Trendscope IV: Talisman Jewelry, Music as Magic, & Leaving Everyone on Read
Your cultural horoscope on the movements within style, spirituality, & the world.
If you haven’t yet read my introduction post, well, you should––but, I’ll recap it here. Long story short, after a personal journey, I began to realize the parallels between the fashion industry and the strategies used for success in both your own growth and your business’s. If you can forecast trends within fashion, why can’t you forecast trends within your own life? Anyway, for me, I drilled down my sources of guidance into three categories: style, shamans, and sex.
Everything in my life goes back to those three things––and, okay, it’s obviously not that literal.
To me, style represents how we show up in the world, shamans lead our sense of understanding, and sex is our connection to others. So, whether you’re reading this newsletter to better understand yourself or your business, I hope this helps guide you towards whatever you’re looking for.
Wanted: Wearable Talismans
In my opinion, this is the coolest trend in jewelry––it’s the elevated, “woo woo” girl’s iteration of the charm jewelry trend. Kitschy charms of cupcakes or creepy dolls aren’t for you? Yeah, me neither. An evil eye that’s helping keep negative energy away? A crystal that empowers your self-confidence? Or, tarot card that embodies your energy within this moment in time? Count me in. A few brands who do this authentically and well: my dear friends at Celeste Starre, Awe Inspired, and Satya (most affordable). There’s a growing infatuation of global and other worldly beliefs that often spark when time gets tough (check the history books and where the stars were in the sky at those times)––escapism meets spirituality. We can thank Pluto for moving into Aquarius last year.
The Psychology Behind Status Sweatshirts
I feel like I can’t open my phone without reading about Parke sweatshirts––truthfully, I don’t completely understand this one; but, hey, there’s a status sweatshirt for everyone, right? Maybe you’re more of a Fear of God or Stüssy person (me too), or, you go for an Alo zip-up with a smaller logo (me again). Either way, our draw to these overpriced sweats is all the same––we want to belong to something. I know you’ve heard that before, but this has taken to new heights as of late. Remember the Solidays challenge when the girls were going feral, taking an obscene amount of classes, all for a Solidcore sweatshirt? Be it representing your local coffee shop, run club, or grocery store (i.e. Erewhon merch that sells out within a day), we want to align with a community. Think of how this applies to your business as a brand, or your spending power as a consumer––chose wisely.
Hot Pink, Cherry Red, Brat Green––Who’s Next?
Everyone say, “hello, blue!” Post-COVID and in the midst of Women’s rights movements online, we showed up loud and proud in #barbiecore pink, then we added an elevated punch to every outfit during dreary winter days with red last year and leaned into a tomato/strawberry/whatever other red fruit girl summer (sure!), and then who could forget party-girl Brat green? I’ve been harping on the market moving towards cool tones for a moment now–-we’ve seen rich Amethyst grace the vintage-inspired Fall/Winter 2025 runways and ice blue has been on repeat and a best-seller for the past year. Plus, cerulean and teal have been on a slow rise in the shadows of other it-colors. What’s next? Dare I say cobalt. If there’s one thing I know about color, it’s that it’s always representative of societal mindset. I’ll stop there, but I think you can put the puzzle pieces together.
Music is Magic
When it comes to music, it doesn’t matter if you’re a far science or off-the-rails woo woo person, it’s all the same. Music is powerful and a tool to be used wisely; it’s a tie of body and mind. We’ve all heard and experienced how it can improve cognition function, so I won’t dive into the science behind all of that––not my forte. From a wellness perspective, I want to challenge you to use music with intention and understand its power. Now, if you’re someone who starts their day with sad music––that’s going much deeper than you may think. Put it in the perspective of affirmations, would you start your day looking in the mirror reciting hurtful things to yourself? Probably not. Personally, I only start my days with music in major keys and ~115 BPM. Let me flip this––if you’re someone who has trouble accessing your emotions and buries them (join my club!), you may find healing through intentional use of those dreaded sad songs to help you break down your barriers. The same goes for sound healing, which dates back to ancient civilizations; there’s a reason it’s been around so long. We would be here all day if I dove into this (don’t even get me started on hertz), but if you’re someone who resonates with music, I challenge you to add sound healing into your therapeutic practice; and, if you’re looking for a high-vibrational playlist, check out Healing House on Spotify by Lincoln Jesser (and follow his IG for incredible insights on the power of sound).
“Everyone Has a Witch Now”
I was at dinner the other week and my friend goes, “everyone has a witch now.” Well, witch is a loose word, but alchemy has certainly continued to evolved from conversations just within alternative communities to trending TikTok videos recommending their favorite Etsy witch for a $10 spell. Here’s the thing: many practices can be dubbed as witchcraft: the use of herbalism (medicinal use of plants) for healing tinctures, tapping into the power of the Earth and universe around us to manifest, and exploring shamanic practices for new ways to heal. At the core, I think everyone is looking for guidance of sorts––and that’s all the more reason why I started Style, Shamans, and Sex. My advice: continue to explore outside of your usual realm for answers.
After-Hours: Social Wellness
What’s up with all of these run clubs? Look, I get it––I ask myself the same thing when I drive home from the studio on the West side of LA back to West Hollywood. You won’t ever catch me at a run club, but I’m all for the ethos. Our society is in dire need of community sans our lack of third-spaces (places where people can gather and connect outside of the home; ideally, they should be free of cost). Because we aren’t Italian grandpas with a town-square to gather and smoke cigarettes (big bummer), we’ve resorted to things like run clubs, DJ sets at coffee shops on Saturday morning, and places like Othership, where they host Friday night socials with the opportunity to do contrast therapy (sauna + cold plunge) and get stared down by dozens of single, thirsty men in NYC––okay, so that one wasn’t for me clearly, but again, I get the idea. We all want to connect and have the opportunity to do so without downing cheap liquor in a loud bar, and I support the cause! Plus, wellness can be daunting, and being shaman-ed through it with community of likeminded individuals can make all the difference.
To App or Not to App?
My friend group’s favorite hobby is repeatedly deleting and re-downloading dating apps––and our sentiment seems shared as I hear more and more conversations online and IRL about people “quitting” the apps. I understand the safety net it provides; you know someone wants to be approached because, well, they’re on an app that literally lets you do so, but with an inbox filled with messages, it starts to feel a lot more like Slack or Linkedin having cold conversations “networking” with strangers. My personal take? Someone can have a perfect profile but it says nothing about their energy. You meet in person and they’re simply not a match, even though on paper they checked every box. Time is too precious for that––and that’s where they’re losing users.
Sorry I Left You on Read
We were never meant to be this accessible; taken out of the moment at every ping. Now, I think this is a growing mindset but I want to bring it to the forefront; more and more people are permanently on Do Not Disturb, there’s endless memes about having inbox anxiety which I had never seen in a scroll prior to this year, and there’s been a glamorization of nostalgic flip phones. Case in point, the new luxury is being unreachable and private––contrary to much of what we see in every GRWM on TikTok, we’ll see this privacy aspect grow over the course of the years to come and a shift towards a more intentional relationship with our friends, loved ones, and community at large. We need to move back to where the thought of connection sparks joy rather than fear.
“Milestone” Mindset
On the last night––or morning, really––of my best friend’s bachelorette party, we sat, watching the sunrise, and she vulnerably poured out her love for how each one of us, many of whom are in very different places in life than her, showed up to support her through her next chapter. And, of course, we were happy to, but we also––many times––have had conversations about how society puts us into a box; we’re only allowed to celebrate our friends if they’ve 1. gotten engaged 2. gotten pregnant. While both very sentimental, what happens to the other moments? Or dreams you had as a young girl that didn’t involve somebody else––just you? She’s only of most beautiful souls that I know, always showing up for other people: friends, family, and strangers alike. She shared about the perspective this has given her; how now it was her responsibility to show up for her friends and their milestones, whether it be turning 30, the opportunity to speak in front of a room full of executives and score a promotion seemingly beyond your years, or congratulating a friend on the completion of another side-quest. Moral of the story: celebrate! There’s no limit on joy. Don’t be afraid to claim the milestones that mean something to your life. Screw society and it’s attempt to quiet your voice. A garden of all of the same type of flower would be a very boring one; it’s the variety that flourishes that makes it so beautiful.