Ralph Lauren + Me, Current Catch Phrases and more
This is a hodge-podge of everything on my mind but stay with me
Happy Sunday to those of you who are experiencing warmer weather and (hopefully) sunshine! At this rate, I’m looking ahead to next week’s forecast because it’s too grey overhead and I’m sitting under a blanket as I write in east London. Boooo.
Is it just me or has this week felt incredibly busy? I was out of the house in the evening for a variety of things this week, but the news has also been mad. Aside from the escalated reactions to student protests across the US, there were literal horses from Buckingham Palace running loose in London on Wednesday. One ran as far as five miles!! I stopped a meeting to make this announcement as I got the BBC notification. The hilarity of it all.
That said, there’s been a lot on my mind— I originally scheduled this post as a light bit on some related catchphrases I have been using, but thought that was more of a side piece to the real meat of what I’ve got for us today. I hope you enjoy the hodge-podge + have something to share in the comments!
ON MY MIND
This Highsnobiety piece on Ralph Lauren by Sean Holley
What drew me in as a dreamscape of what seemed to be a thirst trap of the golden age of RL campaigns in the 1980s (while the casting homogeneity is rife, it sure is hot!) became a study on the growth of a brand led by the ever-evolving nuance of its founder.
It’s such a thoughtful, carefully done piece of writing. For the TLDR, here’s what stuck out to me…
“It’s because Lauren wasn’t born into extravagant wealth that he’s able to offer an astute and compelling interpretation of the American Dream. As the proverbial outsider, Lauren’s advertisements are inherently aspirational; they are homage to possibility. The characteristics he emphasizes in his ads communicate his personal values: a slower-moving lifestyle away from the demands of the city, a strong sense of social connection, and an affinity for the natural world.”
Holley goes on to conclude that RL and his vision embody the moments in which we fall in love with fashion: “In an industry that is often cold and unrealistic, his brand emanates a communal sense of warmth through deeply personal expression.”
Just the other day I was getting knee-deep into this idea of vulnerability with
’s optimistic and delicate musing on belonging/not belonging in it’s ok to like fashion.I grew up in a small town in the Midwest, watching America’s Next Top Model, thrifting at Goodwill and shopping Calvin Klein by way of TJMaxx. Out of sheer determination, I tried weaving my way into the fashion industry in London after studying politics and thinking I’d become a human rights lawyer or diplomat. I learned so much as an *unpaid* intern for an independent label + for a fashion rental startup, simultaneously feeling as though there was a secret curtain behind the one I had just pulled back.
When I was having a hard time getting a full-time entry level job, likely due to lack of connections than anything else, I was told being so strict on my opinions on sustainability wouldn’t get me anywhere. Clearly, my challenges to the status quo (though rising in popularity) were unwanted. I didn’t know what outlets were at my disposal… I never really learned how to pitch to publications, and wasn’t exactly sure what to say anyway, until starting my Substack a year ago now. Relatively everything about my path has been unconventional.
I feel like an outsider and an insider depending on who I’m with, what I’m reading or following… I bite my lip after I post something to my newsletter that leans more towards my interests in activism and promoting circularity, waiting to find out that I’ve lost people’s interest. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer in the feed! But even if it’s repetitive, I feel it’s my obligation to continue bringing my audacious hopes and dreams of climate justice everywhere, but particularly in an industry I enjoy to some extent.
See how I’m joining a conversation, of which writers have already come to describe beautifully, and using their insights as inspiration for my fingerprint on the matter? I have never had an original thought (you probably haven’t either: humans have been on this earth long enough to become repetitive) and I don’t mind. As creatives, are we not all standing on each other’s shoulders?
Your POV is so important in your artistry. Amidst all this groupthink in fashion and pop culture (or any niche, truthfully), that flavor that is uniquely yours should be equally as valuable as the ideas that bring us together in a collective.
