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

Aimee France is known as much for her perfectly tousled pixie cut as she is for her palette. Based in Brooklyn, New York, she first built a devoted online following through her whimsical cake business, where her offbeat, sculptural creations made her a cult favorite in the world of food and design. These days, her creative world looks a little different: slower, more free, and rooted in the small pleasures of life. France takes us along some of her regular trips to her go-to farmers’ market in the city in search of her new obsessions.

How have you been spending your early days of spring?

Being outside and hanging out with friends! For many years, I really did not have much of a social life due to running my cake business. Since stepping back, I am now able to hang out with my friends so much more often. It is bringing me a lot of joy and fulfillment, which is sparking creativity that I have not been able to access for a long time. This is the summer of being spontaneous and loitering! I can tell it’s going to be one to remember.

What farmer’s market is your go-to?

Union Square Greenmarket on Wednesdays.

What’s something you buy just because it looks good?

Cute, teeny tiny fruits or vegetables.

What’s your favorite weird or unexpected combination right now?

I recently made a green-goddess chicken salad filled with chopped up asparagus, French breakfast radishes, carrots, and baby celery.

What ingredient feels the most like spring to you?

Carrots.

What’s something you’ve been putting on everything lately?

My green goddess dressing!

What was the best thing you’ve smelled recently?

The lilac bush that I religiously go and check everyday.

What’s the most “you” thing in your bag?

Tea bags, single serve honey, at least 10 lip products.

It’s that time of year again, when pop stans, brand-trip girls, and people who “don’t even like festivals” somehow all end up in Indio, California, running on nothing but depleted electrolytes and vibes.

Sophia Ziskin, who performs under the moniker Fifi,has been doing the desert circuit long enough to know her way around a lineup. This year, find her behind the decks on the Do LaB stage, where she first had her music epiphany as a teen. Her secret to surviving? It all boils down to what you do—and don’t do.

“Do go with people on the same wavelength.”

“Don’t drink and drive!!!!”

“Do eat carbs. Pizza every day. I’m not kidding, it saves me every year. Nothing worse than being starving in the desert.”

“Don’t bring your boyfriend or situationship—obviously.”

“Do tan during the day to re-center your vibe. I love to spend the day baking in the sun before heading to the festival. It makes your skin glow.”

“Don’t skip an artist you wanna see ’cause your friends don’t want to. Just meet up with them again later. It’s fun to go see sets alone.”

“Do spend as much time as you can in the DoLab and the Yuma tent. This is where I had my dance music awakening when I was 14.”

“Don’t care and don’t hate on Coachella. If you hate anything about Coachella you are a loser! Hot people, good music, weird situations, desert heat. Best vibes. Just enjoy it!”

Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Mara Weinstein has quietly become a connective force behind some of fashion’s most charged work, counting Donna Trope, Steven Klein, and Nadia Lee Cohen among her closest collaborators. Her tastes are particular but immaculate—just unruly enough to jolt you out of whatever stupor the industry has you in. She’s fabulous in the old sense: not of the moment but of her own making.

Ahead of her debut EP 001, out April 17 under mra, Weinstein shares a playlist for the romantically fried: From the aching drift of Joanne Robertson’s “Blue Car” to the brazen strut of BabyxSosa’s “Chanel.” Wired headphones encouraged.

Where are you when you’re listening to this playlist?

Crying on the plane.

What was the first album you bought with your own money?

My babysitter taught me how to use LimeWire, and the rest was history. Before that, I shared an iPod with my brother, and I remember we had Led Zeppelin IV and Britney Spears’ Blackout on there.

What’s been inspiring you recently?

No taste is what I’m against… I adore what Diana Vreeland said about needing a splash of bad taste for our health. Oh and late night phone calls with my friend Donna Trope. The world will never know what we say, salacious and strictly off the record, but she’s my favorite midnight gab sesh. We only watch Pre-Code Hollywood films or trashy T.V. together. Tacky highbrow forever.

What song do you always put people onto?

I don’t naturally push my music agenda, which makes this interview ironic, but I have definitely gone on Sibylle Baier tangents before.

One new artist you can’t stop listening to?

Is Joanne Robertson considered new? If so, that’s my answer. Listen to “Blue Car,” it reminds me of a voice memo recorded in the bathroom—very nascent, like hearing the song being written. Or Astrid Sonne. Sorry, that’s two.

What do you think about world-building across both your production work and music? What’s the overall vibe of the E.P.?

Both are just so intimate. There aren’t really many projects you see my name on that I’ve walked away from without connecting significantly with the person I made it with. Music or fashion, I don’t care. I’m not saying every session or shoot was a hit. Sometimes the bad ones are even more bonding. 001 is a visceral imprint of who I was in that moment. It came from a version of me I don’t have access to now. I was ingesting everything, a student of it all.

Weirdly, some of those beats feel way more current now. I would black out in the writing room with MNDR. She knows all my secrets, and saw me mid-molt. It was precarious, but we trusted each other. Bryce Anderson and I made a video for the track “Avoid.” I’d like to think it captures it well, if you need a visual. Obsession, exhaustion, and glamour, grasping onto something with white knuckles as it slips. I’d rather the listener take what they want from it.

Why does now feel like the right time to begin sharing music as an artist more publicly?

