Hard Edges and Cheap Diamonds
“the Justin Bieber of internet rap”
Nettspend — described by GQ as “the Justin Bieber of internet rap” — just made his Paris Fashion Week runway debut; TikTok star Mikayla Nogueira is launching a beauty brand backed by Imaginary Ventures; and Megan Moroney is the Gen Z country queen we need.
MORE THAN HALF OF MILLENNIAL AND GEN Z COUPLES PICK ENGAGEMENT RINGS WITH A LAB-GROWN DIAMOND, fortune
For the first time, over half of engaged couples are choosing lab-grown diamonds over natural stones, driven by affordability and larger carat sizes, according to The Knot’s 2025 Real Weddings Study. Lab-grown diamonds have surged 40% in popularity since 2019, bringing the average engagement ring price down to $5,200, a 15% drop since 2021. Younger consumers (22% of Gen Z and 28% of millennials) prioritize price and size over origin, leading natural diamond producers, including De Beers, to slash prices by 10-15%.
HE HAS ALL THE CELEBRITY A CHEF COULD WANT. HE’S STILL CHASING GEN Z., wsj
At 67, Jean-Georges Vongerichten is shifting his focus from Michelin stars to members’ clubs, determined to keep young professionals out past their bedtime. “Everybody goes home, goes to bed at 10, watching TV,” Vongerichten told
FLAMBOYANCE, CREATIVITY, CLUB CULTURE – AND NO SMART PHONES: WHY THE 1980S ARE ALL THE RAGE AGAIN, theguardian
A wave of 1980s nostalgia has hit London’s biggest cultural institutions, with exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Modern, and the Fashion and Textile Museum sparking “an attendant buzz of envious curiosity among today’s style-conscious young.” Unlike today’s corporate-driven world, the ‘80s offered a sense of unlimited (and more accessible) creative possibility, something that resonates with Gen Z.
TIKTOK’S MOOD MUSIC WILL TELL TEENS TO ‘WIND DOWN’ AFTER 10PM, theverge
TikTok is introducing a “wind down” feature that will prompt users under 16 to log off after 10 p.m. by interrupting their feed with a full-screen reminder, calming music, and soon, meditation exercises. TikTok also introduced new capabilities that allow parents to lock their kid’s app at specific times and monitor who they follow. This is one of many recent launches from TikTok that aim to boost public perception; last week, they announced plans to expand their local services business to the U.S. I think it’s safe to say the app is firmly in its delulu era.
WEST VIRGINIA COACH RICH RODRIGUEZ BANS TIKTOK DANCING, espn
A college football coach has banned his players from dancing on TikTok, arguing that it clashes with the team’s “hard edge” image. “How about let’s win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok,” he told reporters. Rodriguez clarified that he wasn’t banning players from the platform; he was just banning them from dancing on it. “It ain’t quite the image of our program I want,” he explained.
TO GET BIG IN CHINA, N.B.A. STARS ENLIST SOCIAL MEDIA SURROGATES, nyt
The firm East Goes Global, which creates and runs Chinese social media accounts on behalf of celebrities, helped New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson gain over 400,000 followers across platforms like Weibo, Douyin, and Bilibili. The strategy also proved successful for Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, who leveraged Chinese fan support to earn a starting spot in the 2024 All-Star Game.
One last thought:
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
I’m really really not here Mikayla’s skincare line 😒