When PinkPantheress won Producer of the Year at the BRITs this year, she made history: Pink — who has quietly reshaped the sound of pop with her signature feathery vocals and U.K. club beats she honed on TikTok — was the first woman to ever take the award home in the BRITs’ 49-year history.

For such an essential role, the “producer” title has long existed as a kind of invisible authority, often relegated to fine print in song credits and dimly lit studio corners — and usually occupied by men. But these days, barrier-breaking success stories abound in pop, from mainstream hitmakers like Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, who co-wrote and co-produced all of Addison Rae’s debut album, to critical darlings like Oklou, whose 2025 album, choke enough, dominated year-end lists.

Part of the shift is structural: From YouTube tutorials to TikTok breakdowns, training in digital music production has never been more accessible or demystified. You don’t need to be invited into the room if you can build one yourself. But it’s also reflective of a cultural shift, as artists who may have once been relegated to being just “singers” or “songwriters” are taking the reins behind the boards as a claim to own their authorship and to assert creative control in an industry that has rarely offered it on equal terms.

Over Zoom, NYLON convened a roundtable of four such acts: Tiffany Day, a Los Angeles-based pop producer and songwriter who just released her album Halo, showcasing a bold new hyperpop sound; Empress Of, the longtime alt-pop shapeshifter who is fresh off the release of new single “Dream House” and continues to push the boundaries of electronic-infused pop; Coco & Clair Clair, the indie-pop duo known for their lo-fi, internet-born sound, who are headed to Just Like Heaven this summer with new material in tow; and James K, who’s following critical acclaim for her 2025 album Friend with a remix project that will further expand her atmospheric sonic palette. Via a virtual roundtable, they reflect on what it means to not just perform music, but build it on their own terms.

Let’s start from the beginning: What was the first track you produced, and how did that happen?

Empress Of: I was probably 13, using our Skype microphone to record vocals, playing “Clair de lune” to write songs about my middle school boyfriend. My dad is a musician, but I didn’t ask my dad for help — I was just poking around, failing, and learning.

Tiffany Day: On GarageBand, when I was like 10. I’d drag in pre-made loops like I was making a movie. I didn’t know what I was doing, but it was fun. I even used an 808 as a synth and put a Childish Gambino vocal over it. I was so proud.

James K: I was writing songs on guitar around 13 or 14. A friend had a recording studio in his basement and just let me try everything. I remember realizing you can layer vocals and create depth — that was my first experience producing.

Coco: We made our first song together over a Reading Rainbow-type beat before going to a party, freestyled it, uploaded it to SoundCloud, and it got 300 plays — we were like, “Oh, we’re onto something.”

Clair Clair: We were using a Guitar Hero USB mic and literal kids’ toys. That’s how I learned looping. Very childish and extremely self-taught.

How did those early experiences shape the way you build songs now?

James K: I was in a lot of choirs growing up, that’s where the layering comes from. I definitely love reverb. I was probably pushing the reverb too much at first, but I love creating these ethereal spaces.

Clair Clair: We’re so freestyle-based. With that first song we made, I had gotten a text from an annoying person that we were hanging out with that night. We were just riffing on how we felt about that person and were like, “Wait, that’s hilarious. You should say that in the song.” And we still are like that today. It’s not that thought out — it just kind of happens.

What does a good collaboration with an artist look like in practice?

Tiffany Day: It’s about having a safe space to try things that might not work, even bad ideas. You need people who will keep it a buck but also support you. Without the people that I worked with on this last album, it wouldn’t have been a safe space to experiment and do things that felt riskier. I was able to be like, “Hey, this idea might be incredibly illegal, what I’m about to do to the track, but just bear with me.”

Empress Of: It’s an energy thing — we’re co-pilots. I don’t want someone to fly the plane for me. I have to chat, hear how their day is going, and get on a personal level because then you’re going to dive into the craziest theme for a song about heart-wrenching heartbreak or PTSD. When I walk in, I’m already turning knobs, making sounds. I’m very hands-on.

Clair Clair: We have our own language. We’ll say, “Remove that dingy noise,” and people are like, “What are you talking about?” But we know what that means. It’s easier to keep it between us or with friends who understand.

Empress Of: I have to ask: Do you guys feel like you have telepathy when you write music together?

Coco: I think we do.

Clair Clair: We’ll look at each other and just know, or say the same thing at the same time.

Coco: I’ll show her something and already know when she’s not into it. When I know it’s a weaker line but I’ll still show Clair, she’ll highlight it like, “Yeah, this one could be stronger.” And I wanted her to say that.

How do you know when a collab is a fit for you?

Empress Of: As I’ve gotten more experienced as an artist, I’ve realized I love care and feminine energy in the studio. There has to be an equal exchange, listening to each other. That’s how you know you’re good collaborators.

Tiffany Day: It's been really nice to work with a small circle of people that make me feel safe. Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to be as courageous in my decision-making and the songs wouldn’t have been the same. It’s great to be in the room with somebody else and bouncing ideas around because if I’m by myself too much, it can become an echo chamber.

James K: I actually worked with producers on this past record [Friends], which was a new experience for me. So for my remix album, I asked people I respect deeply, my friends. Having them even say yes was an honor. I was a little scared to have people jump in for some reason. Maybe I’m a little control freak about it. But I think there’s also something nice about being vulnerable, letting people take the works out of my hands and getting to hear what they did without having any part of it. The energy was right, and I trusted the people in the room, so it worked out really nicely.

How do you make sure your voice is heard in the studio?

Tiffany Day: Being a woman in this space that is quite male-dominated, there are moments where I get a little in my head because I’m like, “I don't know if they’re going to take me seriously,” but I’d rather say something than regret it. There’s a balance between trusting yourself and still listening when someone genuinely cares about the project.

Coco: We’re protective of what we do. It can be intimidating having a man in the studio like, “You don’t understand, we’re just two girls having fun!” So we don’t really let a lot of people in.

Empress Of: If someone expects me to sit on the back couch, that just doesn’t work… I need to be part of the process.

How do ideas actually come together?

Coco: We have tons of shared notes, whether it’s a joke one of us made or a sentence we heard or a shirt we saw. Then when it’s time, we pull from that.

Clair Clair: It’s almost like a math equation: a verse over here, choruses that don’t have a home, beats that don’t have a home. And things get made that I could have never thought of had I tried.

How do you balance making what you want vs. what people expect?

Empress Of: I try not to think about people listening. Once it’s out, it’s not yours anymore. This is the one time it’s mine.

James K: It’s a fool’s game to get into the loop [of labels]. I’ve gotten this tag of “trip pop” a lot recently, but the sound I’m making is all over the place constantly. I’ve even made a noise record, pretty hard and aggressive, I just never put it out. You can get stuck in a loop and then you’re kind of not living up to the idea of what people want from you, either. It doesn’t work for the listener or you.

Coco: Some of our biggest songs hit years later, so it’s like, just keep doing what you like. It’ll click eventually. With that potential in mind, it makes it more freeing and also possible for us to keep experimenting and pushing boundaries where we see fit.

Tiffany Day: My biggest streaming song — I actually hate it. I never want to repeat it. I actually came up in indie pop, but when I started to drop hyperpop singles, no one was biting. It was really frustrating to me because I felt happiest making the more electronic stuff. HALO was my first step into being like, “I don’t give a F.” I had to stop thinking about numbers for a second and just purely focus on what’s going to make me happy. It’s interesting because, like Coco said earlier, sometimes it just takes time for something to hit. I’d rather make what I love and trust that people will catch up.

How has the streaming era changed how you work?

Empress Of: I think about song length, like, “This is too long for a playlist.” But beyond that, I try not to think about it.

James K: I don’t use streaming. Music exists in another place for me. I have to keep it that way to keep it enjoyable.

What do you hope the future of production looks like?

Empress Of: Make more music with your friends — that’s where it starts.

Clair Clair: Work with people you’re comfortable with and not people you’re told to, or that you think you have to just because they’re the “hot new producer.”

James K: Holding each other up is really important. I know that working with my friends and finding a community who believe in me has enabled me to believe in myself and feel the confidence to keep producing. And I’m going to put out that noise record, I’ve decided.

Tiffany Day: I would just hope that there's just more representation. More women producing, period.

You can sum up life on the road with one phrase: Hurry up and wait. Henry Redcliffe is used to it by now. The London-based photographer has traveled the world capturing acts like Caroline Polachek, Kelly Lee Owens, and, most famously, Charli XCX: Eagle-eyed fans could spot his flurry of red curly hair running around at Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center to get the shot on both the Sweat and Brat tours. Now, he’s joining Lily Allen as she brings her group-chat-exploding album West End Girl to fans across the United Kingdom, and soon, the United States.

In 2026, it’s no longer enough to have local photographers pop up at your shows and capture the vibe; a dedicated, traveling photographer is the standard for getting the shots that will populate your favorite diva’s morning-after Instagram dump. But the job, Redcliffe explains, is about more than just making content — it’s about capturing the tone of the show and translating it for everyone, both lucky ticketholders and far-away fans included. “Lily gives so much raw emotion during the performance, so the main aim is to capture that,” he says.

The show itself might be the easiest part of his day: “That’s when it kind of goes into autopilot, Redcliffe says. “After a few shows, I find it quite easy to remember what happens where and when in regards to moments worth capturing.” So what does he do with the rest of his time? In the spirit of NYLON’s On Tour series, where we document the rushes and lulls of backstage life, we flipped the script and asked Redcliffe to give us his own road diary. He snapped a few pictures of the team’s day exploring Cardiff, Wales, and gave us a rundown of his deadlines (he usually turns an edit back within an hour of a show ending), his less-is-more approach (“You don’t want to spend every waking second sticking a camera in someone’s face”), and his tricks for fending off boredom (card games help “people to actually be social with each other and not just fall into doom scrolling mode”). See what else he, Allen, and the team get up to in a day below.

11:10 a.m.

“Started the day checking out Cardiff Market.”

11:30 a.m.

“Wandered into Kelly’s, the coolest local record shop. They had such a great varied selection (no shade to Stranger Things).”

11:30 a.m.

“Pierogis with the team. Breakfast of champions.”

12:30 p.m.

“Obligatory lunchtime round of Monopoly Deal. Tour life wouldn’t be the same without it. Keeps the team off their phones and at each other’s throats…”

2 p.m.

“We were blessed with perfect weather and decided to take the long way to the venue. Extremely grateful to be out in the spring sunshine and not cooped up underground backstage!”

4 p.m.

“Soundcheck, Wales edition. We do one before every show, and it’s my chance to familiarize myself with the venue and map out my movements during the show.”

4:30 p.m.

“Preshow merch haul with Lily clocking in for a quick shift as manager!”

5:30 p.m.

“More Monopoly Deal before the show.”

7 p.m.

“Glam usually starts a couple of hours before showtime. This gives me time to get my kit together and get some fun mirror shots.”

8:15 p.m.

“Just as glam is wrapping up, I like to run down to shoot The Dallas Minor Trio — the amazing cello trio who opens the show. They’re exceptional at getting the crowd ready, playing instrumental renditions of Lily’s discography in a sort of elevated karaoke with everyone singing along.”

8:55 p.m.

“Walking to stage, listening to The Femcels on full blast.”

8:59 p.m.

“Final checks before Lily walks on!”

9 p.m.

“West End Girl! I find myself getting stuck in loads of crazy positions during these shows. I ended up crawling on the floor just below the audience here to get this wide shot.”

9:03 p.m.

“The iconic phone call. Because the show is essentially a theatrical performance, it’s the same every night. That rigidity has been a fun challenge to play around and discover new angles at every venue.”

9:20 p.m.

“During ‘Relapse,’ I had this idea to bring the shutter speed down really low to convey the disconnected chaos of her feelings.”

9:22 p.m.

“After the last shot, I sprinted around to the side of the stage to try and capture this moment. It’s quite a dark, raw part of the show, and Lily doesn’t always cry, so I was super stoked to finally capture it.”

9:30 p.m.

“One of my favorite moments during the show. During ‘4ChanStan,’ Lily wraps herself in a sheet of receipts.”

9:52 p.m.

“Lily taking her final bow of the show. After grabbing the shot, I run straight back to the dressing room to edit. Usually, I can have everything sorted and sent out in an hour!”

11:30 p.m.

“The team packing up to go home (back to the bus) to do it all again tomorrow. Having an incredible touring family makes life on the road so much easier. Love these guys.”

If you caught Olivia Rodrigo on the Guts tour, chances are you saw her tearing up the stage in a two-piece leather set covered with grommets and studs. She stuck to a tried-and-true outfit formula for her massive festival and stadium sets, wearing the same exact pieces in purple, red, and black, hammering home a signature look and, most importantly, staying comfortable. How can leather be considered cozy for a 90-minute set, you ask? Ruby Mariani of R&M Leathers, the designer behind these looks, prides herself on just that: “A lot of the techniques we use at R&M… I kind of made up in terms of making them work with the body.”

Mariani’s fascination with the body and leather started in the Western Australian city of Perth, where her musician dad brought her to his rock gigs as a child. She pored over materials like a rock dictionary with alphabetized terms in the community (peroxide hair, fringe) and became obsessed with the “look” before she fell for the music. This fascination led her to study fine art and fashion at school, where she says she taught herself how to mold leather. She made the leap across several ponds to end up in London, where she started interning for a fetish shoemaker. The commitment to bespoke looks that acted as a second skin — and, yes, included leather — had her hooked. “It’s a bit like woodworking. It’s something you can do yourself, and I like that.”

Her interest in leather led her to study biker and BDSM cultures, which are typically associated with a tougher, more intense look. Mariani’s goal — which she has successfully achieved — was to bring a feminine, softer edge to leatherwear, making leather bras, but also frillier pieces. The bespoke, demi-couture nature of her practice has led her to become a mainstay for the pop girls of today who want the sweet-meets-severe look while also keeping everything in place as they twirl and jump on stage. She collaborated on a leather apron with Gabbriette, dressed Julia Fox and Dua Lipa, and created several shorts for the legendary look Charli XCX honed for the Brat tour.

Her love for fashion and music have made her the ideal designer for people like Addison Rae (whom Mariani counts as a customer), and she’s always down to dress someone that might not seem like a “great fit” at first. The challenge in not only draping leather like satin but also expanding her universe is what keeps her going, like her most recent Valentine’s Day collection, which saw her make a lambskin maid minidress, a marabou-and-leather bodysuit (with no bra cup, by the way), and a studded thong with a heart on the front. Everything is handmade in her studio, resulting in longer lead times and higher prices, but she wouldn’t change it for the world: “People can appreciate the craftsmanship as well as the time. They take a really long time.”

She dialed in from her sunny London studio to talk about her early inspirations; blending her worlds of rock, punk, and couture; and teaching young designers the importance of slow fashion.

Tell me about discovering the fashion language of kinkwear.

I actually got into it through making. I started working with this fetish shoemaker when I moved to London. I liked the fact that they made everything from scratch. There are not a lot of artisanal skills, and they’re not as cherished. They’re a dying art, but where it is still really prevalent is in fetish and kink because it’s custom. It would be the same if someone was wanting a custom suit, but in fetish, people want something specific, they want it handmade, they want it custom. It’s couture, to be honest, but in a very different way. Obviously, there’s the sexual element, but people wear it to go clubbing and performing, so there’s that crossover. From there, I became obsessed with a lot of the ’60s and ’70s makers of the time.

You’ve brought it to a pop-culture level by taking it out of the boudoir and the club. You’ve made pieces for Olivia Rodrigo and Charli XCX. How was that process?

There’s another element which is really important to me: There’s a little softness with the pieces. Visually, BDSM and rock and roll can seem quite tough, but my silhouettes and a lot of the trims are very feminine. It’s quite soft. I like it to feel like it’s molded and close to the body, but also not vulgar. Working with those people, generally, they’d express interest in existing pieces, and then we’d customize it based on body shape or color. Charli wears a lot of our stuff. She’s got one style of shorts in silver, black, with studs, and one with chains. It’s become her signature.

She, in my opinion, has one of the best pop star looks. I’ve been thinking about it a lot because there are a lot of teams, stylists, and thoughts that go into these pop stars, but hers feels like her. She wears different things on the stage, but I don’t think it feels uncomfortable. That’s what makes it cool. That’s why it was iconic.

I love the idea of you making second-skin pieces. That’s the great thing about working with leather: the longer you wear it, the better it will fit. Charli just re-wore one of your pieces for The Moment premiere.

I know. It’s so good.

On your latest collection, Leather in Love, you worked with stylist Gerry O’Kane, whom I love.

I’m so happy with it. I always work with Gerry because he gets the sexy, he gets the camp. There’s both of those things, but in the end, it comes out sleek. I always have the best time with him.

Leather can make people feel too serious sometimes, but there’s a level of frivolity and sweetness, which with such a heavy material maybe doesn’t come all the time. With the last collection… We’ve been talking about how it was the most successful collection to work on as a team. We had a really specific brief. It’s kind of halfway lingerie, our clothing. Our best time of year is Valentine’s, so we thought, “Let’s try and push that theme.” We researched classic greeting cards and classic calendars, real iconic bits. A lot of our catalog has been useful because we have a lot of hearts and lace.

I like vintage, but I think it’s hard to make vintage contemporary and not make it look too referential. We always try to walk both of those lines. I spoke with Gerry about props, which was really important. I said I wanted a teddy bear because I feel like that’s a vintage Valentine’s trope, plus chocolate boxes. I was trying to level out the really sexy, tiny clothes with a little bit of fun. We did [the campaign] in Paris, so that also made it quite fun. Lydia is my model I always work with. She’s incredible. That is a wig as well. That wig really made it.

I love the furry bits you had in the collection too.

That one is my favorite look. We pushed that one out because at the end of the day, it’s hard to exist in fashion because you do need commercial items. If you’re going to go for it in an editorial, you may as well just do the fluffy catsuit that has pom-poms and no bust. And we went for it.

Tell me about making your graphic T-shirts and keeping that in the universe of R&M.

The idea of the shirt was based on half rock and roll, half biker, but also the legacy of gay bar T-shirts, like the Mineshaft one Freddie Mercury had. Some of them have pictures of people, but some of them were just strong graphics. I thought, “That’s the legacy I’m really inspired by: leather makers.” We made a few shirts and I thought, “Why would someone want a T-shirt?” But they actually do. People like the branding.

Not everyone’s going to wear a leather bra, and the T-shirt is a way for them to feel included. I have a lot of fun with the shirts. Every season, I’ll work with local people. I used to play in punk bands, so people that were around that scene will have fun with the graphics. I’ve seen them in such random places before. They’ve traveled far. I’ve seen them out in clubs, but people have worn them in music videos and even in a TV show.

What girls are you loving right now that you would want to dress?

To be honest, my personal music interest is so in the past. I’ve dressed Amy [Taylor] from Amyl and the Sniffers. She’s the one. I’d love to create something for a legacy rocker, someone from back in the day. Someone like Blondie, Cher… people that have really strong looks. One of my friends plays in an all-girl metal band from the ’80s called Girlschool, and she wears the bits and pieces sometimes.

The symbolism of biker jackets or studs is not really wedded as much to subculture as it used to be. Now it’s pretty homogenous with a lot of cultures and high fashion. It’s always fun to have a brief. Dressing someone that’s got a completely different style to me is a challenge, and I kind of like that.

I love when I see a brand take on a client I wouldn’t expect.

I think that is the goal. I know it’s a specific thing, but maybe the attraction is not based so much on it being connected to a subculture or being BDSM-related. It’ is just a nice, beautiful piece, and people can appreciate the craftsmanship as well as the time. They take a really long time.

I love the human aspect to these pieces. I also think having such a specific point of view allows so many different people to come into the world.

Some people will probably be offended by what I do, but there’s other people that are going to be obsessed. I’m not here to make a homogenous product for everybody. You don’t even have to appreciate it in terms of something you’d want to wear. Seeing them in real life, they have a real sculptural tactility, and that’s also really appealing.

What do you hope for the future of your brand?

I’ve not done things like shows or presentations. We’ve done it on our own terms with seasons. They’re not that seasonal, but my plan is to do some kind of collection, which would maybe be presented in some way.

I think the most important thing is to just keep doing it on your own terms. I love the punk element to it: that you do the fashion thing your way and reject it in other ways.

I’ve got a good team. A lot of people come from uni, they will intern, and I really want to employ them. A lot of the time they just stay on. I’d like to show them that you have to be obsessed with the craft. You have to have patience, and if you do, it sticks. A lot of people start their own brands now, but if you want to be really good at something, you need to be obsessed. I’ve got an obsessiveness with the things I’m interested in and the culture that goes around it, and that always informs it. I do everything the long, slow, considered way, which can be quite frustrating at times, but then you’re never meeting halfway on what you actually want to do.

These days, Sienna Spiro is having a lot of firsts. Before traversing North America earlier this year with The Visitor Tour, her inaugural U.S. headlining gig, she had already cemented her status as the next British singer-songwriter to watch, selling out cities she had never played in before within a matter of seconds. By the end of the eight-stop tour, the 20-year-old had conquered rooms like NYC’s Bowery Ballroom, Toronto’s The Great Hall, and San Francisco’s Cafe du Nord to critical acclaim and a legion of adoring fans to match.

Below, Spiro gives NYLON an exclusive peek into her time on the road, with behind-the-scenes photos from her pre-show glam and yap sessions at her Los Angeles and Chicago shows.

“Glam before Sam.” (That would be labelmate Sam Smith, who brought Spiro out as a special guest during his San Francisco residency.)

“Me backstage.”

Spiro’s shows on this tour have been so intimate, it’s almost hard to tell where the stage ends and the crowd begins.

“First time in Chicago.”

“Backstage at the Troubadour.”

“Seven minutes before show time.”

“Hair by the amazing Iryna Zirka.” Spiro is known for her 1960s-inspired glamour, particularly her Priscilla Presley-esque bouffant.

“Eddie, me, Jaidon :)”

“Last minute yap.” Tour gossip? Setlist tweaks? Song inspo? We’ll never know.

“Honoured to be styled by Edie Rose. Grateful to be surrounded by talented women.”

“Essentials: lashes and tea.” Sephora and Erewhon runs do make tour life sweeter.

“‘I Don’t Hate You’ live in Chicago.”

Slayyyter has a confession to make. “It’s a funny thing, and people might be shocked: I really hate the club,” she says. It’s 10 on a Friday night — or the Friday night, the release day of her third studio album, Wor$t Girl in America — and we are just settling in at Old Flings, a dimly lit cocktail bar on Avenue A. The singer arrived running on Celsius and natural adrenaline. She chose this particular bar for a reason: “Old Flings” is also the title of a song on Wor$t Girl, and it’s about her ex who works here. (He wasn’t in the building this night.) The typically unsparing lyrics — “That sh*tty poetry only made you the pick-me type” — suggest that might be for the best.

Even though her ex wasn’t on the clock, Slayyyter knows the doorman, who gives us a free bottle of tequila. When it arrives at the table, she laughs at the absurdity. “There’s something funny about paying for a bottle and then having to make your own drink,” she says. “I’ve always found that so wack. Like, bring me a f*cking cocktail. I feel like I’m at a basement party with cranberry juice and no ice.” Her in-person presence is a foil to the grimy sound she’s perfected. For someone who just released the loudest record of the year so far, she’s disarmingly sweet to everyone, whether to friends popping by to congratulate her or the bartender, who brings us orange juice and soda as mixers. She usually isn’t one to drink much, she says, but the postpartum feeling of releasing her baby into the world made her feel “nervy” all day. And as she now infamously screams in “Crank,” there’s really no choice but to “get gay off that tequila.” We clink our glasses to the “worst girl in America” and settle in for a proper debrief.

A child of the Internet (and specifically Tumblr) born in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, Slayyyter grew up listening to the usual 2000s pop-girl North Stars — Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, One Direction — but also indie rock, electronic music, punk, powerviolence and “random things my skater friends would show me.” Her foray into making music started with electronic-infused trap-pop that leaned into titillating lyrics over bouncing bass. Her penchant for club bangers (despite preferring a dive bar) is led by her twisted pen, which serves her gay fan base handily. “Daddy AF” and “Purrr” proved horny was always going to be in for Slayyyter. (In “Daddy AF”: “He wanna get in my guts / Lickin’ my cl*t till I nut, daddy as f*ck.”) It worked — to a point. After a few more projects, one of which she tells me is “f*cking horrible,” and floating over dance-pop tracks on her Hollywood-obsessed album Starf*cker, she was burn out. “Going into [Wor$t Girl in America], I was like, ‘You know what? I don’t want to make dance pop,’” she says. “I was very anti-club music.”

If Starf*cker was all silky finishes and pop perfection, Wor$t Girl in America is the complete antithesis. “I wanted it to feel punk, raw, and something that a band could play. I wanted something that felt cool to me that I’d be proud to leave behind,” she says. Her ethos for the record was making “iPod music”; spending time with the album in headphones brought back my own memories of the early 2010s, when Crystal Castles, Justice, Goldfrapp, and other artists turned the volume up to 11 with blaring synths piled on more blaring synths. But don’t put her neatly in a box just because the lens of her camera has a little dirt on it. “I hate the word[s] ‘indie sleaze,’ and I hate microtrend, resurgence sh*t,” she says. “There's a trashiness to what I do always, but people are too on the nose these days with Internet scenes and aesthetics. They want to put blanket terms on it. They think I fit an Internet microtrend, but no. Everyone’s already being fed that. You really have to do your own sh*t.”

A new partnership with Records and Columbia allowed her to do, frankly, whatever the f*ck she wanted. “I didn’t want to make music being like, ‘Oh, this will be a hit.’ I didn’t even want the mixing to be too glossy or too perfect,” she says. Her instincts were right — and reflect a growing trend in the industry where turning inward (for Slayyyter, that was going back to her Midwest-girl roots) and focusing on vulnerability, truth, and a singular sound attracts more fans than engineering a TiKTok song for the masses. I bring up the inevitable comparisons to Brat circling the Internet, and she gives me a knowing smile: “Oh, I saw them.” While the two records are not sonically related, the “Hail Mary” similarities are unavoidable, as are their “I-don’t-give-a-f*ck-anymore” POVs that have grabbed audiences by their heads and shook them around.

Yes, there are a lot of electroclash-laden Justice and SebastiAn homages on the record, like “Yes Goddd” and “$t. Loser” — the latter of which is the best display of her vocal prowess on the record — but her heart is on her tattered plaid sleeve for a good chunk of the songs. “Cannibalism!” is a studious punk-pop record that she says pays homage to The Cramps. “We had made a couple of songs in this iPod-music universe, and then they pulled some drum loops,” she recalls. “It didn’t feel like everything else, and I was like, ‘Wait, I love this.’ That’s my favorite song on the album. I would love to lean more into that sound in future projects. It has a psychobilly, punk influence to it that sounds cool to me.”

In the chorus, sailing over the slick guitars and irresistible drums, she’s not afraid to ask — nay, plead — for what she wants: “Tell you I’m needin’ it, if I don’t have you, I’ll die / Please God, send me a sign.” “Unknown Loverz” feels like a Crystal Castles B-side meant for crying to late at night after your crush ignores you at the school dance (“‘It’s love, it’s love, it’s love’ I say to myself when he doesn't pick up / ‘It’s love, it’s love, it’s love’ / The more that I chase him, the faster he runs”) while “Brittany Murphy” is Slayyyter’s rose-colored-lens pontification on what her legacy will be. It nails the final-track wind-down without totally bumming you out.

After she honed in on the sound, it was time for the visuals. She tells me that after making every song, she knew exactly what the videos would look like. Like the opening sequence of the “Dance…” — she pictured herself walking into her house with her dad yelling at her, and 54 seconds into the song, when the beat drops, shooting him through her closed bedroom door. In true Midwest-girl-on-a-shoestring-budget form, she traveled around the country with her best friend, Kaitlyn Munro, to shoot the entirety of the album’s visuals. Despite the major-label backing, the duo spent virtually no money filming. Every video was directed by Slayyyter and shot by Munro (minus “Beat Up Chanel$, which was codirected by Hannah de Vries).

“Kait and I were shooting on the fly so much. We ran to the beach on Fourth of July to get free fireworks. We did it again on New Year’s. We went to Texas on tour with Kesha, and we shot in Marfa at the Prada thing,” she says. “We were using what was around but also what fit the album.” The result is decidedly lo-fi, raw, and intimate, matching the sonic atmosphere of the record to perfection. The visual for “Gas Station” is all Slayyyter, twirling in front of the Prada Marfa installation, chilling in a dive-bar bathroom, and looking sexy as hell in a corset and American-flag shorts.

A note about her fashion: When we meet at Old Flings, she’s wearing a tight-fitting leather jacket, indigo skinny jeans with one leg tucked into her fringed suede boots (“It’s the boot French tuck”), a double-headed fox stole she bought on Poshmark (“I’m a Poshmark addict”), and an old Chanel bag (“a beat-up Chanel, if you will,” she says with a wink). She’s a clear fashion lover, but for this album cycle, she skipped the stylist. “There’s so many amazing stylists I’ve worked with, and there are stylists who bring an artistic quality to a project that is crucial, but it’s not always called for every aesthetic. This music did not warrant anything that’s hard to get your hands on. I wanted everything to feel like it was pulled off my bedroom floor.”

The vibe she was going for harkens back to the mid-aughts, when stars like Chloë Sevigny would style themselves, or when Lana Del Rey wore Topshop in music videos. For the “Cannibalism!” visual, she hand-embroidered a bra with beaded fringe that caught the light beautifully as she shimmied and slinked in the video. The “rat race” for archival pulls, she tells me, has lost its sparkle for her. “I'm really over high-fashion editorial. Even if it’s an insane pull, it feels devoid of meaning... What does it mean to the music?”

