I got my hands on a 1999 Vogue. There's an article called "Ruling Class" about a woman named Sue Fox who runs etiquette courses for Silicon Valley's new millionaires. The subhead: "Someone's got to teach the software savvy not to lick the knife."

The piece carries a specific kind of worry — that these young tech founders had money but not manners, wealth but not taste. They didn't know how to hold a cup of coffee when dining with Japanese clients. They wore jeans to meetings. One guy licked his knife. Fox describes herself as "a Microsoftened Martha Stewart," teaching the newly rich which fork to use and how to shake hands properly.

Here's what I keep thinking about: the article assumed these people needed to learn the old rules. That real sophistication meant knowing wine etiquette and European table manners. But 26 years later, it's clear they never assimilated — they just made new rules. Steve Jobs in a turtleneck wasn't a failure of dress code. It became the dress code.

The establishment thought tech money would eventually learn to behave. Instead, tech money redefined what behavior meant. That's the part Vogue didn't see coming.

Caught my eye

• Saks may be bankrupt, but its early-2000s ads were iconic

Trends — what’s bubbling underneath the headlines

• Reddit is the new Google for beauty

  Dove ran a campaign called "r/eal reviews" built entirely from unfiltered Reddit feedback. I find this fascinating. For years, Reddit was where brands were roasted. Now it's where they're showing up on purpose — because "Reddit is a 'low-BS' environment". The deeper play is AI. Reddit is one of the biggest citation source for AI searchesWhen someone asks ChatGPT for a moisturizer rec, the answer often traces back to a Reddit thread. Some brands are now "writing more Wikipedia-style pages for their product — less sell the product, more general information".

• Two of my favorite trends are merging

  Italian design firm Visionnaire and The Longevity Suite — biohacking clinic — are partnering on branded residences. Apartments with in-house clinics, circadian lighting, air and water microfiltration, "a controlled living ecosystem focused on health and environmental quality. Branded residences rose to 910 in 2025 from 323 in 2015 — expected to hit 1,747 by 2032. Meanwhile, the Global Wellness Summit just named "longevity residences" a top 2026 trend: "Longevity is no longer a service you visit — it's a lifestyle you live in"

• TikTok shop could be bigger than Walmart by 2030

  A new report projects $1 trillion in sales and 14.6 percent of global marketplace share — behind only Amazon and Pinduoduo.

  Here's the number that really surprised me: Walmart, currently the biggest retailer in the world, is projected to rank number-five by then. The only top-five player still running mostly on physical stores. An app that barely existed five years ago overtaking a company with 10,500 locations. I keep thinking about what this means for how people discover products now — scroll, watch, buy, done. No search, no comparison, no intent. Retail rebuilt around impulse.

Business moves, big numbers & “wait, what?”

• From superfan to shareholder. Kim Kardashian is now cofounder of energy drink brand Update. This is how I think celebrity partnerships should actually work. Kardashian became a consistent daily consumer in 2024, began offering unsolicited feedback on flavor, formulation, and packaging, and eventually formalized the partnership. Not a check-cashing endorsement deal — actual product obsession that turned into equity. She wasn't hired. She showed up. Customer to advisor to cofounder — that's the celebrity playbook now.

• Chip Wilson is done playing nice. The Lululemon founder sent a letter to shareholders escalating his proxy fight, saying "my attempts toward a sensible solution have not been reciprocated."

  Wilson wants more than three directors replaced, immediate board declassification, and a new committee focused on brand and product. The board said no. The stock has lost nearly half its value over the past five years, costing shareholders roughly $20 billion. There's no permanent CEO. And the guy who built the brand is watching from the outside, holding 9.9 million shares and running out of patience.

  His argument is simple: "Brand, creative and marketing skills are missing from the boardroom". Lululemon says they've engaged with him for years. Wilson says they're not listening. Someone's going to blink before the annual meeting.

• The Arnault family now owns more than half of LVMH. 50.01 percent of the capital, 65.94 percent of voting rights — bought on the dip while shares are down 38 percent from their 2023 peak.

  Arnault called it confidence: "The family group thinks and invests for the medium term, builds products for the long run, and isn't obsessed with what might happen next quarter." He's 76. Shareholders extended his age limit to 85. Five children in the business, no succession plan announced. This isn't a transition. It's a fortress.

Wish I were there - pop-ups,  collabs, etc.

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• 08.03.-21.03 | Paris - Fondation Cartier Exhibition

• Ongoing | New York - Ami Paris x Balthazar

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