Bella, Kacey, and Kylie enter the ring

All three entered the same arena this week.

A few weeks ago, a Yale student named Arden (go read her letter

Ad Hoc

) emailed me to get lunch with her and some of her classmates. So I’m late writing this because we went to lunch (Empellon midtown) and before that I had three meetings (one was a derm appointment because I’m melting down about turning 30). My new friends:

• Love the Cut

• Are haters of exclusivity until admitted (frats, secret societies, parties)

• Think Hinge is failing

• Are skeptical of celebrity brands

• Are assuming there will be a big flock to NYC post grad

• Don’t know exactly what Puck is but are curious about it

• Love Emily Mariko, Pierce Abernathy, and Gabbriette

• Know about the benefits of red light

• Think newsletters will eventually flood our inbox, but are also starting their own casual newsletters to communicate with friends

• Watch a lot of YouTube

• Aren’t as obsessed with makeup and skincare as the media thinks they are

• Don’t use Facebook (one did)

• Listen to Call Her Daddy and a lot of news podcasts

• Are considering becoming sober

• “Also: we do not understand gen alpha lingo”

We spent two hours together, and now I want to host a panel with them and invite all of you. Email me if you think that’s a fun idea.

NEWS:

• I don’t want this to become a fragrance letter, but a lot of you are emailing me that you’re starting fragrance brands because of this letter so I need to continue the coverage at least for a few weeks. Or until I launch my brand. 😈 Bella Hadid is launching a “scent” brand, including diffusers, body oils, and fragrance.

• It looks like Kylie is also launching a fragrance on March 7th.

• We’re not done yet. Kacey Musgraves is launching another candle with Boy Smells called Deeper Well. When The Business of Beauty asked Musgraves why she went in for a sophomore album with Boy Smells, she gave a big smile. “Why would I not?!” she asked, laughing. “I mean, Slow Burn was such a hit and it was such a fun creative process. Making the scent was inspiring for me, creatively, and I wanted to bring that energy back up into my life.”

• Reformation is seemingly launching officewear. For the cubicles that no longer exist, and the offices we no longer go into.

reformation

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• Mushroom company Smallhold has filed for bankruptcy. This company always kind of grossed me out, probably because I saw more than one man growing mushrooms in their dirty house and my head immediately processed the fact that said men were eating these mushrooms that were grown using dirty, damp air. I know, but this is my letter and that was my experience. Court documents state that “Smallhold was in substantially worse financial shape than previously disclosed” and that “it was no longer feasible to keep all of its farms open, and it has been implementing an orderly shutdown of its farming operations in Texas and New York, including reductions in workforce.” A few months ago they launched “mushroom pesto”… which I assumed was a way to get rid of all of the mushrooms they were growing, that weren’t selling. That also grossed me out. In 2021, Smallhold raised a $25mm Series A led by Astanor Ventures, a European investment firm whose portfolio mostly include agtech brands.