Truthfully, I wrote the E.P. mainly in 2022, and I was in a very particular headspace. I had a kind of naive hubris. I felt hard done by but also wildly confident at the same time. I don’t share too much online. I only recently started posting my face. I’ve done music under an alias on bigger projects. I liked keeping it that way at the time. So to answer your question, I’m going with how I feel. I’m comfortable in my own skin now for the first time in my life. Right now being more visible feels right. It’s not more complicated than that.

How about as a producer?

My production work took on a life of its own, and I’m glad I let it. Now I can say I do both with my full chest and actually mean it.

What’s your favorite fashion era of music?

I don’t get too stuck or fussy about nostalgia, but I enjoy watching how things repeat. Whether it’s London in the early ’80s with the Blitz and Buffalo era, or the original New York club kids. A lot of what ends up being mainstream starts in subcultures. Now it’s more digital, and the machine regurgitates faster than ever. That’s probably why I’m drawn to things that feel raw and real. I suppose I have a type.

Do you have a favorite movie soundtrack?

Under the Skin by Mica Levi. It sounds like something trying to understand what being human is like. Acerbic, almost painful. Beauty in what isn’t fully formed.

What haircut goes with this playlist?

My hair now works: Blue-black, straightened to a burnt crisp from years of toxic treatments, with surgically straight-cut bangs over my eyes. Vision impaired. But you do you.

If you’ve been out dancing in New York City lately, there’s a good chance you’ve ended up at one of Brooke Flecca’s sets. Since moving to the city in 2020, the Florida native has become a go-to behind the decks, known for mixes shaped by her lifelong love of E.D.M. and her instinct for exactly how a good night should feel. Her rules to live by? Follow the fun, ignore the consequences, and, when possible, end the night near a body of water.

Age: 23

Occupation: D.J. and Producer.

Where are you from?

Winter Park, Florida.

What were some of your early influences growing up?

The Little Mermaid, Britney Spears, & my mom—same answer now.

What’s the perfect night out there?

Dinner with my girlfriends, pretend to be social, bail on everyone we know at the bars, go swimming in the lake. Florida logic.

What got you into music and who were some of your first favorites?

I grew up on electronic music—always playing in the car, in the house, everywhere. Daft Punk, Kaskade, Armin van Buuren, Tiësto, Calvin Harris: the list is endless. I was making mashups on GarageBand at 13 that I think are still on Soundcloud.

What brought you to NYC, and how long have you been here?

All my family’s here, so it was kind of expected of me. I moved in summer 2020 for Parsons School of Design and have been here ever since. There’s nowhere like it.

Do you remember the first D.J. set you played?

Yes! I was so nervous. It was 2022, for my friend’s birthday in Brooklyn…I can’t remember the venue. It was a mix of tech house, future bass, garage, some hip hop. I wanted to impress everyone but keep it cool. I had my set list written out on a piece of paper so I wouldn’t freak out. I look back and it’s the cutest thing ever.

The best place to go out dancing in the city?

Wherever I’m D.J.ing…obviously! Next question.

Your go-to track to hype up a party?

So hard to pick to be honest. If my D.J. friends are in the crowd, I’ll mix in some of their unreleased music. They’re the best.

A new artist you’re currently obsessed with?

Myself. I’m not even kidding. I’ve been listening to my bounces on repeat like crazy. It’s so good. I’m excited.

Dream party to play at and why?

Ultra Music Festival, I would die. Or Electric Daisy Carnival Orlando, full-circle hometown moment—I’m dragging my parents there.

When people leave your set, how do you want them to feel?

Slightly disoriented and texting someone they probably shouldn’t.

Sum up your sound in three words?

Brooke Elizabeth Flecca. That counts right?

Describe your perfect day?

I’m on an island, zero obligations, all my cheeky bikinis are clean (this is important), and I’m eating an açaí bowl. My friend bursts in like, “Guess what?” Then I go, “He’s dead?!” and she goes, “Even better—we got a yacht for the day.” I’m pretty simple. Life is good.

Something nobody knows about you but should?

I’m not an afters girl at all. I get sleepy. If you catch me out past 3 a.m....you’re lucky. I’m always the first to leave, and I love to Irish exit.

One rule of party etiquette you live by?

If you’re not dancing, get out of the way. Respect the energy or go home!

Cigs—yay or nay?

Yayyyy. Although I don’t smoke as much as people assume I do.

Photos by ANTHONY BALLEW

Following the hype of last year’s viral single “Main Character,” Chxrry steps further into the glitz and glamor of her debut album, U, Me & My Ego. Her latest track, “Hall of Fame,” bottles the feeling of a night you don’t want to end. For the new video, set in LA and directed by Jasmine Johnson, that energy comes to life in the Valley at a house party you’d definitely want an invite to. Below, we catch up with Chxrry to talk the real-life inspo behind her dance-floor ready sound.

What was your starting point for the music video for “Hall of Fame”?

I wanted the video to feel like the song—fun! And honestly, the world was missing an updated party video.

How do you hope it makes people feel?

I want people to feel excitement. For life. For my album. I think having something to look forward to every day is a really euphoric, underrated feeling. There’s so much sad shit going on everyday, I make a point to enjoy life, and I want my music to reflect that.

What references were living in your head while making it?

