I Can’t Stop Thinking About Mark Zuckerberg’s $900,000 Watch
News of the Week: Hermès couture, Prada on the hunt, Meta's post-civility era etc.
My heart is heavy from news of the fires in LA, a city that has charmed me with its inviting climate, rich history, diversity of cuisines, and most importantly, melting pot energy. LA is also home to my favorite bookstore, Reparations Club, which is currently raising mutual aid funds to support families impacted by the fires. If you are able, please get in touch or consider donating to this GoFundMe directory.
My heart is also hurting for the network of traders, tailors and artisans whose livelihoods were destroyed by the fire at Kantamanto market, where much of our hand-me-downs in the West end up. We know this thanks to the work of organizations like The Or Foundation, which raises awareness about the 15 million pieces of used clothing that Ghana receives every week (for context: the country’s population is 34 million), calls on brands to step up, supports grassroots initiatives, and helps develop sustainable fashion business models. According to The Guardian, as much as two-thirds of the market has been razed to the ground and at least 8,000 people have been affected. Read about some of their stories in fashion journalist
’s strong coverage and consider donating to The Or Foundation here.
This is the first edition of Fashion News of the Week, where I aggregate the top fashion stories, rumors and fun facts you’d probably like to know—from the luxury brand Prada is considering buying to the surprising footwear people are wearing in the streets. I did all the scrolling/reading so you don’t have to.
And if you haven’t yet, now’s a good time to upgrade your subscription to Market Appointment ☺️
After a 14-year run, Y/Project —the Parisian brand known for the coolest, most inspired denim jeans money can buy—is closing. Despite its cult following thanks in large part to the genius of former creative director Glenn Martens (who was appointed in 2013) and the many fashion press accolades (the brand was a finalist in the 2016 LVMH Prize and won the Andam Prize in 2017), Y/Project remained very niche—turning over almost €11 million in sales annually as of 2023, according to Vogue Business. Martens stepped down in September 2024, which marked the beginning of the end. Sad day for indie labels everywhere.
I can’t stop thinking about Mark Zuckerberg’s $900,000 watch, which he wore to announce Meta’s post fact-checking era. In general, I’ve been fascinated with his appropriation of hip-hop style (gold chains, oversized sweatshirts and all) in this new chapter of flaunting his wealth. Seems to confirm the theory that as the world becomes more unstable, people tend to resort to extreme gestures as a coping mechanism or a form of “doubling down” or rebellion etc.
As far as the changes to Meta’s content moderation go, if users couldn’t refer to transgender people as “it” or call homosexuality a mental illness before, they can now do so under Facebook’s updated hate speech rules. Previously censored content will run rampant on the platform with the goal of “restoring free speech.”
Just when some "Wirkin" consumers thought they could touch Hermès, the Parisian house is considering couture. In its 186-year history, the brand had never ventured into couture territory but this might change in 2027, according to Lauren Sherman. What could a Hermès couture collection look like? Looking at womenswear artistic director Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski’s collections, I imagine lots of finely sculpted leather pieces and gowns constructed by artisans from around the world, not unlike Grazia’s best work at Dior. I’m always a fan of seeing more fantasy in fashion so I hope this becomes a thing!