11 years since Rana Plaza
On Wednesday, I joined my fellow London Remake ambassadors (as well as members from Labour Behind the Label — some of you may recognize Venetia LaManna) in a demonstration to commemorate to 2,000 lives lost in the collapse of garment factory Rana Plaza in Bangladesh. We concentrated our efforts on four key fast fashion brands on Oxford Street — Next, Zara, H&M, and Primark — using our march to highlight and support the ongoing union strikes and protests against the existing minimum wage and labor rights violations. While this was specific to Bangladeshi union struggles, it’s important to remember that by lifting their voices in our action halfway across the world, we draw attention to unions everywhere that demand and deserve a dignified wage. I was lucky that we all were able to action this demonstration without fear of aggressive police or bystanders, creating an inviting and passionate space for which we could dream of a better future.
Climate justice advocate Aditi Mayer published an article in Vogue Business this week checking in on legislative progress in the years since the tragic event that you can read here.
“Enjoy your free speech”
On that note of the right to peaceful protest, House Speaker and resident loser of a suppressive regime Mike Johnson responded to booing from Columbia students as he condemned their encampment with the above quote. CRAZY to think we live in a democracy when this is threatened so casually!! I’ve been so in awe of the swift student organizing of universities across the country, and of the faculty that back them. I am so worried for their safety as the National Guard and police have created a tension we have only witnessed in a few pivotal (and dangerous) moments in history. I’m interested to see what the plan for action is come summertime. But please, exercise your free speech and know your rights!
Bag charms
My beloved AllSaints leather hobo bag was stolen a few months ago, and out of a combination of laziness/convenience/apprehensiveness towards investing in a new work tote I’ve just been using one of my mom’s old ones. The faux leather coating is constantly stripping off the handles, but it fits everything and does the job. That said, it’s not particularly sparking joy or falling in line with my preferred aesthetic.
Charms have been on my mind for a minute (featured in my last Vibe Check here). I’ve got a few ideas to crochet my own charms, repurpose keychain items for my tote, and using an old hand-dyed silk scarf to spruce it up. Luckily, a more organized
has a full download of the cutest and most interesting bag charms out there!! Even if it was within reach, you might never catch me vying after a Birkin, but I will absolutely get a baby Birkin charm because it’s too damn cute.CURRENT CATCH PHRASES, BECAUSE I BE SAYING THINGS!!
Let it marinate
Said when I’m really, really not sure about an outfit I’ve pulled together. Also said when my shopping trigger starts acting up and I need to let things breathe before I put my wallet somewhere that doesn’t bear anything fruitful or proper ROI. I like to think of it as part of the “juice is temporary, sauce is forever” mentality — if you let a thing marinate, ie keep working at a style or staving off your desire to purchase immediately, you will be cooking up far greater things in the future. Stick to the sauce.
Oh, I can do that!
I am the most creative I have ever been at the present moment. I live for all my hobbies and creative pursuits, and when seeing something spectacular (a crochet bag, or a self-published book of poetry) I am giving myself the space to be blindly optimistic and tell myself I should try my hand at it! It’s made me appreciate other’s art or handmade designs, and I’m really excited to learn from them and have more of my own work in my life.
___ -presenting
Oat milk-presenting, cottage in the Cotswold-presenting, hey mamas-presenting, Kate Middleton horse girl-presenting… you get the picture. I am no actor but I have a chameleon quality to getting dressed. It’s fun to have a little character in mind! I have been called or self-titled each of those listed above on different fits.
Sound off in the comments any thoughts or suggested reading you’ve come across recently! I’d love to hear what’s been on your mind.
Ryann xx
ICYMI
On trends I’m passing on + the joy of group GRWMs.
UP NEXT
A transatlantic city girl collab for my next edition of Take Five!!!
I have a lot of respect for you staying true to your principles even in a competitive space. And I’m also gonna steal some of your current catch phrases lol.
Growing up in the Midwest and buying Calvin Klein from TJMaxx hits home for me too. Loved this