My real life: It’s a lot of hard work, but I make it a point to enjoy it as much as I can. I was also really into jazz funk when I started thinking about the video. My creative director Juliet [Charlotte] and I kept sending each other all these references online. But I knew I also wanted some ass shaking and burlesque-looking moments in there…like when I’m on the wall with the girls. I just felt like a pop star.

How long did you party for the shoot?

I black out on shoot days…I barely know what’s going on. I think I had one croissant the whole day, but we were shooting for something like 12 to 14 hours overall, and by the time we got to the house, we’d already been going all day. The actual party was a couple hours. We were pushing the clock.

This feels like your most choreographed video yet. What was that like?

At this level, yeah. We’ve done choreography before but honestly, shout out to Mariah Jasmine, my choreographer. She is literally my sister and the realest bitch I know—and the most patient. She knows what I think is cool and what I’m willing to push myself to do, and what I’m like, Fuck no, I’m not doing that.

Did you have a favorite look?

The blue babydoll dress! Juliet has this weird superstition where she knows when something’s going to pop. It was the same with the chain mail dress I wore, which is like 100 pounds. She found it in this sex store in Hollywood. I loved wearing it on the podium with the trophy.

Blue is a theme throughout your visuals. What draws you to it?
It’s like the manifestation of my ego in the project. When Juliet and I were trying to find a color for the album, we were thinking gold but we were also just playing around with metals at the time, like pyrite, which is fool’s gold. Then one day we saw this blue, and it just screamed ego. And no one was doing it yet.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I have ADHD, and I’m allergic to the sun.

What makes a main character?

Confidence.

Watch “Hall of Fame” below:

Horoscopes by ILANA KOZLOV

April is giving a bit of Okay, so what are we actually doing here? The month opened under a (pink!) Libra full moon, so yes, feelings and relationship plotlines are very much on the table—but not in a cute way. Whatever has been bubbling just underneath the surface may be harder to ignore now, especially the desires and weird imbalances you’ve been trying to smooth over. Something may be reaching its limit. Mid-month brings a chance for a fresh start with the Aries new moon on April 17, plus a reminder: not everything needs to be overthought. By the time Taurus season arrives, you’ll bounce back to your senses—in every meaning of the phrase. Slow down. Pay attention to what feels good. Embrace what’s actually worth your time.

Aries rising

Spend time where fires happen—like kitchens—and use your words. Say everything you want so you don’t put your foot in your mouth elsewhere. It’s your season, so manifest. Even if it requires audacity you don’t have, which let’s face it, you’re an Aries, so you probably have it. Create a cathartic safe space for yourself. Meanwhile, your relationships are demanding some attention too. How will you balance the scales?

Taurus rising

You may not be getting everything you want out of your relationships. It’s time to enter a private place. Sometimes desires can be loud like motorcycles. This month asks you to block out the unnecessary noise. Darkness gives you a reason to light a match. Gazing at the flame will give you spiritual focus. Pampering yourself isn’t a bad idea, and neither is painting a canvas. Be the beautifier.

Gemini rising

Big romantic gestures are fine, as long as they’re easy on the wallet. It’s a month filled with heart-eyes and serious handshakes. People are looking in your direction, so share your creative juice and give them something to crave. Impressing the right groups can create some pressure, but at the end of the month, change your hair or pierce your ear. It’s time to reinvent yourself.

Cancer rising

Cancer, your name is in big bold letters in the sky! This is a heightened time of visibility. Are you sticking to the script or going all in, unfiltered? Career demands are placed on you, while matters at home reach their own spilling points. Your emotions may be all over the place, but at the end of the month you’ll get some closure—for better or worse.

Leo rising

Go outside, you might have a fortunate run-in. In fact, take the train somewhere new and pack your favorite philosophy book while you’re at it. Being somewhere else could create an unexpected portal back to yourself. Get out of your comfort zone and bump heads with some know-it-all. Maybe…you’re the know-it-all!

Virgo rising

Accepting help may result in accumulating some debt. But doing things entirely on your own is unrealistic—so, debt it is. Make sure your head is straight, which isn’t usually your problem, and keep your ego in check, as more will be invested in your direction. Inspiration is everywhere. Expect a career win at the end of the month.

Libra rising

You don’t want to fuck up a good thing, but what is a good thing? Maybe it’s…comfortable…safe…familiar? It may feel especially hard to initiate necessary confrontations, but agreements, after all, are about maintenance. And now it’s time to snake the pipes. Getting deep inside of something can be scary, but it can also be hot. Throw away the thoughts and try to act something out, even if it leaves a little bit of a mess.

Scorpio rising

Sometimes things are just totally chaotic—the stove is hot, and I’m playing devil’s advocate. Financial fickleness may leave you dizzy, but the biggest challenge of the month is divesting from something that was never going to work out. Sometimes the end is inside of a thick, gray cloud, and it needs to rain a bunch for you to see the bold, unforgettable shape it makes in the sky.

Sagittarius rising

You’re learning the consequences of too much of a good thing. Don’t get me wrong, blessings abound, but you’re gambling away your peace and sanity. Creative and romantic blocks will arise, but you’re equipped to power through them. Just put the vices away.

Capricorn rising

You’re living somewhat of a double life. In public, there’s a lot riding on first-impressions, so use your calm, cool, and collected demeanor to sway things in your direction. It’s not about winning fights; it’s about finessing outcomes. At home, you may be somewhat of a fire-breathing dragon. Fire clarifies, so at least the truth gets told. You needed a fresh start anyway.

Aquarius rising

I want you to spend a lot of time with one thing that you believe is astonishingly beautiful about the world. I want you to get all up in it. This month is about your chic, spiritual taste. Then I want you to think practically: How can you bring more of this into your life? Through ritual, through community, through walks in the neighborhood. Feed yourself. Get so full you have no option but to lay for hours and hours on the softest bed.

Pisces rising

The middle-ground is hard to find, yet easier to reach now than ever. A joint venture demands some negotiation, and financial matters are here to be squared away. It’s looking like a spendy month, and sometimes financial risks lead to great rewards. You may go on a pleasant trip, but the home’s nourishment will beckon, at the end.

Los Angeles has always sold itself as a city of dreams, but for Niko Rubio, it’s just as much a city of grand gestures, ghosting, and emotionally unavailable men. The LA-based singer-songwriter folds all of this into Sunday Girl, her upcoming E.P. of reggae-laced indie-pop songs in which romantic misfortune takes the form of an alter ego: a bad nun who dates in secret, collects sins, and turns every disappointing man into source material. But who exactly is the titular Sunday girl? “She’s someone who you take home to mom and dad, who you hold tight and love forever,” says Rubio. But as she knows, sometimes the stars don’t align, and when that’s the case, “just scream the song at the top of your lungs, while driving down Sunset with a cigarette.” Below, Rubio gets into the heartbreak and humor behind her project, the archetypes of LA dating, and why her messiest stories always make the best songs.

What inspired your upcoming E.P.?

I had a tumultuous fling with a boy that ended dramatically, and I wrote this song about him. I knew he was emotionally unstable and unavailable, but I think I enjoyed the yearning? I went to the studio with one of my favorite writers ever and told him the story. Andrew, my producer, started playing the guitar riff, and I sang “Don’t you wish I was your Sunday girl” within the first 5 minutes of writing. I knew it had to be my “yearning for love” song. That’s where it all started.

You’ve said this project captures what it’s like dating in Los Angeles. What about LA dating made its way into the music?

The insecure, money-hungry boy-who-can’t-commit archetype is real.

Who is that boy?

It’s the guy that thinks he wants a girl who is hot and desirable, but then he gets one and he can’t deal. He thinks he’s not good enough, and he gets scared he’ll “mess it all up…” I’m like bro, just keep it in your pants, tell me I’m pretty, and buy me shit. It’s not that hard! Maybe I’m just dating the wrong men.

What’s the most LA date you’ve ever been on?

He took me to this French spot in West Hollywood called Marvin, and we ran into 10 people we both knew. It was like we were on a “How clouted is my date, and do they know the difference between sauvignon blanc and chardonnay?” game show. He was so funny, and we had a decent time, but I think he ghosted me, or I ghosted him—I can’t remember.

What’s the biggest red flag in LA’s dating culture?

When straight men post selfies, unironically. Please, for the love of God, I’d rather see you holding a fish.

What made reggae and indie-pop sounds feel right for this era?

I’m a born and raised California beach girl, so reggae and indie rock and pop have been the soundtrack to my life. I grew up on Lily Allen, No Doubt, Mazzy Star, Solange, but I was also listening to ’70s and ’80s reggae, like Barrington Levy and Sister Nancy. I’ve always made summertime and warm nights music. Reggae just sets a perfect energy for storytelling; it’s a magical genre.

What do these songs bring out in you when you sing them?

I feel like myself when I sing. I got my favorite Jamaican musicians to come play on some of the tracks so that the drums would be authentic and respectful to reggae culture and tradition. I’m very careful and try to be mindful as much as I can of Jamaican reggae culture because it’s so beautiful to me. The indie pop songs are all so perfect too. They’re the dreamy songs, the ones rooted in yearning. The reggae songs are the storytelling ones, the ones where I talk my shit.

What was the moment or feeling behind writing “Ride It”?

It was being so annoyed at all these emotionally unavailable men. They always talk a big game and then don’t follow through! The guy I’m talking about in the song called me for two weeks, planned to fly me out to Cape Town and then pulled out the day before. I wrote the second verse months later about another man I was trying to hook up with. He pursued me for a bit and then, classically, a few weeks later it fizzled out. He was so lame, but his idiocracy, for lack of a less dramatic word, worked out perfectly. I was able to finally finish the song! He watches my story everyday so he’ll see this.

This will be your first headline tour. What does the “Sunday Girl” world look like when it moves from imagination into a physical space?

I’m most excited about finally seeing the Sunday Girl world come to life. In the story, I play a bad nun who secretly goes on dates and writes songs about the men she meets, and performs them at a lounge bar by the beach. It’s a metaphor for growing up in a Catholic Mexican household where I never felt I could talk about sex or my sins. It’s so melodramatic and also rooted in a new style of songwriting for me. It feels like everything I’ve ever made, but I’m finally being as honest as I can be.

I’m okay with being vulnerable about my fucked up love life. Everyone’s got a fucked up love life in some way. I had a London boyfriend for a while, but that wasn’t sustainable, so we’re back in the game. At least, I love London now. I would have liked to publicly shame him here in LA, but he does that to himself every time he has to tell someone he dumped me. I think I’m going to be celibate from now on, though. These men are not worth it.

What do A.I. and a seven-year-old in a sequined costume have in common? Quite a lot, apparently. In “StarPower,” Maya Man’s new exhibition at bitforms, the New York–based artist draws a line between the rigid training of competitive dancers and the endless optimization of machine systems. At the center of the show is StarQuest, 2025, a computer-generated reality series that borrows its title from the real-life U.S. dance competition of the same name. Think Dance Moms—backstage pep talks, stage makeup, tears, and meltdowns—stretched across 111 scenes of uncanny unreality. Below, Man reflects on growing up in competitive dance, T.V. nostalgia, and the eerie overlap between childhood performance and machine intelligence.

You grew up as a competitive dancer. What’s the first memory that comes to mind when you think about that world?

Being backstage at a dance competition in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, trying to put on fake rhinestone eyelashes in a tiny, makeshift mirror. I can barely remember ever actually being on stage.

What about competitive dance culture stuck with you the most?

The psychology that it encourages. Trying to stretch yourself beyond your limits to touch perfection. I think about drilling routines in the studio, looping them over and over again while continually working to picture how I might appear on stage.

What did it teach you?

It taught me about friendship, discipline, and dedication. My coaches always reminded us that the real work happens in the studio before you get on stage. I still believe that in my practice now.

Why did you want to revisit that experience through A.I.?

There’s a lot of talk about training A.I. right now. I see a parallel between the technical details of that process and the way that dancers are trained in a company. Both are pushed to reach a kind of unattainable perfection. Both always inevitably fall short of flawlessness. That point of failure became compelling to me as I started making this piece.

What about video in particular?

We’re at a really specific and special moment right now with A.I. video. It’s advanced quite far, to the point where I’ve had people watch StarQuest and not realize at first that it’s completely A.I.-generated. But there are also clear glitches that make it impossible to believe the shots are live action. I wanted the piece to oscillate between looking realistic and then looking suddenly, clearly inhuman and sometimes grotesque.

Confessionals in reality T.V. are supposed to be real, but we know they’re edited. Did that tension shape your inclusion of this format in the show?

In this entire show, and across most of my work, I’m playing with this idea of what’s real. Of course, reality television is highly staged but we still watch it with a suspension of disbelief because we want to be caught up in the drama.

How much is made up in your work?

All of the visuals and the music are completely fabricated. I’m curious about what it means to be affected by something that is overtly unreal. Does the knowledge that the show is fake matter if what you feel about the characters on screen feels the same as watching real reality TV?

Does the way these shows continue to circulate as content online shape how you thought about “StarPower”?

Yes, three edits that remix clips from StarQuest are featured at bitforms, each one playing on loop on an iPhone. Edits are a very powerful genre of content-creation online. They change minds, make people fall in love, turn audiences into fans.

Where do you see fan edits like this in the wild?

Dance Moms first aired in 2011, but it still has this looming, current cultural presence because clips from the show are continually reposted and remixed on TikTok.

Can you share a little about the prompts you used for your A.I. dancers?

The entire piece was created through language-based prompting. I never fed the model any visual content. The prompts need to be highly detailed to get the results I want. I sometimes used an L.L.M. to assist in writing them, because A.I. models know best how to communicate with other A.I. models.

What’s an example?

Here’s an excerpt from one prompt describing a dancer’s costume:

She wears a dance costume that has a soft, elegant look in a pale aqua blue color. The bodice is fitted and covered in delicate lace with subtle sparkle, accented by a floral applique detail at the neckline. The halter-style straps cross at the front for a graceful touch, while the attached skirt is made of lightweight chiffon that drapes in an asymmetrical cut, shorter in the front and flowing longer in the back. The look is completed with a coordinating aqua floral headpiece decorated with lace and embellishments, styled to match the costume. The dancer wears tan slip on jazz shoes.

Did the results ever surprise you?

I was surprised every single time. It’s a very black-box system and impossible to predict.

What started as middle-school thrift runs has turned into a finely tuned instinct for Cierra O’day Johnson. She can clock a Prada skirt from across the room and an overpriced tag just as quickly. Today, she navigates the city’s vintage landscape with the precision of a seasoned hunter and shares her finds with the girls online. Whether its estate sales and markets or tightly curated boutiques, she knows where to look. Here, she talks pricing politics, her designer obsessions, and her favorite year of fashion.

Best vintage find ever?
This Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter 2004 coat that Scout once had still haunts me. So many stores can start to feel interchangeable, but they have a really good perspective when it comes to sourcing.

Best spot on the East Side?

Little Shop is a newer spot that the girls are loving. It’s small but incredibly well curated and feels like girl heaven.

Best spot on the West Side?

I don’t venture to the true West Side very often, but West Hollywood has some of the best vintage stores in the city. Scout, Recess, Ending Soon, and RLT are my usual stops. Each one has a strong point of view and consistently great pieces.

Best spot in the Valley?

Playclothes is a classic. It’s one of those places where you can really spend time digging.

Best market?

I’m in constant awe every time A Current Affair comes to L.A. The last time I went, I scored a vintage Prada Fall/Winter 2004 dress and a 1950s Lilli Ann set. (I guess I love 2004 fashion lol.)

Best spot for archive designer?

Aralda is where I go when I want to spoil myself with something special or collectible.

Best spot for basics?

RLT has some of the best basics: everything from cashmere sweaters to vintage Levi’s to classic sunnies. It’s one of those places where you can always find a great wardrobe staple.

