Sammie Pearson knows how to put on a party worth leaving the house for. Through Pretty But Wicked, her platform for booking artists she loves on stages across Los Angeles, Pearson has been the early champion of some of today’s buzziest new names, think Bassvictim, Quiet Light, and Evanora Unlimited. Next up, she’s bringing her taste to the festival circuit with And Always Forever. The event’s third year at the Echo and Echoplex this November will see a packed line-up of rising acts like Ms Gloom, Sophia Stel, and BOYG1RL. For September’s Press Play, Sammie talks five dollar parties, street tacos, and the songs she keeps coming back to, from My Bloody Valentine to Sassy 009.

What was the first show you ever threw?

Feels with French Vanilla for $5 in 2017.

Favorite kind of venue?

The best kinds of spaces are run by people who love truly music and care for the community. I love turning a space that’s not a venue into a show space for the night.

What are you eating after the club at 2 a.m.?

I’m born and raised here. Street tacos only.

What do you always have in your bag on a night out?

Cigarettes, sharpies, and hand sanitizer.

What is a song you’ll never get tired of hearing?

“December Forever” by Thoom. It’s a melancholy and brooding pop banger, and one of my most played songs last year while in my feels. Zeynab’s live sets always hit even harder than the recording, too. She performed it at my birthday show and it was heaven.

An act you’ll never get tired of seeing on a line-up?

Dylan Thom. Every live set is tighter and more lit than the previous. He is such a genuine, sweet, humble person who looks like he is having so much fun on stage and the energy is infectious for the audience. I am just constantly enamored by his immense talent and innovative songwriting. I feel so sure he will go far with his music.

What makes a good house show?

Nice neighbors.

What kills the vibe at a show?

Too much A.C. and bright lighting. Shows are supposed to be sexy.

Dream booking for And Always Forever?

Starflyer 59, The Crying Nudes, Black Kray.

Ideal show start time?

8 p.m., I like to be in bed by midnight.

Do you have a digital junk drawer?

I consider my desktop screen my junk drawer, although I clean it out every day. I think of the daily organization of my computer as “resetting.” I do the same thing with my home: I reset it every night to wake up in a clean space.

What ongoing project are you most excited about?

My photo blog <3. I hope I keep using it for the rest of my life.

Rank your top three most-used fonts.

Number one would be Helvetica, number two would be Arial, and number three... I only use two fonts. If I had to use a third, it would be Areal by Dinamo, designed for are.na.

Does the default Mac interface serves as a backdrop for your art?

Yes, it’s perfect. I wish I designed it.

What draws you to minimalism?

Minimalism is not my goal. Minimalism is my subculture. Minimalism is a product of being overwhelmed. I would never willingly choose minimalism: it just is the only solution.

Does the Internet inspire your art?

I <3 that we are all using the Internet. I <3 that we are all here together. I treat my experience and my existence the same way I use the internet: to organize and catalog reference for new work. My goal is to encourage holistic internet use for life enjoyers.

Kendal Walker got her first point-and-shoot in middle school and never put it down. Since then, the 24-year-old has photographed whatever holds her attention: friends, strangers, farm animals, gas stations, empty roads, nights out. Eight years of those images now make up Tracks, her debut monograph and first solo exhibition presented at Manor Place in London, tracing her path from Heber, Utah to New York, London, and eventually back to New York. The scenery changes, but the pictures keep circling the same ideas: home, relationships, and the different versions of yourself you pick up along the way. Below, Walker talks growing up in the Wasatch Mountains, Wolfgang Tillmans, and why she still carries a camera everywhere.

Do you remember the first photographs you took?

My parents gave me a point-and-shoot digital camera when I was 8 or 9. I found it recently, and it has a bunch of photos from a Red Sox game, plus a lot of random blurry images that I love now.

Have you always wanted to be a photographer?

I’ve always been interested in art. As a kid, I loved to paint and draw, and when I was 14 I photographed my cousin’s wedding, which brought me to taking photos all the time. For a while, I viewed my art and photos as separate but in high school they started to morph into documentation in a more serious way.

What was it like growing up in Utah?

I grew up in Heber, a rural town in a valley in the Wasatch mountains. It’s quiet with vast environments, which I still reference in my pictures. I was really allowed to be a kid there. I played softball, went to the fair, and parked my truck in a lot called the cowboy parking lot. Now I go in and out of feeling at home there and like a visitor. Taking photos helps me process that. I’m always photographing diners and gas stations. I still really want to shoot the rodeo and demolition derby.

How do you know you’ve taken a good photo?

When it reflects some part of life or feeling back at me. We digest so many images every day, I think that taking a photo that can provoke an emotional reaction requires a certain realness. You feel like you can live inside them.

Who are your subjects in Tracks?

Mostly people who orbit my life, along with people I’ve met on the street. I try to make everyone feel comfortable enough to bring their own energy into the image. That meeting between someone’s individuality and my lens is what keeps portraiture so beautiful and interesting to me.

Who are your favorite photographers?

I referenced Wolfgang Tillmans a lot while editing the book and exhibition, especially the way he recontextualizes images through pairings and material. I tend to see images as fragments, and editing is how I turn them into a story. Davide Sorrenti was another early influence. I was drawn to how intertwined his life and work were; his earnestness was really inspiring. Lately I’ve been looking at Liz Johnson Artur, Deana Lawson, and Nan Goldin. They’re all women who have made work that’s powerful in its honesty, with a real reverence for their subjects.

Do you listen to music when shooting?

Always. Usually something hazy or ambient, and if I have time I’ll make a playlist beforehand. My last one had Siouxsie and the Banshees, babyxsosa, Salem, Babyfather, Brian Eno, Birth Day, John Glacier, and Klein. If I’m photographing someone, I ask them to play their own music. It usually puts them at ease and helps me get to know them a bit more.

Do you see the shot before you take it?

Usually. I’d say it’s an 80–20 split. My photos are more of a creative interpretation rather than exact documentation, so I build references beforehand to shape the environment around a certain feeling. Then there’s the other 20 percent, where something unexpected just appears. It’s why I always have my camera with me.

London or New York?

Honestly, I could never pick. New York was the first place I spent real time in after Utah, and it taught me a lot. The intensity somehow makes me calmer and more focused. I moved to London at 19, and it was the first place that felt like home after leaving. All I can do is admire and be thankful for them both.

What’s always in your camera bag, besides your camera?

Wired headphones, usually two pairs knotted up.

Is it different seeing your work in a book versus in a gallery versus digital?

Definitely. With books, I think a lot about pairings, pacing, scale, paper, and printing. I’m kind of obsessed with those details, like weight and texture, because I see books as precious objects. Exhibitions let me take that physicality further. In my last show, I used metal and rust to bring in ideas of time and nostalgia, along with tiny two-by-three-inch prints that reminded me of family photos. You had to get really close to see them.

Quincy Whipple has a knack for making the ordinary feel worthy of an essay. The 24-year-old writer and model grew up in Maine, where her days were shaped by the ocean, before moving across the country, first to Los Angeles and, more recently, to New York City. Somewhere along the way, writing became her way of making sense of the places, people, and phases she left behind. On her Substack, she writes about whatever comes to mind: female friendship, forgiveness, yapping, figs, processing death, small-town secrets, and everything in between. Off the page, she’s either posing for the camera, walking for miles with a podcast, or plotting her next trip home. Below, Whipple tells us what she’s reading, what makes a perfect day, and why her friends are currently her favorite obsession.

Age: 24

Occupation: Content creator, model, and writer

Where are you based? I just moved to NYC!

How did you first start writing?

I’ve always loved reading, which naturally evolved into a love for writing. I worked as a copywriter for an ad agency before I started my Substack in January. Writing has always felt like the most honest way I can express myself, but I definitely fell in love with it again this year.

What makes a good book?

The best books take you completely out of your life and make you care deeply about someone or something else even if it’s just for a moment. The “Harry Potter” series is what made me fall in love with reading.

What’s on your reading rotation currently?

On Writing by Stephen King, L.A. Woman by Eve Babitz, and Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (I don’t normally read three books at the same time).

What’s your go-to breakfast?

Probably something with peanut butter.

What was your last impulse buy?

A flight back home to Maine.

What’s your beverage of choice?

An iced flat white.

Describe your perfect day?

I’m in Maine, so I spend the day at the beach with my friends, then I go home, go on a run, shower, put on a cute outfit, and take the boat to get dinner with my siblings. We end the day with ice cream, and I’m in bed by 9:30 p.m.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

People chewing; it makes me irrationally angry.

How about your favorite thing to do alone?

Runs and long walks.

What’s your current obsession?

My friends.

What’s something nobody knows about you?

I played the violin growing up. I wish I could play it now.

Nothing makes you question your entire identity quite like getting dressed for the first day of school. You want to look different, but not like you’re trying. A summer away can inspire a whole new personality, or at least a new pair of shoes. For one morning, your outfit makes you the person you’ve decided you’re going to be all semester. Of course, by week two, the fantasy usually gives way to whatever gets you through that 8 a.m. lecture. Maybe this means ballet flats or baggy jeans or the comfort cardigan you’ll accidentally wear three times a week until December. But whatever it is, it’s yours. From go-to looks to the ones that get worn once then pushed to the back of the closet, we turn to students in Chicago, New York, and London to see what they’re wearing to class, what permanently lives in their school bags, and where they find inspiration.

Ruby Chen, 25

University: Royal College of Art

Major: Contemporary Art Practice.

First day of school outfit?

Knee-high Margiela tabi boots, black pleated skirt, oversized men’s suit jacket, and two scarves. I’m not working in the studios on the first day, so I will dress up.

Do you dress differently outside of school?

It’s always minimalist workwear at school, and outside of school I dress up to make up for all the outfits I didn’t get to wear.

Biggest style inspo?

Shanghai, where I grew up. It’s a city that mixes beige and black Georgian architecture from colonial times with silver skyscrapers. I like to mix modern and antique elements in the way that I dress too—a minimalist approach to the clothing, but paired with stacks of antique jewelry and scarves.

Miriam Cabulo, 19

University: University of the Arts London

Major: Creative Direction for Fashion

First day of school outfit?

I always end up deciding the day of. I don’t have an official uniform, but I’m always wearing a fuckass cardigan.

Describe your style in 3 words:

Cute, romantic, random.

What did you wear on your first day of school growing up?

Unfortunately I was imprisoned by uniforms.

Sophia Bella, 19

University: Northwestern University

Major: Journalism

First day of school outfit?

Straight, dark-wash denim jeans and a white T-shirt as my base. Depending on the weather, I’ll throw on a sweater—maybe my favorite black long-sleeve cashmere that’s perfectly slouchy, or a burgundy pullover. I’ll wear a statement belt, maybe one with cool silver accents to match my jewelry, or one with a similar color leather to my school bag. I love coordination.

What did you wear on your first day of school growing up?

I really went through a different phase every first day. I distinctly remember one time—third grade, maybe—where I showed up with these insane psychedelic-patterned leggings that I wore under ripped denim shorts and cowboy boots. I had these cherry earrings that I matched with a cherry-colored shirt. Not my best look, but at least the coordination has remained consistent.

Your biggest style inspo?

My mom!

Willow Kolski, 21

University: The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

Major: Art

First day of school outfit?

A mod-style striped mini dress.

What’s your favorite season to dress for?

Spring because of the freshness and smell of flowers in the air—and the feeling of knowing you’ll be shedding your layers throughout the day, like a flower shedding its petals as the days pass by.

What’s joining your school wardrobe this year?

A cute crochet dress I got in Minneapolis the last week of summer.

Miya Kofo, 20

University: Pratt Institute

Major: Film

First day of school outfit?

I’m commuting this year, so I’ve been trying to choose pieces that are comfortable but still cute. For the first day of school, I’ll be wearing my vintage dark-wash Levi’s, a white baby T-shirt, and black ballet flats, paired with my oversized Free People Emerson that I use as a computer bag.

What’s on your Pinterest feed?

Right now, a lot of ceramic figurines, halloween costume inspo, nail art, and photos of Zoe Kravitz.

What’s one piece in your closet you’d save in a fire?

My black Uggs with bows on the back. I got them at a yard sale in my hometown for $1 and I practically live in them during the fall.

1xblue “capri in anime print,” $146.00

Kate Barton, “noelle tank top,” $250.00

Ancient Greek Sandals, “iro pink jelly flats,” $150.00

Summer Fridays, “flushed lip stain, maple,” $18.70

Repetto x Birkenstock, “scala mules,” $555.00

Los Angeles Apparel, “flex fleece cropped sweatpant,” $64.00

Massimo Dutti, “technical bomber jacket with side button,” $220.00

Wildflower Cases, “frankies bikinis rhinestone diva,” $45.00

Strawberry Western, “coco sports bra,” $32.00

Havaianas, “the havaianas kitten heel,” TBD.

Horoscopes by ILANA KOZLOV

Last Thursday’s lunar eclipse in Pisces shook loose whatever was too spiritually overcomplicated for us to keep carrying. Now we begin September with Mars in Cancer, squaring Saturn in Aries, making even the obvious next move feel like pushing a sofa through a doorway. Don’t force it. Virgo season would rather you pack up what no longer fits, label the box, and put it out on the curb. On Sept. 10, Venus slips into Scorpio; Mercury enters Libra; Uranus stations retrograde in Gemini, and the New Moon in Virgo offers a cleaner starting point. Consider it a chance to reorganize whatever the eclipse left scattered across the floor.

Libra season arrives on Sept. 22 with its usual promise of balance, but the Sept. 26 full moon in Aries is less interested in keeping the peace. It puts the self under a hot spotlight and asks what you actually want. Relationships get harder to keep on the surface, as whatever has been avoided now demands an honest answer. The urge to sort, confess, repair, or cut your losses gets harder to ignore. By month’s end, with Mars entering Leo and Mercury entering Scorpio, the polite version of the truth may no longer be very useful.

Aries Rising

This month feels like trying to stuff your head through someone else’s shirt. Entanglements will take up a lot of energy, but maybe that’s exactly what you wanted. The new moon in Virgo will give you an opportunity to work out a difficult conflict with unexpected poise, while the full moon in Aries will culminate in some life-defining action. Needless to say, it’s not a quiet cycle. If it’s hard to contain your energy, do some jumping jacks.

Taurus Rising

It seems impossible to shake off intense desires as Venus enters your sector of relationships. Sometimes we have to put away the diary and just live life. No more prompts or self-help podcasts; it’s time for the shadow to play itself out. It may be bittersweet and certainly vulnerable, but this is when the real development happens. The takeover of deep, internal forces culminates in a big, remote fire. Dense ashes will spread, with only you to witness.

Gemini Rising

This is a great time to move around some furniture and get the dust out of those long-forgotten corners. Work relationships might intensify, so carving out your sanctuary and improving your home life will feel like a much-needed lifesaver. A lot of fiery energy will enter your sectors of communication and friendships. If there’s anything you need to get off your chest, now is your moment.

Cancer Rising

You are in the midst of absorbing a lot of information, and this isn’t causing general brainrot. It’s actually improving your life and giving you inspiring food for thought. Though things are feeling more technical lately, you are working toward a climax, which you will reach in your career at the end of the month. Creative energies pierce through sediment and seep into the magma. The whole world gets heated up with your fierce, emotional energy.

Leo Rising

Getting clear on your values can erase a lot of problems. It can show you where fear, shame, or outworn attachments have been running the show. It can also help you direct your resources to ventures with true longevity. It’s a practical kind of month that ends with a disparate impulse for adventure. Getting your ducks in a row and then breaking free from routines sounds like a well-balanced calendar to me.

Virgo Rising

You’re glowing more than usual because the new moon in your sign offers a minty fresh start. You have been shedding a lot of weight, and now the direction of your life has seemed to undergo a significant improvement. It’s worth celebrating, and the celebration is in the details. So slow down to take care of yourself in little ways, instead of exhausting your energy for others. You’re ready to cut your losses and walk toward a new mountain.

Libra Rising

You’re working behind the scenes, with the new moon in Virgo landing in your sector of hidden matters. The sun is in your first house of self, so expression isn’t entirely off the table. You’re discerning what stays in the shadows, for now, and what deserves some light. But at the end of the month, it’s less about you and more about a fiery “we.” Watch out for unnecessary conflicts and embrace heat only if it’ll add more sparkle to your jewel.

Scorpio Rising

Superficial has never been in your vocabulary, and if you can believe it, you may be getting even pickier about who gets access to your friendship and social life. There’s only room for the underground stuff, but not everyone wants to get dirty in the sewer with you. All it takes is one person to join you down that slimy pipe. Their arm pressed against your head isn’t claustrophobic; it’s kind of sweet and intimate. The end of the month brings some conflict at work, so put your helmet on.

Sagittarius Rising

You’re passing the performance review, and your hard work is not only impressing others, it’s impressing you. Yes, please take a moment to say, “I did that.” Your creativity is running high, so trust any enterprising ideas you may have right now. Travel is a real possibility toward the end of the month, but it may not turn out as expected. Differing viewpoints could bring out some drama, so pick your intellectual battles wisely.

Capricorn Rising

You’re in a dream surrounded by doors, and every door you open has someone who wants something from you on the other side. Your relationships are demanding a lot of emotional energy, and friend groups are feeling the tension too. The end of the month culminates in some frustration at home. Tempers could run high, so lock the door and run a cold shower.

Aquarius Rising

Letting go isn’t the ideal choice, but it’s the smart one. You will feel a lot lighter by detaching from other people’s problems and expectations, or even settling some overdue debts. You may feel a little moodier and less compelled to accept attention. At the end of the month, you may receive an important piece of news that arouses passion, excitement, or unexpected anger.

Pisces Rising

You have the opportunity to plant new relationship seeds. The new moon in Virgo is all about refinement, so if there have been wires crossed between you and others, this is a good month to do some detangling. Venus introduces a taboo emotional vibe to your sector of travel and education. Dig into banned books and prepare for uncomfortable but necessary insights.

Urtė Katiliūtė has described herself as “naked online,” which tracks for a designer who has little interest in mystique for mystique’s sake. Under the label Urte Kat, the Lithuanian designer makes clothes that can be glamorous, severe, or completely unserious—like a boot that’s also a ballet flat, a backless tank with a tie, or a pleated skirt with “lucky girl” written in cursive across the waistband. Katiliūtė’s tongue-in-cheek humor never undercuts her designs; it’s part of what makes them feel alive, fulfilling the daydreams of her teenage self. Below, she talks finding inspo in therapy, fascia, and what makes a good design.

When did you know fashion was the thing for you?

I still don’t.

What did you feel was missing from fashion when you started Urte Kat?

There aren’t enough people who don’t come from money who are building successful fashion businesses. I want kids to know it’s possible: We’re an Eastern European brand. We have no connections, no family investors, and come from single and working-parent households.

How does your upbringing show up in the way you design?

It shows up in the hatred of pretentiousness.

Who is your fashion Mount Rushmore?

Miguel Adrover, Martin Margiela, Miuccia Prada, Alexander Mcqueen.

What’s the most unlikely place you’ve found inspiration?

Therapy.

Who’s the first person you call when you get good news?

My boyfriend.

How does a collection usually begin for you?

It never really begins or ends for me—it’s like always going on.

If Urte Kat were a girl at a party, where would you find her?

All over the room, depending on the time.

What niche topic could you talk about for hours?

Fascia.

Are you a regular at any cafes or bars?

I’m always home.

What’s your go-to comfort movie or T.V. show?

Sex and the City, Girls, Desperate Housewives, Modern Family, Peep Show, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Fleabag—I’m 100 percent forgetting something.

What does “lucky girl syndrome” mean to you—and why did the phrase become the starting point for your recent collection?

I’ve always believed I’m lucky, even when there was no evidence to support it. I want girls to wear it on their chest as a reminder, or until they also believe it.

You took a break from designing last year. What became clearer about your work once you stepped away from it?

It taught me to separate myself: A bad design is just that; it says nothing of me. But a good design makes me a genius!

Was there a piece that made you think, Okay, I’ve found my voice?

Not a piece, but designing Spring/Summer 2025 and Spring/Summer 2027 really made me content.

What’s next—and what are you hoping to do that you haven’t done yet?

I want to do a show!!!

Amore is the kind of girl who plays a record from front to back. Catch the singer at home listening to vinyl, or on the streets of her home city of Madrid with a pair of Apple wired headphones dangling from her ears. After all, music is a constant source of inspiration for the experimental-pop sensation, who released her debut solo album last year. For this month’s PRESS PLAY, Amore lets us in on what’s playing in heaven, the song that gets her moving, and her ultimate dream collab.

What’s the first lyric you ever screamed in a car?

There’s a Spanish pop song I used to sing a lot when I was a kid called “Eres un enfermo” by Las Supremas de Móstoles. They were three sisters, Vicky, Luisi and Susi, from Móstoles, a town just outside Madrid, and the song became a hit in Spain in the early 2000s. I was very little at the time, and I screamed the lyrics by heart during family trips without really understanding what the song was about. But as I’ve grown up, I’ve realized how brilliant the lyrics are, and I’ve come to see it as one of the best songs written in Spanish. It captures this moment of transition into the digital age, where a woman finds out that her husband is cheating on her with women online. It’s simply genius.

Hit shuffle or listen to an album front-to-back?

I’d say I’m more of a front-to-back person. I really enjoy listening to an album all the way through, and lately I’ve been trying to do that more by stepping away from digital formats. I love the idea of collecting my all-time favorite records, putting one on the record player, and just letting it play without skipping a song. I think it’s the best way to feel music as a soundtrack to your everyday life.

“I kinda hate these studio headphones where everything sounds sooooo bright and analytical.”

Who will you always hand the aux to?

My friend and manager, Rocio. I think she has really good taste in music, with the perfect balance between underground stuff and classics. That’s the kind of listening session I enjoy the most.

Which song on this playlist makes you want to dance?

Paradoxically, “Don’t Move” by Phantogram. I say paradoxically because of the title: It reminds me of a beautiful, innocent, wholesome time in music, when electronic and pop-rock met each other in a very bright place. It just makes me happy and dancy.

What are three words to describe your sound?

Playful, experimental, circumstantial.

What’s your favorite travel destination?

I love traveling to other countries, but my big dream is to get to know every corner of Spain.

What are your headphones of choice?

I always come to the same conclusion: Apple wired headphones. The bass is just too good. I kinda hate these studio headphones where everything sounds sooooo bright and analytical, ’cause I’m not a very good mixer and usually work with my intuition, so they make me feel like I don’t know anything about sound.

What album is playing in heaven?

Lover’s Rock by Sade.

Where do you get inspired?

Villages, conversations, and car trips.

Dream collab, dead or alive?

I have to go with Mica Levi.

Keni Titus spent her teenage years disappearing into Tumblr rabbit holes. Offline, she was captivated by the San Fernando Valley’s hypnotic sunrises. Now, that collision of Internet romanticism and Californian suburbia runs through the singer-songwriter’s punchy, vulnerable pop, often written from the confines of her Los Angeles bedroom. Following the February release of her debut album, AngelPink, Titus is set to join Role Model on his European tour early next year. Before then, she steps away from her summer schedule to tell us about her current obsessions, her perfect day, and her earliest music memories.

Age: 24

Occupation: Singer-songwriter.

Sum up AngelPink in 3 words.

Cherry cola summer.

Your tour essential?

My Dyson airwrap.

Best place in LA?

The valley.

Worst place in LA?

The 110 freeway.

Earliest music memory?

I can remember tie-dyeing a shirt for the Spring Sing in the 1st grade because I had a big solo. Big moment for me.

Favorite lyric you’ve written?

I feel like “I’m not a patriot but I’d fight a war for you” is pretty good.

Where do your best ideas find you?

When I’m bored and lonely.

What’s your writing process like?

Very solitary. Usually in my bedroom when I can sit on my bed and play my guitar or piano. Though it’s weird, the actual process of words coming out is different every time.

What’s your most Virgo trait?

I would KMS without routines and schedules. I also can be a bitch when things are not the way I like them.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever seen on Tumblr?

Probably just anything my friend Victoria posts.

Your perfect day?

I wake up on a farm with horses. It’s, like, 75 degrees. I have dogs that don’t need leashes and just follow me around. There’s a shady trail to ride the horses in because I’m very pale. Maybe it’s my birthday, so there’s cake and my friends are there. We also get to swim because there’s a lake with no leeches and a tire swing.

Current obsession?

My Stanley water bottle.

What was your coming-of-age album?

Melodrama by Lorde.

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunrise…the day ending gives me anxiety.

What are the last three things you Googled?

Tom Collins ingredients, Chet Baker young, flights to Florida.

Your favorite thing you own?

My sunflower hair clip or my bumble bee Dooney & Bourke bag.

Something nobody knows about you?

Every time I have an intrusive thought, which is often, I have to knock on my head the same amount of times as my age. Right now it’s 24 times, but obviously it goes up every year.

Lucy Rae McFadin’s hat obsession goes back to age 6, when a pink-and-black-striped Claire’s cap became a wardrobe staple. The fascination stuck, and years later, after building a career as a model, stylist, and D.J., Lucy still found herself searching in vain for headwear as considered as the rest of her closet. Confident she could fill the gap, the self-proclaimed hat queen set out to create Ditsy in 2025, dreaming up playful, off-kilter hats for fashion lovers who don’t take themselves—or getting dressed—too seriously. Ahead of her brand’s launch, McFadin brings us along as she shops for fabric in New York’s garment district, shoots the first campaign, and puts the finishing touches on the hats she hopes will soon be in your closet.

The finished Layered Beanie being modeled in the campaign :’) It was an exhilarating process to turn my ideas into a brand.

July 2025. One of my first visits to the garment district. I probably spent four hours in this office space alone, touching different swatches and trying to learn how each material moves.

Our first collection is made entirely from jersey material. Soft, breathable, and designed so it can be worn throughout every season.

Care-label process.

Major shoutout to my boyfriend, who quickly became our graphic designer, P.A., finance team, and problem-solver overnight. I genuinely couldn’t have done this without him <3

Signs from my TikTok comments that I was on the right track. Self-proclaiming myself as the hat queen from now on, pls and thank u.

March 2026. Wear-testing our Convertible Scarf in the wild!

One of my favorite things about the garment district is how much still happens the old-fashioned way. I walk in, explain what I needed, and come back four weeks later to finished labels. A refreshingly trusting process with 0 confirmation emails.

Receiving our first finished products in May was a surreal moment. Most of my career has existed online, so finally holding something I’d brought from an idea to a physical product felt incredibly rewarding.

Moving onto the fun stuff…we shot ecom in June on the beautiful @kingsephi!

And the stunning @heyeloisa! The epitome of the Ditsy girl and forever my original muses.

One of my best friends @jardnassac styled both of our shoots! I am so grateful to be surrounded by such talented and creative individuals <3

Announced the launch date the only way that seemed fit…a 5-foot-long custom bussdown wig made by @mari4l3jandra.

Campaign fitting photos…I told Cassie the vibes were “cool girl goes to summer camp.” Fittings are always one of my favorite parts. I love playing dress up.

ROAD TRIP TIMEEE! Whoever allowed me to rent a 14-passenger van should probably be fired lol.

Making it work with D.I.Y. clothing racks in the cabin.

The campaign was shot by my dear friend @tanyar. Tanya is literally a jack of all trades and somehow a master of them all too. It’s incredible to watch.

The simple life.

A true passion project at play.

Now we prep for launch day. August 20th at 12 P.M. E.D.T. on www.ditsyheadwear.com. See you there!!!

Granny clothes, childhood photographs, old magazines, dog-eye views: Central Saint Martins’ latest undergraduate class found inspiration everywhere except the obvious places. Last month, their showcase in London resembled a memory box cracked open and emptied onto the runway, full of private references that somehow felt instantly familiar. Chi Wei transformed the patterns of her grandmother’s clothes into designs adorned with colorful beading and childlike bows. Polina Kadilnikova created industrial looks from photographs of her Ukrainian childhood interrupted by war.

Other standouts wove stories of their own, from Dalston market stalls to Arab interiors to family snapshots, into garments made of all kinds of materials, from silk chiffon to ceramic and steel. One month out, and just getting a hold of their summer schedules, six of the recent graduates take us behind the scenes and give us a peek of what’s to come.

Polina Kadilnikova, 21

What was the starting point for your graduate collection?

I wanted to extend a memory of a place that no longer exists by talking about the war in Ukraine and what it means to lose your home to war and occupation. My starting point was the question: If you had to relocate and leave everything behind, would your personality survive?

Which piece is the heart of the collection?

The swan metal dress. It is something I planned to do from the very beginning, but it only came to life within the last week of the year. I used steel to allude to war through materiality, but I’ve also always felt a deep connection to metal work. The process of making it feels very meditative. Some work has a better chance to live if you give it time.

How have you been spending your summer since graduating?

I’ve been walking around a lot. Summer is the perfect occasion for walks with no destinations or plans.

Describe the fashion scene in London right now.

Young and free.

One thing every aspiring fashion student should know?

It’s nice to feel lost. When you achieve all of your goals, there’s always something after that you won’t be prepared for. It’s a privilege to be able to experiment with your work and figure out who you are while you’re still a student.

Prakarti Agarwal, 23

What was the starting point for your graduate collection?

While I was doing an internship in India I took photographs of everyday scenes. It was the first time I had spent an extended period there. Rather than capturing surface-level observations, I found myself documenting quieter, more meaningful interactions. When reflecting on the trip afterwards, I realized I had created a collection of photographs that felt connected. Together, they told a story that I wanted to bring to life through this project.

Which piece is the heart of the collection?

Look two: It features a series of ceramic belt-buckle pieces that I hand-sculpted and incorporated into the garment. I wanted to engineer it so that the ceramic pieces became an integral part of the garment. They are woven directly into the dress, allowing the ceramics and textile to work together as one piece. It was inspired by photographs I took of beautiful buildings in India, and it pushed me to explore how I could translate something abstract and architectural into a wearable garment.

Do you have any overarching influences that surface again and again?

I have a large archive of film photographs from when my mum was around my age. They carry a sense of femininity defined by freedom, carelessness, and an effortless energy—qualities I wanted to capture in the person I imagine wearing my clothes. I reinterpreted these influences through my own perspective and design language so the garments feel lived-in, contemporary, and personal, rather than simply nostalgic.

Do you have a favorite designer brand?

Chloé—probably Spring/Summer 2000 or 2002, and also Fall/Winter 2026.

One thing every aspiring fashion student should know?

Trust your own perspective. The more personal your work is, the more authentic it becomes.

Harley Angrabeit, 24

What was the starting point for your graduate collection?

Simply stepping outside my front door. Everyday moments that make up life in Dalston: walking to Ridley Road Market, listening to music, eating Caribbean food, shopping for clothes, makeup, hair products, and bags. I photographed colors, textures, market stalls, and conversations that I found interesting, which inspired my silhouettes, material choices, and styling.

Do you have any overarching influences that surface again and again?

I’ve traveled to Jamaica to visit my family, and the colors, energy, and confidence there have shaped the way I see fashion. There’s a cultural pull that I always come back to. Jamaica has taught me to embrace boldness, to be audacious, raw, and unapologetic. That spirit runs through everything I create, whether it’s the silhouettes, styling, or attitude. Even when a collection isn’t directly inspired by Jamaica, those memories and that mindset are always there in the background. It’s less about recreating what I saw and more about capturing the confidence, resilience, and vibrancy that I’ve experienced throughout my life.

What is your memory of when you first got into fashion?

My first real expression through fashion came after I was expelled from high school. I was a depressed teenager, isolated in my bedroom with very little connection to the outside world. My phone became my window into different worlds, where I discovered new music, fashion, and creative communities that made me feel understood. I began cutting up my clothes, styling outfits, and teaching myself how to design. With nowhere to go and nothing to do, I poured everything into creating an imaginary version of the life I wanted to live and the person I wanted to become.

What made you want to pursue fashion as a career?

Fashion became an escape, a form of self-expression, and a way to imagine a future that felt bigger than the room I was confined to. What began as a way of coping with loneliness eventually became my purpose. Through making clothes and music, I realized I could build a world of my own, and that world is what ultimately led me to pursue fashion as a career.

How have you been spending your summer since graduating?

I’ve been back in the music studio, shooting once a week, and lending my graduate collection for last-minute style pulls, seeing the pieces go beyond the runway and become part of other people’s creative visions. I’m also working on the next steps for my brand, ParisN’London. A typical day is honestly a mix of designing, creating, meetings, shoots, studio sessions, and problem-solving, and of course a glass of wine at the end of it all. It’s busy, but I love that every day looks different and that I’m constantly building something across fashion and music.

Qinnan Li, 26

What was the starting point for your graduate collection?

I had already been exploring non-human-centered perspectives, but always through philosophy, metaphysics, and abstract art. Then when I got my dog, my everyday life was turned upside down. I wanted to express non-human-centered perspectives in a more lived, intimate way. So all of my designs are inspired by a dog’s upward glance at the world.

What is your creative process like? Are there any creative rituals you do?

It’s almost like solving a crime scene where you have few clues to begin with, and you just collect every possible piece of evidence. Finally you put all of the evidence together. I like open-ended stories.

Do you have any overarching influences?

The idea of peripheral vision—not just visually but conceptually. I’m interested in the things that exist at the edges of our attention: animals, children, the objects we overlook, the perspectives we’re not trained to take seriously. There’s something humbling about stepping outside the human center, realizing we’re not the only ones looking, feeling, and leaving marks on the world. It’s never comfortable to unlearn the way you’ve been taught to see. But that discomfort feels honest. And every time I revisit it, whether through [John] Berger’s writing, or simply watching my dog move through a room, I find something I missed before.

What is your memory of when you first got into fashion?

My mom. She’s a knitter, so all of my childhood outfits were handmade and styled by her. But I had zero knowledge of pattern-making and sewing. I learned how to make my first denim jacket from YouTube.

Do you have a favorite designer or runway show?

Maison Margiela Spring/Summer 2024 Artisanal by [John] Galliano.

Zahra Al-Najjar, 27

What was the starting point for your graduate collection?

I explored objects from Arab living spaces that evoked a sense of nostalgia, translating those familiar textures and feelings of belonging from my upbringing into the collection. I was looking through magazines for inspiration when I began thinking about making these reference materials visible within the garments themselves. From there, the focus shifted towards celebrating the influential Arab women who shaped both my life and Iraqi society. I reached out to the Iraqi Print Archive for support, and using the materials they shared, I developed a series of prints that became central to the collection.

Which piece is the heart of the collection?

The calligraphy dress. It was created in collaboration with the incredible artist Nayab Ahmed, who traveled to Egypt to further refine her practice and produce the calligraphy using traditional materials and techniques. It was then printed onto crystal-pleated silk chiffon, which I draped directly on the mannequin to create the final silhouette.

Do you have any overarching influences that surface again and again?

My childhood growing up in an Iraqi household in the West. Even when I begin a project that isn’t intentionally about my culture, I often find myself naturally returning to my upbringing and things that evoke nostalgia. Those memories feel authentic to my experience and continue to shape the stories I want to tell through my work.

Describe the fashion scene in London right now. Are you planning on staying in the city?

I grew up in the U.K., so London really feels like home to me. Whenever I travel, I always look forward to coming back. The fashion scene is a little quiet at the moment, but there’s still a strong creative energy here that keeps it very much alive.

What’s inspiring you outside of fashion right now?

Arab orchestras. There’s something really special about the atmosphere, as well as the way people dress—it’s an exciting expressive scene within the city.

Chi Wei, 23

What was the starting point for your graduate collection?

I started with childhood memories and objects that I grew up with at home—jewelry boxes, stationery, stickers, glass ornaments, fridge covers, plastic accessories, and the prints from my grandmother’s clothes. They may not look like fashion at first, but they help me build a visual world in my mind. I wanted to translate these memories into garments through materials, textures, color, and silhouette, almost as if I was reconstructing a memory box through clothing. While it’s personal, many people can recognize that feeling of nostalgia.

Which piece is the heart of the collection?

My final look: a fully beaded coat inspired by my granny’s garment print. The beads are very heavy, and the slow process of making it felt like meditating.

What was the moment that you first got into fashion?

Since I was young, I was always interested in the way people dressed, especially my family members. I remember looking closely at my granny’s clothes: the prints, colors, buttons, and small decorative details. I didn’t understand fashion as a profession, but I was already attracted to clothing as something emotional and personal. Later, I realised that garments can hold memory.

Do you have a favorite designer?

Miuccia Prada. I love the simplicity of her silhouettes and her idea of ugly chic. She uses things that people might consider outdated or unfashionable, but through her combinations they become beautiful and desirable. That way of thinking has influenced this project. Nothing is truly ugly; it just needs to find the right place to exist.

One thing every aspiring fashion student should know?

Sometimes an idea only becomes strong after you struggle with it for a long time. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, because many good ideas come from the process of trying, failing, and fixing.

Avery Norman’s photographs are full of city girls, wide-open skies, old cars, empty roads, and places that look like they’ve been lost to time. In one self-portrait, the Houston-born photographer kneels on her grandparents’ bed, a row of family rifles laid out behind her. Elsewhere, a girl in a teal triangle bikini leans against a purple Mustang in Queens, New York, where Norman is now based. Still, she can’t stay away from Texas for long, returning often to the places that shaped her, from the Gulf Coast to creeks, pastures, highways, and small towns around the country.

When did you first fall in love with photography?

My high school required a certain number of art credits to graduate, and I ended up in a Photo 1 course. I always liked photography fine, but it wasn’t until my teacher, Mrs. Garrison, started showing us work of fine art photographers that I really became hooked. It was so long ago, but I remember seeing that Gregory Crewdson photo of a woman floating in a living room full of dark water. At that point, I hadn’t really seen anything like that before.

Why film?

Film feels more to the point. There are so many options on a digital camera that I get a bit overwhelmed. I do shoot digital on occasion for practical reasons, but I always find my film photos to be a lot more intentional. I guess because you have to pay for it. I also think the colors are better, and it’s nice to have the option to darkroom print. I love that you can’t see the pictures immediately. It gives you something to look forward to.

What makes you stop and pull out your camera?

I just know it when I see it. I think I use photography as an excuse to be places I would otherwise have no reason to be. I love places that feel a bit forgotten or frozen in time.

Do you have any rituals before a shoot?

I’m not sure if I have any rituals, but I do like to spend a lot of time with people if I’m able to. My favorite way of shooting is hanging out with someone for a few days and waiting for the right moment to present itself.

Do you ever know you’ve got the shot in the moment, or does it happen later when you’re developing the film?

I usually know in the moment, but the best feeling is being surprised by a frame you forgot about.

Who are some photographers that have shaped your eye?

Off the top of my head: Katy Grannan, Curran Hatleberg, Deana Lawson, Bryan Schutmaat, Justine Kurland, Alec Soth, Lisa Elmaleh, Siân Davey, Michael Northrup, Andrea Modica, Sally Mann, Judith Joy Ross, Nan Goldin.

Is there a photograph you’ve taken that feels especially personal?

The self-portrait I did with the guns on the bed was taken in my grandparents’ house where my mom grew up. The guns are all my grandfather’s and cousins’ that they got out for me for the photo. After I set up the frame on a tripod, my mom took iPhone photos so I could figure out my pose. She also pressed the shutter for me because I don’t have a release cable.

What’s the last book, film, or album that stuck with you?

I’m reading a book about the Carter family called Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? I’m really interested in the history of country music, and they played a pretty significant role. They recorded a ton of folk songs that were previously just oral tradition and brought them to the mainstream via radio.

What’s the last book, film, or album that stuck with you?

I’m reading a book about the Carter family called Will You Miss Me When I’m gone? I’m really interested in the history of country music and they played a pretty significant role. They recorded a ton of folk songs that were previously just oral tradition and brought them to the mainstream via radio.

Best roadside stop in Texas?

There’s an antique shop in Alpine called the Cheshire Cat that I really love. They have taxidermy, turquoise, a ton of old cowboy stuff, boots, knives, art, and just a wide variety of trinkets. The owner is super nice and will talk with you about the history of everything.

Dream person to photograph?

This is really hard. Maybe Townes Van Zandt if he was alive. Is that cheating?

One thing you never leave home without?

My small digital camera. I don’t usually end up using it, but you never know.

What makes you homesick?

I miss my family and the food in Texas. A lot of the musicians I want to see don’t really come up north as much. I also love the heat.

Sunrise or golden hour?

I’m not really a morning person so my honest answer would be golden hour, but I do really enjoy how sunrise feels more intimate.

Daisy Pyo is either somewhere without service or looking for an excuse to lose it. The Korean-American jewelry designer behind the label Lobeta spends her days journaling, hiking, calling home, and dreaming up new pieces far from her screen. This summer, Pyo’s wandering spirit has taken her from her home in Brooklyn to the grassy trails of the French Alps and Barcelona’s colorful, crowded streets, usually by way of an airplane window seat. Her feed is a travel diary told through mountain paths and winding cobblestone streets, the kind that makes you reconsider your own vacation photos. But the places she visits leave their clearest trace in her designs.

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten while traveling?

Too many! There’s this rotisserie chicken joint in Seoul that I will always keep going back to. Sounds basic and boring, but rotisserie in Korea is different. There’s literally a man outside the restaurant, slow-cooking the chicken in a woodfire, which makes it super juicy and tender. It’s stuffed with sticky rice and sometimes chestnuts and jujube dates. I’m salivating just thinking about it.

Do you talk to strangers?

I’m a yapper, so yes.

Your go-to souvenir?

Kinda corny, but I’ve always loved collecting magnets for my fridge and postcards for my junk journal. My partner and I have also started a spoon collection. Also foods, snacks, and sauces that are special to the place that I’m visiting.

How did you get into making jewelry?

In 2022, I started taking jewelry making classes and really enjoyed it. It felt so good to wear jewelry that I made myself. Seeing it patina and build character over time felt truly unique to me. I’ve always been a bit of a serial hobbyist, but this was the first thing that made me feel like it could lead to something. At the same time, I started to visit Korea more often and got really interested in the fashion scene there.

Where did the idea to start Lobeta come from?

It came about so organically while my partner, Nick, and I were in Seoul, finding jewelry we loved with tasteful designs and quality silver. We got engaged earlier that year and instead of planning a wedding, we started building Lobeta together. Long story short, it was built to create intentionally designed pieces, highlight Korean craftsmanship, and bridge the gap between my two worlds: Seoul and New York.

What does the name mean?

It’s derived from “low beta,” a meditative state where one finds inner stillness and coherence between the internal and external. My hope is that our jewelry can help you build confidence to show up shamelessly as yourself, but also be a reminder that this starts with getting attuned to your inner world.

Which piece that you’ve designed feels the most “you”?

Definitely the Vinea earring. It’s a spiral earring inspired by the notion of transformation, non-linear growth, impermanence, and the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. It’s a quiet reminder of something I strongly believe in: continual change and how our inner work is truly our life’s work!

What’s the first piece of jewelry you remember loving?

My mom had this gold pendant necklace that I remember her always wearing when I was a child. She passed it down to me when I was a teenager, and I never took it off. Sadly, I lost it 7 years ago, but I still think about it often.

If you could borrow one person’s jewelry box, whose would it be?

Phoebe Buffay from Friends. She always had the coolest ring stack and earrings.

Where do your best ideas find you?

Outside, away from my phone.

What’s on your jewelry moodboard forever?

Elements of nature: the textures of trees, forests, mountains, flowers, plants, water, light. There’s so much that she (nature) can teach us, show us, and remind us.

What’s the most-worn thing in your closet?

Probably my camo Croc flats that I got secondhand. I can’t stop wearing them!

Current obsession?

The answer to this will always be Danchoo, my son (cat).

What’s a material you’re dying to work with?

I’ve just started to work more with stones and gems, which feels like a very exciting step for Lobeta. This isn’t jewelry related, but I’ve been eager to work with wood next.

Last photo on your camera roll?

What’s your go-to dinner order?

Thai, pad kee mao and it must be the super thick noodles!

How do you ground yourself?

My daily morning routine: reading nonfiction (currently it’s Becoming Supernatural by Joe Dispenza, whose books changed my life), journaling, and moving my body. On top of that I do weekly somatic therapy, take lots of walks outside, stay off my phone (I love my Brick), and call my mom and sister. As much as I love living in New York, I’m grateful we have a car to go upstate whenever we can. Spending time outside fills my cup and gives me time and space to tend to my inner world.

What’s something nobody knows about you?

I was in a chess club in elementary school, won a tournament, and was crowned chess queen.

Horoscopes by ILANA KOZLOV

It’s August—and Leo season—so consider this your cue. Jupiter’s been camped in the sign of the lion since June 30, and for over a month now, our appetites, our confidence, and our need to feel chosen have been swelling right along with it. But as much as Leo rules performance and pleasure, it also rules the heart—the tender thing underneath all that showing off. Everyone wants to be wanted back, and when Venus enters Libra on August 6, we become even more attuned to whose eyes are on us and whether the feeling is mutual. Three days later, Mercury lands in Leo, and suddenly every passing thought has a microphone. Say the thing. Wear the outfit. Kiss the person. But be careful: the desire to be seen could have you performing for an audience you’re not even sure you like.

On August 12, a total solar eclipse in Leo cuts the power mid-scene. When the lights come back on, the lines you knew by heart may no longer belong to you. Which role have you outgrown? Which relationship has passed its expiration date? Which story about yourself keeps getting renewed because you’ve played the part so well? A new romance, creative life, or sense of self may be waiting in the wings, but the stage is only so big. Around August 17, when Mars squares Neptune, everything arrives shrouded in myth. Let the feelings that surface move through you before you build a life around them. Five days later, Virgo season brings the blurry picture into focus, asking you to make note of what still makes sense once the fantasy wears off. The answer may arrive with the lunar eclipse in Pisces on August 28, which loosens whatever we’ve kept alive through habit, hope, or denial. By month’s end, Jupiter trines Saturn—and what remains after the spell breaks finally has a chance to become real.

Aries Rising

This is the part of the movie where our stars finally kiss! Yes, love is on the horizon…and you’re not in the most practical mindset. Parties and gambling are far more appealing. You might wake up with missing shoes, empty pockets, and an important number written on your wrist. It’s a good idea to chat and share your creative ideas. But by the end of the month, you’re going to need to exile yourself from society.

Taurus Rising

You are playing the middleman in a lot of your relationships, and the workload might be getting to you. Everyone wants different things, and you can’t bow out yet. Tact is an exhausting performance, but keeping the peace while getting things done might also reveal how much you like yourself.So spend a little more time with yourself this month. Not to hide out, but to tap in. Build an altar. If you already have one, bring in some fresh flowers. Imagine your home as your heart; what’s the best way to treat it? At the end of the month, your arms will become elastic with reach. Friends and fans delight in your contributions.

Gemini Rising

You know how dating show contestants do sexy little activities like a breath-work-and-body-painting class? Yeah, you’re doing that. Joy is yours, and ideas overflow! You’re discovering a drawer of magic potions, and they help the heart grow. Sometimes it’s just about doing something over and over again, and not really thinking about the results. Suddenly, you know how to play piano. Don’t overthink it, just do it.

Cancer Rising

Big emotions are not uncommon for you, but there is an especially powerful catharsis into the second week of August. You value peace in your home and hope for private affairs to go smoothly. Passion seems to erupt out of your stomach, where you store all the deep things. It’s hard to keep your cool. But you’re not a total squish ball, as you come into authority with finances. The end of the month will take you across an ocean, and that’s where you may realize you’ve been praying to a false god.

Leo Rising

Finally! The alignment you’ve been looking for is here. It may arise out of a fated circumstance, but the feeling it strikes your heart with transcends the space-time continuum. It’s something like feeling your soul for the first time, or at least being reminded of it. Good times with your community help lay those bricks down. So do ventures outside your comfort zone. The end of the month places an uncomfortable spotlight on other people’s problems. Can they hold space for your light as they sort out their cobwebs?

Virgo Rising

I’m thinking of an actor who did their best self-tape when they forgot to press record. There is a spiritual opportunity here to look deeply at your relationship to talent, heart, and power when no one is watching. It’s just you and the walls that surround you. Are you a good audience for yourself? What kind of self-talk rings in that room? Your relationship to self deepens, which is often accompanied by more mystery and confusion. You are in the finale of a dramatic cord-cutting ritual, where you’re not just saying goodbye to an outworn ego, but to all the static of the past. This opens doors for new relationships and emotional futures.

Libra Rising

You’re the centerfold, but being an inspo is a lot of pressure. What are you gonna do with all these eyes on you? Angels have revoked your right to daydream, so you’re finally making things happen. It’s not exactly how you thought it would go. It’s going all right, but you’re the only one who knows about the kink in your neck. The audience is growing because you’re growing, and that’s accompanied by some spiritual joint pain.

Scorpio Rising

You may be tempted to escape and eat forbidden fruit. Survey your circumstances; much depends on how much you’re willing to ignore. Your actions are on a billboard! Good news and career opportunities will come in the middle of the month. You don’t need applause from everyone, but the right people will snap their fingers from the back of the room. That will surely feel good. The end of the month might disillusion you, like the power going out in the middle of your favorite movie.

Sagittarius Rising

Follow your dreams. Literally chase their tails like a hyper puppy. There is no room for skepticism, negativity, or “being realistic.” The way sound moves in a temple is far more appealing. What is it doing to your heart? That feeling must be protected and trusted. You’re pressed up against the mouth of a great oracle and receiving valuable wisdom. You didn’t need to ask for approval or permission to go on this pilgrimage, and while this autonomy is great, being entirely self-directed has its limitations. Your private life is under review.

Capricorn Rising

A situation arises where serving justice is important. You are inspired to handle big decisions fairly. Sometimes the fair thing isn’t exciting or instantaneously rewarding. In fact, you’re being pushed toward an ending of some kind. Perhaps the thing you’ve wanted from someone else is something you’ve been able to give yourself all along. No need for a blowout when the facts take up so much space as it is. Your perspective is getting clearer, and it’s easier now to imagine a less burdened future.

Aquarius Rising

Power dynamics are likely coming to a head, and you are on the precipice of doing relationships in an entirely new way. There are surprising opportunities in endings—just think of Nicole Kidman in her post-divorce photos. I’m sure she paid a lot for those lawyers, but the cost of staying would have been greater. While the material world of relations and resources meets some cosmic expiration dates, the invisible reward of this time is your fresh, spiritual lease on life.

Pisces Rising

It’s distracting to think about results when you are in the thick of building. One foot in front of the other. Some big work pushes are coming up for you, and slowly but surely, you’re reaching a stage where it’s possible to imagine the final outcome. It’s an exciting and nerve-wracking moment when every tiny detail matters, but pressure and time have made your hands unsteady. You will feel something return to you as you add the finishing touch…is it the self? What is the self? Take away incentive, obligation, and distraction, And there is only this amorphous you.

There was a time when getting dumped meant blasting Lorde’s Melodrama alone in your bedroom. Now it means cutting yourself fringe bangs at 2 a.m., posting about it on TikTok, and waking up to thousands of strangers telling you he did you a favor. “We’re better off without him” is the sentiment. Chalk it up to the attention economy, where every experience is source material, or the fact that misogyny is on the rise, everywhere from politics to reels, but one thing is clear: the need to decenter men is catching on.

At least, that’s the idea behind Dumped Girl Summer, which 28-year-old actress and producer Francesca Keller coined on her Substack after getting broken up with for the first time in her life. In the viral essay that launched the phrase, and the advice series that followed, Keller argues that heartbreak isn’t something to hide from, but something to capitalize on. Her post-breakup catharsis, she writes, became the catalyst for becoming her hottest self, spiritually and physically.

