The April Specials

10 things

Each month I send out a list of the month’s Specials, or 10 things I’m reading, watching, thinking about, listening to, etc. And this is that list! The first three things are available to read for free and the rest are for paid subs.

As a reminder, upgrading your subscription gives you access to all À La Carte newsletters (including my themed shopping round ups, essays, and mood boards), paid subscriber-only perks, the full archive of newsletters, and my love and devotion, because your support means a lot!

This month’s Specials:

1. I got a notification on Substack a few weeks ago that I had been mentioned in a post by

   Pattern Recognition
   called “Reclaiming discovery from the algorithms”, so I made my way over to take a peek. What I found was a very thoughtful, in-depth look at how algorithmic recommendations limit creativity and why personal recommendation content has swelled in response. “I’ll be the first to argue that algorithmic recommendations are ‘broken’...but so much of the discussion to-date has taken a tone of resignation from the current world order,” Michelle Rose Joseph writes. “And yet I don’t buy that we’ve simply given up; in many cases, we’re on a more fervent hunt for inspiration than ever before.”

   One of Michelle's points is that consumers (of content, of products) are seeking recommendations via people and brands they admire in an attempt to find inspiration beyond what the algorithm anticipates they might like. It’s why things like Substack have taken off; we’re looking to “curators of culture” to point us in more interesting, more nuanced directions than we’re getting from our feeds. I always try to explain this to my clients: customers want to know more about who is behind the brands they’re buying from. Who are J. Crew’s Olympia Gayot’s favorite artists? What does Alex Mill’s

   somsack sikhounmuong
   look for when shopping for quality outerwear? It all just gives further context to a brand’s visual world in a way that’s helpful and meaningful.

   Anyway, it’s a great newsletter! Read it here.

   olympiamarie

   

   A post shared by @olympiamarie

2. Emma Roberts’ Architectural Digest home tour dropped this week and there’s a lot to love about it (and a little to laugh about, too). For one, it’s designed by Pierce and Ward, who you’ll remember from Dakota Johnson’s lime-laden former home in the Hollywood hills. I love Pierce and Ward because they bring a sense of whimsy to the spaces they design and don’t shy away from a collected, cabinet-of-curiosities feeling. I personally probably land more on the Dakota end of the Pierce and Ward aesthetic scale, but I wouldn’t turn down a chance to live in this “adult dollhouse”. (I could do without the doll wall, but that drunk cowgirl Barbie can stay.)

   You can tell that Emma really lives here; from the Danny’s Mud Shop mugs to her childhood time-out chair, there are tons of details that speak to her personal sensibilities and interests. Also, her son’s room is a literal woodland wonderland.

3. A new Substack I think you’ll love: Calia Booth’s

   Library Booth
   , an exploration of literature by way of imaginary themed dinner parties. Calia’s first post dreams up all the details, from the table decor to the playlist and dress code, based on the book Poor Things by Alasdair Gray. It’s a total delight.