The Curiosity Dispatch - #011
10 things I’ve consumed, discovered, bookmarked, lusted over, etc to expand your search terms, outlook, desires, personality, knowledge
Happy Friday!
If you’re new here, welcome to “The Curiosity Dispatch” — a weekly round up of things I’ve consumed, discovered, bookmarked, etc etc. This year we’re concentrating on developing our personal style/taste/world through getting curious. That means breaking past the algorithms, going down rabbit holes, trying something new, revisiting something we don’t like, and seeing where our thoughts and feelings end up on the other side.
Let’s get into it…
Mr. and Mrs. Smith on Amazon Prime
It’s good. It’s really, really good. And if you’re hesitant to watch it because you’re like, “but I didn’t care/like/enjoy the Brangelina one, so why would I care/like/enjoy about this one?” It’s not even comparable, in the same league, let alone planet. Donald Glover and Maya Erskine have the most palpable, undeniable but whispery subtle chemistry that you are immediately sucked into their world and their story. Not to mention the set design (their house is !!!), cinematography, editing is all very, very good. If you’re looking for a weekend binge, look no further.
Anna Sui’s Vogue Favorites
Anna Sui is forever one of my favorite fashion designers and is no doubt one of the primary reasons I have such a deep love for rich colors, patterned textures, and vibrant textiles. Her perfume was the first scent I ever bought (Britney Spears’ Fantasy, was the other, obviously) and I’ve been waiting for her to have her renaissance in the world of fashion for some time. Her newest Fall/Winter 2024 collection, hosted at Strand Books, was timed so perfectly with me moodboarding color palettes for our new space, and reminded me of how much I love her “effortless nerdy cool girl” point of view. YouTube led me to this tour she did with Vogue back in June of 2022, where she shares some her favorite pieces in her otherworldly, ornate home. I am!! Inspired!! Let this be your sign to embrace more color, textures, and prints in your life.
We’re just taking a tour of some of my all time favorite designers this week because Rodarte, designed by sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, is another one of my most loved labels. Their collections, runway shows, and photoshoots always do an impressive job of transporting the viewer to an extraordinary wondrous fantasy realm that makes me wonder why I ever got rid of all of my Lord of the Rings Halloween costumes….regrets!! Also, I love how carefully they curate indie/rising actors, musicians, and models for their photos — go peep their Instagram and see who you recognize and discover!
Maison Margiela Artisanal Collection 2024
I know this has now become repetitive commentary content/think-piecey due to breaking the internet, which I’ll take as a positive sign that many people are craving a revitalization for craft in the fashion industry, but this show, THIS SHOW!! moved me in a way couture hasn’t in a very long time. It reminded me of Vogue editorials from days of yore (the late 90s and early 00s) when couture seemed to be a fully thought out, conceptualized dreamscape come to life through meticulous tailoring, hand sewn details, hours of beadwork, and the collaboration between models and designer to breathe life into the clothes through movement and emotion (like Leon Dame, who opened this show.) I’m looking forward to the upcoming documentary on John Galliano, who is no doubt an imperfect human with an incredibly perfect eye for beauty.
This collection made me want to explore curating more masculine, wool, vintage workwear pieces into my wardrobe and channel my inner Peaky Blinder.Cillian Murphy for GQ
Speaking of Peaky Blinders, we need to talk about the colors, styling, and set design of this cover editorial featuring Cillian Murphy for the March issue of GQ. It’s very intriguing to compare how people who lean heavily into fashion/art/interiors/are creatively centered see cover shoots like this versus the person who very casually consumes pop culture because the views and opinions always seem extremely opposite. While I am obsessed with these rich jewel tones that feel reminiscent of a Wong Kar-wai movie and the colorful, textured, layered styling and jewelry juxtaposed with how laid back and allergic Murphy feels in the spotlight, let’s just say the general public was…not a fan. A quick browse through the comments on Instagram and I was immediately reminded as to how vocal internet people decide to become when they don’t like things - yikes!
“Everyone’s a sellout now” by Rebecca Jennings for Vox
I found myself aggressively nodding my head back and forth in agreement while reading most of this article. I could write thousands of words on this topic, and probably already have here in this space, because it does, in fact, suck to feel like you have to “build a brand” in order to succeed on your own in America. Jennings does a thorough job at looking at self promotion through many different lenses, good and bad, and how hard it is to be genuinely creative/artistic/imaginative when your mindset is on posting schedules, grid curation, and engagement rates.Is the labor of self-promotion making art worse? It’s sort of impossible to argue this; the internet has abetted the creation and exposure of infinitely more art than ever before in human history. But with less separation between art and commerce, Montgomery says, “there’s some self-censorship that happens. If you’re a little too knowledgeable about PR, you start to become way too aware of things like posting schedules, and it’s impossible to be punk anymore.”
You’ve probably seen their over-the-top gingham-claid New Orleans hotel, Peter and Paul, all over Pinterest, but that’s just the tip of iceberg for this hotelier and their cool factor. As someone who is deep in paint sample hell, looking at how delightfully eclectic yet harmonious their color palettes blend together — heaven!
While I will likely not find myself in Baltimore any time soon, if I did, you best believe I would be drinking at this sexy ass bar, Bloom’s, in Ash’s Baltimore hotel, Ulysses
“A project by Christine Wertheim & Margaret Wertheim of the Institute For Figuring. The Crochet Coral Reef is an artwork responding to climate change and also a global community-based exercise in applied mathematics and evolutionary theory.”
I feel like my words just do not do this project justice so please read the linked article and website because wow, just wow.Nice People Design Studio’s “Women Designers You Should Know” Series on TikTok/Instagram
Amber Asay, Creative Director of Nice People, a design studio known for making striking branding for companies like Poosh, does a series on their TikTok/Instagram highlighting women designers throughout history who have shaped the worlds of art, print, advertising, animation, branding, furniture and beyond. I’ve bookmarked so many of these clips while scrolling and it’s been nice to revisit them, dive deeper, get inspired and learn about these women and their achievements when I have a few moments in the day I could easily have wasted on online shopping.Kacey Musgrave’s new single, “Deeper Well”
There is only room in my heart for one country girly gone popstar, ahem, and it is reserved for Kacey and Kacey only. She is chill vibes, earthly magic, and warm fuzzies — I am very much looking forward to her new album and will start saving now for her tour, since seeing concerts has suddenly become more than a monthly car payment.
Well, there ya have it. What have you been reading, absorbing, scrolling, crafting, bookmarking and getting curious about? Let me know in the comments or reply to this email — I want to know!
I’ll be back on Sunday with a little teeny tiny side order of requests from readers who are searching for specific secondhand things on the world wide web.
As always, thanks for being here. Consider sharing Trash Panic with someone you think might enjoy it. I’m forever grateful and encourage your comments and feedback - just hit reply to this to say hello!
Until next time,
xo,
G
I could consume your content for all of eternity
NEW KACEY 🤘