“Tell everyone. Buy a shirt that says you just got dumped,” she advises. Her other tips: dress up, get a little weird, and say yes to absolutely everything. “I don’t think I’ve ever been reached out to by that many women in my life,” she recalls of the countless D.M.s she’s received in response. Though predictably, the opposite sex hasn’t been as supportive of her take. “The men got defensive and obnoxious,” Keller says. “It just goes to show that men can’t handle women taking power over something they’re supposed to be ashamed of.”

Keller’s breakup philosophy resonated for good reason. It arrives at a shift when many are rethinking relationships. Last year, in British Vogue writer Chanté Joseph argued that having a boyfriend is embarrassing, and women of all ages flooded the comments in agreement. “Yes, it is. Especially if you are young (19–60 years old),” reads a comment with more than 20,000 likes. Then came the #youngho—a trend that encourages taking life less seriously by going straight from the club to the airport, starting the day at 2 p.m., and cooking everything on high heat. What once might have been seen as a personal failure to settle down into domestic life is now an excuse to chase pleasure and self-discovery.

Enter Kate Bodnya: The Moscow-based influencer and dancer has documented over a hundred days of her breakup on Instagram. Her argument? Women should deprioritize men. “I think that we tend to disappear into a relationship like sugar in hot tea,” she says. This became clear to Bodnya this spring after she separated from her partner after seven years together. As she tells it, the two months that followed were a blessing in disguise: She posted through the pain, gained thousands of followers, monetized her videos, and funneled all her energy into her creative work. “It’s important to use breakups as breakthroughs,” she says. That breakthrough doesn’t always look like a career pivot. Writer Caroline Calloway has been publicly embracing a more whimsical version of herself that her ex never quite understood. In one video, the writer styles her hair in a way that she explains he would’ve absolutely hated, snapping small, white blossoms off of nearby branches, perching them atop her head, and weaving blue ribbons into her braids. “He liked me best when I was quiet,” reads one caption.

Beneath the post, a commenter replies, “Ok but how wonderful is it when the trash actually takes itself out… The streets can have their whimsiless little man back.” In the comments section of another video, Calloway reveals that her ex weighed 350 pounds, that their sex life was amazing, and that she definitely wasn’t with him for his looks. It’s the kind of unflinching (albeit backhanded) candidness that comes naturally to a generation that grew up processing life online.

While many like Keller, Bodnya, and Calloway share vivid details from their breakups, others like New York-based Angela Li take a more analytical approach. Li’s intimate TikTok conversations about life, love, and heartbreak are like FaceTimes from a friend. “Why are we upset that the person who cannot love you properly is walking away? Let them walk away from you,” she says in a video with more than one million views. Look up “Getting Over Your Ex Boyfriend” on TikTok, and thousands of videos similar to Li’s pop up, often giving practical tips, like block your ex on social media or throw away their hoodie.

@sincerelyangelaliday 108.5 #healing #selflove #Relationship #breakup #love

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

It’s not that getting over an ex is new. It’s that social media is changing how we share and process it. For decades, women have made songs, books and T.V. shows dedicated to the anger, confusion and sadness that follows a bad breakup. But Dumped Girl Summer doesn’t just give us something to relate to, instead it asks what’s in it for you? Today, breakups aren’t just plot devices or something we share in private—they’re stories we broadcast shamelessly to the world, reclaimed with every video, caption, or personal essay. And let’s face it, you can’t help but feel less lonely when thousands of comments tell you that getting dumped is the best thing that ever happened. Why wallow alone when you can enjoy your freedom, fuel the child in your heart, and let loose together?

Plus, realistically, no one stays in Dumped Girl Summer forever. Heartbreak comes in waves, and eventually someone new will come along. Perhaps when temperatures drop, bundling up with another will regain its charm. But we’re never going back to crying over a man in private. As Bodnya puts it: “We should give this energy to ourselves, because he really isn’t that important.”

Raised by restaurateur parents whose regulars ranged from aesthetes to anarchists, Laura Andraschko has been sneaking into places she shouldn’t since she was a teen. The London-based designer cut her teeth between Berlin’s art scene and its dance floors. The leap into fashion felt natural. Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2021, Laura has become shorthand for a specific kind of maximalist fantasy. Most recently, her Spring/Summer 2026 collection, staged inside Paris’s Raspoutine Club under crimson light, sent 42 looks down the runway as a love letter to Monte Carlo’s high-society gambling culture. Today, the bonafide club rat approaches every design with a single question: Would I want it?

What’s the first thing you do when you get to the studio?

Coffee!

What are your three favorite objects in your studio?

My poodle statue, my books, and my day bed.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

Hmm, I really don’t want to be an animal.

What’s inspiring you currently?

It’s so random, and it’s different every day. It can be anything really; sometimes it’s a color or a particularly good outfit (accidental or curated). Subcultures are always the most interesting to me, though.

What’s on repeat?

Swans and Death in Vegas are my two all time favorite bands, so I always listen to them, and at the moment I’m reading Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici.

What would be your “ghost outfit”?

I guess a bedsheet with two cut out holes.

Describe your last supper.

I love food, so it’s difficult. Maybe aguachile with tiger prawns then bistecca alla fiorentina, and venetian liver from Harry’s in London. I would probably have it with my whole family.

What are you currently working on?

A new collection. As always.

What’s the first question you ask yourself when starting a new piece?

This changed a lot over time. Now it’s, Would I want it? And then I try to only adapt it to the storyline of each collection.

What’s a material you keep coming back to?

Tweed!

Paloma Sandoval has never been one to gatekeep her music taste—not even her love for One Direction. Almost anything can become source material for one of her perfectly curated playlists, whether its a walk through her Vancouver neighborhood, a bad date, or an afternoon at the aquarium. It’s the same instinct that shapes everything she shares, from road trip photodumps to TikToks with her bestie Sabrina Carpenter to Palomarad.io, her Internet radio series documenting her 20s one mix at a time. For this month's PRESS PLAY, Sandoval plugs us into the songs soundtracking her walks, whims, and everything in between.

What’s the first playlist you ever made?

Oh god, I used to make playlists on 8Tracks, if anyone remembers what that is. It was the first social media account I ever had in middle school—my friends and I used to send playlists to each other on there, and it was always secretly a competition to see who had the most indie music taste. I remember making one called “Knee socks,” with all the usual Tumblr suspects on it. I secretly still love One Direction more than Arctic Monkeys.

What made you want to start Palomaradi.o?

Well, it’s been a while since I made one, which totally opposes why I made it, but I wanted to document my voice, my taste, my life in my 20s in a more “Paloma way.” I’ve been making playlists for specific moods or places since I was probably 10, so a radio situation felt like the natural successor to that. I haven’t documented much, admittedly, as I got pretty lazy about it soon after I started, but maybe I’ll bring it back after this.

Do you have friends you send songs back-and-forth with? If so, what’s an example?

Honestly, I mostly just put songs I like on my Instagram. I’m the opposite of a gatekeeper in that sense. If a song really reminds me of someone, I’ll share it with them, but you gotta be careful with that because if the song is shit, it’s pretty offensive on the receiving end. That’s happened to me a few times where someone will send a song to me like “this is so you” and the song is about wanting to off yourself or about feeling super ugly and it’s like…what does that say about me?

You were born in Vancouver, British Columbia. Describe its sound.

Vancouver sounds like water crashing, crunching leaves beneath a Birkenstock, Arc’teryx jackets rubbing against each other.

What’s your earliest memory of music?

Being obsessed with K-OS’s song “Crabbuckit.” A bit of a Canadian deep cut, but I used to cry until I heard it.

What artist changed how you hear everything? How so?

Probably Cake. “Short Skirt, Long Jacket” was one of the songs of my childhood that I remember thinking was so cool and different. I became obsessed with doing it on Rockband on my Wii so that was, albeit accidentally, the first song I ever dissected. From then on, I started to hear songs in a new way. I guess that was more due to Rockband than Cake, but their album Comfort Eagle opened my eyes to the different ways music could be constructed.

What song feels like it was written about you, but wasn’t?

“I Love You Too Much.” I just want Stevie Wonder to love me that much.

A lyric that lives rent-free in your head?

“There’s me looking for someone to blame, only to find that we’re all the same” in the song “Cherry Cola.” Andy Bell is all knowing to me. He has a lot of the answers.

What’s your hidden talent?

Breaking the silence.

Favorite place to listen to music?

In my neighborhood in Vancouver. I’m walking around without anything in my hands, no coffee, no purse. The sun is out but I’m walking on shaded streets and the breeze is running through my hair (which I just washed).

Headphones or speakers?

Headphones.

Best concert you went to this year?

Sabrina at Coachella. That show completely blew my mind.

What’s one thing you’ll wear all summer long?

DEODORANT.

What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

I love getting my nails done. That’s another place I love listening to music cause you can’t really use your phone. Often I find myself listening to a song I would usually skip because I can’t physically skip it, and it breathes new life into the song.

What’s a hill you’ll die on?

Finding music on TikTok is okay. As long as you actually like it.

There was a time when it felt like every good night in New York ended up in front of Tyrell Hampton’s camera. After arriving in the city at 17, the dancer-turned-photographer soon found himself at the center of a downtown scene that revolved around places like China Chalet, Odessa Diner, and apartments where the night began after the club closed. With a point-and-shoot in hand and an invitation to seemingly every party in town, he began documenting the city’s after-hours cast. Collected in his debut photo book, Last Call Vol. 1, the images capture New York nightlife between 2016 and 2018, just before social media turned every night out into content. Featuring countless friends and regulars, including future stars like Paloma Elsesser and Gabbriette, the book reads like a yearbook for a generation on the cusp of stardom. Now, a decade later, as Hampton prepares to leave that chapter behind, he looks back on New York then and now.

What made now the right time to put these photos in a book?

The goal is always to make something tangible, and right now I’m kind of hanging up the party hat, not going out as much, so I thought, Why not now? I also just wanted to let these photos have a life of their own instead of living on the Internet so I could really focus on my next adventures.

Do you remember the first photo you took?

The first image in it is of my friend Coco. It’s this greenish black-and-white photo taken at a party at her house.

When you look back at those years, what feels most different to you?

Back then we were just going out to have a good time. At least personally, I was trying to find my community. I feel like now people aren’t really interested in growing connections in the same way. It’s nostalgic to think about how we snuck into parties, fashion shows—I just wanted to experience everything New York had to offer. I’m also obsessed with the ’70s and Studio 54. That era of freedom and joy really resonates with me, so when selecting images for the book, I tried to pick photos that captured that same feeling.

Are there places in the book that don’t exist anymore that you miss?

Oh my gosh. China Chalet, number one. Better Days, number two. Mehanata is still around, but it’s not what it used to be for the community. There was also Paul’s Baby Grand, but I don’t know if it’s still really a thing. Soho Grand used to be a thing too.

Was there anything that shocked you when looking through your archive?

How few photos I actually took. I feel like I take more now. Back then I was much pickier about moments. Looking back, it was actually very easy to make selections because I’d only have four, five, maybe seven images from a night. Most of the images in the book were one-offs where I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Has anyone been surprised seeing themself in the book?

Yeah, mostly everyone. A lot of people have been reminiscing about Odessa Diner, which appears throughout the book. It’s a vegan burger place now. It’s been really nice hearing people say, “Oh my God, I was at that party,” and then look closer and realize they’re in the background. There’s also a Pat McGrath party at China Chalet with Vogue that people bring up a lot.

Do you feel as inspired today as you did back then?

New York doesn’t inspire me that much anymore. I actually feel more inspired in Los Angeles. That’s another reason I felt it was time to let the book and those images have their own life. New York feels a little redundant now. We know how things are going to play out. Even in the gay scene, there are only so many bars and places, and you know what to expect. I love coming to LA because it feels like a different world. Instead of going to the club, you’re at someone’s house. Instead of going to play pool, you’re actually swimming in a pool. It’s a nice change and gives me a fresh set of eyes.

How did you build trust with people when photographing them, especially in the moment?

I don’t know. Maybe because I have kind eyes—that’s what people tell me. Or maybe it’s my smile. I’ve been told I have a welcoming spirit and that I don’t give off vulture vibes. It’s always been nice to just roam through a party. I was shorter back in college than I am now, so it was easy to disappear into a crowd, take a photo, and vanish again. Being a little weasel-y was definitely part of it.

Is there one image in the book that means the most to you personally?

The self-portraits, because they remind me that I was actually there. I know I was, obviously, but being in the image as a subject is special. Though I will say, most of those self-portraits exist because I forced whatever friend I was with to take the photo. I’d be like, “Okay, now it’s my turn.”

If you could go back to the version of yourself who took these photos, what would you tell him?

Stop using your fake I.D., and maybe stop eating so much sugar. Also, honestly, I’d probably tell him to get braces sooner. I got braces right before Covid. If I’d done it earlier, maybe things would have been a little different.

Has your relationship to these images changed over time?

I definitely romanticize them more now than I did in the moment. At the time I just thought, Cute, fun. I wasn’t really thinking about what they might become. I also never imagined that many of the people in the photos would become who they are today. Looking back, it feels like a yearbook. And I can’t wait for the next one, which comes out next year.

“Tyrell Hampton: Last Call Vol. 1” will launch with a signing at Climax Books London, 8a Herbal Hill, EC1R 5EJ, on July 10 from 6-8 PM.

Ottilie, 20, London, United Kingdom

Describe your summer style.

Finally, I don’t have to put a huge jacket over my cute outfit. But still pack a light jacket, it’s never that hot in London.

What’s your summer essential?

My sparkly blue bikini!

What’s on your summer wishlist?

Gladiator sandals and a pair of beaded shorts.

Where do you shop?

Portobello Road.

Bella, 25, New York, New York

Describe your summer style.

I lose the need for my great coats and everything gets a bit skimpier. It’s my excuse to wear all white, and wear pieces that only compliment me when I have a tan. I also wear sunglasses for most of the day.

What’s your summer essential?

Flip flops are very frowned upon here, but they are my go-to. I suppose I’m un-influencible, or just incredibly stubborn. Also hand sanitizer. For some reason I don’t ever carry that with me in the winter.

What’s on your wishlist?

Alexander McQueen bumster pants and a Gucci waist bag! I dream of a hands-free, crack-out summer.

Where do you shop?

My friends’ closets.

Penny, 21, Paris, France

Describe your summer style.

Mini skirts, mini heels, mini dresses, mini purses! I try to wear less black during the summer, but in Paris, I feel most like myself when I’m wearing all black.

What’s on your summer wishlist?

More mules and the perfect pair of black sunglasses.

What’s always in your bag?

Water! Water! Water!

Where do you shop?

Pompom, Depot Sauvage, 29 rue Charlot, and Chinemachine.

Dasha, 26, Minsk, Belarus

Describe your summer style.

I’ll be wearing jeans and flip-flops and sweet perfume. In Belarus, I don’t always feel comfortable being naked, especially if I’m alone, but if I’m abroad and with my girls, I wear less clothes.

What’s your summer essential?

A top with a low neckline.

What’s on your wishlist?

An accent bag in mint or pink and Jaded London pink sport pants—I need them so badly.

Gabriella, 27, Toronto, Canada

Describe your summer style.

Living in Toronto means dealing with real humidity, so I go for practicality and comfort, nothing more and nothing less. By peak summer, I’m not thinking too hard. I’m just reaching for whatever feels light and effortless.

What’s your summer essential?

A white tank top, but in every variation possible.

What’s on your wishlist?

The Courrèges black interlock tracksuit minidress. The sporty vibe has been my thing lately. And any shape of vintage Gucci sunglasses calls my name.

Where do you shop?

Smoking Vintage, Value Village, and Shop Boketto.

Polly, 20, Sydney, Australia

Describe your summer style.

A balance between comfort and cute. Pops of color for every occasion. Living on the beach means that you can wear bikinis anywhere and everywhere. Since it’s super hot, no one cares.

What’s your summer essential?

A denim short goes a long way with a little baby tee and flats.

What’s always in your bag?

I never leave the house without my lip combo. More recently, I’ve been bringing white sage roll-on perfume oil everywhere. It’s such a clean summery scent and lasts ages even in the heat.

Sacha, 22, Lille, France

Describe your summer style.

Silky sheer materials, thin layers. I don’t really know if it’s Paris or more the people around me that influence my style, but I’m really trying to build a timeless closet with good materials and fun pieces that I know I’ll wear for years.

What’s on your summer wishlist?

Some ballet flats like the ones Amy Winehouse had. I’ll wear them until they’re so beat up that they don’t even look like shoes. Also anything from Paloma Wool.

Where do you shop?

I don’t really shop in Paris, I prefer spending hours on Vinted to find the perfect piece of clothing I’m looking for. The only bad surprise is when it doesn’t fit you.

Lily, 21, Los Angeles, California

Describe your summer style.

Simple; it’s the girl that makes the outfit cool. In Paris they call me basic, but they just don’t get it. I dress for the heat, always.

What’s your summer essential?

A tank top and anything sheer.

What’s always in your bag?

Iron capsules because heat makes me dizzy. Jolly ranchers because of low blood sugar.

Where do you shop?

I love Kitson in Malibu. Go in there, and you’ll see just what I mean.