Big Chess and Internet It Girls

"look for less cool"

How Leith Ross became Gen Z’s new favorite indie songwriter; Ice Spice and PinkPantheress star in the new Skims campaign; Bad Bunny wore a custom-made Mugler corset hoodie for Coachella; and Cory Kennedy was the Internet’s first ‘it’ girl.

THE STEALTH CAMPAIGN THAT’S GETTING YOUR KIDS HOOKED ON CHESS, nyt
Big Chess has been busy.

Stella Schwartz, 16, hopped on the chess bandwagon earlier this year after hearing about the game from her older brother, Hugh, a high school senior in San Francisco. Alex Post, a freshman at the University of Colorado, started playing in February, after some chess-related videos appeared in his Tik Tok feed; then he got his whole fraternity playing. Many other teenagers and young adults said that they too had recently developed a regular chess habit, although they could not recall how it started. But by all accounts — from players, parents, teachers, website metrics — the game’s popularity has exploded.

SNAPCHAT SEES SPIKE IN 1-STAR REVIEWS AS USERS PAN THE ‘MY AI’ FEATURE, CALLING FOR ITS REMOVAL, techcrunch
Over the past week — basically, since Snapchat released their latest AI tool widely — the app’s average U.S. App Store review was 1.67, with 75% of reviews being one-star. For comparison, across Q1 2023, the Snapchat average U.S. App Store review was 3.05, with only 35% of reviews being one-star. The number of daily reviews has also increased by five times over the last week.

YOUR FAVORITE CELEBRITY STREET STYLE PHOTO IS PROBABLY AN #AD, fashionista
For so-called heavy hitters who can guarantee brands an instant return on investment — Hailey Bieber, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, Olivia Wilde, and Emily Ratajkowski — expect to pay $500,000 and up.

WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT FASHION TRENDS AT COACHELLA, thecut
The on-the-ground trend reporting I needed: ”Chatting with some attendees, I noticed: out were dirty white shoes, unitards, and heels (why would you purposely do that to your feet?), and in were cowboy boots, see-through mesh, and baggy pants.”

WHY GEN-Z LOVES DUPES, bof
The tl;dr: Not only do TikTokers see dupe videos as a shortcut to virality, but “now cachet comes from finding the look for less,” said Susan Scafidi, founder of The Fashion Law Institute.

A tough economic climate, rising prices and a lightning-fast trend cycle are creating consumer demand for these more affordable alternatives. Gen-Z’s dupe obsession reveals just how hype-driven the beauty space has become, and raises questions about whether premium and luxury brands are doing enough to reach young consumers.

VOGUE ANNOUNCES SEARCH FOR NEXT GENERATION OF MODEL TALENT WITH OPEN CASTING, vogue
The Condé Nast title just announced what they’re calling “Open Casting,” positioned as a “global model-search that will find, encourage, and support a new generation of models that embody a modern ideal of beauty.” From now through May 8, “femme-identifying individuals 18 and older” can submit photographs, a short video, and a “questionnaire to highlight their personality” for a chance to be part of the cohort, which will grant opportunities to be in Vogue, as well as “mentorship and support.”

One last thought: