Capsule #32 ft. Kaiva Kaimins

Heyyyy 😌

There’s a lot going on for January isn’t there? In culture, with awards season, men’s fashion week, random announcements like Lana Del Rey for SKIMS… And in our own lives, chasing the work that fell off in December, frantically making plans for the year ahead, and decluttering our homes (anyone else?).

I definitely feel the benefits of being busy and having a routine, but it’s in the smaller, quieter moments I feel more like myself. Running in the morning. Really connecting with a piece of art (this week it’s this video). Cooking for friends. Make sure you find time for your versions of these things. 🫶

In this week’s newsletter, I’m taking you through some men’s fashion week stuff worth seeing, chatting about Emma Chamberlain’s In’s for 2024, and sharing some shorter recs you can easily slot into your weekend. Plus Kaiva Kaimins, the creative brain behind LADYGARDEN, is here to share her Hot & Not with you. 💐

Enjoy!

Holly x

Boy Week!

It may have passed you by slightly with awards show coverage, but we’re just coming out of Men’s Fashion Week. I think the men’s collections are often really exciting, yet there’s a bigger gap between what we see on the runway versus watching the men in our lives and on the streets. That being said, it feels like we’re at the tipping point of a period of more experimentation with menswear - call it the Harry Styles effect, the Wales Bonner supremacy, boyfriend air, the rise of babygirl men. (Speaking of which, a brief moment here for Kyle MacLachlan doing his best Lorde impersonation this week.)

The men’s shows have been energising, a gorgeous little amuse-bouche before fashion month officially commences. And here are some of the bits worth seeing: 

1. Oversized jumpers and tights at JW Anderson

The whole collection is worth looking at, but I just loved the big knitwear and sheer tights. It made me realise I have never seen a man on the street wearing tights. I want to see it! The collection was inspired by the interiors from Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut, and the show notes described it as “weird and perversely domestic”.

There was also a mega oversized red cardigan and blazer, which reminded me of Kodi-Smit McPhee’s 2022 Met Gala look from Bottega Veneta in a way that’s hard to put into words. A sinister take on the familiar I think. 

2. Western fun at Pharrell’s second Louis Vuitton show 

Some establishment fashion people were a bit unsure about Pharrell joining LV. But with his second collection, he showed up, stamped his metaphorical staff into the ground, and said, I’m here, this is what I like, and this is me doing it to the best of my ability. And it worked! The collection draws - super literally - on the classic American aesthetics of Western wear and workwear. Pharrell was keen to emphasise that “when you see cowboys portrayed you see only a few versions. You never really get to see what some of the original cowboys looked like. They looked like us, they looked like me. They looked Black. They looked Native American.”

3. Princess Anne as Fendi’s muse

Remember all the tweets from the Coronation like “she slayed fr…”? So too agreed Silvia Venturini Fendi, who cites that uniform moment as the inspiration for this collection. 

Perusing more of the menswear collections is probably a nice way to spend a Sunday morning, so I recommend that. The very quick TLDR is to note just how much a leather bag transforms a masculine fit. In womenswear, unless the bag is a mega statement it often just blends in because we’re so used to them. But in menswear, the entire look feels elevated and intentional with a bag. Just ask Jacob Elordi…

Forgive me, I know we’re past new year’s content…

But I had to make time to share Emma Chamberlain’s 2024 Ins (of which there are 26!). The question is really, what do they tell us about where we’re at with fashion and trends, plus a post-Covid, very online culture? Okay, here they are:

1. Being unapologetically cheugy

2. 5-second rule with food

3. High quality entertainment (not TikTok)

4. Reading

5. Badminton

6. Letting your hair grow out

7. Fresh herbs

8. Random weekend road trips 

9. Being silly and funny in business settings

10. Rewearing outfits

11. Asking for extra sauce on the side

12. Getting a random massage every once in a while

13. Politely speaking up

14. Hanging out at a cafe for like 3 hours (and getting to know the baristas)

15. Having a sweet treat after dinner 

16. Becoming friends with somebody before you date them 

17. Maroon nail polish

18. Onion rings

19. Feta cheese

20. Laser hair removal

21. Going on a walk after dinner

22. Orange light bulbs 

23. Ambient music

24. Swimming in natural bodies of water

25. Music with good lyrics

26. Living life for you

Not to be all, celebs, they’re just like us, but it’s often true that in more candid chats (these were shared in Emma’s monologue of a podcast) these super famous, access-to-all-the-luxury-goods people want to strip things back and enjoy life’s simpler stuff. This list is pretty much a bingo card for any weekend with your girlfriends, from the stuff you actually do (put onion rings in the air fryer, have a sweet treat after dinner, talk about how you were being silly in a meeting at work) to stuff you talk about wanting to do (get laser, have a friendship with someone before dating). This list says, I’ve been to all the parties and kept up with all the trends and tried all the things, but I still want to slow down, spend less time thinking about stuff that doesn't matter, and spend more time in nature, having fun, and enjoying things that taste or feel or sound good. We have all we need right here. 

And finally…

Kylie dyed her hair pink. She’s been teasing her King Kylie revival for a while now - the leather Khy collection, her general vibe shift towards the playful after her breakup with Travis Scott. I honestly loved seeing the candyfloss pink in January, the coldest saddest month. Maybe we should all be doing our classically spring/summer stuff a bit early: bleach the hair, wear the colours, choose orange for your nails. What’s the point in saving joy for later? I don’t think you get rewarded for stockpiling it. 

This week, Kaiva Kaimins (@myladygarden) popped into Capsule to share what’s 🔥hot🔥 and what’s not 🙅‍♀️ …

Kaiva is the she-e-o and founder of LADYGARDEN, a creative concept revolving around art and floristry, and LADYGARDEN.WORLD, an online platform for people who want to learn, grow, and connect with other passionate creatives.

📺 Watching: Suki Waterhouse’s new vlog (the lifestyle pivot is here). It’s nicely shot and produced, she’s funnier than I expected (see: “I hope you enjoy forming a parasocial relationship with me”, the edit of the Fendi show), and also gives more than people of her level of fame often do (see: “the combination of flashing lights, not knowing I was pregnant, the fear of being perceived by others and sensory overload from knee high leather boots made me go non verbal”).

📖 Reading: ‘Crying in Luke’s Lobster’, an essay about a man who has a secret place to go and cry, for Dirt.

🎧 Listening to: Orquídeas, the new Kali Uchis album, plus ‘Tiny Moves’, the new Bleachers song (watch the video with Margaret Qualley here). It made me feel fuzzy inside and dissolved those “AI is killing art” feelings.

Leo understands that when it comes to tights, the lower the denier the better. There’s something so chic about a wool coat and 10 denier leg look. Velvety. But what happens when the temperature falls below zero degrees? The girlies reach to the back of their drawers, pulling out the forgotten thicker pairs. So warm, and suddenly so appealing. And what’s cooler than being warm?

If you’d like to adopt Leo or one of his friends, click here to learn more.

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear how you’re finding Capsule - let me know here. And if you have a friend who might like it, please forward on 🥺

See you next week 💋