Slayyyter leaned into the sleazy Midwest girl she’s always been in tight corsets, butt-skimming shorts (she didn’t even steam the denim pair on the album cover), and — her one true weakness — sickening shoes. “The fashion is almost the least important thing,” she says. “I’ve been wanting to make my own costumes. It makes me feel like I’m in high school, when I would make my own Tumblr shirts and Kylie Jenner studded shorts because they were $200. It gave it a charm it’s meant to have. Styling myself has allowed me to fully have control. It doesn’t have to be like, ‘You can’t just wear, like, jean shorts,’ and I’m like, ‘But I can.’” Her “merch” (she prefers to call them drops) includes a trucker hat with an $100 bill on it (they’re sold out, but she wants to do another run and make them $1 each); her dollar-sign logo stamped onto T-shirts; and a pair of pre-muddied boots inspired by Kate Moss at Glastonbury and her hometown in Missouri.

The intentionality behind every move might not be apparent at first glance, but like the creepy bunny in the “Cannibalism!” and “Crank” music videos, everything has a meaning. “It’s meant to be the worst parts of yourself being right behind you. Bunnies are such an innocent thing, and it’s the contrast of something so sweet, but he’s perverted and creepy,” she explains. The bunny isn’t just symbolism, either — her childhood home was covered in bunny figurines that her mom collected. The worst girl in America isn’t interested in being fake anymore: “There’s a lot that is very true to my life story that I didn’t want to paint in such an obvious way. It’s all very coded because I get shy about my life and things that have happened to me. Everything has a deeper meaning to it. There’s nothing that’s a random visual.”

Her looks on the single covers and in the music videos are already being recreated by fans and drag queens, who were out in full force at her album release party thrown by Luis Fernando’s World, our next stop of the night. When we arrive at 3 Dollar Bill, we make a beeline for the greenroom; Slayyyter cracks open another Celsius and water. If the energy of the album is feral, the gays and theys that congregated for her were downright ferocious. Her team hatches a plan for her to step out, hand out a few beers and tequila (to stay gay off of it, naturally), and say hello to her fans with her dollar-sign-logo-emblazoned bullhorn.

After composing herself, Slayyyter and her posse approach the crowd and thank everyone for being there. With one final “crank it!,” she descends into the audience. It’s instant mayhem; security attempts to escort her to the bar, as she stops for countless selfies. Circling back to VIP, she poses with her legion of drag-queen stans for even more selfies and watches with glee as someone dressed in a bunny costume menaces onstage. Finally, she asks the DJs to throw on “Crank” for one last dance. She gives the now-signature Slayyyter swerve by shoving her shoulders forward aggressively one at a time, then throws her hands up, her head back, and releases a “crank it!” so guttural and joyous, you just know teenage Slayyyter, iPod in hand, would be proud.

No one has their ear to the ground more than a NYLON editor. As anyone who reads our weekly track roundups can tell, we listen to more music than our Spotify accounts can handle. And because we’re not in the business of gatekeeping, we’re here to put you onto the up-and-coming artists we’re most excited by, the ones we believe are deserving of a spot in pop’s new class of superstars. From Grace Ives’ DIY bedroom pop and Eli’s life-affirming Y2K anthems to Inji’s new-age club classics and Sunshine Benzi’s braggadocious bangers, we’re all in on these artists — and you should be, too.

For a special Music Issue edition of our Speed Dating series, we wined and dined these next-gen pop superstars to learn more about their music, influences, and current obsessions.

What Do You Do For Work?

Grace Ives: I make music.

Sunshine Benzi: I’m a rapper.

Inji: I’m an artist.

Eli: Make beep-boop noises on my laptop.

If You Weren’t A Musician, What Other Career Would You Have?

Inji: A belly dancer.

Eli: An architect or a veterinarian.

Sunshine Benzi: Art professor.

Grace Ives: Music teacher.

Go-To Karaoke Song?

Eli: “Adore You” by Miley Cyrus.

Sunshine Benzi: “B*tches ain’t sh*t and they ain’t sayin’ nothing / A hundred motherf*ckers can’t tell me nothing.”

Who’s Your Dream Collab?

Inji: Daft Punk.

Grace Ives: Chief Keef.

Sunshine Benzi: Lexa Gates.

Eli: Ariana Grande.

Do You Have A Guilty Pleasure Show?

Inji: Desperate Housewives.

Sunshine Benzi: Bridgerton is my thing, girl. Brid-ger-ton.

Grace Ives: I just watched all of Breaking Bad in two weeks.

What’s The Biggest Red Flag?

Sunshine Benzi: I love Deftones. But if they listen to Deftones, run.

What’s The Biggest Green Flag?

Inji: When a guy DJs. I know, hot take!

What Is Your Biggest Green Flag?

Inji: All my exes love me. That is also my biggest red flag.

Do You Have A Party Trick?

Sunshine Benzi: [Sings “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” with mouth closed.]

Grace Ives: [Sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” with mouth closed.]

Eli: [Playing with her thumb] That’s not really that good.

What Is Your Sign?

Sunshine Benzi: I’m an Aquarius. Mm.

Inji: I’m a Capricorn.

Grace Ives: Aries.

Eli: I’m a Libra.

What Is The Greatest Lyric Of All Time?

Inji: “Untz, untz, untz, untz, untz,” written by me.

Who’s On Your Mount Rushmore Of Musicians?

Grace Ives: Nina Simone, Leonard Cohen, Fleetwood Mac. We could put Lana [Del Rey].

Eli: Prince, David Bowie, Mariah Carey, Little Richard. Period.

Sunshine Benzi: Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, Nicki Minaj, Foxy Brown. Boom.

Inji: Amy Winehouse, Dave Brubeck, [Frédéric] Chopin. Daft Punk.

How Do You Think This Date Went?

Grace Ives: I think I was nervous.

Sunshine Benzi: This was actually the best date I’ve ever been on. I’m not lying.

Inji: It was the perfect ratio of me talking to not me talking.

Would You Go On A Second Date With Us?

Grace Ives: Uh, maybe...

Eli: I would love to exchange numbers, and maybe like, text back and forth nonstop until we become really codependent on each other. And then we adopt a dog, we name it Scruffy, and then we get married. So, I would love to go on another date with you.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know Olivia Rodrigo recently began teasing her grand return to music — though real heads know the singer started planting the seeds of a new era when she exclusively told NYLON that “2026 is going to be a busy year for me” back in October. That was all the confirmation we needed to keep us going at the time, but after a series of cryptic hints started popping up around the world, we began to grow impatient. Lucky for us, the singer finally confirmed on April 2 that her third album, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, is slated to arrive on June 12.

For a recap of the rollout, keep scrolling.

The Wall That Started It All

Murmurs of a new Rodrigo album began swirling on March 13 when fans spotted a purple wall with a giant “OR” logo in Los Angeles — her very own Brat wall, if you will. The 23-year-old’s website was then swiftly updated with the new lavender hue and logo before the paint even had time to dry, confirming suspicions that the wall did in fact belong to Rodrigo.

A day later, onlookers noticed a crew of painters re-painting the wall a lighter shade of purple, a drastic change from the medium purple hue that came before it. But this wasn’t just some mix-up at the paint store, because with the new wall color came a matching website background as well. According to fans, there could only be one explanation for the update: Rodrigo is shedding her signature purple branding in favor of the color pink.

Fast forward a week from when this all first began, and as of March 20, the wall was now fully pink. Not only that, but the central “OR” logo was replaced with everybody’s favorite four letter word: “Love.” And if you know Olivia Rodrigo, you know the singer-songwriter is no stranger to a four-lettered album title (see: 2021’s Sour and 2023’s Guts).

Naturally, Rodrigo’s website was also updated with the same message.

Then, after nearly two week of no wall activity, the message was removed from the wall on April 2 and replaced with the phrase, “You seem pretty sad for a girl so in love.” Rodrigo had wiped her Instagram the day before, so at this point fans knew an announcement was imminent.

Lock It Down

Color-changing walls are cute and all, but it’s gonna take more than a couple cans of paint and some website modifications to convince us that a new era is on the horizon. Luckily for us, things began kicking into high gear on March 15 when a fan found a pink heart-shaped lock adorned with the same “OR” logo in London.

Written on the side of the lock was the word “April,” marking the first official clue we have regarding the potential new era.

Like clockwork, Rodrigo’s website got another light-purple upgrade that same day, as did the OR3 wall.

She’s A Pink Lady Now

Adding fuel to the purple-into-pink fire, Rodrigo arrived at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 15 wearing a feathered pink minidress courtesy of Saint Laurent. It’s not inherently an Easter egg per se, but in an era when everything is an Easter egg, it still seems worth mentioning regardless.

Call Olivia Rodrigo For A Good Time

On March 20, fans noticed that the voicemail for Rodrigo’s Sour hotline had been updated with yet another cryptic teaser. “If you are hearing this on the last day of pisces season, March 20, this message was meant for you,” says the mysterious voice (Rodrigo is famously a Pisces). “Take what resonates and leave what does not. Waiting for your destiny may feel like watching paint dry, but your patience will be rewarded soon. You may think you have all the answers, but the universe has more to share. The writing is on the wall, but the first message may not paint the full picture. Trust your intuition. Expect true clarity and renewal just after the Pink Moon. Until then, follow the stars, your guides, and your heart, knowing that the best is yet to come.”

IYDK, the next full moon, known as the Pink Moon, falls on April 1. In astrology, the Pink Moon is often associated with rebirth and new beginnings, as it marks the first full moon of spring.

The Announcement We’ve Been Waiting For

On April 2, one day after the Pink Moon reached full illumination, Rodrigo announced her third record, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love.

“My third album ‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’ is out June 12th,” she wrote on Instagram. “I am so proud of this record and I can’t wait for you to hear it.”

The cover features a photo of the singer in a (pink) Peter Pan dress, laying upside down on a swing.

The album and its merch are already available for preorder via Rodrigo’s website, and if you pre-save the album on Spotify, you’ll see the album has 13 tracks.

As if it weren’t obvious from the title, expect the project to be teeming with plenty of Rodrigo’s signature sad-girl anthems. “No matter how hard I try to write love songs they always come out laced with a little melancholy,” she wrote via her newsletter.

A Single Is On The Way

On April 7, Rodrigo took to Instagram to announce the first single off her forthcoming record. “‘drop dead,’ the first single from my new album, is out april 17!!!,” she wrote in the caption.

The announcement comes just a few days after three more locks were found on various chain link fences across the world, each seemingly hinting at the single’s release.

That’s all we know for now; only 10 days to go until we get new music from Olivia Rodrigo.

Even on Zoom, Katseye knows how to make an entrance. Four of the six women pop up in separate windows, turning on their cameras in succession, ready to get down to business. The walls behind them are mostly blank, and each member is in a more casual, dressed-down presentation than their usual edgy glam. But the chaos of getting all six members at once remains: Daniela Avanzini and Manon Bannerman both have wi-fi issues. It takes Daniela a while before she can join, and we lose Manon intermittently until she connects outside, sitting at a table in a courtyard.

The rest of the women are as patient and professional as usual. If they have any inkling that, in one week’s time, they’ll make an announcement that would not only break the internet but turn their fan base upside down, they aren’t showing it. At this point in late February, they’ve barely even come down from their Grammys high.

“I’m literally still processing that I was even there,” says Megan Skiendiel, quick and ecstatic to talk about it, in her usual bubbly tone. They performed “Gnarly” — an addictive, topsy-turvy jock jam with brainrot lyrics that capture the experience of mainlining a thousand TikToks in one sitting — during the blowout Best New Artists medley and could see Lady Gaga and John Legend from the stage. That night, they hung out with Tate McRae, met Sabrina Carpenter for the first time, and mingled with other nominees on the floor.

“We had such a fun kiki with Zara Larsson. She’s the best,” says Lara Raj. Bold and confident without overshadowing the others, she often takes the wheel of the conversation from her square on the left side of the screen. “We were sitting right in front of Slash, which was so cool and so iconic,” she continues. “Literally, one moment he’s sitting behind us, and then the next moment he was on stage performing, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t even realize he was right behind us.’ So many iconic, iconic people.

Sophia Laforteza is the group’s designated leader, and she lives up to the title. She keeps everyone on message throughout the conversation, clear and concise about her hopes for the group. “When we all sit down and reflect on what just happened in the past year, it really is nothing but surreal,” she says, crouched on the floor next to her bed. (The members live separately but near each other in Los Angeles.) “It’s so crazy how a lot of the things [we said] in past interviews are coming to fruition already so soon that it’s making the future even clearer for us. It’s starting to just carve this path for us, and we just can’t wait.”

“You cannot do this if you’re not deeply passionate about it and if you don’t deeply love it,” Lara adds. “There is so much hardship but also so many beautiful and exciting moments.”

Last year was pretty extraordinary by most pop standards. “Gnarly,” despite its risky sound and nonsenical wordplay (courtesy of hyperpop pioneer Alice Longyu Gao), became their first Billboard Hot 100 entry and preceded their second EP, Beautiful Chaos; follow-up single “Gabriela,” with its hypnotic Latin-pop rhythms and bilingual lyrics, inspired its own viral TikTok dance challenge. But the group was always more than an online sensation: When they played the MTV Video Music Awards pre-show, you could hear fans screaming along so loudly, the censors had to bleep them. At Lollapalooza in Chicago last summer, Katseye set a daytime attendance record with more than 85,000 people catching the set (and another 100,000+ watching the livestream) before embarking on their first headlining tour in the fall.

“We’re only as strong as our weakest member. We need to make sure that we’re all showing up for each other. We cannot leave anybody behind.”

By the end of the year, they were up for two Grammys (for Best New Artist and Best Pop/Duo Group Performance). Their burgeoning careers have also been fed by a slew of event-level endorsement deals, including a massive Gap denim ad in which their mesmerizing moves to Kelis’ “Milkshake” helped boost the brand’s comparable sales by 7% (and, for a moment, mercifully made the world forget the words “Sydney Sweeney jeans discourse”). Since then, Fendi, Glossier, Urban Outfitters, Lush, Pandora, Jollibee, and even the New York MTA have all called upon the world’s coolest group to give them a boost. By early 2026, Katseye has already appeared in a Super Bowl ad for State Farm and snagged perhaps the hottest accessory around: a custom smoothie for Erewhon.

It’s everything Katseye has been grinding for. Their journey began in late 2021, when Hybe — the South Korean company behind BTS — and Geffen launched auditions to create a new global girl group, styled and trained like the K-pop stars Hybe is known for, but with multicultural appeal for the last remaining souls somehow convinced K-pop isn’t for them. After two years of searching for, then subsequently workshopping, prospective members, the 120,000 applicants were whittled down to 20, who then competed in the YouTube competition The Debut: Dream Academy, where fans voted for the final lineup. The top six became Katseye as we know them, the world’s most talked-about girl group, responsible for some of the tightest dance breaks and gaggiest performances on the planet.

Most of them had been working toward stardom for a decade or more already. New York City-born, Manila-raised Sophia, 23, grew up around theater thanks to her mother, who starred in Miss Saigon on the West End in the ’90s, and she speaks of her childhood ambitions with the same laser focus she uses with Katseye. “In school, I was the girl that joined every single thing that was related to what I loved,” she says. “I joined every single extracurricular activity. I was in every single program, and I led all of them. I always made sure that if it was something that I knew I was good at and that I loved so much, I would excel and be the leader of everything that I did.”

Lara, 20, was similarly single-minded in her mission. Raised between the tri-state area and Dallas, she pursued acting and modeling as a preteen, even making an appearance in former first lady Michelle Obama’s Global Girls Alliance campaign launch video in 2018. “I always knew that I wanted to and was meant to live a really big life, and I wanted people to receive and be an audience to what I put out into the world,” she says, glowing in the L.A. sunlight streaming through the window. “I’ve always wanted many, many eyes on me.”

It’s a quality she shared with Atlanta-born Daniela, 21, who competed as a dancer on both America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation and still looks chic in her off-duty ’fit of a black tanktop and large tortoiseshell glasses. “I always knew dancing was for me,” she says, “but when I moved to Miami around 8 or 9 years old, I was like, ‘This is what I want to do. I want to sing, dance, and act.’” In Miami, she further connected with her Latin roots — her mom and dad are Cuban and Venezuelan, respectively, and Spanish was her first language — listening and dancing to more salsa, merengue, and bachata.

“We’re not going to stop showing you more of us. We’re really embracing that rawness — that crazy, wilder side of us.”

In contrast to some of her bandmates, Honolulu-born Megan, 20, says she never felt confident in school. She took dance classes and knew she wanted to pursue a creative life — it just didn’t feel totally accessible to her. “I was not really in the center of the entertainment industry,” she says, bundled up in an oversize puffer jacket, hoop earrings dangling. “Obviously, on a little island, all of our info came maybe a month after everything was already happening in L.A.” But eventually, her focus crystallized: She started spending weekends in L.A. when she was 10, knowing there was “no Plan B” for entering showbiz.

The baby of the group is South Korea’s Yoonchae Jeung, 18, whose cheeks today look particularly rosy. She’s the quietest member, often waiting to be called on to speak up, but underneath her reserved demeanor is a fierce determination. “I think I was very extroverted before, when I was young,” says Yoonchae, who started in K-pop’s trainee system prior to joining Katseye. The other members perk up whenever she speaks, with clear care for the remaining teen in the crew. “I love to dance every day. I used to go on the stage every time we had a talent show. I knew I was going to be a singer.”

And then there’s Switzerland’s Manon, 23. The group’s eldest member, she’s as talkative and confident as Lara. Though she was already building a following in Europe as a popular influencer and model on social media, America called to her. Around 2% of Switzerland’s population is Black, and Manon wanted to be somewhere where there were more people who not only looked like her but also had a foothold in this industry. She came to L.A. in 2020 for an exchange year, and even though it was cut short due to the pandemic, she had already fallen in love.

“I was honestly so shocked that there was a city with so many creative people and just so many like-minded people,” she says, fresh-faced with her hair pulled back under a headband. “Now I’m here with these girls, so I’m like, ‘What the hell happened?’ I’m so, so grateful and feel so blessed, and it really just goes to show that anyone can do it.”

We all know by now those innocent childhood dreams and ambitions always come with a price. These days, there are more eyes on Katseye than ever. Each individual member’s social media is followed by millions of fans. For every swarm of new fans they made after their Grammys performance, there was a detractor who didn’t understand why they were on that stage in the first place. It’s a cycle every young woman in the industry encounters, and right now Katseye is in the eye of the storm.

“What we’ve learned about what it takes to be an artist is not paying too much attention to what is happening online,” says Manon. “I think once you get famous, there’s so many opinions all of a sudden about you. Everyone’s judging and having something to say. Just keep building a wall between all of that.”

Easier said than done.

On Feb. 20, Katseye announced that their group of six would, for the moment, become five. “Manon will be taking a temporary hiatus from group activities to focus on her health and well-being,” Hybe and Geffen said in a statement. Of all the members, Manon always seemed to have the clearest boundaries when it came to extending herself. As seen in the Netflix documentary Pop Star Academy: Katseye, a behind-the-scenes look at the Dream Academy experience, the other members either talked behind her back or confronted her directly for not showing up to rehearsals enough as she took sick days instead of pushing herself when she knew she couldn’t. Her competition may have thought she was lazy, but Manon still had enough charisma and star power to be voted through to the final.

For fans — many of whom have lived through the traumas of past girl-group departures by Geri Halliwell, Camila Cabello, and Jesy Nelson — the announcement triggered a panic, as well as their own investigations. A Weverse message from Manon, in which she assured followers she was healthy and that “sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control,” suggested to some “Eyekons” (as the group’s supporters are called) that there was more at play. They pored over photos and videos of the group, doing armchair body-language analysis. They resurfaced clips from Pop Star Academy and other off-stage footage that, in their eyes, pointed to a long-fractured dynamic or alleged mistreatment by their labels. Was Manon at odds with the industry machine behind her? Had intragroup tensions somehow reached a breaking point? Or did she just, in fact, need a break?

“There’s moments where the internet can get really, really rough. The more years you’re in it, the easier it is.”

The group declined to answer additional questions about Manon’s hiatus, or the intense fan speculation around it, after the news broke following our interview. (Last week, Manon removed mention of Katseye from her Instagram bio but told fans, in a separate Weverse statement, that she was in a happy, healthy place: “HxG and I are having positive conversations and I feel supported.”) Back during our initial chat, Manon is straightforward about what it takes to be in Katseye. “Being in a group, it’s just about good communication and setting good boundaries and building a friendship, but also work relationship, and always remembering that it’s a shared goal that we have,” she says, while Lara nods in agreement.

“There’s six of us, so obviously not everyone’s always going to be on the same page about everything,” Manon adds. Like at photo shoots, she offers — sometimes two members may like the same outfit and have to decide among themselves who wears what. “But I think we all are at, or have been learning and are finally coming to, a point where for the group’s sake, you give and you take. You pick your battles.”

The group has experimented with how they make decisions. They’ve tried a majority-rules approach before, but when it comes to a new song or choreography, votes like that felt exclusionary — and more detrimental to the group’s dynamic than the work of finding a way to make everyone happy.

“We have to lean on each other — and a good therapist.”

“We’ve learned that if even just one person doesn’t feel good about a certain thing, we need to heavily consider and communicate about it — because it’s not about the majority enjoying it and just having the people who don’t enjoy it adjust,” Sophia says, taking the reins when I ask for more examples of how they work through disagreements. She’s a diplomatic leader, and she looks the part: With a white headband, black shoulder-baring top, and a prominent gold cross necklace, there is something nunlike about her calm today. “If we don’t feel comfortable, we don’t feel passionate. We don’t feel good about something. We need to help that person see another perspective or adjust everything overall because it really is hard to perform a song if you don’t enjoy it.”

At the end of the day, Sophia continues, it’s all about professionalism and respect. “We’re only as strong as our weakest member,” she says. “We need to make sure that we’re all showing up for each other and all going at the same pace. We cannot leave anybody behind.”

As is clear from the reaction to Manon’s hiatus, Katseye has not been immune to the minefield that is being a woman on the internet these days. The group members have been open about the racist and misogynistic harassment they’ve faced online, both in the comments and on their feeds. They say they’ve received thousands of death threats and have made an effort to call out the hate as it comes. Megan asked fans on Weverse to stop commenting on her appearance after getting bullied over her red-carpet look at a Grammys event. Throughout her time in the group, Manon has been criticized for not being “Black enough,” as if such a thing even exists, while others have sniped that Daniela is exaggerating her Latina identity for branding purposes, with little understanding of cultural nuance. Last year, a post from someone supposedly reporting Lara to ICE made the rounds online.

“There’s moments where the internet can get really, really rough,” Daniela says generally of this kind of toxic feedback. She talks about it like she’s describing what she had for breakfast; managing the hate has become a normal part of their daily lives. “I think the best thing for me personally is to just distract myself with other things, whether it’s hanging out with friends or talking to family or just going out.”

“We have to lean on each other,” Manon says. “But we also have supportive friends and supportive family. It’s something that keeps you humble and grounded. And then just having a good therapist.” (All the members are in therapy.) On Popstar, it was clear that the group dynamic hinged on all of the above. Scenes of the girls crying on each other’s shoulders during brutal days in rehearsal or calling their parents or friends back home for advice gave the show its heart and humanity.

“I feel like the more years you’re in it, the easier it is, because I remember when we first started, it was really tough,” Daniela adds. The group members have been at the mercy of stan culture from the jump — fans voted them into Katseye, after all — but they’ve learned how to take the power back together, even if it just means laughing at comments in their Katseye group chat. “Having each other is a really, really big one, ’cause we all get it,” Daniela says. “Having my five sisters being there for me is helpful because I know that I’m not in it alone.”

“I think Coachella is going to be a very iconic moment for us. We want it to be very grand.”

Historically, girl groups have been expected to rise above the chatter, save for some broad, relatable messages about championing over adversity. But what’s striking about Katseye is how, this early in their careers, they’ve used their music to bite back. The Beautiful Chaos track “Mean Girls” magnanimously addresses how viewers described some of them after watching Popstar, while “Internet Girl” laughs off the polarized reactions to “Gnarly” (“Click it, click it, ooh you hate it”). Lara teases their upcoming single “Pinky Up” (out April 9) as an “EDM and rave-inspired” banger that touches on being in the gossip crosshairs.

“I think the fans can really expect to see us explore more areas of our identity when it comes to the things that people have said, whether it’s good or bad,” Sophia says. “You can see us touching on that and clapping back at it. We’re starting to do that slowly just on our social media presence and through a lot of the music that we released.”

Every girl group speaks to the issues of its day: The Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child spelled out what healthy relationships looked like; the Pussycat Dolls believed sex positivity was inside us all; Little Mix and Fifth Harmony took female empowerment to the girlboss era. Katseye’s legacy — or at least one of their legacies — just might be their fiery insistence that you don’t have to take this crap lying down. “We are showing the fans that we’re listening,” Sophia continues. “This is who we are, and we’re not going to stop showing you more of us. We’re really embracing that rawness and that crazy or wilder side of us.”

Expect to see that side front and center when the group performs at both weekends of Coachella. For artists on the cusp of a total pop-music takeover, the festival has proven to be the essential push from buzz to breakout: In 2024, Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter benefited greatly from their own sets going viral enough to rocket “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Espresso,” respectively, to the upper echelons of the charts.

“I think Coachella is going to be a very huge and iconic moment for us,” Lara says. “We’re all very obviously inspired by Beychella and Blackpink Coachella and how much effort they’ve put into their Coachella performances. We want it to be very grand and this big pivotal moment for us.”

“You cannot do this if you’re not deeply passionate about it. There is so much hardship — but also so many beautiful and exciting moments.”

While it’s unclear at press time whether Manon will return to Katseye in time for the double-header, the group has been experimenting with what it’s like to perform as five instead of six. In mid-March, they took the stage at Lollapalooza Argentina, where Sophia shouted out Manon during the show. In an ominously prophetic turn on our Zoom call, Manon’s connection finally cuts off entirely before we wrap up. But the show must go on, and the other five keep the interview going, chatting about how they’ve been looking for inspiration lately as they look ahead to the rest of their year.

“I love spending time on Pinterest,” Megan says. She likes to make a new board to fit the energy of a new song. “I love spending time looking at pictures, looking at vibes, and creating worlds and picturing what kind of version I would be of myself in that world.” Daniela digs for new artists and studies “fire choreo” that makes her want to move differently. Sophia and Lara go back to their pop awakenings: Miley Cyrus’ “Can’t Be Tamed” for Sophia and Kesha for Lara.

But Yoonchae is just inspired by Katseye itself.

“Once a week, I search ‘Katseye’ and I watch our previous videos and performances,” she says. The rest of the girls smile warmly from their windows on the video call at Yoonchae’s admission. “When I’m tired and when my fire is gone, and I see that video of us very on fire? I get inspired.”

Top image credit: Yoonchae: Lacoste clothing; Sophia: BOSS top; Cou Cou bra; Manon: Moschino top; Intimissimi tank; Brooks Brothers boxers; Lara: Issey Miyake clothing; Daniela: Another tomorrow top; Tie Bar tie; Meagan: Polo Ralph Lauren top; Hanro boxers; Brooks Brothers tie

It’s time we let Doechii add “master manifestor” to her already-impressive resume. Not only does she have a pair of Grammy trophies and an entry in the Billboard Hot 100 to her name, but the Florida-born rapper has a new collaboration on the way with one of her biggest influences, Lady Gaga.

News of the collab broke when the final trailer for the upcoming Devil Wears Prada sequel dropped on April 6. Soundtracking Miranda Priestly’s quiet conniptions and Andy Sachs’ sarcastic retorts is the new aptly titled single, “Runway,” a bouncy house track à la Madonna’s “Vogue.”

“Do a little twirl / Let ‘em know I’m that girl,” Doechii purrs, before Gaga wails over the track, “You were born on the runway.”

Other lines that stick out from the trailer: Gaga’s “I’m feeling fab, I’m feeling free / I feel exceptionally me” and “Might show up late / Might be on time / Just wait, I’m comin,’” and Doechii’s “I can turn a dance floor into a runway.”

The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits theaters on May 1.

April is already proving to be a very busy month in the Bieber household. While Justin has been putting in the hours preparing for his Coachella headlining duties, Hailey has been hard at work in the Rhode Beauty labs concocting her newest line of products. What’s more, the brand’s latest limited edition offerings were also created in collaboration with Justin — as if the couple didn’t have enough on their plates as it were.

The partnership, appropriately named Rhode x The Biebers, was announced on April 6 (just in time for Justin’s first Coachella set on April 11), and features three new products. First up is the latest addition to the brand’s wearable skin care lineup, the Spotwear pimple stickers. Thanks to its 100% hydrocolloid formulation, the new patches are clinically proven to minimize, flatten, and reduce the redness of spots while also absorbing excess oil and protecting against daily stressors. Plus they’re waterproof and sweat-proof, which means they can be worn any time, anywhere. The inaugural Spotwear collection is a limited edition release and includes five exclusive shapes designed in collaboration with Justin himself, though the patches will return as a core product down the line.

Also getting the collab treatment are two tried-and-true Rhode staples: the Peptide Lip Treatment and the Peptide Eye Prep. The Peptide Lip Treatment features the same nourishing peptide, shea butter, and vitamin E formulation you know and love, now in a Caramelized Banana flavor. In keeping with the banana theme, the Peptide Eye Prep in Banana Peel gives the beloved patches an adorably sweet makeover while still delivering on its promise to depuff, brighten, and hydrate the under eyes.

The limited edition products will be available to purchase exclusively via the Rhode website starting April 13 at noon ET.

Shampoo-conditioner-body wash. Blush-eyeshadow-lip balm. At this point in life, we know how the 3-in-1 product thing usually goes (not well), so forgive us for being a bit skeptical when we heard about MAC Cosmetics’ new Lipglass Cushion High-Pigment Lip Oil. The color payoff of a lipstick, the shine of a gloss, and the skincare benefits of an oil seemed like too tall an order — until we swiped it on for ourselves.