Best Prada selection?

Ending Soon has the best Prada selection. The moment I walk in, they start bringing pieces into the dressing room. They know me so well.

Best heels?
Recess usually has a really strong selection of vintage heels, especially if you’re looking for something a little flirty and fun.

Raised in the south of France and now based in Paris, Alizée Gamberini may be a self-described non-dancer, but her taste says otherwise. Whether she’s in front of the camera or behind it, the aesthetic obsessive spends most of her time chasing the next visual idea. Below, she talks the songs scoring her life right now—from Fleetwood Mac and Radiohead to Fakemink.

What music video raised you?

I can’t really think of one specifically; there are so many. But I remember being really impressed by the vulnerability and violence of Britney Spears’ “Everytime” music video when I saw it at 8. Oops!… I Did It Again was also the first album my mother ever bought me.

Where do you dance?

I am boring, I don’t do clubs. I don’t really dance.

What’s an album you will never stop listening to?

Il Mare Calmo Della Sera by Andrea Bocelli. I mean the reason is very simple. Just listen to this genius masterpiece, and you’ll feel the “why” in your heart.

What was the first concert you went to?

As a teen, I saw the Brian Jonestown Massacre and BB Brunes. Two completely different universes. That contrast fascinated me. It was amazing to experience that freedom and discover live music on my own.

Which song instantly puts you in a good mood?

“Passionfruit” by Drake.

What are you obsessed with right now?

My new nose.

Words by ILANA KOZLOV

The general vibe right now is !@#$^&!%#($. We’re starting March with a Mercury retrograde and an eclipse portal, a two-week period between the solar and lunar eclipse that has an unhinged, disruptive, but, ultimately, transformative quality. The solar eclipse was on Feb. 17 and the lunar eclipse arrives on Tuesday—until then, we sway within the drama. As a person with a Sagittarius Jupiter, I don’t like stagnation. So even though I’m self-soothing with my fav 2013 tracks and coconut snacks, I welcome the changes, come what may.

The solar eclipse occurred on a new moon, and new moons are about beginnings. While the lunar eclipse occurs on a full moon, and full moons are like bathtubs with water spilling out. A full moon is also about the beginning of an ending, like a climax, which is really just a more chic word for orgasm.

Since fall of 2024, our eclipses have occurred on the Pisces/Virgo axis. We’re involved with these signs because this is where the lunar nodes currently sit. The lunar nodes are points where the moon and sun’s paths around Earth intersect. When the moon or sun reach these points, their light gets swallowed, or eclipsed.

The north node is like a jaw, and the south node is like a pelvis. We take things in with one, and eliminate waste with the other. (The north node is said to exalt in Taurus, which is the sign of the mouth, and the south node is said to exalt in Scorpio, which is the sign of our genitals). When the moon, the planet of nurture and needs, comes together with the south node, which discards it, a kind of anemic vibe occurs. With the purifying energy of Virgo, imagine that the lunar eclipse is like a fasting monk.

With Pisces and Virgo, we are treading the fine line between delusion and divination. Virgo is all about hygiene, analysis, and order—the priestess translating calls from the gods and goddesses to the kings and queens—with its ear pressed against Pisces’ mysteries. Its routines and rituals are, therefore, not to be messed with. The north node in dreamy Pisces can also stir confusion. Consider where there might be excess in your life, perhaps a delusional wish, addiction, or escape door you keep running to.

But the two signs don’t make a bad team. Pisces will put on your favorite song and lip-sync in a strange made-up accent, and Virgo will start disinfecting surfaces. These are not two different people; you can be both, at the same time.

Aries rising

Everyone agrees that you need a time out, but you don’t have to wear a dunce hat in the corner. You can simply spend an extra 10 minutes in bed before starting your day. Commit to the non-event. Pause more. Act less. That said, it wouldn’t be an Aries reading without some Martian matter demanding your energy: A conflict will resolve, helping you refine the way you move through the world. And at the end of the month, you can dance and celebrate!

Taurus rising

This is a good month to stick to your own rhythm and stay out of other people’s business. Friend drama may pull you in, so use your compass. Ask yourself, Is this a distraction? Or will neglect lead to a messier crime scene? A profound creative flow will be reached, so put fuel in your tank—you have a window for divine inspiration. Even the confusing, messy bits can go on the mood board.

Gemini rising

Well, that cord is finally getting cut. As unending as some troubles may seem, they always eventually come to a close. Although endings may be sad, they lay down a new foundation, especially in your private life. Your professional world, however, remains less clear. Watch out for distractions, positive or negative. Glitter and tar are hard to wash off.

Cancer rising

You’re being given more and more reasons to celebrate! We love seeing you out in the world, so keep showing us what you’re made of. Big, larger-than-life feelings are here, though behind closed doors, bad spells may unravel. Use this month to refine your routines. Say no to that extra drink, keep rosemary and salt in your pocket, revisit an old creative idea—it could bring a career payoff down the line.

Leo rising

The boundary between you and someone else feels blurry right now. Sharing can be deeply gratifying, but it can also create confusion. What belongs to you, and what belongs to them? These edges are more like blobs, but this month asks you to refine your values and get clear on your expenditures. Debts weigh heavily, keeping you tied up. Still, sometimes you can’t be bothered to untangle the headphones, especially if the music still sounds kinda good.

