This week, we discuss the glamorous world of the Magazine Girl, dissecting the real and fictional lives of women who worked at glossy magazines during their heyday. Through profiles of icons including Diana Vreeland, Anna Wintour, Franca Sozzani, Carine Roitfeld, and Plum Sykes, we distill the shared qualities that made these women so foundational to high fashion media. Inspired by Anna Wintour’s recent resignation and the buzz around The Devil Wears Prada sequel, we also ponder who, if anyone, carries on the Magazine Girl legacy today.

Links:

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“The Divine Mrs. V” by Eleanor Dwight for New York

“Who is Plum Sykes?” by Taylore Scarabelli for Interview

“The Plum and Lucy Show” by Bob Morris for The New York Times

The Price of Illusion: A Memoir by Joan Juliet Buck

Assorted costumes from The Devil Wear Prada 2 in Dazed

“Anna Wintour: Behind the Shades” interview for CBS

Controversial Plum Sykes clip

Carine Roitfeld interview for The Guardian

“Could You Have Landed a Job at Vogue in the ‘90s?” Quiz in The New York Times

Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell

Interview with Anna Wintour biographer Amy Odell in Hunger

A Dash of Daring: Carmel Snow and Her Life In Fashion, Art, and Letters by Penelope Rowlands

Excerpts from Diana Vreeland’s Why Don’t You column in British Vogue

Franca Sozzani obituary in Vogue

“The Condé Empire Was One Big Beautiful Grift” by Emilia Petrarca on Substack

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In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the suspiciously overblown controversy of Sydney Sweeney’s AE ad spot, our box office takes on Ari Aster’s Black Lives Matter COVID Western and the new Superman, fascinating late night musical debuts from Pinkpantheress and Jessie Murph, the summer of female sexual aggression, our love of senior dating and romance, and more.

Links:

Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans – American Eagle

Brooke Shields Calvin Klein Jeans Commercial (1980)

Biz on the genes/jeans of it all

Sydney Sweeney as Lacanian super predator tweet

@default_friend on AE’s busted copy

“The Disembodied Body of Marilyn Monroe” by Wendy Lesser

There You Are: Brad Pitt for Chanel No. 5 Commercial

Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson editorial for You magazine

Liam Neeson racism backlash

“Sex After 60 in Sag Harbor” by Candace Bushnell for New York magazine

A24’s Eddington dir. Ari Aster – Official Trailer

“Everyone Wants a Piece of Pedro Pascal” – Vanity Fair cover story

“Can David Corenswet Save Superman?” – GQ cover story

Ryan Murphy Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy styling backlash

“Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters hits No. 1 on Billboard

PinkPantheress: Illegal/Girl Like Me/Tonight Medley on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Rhythm Heaven music edits by @therealstoinkle

Jessie Murph: 1965 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Chappell Roan - The Subway (Official Music Video)

Sabrina Carpenter brings out Earth, Wind & Fire at Lollapalooza

Manon and Lara of KATSEYE lez out on stage at Lollapalooza

Rachel Zegler’s gratitude surge at Evita curtain call

RFK Jr. launches federal crackdown on 7-OH

Lola Young - One Thing (Official Music Video)

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This week on Nymphet Alumni, Biz interviews New York newsletter phenom and Feed Me founder Emily Sundberg. They discuss the West Village-ification of America, the curious case of Hamptons face and what’s aspirational to young people in New York in 2025. Plus, Emily shares her advice on how to find your voice and how to protect your digital soul.

In this week’s episode, we explore the cryptic and chaotic world of Opium, the record label founded by Playboi Carti in 2019 that has since evolved into a full-blown subculture of chronically online and fashionably darksided super-fans. From botched merch capsules and vampire cosplay to early TikTok dances and baby mama drama, we descend the Opium iceberg and trawl the Cartinese dark web in attempt to understand the Chrome-bejeweled and Rick-adorned figures shaping youth culture in their image. Links:

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r/playboicarti on Reddit

Opium (Record Label) on KnowYourMeme

“Playboi Carti Against His Own Game” by Nolan Kelly – Spike Art Magazine

“Playboi Carti and His Offspring Ponder Life After Rage-Rap” by Jon Caramanica – The New York Times

Is Playboi Carti Rap’s Next—or Last—Rap Superstar? – Popcast

“The Rowdy World of Rap’s New Underground” by Jon Caramanica – The New York Times [PHOTOS]

Misc. video essays on YouTube:

* The Opium Aesthetic Explained

* The Rise of Opium: Playboi Carti's Unstoppable Label

* The Opium Iceberg Explained

“Will Playboi Carti Ever Drop His New Album?” – Rolling Stone

NEVEREVER by Ken Carson kitten videos on TikTok

“The History of Playboi Carti’s Baby Voice” by Greg Gaffney – Complex

Ranking Playboi Carti Ad-Libs

“Playboi Carti Emoji Combos

“Playboi Carti on His Cut-and-Sew Fashion Line ‘Narcissist’” – Paper Magazine

“5 Things You Should Know About VLONE” – NSS Magazine

Biz on 2hollis

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the mass psychosis of Love Island USA, major couture debuts at Dior and Celine, the sauceless hypergamy parable of Celine Song’s Materialists, Cate Blanchett’s chilling epilogue cameo in Squid Game, and current Latina affairs from Katseye’s “Gabriela” to the Sanchez-Bezos midlife nuptial extravaganza. We also review Addison’s stadium debut at Wembley and report on courtroom happenings including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Min Hee-jin.

Love Island USA Hearts on Fire Challenge – Teaser on YouTube

Cierra Ortega apology video on YouTube

@loveislandusastyle on Instagram

“Cierra & Vanna & Ethics & Vanity” – The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino

Bad tattoos on Love Island USA

The New York Times on the Sean “Diddy” Combs Verdict

Tiny Harris reacts to the Diddy verdict on Instagram

Dior Homme Spring 2026 Menswear (J. W. Anderson debut) – Vogue Runway

Celine Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear (Michael Rider debut) – Vogue Runway

Marc Jacobs Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear – Vogue Runway

“Materialists Costume Designer Talks About Style Symbolism” – The Zoe Report

Cate Blanchett cameo in Squid Game finale on YouTube

KATSEYE (캣츠아이) "Gabriela" Official MV on YouTube

The Daytona Wind Acting Challenge from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 on YouTube

Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos Wedding Exclusive – Vogue

Addison Rae opens for Lana del Rey at Wembley

NewJeans / HYBE / ADOR / Min Hee-Jin Megathread on Reddit

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

In this edition of Study Break, in which we subtly celebrate Sam’s birthday, we discuss a variety of women’s issues: the discourse meltdown brought on by Sabrina Carpenter’s chauvinist comeback and her aesthetic shift from pastels and pin-ups to Helmut Newton and Halston; the mass crisis of female reproductive unwellness; Addison Rae’s kaleidoscopic showgirl debut; and the upsetting regression of Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater hustle. We also discuss some boy issues: Luigi Mangione’s lovably centrist birthday dispatch from prison, putting the Guy Fawkes mask on and embracing Redditism, Trump and Elon’s toxic yaoi best friend breakup, and more.

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Links:

“How Sabrina Carpenter Dream-Come-True'd Her Whole Life” – Rolling Stone

Sabrina Carpenter Man’s Best Friend album cover

J. G. Ballard on Helmut Newton in The Art Newspaper, 1999

Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild (Official Video)

Sports betting based on period cycles

Recent PCOS/PMDD celebrity press: Lorde, Bella Hadid, Miley Cyrus

Nadya Okamoto/August on TikTok

Addison Rae – Addison Pitchfork Review (8.0)

Addison Rae Interview: From $20 TikToks to Pop’s Most Promising Prospect – Popcast

Addison Rae with superstar vocal coach Eric Vetro

Addison Rae – Times Like These (Official Video) (feat. Gio the line cook!)

Luigi Mangione’s gratitude-pilled birthday letter from MDC

Alex Cooper Accuses Her College Soccer Coach of Sexual Harassment – Vanity Fair

Martin Lawrence on The Jennifer Hudson Show (interview flop)

Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss by Dr. Squatch

Sydney Sweeney W Magazine cover story

Belle Delphine bathwater PayPal controversy – Business Insider

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nymphetalumni.com

In this episode, we oscillate between antebellum steamboat grifters and prosperity gospel televangelists to unpack the archetype of the American con man: a self-made myth-maker cloaked in charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. We discuss itinerant preachers, LA hypebeast cyber-apostles, Herman Melville, identity theft, April Fool’s Day, man-on-the-street content creators, jewelry dropshippers, and more, tracing the legacy of scammers through primary sources from 1850s op-eds to influencer snark pages.

Links:

This week on Nymphet Alumni, Alexi interviews Angel Money, New York nightlife darling and visionary of beauty and commerce. Over the course of more than two hours, we discuss her past life as a Tumblr-famous pale grunge blogger, her balance between New Age spirituality and hedonistic abundance, her intimate knowledge of custom Chinese manufacturing, her fashion controversies from cultural appropriation to exotic animal pelts, mad scientist gray market beauty treatments, the implicit influence of trans aesthetics on 21st century femininity, the mental and physical architecture of transsexuality, and much more. Angel also shares her exclusive recipes for a perfect night out—including her precise methodology for a 48-hour glam—and her high-fantasy vision for the ultimate immersive nightlife experience.

Links:

Listen to Money Talks with Angel Money

Angel’s Share – Document Journal

Angel Money on Instagram

Angel Money on Twitter

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

In this episode, we’re joined by the legendary Emily Segal: writer, artist, cultural clairvoyant, and co-founder of K-HOLE and Nemesis. We talk about her brand-conscious NYC upbringing and art school education-by-osmosis, AI and telepathy, the collapse of unified worldviews, and what it means to be a creative director when every pair of jeans is trending at once. Emily also unearths the lost downtown dream of Chumbo and unpacks for us the group polarization and identity negotiation of contemporary parenting culture.

Links:

NEMESIS on Substack

K-HOLE

Emily Segal on Instagram

The Generational Triennial: Younger Than Jesus at The New Museum

Wolff Olins

Matan Even on YouTube

Mother Media: Hot and Cool Parenting in the Twentieth Century by Hannah Zeavin

IDEO

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

In this episode, we introduce the concept of whimsimod to explain the recent trend of pattern-printed and adorably tailored fashion among sensitive indie starlets and Instagram baddies alike. In the process of unpacking this polished yet playful re-envisioning of femininity, we discuss the aesthetic shift from “kiki” to “bouba” over the past year, the history of girly youth diffusion lines like RED Valentino and Blugirl, the current hemline crisis and the accompanying novelty hosiery movement, seminal lady designers including Carolina Herrera and Kate Spade, and more. We also provide a forensic cultural history of the polka dot throughout the decades.

Links:

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“The Power Of Two Claires: Miss Claire Sullivan Talks Designing Clairo’s Grammys Look” — Nylon

“Reflections of Clairo” by Clairo — Byline

beabadoobee — “Beaches” Jimmy Kimmel Live performance on YouTube

beabadoobee slayful Getty Image

Patternalia: An Unconventional History of Polka Dots, Stripes, Plaid, Camouflage, & Other Graphic Patterns by Jude Stewart

“The Polka Dot’s Past Is Weirder Than You Think” by Nancy MacDonell — The Wall Street Journal

Blondita, Lauren Perrin, Ben Doctor, Lucila Safdie

TJ Maxx psychosis monologue TikTok (?)

Miu Miu Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection — Vogue Runway

Addison Rae’s polka dot catsuit by Miss Claire Sullivan at Coachella

Addison Rae Vogue France cover story

Disney Channel’s Former Costume Designer Doesn’t Get the Y2K Resurgence Either — Vogue

Paloma Sandoval on Instagram

“That’s So ’80s:” Wes Gordon Finds Treasures in a Scrapbook From Herrera’s Past — Interview

“Carolina Herrera: Portrait of a Lady” by Anamaria Wilson — Harper’s Bazaar

Lynn Wyatt's Glamorous Life: Celebrities, Couture, and Castles | Paper Trail on YouTube

@chloyorkcity’s 80’s Excess series on TikTok

Surrey glasses on EyeBuyDirect

“The Enduring Legacy of Kate Spade’s Witty, Misunderstood Life” by Rory Satran — The Wall Street Journal

Vogue’s extremely belated trend report on statement socks and tights at NYFW

“1960s-Style Tights Are Back. How to Wear Them in 2022.” by Nancy MacDonell — The Wall Street Journal

Cero Magazine Issue 9 — Kiko Kostadinov Special Edition featuring our interview with Laura and Deanna Fanning!

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