MAC Cosmetics Lipglass Cushion High-Pigment Lip Oil

Ulta Beauty -

The Lipglass Cushion High-Pigment Lip Oil ($25, exclusively available at Ulta Beauty) is a gel-to-oil formula that’s more grippy and structured than your typical lip oil, without being at all heavy or tacky. And instead of coating the surface of lips and creating a slickness that slides around, it’s packed with softening oils like sweet almond, jojoba, and apricot that are able to be easily absorbed. Your lips don't naturally produce oil the way the rest of your skin does, which makes them more vulnerable to moisture loss. These conditioning seed oils actually work to strengthen the moisture barrier and provide 72 hours of hydration, long after the product has worn off.

But it’s the glossy finish and rich pigment paired with that level of nourishment that sets this lip oil apart. All twelve shades, from Sugarrimmed (a pearlescent baby pink) to Tantrum (a classic loud red) to Pulse (a deep chocolate), give the highly reflective, plumping shine of the iconic Lipglass, plus the saturation you’d expect from a lipstick, never an oil.

It’s the beauty equivalent of what high-heeled sneakers attempt to be — cushiony comfort meets glamour — and the kind of product that makes you hold every other lip formula in your makeup drawer to a higher standard. Because once you realize you can in fact get three really good things out of one formula, you aren’t going to reach for the sticky gloss or the drying lipstick again anytime soon.

And maybe that’s the real appeal: it doesn’t just combine steps, it elevates them. Instead of compromising, it proves that a hybrid product can actually outperform the classics —delivering comfort, color, and shine in a way that feels effortless, modern, and entirely worth the hype.

Every week, we bring you SOUNDCHECK — your destination for the best new music that just hit the web. Because you should always be prepared when someone passes you that AUX cord. This week's roundup features eight of our favorite emerging and established artists.

“Bobby” by Ravyn Lenae

Every main pop girl must have her indie-rock phase, so if this is what it takes for Lenae to cement her status as one of the greats, then so be it. And while the song’s luscious, bedroom-pop sheen marks a new sonic chapter for the singer, “Bobby” still has all the makings of a Ravyn Lenae classic at its core: paper-soft vocals, a sticky chorus, and a dreamy soundscape tying it all together.

“Beams” by Arlo Parks

An honest song about depression and the collateral damage it leaves in its wake, soundtracked to a deceivingly hypnotic and carefree trip-hop beat. It sonically encapsulates the racing thoughts and restless rumination that comes with this disease, and will surely stick with you for a long time.

“This Thing We Call Love” by Thundercat ft. Channel Tres

Two words: Subdued disco. Praising Thundercat for his grooves is old hat at this point, but c’mon — this guy knows what he’s doing.

“SORRY! CRASH!” by Ecca Vandal

We recommend listening to this one with earplugs underneath a pair of over-the-ear headphones. It’s raucous, it’s hostile, and if you’re not careful, it’ll blow your eardrums out.

“All The Time” by Deb Never

A melancholic ode to long distance, ardent angel-number subscribers are not ready for the realness that is: “Four, four, four is some bullsh*t / But I count on it every night.”

“Sunny Surrender” by Diva Smith

New road trip anthem just dropped. This song is for anyone who has fantasized about leaving the city before, which is to say it’s a song for everyone.

“Cult Of Celebrity” by Lambrini Girls

I’m a simple woman: Give me a couple electric guitars and a rageful song about fame and I’m sold. This track is filled with scathing one-liners about the fame machine, but my favorite has to be the closing line: “If your name’s on the list, just say you saw nothing.”

“DOIT4ME” by Tiffany Day

This song is incredible on its own, but if you’re not listening to its preceding track “EVERYTHING I’VE EVER WANTED” first, you’re only getting half the story.

Michael Kors’ spring 2026 reads like a travel journal from St. Tropez, where everything feels crisp and effortless. Flounce-hemmed dresses swish with every step, a linen patch-pocket blazer makes winter days feel like a distant memory, and wedge sandals carry you from brunch to happy hour without a care in the world. It’s sunshine dressing in the most elevated way.

The Hamilton Moderne satchel, a shoulder bag with a big personality, shines as a hero accessory in the collection. It’s roomy enough for your wallet, electronics, shoes — or a spare outfit, if you're feeling ambitious — but still compact for everyday life. In shades of mimosa orange, luggage tan, navy, and more, it’s bold yet completely sensible.

Sling it over your shoulder with a matching colored polo à la Suki Waterhouse, or pair it with a navy blazer and sporty tee for an added pop of color that keeps the whole look from feeling too buttoned-up. The ultimate finishing touch? An iconic pair of sunglasses.

Whether you’re looking for a bikini that stuns poolside, a day-to-night outfit for festival season, or something that works just as well at home as it does on vacation, Michael Kors has you covered. Shop our favorites below.

Shop The Season

Hamilton Moderne Small Leather Satchel

Michael Michael Kors -

Nolita Medium Signature Logo Print Denim Convertible Shoulder Bag

Michael Michael Kors -

Nolita Medium Nubuck Chain Pochette

Michael Michael Kors -

Laila Medium Leather Satchel

Michael Michael Kors -

We survived April Fool’s Day without a single “gotcha” moment (in these times, the real news is spooky enough), and we’re ready for spring with the imminent arrival of Coachella. The fashion world took a miniature beat this week, as some editors made their way to Shanghai Fashion Week, others started planning their festival-season ‘fits, and we celebrated the return of NYLON Guys. (You’re welcome!) There are a few great movies on the horizon, and with their release arrives equally exciting street-style moments in the name of promotion that are also help to shape the trends we want to shop. See where our timeline took our fashion brains this week, below.

Versace & Onitsuka Tiger Reinvent The Hybrid Sneaker

You’ve heard of ballet sneaks, and you’ve probably worn boxing-shoe style sneakers, but what about a sneaker-loafer combo? Versace’s collaboration with Onitsuka Tiger has two styles: a ballerina-like sneaker with an abbreviated tongue, and a loafer (snoafer if you’re nasty) with the classic Onitsuka leather stripes on the side. We are partial to the gold-and-silver Sakura pair seen on our favorite girl on the go, Myha’la.

Seriously, Do You Not Own Animal Print Yet?

We (well, Zendaya) declared blush pink as the color of spring, but if you’re not feeling the cheeky fantasy of a mauve-y pink, consider an animal print. No, it’s not groundbreaking, but at least it’s better than florals for spring. Hailey Bieber, try as she might, did not avoid paps snapping her in a leopard-print skirt; Alix Earle and Morgan Stewart McGraw both chose cheetah coats for their press circuits in New York; and Devon Lee Carlson wore this Valentino look a few weeks ago to their Rome show, but it feels worth mentioning because you don’t see many deer-print skirt-suits these days. Go heavy-handed or demure, but whatever you do, choose your fighter now.

Maison Margiela Turns The Flea Market Into Couture

That weird porcelain cup you picked up in Paris at a flea-market stall and put back down? Glenn Martens doesn’t see a cheap buy — he sees couture. The Maison Margiela Fall/Winter 2026 show, shown in Shanghai, combined both ready-to-wear and Artisanal pieces in a show that honored tattered, often overlooked fabrics like moth-infested tapestries, and even used beeswax to finish some gowns. It was unconventional, freaky, and yes, involved classically Margiela-esque face masks.

Another Round Of Musical Chairs, Anyone?

We knew the massive switchups at fashion labels would only be a domino effect and cause more shifts in the industry. After announcing Nicolas di Felice’s exit at Courrèges, the brand has named Drew Henry as new artistic director, a seasoned designer who worked for JW Anderson and Phoebe Philo. Mark Thomas is out at Carven, leaving another vacant seat at a house. To keep track, there are positions at Alaïa, Etro, Nina Ricci, and now Carven up for the taking.

That’s how it starts: On April 2, 2011, we all went to Madison Square Garden to see LCD Soundsystem one last time. Some of us had been at their early shows — around Christmas in 2002, for example, wowed at Bowery Ballroom by their uptight take on downtown post-punk — and some of us had never seen them live at all. We assembled, befuddled we’d outwitted the bots to score a ticket to this night, the main event, and not one of the bonus warm-up shows the band had added at the universally loathed Terminal 5. And we waited, running to the bars or the merch stands and back to the steep rows before it was too late. Some of us were in good seats with a crowd of people who didn’t like one another as much as we’d used to. Who had, together, moved to the city many moons ago to find ourselves, and now found ourselves different people. Others were making ourselves at home in the endless waves of new arrivals, telling ourselves that even though we were at a farewell concert by the city’s biggest band, maybe even because we were, we weren’t too late to the party. We told ourselves that everyone is always telling each other that New York City was better 10 years ago, 20, 50. LCD Soundsystem were a band built around the tension between knowing this is true and refusing to accept it. It was a band that crystallized a sensibility, a hipster’s take on gossip doyenne Cindy Adams’s maxim Only in New York, kids, only in New York. They sold the world on it, while questioning in song after song whether selling out was even a thing anymore. And now they’d sold out Madison Square Garden to celebrate closing up shop.

A lot of us were already drunk by the time LCD finally arrived to the shuffling percussion and twinkling melody of “Dance Yrself Clean,” the opening track on (what we thought would be) their final album, the previous year’s This Is Happening. That album has fingerprints all over pop today: We might hear the shadow of Murphy’s louche swagger in Harry Styles’s latest, or his mumble in Wet Leg and Dry Cleaning. Or maybe the band’s sweaty effort to sound effortless has left traces in Geese, or singer-keyboardist Nancy Whang’s disco-baller wry elegance in Dua Lipa and Tove Styrke and Muna. But then, we didn’t think anything would last. The band’s core members slowly swelled, one last time, around head honcho James Murphy, thick and sharp in his tux and scruff, his eyebrow sometimes arching into an earnest kind of shrug. We all sang along to the song’s early ahh-ahhhhhhh, marveling at how loud we could get. We can be heard doing this on The Long Goodbye, the live album of the show that came out three years later. “It’s your show,” Murphy sang, over and over again, his voice hectoring and hollering in that blend of Mark E. Smith and Prince and Corin Tucker that he had made his own. “It’s the end of an era, it’s true,” he sang. The crowd roared, knowingly; the band engaged, explosively.

Timelines collapse like they do in disco songs: Tonight is forever, and you’re already missing it.

LCD Soundsystem arrived in 2002, in a city full of people who had learned the previous September that our government would not protect us, but would, after so many years of hating us for chaos and queerness and color, exploit our grief to start more stupid, endless wars. We learned, again, to fend for ourselves. We started scenes in electroclash parties like Larry Tee’s Berliniamsburg at Luxx, where freaky queers could live out the fantasy that queer culture hadn’t gone corporate in the ’90s but had stayed underground forever; and the Motherfucker parties where the lady friends of those queers could try to do it for themselves; and the scene that came to be known as Indie Sleaze, in which those ladies could party with their boyfriends; and the warehouse revolutions of GHE20G0TH1K, which offered all of the above and so much more for the people of color who, let’s face it, were still mostly unwelcome at all those other scenes.

Meanwhile, LCD stormed through, buoyed by a lot of hot air about parties in a very well-appointed Manhattan live/work space that served as the headquarters for the band’s label, DFA. We were cool enough to have heard about the parties but not cool enough to score an invite. Our friends who worked the racks of Other Music and Kim’s and Etherea and Academy — and those of us who spent, like, all week hanging around there, spending all our money instead of making any — muttered a little about the rep of these parties that, by most accounts, consisted of a bunch of straight white rock dudes suddenly discovering Chic and E, can you believe it. LCD were smart, though. They arrived calling themselves out on their shit. “Losing My Edge” condensed that hot air into a breezy status update on mortal themes. In that song, Murphy essentially is New York itself, cool but never as cool as it used to be, manspreading over a big package of intoxicating psych-disco. And it worked.

For a while. By the time LCD played it at MSG, those kids looming behind Murphy had aged into middle management, with packs of even younger kids who had better taste (and who were actually pretty nice!) lining up behind us. Those kids were shouting I was there! along with us and LCD, and if the there we meant was a world before Giuliani shut down our nightlife safe spaces in the name of public safety, what the kids meant was they were here. Timelines collapse like they do in disco songs: Tonight is forever, and you’re already missing it. On the recording, our voices obituarize ourselves.

James Murphy told a lot of jokes, but the biggest one was that he could stop. When the band broke up, he embraced the gentrification trappings New York excels at, like coffee, natural wine bars, expensive audio equipment — and then, in 2016, he rebooted the band. LCD booked long residencies at New York’s Knockdown Center as if they were the Rat Pack in the Copa Room. They apologized to fans if they felt betrayed that the goodbye wasn’t forever, then released an album that sounded a little apologetic for its own existence. Today, they’re still singing these songs of farewell over and over. Some of us go to all the shows; some of us despair that a band so good at synthesizing the past’s ideas of the future into a present worth placing faith in can’t seem to think of a better future for itself than playing those old songs one more time. And more and more of us can’t believe the antithetical crowd Murphy now cosigns, as LCD play the crypto bro-fest Bored Ape Yacht Club or, worse, soundtrack Elon Musk’s Starlink in a Super Bowl ad. Talk about a fascist groove thang.

But maybe presaging irrelevance is a dead end. LCD made themselves a shorthand for that kind of ambition that makes us tell the world we wish it was a little more like the rooms we used to drink and dance and drug and dream in. It’s a world that never becomes as fun as we want it to be but also is more fun than we think it is. And it’s an ambition that not only takes us out of those rooms but inevitably kind of ruins them. We didn’t know that on the April night in 2011, of course. In the studio version of his instant classic “All My Friends,” Murphy croons, “And to tell the truth/Oh, this could be the last time.” At the Garden, he declared “This will be the last time,” and we all went nuts. We all screamed with him Where are my friends tonight? as if we all weren’t there, as if we weren’t already thinking of the train home and the job tomorrow, as if we all weren’t already wondering and worrying where our friends would all go.

There was no 21st century runway debut more anticipated than Matthieu Blazy for Chanel, and last October, he set the tone with his opening look: a boxy cropped houndstooth jacket paired with low-slung, wide-fit trousers that, in the words of Chanel’s online shop, are “borrowed from the boys.” Elsewhere in the show, boyish proportions popped up in roomy blazers, crisp oversize shirts made in collaboration with Charvet, and a particularly enchanting leather trench coat. It was a runaway success. The opening look was worn by Dua Lipa, Jennie, Michelle Obama, and yes, Jacob Elordi, who wore the blazer with wide-leg white pants and sleek boat shoes, mixing runway fashion with his classic menswear tilt. In the five months since the debut show, Blazy has staged three more runways — and proved Chanel is for the boys again.

To say Blazy’s vision for Chanel has taken over the luxury zeitgeist would be an understatement. Fashion editors, influencers, and VICs alike have left boutique stockrooms barren after the release of his Spring/Summer 2026 collection, as his bags, shoes, and accessories have become the hero buys of the season and the red carpet. The maison dressed Jessie Buckley to win her Oscar and Teyana Taylor in her bid to win our awards-season power ranking. One recurring wish for Blazy’s tenure was the arrival of Chanel Homme — and while there have been no official menswear designs on the runways, the most stylish men in fashion have already claimed Chanel as their own.

This isn’t news for true Chanel heads. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel relaxed suiting to make the skirt suit unfussy and body-obscuring (and therefore androgynous) for women almost a century ago. While the brand has never officially released clothing for the boys, previous longtime creative director Karl Lagerfeld had fun placing a rotating cast of male models on his runways (think: Sean O’Pry, Lucky Blue Smith). Pharrell made history starring in a 2017 Chanel campaign and walking the instant classic New York Metiers d’Art show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendur. Long associated with the house, he’s often seen in close-fitting collarless tweed jackets and Boy bags, and he even codesigned a collection with Lagerfeld.

In recent years, though, men across fashion, music, and film have increasingly taken to the double-C-covered ready-to-wear. Kendrick Lamar is a frequent collaborator, attending couture shows and the Met Gala with the house and later fronting an eyewear campaign shaped by his affinity for tweed and silk scarves. Timothée Chalamet’s Y2Chaotic promotion of A Complete Unknown saw him rock several crossbody Chanel bags. A$AP Rocky has similarly become a house fixture: He was named a brand ambassador, starred in a Michel Gondry-directed film alongside Margaret Qualley for the Métiers d’Art show staged in a New York subway station, and sat front row at Blazy’s debut couture runway in January in a leather trench coat and green crocodile bag. His limitless career — acting, rapping, baby-fathering — mirrors the way Blazy leaps across disciplines and eras, making him an ideal face of the brand and a kind of Chanel Homme testing ground.

Meanwhile, Elordi has also been seen sporting a silly little Chanel purse, a Charvet collaboration button-down shirt for a late-night appearance, and a red beaded sweater for Wuthering Heights press — making him one of the most convincing arguments yet for Blazy’s vision of everyday Chanel.

That shift hasn’t gone unnoticed by critics, either. “Those early looks from Matthieu’s first collection broached a lens of Chanel that felt much more ambiguous in terms of gender,” says Luke Meagher, fashion critic and founder of HauteLeMode. “Yes, it was women wearing them on the runway, but seeing them, I thought for the first time ever, ‘Oh, I could wear that in my everyday life.’ There was almost an approachability to the cut and use of simple houndstooth or tweeds that make the blazers and trousers feel universal, rather than inherently cut to fit a woman’s body.”

Blazy’s vision of femininity also extends to the men who aren’t afraid to experiment. Harry Styles and Pedro Pascal have both leaned into Chanel’s playful tailoring: Styles wore a pinstripe banker suit to his first major awards show in years, then a collarless leopard-print jacket with silver piping to a Saturday Night Live afterparty, paired with a white T-shirt and blue jeans. Pascal sported a custom white shirt and black tuxedo pants with a massive floral brooch inspired by runway earrings to the Oscars. It was the best possible advertisement for Blazy’s Chanel fitting into one’s everyday life: casual yet undeniably bougie, trend-aware yet timeless.

The genderless way Blazy designs allows everybody to see themselves in it, regardless of identity. Sure, the men who have dipped their toe into the Chanel-verse are risk-takers with their fashion (here’s hoping Alexander Skarsgård wears custom Chanel at Cannes this year), but they are also ushering in a new era in fashion where the lines between menswear and womenswear have officially dissolved. Chanel Homme doesn’t need to technically be a thing; it’s already here thanks to shifts in menswear that our favorite style legends have made a reality. Blazy has successfully created an environment where more than one customer is welcome to the proverbial Chanel table. The ladies eat first, to be sure, but the men can pull up a chair, too.

Sombr is playing a little game of show and tell. He reaches into a bag and pulls out some beige leather loafers and holds them up to the camera. “They’re vintage Diesel. They’re pretty dope,” he says, rotating the shoes so I can get a full 360 look — before mock-confessing a rock star problem of the highest order: “I don’t know how to tie my shoes, so I need Velcro.”

He picked them up earlier in the day at a vintage store in Barcelona, where he’s video-chatting from his green room before a show. Instead of just bouncing from hotel to venue, Sombr, the stage name of Shane Michael Boose, is trying to make a habit of actually seeing the cities he’s playing: finding a cool coffee shop, doing a little shopping, having a “nice brunch” before heading to the venue. He’s about to perform his VIP soundcheck, the nightly pre-show experience where he does a Q&A with fans and plays a song not on his usual setlist, and he’s been practicing his español.

“¡Gracias por la oportunidad!” he says without a hint of self-consciousness. “I’m good at accents.” He just got here from Milan. He’s headed to Paris next.

“Ciao, bella! Grazie mille!” he says. “Je m’appelle Sombr. Bonjour. Je t’aime… I have it all!”

Indeed: Few artists have the world in the cup of their hands right now like Sombr, the 20-year-old rock star who’s got more passport stamps than he can comprehend and still squares off with his laces; who’s got the lanky frame and messy curls of a member of The Strokes circa 2001 but also radio hits as irresistible as any pop girlie’s; who will sing songs of devastating heartbreak while dressed, usually sans shirt, in a sparkling suit that even John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever might consider too much. And he’s loving it. “This feels like a simulation,” he says, pausing between his words like he’s struggling to find the right ones. “Even over a year ago, I was a signed artist, but no one knew who I was. Being a small fish in that huge pool, even then, it felt impossible — and you see everyone in L.A. trying to do it. I was like, ‘Bro, I’m never going to have a hit.’”

Now, he’s got several: the disco strut of “12 to 12,” the melancholy surf-rock of “Undressed,” the last-call breakup elegy “Back to Friends.” They’re all from his debut album, I Barely Know Her, which arrived last summer and earned him a Best New Artist nomination at this year’s Grammys. In what feels like a blink, Sombr’s brooding melodies and pining lyrics catapulted him from an if-you-know-you-know artist to a full-fledged teen heartthrob; anyone worried about the stereotype of the emotionally repressed Gen Z male can let out a sigh of relief thanks to songs like “Canal Street,” about the agony of trying to replace an ex (named after the New York City hot spot for knockoff designer goods): “I try to go on dates / But none of them are you,” he sings. “I look for girls with your traits / But none of them are you.”

“Everyone always puts artists on these pedestals. I’m just a normal motherf*cker. I’m a little too normal.”

That heart-forward storytelling quickly won over some high-profile listeners. Taylor Swift called Sombr “amazing” in a recent interview, and he’s still not over the acknowledgement. “I really respect everything she’s done,” he tells me, hailing her as “the queen.” On his last U.S. tour, he brought out special guests like Sam Smith, jazz phenom Laufey, and — perhaps most exciting to him — Greg Gonzalez, mastermind of the dream-pop act Cigarettes After Sex. “There was a point in high school where I would tell people my favorite artist was Cigarettes After Sex,” Sombr says. “There’s nothing like being able to collaborate with an artist I grew up on.”

His music video roster is equally stacked. He cast Quen Blackwell and Milo Manheim to round out the love triangle for “Homewrecker” — “I’ve never clicked with people so fast. It feels like in school when I would have a trio of inseparable friends,” he says of his co-stars — and counts his fellow Best New Artist nominee Addison Rae as a pal after she played his love interest in the video for “12 to 12.”

“It’s cool to be able to share those moments with people that you genuinely are a fan of,” Sombr says. He likes that stardom today, at least for new artists, doesn’t feel competitive — in fact, it feels to him like everyone’s rooting for each other. “I will always be a supporter of anyone who’s putting themselves out there and doing their thing and making art.” He grins: “I’ll always be a supporter. Let’s just say if I’m ever involved in a beef, I didn’t start it!”

“Even if some people found it cringe, it’s cringe until you win.”

No one on his team predicted how quickly this level of success would come. Tonight’s show is at the Sant Jordi Club, a 4,600-person venue he booked last fall but likely outgrew sometime between making his television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in May (with a performance full of yearning close-ups) and playing Saturday Night Live in November (where he high-kicked across Studio 8H and climbed the scaffolding). They’ve tried to upgrade as many venues as possible across Europe; the day before our chat, he played a crowd nearly three times the size of tonight’s at an arena in Madrid. And your chances of seeing him in a club-sized venue are sure to drop after he performs at Coachella this month. He won’t give away the surprises, but he’s going all-in on production. “I’m not making money from this Coachella set, I’m spending money on it,” he teases.

His biggest pinch-me moment thus far was attending the 2026 Grammys, where he closed out the Best New Artist mega-medley and descended from the rafters dressed like a shining disco ball. “It was the craziest day of my life,” he says. “I never thought I would get there.”

“I’m still a man that feels emotions. I’m still very single. And I still deal with some issues that have to do with love.”

The weekend was a flash of red carpets and run-ins with Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, and Tyler, The Creator. The blur of the evening didn’t come into focus until later in the show, during the moving all-star tribute to D’Angelo and Roberta Flack. “I just started bawling in my mother’s arms,” he remembers. “It was like, ‘Damn, I’m really here, and I’m not a spectator. I’m down here on the floor. I’m one of the artists.’ That was just a crazy realization because everything moves so fast, and it’s hard to let things sink in.”

The magnitude of the moment has stuck with him. “That’s something they can never take away from me: I will always be a Grammy nominee,” he continues. “And I am someone who would have been happy doing anything creative as a job, as long as I could get by. There was no f*cking possibility that I could be a successful artist. You are told it’s one in a million. It truly is.”

OK, maybe it wasn’t so unlikely that Sombr would turn out to be a major-label hitmaker. He grew up on the Lower East Side — you know, that storied stomping ground of rock stars past — and learned how to play guitar from his dad, Andy, a successful event producer who’s played in a number of indie bands and is also part of Sombr’s behind-the-scenes team. Spend a few minutes digging around the internet, and you can find photos and videos of the elder Boose performing and realize how close the apple falls from the tree. Or you can poke around on TikTok and find clips of a young Sombr, towering over his classmates, performing in a youth theater production of Seussical Jr. and realize this guy was inevitably going to find the stage.

Sombr attended the famed LaGuardia performing arts high school — alma mater of Timothée Chalamet, Lola Tung, and Grace Van Patten — and began releasing music online at age 13 under the name Cherry Valley, which some sleuthing fans uncovered a few months into his rise. (You know you’ve made it when the stans start combing your internet presence — just ask Heated Rivalry star and former teen YouTube vlogger Connor Storrie.) “Look, I don’t know how the f*ck y’all found that, but the kid who made that project is definitely a very happy boy right now because all he wanted was a couple listeners,” he says. “He would be really happy right now, knowing that. Although the music is really bad, he would be happy knowing that people are finally listening to it.”

“My sister’s still going to be a f*cking asshole to me, and my mom’s still going to be telling me to do a chore. That will never change.”

And it didn’t take long for him to get good. While still a student, he adopted the moniker Sombr — a play on his initials, SMB — and released “Caroline,” a raw, wistful tune that picked up enough momentum on TikTok that labels started calling. In early 2023, he signed to Warner Records, which paired him with Tony Berg — the legendary producer who worked on The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Bette Midler projects in the ’70s but is now better known to Gen Z as a close collaborator of Phoebe Bridgers. At the time, Sombr was dealing with the fallout of his first major heartbreak, the kind of relationship that feels like you’re falling off of a cliff, and I Barely Know Her’s 10 tracks loosely chronicle its full lifespan. (Yes, the title both captures the feeling of post-breakup estrangement and manages to be a dad-joke-y answer to his artist name.) “It was just pouring it all out,” Sombr says. “It all came out around the same time, and I was just in a flow state.”

“Back to Friends” dropped in December of 2024, and within six months Sombr was topping the charts at alternative radio — the first of several No. 1s to his name. He fueled that momentum with relentless (mostly) self-aware promo, making “a million f*cking TikToks every week,” he says. “Even if some people found it cringe, it’s cringe until you win.”

On TikTok, Sombr is dedicated to being unserious. When Charlie Puth commented on his post, he replied and thanked Charli XCX instead. He shot his shot (with a real basketball) at Tate McRae after she used his song on her Instagram story. He has a whole shtick about pretending to be 6-foot-7 (he’s only off by a few inches). During his stop in France, he appeared to serenade the Mona Lisa with a lip-sync to “Homewrecker.” Instead of working against the self-seriousness of his music, his wry, hyper-online sense of humor was the perfect companion. “Everyone always puts artists on these pedestals. It’s like, ‘Bro, I’m just like y’all. I’m just a normal motherf*cker,’” he says. “I’m a little too normal.”

Still, with more eyes on him than ever, he’s aware of how easy it is for a joke to fail to translate. That’s another rite of passage for a young star: realizing you can’t talk to your (rapidly growing) audience quite the way you used to. He’s still after laughs online — he has another TikTok account, @sombrsucks, whose bio reads “this page is for the girlies that get it… if you don’t, scroll!” — but he says he’s trying to tone it down and leave more of the silly posts to his digital team. “Now I’m so scared,” he jokes. “Now I try to do a prank with another artist or something, and there’ll be a TMZ article about it, I have to hear from my publicist, and it’s just… not the same anymore.”

A few weeks before leaving for Europe, Sombr made a dinner reservation for two in Los Angeles that served as a stark reminder of his new reality.

“It was a restaurant where all the tables are super close. The minute I sat down, there was a whole table of girls next to me. And they’re like, ‘Oh my God, Sombr, we went to your show in LA,’” he says. “I was like, ‘I love you guys so much, but I’m meeting someone, and I have to move to a different table.’ I sent them a bottle of wine because I felt so f*cking awful, but I just had to.” (He won’t say if it was a date, though he later shares, “I’m still a man that feels emotions. I’m still very single. And I still deal with some issues that have to do with love.”)

“I just have to accept that I don’t have privacy,” he continues, “which is not something I’ll ever complain about because this is what I wanted. But I have to always act like I’m always being watched. Because I am.”

This perhaps explains why a young star like him might actually enjoy the close watch of his dad-ager and mom, who try to be at as many shows as possible. “They’re really the only people in the world that I can look at and be like, ‘You guys aren’t going to treat me any differently,’” he says. “My sister’s still going to be a f*cking asshole to me, and my mom’s still going to be telling me to do a chore. That will never change.”

He’s trying not to mess with his creative process, either, as he works on his next album. So far, he says, the material draws influence from the Beatles and the Beach Boys with complex bridges and chord changes, mixed with a dash of “nostalgic 2010s pop.” “I’m staying true to my style, but I’m definitely exploring,” he says. “And if the album flops, f*ck it. As long as I am happy with what I made.”

“I’m not making money from this Coachella set, I’m spending money on it.”

Flopping is unlikely: In February, he released “Homewrecker,” his poppiest song to date about feeling the spark again with an ex (despite their new partner) that marked a best-yet debut on the charts. In his lyrics, Sombr is mostly respectful of the other man in the picture; in conversation, he is less so. “I was like, ‘Bro I can be so much better than this fool,’” he says of his inspiration. And, apparently, the real-life subject of the song is not a fan: “Apparently he’s f*cking pissed. He’s mad. Hopefully, he doesn’t come f*cking kill me.”

It’s one of a few moments in our conversation where you can’t quite tell if he’s being serious. A few days after our chat, at the 2026 BRIT Awards, a man rushed the stage and gave Sombr a shove mid-performance. Though it was clearly staged — the guy was wearing a “Sombr is a homewrecker” T-shirt, after all — Sombr kept the ruse up online in TikToks, posting videos with text like “i’m pretty sure the guy that just rushed the stage during my performance is the boyfriend of the girl that this song is about” and “someone crashed my performance at the brits so I made the shirt he wore into merch.” The man is, for better or worse, committed to the bit.

But maybe that’s all just cover for something a little sweeter. When I ask him where he sees himself in 10 years, his answer is simple. “Doing the exact same thing: making music because that’s what I love,” he says. For all the Zoomer humor that surrounds his art, he is endearingly, almost painfully earnest about what it feels like to be living your dream. So what else does he want out of his 2026? “Number one, a wife,” he says, counting on his fingers. “Number two, being able to collaborate with peers that I look up to... And number three, be on the cover of NYLON.”

Top image credit: Valentino clothing and necklace

When Burberry launched its High Summer campaign last year, featuring blissful photographs taken beachside and on a luxury boat, it wasn’t Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s washboard abs that took my attention — it was the heartthrob tennis star Jack Draper appearing alongside her. The top-ranked British men’s tennis player embodied a cooler, high-fashion energy than his usual on-court style and looked right at home in the brand’s classic check pieces (and not just because he could moonlight as a model if tennis didn’t work out). It was an unexpected casting choice and signified a leveling up in the fashion-meets-tennis Venn diagram: After a lull in style from the universe of men’s tennis, a new generation of stars is ready to reclaim the fashion throne off the court. Today, almost every top-seeded man in tennis has a luxury contract outside of their on-court deals: Jannik Sinner is a Gucci guy, Taylor Fritz and Matteo Berrettini work with Boss, and Carlos Alcaraz has ties to Louis Vuitton — Alcaraz even appeared on the cover of WSJ. Magazine’s Men’s Style issue last September. The competition for most stylish player is thankfully (and finally) back on.

Men’s tennis had its original swag masters in the form of Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, whose ’70s short-shorts and headbands are on the mood boards for retro tennis capsules and top European players like Stefanos Tsitsipas to this day. At the turn of the 21st century, superstars like Andre Agassi leveled up the game, not only with his record-breaking wins but also his singular fashion sense, like wearing denim shorts on court and brokering multimillion-dollar deals with Nike and Adidas. “Andre Agassi had a lot of swag. I remember very well his Nike sneakers,” says Mobolaji Dawodu, GQ’s fashion director at large and a stylist who is currently working with some of the players on the ATP Tour for their arrival outfits. “He used to wear the bands on his hair. Andre Agassi had a vibe.”

But starting in the late 2000s, the style influence of men’s tennis dipped. Later on, the Big Three — Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal — dominated the rankings but kept it safe off the court, largely accepting major deals from athletic brands and sticking to traditional tracksuits and tuxedos for public appearances, while the superstar women of the sport leapt ahead: Serena Williams rewrote all sorts of fashion rules with her denim skirts, tutus, and catsuits in the 2010s. Even just a few years ago, courtside WAGs including Morgan Riddle, Paige Lorenze, and Ayan Broomfield were getting more attention for their looks than their partners were, thanks to their day-in-the-life and outfit-of-the-day content online.

“I think the tennis players are stylish, but the culture of tennis doesn’t allow that to show besides the style on the court,” Dawodu explains. Woodie White III, founder of Oyster Tennis Club, agrees: “Mostly, we see players on media day where they’re dressed in their sponsors’ apparel. Unlike basketball, there is no home team where you can see the arriving to the stadium.” Dawodu’s been working with the ATP to change that: “The NBA has a tunnel. I think it’s time for tennis to have a tunnel.” At the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, last month, players like Taylor Fritz, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe walked into the tournament through a new “arrival tunnel” showing off Hermès and Boss suits, Issey Miyake pleated pants, and Stone Island cargo pants. It’s something the ATP is making a regular occurrence, with Miami staging a sunset-gradient “tunnel” and the Monte Carlo Masters slated to do the same.

Usually, stars slip in and out of cars without much fanfare, but with Dawodu on tap to help those who are interested — so far, he’s worked with players like Jakub Mensik, Francisco Cerundolo, and Alex Michelsen — they have all the more reason to flex for the cameras. “Over the last few years, I’ve become more aware of what I like and what represents me,” says Cobolli, who just reached a career-high rank of No. 14 in the ATP. On-court, he’s sponsored by On, but off-court, he’s not tied to one brand, letting him choose ’fits like the relaxed linen suit by Brunello Cucinelli he wore in Miami. It’s not a sweatsuit, but it also isn’t constricting or fussy: “Before, it was more instinctive; now, I pay more attention to the balance between comfort and style.”

For those players not yet grabbing international headlines for their looks, the arrivals are a new opportunity to find and hone their styles — and get a different kind of fan’s attention with their fashion. “Before, I wouldn’t spend real money on clothes, and still today I don’t really,” says Zizou Bergs, a Belgian who has a cheeky social-media presence and a clear love for fashion. Thanks to his Golden Goose ambassadorship, he rocked a leather jacket over a Miami Heat jersey for the city’s Masters1000 tournament, embracing the street style he loves while making it feel a little more elite. In Indian Wells, he wore a matching Golden Goose denim set with vintage Oakley sunglasses, going for a sporty-chic look favored by those not even into tennis at all. He was the best-dressed guy of the bunch, as fellow tennis player Reilly Opelka admitted in the comments section: “I’m usually one to troll, but @zizoubergs looks smooth.” “In the end,” Bergs adds, “you need to rock the outfit. If not, you’re gonna see it.”

Surely Opelka won’t be the only one giving the men their sartorial flowers in the coming months. White thinks “everybody’s keeping up with the times. The best on tour in my opinion [are] Lorenzo Musetti, Carlos Alcaraz, and Andrey Rublev.” The Challengers craze of 2024 had everyone up in arms to nab a polo shirt or pleated skirt, but now, with the backing of luxury brands and a veteran menswear expert in their corner, there’s room to play: Swap out their sweatsuits for, say, an Hermès suit as seen on Frances Tiafoe at the Miami Open, or wear streetwear-inspired looks that give them street cred and a way to flex their if-you-know-you-know fashion moments. More than just looking good, Dawodu sums up the stylistic efforts best: “I want to achieve comfort. I want to enhance and push the players to be as stylish as they feel comfortable. I want them to look fly,” he says. “I think that there should be more light on tennis, period.”

We all need to feel good about something. Perpetual war, climate doom, the threat of sentient AI, the hollowing out of the middle class, the crumbling of American democracy — where else to turn but to music, which has always drowned out our troubles? It’s against this backdrop that party rap — the raunchy, retro, slightly gimmicky fusion of hip-hop, pop, and electronic music that last peaked between the tail end of the Bush administration and the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis — has reanimated, with acts like PartyOf2, Thot Squad, Joey Valence & Brae, and Bbno$ taking up the spirit of late-2000s genre-busters. Only this time, they’re shedding the in-crowd mystique and ironic packaging for something a little more honest and vulnerable.

In the mid-to-late aughts, as Myspace and blog culture tore down barriers between the mainstream and underground, artists like Spank Rock, Amanda Blank, and Kid Sister were dropping booty-shaking bass jams inspired by the club sounds of Baltimore, Philly, Chicago, and Miami; DJs like Diplo and A-Trak were bringing indie rock, club music, and rap into one boisterous world with their Hollertronix parties and Fool’s Gold Records, respectively; and mashup artists like Girl Talk and Super Mash Bros were bringing genre lines down with them. The creative freedom the era afforded was not lost on anybody. This was party music made with a wink.

Back then, the Internet made plenty of scenes accessible, but for the most part, you still had to know where to look. Now, perhaps because we’re in a streaming ecosystem where everything is up for grabs at all times, that wink is less of a priority — something PartyOf2 has made clear.

Jadagrace and Swim, the ex-child stars who make up PartyOf2, used to be in a collective called Grouptherapy. (with former members TJOnline and Rhea). The lineup and name changed, but their playlist-on-shuffle omnivorousness remains, as does a healthy grasp on their feelings: “Another question from my therapist / ‘Are you good?’ I told her, ‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘Hilarious’ / I blew a tire on the road to riches I desire,” Swim raps on “Survivor’s Remorse,” from from last fall’s Amerika’s Next Top Party! LP. You can clearly pick out who they’re channeling at any given moment — a little Tyler, the Creator; a little Doechii; a little Missy and Timbaland — but what’s striking about the way they put it together is their disregard for corniness. Whereas Amanda Blank once rapped “I keep it dirty, I ain’t Fergie, f*ck the Black Eyed Peas,” today, PartyOf2 would take such a comparison as a compliment. In interviews, they’ve spoken of openly admiring the “I Gotta Feeling” stars’ inimitable hitmaking and studying “the chemistry between Will.I.Am and Fergie.” You can easily picture it on “Just Dance 2,” an obvious pastiche of dance-rap hybrids of the ’80s and ’90s. It’s a little cheesy, but it aims to be undeniable enough that you won’t care either.

Operating in a similar, though more playful, flirtatious space is Thot Squad, the alter ego of rapper Blvck Bunnie, with the assistance of her producer husband, Benny Ari. Thot Squad exists almost entirely in the lane paved by Spank Rock, cooking up songs like “Pound Cake,” “Hoes Depressed,” and “Super Soaker”; come-one-come-all is their ethos in more ways than one. Yet their unrelentingly horniness and contagious lack of self-consciousness have found a wide array of fans. “We’ll get people who are like, ‘Well, I’m 47 and I’m a mom. I don’t think I’m gonna fit in. Everyone in my crowd is 47 and a mom,’” Bunnie said in an interview last year. This is music about loving yourself and embracing the quirks that make each of us unique. In less risqué packaging, it might come across more cliché — but here, it’s both very genuine and an absolute ball.

Without an oppressive masculinity coursing through it, there’s something even hopeful about what they’re making at a time when Gen Z men are leaning right.

If you’re looking for a more straightforward delivery of those messages, Joey Valence & Brae might be for you. The duo’s 2025 album Hyperyouth (which just came out in a deluxe edition, too) has turned them into minor celebrities in the alt-rap world. They’re cool enough to have gotten a cosign from JPEGMafia, who might have punched me in the face if I suggested a decade ago that he would appear on an album from these dudes. And yet, there he is, between features from TiaCorine (on “Bust Down,” which evokes early 2000s Neptunes productions) and Rebecca Black (on the Timbo and Nelly Furtado-inspired “See U Dance”). Fueled by a grab-bag of MTV-era references, Joey Valence & Brae blast down the line between goofiness and earnestness with a recklessness that suggests they don’t actually care which side they fall on.

On 2024’s “The Baddest,” they interpolate “It Takes Two” by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock — also a move out of the Black Eyed Peas playbook — and rap like they just discovered Urban Outfitters: “Acting goofy, Comic Sans / Big in London, big in France / Hot like Texas, I got fans / BDG overalls / Fresh new Vans.” It’s enough to make you swear ’em off for good, but then they cook up a song like “Changes” from Hyperyouth and it’s easy to see why — only so many years removed from the public pummeling of Macklemore — so many people are gravitating to this movement of unquashable positivity.

“And I found out what love is / And I found out what hate is / My parents getting older / I look at their faces,” Joey raps. It hits hard. So much of Hyperyouth is obsessed with chasing fun, desire, and presence in the moment. When the duo step back and identify the various voids they’re looking to fill, they are instinctively easy to root for. Joey Valence and Brae are both in their mid-20s, having spent some of their most formative years during the disruptive isolation of COVID-19; many of their generational cohort have never known an office job or the usual infrastructure of young adulthood. It makes sense that their music is filtered through a strong desire for connection and mutual understanding. And without an oppressive masculinity coursing through it (“This DJ sucks, can you play some Gaga? Ah, what happened to the fun?”), there is something even downright hopeful about what they’re making at a time when Gen Z men are leaning right. We take our wins where we can get them.

The highs are high, but the lows are right outside, knocking on the door.

Hope is perhaps not the emotion one feels like listening to Bbno$ (that’s baby-no-money for the elder millennials). He got his start as a TikTok sensation, blowing up alongside his dear friend Yung Gravy (whose name rolls in like a tumbleweed from an already bygone Internet). Bbno$’s songs rack up hundreds of millions of streams and sound like what LMFAO might have sounded like had they a shred of self-awareness, or even pretended to. If you’re going to be cynical or suspicious of this 2020s class of party-positive artists, it’s probably because of someone like Bbno$, who takes joy in making rap music that proudly embraces the lowest common denominator. With Joey Valence & Brae, Thot Squad, and PartyOf2, the desire to make music they genuinely think is good is apparent; Bbno$, on the other hand, sometimes raps with the detachment of someone doing a performance-art imitation of a rapper.

That was the case, at least, until he released “Why Am I Like This” in March, which seemingly asked the question many of his haters were asking while listening to the sexed-up hedonism of previous releases like “Come to Brazil,” “Gigolo,” and “1-800.” It’s one of the clearest moments of introspection from Bbno$, and it works precisely because it jars against the nothing-matters nonchalance of much of his discography. “My parents getting old / And I rarely visit home / I should get off my phone / But I’m scared of being alone,” he sings. (Notice a theme?) It might not be his biggest hit — though it is inching toward 3 million Spotify streams — but it contextualizes his work, offering a lens through which his fans can genuinely relate.

It’s something that each artist plopped into this category of Party Rap 2.0 has in common. The highs are high, but the lows are right outside, knocking on the door. This is music meant for escaping from reality, but it’s all the more effective as a balm if it can also remind us of what we’re healing from. Whether you want to show up and dance, cry, or figure out what the hell is happening all around us, the club is open — and everyone’s invited.

A few years ago, I woke up on my birthday, stared at my dresser drawers, and suddenly thought to myself: I am too old to have band tees be the foundation of my wardrobe. I simplified, streamlined, and stocked up on solid basics — but turning down the dial on one form of self-expression only made me want to turn it up in other ways.

Fragrance, I soon learned, offered infinite possibilities to do so. Unlike my other online shopping missions, which usually involve slipping into a fugue state of obsessive research to find the One Perfect Item I need, there is no decisive “win” to check off. You can spend hours studying Fragrantica to figure out what you might like, but trial and error is the only way through. There are endless brands to discover, endless TikTok rabbit holes to go down, and endless opportunities to refine what feels like you. It can be overwhelming. But make peace with the idea that your quest is never really over, and the true fun begins: Few pleasures in my life right now compare to the dopamine hit of getting a delivery notification on a new discovery set.

And the same part of me that once balled out at the merch table, trying to communicate something to the world about my interests and tastes through music and culture, finds an outlet here, too. Instead of trying to dress like the life of the party, now I’m trying to smell like it — and if you’re embarking on a similar scent journey, here are five brands that have music, nightlife, and a damn good time in their DNA. (And ladies, if you’re reading, these are all unisex scents, so you’re invited, too.)

FOR THE VINYL LOVER

Zernell Gillie Discovery Set

Hailing from the homeland of house music, Chicago native Zernell Gillie built a career as an internationally acclaimed DJ before deciding to formulate his own eponymous brand during the quiet of the pandemic. His seven fragrances are all named for and inspired by genres of music, so you’re basically guaranteed to find something worthy of heavy rotation: the sparkling citrus of Disco; the luxe guava opening of R&B; the leathery red fruits of Techno; the boozy, smoky rush of Jazz. Queue it up.

FOR THE HEAD-TURNER

Alloy Studio Discovery Set

Confidence required: Alloy Studio makes a statement not only with its six scents but also its sumptuous visual universe and storytelling, brought to life by perfumer Bryson Ammons and creative director Eddie Hodges. Luster conjures a sweet-potato pie; Faux wraps you in a fabulous mink coat; and Idyllic instantly summons a pineapple cocktail spiced with ginger, spearmint, and star anise. Even if a sample doesn’t land with you, you’ll still be impressed by the big swing — and feel emboldened to take a bigger one yourself.

FOR THE NIGHT OWL

Discothéque Discovery Set

Of course a brand called Discothéque celebrates the rituals of going out — the bottles are designed to evoke disco balls, and each of the nine fragrances evokes a snapshot of club culture across time and space. The grassy sweetness of Heathens, Cowboys, and The Santa Ana Winds? Los Angeles, 1986, naturally. The powdery glam of Lola at Coat Check? New York, 1992, baby. And don’t worry if you’re actually an in-bed-by-10 kind of guy dreaming of adventure: The bright grapefruit of All Night Until First Light works just as well if you’re getting up at dawn, not coming home.

FOR THE SOPHISTICATE

Serviette Discovery Set

Taste is the word with Serviette, founded in 2024 by former magazine editor Trey Taylor. Each discovery set comes with an embroidered handkerchief to spritz — a callback to a Victorian-era method of applying fragrance. Yet there’s nothing staid about what’s on offer: Sour Diesel dirties up tart rhubarb with a kush note, while Byronic Hero puts a twist on oud and rose with a strangely alluring hint of fuel exhaust you could get away with wearing to the office. (OK, if your employer is not that hip, the plum-forward Priscus or the icy and floral Frisson D’Hiver are more SFW.)

FOR THE HOST WITH THE MOST

Tsu Lange Yor Discovery Set

If Troye Sivan’s Architectural Digest house tour from 2021 has a permanent spot on your mood board, let his lifestyle brand Tsu Lange Yor (a Yiddish toast to long and good years) bring the festivities to your doorstep. Its six eau de parfums lean a little green, a little spicy, refreshing, and rejuvenating — the profile of someone who probably throws really lively dinner parties. Pool, with notes of lychee, cucumber, tomato leaf, and chili pepper, might be the star of the bunch, the perfect afternoon pick-me-up when it’s time to log off and touch grass.

It was a Fool’s Spring day like any other in New York: 68 degrees, sunny, and an overwhelming amount of feral energy on the streets. I was looking for a new pair of black leather shoes and spent a good 20 minutes scrolling endlessly on Ssense and other e-tailers. Inspiration wasn’t striking, so I pilfered through my Instagram’s harrowing “For You” page and was left with the feeling of seeing the same five people wearing the same five items, or resharing the same five pictures of Jacob Elordi and Harry Styles on the streets (no shade to those stylish kings). The algorithm was doing exactly what it was built to do: feed me familiarity rather than inspiration. This regurgitation led me to ask a handful of the stylish guys I follow in fashion, art, and media about their physical shopping must-sees and what they’re buying this spring.

If 2025 brought the rise of AI slop, 2026 is all about IRL. Finding that holy-grail product isn’t going to happen in the sea of Insta-Tumblr-TikTok content; it’s going to come from your friend’s cool older brother, seeing a random person on a street you’ve never walked down wearing something you’ve never considered, or strolling into a boutique with zero expectations.

The men we profiled walk the walk online, but also talk the talk in person with recommendations that range from dead-center basics to freaky silk scarves. Read on to discover how the guys we follow — both in digital and physical realms — are shaping their wishlists and swiping their cards at top destinations in New York, Los Angeles, and beyond.

Terrence O’Connor, creative director

His shopping philosophy: “I avoid online shopping like the plague. For some reason, I'm incapable of properly checking out via an online interface. Something is inevitably being delivered to an old address, an ex, etc. So no eBay for me, sadly :/”

His favorite stores:

Ending Soon, Los Angeles: I go all the time and never leave empty-handed.

Rose Bowl Flea, Los Angeles: Honestly, I only go like three times a year, but when I do, I try to do a serious haul. I’m overdue.

What he’s shopping:

Fluid 2K Pro 21" Boardshorts

“I was styled in a pair recently and everything shifted for me. I am now finding myself researching the differences between Quiksilver, Billabong, and Rip Curl. I haven't exactly decided which, but one of them is going to be a big part of my summer.”

Billabong -

Men's Green and Blue Jumper

“I’m obsessed with this color right now. I don’t know if this is the case for anyone else, but turquoise was a huge part of my childhood, and then went really quiet after 2010. (This is also how I feel about the color purple.) Anyways, I'm looking to reincorporate via maybe a light V-neck sweater.”

L.L. Bean -

Hair Pomade

“I have yet to find the correct product to use in my hair to make it do exactly what i want it to do. If my hair has ever looked good, it’s usually just me putting a glob of hotel body lotion in my hand and running it through. That, or I've just swam in the ocean. Anyways, if anyone thinks they have a product better than either of those two options, I'm open but skeptical.”

Malin+Goetz -

Deon Hinton, photographer and art director

His shopping philosophy: “I shop mostly in-person. My overall style is an accumulation of studying my interests, body stature, and overall feeling. Instagram will feed into the popularity of familiarity within fashion. There’s not a ton of inspiration pulled here for me, given it's often a regurgitation of what I and so many others have seen.”

Favorite stores:

Lemaire, Paris: I love shopping in-person here; seeing the direction designers take collections in real life is always inspiring.

TAGE Gallery, Tribeca, New York: Vintage furniture, art, and objects here feed my style sensibility beyond clothing.

What he’s shopping:

Men's Deerskin Slippers

“They button up any look and a nod to detail finishes a look for me.”

Charvet -

Polka Dot Scarf in Green Wood

“Adding a fluid material to a look is such a chic addition, they also stack so beautifully under suit jackets.”

Tom Ford -

Jet Lag Mask + Moisturizer

“Style and self care actually go hand in hand; the Jetlag Mask is such a great moisturizer for spring/summer.”

Summer Fridays -

Ben de Almeida, content creator

His shopping philosophy: “I go through seasons of wanting to buy nothing and then finding myself wanting to rejuvenate my whole closet. I looked in it the other day and everything was gray or brown. How depressing! It once had the color palette of a kindergarten parachute. I see clothes as a membrane between my inner and outer worlds, so I’m trying to get as many colors onto as many hangers as I can to block out the gray of the world.”

His favorite stores:

Mintage Mall, Vancouver, BC: When I lived in Vancouver, I would raid this place biweekly and those raids account for a good 30% of my closet to this day. Just a great collection of vintage anything and everything.

Dover Street Market, multiple locations: Imagine my sorrow when I stumbled across the CDG-affiliated Dover Street Market in Ginza knowing that I would forever have to go to Japan to see clothes this fly. Now imagine my subsequent unbridled joy when I learn there’s outposts in New York and LA. You will discover pieces that you did not know could exist.

Value Village/Savers, Vancouver, BC: People are doing this new thing where they are making personalized funeral t-shirts and then dropping them off at Value Village like a hot potato after one use. I have been buying and wearing them half for fun and half because I think it keeps their memory alive. It’s better on me than the person who thought Grandma's legacy belongs in the bin. Alternatively, you do not understand the meaning of the word exhilaration until you stumble across vintage Miu Miu in a Value Village thrift store in a city of less than 100,000 people.

What he’s shopping:

Technical Gabardine Coat

“This coat feels like evil Coraline, and if I had it, I don’t think you could keep me out of a puddle on a rainy day.”

Prada -

Medium Dior Book Tote

“This actually doesn’t exist yet, but Dior has been making these fantastic little tote bags with the covers of classic literature and the following came to me in a dream: They will release a Twilight book tote so perfectly cheeky and brilliant that it will fly off the shelves faster than you can decide if it should be called a Twote or a Twirkin.”

Dior -

Hydrating Lip Balm with Jojoba Oil

“I am frequently asked what the object resembling the car keys to a spaceship is in my backpack. To them I reply, 'a delicious lip balm that tastes like a sexy banana marshmallow!'”

Prada Beauty -

Ethan Gaskill, content creator and founder of Elsewhere Fragrances

His shopping philosophy: “I gather inspiration from a few different places: runway collections, Pinterest, a handful of people whose style I connect with. I always try to buy for long-term wearability, so my style isn't always the trendiest or fashion-forward, but the payoff of having a wardrobe centered around this approach is that I really wear the hell out of (and love) everything I own. I try to shop for things that get better with age.”

His favorite stores:

MyTheresa: My go-to for online shopping. I feel like they always get new arrivals before anyone else, carry every brand I care about, and the shipping is always so fast it blows my mind… oh, and they ALWAYS have my shoe size which I appreciate. I usually shop in-person (especially during spring when the weather is nice out) but online is always there.

Mohawk General Store, Los Angeles: This store is super close to me and where I go for all my favorite brands, ranging from The Row, A.Presse, Our Legacy. They have a solid fragrance and accessory selection with cool jewelry, shoes, socks, hats, and wallets. It's the kind of store where you go in for one thing and leave with a few others.

Maxfield, Los Angeles: It’s such an experience to shop in. They carry an eclectic mix of designer brands, smaller brands, and vintage. The staff here is super sweet and always eager to help you find your next wardrobe staple.

Club Ena: A London-based online shop specializing in designer bag brands like Hermès, Chanel, Dior, etc. The curation is exceptional and the buying experience is seamless. The team is fairly small but so kind and responsive, and will send videos of bags if you want to see close-ups or specific details. If you've been sitting on a dream bag, I recommend looking here.

Mothfood, Los Angeles: My favorite place for vintage tees. You can shop in-person by appointment or online. I genuinely don’t know how they curate as good of a selection as they do, but I always leave with four or five things that I know I’ll wear until they fall apart.

What he’s shopping:

City Thong Sandal

“I grew up on the coast of North Carolina where we pretty much wear flip flops year-round, so a great sandal has always felt like a non-negotiable part of my wardrobe. The Row's City Thong Sandal is exactly that. They’re made from Italian leather and built to last years. The Row always has such great footwear and so it’s no surprise that I’ve been wearing these non-stop since purchasing them. Quite the upgrade from the Rainbows I grew up with.”

The Row -

Togo So Kelly 26

“I finally bought my first Hermès. The So Kelly 26 in Ebene (2011), found through Club Ena, a London-based online retailer that I recently discovered. This bag had been on my wishlist for quite some time and after now owning it I can say, it was 100% worth the wait. The size is perfect: substantial enough to be functional, small enough to never feel like a burden. The brown leather surprised me a bit with how well it works during this season. I used to associate brown leather with cooler months but since this one is a little older, it’s really nice. Because the So Kelly has more of a relaxed, hobo-like silhouette, it doesn't carry that stiff formality that keeps a lot of luxury bags out of casual rotation.”

Hermès -

Saturday 8AM | Hinoku Buro

“Fragrance is an extension of your personal style in the same way clothing is. It's the part of your outfit that enters the room before you do and lingers after you leave. I recently picked up Setchu's scent “Saturday 8am | Hinoki Buro” from a menswear boutique called La Garçonne while I was in NYC for work and I haven't wanted to wear anything else since. It smells like the most ideal version of myself. It's warm, confident, and has such a distinct uniqueness that even the fragrance notes themselves can't really properly convey. The notes are warm steam, hinoki, black pepper, and musk… a real compliment magnet.”

Setchu -

Thomas Christos Kikis, stylist

His shopping philosophy: “I’m constantly introduced to new brands and designers. After show season, I’m left inspired, but rarely persuaded to stray too far away from my uniform and the brands I’m loyal to — vintage Levi’s, Church’s loafers, a Prada or Margaret Howell knit. The constants hold, but occasionally, a new brand or designer breaks through and becomes an instant essential.

His favorite stores:

Cubitts, multiple locations: The brand founded by architects and engineers, and they approach eyewear with discipline: precise proportions and multiple sizes of each style. I wear the “Turnbull.”

Thom Sweeney and Brooks Brothers, multiple locations: With wedding season approaching, you can’t wait until the last minute to get a suit or tuxedo. Thom Sweeney and Brooks Brothers remain dependable and affordable. You’ll no longer panic every time you receive a save-the-date.

What he’s shopping:

Vans Authentic in Faded Black

“These pony hair Vans have entered my life in steady rotation. I wear them to work, to dinner.”

Rolex GMT-Master II 16710 Stainless Steel Black Dial (2002)

“I don’t really drink or smoke, but my one vice is vintage watches. Wrist Aficionado has an incredible collection.”

Wrist Aficionado -

Rejuvenating Antioxidant Oil Serum

“I live in Los Angeles and on airplanes, so my skin is always super dry. Admittedly, I’m not the best at taking care of my skin. This serum does all the heavy lifting.”

Joanna Vargas -

Caleb Hahne Quintana, artist

His shopping philosophy: “I’m a big eBay shopper, so I’m mostly looking for well worn vintage tees or vintage Ralph Lauren oxfords. It’s hot in New York after about two weeks of spring, so I need clothes that breathe and that I can beat up in the studio. If I were to make one big purchase this spring/summer I’d probably get a pair of Belgians. They look good with everything and it’d be nice to take a break from my boots.

His favorite stores:

C’H’C’M’, NoHo, New York: C’H’C’M’ walked so the rest of menswear shops could run.

Self Edge, SoHo, New York: It has the two things everyone needs for an outfit: blank tees and good denim. Can’t go wrong.

What he’s shopping:

Men's Navy Oxford Shirt

Polo Ralph Lauren -

Vintage 90s The Beatles Revolver T-Shirt

eBay -

The Belgian Loafer in Brown

Morjas -

We’ve ran the numbers and according to our calculations, November will be the best time of year to visit Las Vegas in 2026. Not only will the comfortable 70 degree temps offer a nice respite from the chilly fall weather, but you’ll also have the chance to catch BLACKPINK’s Lisa in her very first Vegas residency, “Viva La Lisa.”

Per Variety, who broke the news on March 30, the K-Pop star is slated to make her residency debut at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace starting Nov. 13. The show will run for two weekends for a total of four shows (Nov. 13, Nov. 14, Nov. 27, and Nov. 28), making the Thai rapper the first K-Pop artist to headline a Vegas residency.

The residency poster sees Lisa (born Lalisa Manoban) in high-waisted sheer black tights and a pair of furry hand muffs conveniently covering her bare top.

Fans can sign up for presale access from Wednesday, April 1 at 10 a.m. PT through Sunday, April 19 at 10 p.m. PT. Presale begins on Wednesday, April 22 at 10 a.m. PT.

