The humdrums of summer
I watched this film without any pretense as to what the story will be, but it may have captured the essence of a quintessential summer film so far. With costumes by Miyako Bellizi, worn no other than the bodies of Chloe Sevigny and Lily McInerny, they graced the screen of Durga Chew Bose’s first directorial debut as if it belonged in the 90s. It framed an indulgent type of summer where it leads us in a hazy memory that changes us forever.

I’ve come to a point especially this year of expanding my taste and ability to enjoy different kinds of things outside my usual interests. I think it’s only fitting that appreciating K-Pop is one of them, especially this rookie boy group, Cortis. Not saying that they fit the mold of nostalgic boy bands, (although this song makes you feel warm and remind of you that) they persisted on being fresh debuted artists and performers of their own right by coloring outside the lines of what a typical K-Pop group should be. From writing their own songs, producing their own music videos and creating their own concepts, it remains a breath of fresh air that makes you stay on the loop of what these kids are up to next.

As with all things fragrance that boomed from the past few years and this ongoing appetite for perfumes, I’m always intrigued by the world-building of it based on this simple ability of smell and creativity. Similar to brands like Tamburins, Jouissance,  Gorgeous Nothings and Troy Sivan’s Tsu Lange Yor, this scent specifically captured by curiousity of the brand’s line of hand crafted fragrances that celebrate Asian cultures.

I’ve been following Kiko Mizuhara’s beauty and health brand kiiks for a while now and it never lost its spark of how refreshing her approach to this industry is in the sea of brand noise and labels everywhere. The impact of her image as a veteran model and it girl-ness hasn’t tainted the brand’s essence and story of how it came to be, but rather encourages younger generations to become responsible, radical entrepreneurs and creatives if they choose to be.

Image makers like Aya Fujioka hold a special place in my personal library of references as a masterclass of ‘seeing,’ and being this tastemaker to weave stories so subtely and organic as breathing. I appreciate bodies of work that make you reflect and move you as you unravel or experience the sequence of images on the page. More than serving as an account of her life, family and going back to her hometown, you get a familiar sense of what it means to see the things you we’re constantly exposed to in a different way.

I’ve been a long fan of Colleen Allen’s work for a while and the way her pieces speak a certain type of femininity, witchcraft and lived in-ess altogether. As much as the rich, darker and witchier pieces are my favorites, her Spring/Summer 2026 collection still holds an air of ease, intrigue and the sweet spot of her own references of feminist literature to curiosities found in antique markets, as well as the spirit of fearless contemporary women.

In Their Words

‘I’ve been obsessed with witches since I was a little kid. When I was trying to define who I am as a woman and what I resonate with, that’s always what it came back to. I return again and again to the archetype of the witch and how she shows up in culture. Sometimes it’s in a literal sense, other times it’s a woman from history or a fictional character who carries that spirit – someone who goes against the grain.

‘Initially, I didn’t really know why I was so drawn to the Victorian era, but I think it’s because the silhouettes for women at the time were these incredibly complex tailored shapes that geometrically mould around the female body. With historical dressing, it’s about building a silhouette: a bloomer, a petticoat, a corset, a coverlet, all coming together to create an overall experience. I think that’s something contemporary womenswear has lost. It’s not that I want dressing to feel restrictive or formal, but rather that conversation between underwear and outerwear is something I’m constantly playing with.’

Pawson’s ramble from the start and throughout the video felt meditative to how he approaches his work and the essence of what he does as an architect. I don’t think I can get enough or get tired of seeing his own house when publications and media platforms feature it or just seeing photos of the space itself. His practice and the way he reflects on life and its complexities move and inspire me in thinking about how we also move through our own paths. In taking up space, what we leave behind or how we live through the everyday.  

A book of eleven stories about getting dressed and a photo series from Jennifer Park, its reminiscent of the time I had with my sister and cousin during the summer of spending afternoons daydreaming and making messes of trying clothes and coming up with scenarios or playing make believe scripts. The intimacy of going through a closet feels vulnerable as I go into my 20s now, knowing that going through mine, I have compiled some stories myself with garments I own. Having summer come around again, its always been the unspoken time for a closet purge or revisiting and seeing these anew.