to do something you haven’t done in a while. Stay up till 5 a.m. dancing! Kiss a stranger! Take an art class! You are in a creative renaissance. The wilderness is yours, but at the end of the month you’ll find yourself in a hot-seat when responsibilities rear their heads.

Taurus Rising

Ask your nearest and dearest to throw you a party…yes, kind of like an off-season birthday party. Fill your home with balloons, flowers, candles, and food. Wear something shiny to lift the spirits. Towards the end of the month you may hit a spiritual block that therapists and gurus can’t seem to solve. Perhaps a framework that’s provided certainty is now like a worn-down stool that you’re not so sure can hold your weight as you reach for new heights. Clarity is uncomfortable because it clips the wings of delusion; however, it is not asking you to start from scratch. You may even return to some forgotten habit. Healing is on the way.

Gemini Rising

June is about magic tricks and alchemy, part of which includes changing your appearance. You’re a magician, and everything around you is starting to shift—not obvious, monumental change, but incremental updates to your daily habits and routines. What you do is who you are. So, where do you invest your energy and time? What kind of altar do you sit at, and what do you pray for when you’re there? What thoughts do you find yourself having over and over again? You might discover that the ordinary parts of life are actually where the most magic takes place, where the most making happens. Money is top of mind and the end of the month is a good time to organize expenses. Exchange gifts and laughter with neighbors and siblings.

Cancer Rising

It’s been your year, Cancer. You’re closing an important chapter, not in private but in the spotlight. What dreams did you get to live out, and what made cracks in your rose-colored glasses? Victories and losses compete for room in the heart. It’s an exciting, unsettling dance that can only be met with surrender. You really cannot color life with only primary colors. Everything blends delicately now. The end of the month has you seriously contemplating relationships—the ones you can and can’t depend on. It’s wise to hold back on decisions as you sort through unknowns.

Leo Rising

You are sooo glossy this month! I want you to put on the hottest outfit you own and make the world your red carpet. If you’re on the shyer side, consider doing this ritual in the middle of a forest, where no one can see you—but please do it! You belong wherever you are, and beautifying yourself can help confirm this reality. June is about getting into your senses and reveling in love. Do your nails, dye your hair, and get a little bossy with a loved one. You deserve a massage. The middle of the month will get quieter and more introspective. It’ll be a sudden shift into a deeper, perhaps more uncomfortable place. If the glass breaks, stare at the odd pieces before cleaning them up. Things come apart quickly. Life is change.

Virgo Rising

Sometimes ghosts can be nice, and sometimes they can teach you about grief, loneliness, and failure better than any living or tangible thing. It is through such discomforts that new parts of the self are made—parts that greet the starving ego not with judgment or pity, but with compassion. It can be easier now to let go of burdens, because you have finally taken the tarps off them. It is a relief to let yourself feel bad about something. But, the month is not so harsh. Shedding skin is about re-emerging and meeting an open door. The middle of the month ushers in an opportunity to shine.

Libra Rising

Libra, you are being met with a big, validating handshake! This is a great month to say yes to invitations and make new connections. Fortune smiles upon your friendships, so hop on those long, time-bending three-way calls. There’s magic in numbers. Your success is everyone else’s, and everyone else’s success is yours! You’re making gains and catching shooting stars. It is an excellent time to begin a new journey, especially one that stimulates the mind. But the end of the month will stir up vulnerability in the home, so travel to learn, not to escape.

Scorpio Rising

You are enticed by the unfamiliar. It’s exciting to go to a new place—to learn how people think and pray there. You may come across a word for things that don’t exist in your native language. It adds rooms to your mind. But the real focus is on your career and reputation, which will be seeing a phenomenal boost. There’s some moody weather in the mix, putting tightly wound knots in your headphones. Distorted music plays as you slowly untangle them. Ask someone who sees you in action to give you a generous report on your efforts.

Sagittarius Rising

How…are you feeling? The momentum of a wild horse leads to a deep sleep where everything goes black. For an imagineer such as yourself, stopping to contemplate dreams might give some clues about those deep and often ignored parts of yourself. Action is easy. So are ideas. But feelings? They come and go. Yes, it’s healthy to see your emotions this way, but this month is about sharing them, which requires some tact and thoughtfulness as you pull the past into the present. Doing this will lead to expansive revelations, but don’t be afraid of a good lesson. You have an opportunity to impress others with your new knowledge. Speak into a megaphone. Jump into the deep end and let the water soak through your clothes. You are becoming more translucent and loud all at once.

Capricorn Rising

You’re likely feeling vulnerable this month, as your soft parts land in the hands of others. There is no care or handling instructions because you’re still figuring out what you need. Thankfully, if things don’t go your way, you can handle it. In fact you’re probably the most trustworthy in a crisis. When other people process pangs of grief and confusion, you stock the fridge to make sure everyone has food to eat when the tears dry. You will get a chance to demonstrate your strengths through some rocky weather. New responsibilities will keep you occupied, but the end of June will kick up the restlessness and inspire you to focus on yourself instead. Your alone time will be well spent.

Aquarius Rising

Sometimes life is so busy we forget what we look like. We wake up routinely for the same day, performing the same tasks over and over again. Pause to find yourself in between these moments, which have become so automatic. Work demands leave little room for dreams, but reprieve will come in the middle of the month. Put down the tools and pick up an interesting conversation, maybe with a crush. A spotlight on relationships. How do agreements make you feel and what do they stir-up for you? Now, they have the potential to blossom, and you will bloom too—because the flower of the relationship is also the flower of you.

Pisces Rising

Love can be a really quiet moment, like watching two birds dancing hypnotically in the sky with someone beside you, catching a glimpse of the same miracle. The month flows with creativity and inspiration that you can plant at the roots of an old tree. The ancient meets the novel, and it is in this threshold that you will thrive. Your privacy is a kind of soil, and while you may crave applause, you are occupied with some strange work-in-progress. You’re unsure how it will be received, yet that is no reason to stop working. The end of the month will inspire you to dig in some old cabinets and rework a creative project, and it may be time to rely on a trusted friend with a confusing problem or maybe the friend is the confusing problem.

Ali Lutick swears she invented putting text on images online. She’s kidding, obviously — a champion of the format that’s basically the oxygen of the Internet. But scroll through her feed and you could easily believe her. A wellspring of witty metaphors appear in neon font stamped across her selfies. One reads, “My soul is so stable you could store a horse in there,” and another, “If you bite off more than you can chew your jaw will just get stronger.”

What once made the 20-year-old Canadian too embarrassed to share her work has become her signature, transmuted into an esoteric e-girl diarism that is uniquely confessional, embracing cringe and subverting clichés about femininity simultaneously.

Where are you?

At my front desk job in a very small town in British Columbia, Canada.

What are you wearing?

Abercrombie joggers and a blue tank top.

What’s it like living in such a small town? Do you have dreams of leaving?

Very boring. Very much taught me how to have fun with nothing. I left and then came back. It’s easier here, but I liked it better when I was gone. I will be leaving again for sure.

How would you sum up your philosophy in three words?

Love, freedom, balance.

What is on your mind right now?

How cool all of my followers are. That got me thinking how shocked I am when I see the people that show me love. It’s so dope that these people give a fuck about me and what I have to say.

Who do you admire?

Gabi Abrão, Mackenzie Thomas, Sarah Mann, and Sotce. Yes, they’re all young women. That’s fine.

What do you collect?

Bad habits.

What is your worst habit?

Leaving lights on and spending money on fleeting things.

And your best?

Waking up early. Everything feels so much better in the morning.

What do you do when you’re bored?

I don’t really get bored when left to my own devices. There is a lot to do.

What do you overthink?

Everything I’ve done that may have been wrong.

What do you dream about?

Falling in love and all the ways I’d spend my money.

What do you notice first about people?

The way they speak about things, their point of view. But if I’m taking the question literally then it’s probably always something different.

What’s a concept you can’t stop thinking about, and why?

Happening soon and becoming soon… I’ve been too consumed by that to think about anything else. Though a piece about my latest focus is up on my Substack if you wanna check it out.... shameless plug.

What do you want more of?

Everything.

Interview by NICOLAIA RIPS
Photos by ROSIE MARKS

Bertie Brandes: I can’t believe we’ve never properly met. Do you not come to London quite a lot, or am I wrong?

Nicolaia Rips: No, I’m totally in New York all the time, which is lame. I love it. You grew up in London, right?

Bertie: Yeah, on a beautiful road called Well Walk, which had three wells on it.

Nicolaia: What were you obsessed with as a child?

Bertie: Fame and femininity, two things I daydreamed about endlessly. Also, fairies and looking for them on Hampstead Heath.

Nicolaia: Where do you go to get inspired now?

Bertie: The Prince Charles Cinema and Judd Books.

Nicolaia: How has everything been?

Bertie: Well, now The Moment is out everywhere, everything is done, and I’m working a job for a creative agency much less than my normal day rate. Slammed back into reality. Truly.

Nicolaia: Was it vulnerable to put a movie out into the world?

Bertie: As it was happening I kept saying, “This just better mean that my life changes. I’m so fucking exhausted.” I’ve been in the advertising washing machine for so long, and my life has not changed yet. I will forever be on the side of the bitter and upset artist, I guess. That’s what we all are, isn’t it?

Nicolaia: There’s this feminist undercurrent in your writing. That scene where a woman is the advert—it’s like, Yes, she is the ad. It made me think about how that kind of expectation is placed more on female artists than on male artists.

Bertie: There are four soul-of-the-movie scenes, and that is one of them. I think people are getting it because it’s true. Everyone’s an influencer. You can be a musician, an artist, whatever, but in the end you’re getting people to buy stuff.

Nicolaia: At this point, the pure influencer is a dying breed.

Bertie: I would argue that the pure influencers are now the closest thing that we have to artists, in that they have a really singular vision that they execute really amazingly. God, what a world we’ve ended up in.

Nicolaia: What’s on your Explore page?

Bertie: It’s mainly this guy who looks like Luigi Mangione telling people it’s not optimal to drink milk from a depressed cow that needs therapy. And I agree.

Nicolaia: Did you ever see yourself making movies when you were in the London zine-girl world?

Bertie: Not in the Mushpit days. I just wanted to run a magazine then. But I do feel like everything I write has a very visual element to it. For me, it is far simpler and less intimidating to write in a world where dialogue is pretty much the only way that you can find out about someone.

Nicolaia: No, I agree. I like to write through myself, and I don’t know if I’ve gotten to the point with my writing where I’m ready to detach from the mothership.

Bertie: A lot of the time I wonder if writing emails is what it means to be a writer. But then when I lie in bed and I’m like, What does it mean to be a writer? I pick up a zine that I made that five people saw and I’m like, Yeah, okay this is proof.

Nicolaia: Being prolific is expensive. To write anything you’re basically losing money. It’s also sad because the way that I process anything is through writing about it.

Bertie: It’s like, this is your precious gift that you discovered as a teenager, and now you’re compartmentalizing it around a specific job... I guess it’s a first-world problem, isn’t it? I also really struggle with trying to write in a kind of social media-y voice. It’s weirdly the same as this whole reading culture; I’ll always write something to be read at a specific event because I can’t imagine otherwise.

Nicolaia: That’s brave.

Bertie: Well it’s my only option. Otherwise it would be like trying to paint a wall with a cup of tea. We also need to stop pretending that we’re not all deeply disappointed as soon as someone starts reading. It’s so humiliating. I’m like, You guys are just looking at my outfit.

Nicolaia: The idea as a writer of having a body and thinking about it from multiple angles. Tiny violin.

Bertie: Absolutely. I mean, it’s like my love for really shitty images. All of my zines have been the lowest-effort iPhone photos. I’d love to make a zine that plays music like a Christmas card when you open it. Let’s use A.I. for something that matters.

Nicolaia: What would you play?

Bertie: I’m really interested in some shitty polyphonic ringtone but then, God, my voice reading something completely different from the text—that’d be amazing.

Nicolaia: People aren’t talking about that enough—how magazines can evolve. Why can’t you have a little voice speaking to you from the center?

Bertie: I love the classic perfume smell in a magazine too.

Nicolaia: I’m obsessed with Smell-O-Vision. I follow this perfumer who is basically recreating this scent from Scent of Mystery, which Elizabeth Taylor had a cameo in. They created a perfume for her character that they sprayed in the theater.

Bertie: So we can smell her? Wow, you’re giving me a million ideas. Whatever film Aidan [Zamiri] and I do next needs to have this. But who’d make it?

Nicolaia: You need to find an inventor.

Bertie: It’s such a lost profession. It’s actually so depressing what we consider innovation today. Seventy percent of the shit I’ve seen in the last 10 years is so boring. We have to start dreaming big—and then, even bigger than that.

Text by MICHELLE LI

I’m starting to mentally prepare for summer, and my greatest struggles are always the same: tank tops I can wear without a bra, shoes that are comfortable (not heels) but still look good with a midi skirt, and easy skirts in general. I’m intrigued by these Gimaguas skirts, though I’m wondering if they might be too short for me—but I love the pink print and am fully ready to embrace plaid again, even flannels. I’ve also had my eye on this Matteau shirt since last summer; their quality is always really good. Fruity Booty makes a similar short skirt that I already own and love.

For something a little longer, I always come back to the Maryam Nassir Zadeh Bisou skirt, which makes me feel a little more comfortable walking around the city. I already have two, one in pastel camo and one in brown, although a friend recently told me they look like swimsuit bottoms and, unfortunately, it completely changed how I see them.

For shoes, I love a Sperry boat shoe, and the Aritzia collaboration is especially good. I’m also obsessed with slim sneakers right now—my favorites are the Jil Sander Puma collab (size up!) and the Marc Jacobs 72 Spring sneaker. Lastly, these Re/Done Hanes tanks have been my go-to for the past few summers, and they have new fun colors every season. But for truly bra-less dressing, I am obsessed with these Free People tanks. The fabric is soft but still compresses everything and holds it in place. And if you happen to be a U.S. women’s size 8 in shoes, you should absolutely buy these Jimmy Choo heels because they’re fabulous.

Text and photos by HAILEY JOHNSON

Upstairs, on the second-floor of McNally Jackson’s Seaport outpost, model and actress Kaia Gerber and writer Alyssa Reeder gather for the launch of their debut issue of Library Science. An eager crowd settles onto blue folding chairs and worn couches. Cindy Crawford, Jeremy O. Harris, and figures from the city’s literary scene fill the front row. On stage, the two editors are joined by the night’s moderator, Heavy Traffic magazine’s Patrick McGraw, all dressed in black.

Part literary journal, part Internet artifact, the issue brings together short stories, essays, poetry, archival diaries, and online ephemera from writers, artists, and friends. It’s an extension of the popular book club of the same name that the two founded together in 2024. In the introduction, Gerber and Reeder frame the project as a two-way mirror: one side turned toward the Internet’s chaotic self-surveillance, the other toward literature’s long obsession with interiority. During the evening’s Q&A, Gerber speaks candidly about the tension at the heart of the project. Their goal isn’t to just replicate her and Reeder’s algorithms, but also to give context. “We’re just trying to print what’s happening to us,” Reeder says, and find a way “to bridge those two things without tipping into brainrot.”

Each issue of Library Science takes a meme—disposable by design—and asks what literature can do with it. For issue one, that clip is from a 2022 TikTok in which a daughter pranks her mother by claiming Jesus has been spotted in Ohio. The mother, on the verge of tears, asks her to send her the video. “Show me to me. Please, send it to me, Rachel,” she begs. The clip is tender, absurd, and impossible to forget.

Throughout the evening, Gerber and Reeder lead us through the issue, which chronicles various topics: writer Stella Leoni’s notes on breakup anniversaries, a meditation on summer flings as told by writer and bookshop-owner Jonah Freud, poems on YouTube comment sections by Oona Soft Metal, and select entries from the diary of the late author Cookie Mueller. “We tried to choose things that are accessible,” Gerber explains. Each piece is only a few pages too. “Time is a luxury, and I feel like we don’t have that much anymore, so we chose literature that doesn’t need a lot of time to read,” she continues. In a nod to Reeder’s fondness for writing obituaries, the two editors wrote one for each other. In Gerber’s version, Reeder died on a Friday “from simply being over it.” In Reeder’s, Gerber passed on a Sunday from having too big of a heart.

For now, the book is available to order at librarysciene.net and wider availability will come at the end of May. As for issue two—neither of its editors know the theme yet. Each idea will get dumber, they agree, but the ethos stays put. “We want literature to be attainable,” Gerber shares. “It doesn’t have to be this distant, ‘pretentious’ thing.” She adds: “I genuinely think reading is sexy.”

A word to the wise: don’t tell Ella Devi that fashion isn’t political. You may have already seen the 18-year-old all over your feeds—if not from the New York Post article that dubbed her a “hot girl for Zohran,” then definitely from her recent call-out of Jennifer Rauchet, wife of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, for wearing a dress made in by China by fast-fashion brand Shein to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner (that post got her a snarky NYP write-up too).

Born and raised in New York, Devi got her first job in fashion working at a vintage store at 14 and has since landed a role at a luxury label as well as a marketing internship with a congressperson, all while completing her first year studying English & Philosophy at Parsons. The self-described “socialist socialite” is known for mixing sharp political commentary with high-fashion content—think fit pics in vintage Miu Miu, Chanel, and Tom Ford, paired with opinions that make conservative’s heads spin. How does she manage it all? As she sees it, it’s the only option.

Age: 18

Occupation: Political fashion commentator? But that was somewhat accidental. My day job is in the industry.

You were born and raised in New York City, what does it mean to you to be a New Yorker?

New Yorkers are kind but not nice, rather than nice but not kind.

Something people would be surprised to know about you?

I keep three Etsy witches in my rotation at all times.

What was your dream job growing up?

In middle school I wanted to be an activist, then a congresswoman. In the former half of high school, I wanted to be a lawyer, and in the latter half, I wanted to be a writer. I guess I always loved politics and wanted to have a voice. Every version of me would be happy with what I’m doing right now.

When did you get into fashion?

When I was 12 I somehow landed in the pastures of high-fashion Twitter. Quarantine was in full swing, so all these creatives and industry professionals were just tweeting 24/7 for the world to see. It was an amazing time. Tween-me became obsessed with Phoebe Philo’s Celine.

When did you realize you actually wanted to work in the industry and what is it like?

I didn’t realize it was even an option for me until I got my first job at 14. People who worked in fashion were like unicorns until then. But it’s scary. The easiest way for me to describe it is by drawing a parallel to the left-wing political sphere. Employees in both sectors are not doing too hot right now. But you have to keep going! There’s a better future somewhere. You can’t give into doomerism.

When did you get into politics?

I also became a socialist on Twitter. People were quoting Karl Marx on my feed, and I was like, This guy’s got some good points. I think people need left-wing politics in their media diet, especially on social media sites owned by right-wingers and dominated by right-wing influencer networks.

What’s the cause you’re most passionate about?

Racial justice. It’s the foundation on which my politics are built on.

How did the Zohran Mamdani mayoral campaign impact you?

Changed my whole life. I would never have gotten the platform I have today if the New York Post hadn’t run an article with a headline referring to me as “Hot Girl for Zohran” (despite me never referring to myself as such prior!). I had to delete Hinge because a guy was like, “Are you Hot Girl for Zohran?”

How do you handle the intensity of social media backlash you’ve received since?

One thing about getting backlash from the right is that it makes you cooler to people on the left, like I think it’s a huge flex that George Santos was whining in my comments section. But threats of sexual violence can be unnerving. When I first went viral back in November, each time I received a rape or death threat I would sign up for one canvassing shift for Mamdani’s mayoral campaign. Then I ran out of canvassing shifts I could sign up for because I started getting hundreds of threats. It makes me laser-focused because it reminds me we cannot afford to lose.

Have you always been outspoken online?

I’ve been posting on social media since I was a very young child, and people have been responding the whole time, so it has been intrinsically linked to my cognitive development. A girl in my eighth grade class told me she got her news from my Instagram stories.

You’re balancing school, fashion, and life in New York—how do you keep up with it all?

Therapy and psychiatric medication.

Walk us through your daily routine—what do you do from the moment you wake up?

I check Twitter first thing in the morning, like five seconds after I wake up. It contributes terribly to my anxiety but I do not care. After that, I get ready and go to class and work. Then I get home and go out with my friends.

What’s one piece you always have on you, no matter where you’re going?

My vintage Chanel flap bag. It’s ludicrously capacious, to quote Succession. I grew up watching my mom carry one at all times, so it feels like my piece of womanhood.

You’ve said that even fashion is political, how so?

You cannot dress yourself in a vacuum. You dress yourself based on an amalgamation of societal perceptions and norms and social signaling. The word fashion means what look is favored at a given time. You need to interrogate who decides what that look is and why they’ve decided so. Whenever I’m on camera talking about fashion being political, I inevitably get a “what about jeans and a T-shirt?” comment. Even jeans and a T-shirt are political! Jeans were worn by working-class Americans in the late 19th century, and then cool counterculture kids started wearing them in the ’50s. Now they’re mainstream. You see this same pattern happen continuously with counterculture groups. There’s so much history behind everything you wear.

If you had to give one piece of advice to young people heading into midterms elections next month, what would it be?

Vote in your fucking midterms! Be informed about candidates who are running and show up on Election Day to actually vote.

Text by BIZ SHERBERT
Photos by EIMEAR LYNCH

Alice McNally, Vivienne Norris, and Miya Kofo all take their shoes off at the front door. Their bedrooms are safe spaces, not to be soiled by New York City dirt or monitoring spirits. Alice, 21, calls her room a place where she feels sheltered and secure, while Miya, 19, sees hers as the only place where she has full control over the visual aesthetic.

This seems true for most young women. A girl’s bedroom is often the first space that’s hers to shape, rivaled only, perhaps, by how she dresses. But personal style is subject to censure in a way a room isn’t—self-expression through clothes is inherently external, while a bedroom exists behind closed doors. Even after a girl leaves her parents’ home, a place to fully call her own is rare. “I used to live with my now ex-boyfriend, and so the decor was never truly just mine,” says Alice, a New York City-raised model currently on a break from college. “Now I have an apartment that is completely me, and it’s scary. There are so many styles and patterns and colors that I love and want in my home, and it’s hard to narrow it down to what will work together and look good.”

What exactly a “truly mine” room looks like varies, but one thing is almost always present—an assemblage of trinkets and totems with personal significance sometimes indiscernible to the uninformed viewer. Vivienne, a 19-year-old freshman studying fine art at the Cooper Union, describes her room as “an accumulation of objects that inspire me and the things I make in response to them.” This includes a stuffed gorilla that a friend sewed from Realtree camo, and her great-grandmother’s mink furs. “They were kept in a plastic bag until she died,” she says. “I was the only person in the family who had any real interest in them.”

In an era defined by digital collecting—Pinterest boards, screenshots, saved folders—the bedroom as a site of physical curation and identity-building takes on new importance. Miya, who is originally from New Jersey and is studying filmmaking at the Pratt Institute, practices visualization in her room, closing her eyes and imagining the things she desires—the old school, woo-woo version of making a Pinterest board of the life you want.

A girl’s room might be curated to be photogenic, to work well as a backdrop for images of herself posted online, or even as a stand-in for her aesthetic when she’s not in the shot. But it’s also a place to ground herself with objects and emotions that transcend life on-screen. Alice says the newest addition to her room is a piece of art a “special person” made for her in February. “When I look at it I feel slightly overwhelmed with gratitude and love,” she reflects. “It kind of bewilders me that someone would take the time and effort to make something like that for me.”

Among Miya’s prized possessions are a vintage brass ashtray pressed with the words “Beverly Hills,” a ring with a green gemstone that belonged to her grandmother, and a pink teddy bear her dad bought her at the hospital when she was born, which she still sleeps with every night. Miya sees her room as an extension of her artistic practice: “I have this big poster of Lux from The Virgin Suicides, which influences so much of my creative vision,” she says. Each object anchors to an aspect of Miya’s personality or interests—like her love of Old Hollywood and California reflected in her ashtray. The rest of the decor in her room is mostly antiqued, gifted from friends and family members, or carried over from her childhood. “I rarely find things on Amazon or online,” she explains.

Alice’s accumulation runs more oddball. When asked if she collects anything, she tells me she does—everything heart-shaped. “And Charlie’s fur,” she adds, referring to one of her cats. “Both stemmed from obsession,” she explains. “Whenever Charlie sheds a clump of fur and I spot it, I put it in a little bag on my shelf in hopes that when I have enough I can feel something. A hat, a scarf, I don’t know yet,” she adds. “It’s definitely not something I’m proud to admit.”

These objects of personal significance, along with more practical furnishings, are in conversation with the girls’ personal style. Miya chooses the words romantic, ephemera, and pink to describe her room, but prefers black with simple gold jewelry when getting dressed. She sees her room as a place to experiment with her aesthetic in a more expansive and personal way. Of the relationship between her personal space and style, Vivienne says, “I feel like it’s all the same instinct in terms of curation. Clothing is another form of decorating in my mind.”

Small rituals start and end the day in the girls’ rooms: Miya gets ready for bed every night by listening to a playlist of nighttime songs she’s been adding to since her freshman year of high school. After she brushes her teeth, Vivienne practices calligraphy to help her fall asleep. Alice has photos of her and her mother strategically placed next to her bed. “Those are special because I want those photos to be the first thing I see in the morning and last thing I see as I go to bed,” she says.

Maintenance is key to keeping their rooms how they like them. Though they’re still the age where it’s acceptable for their rooms to look like the dressing room floor after an unsuccessful shopping trip, all three say cleanliness and organization are priorities. “I despise coming home to a messy room,” remarks Alice. Miya admits that she’s notorious for making a mess while getting ready. “It could be a birthday party or a 9 a.m. class, and either way, I would come home to an explosion of clothes”—but she considers it canceled out by her ability to clean really fast and her need for a tidy room before going to sleep.

And as for the bed itself: no outside clothes allowed. Vivienne calls it a hard no, while Alice says she has an infinite amount of pajamas for friends to borrow. “And if a boy comes over and he’s getting in my bed, he’s not wearing clothes anyway.”

Riya Mahesh is living her dream double life. Raised in Austin’s band scene and now based in Boston, the 24-year-old splits her time between medical school and her ambient-pop project, Quiet Light, crafting beautifully hazy songs for the chronically introspective. Blue Angel Sparkling Silver 2, her debut mixtape on the cult label True Panther, feels tailor-made for those silent stretches of downtime when thoughts grow louder. When it comes to Quiet Light’s playlist, the musician had LA on her mind. The result? A soundtrack to hours spent in the car, staring out the passenger window and coasting down the 101: from the steamy ache of “Wicked Games” by Chris Isaak to the raw, folk-inflected “Delete Forever” by Grimes.

Who put you onto the music that changed your life?

Weirdly enough, my high school choir director introduced me to Björk, and it really changed my life. At the time, the marching band was looking for a vocalist to sing her part in “107 Steps” from Lars Von Trier’s film Dancer in the Dark, and I remember watching that movie and realizing that music could be way more experimental than I had previously thought.

First lyric you ever screamed?

“You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift: “But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts. She’s the cheer captain, and I’m on the bleachers. Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find that what you’re looking for has been here the whole time.”

Music in the morning?

Always. Music is a natural beta-blocker.

A song that feels like Texas at night?

“Run” by George Strait.

Sad music when you’re happy or happy music when you’re sad?

Sad music, specifically Mark Kozelek’s projects Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon.

What’s one aspect of medical school that’s bled into your work as a musician?

Militaristic discipline.

Are you a stare-out-the-window listener or a walk-too-fast-and-dissociate kind of listener?

Stare out the window.

What’s your perfect listening environment?

In bed, headphones on, scrolling Pinterest—or walking around the city.

Which song on Blue Angel Sparkling 2 feels the most like you right now?

“You Say I Love You.” We shot the music video for it on a beach in Malibu, and I think I’m still living in that dreamscape right now. We were there the whole day, and it was beautiful to watch the sunset. I feel like the song sounds like the beach sonically, and the lyrics are about diving and swimming, related to love and jumping in.

Interview by MEKALA RAJAGOPAL
Photos by MAYA SPANGLER

Mekala Rajagopal: What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?

Cannelle Ferragu: I hate this, but probably check my phone.

Mekala: Which app?

Cannelle: My messages because I always have to answer a billion texts. Then Instagram, or Tumblr.

Mekala: Did you grow up on Tumblr?

Cannelle: 100 percent. We heart it.

Mekala: What was your feed like?

Cannelle: I used to really love Ariana Grande and her aesthetic, so everything was pastel-coded. She was wearing all these cutesy Chanel clothes. I wanted to be like her when I grew up.

Mekala: What were some of your earliest obsessions?

Cannelle: MovieStarPlanet, and listening to music on YouTube. I loved The Sims too; I had all the hacks, but I got a new computer so I don’t have them anymore. I love games where you can dress up your characters.

Mekala: What do you think about when you’re getting dressed?

Cannelle: How hot I can be, but also how comfortable. I get so overwhelmed if I’m wearing accessories and there’s trinkets in my wig.

Mekala: What makes you feel hot?

Cannelle: Wearing my contacts. I put them on, and I’m like, Yeah, I’m her. I also love a good lingerie moment, or some cute kitten heels. And when I’m producing music.

Mekala: You’re like, “I’m cooking right now.”

Cannelle: It’s such a good feeling.

Mekala: You’re working on a mixtape, right?

Cannelle: Yeah, for the past two years. I picked all the gems I never released with some new things. I only have one song in French out now, but there are a lot on this project, so I’m excited. I’m doing music videos for the singles right now.

Mekala: The visual world you’re building is so cute and clubby. How would you describe it?

Cannelle: I guess I’m trying to make a fantasy world that feels like the music. Dreamy, heavenly stuff, like flashy, pastel neons: the quote-unquote bigger and better, or dream version of myself.

Mekala: What was it like growing up in Marseille?

Cannelle: It really helped me figure out my art, being in such a beautiful place. I was on social media a lot, and that was my safe space. I’d go into the fields and take pictures all day. It’s how I made friends and learned how to speak English.

Mekala: Did you always want to be famous?

Cannelle: Honestly, I did. I was vlogging even before that was a thing, taking pictures and videos all the time and trying to put on shows for my parents.

Mekala: Do you remember the first concert that moved you?

Cannelle: It was Ariana Grande’s “Honeymoon” tour. May 15, 2015. I had the cat ears and cried and everything. It was the best day of my entire life. I’m such an Arianator.

Mekala: How does it feel to be 22 in 2026?

Cannelle: It’s funny, because I have a song called “22.” This year, I’ve discovered parts of myself that I completely ignored before. There was a time where I felt super alone, doing all this stuff with music, so I’ve been trying to keep close to my besties from back home. I’m trying to be my own best friend and be there for the people I love.

Mekala: Who are you when no one’s watching?

Cannelle: When I’m with other people, especially in the U.S., I’m my character. I speak English. When no one’s watching, I’m French as fuck. On the bad side, I’m overthinking a lot. But also, I’m just always on my computer, watching T.V., in bed. I’m tired.

Mekala: If you had to pick a dream collab, who?

Cannelle: Obviously Ariana! Or Daft Punk or Justice. Those are my heroes.

Mekala: What’s inspiring you right now? What have you been listening to?

Cannelle: Xaviersobased. Mika. Do you know Mika? He’s a British-Lebanese artist who sings in French. He’s fire, the O.G. He even kind of reminds me of Babymorocco with these clubby French songs that are just a vibe. Also, Ninajirachi; we just did a show together. Then there’s also Chxrry, Nadia Oh, M.I.A. And recently, I discovered this artist called Balo, who just dropped a project called Rubikon that I really fuck with.

Mekala: Are you watching anything?

Cannelle: I’m a simple girl. I love Sofia Coppola, like The Bling Ring and Marie Antoinette. But I also love that director that made Climax, Gaspar Noé. It’s such a weird movie. And I think people will hate me for this, but also Ariel Schulman’s Nerve.

Mekala: Why do you think people will hate you?

Cannelle: Because, like, the acting was kind of bad, but I’m sorry, the world of the movie is so fucking good. I love it. It’s my comfort watch.

Mekala: How does it feel to be a music artist in the TikTok era? What do you love and hate about the industry right now?

Cannelle: I used to love TikTok, but I’ve tried to detach from it a bit. I want to make music for music lovers, not just to go viral. I love posting my videos and outfits, but if I’m on my phone too much, I start to lose my sense of self. I’m not trying to chase the charts or have to post five times a day, like yes, I’m trying to make something out of my life, but I’m just a regular girl.

Horoscopes by ILANA KOZLOV

Today’s Scorpio full moon lights up what you’ve been avoiding, asking you to get real with yourself. After all, the peak of the lunar cycle is often the moment things finally come to a head, for better or messier. Whatever was quietly brewing since the new moon two weeks ago? It’s finally showing its face. The full moon always sits directly opposite the sun, so there’s an inherent push-pull between two energies—and their corresponding signs. This tension is part of what makes the air feel charged. This month’s sits opposite Taurus; it’s a tug of war between depth and comfort, intensity and stability. From there May runs in two acts: Mercury moves into Taurus on the 2nd and reminds you to slow down, think it through, build something. Pluto retrograde on the 6th brings the bigger questions back around—about community and your place in the world. Then, the Taurus new moon on the 16th is your window to plant something real.

After mid-month hits, everything accelerates. Mercury moves into Gemini on the 17th and immediately locks into a conjunction with Uranus, zapping everyone with out-of-the-box ideas. Mars and Venus change signs the next day, and for once your feelings and your desires are actually on the same page. The Uranus cazimi (when a planet moves into the exact heart of the sun) on the 22nd is genuinely historic, the first in Gemini in nearly 80 years. There’s going to be a shift, and you’ll feel it. By the time May closes out with a Sagittarius full moon on the 31st, you will have recalibrated, ready to face the horizon.

Aries rising

Closeness is an event of both love and obliteration. It’s a strange thing when you share your air, money, and even troubles with someone. It’s less lonely, but it also destroys something in you—maybe some lie about who you are. Imagine you were watching yourself on a reality T.V. show fighting with a loved one. It’s a bit of a mind-fuck. Who are you in the context of what is shared?

Taurus rising

The chrysalis is becoming a distant memory, more and more. You’re on the other side of some major intrapersonal changes. Everything in your relationships ultimately boils down to how you relate to yourself. You’ve been digging some deep holes, and your nails are clanking against a hard mantle. Now you’ve reached the bottom, which was never about getting stuck. All the mud has formed a staircase, and the climb back up will be easier than expected because the Earth is here to hold you.

Gemini rising

Stress can make your body feel too small to hold everything inside it. A soul, an idea, even a hair-raising feeling starts to press against the edges. The world can be anything, and right now it is a steel weight. From within your container, pressure builds. You are approaching a wafer-thin threshold. The in-between. The door that lets wild storms in. The hardest epiphanies will push you open, and that will be a relief. When you lay down and let yourself relax, everything will finally feel soft, even the forest floor. Hard work is about humility.

Cancer rising

The beginning of the month is like the finale of an opera. The sopranos sing their grandest songs when it all falls apart. Yes, you’re on that destroy-create pendulum. Bad romance makes good art, so I guess you’re in luck if you’re an artist. But also, you’re kind of in luck in general. Remember, beauty and friendship are your spongy landing pads.

Leo rising

You may be carrying a mood that’s not entirely yours. It might actually be 100 years old. Imagine your great, great grandmother feeling the same exact thing you’re feeling right now. Think of this feeling as a phone call between the two of you. When you hang up the phone, a really big light will bleach the room you’re in. But for now you’re free, and it’s time to plant flowers on live television. You’re making room for all the delicious new things the world is interested in.

Virgo rising

Are you clogged with secrets? Or are you walking down some sacred, unpaved path? Whatever the case may be, privacy is a big theme at the beginning of the month. You are embodying the hermit. This alone time, however, is the wellspring of dreams—giving the soul much to connect to. May is a magical month that feeds your output. What you give and show the world will directly reflect these spiritual revolutions.

Libra rising

Right now the floor is made out of jello, so you are not enticed to stand on it. But you have learned to fly and sail and walk on narrow cords suspended from great heights. Innovation is preceded by challenges, and right now your foundation is proving not enough. It will be worthwhile to investigate what you want and why: To feed the soul? To feed the ego? To feed another person? You need more of something, and you need new ideas to get it.

Scorpio rising

You have been looking at the mirror for so long that your reflection is starting to change. Your eyes have sunk down to where your mouth is and your nose now floats up to the top of your head. Who even are you? Perhaps this is a question others can help you answer. We are all connected after all. Just look into someone else’s eyes and see yourself. Perhaps you’ll see their eyes sink to some strange place too. Involve people in your distorting growth spurts. Be witnessed in change.

Sagittarius rising

The unknown is always a part of life whether we befriend it or not. The beginning of the month feels like taking a drive through a desert and sleeping in some desolate hotel. You are the freedom seeker, but is there a place that’s simply too far away? A place where you completely unravel and see the separations between your skin, bones, muscles, and soul? How interesting to come apart, while greater and greater value is put behind your work. You will need to bring your undone, jet-lagged parts to it too.

Capricorn rising

I want you to think about your future self. In this dream, are you big or are you small? What do you have? What don’t you have? This is a good moment to examine the limits of your imagination—any superficial line you have drawn between yourself and what is possible. I actually want you to crawl under a rock with the most impossible thing and do some plotting. Later in the month, you will take this dream and put some clay, color, and sex behind it.

Aquarius rising

People extrapolate the truth from what they see, so you can make a great game out of what you show. Maybe it’s a trick, a mask, or just a piece of something. Maybe what you show can be entirely unexpected. Sabotage the network heads and investors and even the audience. Someone important might be upset with you because you’re subverting their status, but so what? You have information, and you can share it in fun and absurd ways.

Pisces rising

You’re diving into some taboo ideas this month, sitting with thoughts that challenge the order of things. Everything is ultimately a concept, rehearsed over and over again until it becomes automatic and unquestionable. Every once in a while, we will wake up from life as if it is a dream and come to this intangible yet beholding reality. A different part of the world is the equivalent of 1,000 years. It will crack your concepts. Let it.

If you've been tapped into Paris street style lately, chances are you've seen one of Valeria Ayawa Agboati fabulous outfits on your feed. The Brussels-born fashion-obsessive grew up poring over fashion magazines with her mother, and now 20, she’s living her best life in Paris, splitting her time between lectures and the vintage shops of rue de Turenne. Her advice? Shop secondhand, and never leave the house without something fun.

Age: 20

Occupation: Law and history student.

Where are you from?

I was born in Brussels; it’s a gorgeous green city. My mother works for the European Parliament, and I attended an international European school, so it was a very multicultural environment—I myself am Italian and Togolese.

Where do you live now? And what do you like most about it?

I live in Paris. When I first moved here, I thought, If I’m sad and everything is going wrong, at least I’m in Paris! Today, I marvel at living somewhere where so many gather for a plethora of cultural events across the year, from fashion week to sports tournaments to political matters. There’s so much history around every corner. It’s wonderful to experience. It makes you feel part of something bigger, like you’re contributing to the culture in your own minuscule way.

What were some of your early influences growing up?

Definitely my mother. I remember critiquing fashion magazines with her as a toddler. We were very tough critics! She’s a beautiful, stylish and very intellectual woman. I like to think I carry some of those same qualities. She still prides herself on the fact that I was always the best dressed at daycare.

Favorite place to hang out in Paris?

While I love the Marais, like any other basic fashion-victim wannabe (a trait that I proudly claim), I also love the 6th arrondissement so much. I like walking around the Odéon, visiting Jardin du Luxembourg, and sitting by the Seine on nice days. Most people say that this side of the Seine is boring, and they don’t go as much. But that’s exactly why it’s less hectic and cooler. I hope they keep saying it, honestly!

Where do you shop?

I practically only buy secondhand, except for extremely specific things, or when I’m collaborating with brands. I get almost everything from Vinted: good pricing, sustainable, lots of choices and gorgeous pieces if you know how to look. It’s the perfect place to develop a personal style independently of the trends. If I’m treating myself, I go on Vestiaire Collective for secondhand designer pieces or I visit the vintage shops on Rue de Turenne.

Biggest style inspiration?

My style is very personal, but it’s also the amalgamation of everyone and anything I come across. I like to observe on every scale, whether it’s designers or girls on Instagram. Some of my favorite designers include Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons, Phoebe Philo for Celine, the Caten brothers for DSquared2, Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga, and Alexander McQueen for his own label.

Where do you find references?

I have a Pinterest where I save all my favorite shows, and I find it fun to try and recreate the looks with what I have. I also have a few instagram muses, such as Katya Braithwaite, Stella Bocle, Olivia Halle, Ailene Weatherly, and Rachel Ojuromi to cite a few!

Current obsessions in your closet?

Right now, I’m loving everything very low-waisted: jeans, sweatpants, and skirts. Speaking of skirts, I adore tulle tutu-style skirts—perhaps worn with studded heels and dressed down with a graphic baby tee. Another combo I love is ripped jeans and colorful flip flops, yellow or pink! I recently bought a Dolce & Gabbana cardigan, it’s ridiculously long and in this outrageously bright yellow-green. And of course, I never go anywhere without my teal Balenciaga city bag.

One trend that should die?

Looksmaxxing and anything adjacent to that. It’s literally every toxic thing about the Internet all wrapped into one. Eating disorders, insecurities, self-harm, racism, and misogyny. It sends shivers down my spine. I can’t help but wonder if these people have actually ever been outside. I’m not against bettering yourself and taking care of your appearance—it does hold social value, sure—but the people in that community are locking themselves in a pseudo-eugenicist microcosm. Politics aside, I don’t think they understand the essence of beauty anyway. They usually just end up with some mangled caricature of it.

One trend you stand behind?

So many to be honest! I’m really not against any fashion trends. It’s cool how we’re all collectively enjoying something at the same time. It’s so lame to force yourself to dislike things once you deem them too mainstream. For instance, last year I bought a Napoleon-style jacket, and a few months later, I watched it go insanely viral. I wasn’t mad about it. It’s cool to see how everyone styles it.

Three words to describe your style: Fun, effortless, and swag (duh!).

What does your camera roll look like?

Walk us through how you would spend your perfect day?

Firstly and most importantly, I wake up in a neat apartment, rested after a full night of sleep, which is very rare for me—bonus points if all my dishes are done. I head to pilates, then struggle for the 50 minute session and leave feeling productive. Obviously it’s a perfect skin and hair day, and my makeup looks amazing. I don’t feel any anxiety, and all my schoolwork is done. I get dressed, coming up with an insane yet simple outfit on the first try. Ideally I’m wearing flip flops because it’s precisely 71 degrees. I head out to meet a friend for brunch, where I have eggs Benedict and an iced rose-matcha latte.

After that, we head to the vintage shops on Rue de Turenne. It’s not the weekend but I have the day off so it’s not crowded, and I find one perfect item within my budget. On that high, I record a TikTok on the first try and post it immediately…it goes viral. We keep walking around, get cute pictures, maybe sit by the Seine and do word searches. In the evening, we go to a terrace and order a Hugo spritz and mozzarella sticks. I go home, get changed and host my friends for pre-drinks before we go to La Fête, where the bouncer lets us in immediately. Inside, we run into literally everyone we know, somehow don’t pay for a single drink, and the D.J. plays songs we all know all the words to. We head home at 4 a.m, and order O’Tacos on Uber Eats—either that, or a day at the beach.

Favorite color?

Green. It’s life. It’s trees. It’s grass. It just fills me with such a sense of peace and calm. But green can also be loud and subversive, even repulsive. It’s so versatile both in shades and vibes.

Most-used emoji?

Something nobody knows about you?

I don’t try to hide it, but I think my most unexpected trait is my obsession with musicals. My favorites include Hamilton (the gateway drug), Spring Awakening, Ride the Cyclone, and Into the Woods. Adjacently, I’m also a huge Gleek! I force this passion on all my friends, and I’m quite insufferable about it.

Interview by SABRINA FUENTES
Photos by WALKER BUNTING
Fashion by ANGELINA VITTO

Devon Ross: Hello?

Sabrina Fuentes: Hey girl. How’s it going?

Devon: Good. Are you on tour?

Sabrina: I just got back to New York. We just played Paris,London, and Vienna. Where are you right now?

Devon: I’m at home in LA. I was in Paris but left the day before you played. I was so sad to miss it.

Sabrina: Oh no. It was fun though. Have you toured much?

Devon: We did a little tour for my E.P., Oxford Gardens, driving around England with Thurston [Moore] and his wife Eva. We even stopped by Liverpool and Bristol. I grew up touring with my dad [Craig Ross], going from place to place and being on the move, so I’m pretty used to the chaos of it all. I want to do more of it though.

Sabrina: How old were you on your first tour?

Devon: I was a tiny baby. I mean, it’s classic. You don’t think things are different until people tell you they are. It wasn’t until I got older that I was like, Oh, so most kids are not going on tour during the summer. This is not normal. I got really good at entertaining myself because I would be left alone for two, three hours every night and was otherwise around adults all the time.

Sabrina: What was it like growing up in LA around music?

Devon: Being a teenager in LA was pretty special. You grew up in New York, right? It’s kind of similar; you’re exposed to a lot of things when you grow up in a city like this. But here, you get your license at 16, and you kind of just drive around.

Sabrina: What bands were playing back then?

Devon: Lydia Night and the Regrettes were happening. Girlpool was happening. The Smell, which is this all-ages venue where anyone could play, was happening. I would just hit the clubs all the time. I honestly wouldn’t trade that time for anything.

Sabrina: What is your favorite thing to see a crowd doing now that you’re playing your own shows?

Devon: Everyone’s so serious all the time, especially in places like LA, so it’s nice when people are actually letting loose, dancing, going ballistic. I don’t really play dancing music, but I love when the crowd’s vibing. What about you?

Sabrina: I like when people mosh, obviously. I also like seeing people singing along. And I love watching people meet each other. I still follow all of those girls that I met at, like, a Mac DeMarco show when I was a kid—I’m like, Love you girl. When did you move to London?

Devon: After Covid happened, I went to live with my dad in the Bahamas for four or so months, which was sick. I played guitar every day, then I left for London later that year and stayed for four. It was really the mecca of everything I loved. We lived on Melrose Ave. when I was younger, where there was a store called Posers that had all the English Fred Perry clothes, the creepers and shit. And I love the Beatles—people who love the Beatles want to move to London—so I was happy I did. My first years there were kind of like a dreamscape.

Sabrina: Did you like your neighborhood?

Devon: Yeah, I loved living in Ladbroke Grove. Every weekend I’d walk to Portobello Road, where the Clash started. I even visited where Marc Bolan lived and where Pink Floyd played their first show. Being so close to all of that was unreal to me, and I’m sure people feel that way about LA, too, but I didn’t appreciate it back then.

Sabrina: When did you start making music?

Devon: Well, I’ve played guitar since I was 14, and I would write songs here and there, but I wanted to be really good at strumming before I ever tried writing my own music. I guess growing up with a classic rock dad and always listening to what he listened to, I thought I had to learn everything, but when I first heard Sonic Youth a few years ago, I realized I didn’t have to, and that freed me in a way.

Sabrina: All that practice paid off because I love the way you play guitar. You have such a great style.

Devon: Aw, thank you. I learned so much from Thurston and Lee [Ranaldo] with the open tune, honestly. I also always got open tunings from Jimmy Page, which was cool. They all really opened my mind.

Sabrina: That’s so full circle because you work so closely with Thurston now, right?

Devon: Yeah it’s crazy. I just sent him my songs one day like, “What do you think? Are these crazy? Do they suck?”And he was like, “We’ll put them out.” I said, “Wow. Okay, let’s do it.”

Sabrina: Do you have any favorite venues in either city?

Devon: I’ve played Zebulon 10 times, it feels like my living room now. The 100 Club also has a very special place in my heart; it was the first venue I played in London, and I grew up with this book about it that I’d read all the time, so it was pretty surreal. Didn’t we meet in London?

Sabrina: Either London or Paris... Wait, didn’t we go to Chez Janou? I was just here a week ago and thought, The first time I came here was with Devon.

Devon: It’s all coming back to me.

Sabrina: When did you get into acting and modeling?

Devon: My mom was a model in the’90s, and I would always look through her portfolio as a kid, but it didn’t really fall into my lap. I would do small campaigns around LA, then I booked a Gucci show at 17, which is when it really kicked off. I got an audition for Irma Vep through my agency in 2022, which was so scary..I booked it, and didn’t sleep for a month leading up to filming because it was with Olivier Assayas, who’s such a fucking legend. Alicia Vikander,too—she has a fucking Oscar. And there I was, never having acted before. I learned so much.

Sabrina: Was there a red carpet premiere? Had you done one before?

Devon: Yeah, but that was probably the scariest one. Being at Cannes when you’re 22 is so fun. Looking back on that time now, I’m so glad that I was actively trying to be present for it because I knew it was a rare moment. It is also the most fabulous I’ve ever felt, like a mermaid.

Sabrina: You’re in a new movie by Matt Sukkar, right? What’s your character like?

Devon: Yeah it’s called The Deputy. I play Molly, a teenager in a small town who dreams of bigger things. Every role I play changes how I think about acting in a sense, I learn something new every time. I’m really excited to work with William H. Macy, Duke Nicholson, Stephen Dorff, and Julia Fox.

Sabrina: Do you have a favorite modeling memory?

Devon: Definitely shooting with Yorgos Lanthimos in Rome for Gucci by Alessandro Michele. I just remember being on set and knowing it was a very rare opportunity.

Sabrina: Has working in fashion changed your personal style?

Devon: I feel like I’m evolving all the time, but I do end up dressing the same as I have my whole life. I guess I feel more womanly than ever. I used to just really only dress like a tomboy all the time, and I revert back to that pretty often, but I am feeling more feminine as I get older.

Sabrina: What are your favorite places to shop?

Devon: I love going to Scout on Melrose. It’s kind of fancy, but it’s really fun. I also just love going to Silverlake Flea. And in London, I love some of the stores on Brick Lane. Do you know Shop Yotts?

Sabrina: Yeah. I always go there when I’m in London. She has great stuff. What’s your creative process like across music, acting, and modeling? Do you feel any overlap in how you approach them?

Devon: Music and acting feel really different. Music happens on my own time, I don’t really work with anyone else, so I can do things my way without feeling shy or holding back. Acting is more disciplined, I love how much work goes into preparing for a role. I love both sides of that: playing guitar alone for hours, doing whatever I want, and also having to show up prepared for a role and meet a deadline. One of my favorite parts of acting is the lead-up, figuring out who your character is, building their story.

Sabrina: Do you ever approach music that way, like crafting a character, or is it more just you?

Devon: It happens in a totally different way. I’m just on my own. Sometimes I spiral a bit like, What am I doing? because I’m the only one hearing it. But that’s part of the fun.

Sabrina: That happens to everyone—the vortex. You produced your last E.P. yourself, did you produce the other one too?

Devon: Yeah, that one was literally just me in my house with a drum machine app.

Sabrina: How is the LA music scene right now?

Devon: Maybe when I was younger it felt more concentrated just because my world was smaller, but I don’t know—there’s definitely something here, it’s just not as tight.

Sabrina: I feel like people go out differently, too.

Devon: Yeah, exactly. Here it’s more of a choice.

Sabrina: Have you been to any shows recently or are there any newer artists you’re into right now?

Devon: Unironically, I went to one of Lenny’s shows recently. I mostly listen to older music but I’m trying to get better about that. I love Pretty Sick.

Sabrina: Thank you. But same—I was like that for a long time. I only really got into new stuff when I forced myself to. What do you think your 16-year-old self would think of you now?

Devon: I wanted to be doing all the stuff that I’m doing now so I’d be pretty happy.

Talent DEVON ROSS at INDEPENDENT TALENT GROUP
Art Direction AMELIA KRING
Groomer CIARA MACCARO at EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS using DIOR BEAUTY
Set Designer KELLY INFIELD at SECOND NAME
Fashion Assistant FLANNERY SILVA
Set Assistant SAVANNAH GRACE DAVIS
Production REBECCA AARON
Special thanks HONEY ARTISTS