NYLON touched down in Miami Beach on Thursday, March 26, to debut NYLON Dance 100 — a globally minded celebration of the DJs and producers defining nightlife right now. Hosted at Tala Beach at 1 Hotel South Beach, the one-night event drew a crowd of over 400 artists, celebrities, influencers, and tastemakers — the kind of guest list that signals you’re exactly where you need to be during Miami Music Week.

From the moment guests stepped inside, the energy was already building. Beau Cruz set the tone early, while trays of Passion Fizz cocktails — a crisp mix of Belvedere Vodka, passion fruit, lime, and club soda — made their way through the crowd. As the night unfolded, sets from Omri, John Summit, and Greg 99 kept the dance floor locked in, each bringing their own edge while feeding into a seamless, high-voltage rhythm that pulsed late into the night. VIPs including Hugel, Louis The Child, LP Giobbi, and Rachel Zoe were spotted throughout the night, fully tapped into the moment.

At the bar, Belvedere Vodka and GHOST® Energy delivered a cocktail lineup that felt distinctly Miami. The “Dirty Twist” — made with Belvedere Dirty Brew, orange, and cinnamon sugar — added a sultry, unexpected hit, while the GHOST Energy & Vodka (featuring GHOST Energy “OG” Original, Belvedere Vodka, and a lime wedge) quickly became the drink of the night. Nearby, VIP tables stocked with Belvedere 10 and custom GHOST Energy buckets turned bottle service into its own kind of spectacle.

Between the sound, the setting, and a crowd that knew exactly what kind of night this was, NYLON Dance 100 didn’t just show up — it set the tone. Keep scrolling for the moments that defined it.

Photos: Diana Zapata/BFA.com

Miami Music Week may be in its tenth year of turning it up for electronic music fans, but last night’s first-ever NYLON and Youth To The People dinner hosted by editor-in-chief Lauren McCarthy was intentionally designed as a moment for slowing down and deepening connection amid the buzz. Building on the momentum of the NYLON 100 list, it was the perfect Miami night to welcome a handpicked lineup of DJs, tastemakers, and friends of the brand for a restorative evening at Soho Beach House Bar.

From the moment guests stepped into the oceanfront sanctuary — escorted past the pool to the entrance of the beach bar — they were invited to celebrate the “glow” from the inside out. Passed cocktails included signature serves like delicious tangy frozen Palomas and house Picantes, a chili-laced twist on the margarita.

Custom cotton cocktail napkins emblazoned with “Drink Your Greens” doubled as an adornment and a directive. And for those wanting to capture the moment, Youth To The People provided guests with mini digicams to use in front of the fresh lush palm tree and lush botanical photo backdrop.

It was no surprise that the decor and dinner played off of Youth To The People’s ethos of superfood ingredients and nature-inspired routines. Hints of the brand’s innovative skincare technology and plant extracts were in everything from the tropical florals (think: mosses and leafy greens, pops of vitamin C orange, and luminous white hues) and the refreshing menu (antioxidant-rich salads and plant-powered entrees served family-style). An array of the brand’s signature products was artfully woven into the tablescapes, complete with wooden pedestals.

Between bites of hamachi crudo and Tuscan kale salad, creators Melany Cecilia and Xandra Pohl chatted with McCarthy about their latest spring beauty finds and travel plans, while others took selfies and snapped pics of the healthy-chic menu.

And since any Miami Music Week event wouldn’t be complete without a resident DJ, Nylon Member NÈMEKKO blended some upbeat, trance-inducing beats for a just-right vibe. To end the night on a high note, guests were invited to scan the back of their place cards to get special swag including the iconic Kale + Green Tea Spinach Vitamins Superfood Cleanser and the Youthscreen Sunscreen. As the night came to a close, guests made their way to the after party — it’s Miami Music Week after all, and the night was just getting started.

Every person I’ve ran into this week while flitting from appointment to dinner to party and back again has lamented the grueling schedule that spring brings — but we wouldn’t have it any other way. In the words of Beyoncé, we are back outside, and the week had us dancing in Hudson Yards, sipping on mezcal and champagne in SoHo, and vibing out on a Lower East Side sidewalk. Wherever the party went, we duly followed, so see what caught our interest over the course of the last five days below.

Valentino Eyewear Brings The Girls Westward

On a Wednesday night, you can expect to find New York’s It scene somewhere on the Lower East Side nursing a fresh glass of wine or Aperol spritz. Valentino Eyewear had other plans; namely, to get everyone up to Hudson Yards for an epic carnival in honor of their Spring/Summer 2026 optical launch. It was the busiest scene of the week, complete with popcorn, cotton candy, a mirrored carousel, hefty amounts of tequila, and a classically New York DJ set from the king Mark Ronson.

Noah & Converse Do Wine & Cheese

It was a bro-heavy scene at Bar Oliver (more than usual) on a Wednesday night, where Converse and Noah were toasting to their collaborative sneakers. Girls and guys spilled out into the street with petnats in hand as some special guests rocked the plaid low-rise sneaks, and the DJs’ vinyl set kept the vibes high until last call.

Ain’t No Party Like A Fcukers Party

The red-hot house-music duo, fronted by Shanny Wise and Jackson Walker Lewis is back with a full-length debut album, Ö, and to make it New York official, they hosted a release party. Their friend and colleague The Dare shared the decks with them as the line at Deluxx Fluxx wound around the corner. Sunglasses stayed on inside, new bangers were unleashed on a raucous crowd, and an orange-and-blue cake was presented to the hottest girl and boy in electronic music.

American Express, Staud & A Massive Tin Of Caviar Walk Into A Bar...

... in honor of Staud and AmEx’s collaborative collection which features beaded bags and T-shirts inspired by the American Express Gold Card. Sarah Staudinger and campaign star Laura Harrier were joined by the likes of Morgan Riddle and Isan Elba to indulged in heaps of caviar on blinis, bespoke cocktails, and the cutest backdrop of the week.

Movado Stops & Smells The Cherry Blossoms

The timepiece brand with a rich history — and an equally amazing future — celebrated their latest women’s collections with a brunch at King New York, where vases of cherry blossoms spilled onto the tables. Movado ambassador and the greatest living actress (in our humble opinion) Julianne Moore played host to a group of watch-loving ladies, with Movado president Margot Grinberg, Moore’s stylist Kate Young, Brynn Wallner, and many more generation-leading women.

Every week, we bring you SOUNDCHECK — your destination for the best new music that just hit the web. Because you should always be prepared when someone passes you that AUX cord. This week's roundup features 13 of our favorite emerging and established artists.

“YES GODDD” by Slayyyter

Earsplitting, hellish. Makes you feel like you need a bath just listening to it. Slayyyter summer, here we come.

“Really Real” by Robyn

Get in ladies, we’re getting Sexistential. If you can, listen to this on the best speakers money can buy – you won’t regret it. The explosive chorus, the electric guitar solo, the sinister synth, it’s all just so good.

“Tractor Beam” by Snail Mail

The most optimistic, uplifting perspective on a failing relationship I’ve heard in a minute. Lindsey Jordan’s glass-half-full attitude is completely contagious, which is not an easy feat in times like these. We could all stand to learn something from her.

“Back In Love” by Suki Waterhouse

The instrumentation is grand, luscious, and builds a world that perfectly supports Waterhouse’s self-respecting, life-affirming lyrics.

“Feel Your Rain” by Eli

Another nostalgically forward-thinking smash from Eli. The lyrics are relatable and emotionally resonant without compromising that nonsensical-ness that was huge in the early 2000s pop. What does it mean to “feel your rain”? It makes total sense in the mind, but try to put it to words and it falls apart.

“Must Be” by Tkay Maidza

Tkay Maizda does so much with so little; how she managed to make such a minimalistic beat sound so expansive needs to be studied.

“Dream House” by Empress Of

Though it would be the honor of a lifetime to live in a dream house built by Empress Of, I would gladly settle for a spot in the the sonic world she has created for us.

“Heart Attack” by Justine Skye

Seductive vocal? Check. Addictive house beat? Check. Kaytranada? Check. Whatever Justine Skye is pouring, I’m drinking.

“Eyelash” by Bladee

The most Bladee love song there ever was. “I wanna be in your eye like a eyelash / I wanna be on your apps like a iPad;” sorry but I’m swooning.

“Hanging Out To Dry” by Florence Road

The way this song could either be about the early stages of a relationship or a three-year long situationship is both impressive and haunting.

“She’s A Sweetheart” by Momo Boyd

Please rise for the people-pleasing national anthem — and make sure to smile while you sing it.

“Lonely” by Fcukers

As long as you have a speaker, a dance floor, and Fcukers on the queue, you’ll never be alone.

“Prom Queen” by Amelia Moore

LCD Soundsystem if they were a girl with really cool hair.

How does one get dressed for their debut feature film premiere? If you’re a meticulous planner and master of manifestation like Katarina Zhu, you turn your moodboard dreams into reality with a little help from your friends. Zhu’s first movie as a director, Bunnylovr, had its film-festival debut at Sundance last year, and her and costar Rachel Sennott went all-in for the premiere in Los Angeles. Anna Sui’s Spring/Summer 1997 collection was the inspiration for Zhu’s dress, and with the support of her friend (and Sui’s niece) Jeannie Sui Wonders, she borrowed two matching dresses with butterfly wings attached for the evneing.

It’s a full-circle moment for the NYU alumnae as they extend their wings into new territory, and fits with the cutesy-slash-dark mood of the film, which sees Zhu as a sad cam girl who gets gifted a bunny by an anonymous online client. Zhu made sure all other stars were aligned for her getting-ready process, including a reunion with a beloved makeup artist and friend, entering a slight panic about not having a full-length mirror (real), and, in true director form, being obsessive about her glam for the evening. See how she blossomed into an Anna Sui butterfly for the big night (and still made it home for a late-night sandwich).

“Hiiii”

“I'm such a control freak when it comes to glam because I feel like there's a really thin line and once you've crossed it, suddenly you start feeling like a clown.”

“DREAM GLAM TEAM. Akina, my MUA, and I actually worked together once eight years ago and were reunited yesterday.”

“Classic text from me to my fairy godmother producer, Ani, who makes miracles happen. The mirrors were secured. She never doesn't come through.”

“Katarina & Merve! Merve is my genius stylist who helped pull together the look with less than zero time or money <3 Mimi <3”

“I've had this image of these matching Anna Sui butterfly wing dresses from her SS1997 collection on my vision board for years and my friend Jeannie, who is Anna's niece, very kindly put us in touch and made the dream a reality.”

“😻😻😻😻😻😻”

“Never leave home without my Dior Lip Maximizer, Celisse nail oil, and a snack.”

“It's rare when your expectations meet reality, but I had the most amazing glam team and stylist and was so happy with how everything turned out from top to bottom.”

“Waiting to be called onto stage.”

“A good moderator is EVERYTHING. My friend, Emma, moderated the Q&A and knocked it out of the park.”

“Requisite post-party PB&J.”

Spring’s arrival has our inboxes inundated with trend alerts and shopping guides for the warmer weather. Jury’s still out on where the said weather is, but fashion isn’t waiting for sun or moderate temperatures to get into the mood. It’s a busy week in the fashion-verse, with openings, departures, collaborations, and nostalgia-filled moments that we can’t help but fall for (see: Margot Robbie and Kylie Minogue making Chanel history). Out of awards season and into festival season we go, and along with that, gala season, spring-movie season... whatever seasons you could possibly dream up, it’s time. Q2 is dropping soon, but before we settle fully into the weekend, see our TL;DR recap of the fashion news your algorithm might’ve hidden from you.

Zendaya Makes Quite The Blushing Bride

For Zendaya’s latest turn as a wife-to-be in The Drama, it’s been all bridal-white looks for the premieres, but for promotional appearances, she’s turning to blush-pink looks. The tattered couture by Matières Fecales might be the best dress she’s worn all year, and the Ermanno Scervino slip dress and fuzzy coat feels like vintage Z.

Demna Gets Sleazy With His Latest Gucci Campaign

Smokey eyes were all over the runways this season, especially at Gucci, where makeup artist Sam Visser drew cat eyes out of kohl and made our favorite It girls look extra, well, sleazy (complimentary). For the “The Beauty and the Bag” campaign, Demna tapped Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott to shoot Kate Moss and Emily Ratajkowski in the Borsetto and Giglio handbag styles, not too much clothing, and yes, hundreds of dollars worth of smudged black eyeshadow.

Miley Cyrus Gives Hannah Montana A High-Fashion Wardrobe

It only feels right that the 2026 version of Hannah Montana is just as selective and b*tchy about her wardrobe as Cyrus. For the red carpet premiere of the 20th anniversary special, Cyrus wore custom Rabanne with her face on it; on Good Morning America, it was a Valentino tank top and wide-leg jeans that could’ve come straight from a midseason Hannah performance.

Nicolas de Felice Is Out At Courrèges

The Frenchman led the retro-futuristic brand to new heights (and brought back bandeaus, functional party bags, and freakishly large sunglasses), and after five years, he announced he’s stepping away to work on “personal projects.” In my group chats and in certain circles online, he’s been named as a favorite to take over Alaïa since Pieter Mulier left. Here’s hoping that’s his “personal” project...?

& Christopher Kane Is In At Mulberry

The beloved British designer put his personal brand on pause in 2023 after hardships, but he’s not down and out. He’s designed collections for Self-Portrait since then and now will be tasked with relaunching Mulberry’s ready-to-wear. His talent has been sorely missed, and we can’t wait to see how he interprets the classically English house.

Schiaparelli Is Museum Quality, Baby

The V&A Museum in London opened Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, which coincides nicely with the Costume Institute’s upcoming exhibit Costume Art. It’s the first dedicated Schiaparelli exhibit in the United Kingdom and features work from Elsa Schiaparelli all the way up to current creative director Daniel Roseberry. Real fashion heads will spot Ariana Grande’s 2025 Oscars dress, Dua Lipa’s 2024 Golden Globes dress, and Bella Hadid’s red silk dress from The Beauty premiere. They celebrated with a gala on Mar. 23, where friends of the brand like Gabbriette, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Chase Infiniti, and Naomi Ackie all wore their favorite Roseberry designs.

COS Went To Seoul...

... to show their see-now-buy-now Spring/Summer 2026 show. They brought Alexander Skarsgård, Emma Roberts, and Diego Calva along with them, and our favorite looks from the runway were deceptively simple and all white. They also aligned with our current desire to stay away from oversized silhouettes. We recommend a sheer polo and matching pant for your summer getaway.

Cecilie Bahnsen & The North Face Go Green

The linkup between the Danish designer and the all-weather experts at The North Face is similar to launches past (think: ballerina skirts in waterproof materials, floral-covered duffle bags) but rendered in Forest Night Green. We’re here for the waterproof jacket and pants, which have zippers that turn them into a vest and shorts, respectively.

Once upon a time, Meredith Alloway was interviewing celebs about their latest film projects for NYLON. Today, she’s the one being interviewed. “The education that I got from interviewing people was like film school,” Alloway tells NYLON. “There's so many things that people told me that were guiding lights for me.”

One of the most valuable pearls of wisdom came from Oscar Isaac, who encouraged the aspiring screenwriter to pursue her dream of moving to New York. “A year later I interviewed him again. He goes, ‘Did you make it?’ I said, ‘I'm here,’" she recounts. Next time they meet, she can tell Isaac she’s made it as a writer-director.

Based on Lily Houghton’s 2019 play Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die, Alloway’s debut feature Forbidden Fruits tells the story of mall employees and amateur witches Apple (played by Lili Reinhart), Cherry (Victoria Pedretti), and Fig (Alexandra Shipp), whose cult-like friendship is put to the test when new girl Pumpkin (Lola Tung) joins the group. It’s satirical camp comedy meets sheer horror, or as Alloway would say, “It's a Jolly Rancher with a razor blade hidden inside.” If Fruits reminds you of your favorite teen comedy (or slasher), that’s not a mistake; Alloway called upon more than a few inspirations when writing and directing the project, and we caught up with the director ahead of the film’s theatrical release on March 27 to talk about them all. Plus, the note she gave Lola Tung that she now wears around her neck, Emma Chamberlain’s feature debut, and more.

I was hoping you could take us through your inspirations for Forbidden Fruits. Let's start with books. What did you read while working on the film?

[Forbidden Fruits is] based on a play. Normally when I'm working on something, my avenue is books, podcasts. So it was interesting to go, "This is already a fully fledged text in a sense.” And then from there, it was [deciding] what [was] going to be additive to the play that Lily Houghton wrote, Of the woman came at the beginning of sin and through her we all die.

The stakes [of the play] are someone steals a baby pink thong. There's no murder, there's no this or that. But what was really interesting is Lily and I were coming off writing two other movies that had very similar themes when we met about Fruits. I had written a female-led Taxi Driver sort of film, and she had another project exploring lady killers. We both had read books about that when we met. I have to shout out to Tori Telfer, an incredible writer who wrote Lady Killers and Criminal Broads, two separate books that I'm obsessed with. There is a wealth of women out there who have committed crimes or killed people, but in very different ways than men. It's the Medea complex of it all. Women really believe this is the best thing to do for themselves, for the people around them or to survive.

I read a lot of biographies... I listened to dozens of audiobooks, particularly bios of directors, writers, filmmakers. One of the ones that really kept me going was Barbra Streisand's very long book. I have quotes on [my white board] and there's one from her book that says “Thought transcends matter.” I read Mike Nichols' bio, Sidney Lumet's book was really helpful to me. It was a really good lesson in if you're feeling stuck, go to the greats. What did they do? How did they get through periods of time when their movies lost financing, when they had no hope? It gave me some mantras that really helped me through the movie.

How about music?

When we were getting a pitch together, we had a playlist that we collaborated on. The movie does kind of exist out of time and space. It feels like an homage to the '90s, 2000's, but I wanted it to feel modern. I started with music that I grew up listening to. It was TLC, it was Hole, it was Gwen Stefani, and also just some one-hit wonders. “Torn” [by] Natalie Imbruglia. For me, it was like, “What are songs that encapsulated that era when I was going to the mall with my girlfriends growing up?”

My amazing music supervisor, Michaela Simmons, sent me [some songs] two years before we ended up shooting the movie. There's a woman, Meg Lee Chin. When I listened to her album, I was dancing around my kitchen. Atticus Ross has a band with his wife called 12 Rounds, and we got a song from them. It was this kind of '90s grunge, but meets modern pop. Haute & Freddy opened the movie. They're performers, their songs are rich, they're musical. Something that was important to me was, these [characters] aren't putting on sensuality or fierceness or whatever. They just are. I wanted the music to not feel false. I wanted it to feel guttural in the way that I think that they move through the world.

And the movies that you watched?

There was a lot of duality in the movie. I say over and over, the two movies that were the guiding light were American Psycho and Blood And Black Lace, which is a giallo film from the late 60's because I was struggling to find modern films that are feminine and eerie and glamorous. I really found the visual language of the giallo films, of Mario Baba films. They really spoke to me. I was like, "Oh, we want the world of these girls in the coven and the mall to feel beautiful and glamorous, but also uncanny." That's where I started.

There's films like Daisies, Virgin Suicides, movies that really showed women being messy. A Woman Under The Influence, Gena Rowland's performance in that is one of the best of all time. I was like, “I need to watch the glamour and the sort of buttoned up satire, but then also the unraveling.” There's still so many movies on my watch list that I didn't even get to that I can't wait for people to see the film and be like, "Oh, it reminds me of this." And I'll be like, "I never saw that movie, but now I need to go see it."

Was there any pop culture that you were inspired by?

The pop culture wasn't a planned thing. The characters came first and then it was like, "What would they reference?" There's a Hilary Duff collab shout out. It wasn't like, "Oh, Hilary Duff is coming back into pop culture.” It was more of an inward out where we're like, "Girls working at a store like this in the mall. What would be the '90s, 2000s nostalgic collab that they would be excited about?" No-brainer, Hilary Duff.

There's a whole plot about Fig loving Ed Sheeran. To us it was like, the more specific to these characters, the [easier] it is 20 years from now to insert the Ed Sheeran 20 years from now. We wanted to keep it so specific that it could be broad that people could insert their own. "What is a nostalgic collab I would be excited about? Is it Jessica Simpson?" It's like when Pumpkin comes down the stairs, she's been made over. Fig's like, "You're so Andy Sachs right now. Miranda Priestley would take you to Paris." That's the way we all speak. But hopefully my mom's generation would be like, "Oh, you're so Audrey Hepburn right now." We were like, “We don't want to be too of the now that we eliminate the timelessness of the movie.” That's the goal. I don't know if we achieved it, but that was the goal.

The tone of the film is very singular: it’s satire-y and can be bitingly funny, but it's also genuinely chilling at times. Was there anything that inspired the tone?

I read this chapter [in Mike Nichols’ biography] where he’s returning to theater and puts up this show at a repertory. It takes place in the barracks during a war. The guys are smoking and they're having a great time, and then this character shows up, sort of punctuates the rhythm of it all and you're like, "That was weird." Then it keeps going and this character keeps showing up. As I'm reading the book, the is author describing it as, people at a certain point were like, "Is something really bad going to happen? I feel like something really bad." Then a character gets injured and is bleeding on stage, and apparently someone passed out. I was like, "That's it." I want to plant the seeds of dread and then just keep moving past them in a way that hopefully by the time that something violent happens, you go, "I knew this was going to happen." I want people to be anxious and be like, "Something is going to give way. Something signals it's going to go poorly."

You mentioned the film is based on the play, but you said the worst thing that happens in the play is that somebody steals a thong. How did you settle on this is being a slasher, and how did you build upon the world that was already created?

When I sat down to get coffee with Lily I said, "Listen, Mean Girls but a slasher." And she immediately was like, "Love it. Let's do it." Obviously we kept talking about it, but I felt like we both felt in that moment that hyperbolizing some of the things that are happening, preserving the ethos of the characters and especially their relation to each other, that didn't change. [The characters] were named after flowers [in the play]. The end of the movie, we sort of hat tipped to that. Maybe if we make another film, the flowers would come back.

All of their dynamics [were] preserved. Being from Dallas, I love horror films that unite us because we get to experience something that maybe we haven't experienced watching a character go through it. It's almost like Nightmare On Elm Street. I hope none of us have been visited by Freddie Krueger, but I think that that movie has stood the test of time because we all know what it feels like to have a bad dream. It takes that universal feeling and hyperbolizes it. It allows us to connect under a bigger banner than our own specific shared experiences. I love slashers for that.

Hopefully people watch the movie and they go, "I know that breakups between friends can feel really scary and emotional and dark and beautiful, and I know what it feels like to want to belong to something." Maybe we don't do the things that these girls do in order to belong, but I think we've all done things that we go, "I think I joined a cult a little bit." Whatever it may be.

Speaking of, we can't talk about the movie without talking about your amazing cast. How did you know you found your fruits?

From the get go, I had no chill. I'm such a fan of all these girls. Truly, each time that we heard that we got a meeting with one of them, I was beside myself. I didn't grow up in and around this world, so it still feels crazy to me and I feel so crazy grateful. Lily Houghton was involved in the casting process, which is so great to have your partner in crime there with you experiencing those meetings together. Each of the girls brought their own energy to the characters and that energy meshing with what was on the page, it all clicked.

Lili Reinhart, she's so subtly funny and witty in everything she does. I was like, "She's got comedy chops." I just believed she would be the queen bee of that mall in Dallas. I was like, "You would be the girl that in high school worked at Abercrombie and Fitch." Lola [Tung] can pull off the sweetness. We've seen her do that in The Summer I Turned Pretty, but Lola is a Scorpio and an ambitious person. I wear this necklace that has a direction on it that I apparently gave to Lola that says, "One more time, a little cunt-y." Lola brought the Russian doll effect to Pumpkin, especially as the film goes on.

Victoria [Pedretti] is just so phenomenal in You and Haunting of Hill House and [I] was such a fan of hers. When she smiles, it lights up the screen. She's so emotive and so free and open in every role that she does, and I wanted that for Cherry. She takes up space, but also can be in next to Apple. But then when she's away from Apple [she] is the queen of her environment.

Then Alex Shipp is a witch. When we met her, she was like, "Oh, I do bone casting." I was like, "Of course you do." She's so whip-smart in the way that Fig is. It's like all of their energy locked in. They all have comedic timing. They all have the depths that I think that are needed to pull off the confessionals. I could go on and on about them.

You also have Emma Chamberlain making her feature film debut in such an important role to the film. How did you know that she was the right person for this role?

The moment someone brought up, "What about Emma Chamberlain?" I said, "Sold." It was a no-brainer. I always knew I wanted to cast someone that isn't known first and foremost as an actress. Pickle is an outsider. I want to already get ahead of the audience with that or to lean into the audience's preconceived notions. [Emma is] so funny. I keep hearkening back on that because satire is so difficult. I was like, "I need people that can commit to the bit." She's playing a character named Pickle and you have to treat it like life or death because it is. I really can't wait for people to see the turn that she takes. I want her to be in more scenes in a movie, but that was the character.

Yeah, she killed it. I feel like people are going to see this film and be very quick to label it as “campy.” Was that your intention?

My intention was more play. I just followed the giggle. That sounds so cheesy to say, but every step of the way down to the music editing of the score, I was like, "What makes me feel tickled?" I'll give you a perfect example. [Lily is] sitting across me writing. She starts laughing. I was like, "What are you laughing about?" She goes, "I wrote a line. We're never going to keep it." I go, "Well, now you have to tell me." She's like, "Do you have sand in your ass cracks? You're giving beach babe." And we died laughing. I was like, "This is insane. We have to keep it. " Camp allows you to do that. As long as it's motivated, like a character would actually say that, I then had to go, "Well, maybe the momfluencer has been to the beach. Maybe we need to prop it up with some logic."

But if that's camp, then so be it. I think that we're all craving play and not taking things so seriously. The whole point of movies and art is to enjoy ourselves and learn more about ourselves and have some fun.

Are you a big believer in the occult? What is the witchiest thing about you?

Of course, I'm a believer in the occult. I really practice manifesting in a way that I think is real. I have a little witch store called Enchantments in my neighborhood. I'm a frequent customer, and I was telling Alex [Shipp] about it. She goes, "Well, you know what you need to do. You need to get a cinnamon stick and put it in your wallet, and that will bring you money." I kept that cinnamon stick in there, forgot about it. Then when we're in post on the movie, the pouch breaks and I'm cleaning it out. The cinnamon stick was buried in the lining of it. I forgot it was there. I carried that around for a year.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Morgan Stewart McGraw is your favorite influencer’s favorite influencer — although lumping her in with other content creators feels lazy, given she’s not prone to regular posting. When she joins me on the phone from her office-slash-closet — “I’m a little hungover, I’m not going to lie” — she’s trying to find the right light for a mirror selfie. “God is fair. He couldn’t give me everything. He had to make basic things very difficult for me.” This is a typical conceit of an unedited TikTok she might post on a whim; her irregular social-media presence and rejection of influencer tropes make her stand apart from other more heavy-handed posters. She’s ready to come back in a regular (yet still candid and very Morgan) way with a podcast on SiriusXM: The Morgan Stewart Show.

We’ve gotten several editions of Stewart McGraw over the years, whether first on our screens in The Rich Kids of Beverly Hills or hosting E!’s Nightly Pop. Her quick wit, signature bottle-blond-and-high-heels look, and timeless style have made her both an Instagram mainstay and a tentpole of fashion criticism. She laments her erratic posting schedule (“Kind of chic though, right?”), but it’s not unwarranted: Since Nightly Pop was canceled, she’s had two children with Jordan McGraw, lost her father and brother, and started her own clothing line, Renggli. Doing a podcast when everyone has turned to the format felt like the expected next step that she at first rejected, but now that she’s juggling a mini empire, Stewart McGraw says it feels like the right time and right place. Plus, one and half hours in the SiriusXM studio is better than, say, 12 hours on set for a half-hour television spot. “I have a whole f*cking fashion brand I’m running. I don’t have time to do... Well, I guess Kim Kardashian does, but I don’t. I’m not Kim Kardashian.”

Beyond laying a blueprint for approaching the digital world, her touch is all over the fashion industry. When Stewart McGraw posts a specific pair of Chanel flats or a sweater from The Row, expect the styles to sell out within 24 hours. Just like her closet and her passions, she expects the show to take shape as it happens — but don’t expect a typical press-tour podcast with stars of the moment. Her first episode is with her husband; her second with her mother, Susan; and the next with former Rich Kids of Beverly Hills co-star Roxy Sowlaty. There will be no agenda, just what fans of Stewart McGraw have yearned for: unfiltered thoughts, Gemini-girl tangents, and yes, fashion takes. Below, she chats with NYLON about finally giving into a podcast, why she hates shopping now, and who her dream guest is for The Morgan Stewart Show.

Why a podcast now?

To be completely transparent as always, every year my agent’s like, “You have to do a podcast.” And I was like, “I’m a television star. I’m not doing a podcast.” Everyone can do a podcast. I thought they were really oversaturated. I was like, “There doesn’t need to be a Morgan Stewart podcast.” I also went through a lot. I gave birth to a lot of children; I’ve lost a lot of people. I wasn’t feeling that well physically and mentally was not clear. I shot a pilot for something a year and a half ago, and I was so physically anxious and not well that I was like, “I can’t go through with this.” As of the last six months, the stars aligned and I was like, “This is the time to take this on. I need to do something different. I need to do something at my own pace. I need to do something weekly that I can produce.” It fits my lifestyle the best.

For someone who has a career like yours, intuition is the first thing that needs to be on the table. If it’s not working, you have the luxury to say so.

Wow. I’m glad that translates because it’s 100% the truth. Literally, I’m allergic to it if it doesn’t feel real. Also, you can quote me on this, there is not a lot of money on the table. I think I’m paying myself to do this podcast. I don’t think I’m getting a paycheck of any kind. This was really about lifestyle, and it was the right project. Really, from a pragmatic standpoint, I have kids, so the schedule is great. I can go into a studio for an hour and a half a week. Doing a television show is every single day, all day long. I don’t have that kind of time. I have a whole f*cking fashion brand I’m running. I don’t have time to do... Well, I guess Kim Kardashian does, but I don’t. I’m not Kim Kardashian.

Now that you’ve come around to the podcast, what gap in the market are you hoping to fill?

Honestly, I don’t know if I’m trying to fill a space. I’m trying to pick back up a conversation I’ve had with my audience for all of these years. This is the longest stretch of time since you guys have met me — whether it be Rich Kids [of Beverly Hills] or going on to E! to host different shows — that we haven’t been in communication consistently. I’m ready to have all the conversations that have been in my head over the last three-ish years, and on a consistent basis. I’m ready to talk to some people in my life and talk to some interesting people that are famous. The show’s still going to take form. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I’m not going to talk to every famous person that’s on a press run. I don't need to talk to you sixth in line after you’ve spoken to somebody and given all the same answers. We don’t need to hear that.

You want to bring people on that maybe we haven’t heard from in a while, or people that you just f*ck with.

Yes. People I find interesting, things I find interesting. Maybe there’s some self-help people, maybe it’s a nutritionist... I mean, whatever information I find interesting in my life.

I know you’re having your husband on the first episode.

Yes. And my mom is coming on. She’s the best. Roxy Sowlaty from Rich Kids is coming on Wednesday. I’m so excited. That was a decision I made two days ago. I feel like that’s what’s going to happen with this podcast. It’s not going to be this overly produced, filtered thing, like, “OK, tell me what you’re thinking about every day.” It’s just going to be fun. We have that whole A to B, B to C vibe.

Is there anything that will be off-limits on the show?

No, I haven’t even thought about that, so I guess everything’s fair game. It’s going to be family, stuff with me, relationships, friendships, running businesses. That’s a huge part of my life now that I wasn’t as focused on when I was doing the shows. You’re going to get a lot more of a broad Morgan Stewart throughout the podcast.

I’m hoping we’ll get some fashion takes from you because that’s what I loved from Nightly Pop. I like when you do red-carpet reviews.

Why is everyone doing those, by the way? I’m like, “Cringe. Stop.” Just because you put an outfit on doesn’t mean we need to hear from you.

Who is winning awards season for you?

I hate to be so boring, but Emma Stone is bringing the heat. It’s understated. It’s not a huge fashion in-your-face moment, but she looks f*cking snatched. The outfits are beautiful; they’re not overcomplicated. Teyana Taylor looks amazing, and she is a fashion diva. I can really stand by that, but it’s more theatrical. It’s almost expected, versus if Emma Stone showed up in something like that, we’d be like, “Oh, this is different for you.”

People are trying to find a new Joan Rivers. Would you take on that crown if it was given to you?

Oh, my God. People have told me that for years and the fact that my name is even in the same category as somebody like that, I mean, I’ll never get over it. I don’t think you ever take that crown. I think you borrow it or you build your own. I think about Joan Rivers literally three times a week. She was there when I started at E!, and I’ll never forget how sad I was when she passed away. But yes, I would f*cking take that, 100%.

I think people are not as willing to be as vocally critical anymore, because they want to have opinions, but they also want brand deals.

I think why I quote-unquote “get away with what I say” is because it’s never mean-spirited. It’s truly what I think, and I have real thoughts about these things. When I’m giving my opinion about people’s fashion — like when I said the one girl that I posted whose dress was bad and why is the team letting that happen — I genuinely am like, “Who in that team is saying this is the most flattering look for you?” I’m not saying, “Oh, you look like a f*cking cow.” I think Joan was funny and shock value, but she wasn’t really mean, either. She just said what we all thought. Honestly, at the end of the day, if we don’t have people like that, how are we going to be unified? Nothing else is unifying us right now.

Are you going to have a video component with the podcast?

Yes. I don’t think the lighting’s good. I’m really worried about it, but we’ll figure it out. I don’t think I look good, but I’m also so happy to start at the bottom of this podcast chain. I’m happy to have a sh*tty set, bad lighting, look like sh*t like I did on Rich Kids, then I turned into a swan. I’m ready to get into this bed with my audience, all of you guys, and not look great. Then in a year, if it pops off, we’re all on a new set together. I’m all good with that.

Who would be your dream guest for the show?

Kristen Wiig. She came up to me one time at Sunset Tower and said I was the funniest person. I think I peed on myself. I was shooketh. It was my first night out having a date night with Jordan post Grey [their son, born in 2022]. This girl was circling us, and I thought she was telling the hostess she didn’t want to sit next to us. I went to a whole complex about “Does she not like me from Rich Kids?” I was so postpartum. I had milk coming out of my tits. She kept going back and forth at the table next to us and then another one further down. All of a sudden, she gets closer to me in the light. I realize it’s Kristen Wiig, and she goes, “I just had to tell you, you’re so funny.” And I said, “I’m sorry. What?” I think I was like, “Bridesmaids is my favorite movie of all time!” I need her to come on the f*cking show. Also, I don't know what it is about Amy Poehler — her podcast obviously is amazing — but she’s so calm, and has such a warm, infectious laugh. It’s not even that funny. I think she and I would have a really good chat.

What is on the Morgan Stewart McGraw Spring 2026 shopping list? You just bought three fur runway Prada coats, which is insane behavior.

Yeah, the runway Prada was a big moment for me. I saw them and I was like, “Oh, I’m not going to be able to live without them.” That’s what happened there. I’m so glad I got to wear them in New York, because it’s 80 degrees here [in L.A.]. I got a really beautiful Dries Van Noten sheer chiffon top online. I’m trying to find more interesting, cool pieces, because I keep buying the same stuff over and over, and I keep looking the same. I got a pair of Miu Miu thongs which are cute. I got some of these Chanel woven slingbacks, the flat ones. Chanel did their big one with those.

How do you feel about the new Chanel?

I live it, I breathe it, and I mean that. I love so much of it. I’m going to be very specific. I want fun things I don’t own. I’m leaning into whimsical, like some of those floral Chloé dresses. I might need to get into those. Something about those is very like Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell. Did I just age myself? I am drawn to things that are beautiful and interesting that don’t feel dated right away. When something’s overly trend-centric, I’m like, “Oh, this is already over.” That's where the Virgo comes in. I try to avoid those pieces.

You do a good job of that.

I’m kind of always in the same outfit. Because also, it’s like, “Who is that? Am I that girl? Not really.” If you stare at something too long, you get over it.

How do you feel about the new Phoebe Philo?

Love it. Oh, my God. I have bought a lot of stuff. I love her sunglasses. I started those sunglasses. I think I’m going to do a series of all the things I started that no one gives me credit for. Literally, the big Phoebe Philo oversized sunglasses, the Valentino leopard jacket that every b*tch is wearing, and the Loewe cat eye sunglasses… There’s stuff I wear, and all of a sudden it matriculates all over, but it never gets linked back to me.

Michael Rider’s new collection at Celine is beautiful. You already got the bag.

Of course I got the bag. Obviously, hello. I got the bag, and some of the stuff my sales associate just sent me is cute. Some of those dresses I love. The thing is, shopping is so different now. Everything needs to be pre-ordered… There’s no off-the-cuff experience. I miss that emotion. I feel like the entire fashion industry is a bit pushy, and I’m a bit fatigued.

I feel the same way. I miss Barneys. Everything after Barneys has been so different. That was the last time I enjoyed shopping.

Oh, my God. That was the last time I enjoyed shopping. That also signified the startup age… The world ended. I know we joke, but that was a safe space. I literally was like, “OK, I’m disoriented. I'm going to go to Barneys and recenter.” Now we don't have anything.

The Morgan Stewart Show is available March 25 on SiriusXM or wherever you get your podcasts.

It was 3 a.m. on a cold December night, and Alix Earle was throwing up in the bathroom of her sister’s New York City apartment. It’s the type of chaotic scene her combined 12 million followers may expect from her. This is, after all, a woman who once went viral for posting about the vomit-stained dress she held onto for a year after her birthday festivities. And who sustained a 25-hour party marathon like it was a professional sport. But that night’s situation was different. For one, it was the eve of the most important and busiest days yet for her new skin care brand, Reale Actives, which she’s been secretly working on for the past two and a half years. And the culprit was far from a party — food poisoning had set around 10 p.m. “I was more sick than I’ve been in my entire life,” she tells me. Her call time that morning? 5 a.m.

The media-day itinerary was grueling — 12 hours of showing off her previously top-secret line of cleansers, serum, and moisturizer for acne-prone skin to reporters — and it didn’t stop there: After the press blitz, she’d go into two days of shooting the line’s first campaign. “It’s not like I can just show up and be brainless,” she says. Indeed, the show must go on. “I was green, feeling faint, nauseous, bloated, so sick, but I wouldn’t cancel.”

Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that no amount of bad takeout can stop Earle from showing up and showing out. Stamina of the “no sleep, bus, club, another club” variety has long been part of her secret sauce. Now the party-girl influencer we all met in 2022 as a University of Miami undergrad with a preternatural talent for hypnotic Get Ready With Me videos, who has become a Gen Z superstar and an investor, is at 25, simply parlaying that ethos as founder.

The real surprise might be that she managed to find the time to create an entire brand without anyone knowing. She is, almost literally, all over the place: at the Super Bowl, spectating from a VIP suite, then making a cameo during Bad Bunny’s performance; filming a travel vlog from her girls trip in Aspen, where she’s also shooting scenes for her family’s upcoming Netflix reality show; stepping out in Las Vegas for the star-studded opening of Zero Bond. And she’s setting the rumor mill ablaze for supposedly dating any man she so much as stands next to in any of those places. Meanwhile, she’s also still cranking out her bread and butter: the Get Ready With Me videos that made her famous in the first place.

“You probably think a lot more about your skin than other people do.”

On the spring afternoon when we speak — three months after that unfortunate run-in with food poisoning — Earle is at her family’s home in New Jersey for more filming, fresh off a red-eye from California, tired but marked safe from illness. Just a few hours later, she’ll embark on her second trip to Harvard Business School, where a professor is turning the Alix Earle phenomenon into a case study. Next, it’s off to the Vanity Fair Oscars party. Then, a surprise drop of the photos from her third Sports Illustrated photo shoot, which took place in Botswana… sometime. If your head is spinning, same.

I’d briefly met the reigning queen of TikTok before and witnessed her captivate a room with her bubbly banter and infectious charisma. So when she signs onto our video call from her childhood bedroom, I’m expecting her usual pep, the chaotic kindness that has become her signature. But the Alix Earle who greets me onscreen today is more subdued, professional, sitting cozy with still-wet hair in a roomy sweater with a statement collar. She is ready to talk business. When I ask her about the theme of her life at the moment, the name of this chapter, she responds quickly, with a smile: “Change.” So perhaps audiences should get used to a new side of their parasocial bestie.

“I would rather not post myself crying online. But my audience is going to know I’m holding something back. So, unfortunately, I just have to embarrass myself sometimes.”

Reale Actives (launching March 31) is a four-step acne-focused skin care line, formulated in partnership with dermatologist Dr. Kiran Mian, D.O. While Earle has made strategic investments in on-brand companies before — prebiotic soda brand Poppi and the canned cocktail SipMargs — this venture marks her first foray into founder-dom, a goal she’s had since she was a kid watching her dad (her manager, whom she also calls her “other half” and “therapist”) and uncles run their own construction business. “Watching them pour everything into their business and be so passionate about it, it was always something I wanted to do,” she says. “I definitely did not think it was something I’d be doing at 25. But the influencer industry can be very fleeting, here one second, gone the next.” She was ready to create something entirely her own.

At this point in the life cycle of the influencer-to-entrepreneur pipeline, the brand founder is prevalent and widely studied. Still, Earle’s ability to move major amounts of product made her ripe to start her own thing. Brands call it “Alix Earle effect” — she posts a product, and they inevitably sell out. But she wasn’t in it for a cash grab, she tells me, and had no interest in throwing her name on something that wasn’t personal to her. She wants to build something with a deeper purpose, something that made sense to her and for her followers. “When I started to go through figuring out my ‘why’ for a company, I couldn’t really find one besides ‘Oh, maybe people would buy these products because I’m promoting them,’” she says. “I kept coming back to makeup for acne-prone skin and makeup that can cover acne really well, and finally, someone on my team said to me, ‘Well, why don’t you do skin care if you’re so passionate about it?’”

At first, it was a hard no. “I was like, ‘Absolutely not. I hate skin care. Miserable. I don’t enjoy it.’” As someone who had struggled with acne for many years, she resented having to stick to “clinical and boring” brands she was embarrassed to display on her counter, especially while peers played with the cutely packaged products du jour. And the more she sat with the idea, “It clicked for me that there was a gap there I could fix.” It took a minute, but the “why” had become crystal clear.

“A lot of this, honestly, has been a fake-it-til-you-make-it situation.”

Earle’s first memory of feeling embarrassed about her skin goes back to middle school, when her mom would help her cover her pimples with concealer. “The teachers and principal would call me out, and I’d get in trouble for wearing makeup, and they’d make me wash it off,” she says. “That always just felt so terrible. Even worse than feeling insecure about my skin was having an adult call it out in front of everyone else. That always stuck with me, and it’s something I felt insecure about for a long time.”

Eventually, she discovered for herself that insecurities really can become one’s greatest superpowers. “It may sound silly, but I think that when you are on the path that you’re created for or that you thrive in, a lot of things fall into place,” she says. “When I started posting about my acne online was when I started to get a lot of views and engagement. I remember sitting in this chair right now where I am: I was showing a makeup tutorial, how I cover my skin and go out. That was one of the first things that really resonated with people.”

Reale Actives’ campaign imagery reflects this part of her story, with an emphasis on showing real skin without retouching. “I want everyone to see real pores, real texture, real acne, redness, whatever it is — that’s really, really important to me,” she says. “Our launch photo shoot is sexy, bold, confident, and if you zoom in, you can see that my skin doesn’t look perfect, but it would never be the first thing that comes to mind when you look at the photo — whereas for me, looking at myself, it would be. I want the story to be told that you probably think a lot more about your skin than other people do.”

“Authenticity” may be an overused buzzword these days, but cliches exist for a reason. “My audience knows me so well. And for better or for worse, if I’m holding back and not telling them something, they know,” she says. “Recently I’ve shared a lot of my mental fluctuations and me crying online, and my family’s like, ‘You have to stop. You look psychotic.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, either I’m not posting or I’m sharing what’s going on.’ I would rather not post myself crying online. I don’t want anyone I know to actually see this. But if I don’t share it, they’re going to know that I’m holding something back. So, unfortunately, I just have to embarrass myself sometimes.”

The one area where Earle says she’s “trying” to keep things under wraps is her dating life. “Not that there’s anything going on that’s exciting,” she’s quick to clarify. “But I think that’s been a really hard thing because everyone was so involved in my last relationship online,” she says, referencing her much-documented former romance with football player Braxton Berrios. “So I feel like that’s something where I would try to make sure it’s very concrete before sharing.” She smiles. “I say that now, and then I’m going to be blabbing about it.”

“I want everyone to see real pores, real texture, real acne, redness, whatever it is — that’s really, really important to me.”

Though she may be on a new career track, embracing business-world professionalism like never before, Earle can’t shake the vulnerable side of her that endeared her among TikTok fans in the first place — and that, too, is part of the secret sauce. “A lot of this, honestly, has been a fake-it-til-you-make-it situation and just going with my gut,” she says. “I’ve had to learn a lot while getting a lot done. I was 23 when I started interviewing CEO candidates who were 20 years older than me, with 20 years more experience. So I’m going into these interviews scared sh*tless because I don’t know what I’m supposed to be looking for.”

When it came to making that critical decision, she says, “I wanted to find someone who would be as passionate about this as I am. It was between a few different candidates, and I asked them all on a Saturday afternoon to hop on a call with me. Some of them didn’t reply until Monday morning. But the woman who we ended up hiring, Andrea [Blieden], answered me right away and was willing to get on a call. And that’s what I was looking for, was someone who cared about this 24/7 and was willing to go above and beyond, someone who really, really wanted it and who cared.”

Of course, Earle’s show-up-no-matter-what ethos is hard to match — and it seems she has enough to go around. Another test from the universe comes the evening of our interview, when what should be an easy hourlong flight to Boston turns into a series of flight delays and cancellations. Eventually, Earle and her dad decide to take a car from New Jersey to Cambridge through the middle of the night. She keeps her spirits high, turning the tale into a wildly entertaining vlog. No sleep. Car. Harvard. What, like it’s hard?

Top image: Chloé clothing

After a whirlwind February of Fashion Week, Snow Lodge takeovers, and Membership wine and dines — it’s only fitting that our next community outing would be letting loose at Desert 5 Spot.

On March 19, the Western-themed bar in Brooklyn hosted NYC NYLON Members for an evening of comedy, spicy margaritas, and of course, rides on the mechanical bull. DJ Ana Boo played the perfect blend of country-meets-club hits, inspiring guests to dance under the neon lights before taking their seats for the show.

Among sips, laughs, and on-brand treats like Cowboy Colostrum and NYLON Ultra Lights, Members left this festival season prequel ready for what’s next. Coachella, anyone?

Photography by Ryan Sides

Welcome to Don’t Sleep On This, a series dedicated to the products NYLON’s beauty team will rebuy over and over again and want you to know about.

Dua Lipa should absolutely be your favorite celebrity, if she’s not already. Not only does she lead an aspirationally charmed life, but she’s also a cultural tastemaker, only handing out cosigns to a select few companies that demand your attention. One of those brands is YSL Beauty, which the pop star has been a global ambassador for since 2024. Naturally, whenever the brand launches a new product, expect the coveted Lipa stamp of approval to follow suit.

The next collection that’s going to be on Dua Lipa’s lips (literally and figuratively) is Lovenude, YSL Beauty’s latest lip offering centered on two brand-new innovations: the Kiss Shaper Sculpting Lip Liner and the Lovenude Lip Blusher. As the hero product of the collection, the Kiss Shaper Sculpting Lip Liner promises up to eight hours of transfer-resistant wear packaged in a creamy pencil perfect for sculpting without stiffness. Pair that with your choice of a Lovenude Lip Blusher, a matted lipstick made with hyaluronic acid and squalane for up to seven hours of wear and 24 hours of hydration, and you’ve got your new favorite lip combo.

The new liner is available in 10 shades ranging from Nude Lavallière to Espresso Dreams, while the lip blusher comes in Nude Lavallière, Undressed Pink, Naughty Pink, Illicit Nude, Mauve Haze, and 3AM Espresso.

As someone who is irrationally averse to a bold lip, I knew I had to try Lovenude. For my research, I decided to test two of the nudiest nudes the collection has to offer, Nude Lavallière and Undressed Pink, plus a darker shade (Naughty Pink) as a way of expanding my horizons without pushing myself too far outside my comfort zone. I combined the lippies with the Undressed Pink Kiss Shaper Sculpting Lip Liner and promptly began my experiment.

First up was Undressed Pink. If you couldn’t tell by the name, this shade boasts a deep pink hue — so much so that, when applied too much, it can appear dusty red if you’re not careful. (This isn’t necessarily a bad thing — who wouldn’t want two shades in one? — just something worth noting.) Both the liner and lipstick formulas are as creamy and hydrating as their ingredients suggest, and because the products are the same shade, it makes for an impressively undetectable lip combo.

Next was Naughty Pink, and as the least-nude offering of the batch, it was the shade that surprised me the most. Though the raspberry hue is definitely bolder than I’m used to, it still feels like a neutral when I wear it. Well done, team.

In the end, though, it was the Nude Lavallière that came out on top. The muted pink tint is exactly what I seek in a nude, and considering it’s the closest color match to my natural lips, I can easily see this becoming my everyday shade in the near future.

Now, for the final test: longevity. Throughout the day, my lips endured many a straw, several meals, and an at-home karaoke session with nary a crack nor a smudge to be seen. I didn’t even need to reapply — 10 out of 10.

The Kiss Shaper Sculpting Lip Liner and the Lovenude Lip Blusher are now available at YSL Beauty and Sephora.

YSL Beauty Lovenude Lip Blusher: Nude Lavallière

YSL Beauty Kiss Shaper Sculpting Lip Liner: Nude Lavallière

Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel has a magical musical component that we can’t help but eat up. For his debut show, it was “Rhythm Is A Dancer” that swept us off our feet, and for the Fall/Winter 2026 runway, “Just Dance” by Lady Gaga provided the dose of old-fashioned fun the catwalks of Paris were in need of. Now, in the latest Chanel 25 campaign starring Margot Robbie, Chanel is paying homage to the legendary Kylie Minogue and her “Come Into My World” music video, 25 years after its release.

Late last year, Chanel went all-in on New York with a Michel Gondry-directed teaser for their Metiers d’Art show in the city. It starred A$AP Rocky and Margaret Qualley as the tweed-clad couple of every downtown girl’s dreams, and ended with them in the subway where the show took place. For the latest campaign also directed by Gondry, it’s an all-Aussie affair, with longtime Chanel lady Margot Robbie showing off the cuter, smaller version of the Chanel 25 handbag in a pitch-perfect recreation of Minogue’s now-infamous music video — and of course Minogue makes an appearance in the campaign video. Now we know why she was front-row at her first Chanel show in almost 20 years earlier this month.

If you’re in any way familiar with Minogue, you probably know her “Come Into My World” music video, which features the singer stomping around Paris singing the anthem. As the video progresses, Minogue seems to duplicate until there are several Kylies strutting their stuff on the boulevards of Paris. In a bit of genius, Blazy and company at Chanel took pain-staking steps to recreate a Parisian street for Robbie to waltz around in while Minogue sings in a pink sweater and jeans. Robbie’s alter egos all have different Chanel 25 bags, of course. It’s a smart way to show off the color-ways without shoving it in your face, and a wonderful homage to Paris, pop music, and of course, Kylie Minogue, whose music video is widely considered one of the best of the modern pop era.

The Chanel 25 bag was introduced last year and has found its way onto the shoulders of contemporary pop girls like Jennie, Dua Lipa, Tate McRae, and Gracie Abrams, beloved for its many exterior pockets and sleek, slim shape that fits snugly underneath ones arm. The smaller version is a smart update for a true all-day moment, and now comes in covetable colors like a striking gold or cutesy pink. As the campaign pictures prove, it goes just as well with jeans and a tank top as it does a little black dress. The most important component, though, is strutting with Kylie Minogue in your headphones as you swing your handbag down the street.

We have had just about enough of afterparties (for the time being at least), with post-Oscars fatigue hitting us hard. But the great outdoors called, and we were outside this week to answer and celebrate some new jeans (we wish it was the K-pop kind, but alas) and the world of Maison Margiela, both in Los Angeles and New York. It’s a hard-won thing to shut down Indochine on a Wednesday, but Martha Stewart and Mother did just that, and threw the party of the week. (Any party where we leave with loose cigarettes and chocolate-chip cookies is automatically god-tier.) See how the girls and gays got down and got suited up in Canadian tuxedos this week, below.

Maison Margiela Brings The Fun On A Monday

The brand seized on partygoers being in town for the Oscars and threw a campaign launch party (which features a score by Oscar nominee Max Richter) at their Melrose Place store, with lots of well-dressed folks like María Zardoya, Orville Peck, and Lux Pascal.

J.Crew & Lee Throw Down In Their True Blues

J.Crew’s collaboration with the selvedge-denim experts at Lee was made for walking — and twirling. Angelenos like Terrence O’Connor — who hosted the evening’s raffle — and Harmony gathered at Clark Street Diner for classic cocktails and dancing well after midnight.

Motherfest On A Weeknight

Martha Stewart is a consummate hostess, but for one night at Indochine, she was the guest of honor and not the one making the passed bites. She clearly had her hand in the food served at her Mother campaign launch to guests like Jenna Lyons, Helena Christensen, and Carole Radziwill (all mothers in their own ways). Caviar, martinis with a twist, milk and cookies, and cigarettes were all offered on silver trays as hordes of partygoers showed off their finest blue jeans and seized the opportunity to share a smoke with ‘90s legends outside.

The Best-Smelling (& Sounding) Brooklyn Hang Of The Week

Over on the East Coast, the Margiela party girls took the opportunity to listen to back-to-back sets from Eli Escobar and Fcukers as they spun for the launch of Replica Chasing Sunsets. Of course the sunset-inspired backdrop made for great party pictures, and the mango-infused scent made for a refreshingly pleasant-smelling dance floor.

Every week, we bring you SOUNDCHECK — your destination for the best new music that just hit the web. Because you should always be prepared when someone passes you that AUX cord. This week's roundup features 10 of our favorite emerging and established artists.

“So What” by MUNA

The cracks in MUNA’s affirmation “Lots of people love me / so if you don’t, if you don’t / Love me / I won’t even notice if you don’t / love me” are there from the beginning, but it all comes crumbling down by the outro. It’s incredibly refreshing to hear a band of MUNA’s stature put this feeling of self-importance for the purpose of self-preservation into a song, and is probably the most realistic example of “Stars, they’re just like us” I’ve heard in a long time.

“Leak It” by FLO

The beat is hot, the vocals are crisp, and the music video is giving choreography down. The girl-group renaissance is alive and well, with nostaligically forward-thinking acts like FLO leading the charge.

“LUVAGIRL” by Coco Jones

A stark about-face from Jones’ past burn-the-house-down breakup songs, it’s good to see the R&B singer has finally found a love worth singing about.

“Running To Pain” by Kelsey Lu

Who among us hasn’t found themselves in a cycle of pain before? The lyrics are just vague enough that they can be applied to any situation — a relationship, a job, an addictive substance — yet Kelsey Lu manages to make the sentiment completely their own with their own unique point of view.

“Trouble” by Grace Ives

If bedroom pop existed in the ‘80s, this is what it would’ve sounded like (complimentary). All eyes on Grace Ives.

“Gracie” by Naomi Scott

A soft-rock groove, but make it Solange. Here, Scott grapples with an alternate version of herself, one that’s much well-spoken and self-assured. It’s only a matter of time before she relives Gracie and Naomi are one and the same.

“Bodyfeeling” by Underscores

I, too, get a body feeling listening to this song. The restrictive instrumental underscores (no pun intended) the restrained lyrics perfectly, with a much-needed scream-into-the-pillow release in the final minute.

“Rabbits Can Swim” by Florence Road

There’s something in the water in Ireland that breeds the best rock bands. Sure, this tender ballad might be missing some of Florence Road’s usual rockist DNA, but the instrumental and lyrical compositions are proof enough that they have it.

“brb” by The Two Lips

You can’t make a song this dreamy and cloud-like without a little help from a romance language.

“Simple Life” by Girl Scout

We started this list with a song infused with faithless affirmations, and we’ll end it with one, too. “Everything is fine,” indeed.

Collaborations are a dime a dozen in the fashion world nowadays, with the hope of raising one another’s profile — or as Gen Z says, “maximizing their joint slay.” Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola know a thing or two about joining forces with other artists. During Jacobs’ time at Louis Vuitton, he brought the likes of Stephen Sprouse and Takashi Murakami into the fold when these sorts of meetings of the minds were the exception rather than the rule, and beyond being one of the finest directors of our time, Coppola is also deeply entrenched in the worlds of fashion and music. Now, for the first time, she’s turned her lens to a single subject for the documentary Marc by Sofia.

If you’re expecting a linear, biographical account of Jacobs’ life in fashion from Charivari to Louis Vuitton and beyond, you should look elsewhere. Instead, Coppola takes a microscope to Jacobs as he prepares for his now-infamous Spring 2024 collection, where models wore freaky Polly Pocket-esque clothing paired with blown-up bags, shoes, and hair. It went viral in the fashion world for its takes on proportions, womanhood, and the set, which included Robert Therrien-designed table and chairs. Rather than focusing on the successes of Jacobs’ singular career, Coppola tracks the somewhat inscrutable mind of a creative who is actively building a world through references, artistic collaborations, and happenstance moments — as he tells NYLON about a soundtrack for his most recent Spring 2026 show, he heard someone playing “Joga” by Björk, and “it brought back this emotional response that I had the first time I heard her perform it. I was like, ‘That feels like the right thing to see this show with.’”

Coppola and Jacobs’ curiosity about the world around them — and the artists responding to the same moments as them — make them fixtures in culture who are still able to make thought-provoking work. They are both deeply instinctual creatives, which comes through in the documentary and in my conversation with them about the process of making a collection and a film at the same time, their inspirations, and how Jacobs got Anna Weyant to make a painting for him in record time.

Sofia, what part of Marc’s creative process was most fascinating to you?

For me, to see how the collection all comes together and all the details that go into it… like the intensity of which color beige of the stocking. I'm always interested in how anybody makes stuff. I was excited to get there right when there was nothing and watch how it came together. Every time I came in, something would evolve.

What about you, Marc? What was the most interesting part of her process?

I was really in my process, but I'd say the most surprising thing was to see — without knowing or asking too many questions — the final movie. To hear the music choices, to see the editing and all the different materials that came together. The process of going through it didn't let me know where it was going, so it was really a surprise, and a good surprise.

Sofia, music in your films is a supporting character. Talk to me about the music you chose for the film.

It’s so fun when you put the music in. It helped give the energy of trying to go back to New York at that time and all the different eras. It helped weave it all together, and it brings life to it. It's something I love, and Marc does too. I'm just relieved when we get all those tracks.

Marc, music is integral to your shows. When does it come into play?

Marc Jacobs: Typically at the end.

Sofia Coppola: I loved hearing the Björk song [“Joga”] in the last show. It's so incredible in that sound system.

MJ: Somebody had their Spotify playlist and that song came up, and I remembered seeing Björk when I was living in Paris. She performed this tiny concert that was, like, four people, and she was in a church. When I heard it in the studio, it brought back this emotional response that I had the first time I heard her perform it. I was like, “That feels like the right thing to see this show with.” I thought hearing that in the Armory would be a different version of how I felt hearing it in the church.

SC: Oh, I didn't know that. That's fun to hear. It's always a surprise.

Sometimes the music is fun on the runway and sometimes it's deeply serious. That song added gravitas.

MJ: I think mostly in the past few years, that's what I want... Music has to make me want to cry or feel elated.

Sofia, I liked the way you talked about Marc's collaborations through the years with different artists. Marc, what are you looking for in a collaborator? Sofia, same question for you.

MJ: It's really instinctive. I often have instincts about something and I don't trust them, but with people and what they do, if I genuinely love them, the idea of doing something with them is really exciting. And I think, “Well, this might have its ups and downs, but I know if I feel this enthusiastic and excited about this collaboration, it's got to be good.” And I've never been wrong about that.

SC: It adds to it. I love having a dialogue with someone.

MJ: I think back to some of the early things I did with Sofia, like those pictures with Juergen [Teller]. I was so excited about collaborating with Juergen on pictures because I loved his work, and I was so excited about Sofia, so I just knew that whatever the three of us did together, it would be good. There was no way it couldn't be.

SC: I loved Juergen's photos and it was just cool to be a part of that. I loved talking to Rachel Feinstein about Marc asking her to do the sets, and trying to incorporate all those elements into such a big part of his work, and how to share all that inspiration with him.

That's the fun of it: not knowing what the end result's going to look like, and almost not caring what it is. Just wanting to work with those people…

SC: And seeing how it comes together. And that's how we made this, too.

Marc, you talked about a lot of your references. After I watched the film, I went home and I watched The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.

MJ: Which visually is still wow… every still is a photograph.

SC: I need to see that on a big screen.

Is there anything recently that has inspired you?

MJ: This kind of question is impossible to answer in the moment, and then it's all floating around as soon as I go. It's like asking someone their favorite song or color. There are always things that are catalysts and inspirations, but being asked to focus on one is impossible. We went through this recently with the movies with Criterion. I just felt like *screams*.

I get excited about contemporary art and people, maybe in music or in art, that reference something that has always been a reference to me. I find relief and excitement in knowing that something I've loved is also moving somebody to make new work. That's the place I'm in, is that affirmation that, “Yes, this was really a great piece of art and it's gone on to inspire different people of different generations.”

Totally. I think of Anna Weyant, who made that daisy painting for your show.

SC: Did she make that for you?

MJ: Yeah, she made it. It was a super last-minute thing.

SC: That’s so crazy, I didn't know if it was a painting you saw and asked her to borrow, but I didn’t know she made it for you. That's really pretty. I love that painting. Did you ask her to make that image?

MJ: What happened was, I thought about that show I did. What I didn't realize was how much seeing Sofia’s movie inspired me. It wasn't my intention to do a collection inspired by this documentary, but having seen it during the process, I realized how much... looking at all the things that were shown in the movie played a big part. We miniaturized this whole collection, which had so many of the thoughts of that doll collection with the huge hair and the huge Robert Therrien table and chairs. We wanted to miniaturize it and make it more real, so we got the card table and folding chairs that inspired that sculpture.

Both Anna and I talked about how difficult it was to make work right now in this political climate, and what the world feels like right now. I felt a little guilty about making something right now. I asked her, "Could you do something with a daisy losing its petals in a vase?" And she came back to me and she said, “I'd rather do it in a shadow box with the pins.” And I thought, “That's even better.”

She was in a place where there was no art supply store. She found art supplies, she did it, she Federally Expressed it. It was so last-minute. Then we placed it all the way in the corner because I didn't want it to be a big deal. I wanted it to be incidental, and people who were interested would see it. And some people did.

SC: I had no idea. I loved it. That's so cool to hear the story behind it. I thought you just liked that picture and asked to borrow it or something.

MJ: Like you said, there are great creative people making work. I think you connect to them and you just think, “Right, this is the timelessness of when there's something you have such a primitive connection to that you see it in everything you love.”

She's also dealing with that conflict of what it is to be creative right now.

SC: I hope this [movie] is a break from what's happening right now, or to be reminded of creativity and making things together.

That was something else I took from the movie, that it still feels important to have people who are making something, even right now. What are you hoping people take away from it, especially young creatives?

SC: I hope it's inspiring and makes you want to look at stuff, and incorporate things. That's why I love talking to Marc, and looking at art he tells me about or watching movies. I think seeing creativity is always inspiring, and I hope it inspires some positivity.

MJ: When I was a lot younger, I was so interested — and still am — in fashion that I wanted to learn about the people that came before me that I idolized. I couldn't learn enough about Yves Saint Laurent, and I couldn't see enough fashion magazines. Sometimes when I think about today, I wonder if young people are burdened in a way by the past, and so they don't take any interest in it or they refuse to take interest in it. What I really love is when you feel like, no, that still exists. People do want to know what came before. People are interested in those same things. They want to express it their own way, but they're not refusing it.

SC: And you're always curious.

MJ: I think that keeps you young, that curiosity. But that's how I think. I would hope that in showing this to other people, they'd be like, “Yeah, I'm curious, and I learned something. I'm interested in what that is.”

You both talked about being so obsessed with the ‘70s, and kids now are obsessed with your era of the ‘90s.

SC: My 15-year-old was always like, “How come you got to live that and I didn't get to live in the ‘90s?”

MJ: It's funny, that '90s fascination. I guess it's to be expected, but it is still wild to hear it.

If you woke up in each other's bodies, what would you do for the day?

SC: What a fun Freaky Friday. I would put on clothes in Marc’s closet all day and try on outfits.

MJ: What would I do? I'd just get dressed up and be Sofia, and hang out with Romy [Mars], Cosi [Mars], Gnocchi [Coppola’s dog], and Thomas [Mars]. I'd be happy to be in their family.

Marc by Sofia is in theaters Mar. 20, with nationwide release on Mar. 27.

This week has been all about transitions, from mentally switching from “it’s finally spring” to “b*tch, you thought” and shifting from awards season to festival season. Despite still wearing our puffers outside, there are drops of summer clothes to be shopped and trends to be picked up on. While we won’t be wearing a denim miniskirt just yet, we have a terrific option from the minds of J.Crew and Lee. Elsewhere, Anya Taylor-Joy is in New York to promote her voice role as Princess Peach in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Not only is she bravely answering the question “What do Joni Mitchell and Princess Peach have in common?”, she’s also showing up in some of the most fun (and no-nonsense) party dresses of the year. Without further ado, a quick TL;DR of our inboxes and timeliens below.

Need New Jeans For Spring? Make Them This Selvedge Pair

J.Crew’s list of collaborators keeps growing, and the latest on the docket is Lee. Two American icons coming together for jeans? Groundbreaking, we know, but they nail the simplicity of the straight-leg cut we’re growing to love (sorry to our wide-leg jeans reading this right now). The classic medium wash is perfectly executed, but if you’re feeling spicy, pick up the denim skirt with matching workwear jacket in white.

Vintage Straight Jean in Medium Wash

Lee x J.Crew -

Storm Rider Denim Jacket in Vintage White Wash

Lee x J.Crew -

Denim Skirt in Vintage White Wash

Lee x J.Crew -

Anya Taylor-Joy Is Feeling The Silk Fantasy In 2026

In the first three months of the year alone, she’s worn five different dresses with distinct levels of sheer-ness and intricacy. As any good Dior girl does, she wore a peach Pre-Fall 2026 draped dress to the show at Paris Fashion Week, and later that same day, wore a custom gunmetal dress. Her Oscars weekend included the frivolously flirty vintage John Galliano mini dress for the Vanity Fair afterparty, a knit Dior dress, and a vintage cowl-neck burgundy dress. Finally, to hammer it all home, she wore a deceptively simple Victoria Beckham Pre-Fall 2026 dress in New York. A few takeaways: Find a silhouette that works for you and run with it, wear nothing but a sandal when party-hopping, and when it doubt, a low bun is a sweat-free (and flyaway-free) option for conquering the night.

Dior’s South Coast Plaza Brings Paris To Orange County

For the uninitiated, South Coast Plaza is perhaps the Holy Grail of fashion malls in America. For every five shopping centers closing, South Coast Plaza adds a new luxury brand to their roster. The latest “wow” moment at the Costa Mesa mainstay is the Dior pop-up, where shoppers can customize a mini notebook and ceramic, pick up a Book tote or Bar jacket reimagined by Jonathan Anderson, and step into the recreation of the 30 Avenue Montaigne store. Shop the Spring/Summer 2026 collection at the Jewel Court installation until April 6.

It’s a Tuesday night in early February, but the energy outside Los Angeles’ Reframe Studios feels more like a Saturday night mid-spring break. A mix of college kids, young professionals, and off-duty shift workers tug at microskirts and baggy jeans as they scurry from rideshares to join a line that starts about half a mile from the venue. The evening’s dress code is, apparently, no pants and boho belts for the femmes, “F*ck ICE” tees for the fellas. Sunglasses and vape smoke abound. A thumping bassline in the distances guides the way.

Inside the space, a 23,000-square-foot soundstage festooned with mirrorballs and laser projectors, all eyes are on John Summit, who is wearing his headphones backwards over his forehead — it’s kind of his thing — and doing something akin to jumping jacks in time with an imminent drop. The 31-year-old DJ-producer, label owner, festival operator, and social influencer is known for nothing if not relentlessly, indefatigably having a great time.

Compared to the sterile, self-serious headshots that populate many a DJ’s internet presence, a quick Google Image search of “John Summit” yields a man whose ecstatic countenance, in a different era, might have been immortalized in marble: There’s Summit in the booth with fists raised, head tossed back in exuberant ululation; Summit on stage throwing a “hang loose,” tongue cheekily jutting from the corner of his mouth; Summit at the decks, soaked in sweat, face contorted in something between laughter and disbelief, as if the crowd behind him weren’t paying fans, but several thousand friends who suddenly materialized to throw him a surprise party. This guy always looks like it’s his birthday.

Tonight might as well be: The occasion for the pop-up, as fans will find out in a few hours, is to announce the April 15 release of Summit’s second album, CTRL ESCAPE. Over the course of the night, he breadcrumbs the reveal with remixes and recent singles. He brings out frequent collaborator Subtronics and Colombian reggaeton singer Feid, who guests on the new album. And the set itself doubles as a spiritual preview of the genre-stretching vibes in store on the record. The night flows from the tech-house and trancey toplines Summit built his name on to the big beat of the Chemical Brothers, from his techno-fried take on Britney Spears’ “I Wanna Go” to sludgy, sinister dubstep.

About 90 minutes in, Summit triggers the rolling bassline of “Shiver,” his yearning 2024 chart-topper with reigning dance music vocalist and frequent collaborator Hayla. As the first chorus comes in, there isn’t a single person who isn’t singing along — to their friends, hands clapped to their chests in dramatic gesture; to strangers, arms open; and, of course, to Summit, who has shed his white button-down to finish the night in a tank top and is singing back most emphatically of all: “And I feel it now / Want this forever…”

And that’s how you know that on this night, John Summit is absolutely wiped.

The tell, he reveals when we meet a couple weeks later at Santa Monica’s posh Proper Hotel, is how early he drops “Shiver” into his set. “I was pretty sick that night, to be honest,” he says when I ask how he keeps his sets from feeling rote. If he’s flagging, “I put on one of my early records. I think ‘Shiver’ is always it. If I play ‘Shiver’ 10 minutes into the set, that means I’m pretty tired.”

He laughs, like he’s betraying his party monster lore. The song helps him “get a little crazy,” he offers. “ As much as I’m playing for the crowd, I am kind of playing for myself a little bit, too. That’s the way [I push through]. It’s never fake, the energy I’m putting out there, that’s for sure.”

“You have to be the whole supply chain. It’s not just DJing. You also have to produce. You have to run like 10 different social media accounts. You have to be a good influencer.”

You don’t get to be the leading force in dance music — or the top honoree of NYLON House’s inaugural Dance 100 list, as voted on by 60 industry insiders — without some hustle. At The Proper, a number of golf stars in town for the Genesis Invitational are hanging about — Tiger Woods passes us in the restaurant; Rory McIlroy stopped Summit at the elevator earlier — but Summit seems to be the most-recognized, or at least the most-approached, person in the building, and he accepts the attention from fans sweetly and graciously.

Clad in head-to-toe black Lululemon (he has a partnership with the brand, naturally), Summit looks less like the perpetually turnt party boy on Google than the grown-man-in-his-30s he actually is. He’s got babyfaced cheeks, yes, but with light stubble and jaw muscles that twitch slightly when he’s deep in thought. His famously giddy squint is tempered by the focused intensity of deep-set green eyes — what the looksmaxxing community might refer to as “hunter eyes.” Summit got in late the night before, technically early this morning, and he accordingly nurses an iced coffee. “I think I drink more coffee than anyone else on the planet,” he says. (Better that than booze, I joke, and he relaxes into a giggle: “I’m up there with the booze, too, don’t get me wrong.”)

Summit’s days would be marathon ones even if he weren’t also training for the actual LA Marathon in early March. “It’s tough because I constantly have shin splints, and then I’m jumping around on stage,” says Summit, who clocks around 15,000 steps per gig and is no stranger to playing 10-hour sets at Club Space in his home base of Miami. (He ultimately finishes in 3 hours, 30 minutes, and 12 seconds.)

Routine is a luxury for DJs, but if he had one, it would go something like this: By 7 a.m., he’s working out — running, weights, and, when he’s in Miami, Pilates. “ I’m the only dude with like 29 girls in a class, but I’m not complaining.” By 10 a.m., he’s rolling A&R and marketing calls for his label, Experts Only. (He’s also signed to Interscope imprint Darkroom.) Then it’s on to production calls for any of the 30-plus live events he’s helming or headlining between February and November. Right now, that includes an Experts Only ski weekender in Vail this month, Lollapalooza, a summer residency at Ibiza’s UNVRS — Summit is the only American DJ to land the coveted gig on the island this summer — and his Experts Only Festival in New York City in September. Calls wrap by late afternoon; if he’s home, he heads to the studio and works “pretty much until I get burnt out.”

“There are a lot of festivals and clubs that are like, ‘It was an amazing night ‘cause we made X amount of money!’ But look at the comments online. No one was happy.”

“You really have to be the whole supply chain nowadays,” Summit says. He has only known success in a post-COVID music industry: He started teasing his breakthrough single, “Deep End,” on TikTok in May of 2020 and quickly signed with the label Defected before watching the song take off among would-be clubgoers. Being a DJ today — a successful one, anyway, the kind who plays stadiums and tops the dance charts — requires being a full-blown artist-entrepreneur, he explains.

“It’s not just DJing. You also have to produce,” he says, counting on his fingers to underscore the list of demands. “I have my own record label. I have my own events. I have my own festival, my own merch line. You have to run like 10 different social media accounts. You have to be a marketer, basically. You have to be a good influencer nowadays, too.” His unfiltered social presence is no small part of his appeal: On X, he’ll shoot his shot at Rosalía and get stoked about going viral on gay Twitter for a shirtless performance while also critiquing ICE raids. “As an absolute workaholic, I do love it. It used to be, though, you can just f*ck around all day, sleep to 3 p.m., DJ at night, have fun. But you get left in the dust if you do that nowadays.”

Raised in the suburbs of Chicago by a commercial airline pilot father and real estate agent mother, Summit (born John Schuster) came of age alongside the first wave of mainstream EDM in the U.S. in the 2010s. It was the era of FOMO, faceless headliners with six-figure gig fees, DayGlo-clad millennials blacking out to dubstep, and spectacular stage production that catapulted festivals like Coachella and Electric Daisy Carnival into the zeitgeist. “ I didn’t feel personally connected to any of those DJs in the 2010s,” he says. “I have a super strong American crowd force, and there weren’t too many big American DJs [back then].”

He was, however, in the historic backyard of house music, so while he whet his palate watching artists like Deadmau5 at Lollapalooza, he was also catching local greats like Green Velvet in the warehouse scene. “It’s  sweet when you’d go to these intimate events and everyone’s kinda wearing the same merch and have the same pins in their hats and all of that, and then you'd start seeing these people at festivals and stuff,” he says. “You automatically have a way to connect.”

“If I release a record and it flops, who cares? I guess it makes sense to be risk-averse if that’s all you got going on, but we can do whatever the hell we want.”

Summit was studying accounting at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign when he taught himself how to use DJ equipment by watching YouTube tutorials. He began playing open-format sets at local bars, but he didn’t find his calling as an artist until he started attending smaller, boutique festivals like Electric Forest and Summer Camp and subsequently discovered underground labels like Dirtybird and Night Bass. “They were very community focused,” he says. “They would put on small artists that only had a thousand followers, but it was all about the music and it wasn’t really about work because the rest of EDM just went so commercial and so pop — which is funny ‘cause, you know, people consider me a pretty big commercial and pop DJ now.”

It’s an ethos he’s trying to capture with his Experts Only brand, launched in 2022. When he was first coming up, Summit — with his penchant for big melodies and a songwriter-first approach — struggled to find a home among house/tech labels, which favor music for club shows over anthemic bangers. But the labels that sought the latter sound, he says, were risk-averse with higher barriers of entry, typically locking artists into longer-term contracts. So Summit decided to make the platform he wished he had, and he now uses it to boost others seeking the same.

According to Hayla, his ability to move between scenes is core to his appeal. “John has such a great scope of style within dance music — allowing very emotional songs to live alongside heavier-hitting dance/electronic tracks, taking audiences on a real journey, [and also] bringing the high-end show stage production to the club scene, living side by side in harmony,” she says. “You can tell he really loves what he does.”

Today, Experts Only has helped launch rising stars like Max Styler, Layton Giordani, and Devault along with releasing music from heavyweights like Green Velvet and Kaskade. “If I like a record, we’ll put it out the next month if we want to.  There's no f*cking rules to it at all,” Summit says. “I remember when I was sending demos, sometimes they’d be like, ‘Oh, we’re booked out for a year.’ I’m like, I don’t have time to wait a year. That’s insane.”

And this is where being a very busy man comes in handy. “If I release a record and it flops, who cares?” he says. “I guess it makes sense to be risk-averse if that’s all you got going on, but I’m kind of in this awesome spot where we can truly just do whatever the hell we want.” That’s also true of Experts Only Fest, whose independent feel is a point of pride for Summit. He’s not anti-corporate — “Who doesn’t like more free tequila at a festival?” he says of brand partnerships — but “the success of the festival does not come down to the bottom line. It comes down to the fan experience,” he says. “There are a lot of festivals and events and clubs and stuff [where] they’re like, ‘It was an amazing night ‘cause we made X amount of money.’ But look at the comments online. No one was happy. There was no space to move on the dance floor.”

“A lot of people put on this facade to escape who they really are. I felt like I was holding myself back when I couldn’t talk about who I was or where I came from.”

By now, the idea of chasing your bliss and prioritizing happiness above all else is as well-trod as a live laugh love sign, but for Summit, it’s the only way he got anywhere. A year and change into working as a CPA, with his second life moonlighting as a DJ-producer eating up all his attention — noticeably so, to his bosses — Summit got fired. “From there I had to decide. I could have gotten another accounting job. I decided to go all-in on DJing,” he says. “But at the end of the day, I wanted to escape the control of the corporate world.”

The title of his new album, CTRL ESCAPE, is a nod to his desk-job days. (So is its release date: April 15 is Tax Day, after all.) You get very familiar with keyboard shortcuts when your life is spreadsheets. “The function opens up the start menu, kind of like you’re restarting your life a little bit,” Summit says. “I didn’t want to do CTRL ALT DELETE, where you delete everything. It’s more about a fresh breath and starting something new.”

It’s hard to understate how important this myth-making is to his fandom. At the Los Angeles pop-up show, a number of attendees veered into cosplay territory with their own pseudo-accountant looks, sporting white button-downs, backpacks, and even “Summit CPA” name tags inspired by the similarly branded mugs he sells on his website. “ I think a lot of people put on this facade and persona to kind of escape who they really are. And my brand has always been about being as real as possible,” he says. “I don't really give a f*ck. And it's been super liberating for me, ‘cause I felt like I was really holding myself back when I couldn’t talk about who I was or where I came from.”

“It’s wild that I’m the one that helps provide the escapism for people nowadays. It’s a responsibility that I do not take for granted.”

Summit points out that what drew him to dance music — what made him fall in love with it — was the same as most folks. He was stressed out, studying nonstop for an exam for a career he felt numb toward. His then-girlfriend was cheating on him. He saw little on the horizon to look forward to other than that next hit of release on the dance floor. “At night at the club, I could forget about it all. That was what brought me peace,” he says. “It’s just wild that I’m the one that helps provide the escapism for people nowadays. It’s a responsibility that I do not take for granted.”

Escapism — also the new album’s original working title — is arguably the whole raison d’être of dance music. But maybe what Summit offers, in repping for a new wave of dance music fans, is less the aspirational reprieve of his predecessors than an avatar for the post-lockdown grind generation proving it’s still possible to chart your own course.

John Summit is not a stoic European in a black V-neck on a Vegas billboard; he’s a sincere, kind of goofy guy from Chicago who hated his day job and wears his headphones backwards. He tweets at fellow celebrities like he isn’t one of them. He used to be broke and couchsurf, so he makes a point of booking shows with “a proper GA ticket” alongside the bottle service gigs. He missed the dance floor during lockdown, so he made a song hoping to connect with his people — and stumbled into a stratospheric career.

“It is cool to have someone have your same upbringing, backgrounds,” he says of his place in dance music. “You watch the Olympics and you can really connect with someone that was maybe from your hometown — and now he’s doing the downhill skiing or whatever.”

Top image credit: Wild West Social House vintage cardigan; Hanes tank; Giorgio Armani pants; Talent’s own jewelry; Alexander Digenova shoes

Nothing shapes the culture like nightlife, and nothing shapes nightlife like the artists providing its pulse. In that spirit, we’re unveiling NYLON House’s inaugural Dance 100, a globally minded celebration of the DJs and producers commanding dance floors right now.

At NYLON, parties are our lifeblood — discovering them, reporting on them, even throwing them. So we convened a panel of 60 insider judges from across every corner of the industry — managers, label executives, agents, promoters, producers, creative directors, and more — to be your eyes and ears on the ground, from Vegas to Ibiza, from the hottest clubs to behind the barricades of the biggest festivals. Because at NYLON House, everyone’s welcome past our velvet rope. Inside, you’ll find pioneers of house and drum ’n’ bass, established icons from the OG EDM era, and a back-to-back procession of next-gen talents who are pushing their scenes to thrilling new heights. A night out, after all, is only as good as its soundtrack.

—BLURBS BY KAT BEIN, ARIEL KING, RACHEL NAROZNIAK, AND KRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ.

Though Lorde summer never fully took off last year, it looks like we might be due for a redux in 2026.

In a Community note sent out to her loyal fanbase on March 18, Lorde disclosed that she is officially an independent artist. Previously, the “Royals” singer was signed to Universal Music Group (UMG), releasing her album Virgin under the entertainment company in 2025. “A feel a real hunger for newness, and I feel like a new leaf is turning or there’s a blank slate that has been presented. And I feel this way because at the end of last year, my label deal, my record contract with Universal came to an end,” she shared in the voice note. “I have been in that contract for a very, very long time, in some form of that contract since I was 12 years old when I signed my first development deal with Universal.”

“I’ve had an amazing experience with them,” Lorde goes on to say. “But the truth is, that 12-year-old girl pre-signed — pre-sold — her creative output before she knew what it would be like, and before she knew what she was signing away.”

The singer maintains she’s excited for whatever the new era may bring, even if it’s just temporary. “I’m sure I’ll have a deal again, it could well be with Universal, but I knew that I needed to take a second to have nothing being bought or sold that comes from me,” she said. “It just feels exciting to remove the container for a second.”

The news comes just one day after the Lollapalooza setlist dropped, wherein Lorde was announced as one of the headliners. Not-so-coincidentally, Lorde also revealed to her Community that her upcoming shows in Los Angeles will be the last of the Ultrasound Tour, leaving fans to speculate about a whole new show for her stacked festival run this summer.

Whether or not this means a new Lorde era is on the horizon still remains to be seen, but we’re here for it regardless.

Welcome to Don’t Sleep On This, a series dedicated to the products NYLON’s beauty team will rebuy over and over again and want you to know about.

When it comes to the ravenous world of beauty, I accept I’m no expert. I’m always three facial treatments behind, happily married to one makeup look, and spiritually opposed to skincare more than three-steps. I stare at rows of perfectly stacked serums, perplexed by what feels like a secret insider language — labels boasting scientific buzzwords like ectoin, and bakuchiol that mean nothing to me.

But on the occasion I stumble upon a treatment I like, whether guided by word-of-mouth or my ever-intuitive TikTok FYP, I feel obligated to tell everyone. So when I found myself recently ordained into the expansive world of acupuncture I felt like I was uncovering a beauty ritual that had been hiding — the kind so spellbinding it demands to be shared.

Having a dozen micro-needles pierced through the surface layer of your skin may not sound like the most pleasant of pastimes, or a beauty must-do, but the 3,000 year old practice has proved itself as one of the industry’s best. Touted as “natural Botox,” Kim K has long been vocal about her love for the filler-free remedy, Gwenyth Paltrow goop-approved the practice, and Ashley Graham swore off Botox, trading one needle for another.

My awakening into the fountain of knowledge that is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) started at Soulmei Wellness, a boutique clinic in New York’s Upper East Side owned by licensed acupuncturist and esthetician Bella Pei. The timing felt kismet. Chinese medicine is having a renaissance as the internet’s “Chinamaxxing” discourse dominates the zeitgeist, fueling a renewed interest in homeopathic remedies. Our two-hour session started with a Q&A where Bella kindly interrogated every aspect of my life from sleeping habits to energy-levels; I was gratefully receiving answers to questions I didn’t even ask.

Before we dove into the needles, she read my pulse and then my tongue (a staple practice in TCM) where a simple glance can reveal your body’s health before you’ve uttered a word. Bella had curated a hybrid session that started with needling my legs to rebalance my internal energy — because remember, beauty starts from the inside-out. For the faint of heart, rest assured the micro-needle feels no more than a flick, which made me realize acupuncture is more daunting in theory than in practice.

As Bella guided me through the intricacies of each step, I collected bouts of wisdom: cupping for muscle recovery, dry brushing for circulation, mugwort for vitality boosting. The well of TCM insider beauty hacks, it turns out, runs deep.

When we reached the facial portion she delicately inserted 20+ hair-thin needles starting near my collarbone then cheeks, forehead, and even my scalp. There’s no surprise why people liken facial acupuncture to a mini-facelift. When each needle pierces through the dermis (the middle layer of skin) it acts as a wake-up call reducing inflammation, boosting collagen, and increasing circulation that results in that jealousy-inducing “I just left a treatment” look.

Then, it was time to bake under the red light. Unlike Botox which freezes the skin, acupuncture stimulates the body’s regenerative process. For the next 30 minutes, I laid under the beaming light resembling an extra-terrestrial being. Under the hue of the lamp, I drifted off, blissfully unaware at times that I still had a constellation of “spikes” across my legs and face.

After the needles, came the sculpt. Bella swept the gua sha across my face, coaxing tension out of muscles I didn’t realize I’d been clenching. Using a microcurrent device, she toned, lifted, and firmed my skin with electric pulses that had my facial muscles working overtime. You see, Bella’s a bit of a beauty whisperer — she doesn’t just treat your skin, she reads it. By the time I left she’d drained away all my sins. My brain fog lifted, my skin turned to glass, and my body had been factory-reset. I walked out like I’d awakened from a year long slumber.

And like that, TCM had me hooked. There’s something reassuring about a practice that predates algorithms, likes, and virality — you instinctively trust it. When I got home still glowing I knew I needed to find a way to bring Bella and her acupuncture magic into my day-to-day.

Throughout my deep dive to replicate the glow at home, I virtually stumbled across the acupressure mat, a padded foam covered in plastic spikes that when laid on, stimulates the nervous system. Both practices are cut from the same cloth, grounded in the concept of life-force energy. The spikes may not be needles but they deliver their own kind of therapy, decreasing stress and ushering in restorative sleep that no nighttime skincare could ever replicate.

Acupuncture reminded me that beauty isn’t always about hoarding the latest shelf-stable serum, or clogging your pores with ingredient-ridden creams. Sometimes it’s about taking a step back from products entirely and getting in tune with your own body.

We love a festival transformation as much as anyone, but when your hair vision requires you to learn a whole new set of skills or enlist two extra arms, we’re here to remind you that taking the simpler route isn’t the same as the boring route.

The looks we're most excited about this season are really just... good hair. A blowout with more flippy oomph, curls that look cooler the morning after, imperfect little braids that peek out and frame your face. The vibe we’re going for is a step up from our everyday hair, worn in a more fun location.

Below, we’re breaking down how to style four of our favorite festival hair trends with the help of Matrix products and sharing what our editors are loving about each.

Retro Blowout

The retro blowout is all about ends that flip out instead of curling under and a playful wink at the housewife aesthetic. That exaggerated outward swing gives the style its personality and keeps it feeling light, bouncy, and a little bit cheeky. It also happens to be great for festivals, since movement and texture tend to hold up better when heat and humidity try to flatten everything out.

Start with clean, damp hair. Shake the Mega Sleek 96H Anti-Frizz Topcoat well, then dispense 2–5 pumps into your palm and work it through mid-lengths to ends. The smoothing serum has a heat-activated barrier that seals in moisture and resists frizz for 96 hours and in up to 97% humidity*, so your hair will still be going strong on the trip back home.

1. Grab your blowdryer and rough-dry until your hair is about 80% dry, then work through sections with a round brush to finish. As you dry, focus on directing the brush outward at the ends to create that signature flip. A nozzle attachment will help keep things smooth and target the airflow right where you want it.
2. Set your hair in rollers if you have the time and want even more bounce and flippiness through the ends.
3. Use your fingers to gently loosen everything and create airy movement.

Finish by running a few drops of Food For Soft Multi-Use Hair Oil through the ends for extra glossy shine. The avocado oil infused formula keeps your hair hydrated and smooth without adding any weight.

Matrix Mega Sleek 96H Anti-Frizz Topcoat

Ulta Beauty -

Matrix Food For Soft Multi-Use Hair Oil

Ulta beauty -

Slept-In Curls

The goal here is the kind of texture that makes people ask "wait, is that your natural hair?" — not the kind that looks like you spent an hour laboring over it that morning. The key to the perfect slept-in curls is, you guessed it, doing them the night before and actually going to sleep (preferably on a silk pillowcase). Wake up, shake ‘em out, go jump around the pit.

1. After washing your hair, apply A Curl Can Dream Moisturizing Leave-In Cream from root to tip when it’s still soaking wet, sectioning as you go and adjusting the amount based on your hair's thickness. Scrunch it in with your fingers for definition and moisture without any crunchiness or flaking down the line.
2. Now you have a couple options: You can air-dry or blow-dry with a diffuser, then go in with a curling iron for touch-ups if needed, wrapping sections away from your face for the most natural result. Or you can wrap your slightly damp hair in heatless curlers and keep them in while you sleep.
3. When you wake up, resist the urge to touch a brush. Just run your fingers down the length of the waves to break them up, then smooth a few drops of Food For Soft Multi-Use Hair Oil through the ends for added shine.

Matrix A Curl Can Dream Moisturizing Leave-In Cream

Ulta Beauty -

Matrix Food For Soft Multi-Use Hair Oil

Ulta beauty -

Barely-There Braids

Two little braids at the front, one on each side, while the rest of your hair does whatever it was already going to do. (They’re the accessories, not the piece de resistance, so you can still go all out with face gems or layered bikinis.) Worn down, they add just the right amount of whimsy and Y2K nostalgia. Worn up, they frame the face in an effortlessly feminine way.

1. Spray Miracle Creator Multi-Tasking Hair Treatment all over towel-dried hair and comb through. It's a leave-in conditioner with 20 beautifying benefits — we'd list them all but we know you have places to be — including frizz and flyaway control, heat protection, and shine enhancement. Safe to say, your hair is prepared for anything to come.
2. Style the rest of your hair as usual. Blowout, air dry, your call.
3. Take a small section from each side at the front, braid all the way down (not superloose, not supertight), and secure with a mini elastic. That's literally it.

Matrix Miracle Creator Multi-Tasking Hair Treatment

Ulta Beauty -

High-Shine Pony

The high-shine pony is stepping in as the new statement look, standing out from what we typically see at festivals, like texture, volume, and braids. Sleek, polished, and intentionally pulled together, it feels both elevated and a little unexpected for a dusty, sun-soaked setting — but with the right products, it stays smooth, glossy, and perfectly in place all day.

1. After shampooing, apply Glow Mania Super Gloss Protecting Mask from mid-lengths to ends, leave it on for 3-5 minutes, then rinse. The glycolic acid laminates the hair's surface for better light reflection and the rosehip oil boosts shine from within, so you're building gloss before you even get to the styling part.
2. Shake the Instacure Build-A-Bond Billion Bond Oil well, then apply 1-2 pumps from mid-lengths to ends of damp hair. It protects against heat damage while adding a grease-free reflective shine.
3. Blow dry smooth with a paddle or boar bristle brush, then go in with a flat iron in small sections. Once sleek, pull hair back into a high ponytail, using a brush to smooth any bumps and secure tightly with an elastic. Finish by wrapping a small section of hair around the base to conceal the tie.

Matrix Glow Mania Super Gloss Protecting Mask

Ulta Beauty -

Matrix Instacure Build-A-Bond Billion Bond Oil

Ulta Beauty -

*vs non-conditioning shampoo

As we say goodbye to one season (awards), we say hello to another: festival. Purists will say festival season doesn’t kick off until Coachella weekend one, but we here at NYLON start pulling out our tiniest shorts and least-practical bra tops as soon as our favorite lineups drop. And now that the Lollapalooza lineup is finally here, we’re one step closer to our festival fantasies becoming a reality.

After days of cryptic teasers, the Chicago-based festival dropped its full lineup on March 17. The first name you’ll see on the poster is Charli xcx — an unexpected choice considering fans thought she was soft-launching her retirement from music earlier this year, but we’re not complaining. Also headlining the four-day festival are Tate McRae and Lorde, with acts like Olivia Dean, John Summit, Jennie, The Smashing Pumpkins, and The xx taking second-billing.

With over 100 artists booked from July 30 to Aug. 2, the lineup is both a music-lovers dream and worst nightmare. How does one have time to see Zara Larsson, Sombr, Beabadoobee, Ethel Cain, Muna, Geese, Wet Leg, Blood Orange, Suki Waterhouse, Audrey Hobert, JADE, Little Simz, Adéla, and Sienna Spiro all in one weekend? We’ve officially entered crisis mode and it’s not even April.

As if we didn’t already have our work cut out for us, you can also expect to find team NYLON front row for Jae Stephens, horsegiirL, Oklou, Wolf Alice, Slayyyter, CMAT, Not For Radio, INJI, Bella Kay, Water From Your Eyes, Jackie Hollander, Julia Wolf, Ninajirachi, Amber Mark, and Justine Skye.

Presale starts at 10 a.m. CT on Thursday, March 17. For presale access, sign up now at the Lollapalooza website.

Little Simz, like any self-respecting, ambitious artist, feels like she’s “still scraping the surface” of what she can achieve. But don’t expect her to tell you where she wants to go next.

When I ask the 32-year-old about her goals, she simply looks at me and smiles — the kind of tight, closed-mouth smile of someone keeping their cards close to their chest. “I have loads of goals,” she says slowly, before another smile, another pause. “I’m very private about them. Yeah.”

That self-protective streak has worked so far for Simz, the rapper born Simbiatu Ajikawo, who, in 2025, posted her strongest year yet. Her sixth studio album, Lotus, which outfitted her scorched-earth lyrics in rock and post-punk influences, peaked at No. 3 on the U.K. charts — a career best. She then backed it up with shows at Manchester’s Co-op Live and London’s O2 Arena, which seat around 20,000 people each and marked her largest shows to date. Playing the O2 — one of the most iconic venues in London — is a career milestone for anyone; Simz, who will play Coachella and other festivals before opening for Gorillaz in North America this fall, is willing to admit that it was once one of those goals she keeps so closely guarded.

“I always thought, ‘I’mma play this venue one day, and I’mma headline it, and when I do, it’s gonna be up,’” she recalls. Simz, sitting across from me in the corner of a noisy photo studio in a navy hoodie and navy anorak, still made up luminously from her NYLON shoot, grins as she talks about the experience. “It’s everything you think, really. It’s nuts: You go in, very big room, and at soundcheck you think… Sh*t. This whole floor is gonna be filled. As much as it’s mad, whether it’s 100 people or 20,000 people, I’m still so particular about my show.”

Simz and I are meeting in early March, a couple of months after she posted on Instagram about wanting more “balance” from 2026. You can understand the impulse: Since she began releasing mixtapes in 2010, when she was 16, Simz has been going nonstop, releasing a swath of albums and EPs; touring frequently; working with high-fashion houses like Miu Miu and Burberry; and acting in projects like Top Boy (the Drake-produced Netflix revival of the British crime drama) and Steve (the 2025 Netflix film starring Cillian Murphy). Her career went stratospheric in 2021, when her Mercury Prize-winning album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert topped numerous year-end lists, followed quickly by 2022’s No Thank You, a piquant critique of the music industry. Lotus draws from yet another painful experience — it’s largely a pummeling account of her falling out with former friend and longtime producer Inflo — but clear-eyed intensity firmly cemented Simz as one of the U.K.’s most formidable working artists.

“If the tap’s flowing, I think you’ve got to just keep that momentum, because once you stop, it’s really hard to get back into it,” she says of her prolific clip. Making music “genuinely fuels me. It genuinely is my therapy. It’s how I like to process my thoughts and feelings, so I always make sure I give time to that.”

It’s been this way since she was a teenager growing up in North London. She started rapping at Mary’s Youth Club — a community center where kids can perform, play sports, and attend enrichment programs — and began recording at home with a bare-bones studio setup. She still remembers the first time she stepped onstage, in the sports hall at St Mary’s, to perform early songs of hers with titles like “Achieve, Achieve, Achieve” and “R.E.S.P.E.C.T., Respect That.” “Those were my hits back in the day, them sh*ts were rocking,” she says, laughing. “I just remember feeling really embraced and really supported. I already had people on my side backing it, who believed in me and wanted to see me go far.”

“It’s not normal to have so much attention on you, so many eyes on you, especially at a young age. That can be very distorting.”

Simz still feels a connection to her DIY past, in part because she hasn’t really upgraded her home recording kit. “It’s the same setup I had when I was 17 — a pair of monitors [from the] same brand, laptop, interface, mic. I don’t really need much, as long as I can get out what I’m trying to say, and then I can take it into a studio.” But maintaining a connection to her younger self is also an essential part of her process. “Sometimes, when I’m starting a new project, I might listen to an old tape on SoundCloud or something, just to understand who I am,” she says. “Life goes so fast, and these albums are like my journals, you know? It’s like flicking through old photos or something and you’re like, ‘Oh, I remember that top I used to wear.’”

“It does get hard to be optimistic about the future when there’s a lot of sh*t going on in the world. You feel like: This is f*cked.”

It’s all in service, Simz says, of protecting her creative spirit in an industry that works hard to take it from you, and which often prizes statistics and sales achievements over originality. “Mate, you will lose yourself and you will find yourself and you will lose yourself and you will find yourself, lose yourself, find yourself — it’s just what it is, do you know what I mean?” she says. “It’s not normal to have so much attention on you, so many eyes on you, especially sometimes at a young age. That can be very distorting. So for me, it’s nice to have reminders of like, ‘Nah, this is who I am.’”

And sometimes, she says, “you got to step away from it” entirely. Earlier this year, she took a trip to Sri Lanka, something she’s always wanted to do, with her mom and a close friend. “I travel so much for work, and I’m grateful I get to see the world and all this beauty, but sometimes I don’t get to take in places as much as I would like to,” she says. Volunteering and teaching there with the humanitarian charity Foundation of Goodness provided another kind of reset. “It does get hard to be optimistic about [the future] when you’re a bit distracted, when there’s a lot of sh*t going on in the world that you feel like… this is f*cked,” she says. “But I’ve found a way to try and keep the hope and keep the faith, and do what I can within my power.”

“These albums are like my journals, like flicking through old photos. You’re like, ‘Oh, I remember that top I used to wear.’”

Her pace hasn’t slowed that much. She’s already plotting new music — “I was thinking about the follow-up to Lotus when I was making it” — though she offers no hints; she doesn’t want to promise she’ll go in one direction in case she decides to veer in another. “I don’t want to be married to anything,” she says. “I want to be loose, and I think that’s more exciting to me.”

She’s equally coy about whether she’ll delve further into film and TV. When I ask if she has aspirations toward screenwriting or directing, she gives me another tight-lipped smile. “If you’re in a creative field, it’s very easy for you to want to lean into different mediums, you know?” she says. “With a lot of my peers, people that I really respect within music, within art, within fashion, it’s very normal. It’s very normal to want to be a multidisciplinary artist. So whichever medium allows me to tell my story, I’m down.”

Ultimately, what she wants next is very simple: no limitations. That’s how she felt on Lotus, when she experimented with new genres without any concern for what fans or critics might think — and listeners were all the better for it. “When I look back at my catalogue, I’ll be like, ‘That’s so sick, you done that, that’s so hard!’ You know? You done what you wanted to do, and that’s always gonna exist in the world, and you wasn’t afraid,” she says. “Maybe someone else will feel like they can cross-pollinate genres in their own way and their own style, and not feel limited, like, ‘You can’t rap a 16-bar over classical.’ Because who’s done that?”

“But why not? You just try sh*t and then it might actually work,” she says, beaming. “It’s art!”

Top Image credit: Willy Chavarria clothing; Ami Paris scarf; CC-Steding ring (right hand); Octi ring (left hand); Burberry boots

As the 2025 award season (finally) comes to a close, the 2026 season is just getting started at SXSW. Every March, the Austin-based festival sets the tone for the season with a first peek at the year’s most anticipated film and TV projects, and the 2026 lineup is no exception. So far, we’ve gotten the debut of Boots Reilly’s buzzy new film I Love Boosters, Lola Tung’s first feature post-Summer I Turned Pretty, and, for our money, the most crucial premiere of them all: the third and final season of the cult classic HBO sitcom, The Comeback.

Ella Stiller was just three years old when the first season premiered in 2005, and now, nearly 21 years later, she’s landed a role as a series regular on the Lisa Kudrow-led show. Naturally, the vibes were high for the first press day of her career, sneaking away to the photo booth with her fellow cast mates and grabbing a bite at her new favorite vegan restaurant whenever she got the chance. She also attended a Comeback-themed drag brunch before walking the carpet in her favorite dress she’s ever worn — all in a day’s work.

To experience the festival through the eyes of a rising actor, keep scrolling.

“Glam for my first ever press day! Hi SXSW! Let’s go promote THE COMEBACK!”

“Reunited with two of my favorite humans on the planet Laura Silverman and Dan Bucatinsky.”

“Damian, Dan, and Laura at The Comeback Drag Brunch!”

“Photo booth fun with the gang.”

“Glam touchups by my queens Katie Mellinger and Jennifer Brent.”

“Me and Lisa and MPK between interviews. I adore them and am consistently blown away by their genius.”

“Deadline photo studio— awesome pics by Josh Telles.”

“I love Jack O’Brien (4 time Tony award winning director who just happens to be an incredible actor too).”

“Cozy in the sprinter van with my soul sister Laura.”

“My vegan breakfast burrito — shoutout The Vegan Nom. I had this burrito both mornings. Went to bed thinking about it.”

“The glam ladies I love so much helping me dress for the premiere because they’re awesome like that.”

“My little black set by Cynthia Rowley. Favorite thing I’ve ever worn — styled by Jared DePriest.”

“The caption of this one is: no comment.”

“Me and my bestie Dan at the premiere right before the carpet.”

“The world premiere of the final season of The Comeback!!! I am so proud of this show and all my friends!”

“Late lunch with my amazing team Jason and Katie.”

“Text I sent Dan after saying goodbye :(“

“On repeat this weekend.”

Friday the 13th usually feels ominous, notoriously a day of misfortune. Though last week, in the midst of East London, it couldn’t have been further from the case. Nestled deep down an unassuming Haggerston road, Kiko Kostadinov opened after-hours to celebrate the launch of their partnership with Dr. Martens: a contrasting two-pair offering, in a muted, utilitarian men’s style, and a bolder, hybrid take on classic styles in the women’s.

A snaking, extremely well-dressed queue revealed the location, alerting all nearby to the store’s presence and enticing passers-by (if not too intimidated by the fashionable motley crew) to enquire what was happening. The bold joined, and the others would read about it online once over. At the door, a swarm of stylish East Londoners were told that if they didn’t want a drink, they could go right in — the queue didn’t falter. Inside, the crowd showcased a heady blend of London’s underground. Hyper Kiko girls crossed paths with Japanese punks, as chic archivists navigated through rockers around the retrofuturist brick-and-mortar resting beneath the brand’s design studio. Natural wine in-hand, the crowd swirled in equal parts admiration of the space, the collaboration, and each other. Different styles embracing friends old and new — the perfect setting for the new friendship formed between Kiko Kostadinov and Dr. Martens.

Kiko Kostadinov, known for intriguing silhouettes with Camper and reshaping footwear at ASICS, have now turned their hand towards London icon, Dr. Martens, joining the fabled alumni of DM collaborators including Rick Owens, Raf Simons, and Comme des Garçons, among many more. It’s almost become a rite of passage — albeit a testament to the brand — joining the rankings of coveted designers before them.

First teased in November as part of the Dante collection, the collaboration paid homage to the brand’s Lakeland-terrier mascot and coincided with the opening of the new store. Two storied London labels coming together over drinks in the borough of Hackney on a Friday night couldn’t be more fitting for the release. One wall pulsed with projected visuals, while another was adorned by the new release sat alongside photobooks, remnants of beers, and natural wines — souvenirs of a party past.

The disparate styles reflected the brand’s dual focus on men’s and women’s design. The menswear line, designed by Kostadinov himself, features a silhouette inspired by workwear, rendered in a dystopian all-black palette. Made from the last of Dr. Marten’s reserve of a rare deadstock leather, the limited run won’t be replicated — adding yet another layer to the brand’s exclusive allure.

The womenswear line, led by design duo Laura and Deanna Fanning, offers a balance to the discreet utilitarian model in a far contrasting form. Blending textures and classic shapes, the Mary Jane and the Oxford are fused in true hybrid fashion — a design ethos rooted in Kiko Kostadinov’s womenswear throughout each collection. Chartreuse suede, embossed to mimic snakeskin, wraps darker two-tone green patent leather, creating a ballet-flat-inspired silhouette with edgier accents and complete with a nod to Dante in the dog-tag attached to the laces. Call it “chic prep meets chaotic rebellion” — a fitting response to the crowd and the duality at the heart of Kiko Kostadinov.

The night ended with the crowd spilling into the streets, continuing conversations surrounding all things fashion, culture, and the location of the afters. Not to mention the shoes — far fewer remaining in the store by the time the final drink was poured and the party kicked off elsewhere.

We did it, Joe. We made it to the end of awards season! The restless hands of celebrity stylists and ateliers around the world can finally come to a halt as we take stock of their months-long efforts. It was one custom dress (and suit) after another for the top ten most stylish stars, who tired themselves out promoting their films in hopes of picking up more hardware at the Oscars. Celebrities gave us one (or two) final red-carpet moments on the last big night, and with that hard work in mind, we are ready to wrap up our power ranking of the season’s flyest guys and girls.

The season was defined by individuality. Indeed, the girls who stayed in our top two spots knew what they liked and went with it all season. Three of our favorites — Eva Victor, Renate Reinsve, and Emma Stone — all went ultra-minimal in looks that skimmed their bodies and let the handiwork do the talking. Chase Infiniti was indubitably the breakout star of both One Battle After Another and the red carpet this year, securing a Louis Vuitton contract and flaunting her ethereal beauty at every step. Our favorite real-life Disney princess Elle Fanning held steadfast in her place near the top of our list in miles of tulle and satin, and one actress snuck in at the last minute. As for the rest of the rankings? Keep scrolling to see the final, be-all-end-all list of the best-dressed ladies and gentlemen of the 2026 awards season.

Odessa A’zion

Previous ranking: N/A

A’zion is a last-minute addition to our list; she hasn’t popped out to much this awards season, but when she has, it’s been unmistakably Odessa. Just like Teyana Taylor, she styles herself, the better to help her looks feel 100 percent her. This Valentino Couture worn at the Oscars feels youthful, fresh, and different from the gorgeous gowns seen on the majority of girls her age. She’s a true individual, for which we have no choice but to clap and make room for her on this ranking.

Timothée Chalamet

Previous ranking: 4

The man behind the most viral movie marketing of the year knows his fashion. Did his ballet and opera comments bar him from getting his first Oscar? Who knows, but his all-white looks at the Oscars and respective afterparties were fun and swag-filled final hoorahs for the ping pong king. This Chrome Hearts at the Vanity Fair party is particularly cool without feeling too try-hard. (We’re just happy he didn’t wear orange.)

Chase Infiniti

Previous ranking: 3

The breakout beauty of awards season is a Louis Vuitton girl through and through. She’s delighted at every turn with fashion that is playful and dramatic. Her one-two Vuitton punch at the Oscar and Vanity Fair afterparty were not our favorite looks she’s worn all season, but her beautiful, age-appropriate glam kept us coming back for more. We know we’ll see much more of her in what is sure to be an illustrious career.

Jacob Elordi

Previous ranking: 9

Not only is Elordi a first-time Oscar nominee with his role as the monster in Frankenstein, he’s also launching his blockbuster-hunk era as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. He’s a Bottega Veneta baddie through and through, wearing almost exclusively Louise Trotter’s dapper designs, and it’s virtually impossible for him to look bad in anything. He ended the season with a dandyish look that proves 1. the mullet isn’t going anywhere and 2. men need to wear more waistcoats, stat.

Eva Victor

Previous ranking: 5

Victor’s directorial debut, Sorry, Baby, is one of NYLON’s favorite films of the year, and their streamlined approach to dressing has found its fit with both Loewe and stylist Danielle Goldberg. They won big at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, scooping Best Screenplay (and Naomi Ackie took home Best Supporting Performance for her turn in Victor’s movie), and while they didn’t secure an Oscar nom (sad!), they kept their spot on this list with stunning dresses all season long. The final hoorah in the form of this breastplated Loewe made us smile.

Jessie Buckley

Previous ranking: 7

Winning has never looked so good. Buckley was stylist Danielle Goldberg’s fashion darling this season and the only sure winner before Hollywood’s biggest night. She won every major award for her devastating turn in Hamnet, and shot up two places for this impeccable pink-and-red Chanel gown. Her looks were classic glamour with pitch-perfect makeup and jewelry. Less was always more for Buckley, the better to not distract from the golden trophies she picked up along the way.

Renate Reinsve

Previous ranking: 9

The Norwegian actor best known for her work with Joachim Trier secured an Oscar nom for her tear-jerking performance in Sentimental Value, and her relationship with Louis Vuitton meant lots of custom dresses that are works of architecture in themselves. She wore the most simple stitch of hot-red fabric at the Oscars, and in anyone else’s hands it might feel contrived, but Reinsve delivers with beautifully demure glam and those legs! It takes a lot of effort to look this casual, cool, and HOT.

Emma Stone

Previous ranking: 6

Stone is now in the all-time greats conversation (if she wasn’t already previously) with her fifth acting nomination at the Oscars. She also shot up to a place on the podium with her final effort in another stunning beaded Louis Vuitton piece. Her low-key ‘90s vibe, with barely a pattern or color in sight all awards season, let her natural beauty shine and proved she is the queen of minimalism. Her dresses didn’t work hard, but her Nina Park glam and bob certainly did.

Elle Fanning

Previous ranking: 2

Fanning, like Reinsve, delivers a grounded, striking performance in Sentimental Value, and also knows how important humanity is in her fashion. She rounded out her awards season in two custom Givenchy by Sarah Burton gowns; we are particularly enchanted by the black strapless gown that encapsulates her thesis statement for getting dressed all season. The looks harken back to Audrey Hepburn and other Old Hollywood legends, and her porcelain skin and hair bring all the fashion into the 21st century. She is the princess of the night anywhere she goes, and it’s never once been boring.

Teyana Taylor

Previous ranking: 1

Is anyone surprised to see her in this position? Nobody had more fun shapeshifting for every premiere, event, and award ceremony this season than Taylor. She went from vixen to fashion darling and back again, showing off her infamous washboard abs — and genuine love for fashion. At every turn, there was something different for every occasion, whether in men’s Saint Laurent at the Critics’ Choice Awards or gravity-defying Tom Ford at the Grammys. She ended the season with two bangin’ Chanel looks and the top prize, proving you don’t need a signature look to make an impact.

It was silver all over at the Vanity Fair Oscars party red carpet this year, and stars from Hollywood and beyond shuffled into the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in honor of Mark Guiducci’s first time helming the epic soirée. It was a meh night of fashion, with so many bias-cut silk dresses, perfectly acceptable updos, and beautifully dazzling jewels that were, yes, objectively gorgeous — but all missing that oomph any good afterparty look should have. Where was the fun on the after-dark red carpets last night?

Playing it safe is a surefire way to fly under the radar and avoid being marked worst-dressed, but traditional beauty is what the Oscars red carpet is for. The afterparties are where the girls are supposed to get their freak on, and experimentation should be the name of the game. To be fair, some risk-takers got our hearts racing. Take Julia Fox, who has previously showed up unreasonably stoned to this party with a leather hand molded on her neck. She went more classically glam with her makeup for the evening, but the funky dual wrapped buns and her shoulder-forward Viktor & Rolf gown were elegant and just weird enough to stand out.

Indeed, the standout stars of the night turned right where everyone else turned left. Odessa A’zion in Harris Reed and Pandora jewelry was high-drama and the most color we saw all night; Sarah Paulson gave fashion freak yet again with Matieres Fecales’ football-pad bomber jacket and tulle skirt; and Audrey Nuna gave us one final “Golden” moment in Glenn Martens’ Maison Margiela Artisanal. We (mercifully) did not see too much vintage last night, but Anya Taylor-Joy wearing John Galliano’s now-infamous Fall/Winter 1994 collection with a silly little hat is both studious and dramatically camp.

If the lore of afterparties in Hollywood holds true, the clothes should match the energy inside these rooms. Taking up space at the hottest ticket in town should be the first instinct for those who don’t often get to rub shoulders with the Bezoses and KarJenners of the world. PinkPantheress nailed it in feathers and a sculptural hat; even Hailey Bieber, who wore a traditionally Bieber-esque strapless gown from Armani, brought some intrigue with cheetah print. The best fashion last night was a tequila shot in dress form, and reminded us what parties are for: letting your hair down and experimenting with fashion. In deeply serious times, isn’t it better to shoot for the stars with a bold look (and maybe catch strays in the comments section) than just be fine? Dare to dream, fail, and even slay, ladies.

If the Oscars are the chance to add to a designer’s winning history or break social media with the best dress of the night, the afterparties are the chance to have fun with your girls and your look. Seats at the Academy Awards are limited, but the parties to dip in and out of after are much more bountiful, so in honor of the girls and guys hitting step and repeats well after sunset, we’re rounding up the looks that are worth a second glance.

Last year, the name of the game was oddities via butt-cracks, wind-swept hair, and generally left-of-center fashion that left us wanting more weirdness. Who will take the crown again this year? Will someone wear more Dilara Findikoglu and cement her as the designer for Vanity Fair’s afterparty? Will Timothée Chalamet do one more orange look, even if he doesn’t secure his first Best Actor trophy? The sky is the limit, and our appetite for multiple looks in one night from the same star is bottomless, so without further ado, find our favorite fashion from Hollywood’s biggest night out below.

Dua Lipa

In Gucci and Bvlgari jewelry at the Elton John AIDS Foundation viewing party

Jessica Alba

In Tamara Ralph at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Quenlin Blackwell

In Chanel at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Delaney Rowe

In Maison Margiela at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Kiernan Shipka

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Rachel Sennott

In custom Balenciaga at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Cara Delevingne

In Thom Browne at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Hannah Einbinder

In Colleen Allen and Belperron jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Lux Pascal

In Tom Ford at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Sarah Pidgeon

In Calvin Klein Collection and De Beers London jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Chloe Fineman

In custom Kallmeyer and Fred Leighton jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Hari Nef

In Ann Demeulemeester and De Beers London jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Paloma Elsesser

In archival Alexander McQueen and Tiffany & Co. jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Troye Sivan

In Tom Ford at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Nikki Glaser

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Maude Apatow

In custom Valentino at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Alix Earle

In Bob Mackie at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Louisa Jacobson

In Khaite at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Dakota Fanning

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Elle Fanning

In custom Givenchy by Sarah Burton and Cartier jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Jeff & Emily Goldblum

In ERL Artisanal at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Kaia Gerber

In custom Givenchy by Sarah Burton and De Beers London jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Bella Hadid

In custom Prada and Chopard jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Anya Taylor-Joy

In vintage John Galliano and Tiffany & Co. jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Kendall Jenner

In custom Chanel and Tiffany & Co. jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Teyana Taylor

In custom Chanel and Tiffany & Co. jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Sarah Paulson

In Matières Fecales, Christian Louboutin for Matières Fecales shoes, and Boucheron jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Emily Ratajkowski

In Conner Ives and Christian Loubouotin shoes at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

LaKeith Stanfield

In Dior at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Paul Anthony Kelly

In Brunello Cucinelli at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Olivia Rodrigo

In Saint Laurent at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Julia Fox

In Viktor & Rolf at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Nicole Kidman

In custom Chanel at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Odessa A’zion

In Harris Reed and Pandora jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Jessie Buckley

In custom Chanel and Chanel High Jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Gracie Abrams

In custom Chanel and Chanel High Jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Renate Reinsve

In custom Louis Vuitton and Louis Vuitton High Jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Chase Infiniti

In custom Louis Vuitton and De Beers London jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Kylie Jenner

In custom McQueen at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Timothée Chalamet

In custom Chrome Hearts at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Tate McRae

In custom Ludovic de Saint Sernin at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Kim Kardashian

In custom Gucci at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

PinkPantheress

In Tamara Ralph, Manolo Blahnik shoes, and Zales jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Demi Moore

In custom Gucci and Boucheron jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Zoey Deutch

In Boucheron jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Kristen Wiig

In Monse and Boucheron jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Emma Chamberlain

In Valentino and Chopard jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

EJAE

In Dior at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Audrey Nuna

In Maison Margiela Artisanal at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Lola Young

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Dua Lipa

In Schiaparelli Haute Couture and Bvlgari jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Myha’la

In Valentino and Messika jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Hailey Bieber

In Armani Privé at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Lila Moss

In Fendi at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Connor Storrie

In Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co. jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Alysa Liu

In Louis Vuitton at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Suki Waterhouse

In Tamara Ralph Couture at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Laura Harrier

In custom Gucci and Tiffany & Co. jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Alana Haim

In custom Louis Vuitton at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Lulu Tenney

In Tom Ford at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Grace Van Patten

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Simone Ashley

In Tamara Ralph Couture at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Amelia Dimoldenberg

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Cazzie David

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Rose Byrne

In custom Dior and Nikos Koulis jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Dove Cameron

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Mia Goth

In Dior at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Vittoria Ceretti

In custom Alaïa at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Iris Law

In Fendi at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Claudia Sulewski & FINNEAS

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Tyriq Withers

In Gucci at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Paul Mescal

In custom Celine at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Devon Lee Carlson

In Saint Laurent and Tacori jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Lewis Pullman

In Saint Laurent at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Karol G

At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Amelia Gray

In Revolve at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Eva Victor

In custom Loewe at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party

Adwoa Aboah

In Maison Margiela and Jessica McCormack jewelry at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party