The Weekly Roundup (week of 9.4)
key theme of the week: influence
1. How the Cavinder Twins Blew Up the Student-Athlete Playbook
This image is a pretty good litmus test for politics: Do you regard these twins with respect or disgust? I’m just kidding… kind of. The Cavinder twins are a powerful and enlightening example of the modern world of sports and entertainment. Here’s one thing people still seem to have a hard time grappling with: There’s what the truth is, and there’s what the truth ought to be. In a perfect harmonious world, business outcomes would be perfectly aligned with our wholesome, egalitarian values. For some people, that desirable outcome means everyone across the board earns the same amount. And all sports everywhere get the same love and adoration. But that’s not how the world works. Revenue in the sports world is generated through attention and entertainment value. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. People who know how to exploit the human psyche for entertainment, like Logan and Jake Paul, end up crashing the “professional” world of sports with some kind of hybrid of influencing and athletics. They are not the best boxers in the world, but they generate the most views. And in that same regard, the Cavinder Twins work their magic on the internet and earn a lot of money in return. It is what it is, and a hundred think pieces from the NYT won’t change a thing about it. Read the GQ profile on the polarizing pair here.
2. Even the Publicists Are Influencers Now. Just Ask Gia Kuan.
This month, Kuan and her eight-person team will oversee nine NYFW events total, including five runway shows. Over the week, they’ll shape-shift between traditional press managers, party hosts, and when the door calls for it, something akin to a black-op extraction team. Even for those who’ve made it on the vaunted list, attending a “Gia party” is to sign up for spectacle, as fashion writer Emilia Petrarca tells me: “A million people show up, and you have no idea what time it’s going to start, but you wait.” The frenzy’s not not a publicity tactic in itself. “If you are a brand up for the LVMH prize and you have a riot outside of your show, that’s a good thing,” per GQ writer Samuel Hine. Implicit is the consensus that Kuan always pulls it off, at least where essential stakeholders are concerned. As Vogue editor Chioma Nnadi says, recalling an at-capacity Telfar show where Kuan personally plucked her out at the thronged door: “She knew who needed to be in there.”
3. Workin’ 9 to 5 With Gigi Hadid
Going into an office is a fun, kind of novel activity for you. Why? Because you’re Gigi Hadid, one of the most in-demand supermodels in the world. Compared to fashion week, the office offers stability and calm, in addition to creative stimulation. And because this is your office for your fashion brand, Guest in Residence, you can fill it with extremely talented people you like to hang out with, and treat the whole thing a little bit like art class.
The jokes practically write themselves… Hey, they look like nice sweaters, I’m not hating. And out of the existing crop of supermodels, Gigi Hadid with her vast follower numbers, and access to supremely talented designers and wholesale distribution networks has one of the best shots at launching a successful brand. Read here.
4. A Fashion ‘Prodigy’ Makes a Big Debut. No Pressure.
Peter Do’s long-awaited debut for Helmut Lang premiers very soon. Amongst a weak lineup for this year’s FW23 NYFW, Helmut Lang seems to be the one people have the highest hopes for. Helmut Lang is a legendary brand, with archive pieces sometimes fetching 5 figure prices, but recently the company has suffered tremendously under bad leadership and poor creative choices. Perhaps Peter can revive the brand and bring back some of the glory it once had. Read here.