Virgo rising

Something that has long been part of your identity is no longer there. What does it feel like to look in the mirror and see this strange, new version of yourself? New experiences will fill in the gaps, and before long, your reflection will feel familiar again. It may be time to face feelings you’ve kept buried too: Relationships offer a mirror for deep, uncomfortable reflection, but don’t get lost in ruminating.Your wildest dreams are coming true, while an undeniable hollowness makes itself present. Every emotion gets pulled to the surface, like a good movie.

Libra rising

It’s not fun to swim through molasses. You might daydream about a better time to tackle the hard work ahead, but the time is now. The effort may leave you tired—that’s part of the ebb and flow. The work is silent, unrewarded, or entirely internal, yet the chance to shine and grow is still here, and I’m not just saying this to make you feel better. You are more relatable than you think, so let the world peek into your bubble.

Scorpio rising

Are you really ready for that big, exciting thing on the horizon? Maybe you need a little more refinement, organization, and fact-checking before you strut toward your dreams in five-inch heels; but don’t kick them off just yet, because this month asks you to indulge in the art of flirtation. A crush can heal the soul by turning you into a carefree school kid. And while you may not marry Sam from fourth grade, some light-hearted play might remind you who you truly are in this strange, distorted world.

Sagittarius rising

It is time to confront the ghost in your house. It may knock things over to get your attention, but that is no reason to fear it; it simply has no other way to communicate. As confusing as home matters may feel, meaningful insights will come through if you allow them, hopefully guiding you toward a much needed reset. Something you have put into the world has gained traction. Now it is time to balance your achievements with spiritual groundskeeping.

Capricorn rising

Sometimes our beliefs sit at the root of our problems. This month asks you to shift your perspective, whether you feel ready or not. It won’t be an enlightening epiphany; it’s more like when a friend drags you on a long, treacherous hike and you don’t have the right shoes on. But once you reach the summit, the view is life changing. Your routines may get interrupted, so try to go with the flow.

Aquarius rising

There’s a big ball of hemp string I’m always unraveling when wrapping birthday presents. Loops hang everywhere, and I never know where the thread begins or ends, so I cut in random spots and hope I have enough for the box. Life’s demands aren’t always handled neatly, and sometimes trying to confront them only creates more mess. This month gives you the chance to sort through your entanglements and finally clean up.

Pisces rising

Maybe hold off on the impulsive haircut? It’s wiser to experiment with something less permanent, like clothes or nail art. I’m all for self-expression, but this month carries a higher chance of regret. You are ready for a fresh start, just don’t dive in before testing the waters. Relationships may be closing or shifting into new chapters. The real question is whether everyone involved is truly on the same page.

There’s something otherworldly about MGNA Crrrta. Maybe it’s their grunge-tinged whimsy, hypnotic electronic beats, or enchanted-forest-meets-Y2K universe that exists somewhere between club land and a lucid dream. Whether Farheen Khan and Ginger Scott are dancing at the club with Kesha, remixing Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” into oblivion, or cracking open the emotional core of their debut mixtape, Beautiful Disaster, the New York City-based duo lives in their own little romantic, alien world. Below, they talk what inspires them and the wreckage at the center of their latest project.

What were your biggest inspirations for the mixtape?

Farheen Khan: Our diaries, dreams, hopes, fears. Reality, Earth, and beyond, and every girl that’s done it before us. We wanted to make a project that felt sincere, naive, ambitious, angsty, and reflective of this moment in our lives: The beautiful disaster. It’s the completed exposition of MGNA Crrrta, and a genesis for everything to come.

Is there a song from the project that feels most you right now?

Ginger Scott: “Infinite Pleasure” holds a special place in our heart. It’s just pure chaos and feels so theatrical. It’s about youth, friendship, unity, but it also gets sidetracked by an alien invasion towards the end of the song. It then goes into “I’m on a Saucer II,” which is the song that’d play in the U.F.O. during our abduction.

Is there someone this project wouldn’t exist without?

Farheen: An endless number of people. Our collaborators. Our inspirations. Our friends. The Universe. God. Beautiful Disaster is a vision but also a product of our world.

What does your creative process together actually look like?

Ginger: Texting. Chatting. Two Macbook Pros and a dream. We sometimes get to go to studios now, but we still end up always recording our vocals in Ginger’s room.

How would you describe your sense of style right now? Are there fashion references, designers, or eras you always come back to?

Farheen: Colorful and textured. Psychedelic and whimsical. When it comes to defining our style, we always work with our best friend and stylist Eloise Moulton; references she’s been thinking about right now include Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2006, Christian Lacroix Fall/Winter 1997, the over-saturated colors in proto trance/euro dance music videos, and the kaleidoscopic multi-media visuals of Madoka Magica.

Where do you go out in NYC when you want to feel alive?

Ginger: Our apartment rooftop.

Is there a song you wish you wrote?

Farheen: Literally any of the songs on Victorious.

Have you ever spotted someone wearing your merch somewhere random? What happened?

Ginger: Our friends have sent us spottings, but we don’t really know what we would do if we were walking on the street and saw someone in a MGNA Crrrta shirt. It would feel personal.

When people say “2016 is so back,” what does that bring up for you personally?

Ginger: Kylie.

If MGNA Crrrta were an Instagram filter, which one?

Farheen: Rio de Janeiro.

