Welcome back to After School Weekend Edition, a weekly trend debrief for paid subscribers.💫
Today we’re talking about: Sydney Sweeney, professional shiller. The rebranding of Kylie Jenner (and a throwback to the time I interviewed her). Cowboycore. Big PromTok drama. Sofia Richie Grainge’s 10 (10!!!) concurrent brand deals. Hot tankini summer. Micro shorts. The new “it” Ugg. Matilda Djerf’s Soho beauty salon. Elf’s collab with Liquid Death is good, actually. The Street Fighter TikTok trend. The “Hello Sharks…” meme. Why everyone is tweaking — not to be confused with twerking — on TikTok.
Plus everything else that happened this week in youth culture and what I’m buying/reading/listening to. But first, my favorite TikTok of the week (many of you have probably already seen this but it’s too important not to include!)
This week, Sydney Sweeney attended a Laneige pop-up at The Grove as part of her duties as global brand ambassador of the popular beauty brand best known for its viral lip mask. On Instagram Stories, Puck’s Lauren Sherman said something to the effect of: “Is there anything she won’t shill?”
Lauren, I do not think there is! In January, the same month Sydney’s Laneige partnership was announced, she was also named the global brand ambassador of the haircare brand Kérastase. She’s also the face of Armani Beauty — unclear how that’s not a conflict with the Laneige deal — and has ongoing partnerships with Bai, the low-calorie “antioxidant” drink for which she regularly does press and attends events dressed in outfits that match whatever flavor of Bai she’s promoting, and Ford, for which she’s designed several clothing collections.
(Unlike Charli D’Amelio, who was announced as a Ford partner this week with some very bad sponcon spotted by
, Sydney is a noted car girl who restores Mustangs in her free time.) (No, but really.)