

Discover more from After School by Casey Lewis
Forever 21 launches at J.C. Penney; Young Thug is starring in Josh Safdie’s new show Chillin Island; Levi’s backed an anti-gender bias protest for young women in Russia; and 80% of Gen Z workers say they’ve taken a nap on the job;
GEN Z IS DONE WITH THE PANDEMIC, atlantic
They’re once again learning and working in-person; they’re dining, drinking, and dancing indoors; they’re traveling and celebrating birthdays and holidays; and they don’t have plans to stop anytime soon — Omicron variant be damned.
CAN YOUNG WOMEN MAKE FRIENDS THROUGH FACEBOOK?, glamour
Young people are facing a loneliness epidemic, and some are turning to Facebook (Bumble BFF, Friender and Peanut — but Facebook) for help.
Izzy and Ella don't have the most typical girl-meets-girl story. They met in a private Facebook group called Truly Twenties, which young women are using to find friends. From women who've just moved to a new city, to people who’ve drifted apart from their old friends and are looking for a new girl-group, friendships are flourishing in the world of private Facebook forums.
The rapidfire TikTok algo is impacting more than just fashion trend cycles. “Beauty standards are not new, but sociologists who study the body say they may be changing more rapidly, insisting more fervently that we constantly adjust to them.”
HOW JUICY COUTURE AND TRUE RELIGION MADE A COMEBACK, voguebusiness
Applying streetwear tactics to mainstream fashion, Juicy Couture is using a mobile app, Tapcart, to release exclusive drop collections. Its OG Big Bling velour hoodie in rose pink sold out within a day. Since its launch in September, the app has driven 20% of sales.
THE FUTURE OF GIFT-GIVING IS THRIFTED, adweek
Unsurprisingly, Gen Zers were most open to thrifted gifts at 72%.
JACKSON WIEDERHOEFT BRINGS HIS FANTASY TOUCH TO READY-TO-WEAR, wwd
A little niche, but expect to see this designer — whose new collection and debut scripted film are based around “a performing arts high school for witches” — go viral on FashionTok. (I recently wondered how in the heck these very young TikTokkers were footing the bill for all these designer clothes, but then I picked up an issue of Teen Vogue from 2004 and everything clicked. While the platforms have changed, generational wealth remains the same.)
THE 2022 INSTAGRAM TREND REPORT, instagram
40% of teens and young adults expect to see more video game trends in 2022; interest in buying virtual-only goods has increased 50% from 2021.
One last thought: