In this day and age of the nascent ‘female empowerment’ movement being deeply undercut by confusion and fear, how do we choose to understand each other? How do we learn to truly listen and hear different perspectives without dissolving into anger or anxiety? Such is the work of the Warsaw based “Unwind Studio” who saw the increasing need to provide space for broader definitions of emotions without classification or judgement. Their website project incorporates thoughts, ideas and work from a broad range of female artists and thinkers, encouraging all of us to hit pause… and to consider something a bit more grey.

“Why don’t we all just be?” Why today’s masculinity is all about tapping into our truest selves. In this issue of GQ, Pharrell asks “Why not?” when it comes to unisex agender dressing, and speaks to the power of women, minorities (what’s minor about a whole people?) and Gen Z. It’s a wonderful interview asking us all to do the work – not just worry – and to commit to being aware and woke. Time to get our evolution on!

Patagonia continues to be THE brand to walk their own talk. Always a company to believe in strong action over words, they have quietly opened an ‘activism café’ in London to inspire and educate would be change-makers. “Action postcards” describe various activities people can chose to take on, all tied to local and global activism organizations. For those of us itching for a fight, Patagonia is handing out gloves! Let’s go!

Glow sticks, DJs, dance floors and diapers? YUP – baby raves!! Big in the UK and the fastest growing phenom in the Bay Area. As parents become increasingly time crunched, and public programs steadily slashed, finding fun and easy entertainment for the littles has become a sum zero game for many. Enter the Baby Rave. From Hula Hoops to light shows, these monthly events provide all the rush of EDC with none of the MDMA. Just juice boxes. Exhausted and over scheduled parents are rejoicing in the low key and high joy factor of engaging with their kids, working out their own stress and maybe meeting a new parent or two. Jam on it!

Because people who eat chicken together…..????? In a didn’t-know-you-needed-it-until-now moment, KFC announces work on a dating simulator game with the developer, Psyop. This new masterpiece features hours of fun as players compete to win the spot as the hot and sexy colonel’s future business partner by first winning his heart. Exact details on the ‘how’ here have yet to be revealed, but we are in full practice mode! We got this!

So, this is happening. Karma Automotive – the super luxe electric vehicle and tech incubator based in Newport Beach, California has announced that it is accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment for any vehicle or service performed at the facility. Essentially, Karma is using this as a chance to flex its own expertise in the fast-growing blockchain technology world. This collaboration was announced at Shanghai International Blockchain Week 2019. Sounds pretty damn close to flying cars, no?

As China continues its heavy nationalistic march, it is very conscious of how it looks as it emerges as a multi-hyphenate global leader. This year TMall, China’s largest online retailer, bumped up its ties with NYFW with a special initiative: Tmall China Cool. The heart of this program has been a series of initiatives designed to showcase Chinese talent at the fashion week, making a strong statement of China as a design industry leader, as opposed to simply a country of passive consumers. Of the 5 designers showcased, we are particularly in love with the Riizhou line, whose inspiration was based on an ancient Tang Dynasty poem about wandering melancholy knights. (Haven’t we all been there?) It’s an exciting time in Chinese fashion, and as xenophobia rages on, we expect to see more empowered, home grown brands surfacing.

In the one-to-watch department.. check out this rising new contemporary artist, Ed Oh. A recent grad of the prestigious School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Eddy brings a fresh eye and a raw energy to the art scene.