

Discover more from After School by Casey Lewis
Tiffany & Co. debuts expanded Tiffany Lock collection with Florence Pugh; Olivia Rodrigo just dropped one hell of a track list for her new album; and move over, Barbie — a Bratz x Kylie Jenner collection is in the works, marking the doll brand’s first-ever celebrity collaboration.
THE REAL MEANING OF GATEKEEPING, thecut
The great Ann Friedman explores the evolving definition of the buzzword: “In the age of supposed ‘de-influencing,’ starting a post with ‘I want to gatekeep this, but …’ has become the perfect way to, well, influence. It signals both that you’re in the know and that you are a person of the people who wants to magnanimously share that knowledge.” (I’m also quoted in this story talking about the future of creators “gate-keeping” specific content — from the brand of their lipstick to their juiciest gossip — for paid subscribers only.)
TINDER TO LAUNCH A ‘HIGH-END’ MEMBERSHIP THIS FALL AMID PRODUCT REFRESH, techcrunch
The new membership, dubbed "Tinder Vault," is expected to cost around $500 per month. The inspiration for the new product comes from Match Group's acquisition of another high-end dating app, The League, which can cost up to $1,000 per week.
THE WOMAN BEHIND THE ‘HOT GIRL SUMMER’ NECKLACE, nyt
Taylor Sade is the 24-year-old founder of Vertigo, “the buzzy brand behind the accessory draping the necks and waists of many young women this summer.” The brand has landed in Sports Illustrated, a Victoria’s Secret ad, and a Frankies Bikini billboard in SoHo; it’s also caught the eye of celebrity stylists, who have requested accessories for their clients like Gigi Hadid and Alix Earle.
Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, a contributing editor at Vogue, said Vertigo inspired a feeling of nostalgia and evoked a bygone era that’s hard to place. A Vertigo girl is someone who “didn’t shop at Hollister and might not have been popular because of it, but she knew what was cool decades before the rest of us,” Ms. Karefa-Johnson said.
GEN Z DEVELOPING FEAR OF PHONE CALLS, OR "PHONE PHOBIA", cbsnews
Wait, you’re telling me young people would rather text than talk on the phone??? "I do get a little bit anxious," said 23-year-old Destiny Quezada, of Dix Hills. "It's a lot of effort to pick up a phone and talk all the time." Not sure why CBS News decided to publish this tale-as-old-as-time story in 2023, but I do think this is timely because most jobs do require a basic comfort with speaking on the phone, and if people have a so-called “phone phobia,” we’re going to have to do something about that.
GEN Z DOESN'T LOVE THE U.S. LIKE BOOMERS DO, usatoday
Young Americans increasingly view capitalism less favorably than older generations, with Gen Z having particularly negative views.
HOW TEENS GOT HOOKED ON ANTI-AGEING, i-d
Gen Z spends more on skincare than any other generation. But it’s not just serums and eye creams — the #preventativebotox hashtag has 1.8 million views on TikTok, with influencers like 22-year-old Alix Earle documenting their experience of getting work done.
The collapse of siloed media is another factor Jessica points to, noting the death of teen magazines such as Cosmo Girl, Elle Girl and Sassy. “The media and the commercials [used to be] very different between age groups,” she says. “I think with social media specifically… these messages aren't as targeted anymore. So younger people are being exposed to the same anti-ageing messaging that previously had been targeted at more of an older audience.”
GEN ZERS ARE WORRIED THEY'RE GETTING OLD AND OUT OF TOUCH AFTER REALIZING THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND GEN ALPHA'S MEMES, insider
After years of mocking millennial humor as "cringe," Gen Zers are complaining about feeling "old" and "outdated" as Gen Alpha starts to create its own memes.
One last thought:
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Vertigo Girls and Phone Phobias
I am working on a gen-z marketing analysis for my newsletter. Your newsletter has been such a great resource 🍊 thanks a lot 🍊