The best place to listen to MGNA Crrrta?

Farheen: In a mystical forest.

Finish the sentence: Our music is for people who…

Ginger: Love.

“I found this series of pictures on Flickr of girls at their balls and proms running in the street,” Lucila Safdie tells us of the
spark that inspired the fictional debutante, Bunny Bell, at the heart of her Fall/Winter 2026 collection. She’s part main character, part everygirl, and entirely Safdie’s brainchild.

Below, the designer talks film references, good luck charms, and what she’s manifesting right now.

What were some of your references for Bunny Bell?

Tart (2001) by Christina Wayne and Metropolitan (1990) by Whit Stillman, mainly, but also the debutante ball episode of the Hills, Gossip Girl, all that kind of stuff from the early 2000s.

Any films you love currently?

I watched Ms. 45 (1981) by Abel Ferrara last weekend. I’m obsessed.

Favorite thing in your studio?

My pug stickers (I have the most beautiful pug ever), but I also love all the pictures and stickers that I’ve accumulated over time.

Is there a scent you love while working? Why?

I feel like I should implement this, but currently it’s just the scent of sewing machine oil.

What are you playing?

“Miss World,” by Hole.

Favorite snack?

Dark chocolate and Haribo gummies!

What color is your aura?

Peachy pink or purple.

Who is the first person you text when something goes wrong?

My boyfriend, Adam.

Do you have a good luck charm?

My great-grandma’s ring.

What are you manifesting right now?

This copy of The Bell Jar, with a note from Sylvia Plath’s nanny.

Photos by TREW MULLEN

For Trew Mullen, playing Ana, Charli XCX’s control-freak assistant in Aidan Zamiri’s The Moment, meant stepping into a character who’s always one step ahead. Seeing the world through Ana’s lens made her more aware of the small rituals we use to feel steady, too. And even far from her NYC apartment, she still felt at home. “We spent a lot of time filming in cars, driving through London in the rain, and it felt oddly familiar,” she tells us. “I think most of us have looked out a window at some point and imagined the radio was scoring our lives.” Below, she takes us behind the scenes: from that one sushi scene to everything in-between.

“East London, early.”

“We still play with dollies.”

“Car scenes are my favorite. Heating included.”

“What’s upstairs?”

“Scene 15B: sushi.”

“This looks like a nightmare I once had.”

“Sean Price Williams.”

“Rosie’s new book.”

“London did its part.”

“Still warm.”

“In rehearsal.”

“A kind one.”

“Don’t tell him.”

“Corridor choreography.”

“Huddling up between takes.”

“Riding home.”

There was something in the air last night at Miu Miu’s film screening at Village East by Angelika in NYC. In the midst of running around the city for fashion week, the audience waited with bated breath for the 31st iteration of Miu Miu Women’s Tales. And director Mona Fastvold delivered with a film made specially for the series. Discipline (2026) was surreal and sharply composed, a meditation on girlhood, control, and clothing as emotional armor.

After the screening, music curator and film obsessive Margeaux Labat, known for her incisive interviews, set the soundtrack for the after party at Chez Margaux with an equally playful and moody Italian- jazz-forward playlist. Everyone left dreamy eyed, with their heads spinning, just as Miu Miu intended. After all, the fashion house knows what it’s doing: The night is one of a long-running series that has invited female directors space to experiment on their own terms. In the heat of the moment, we caught up with Labat to talk her inner child, her love for the composer Daniel Blumberg, and why Discipline’s final shot struck her… no spoilers!

What’s been your favorite part of the evening?

I really enjoyed the screening. I honestly love any chance to sit in a theater and watch a film, and I haven’t been to Angelika East in a long time. I forgot how nice it is.

Was there a moment from the film that really stayed with you?

I went into it blind and was pleasantly surprised. I feel like there was a lot of subtext that would make a rewatch especially rewarding, so when it finished I automatically wanted to watch it again. And of course, I loved the clothes and costuming! The ending really stuck with me the most when [redacted]… that’s how I interpreted it at least. The final shots were especially breathtaking.

There’s this idea of clothing as “armor” in the film. Do you see fashion as psychological?

Definitely. Your clothes can serve as mental and emotional support and protection from things that you encounter in your daily life, at least that’s how I see it. Like, if I’m about to do something that makes me nervous or go somewhere for the first time and am feeling anxious, I feel way more empowered if I have an outfit on that makes me feel good.

What did you think of the score?

I really liked it! I’m a big fan of Daniel Blumberg’s work, both as a film score composer and his indie music history (shoutout Yuck), so the score was unsurprisingly great. I actually first found out about Mona Fastvold through him, since he also did the score for The Testament of Ann Lee, which I’ve been meaning to see.

Tell me about the music you chose for your set. What was your inspiration?

I chose a lot of jazz and also film scores by Italian composers, like Ennio Morricone, Piero Piccioni, Piero Umiliani, stuff like that. Since it was a cocktail event, I wanted to provide a sonic wallpaper for people attending, so nothing too distracting but still somewhat engaging and interesting if people did decide to hone in on what was playing. Miu Miu, to me, is so feminine and classy, but also playful and not too serious, so I went for a lot of vocal jazz that emanates that vibe, like Blossom Dearie, Margo Guryan, and Astrud Gilberto.

Watch Discipline (2026) by Mona Fastvold below: