NY Fashion Week roundup, doping in soccer, and why we can’t stomach driverless cars
Hello and welcome to another edition of Substack Reads! This week, we have Substack’s fashion experts takes on New York Fashion Week, TechCrunch’s former managing editor Darrell Etherington on our qualms with driverless cars, sportswriter Nick Harris on football’s doping problem, and we welcome Susan Orlean to Substack, whose first post does not disappoint. We hope you enjoy it!
FIRST-PERSON
Matchy-matchy
In her new Substack, best-selling author and longtime New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean considers the style tips inherited from her mother
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My mother was beautifully dressed. Her clothes were always coordinated, always put together. She wore sets and suits and matching pieces, tops and bottoms that were made for each other. If she bought a skirt, she always bought the matching jacket and blouse. If she wasn’t sure she had shoes that worked, she would buy a pair that did before she left the store, and a bag, if needed. She never, ever bought one thing; she did not indulge in what became known in the fashion industry as “separates.” For instance, she never bought a sweater or a pair of pants that were just a single piece, without something specifically mated to them. She used to get upset when I came home from the mall with a new, random article of clothing—a cute sparkly top, a mustard-colored pair of corduroy bell-bottoms. “What does that go with?” was her usual plaintive wail. Of course, the real answer was “nothing,” and the random item would inevitably sit, unused, like an orphan in my closet, proving her point, but I was still annoyed by her question. In my teenaged opinion, only babies and old ladies wore things that matched, and I was neither of those. Anyway, I wasn’t trying to be “put together”; in fact, I probably wanted to look pulled apart.
NEWS
Tractors as far as the eye can see
Poland-based reportage illustrator Dominika Wróblewska covers the 250 farmer strikes that took place across multiple European countries in a single day
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in , recommended by Nino van Vuuren
Gdańsk, Feb. 9, 2024 — It’s a frosty and foggy morning in my hometown on the Baltic coast of Poland. Everything is strangely quiet. Noises are stifled in the milky air. The only prominent sound is that of birds, chirping away. But the calm is about to end.
Farmers from multiple surrounding regions have come here together in cars and tractors, and they keep coming. Minute by minute, more tractors roll in, blocking the streets as they march towards the seat of the Pomeranian province government.
“I am a farmer, not a slave,” reads a banner attached to the front of one tractor. “Green Deal = hunger,” says another banner attached to a railing.
FASHION WEEK
Martine Rose: Hedonism in a football jersey
Substack writers including Evan Ross Katz, Emilia Petrarca, Tory Burch, and Rian Phin recap the best and worst of fall/winter Fashion Week in New York
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The spirit and energy of the runway show (loud cheering, surprise, people interpreting the subtleties of the cultural references throughout each look) aren’t replicable by Lifestyle Brands™, which seem to fail at capturing life or style. Brands are failing to capture people’s attention meaningfully because they’re focused on effectively establishing themselves online for ephemeral viral circulation on High Fashion Twitter (or whatever) rather than speaking to actual people about actual people. Connecting with humanity using familiar codes of EXISTENCE (sharply dressed uncles, borrowing your sister’s clothes before a night out, queering fashion because it’s all you can afford) is very different from using algorithms and data to design the “perfect” runway show.
Rather than relying on metrics, Rose’s team seems to rely on relating to universal spirit. Masterfully tailored and styled nightlife fits cascade down the runway with excitement and flamboyance (she’s always bringing life to her work, spirit, community and fellowship—which are what make FASHION move MEANING). As always, mixing vintage-looking nightlife fashion with sportswear, with queer and girly flair.
TECHNOLOGY
We aren’t ready for driverless cars
A former TechCrunch editor says the attack on a Waymo driverless car in San Francisco is understandable frustration overflowing
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I’ve been lucky enough to ride around in a bunch of self-driving cars in my time (including one that crashed into another car at speed on the highway), and I’ve been in Waymos a couple of times—including in one just like the vehicle that the crowd in San Francisco just destroyed. I’ve also ridden in a Cruise car—you know, the GM subsidiary that tried to cover up the fact one of its vehicles ran over and dragged a pedestrian on SF streets after they were first hit by a human-driven car.
As a former reporter who spent a few years at the height of self-driving hype on the front lines of the beat, talking to tech leaders, safety regulators, concerned social organizations and more, I definitely have feelings about autonomous cars, and about their impact and use. Somewhat recently, I posted what remains a solid summary of my thoughts on my matter—well before Cruise’s implosion and Waymo’s recent troubles.
These latest foibles have proven my basic point right: Self-driving cars at scale are not immediately on the horizon.
SPORTS
Soccer has always had a doping problem
A new study suggests that 30% of an ex-pro’s former colleagues were using performance-enhancing drugs
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“I would be walking off and I’d be absolutely shattered and I remember it,” Keane said. “I’d be looking at players I played against, a couple of Italian teams, and they look like they’ve not even played a match.”
Neville said: “When you look back now at what came afterwards, in cycling and other sports, and doctors, you think, ‘Hang on’.
“We thought at the time—and we were fit, we weren’t drinkers—there’s something not right. We came off the pitch against an Italian team once and thought, ‘That’s not right’. I know a couple of the lads who thought exactly the same.”
FOOD
A dessert to get everyone buzzing
London-based cook and recipe and food writer Ed Smith delivers a chocolate tart recipe inspired by one of the city’s famous markets
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Many shoppers’ first stop on arrival at Borough Market will be for a coffee at one of the carts in Green Market, or the iconic Monmouth Coffee Company on the corner of Stoney and Park streets; a caffeine break always feels like a good opportunity to change the mindset from travel logistics to food shopping, calibrate lists with friends, and prepare for the imminent sensory experience.
This dessert is a nod to the busy baristas, with a bold treble hit of espresso underscoring a bitter chocolate filling and cocoa-enriched, shortcrust case. Serve in thin slices with crème fraîche.
HISTORY
The oud
In a series exploring instrumental archaeology, ambient-music composer Minor Fossil gives the historical influence of the oud
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Meaning “from wood” in Arabic, the oud is commonly known as the sultan of all instruments. With its history dating back centuries, the oud is still an integral part of many styles of Arabic music today, from religious to pop music. Its ancestor is an instrument known as the barbat, which was popular during the Persian Empire. Today there are many varieties of the oud, including the Arabic, Turkish, and Persian oud.
Over the centuries, the oud has influenced the music of many cultures as it made its way through the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. “For me, the oud is emblematic of the human experience: it tells a story of travel, trade, innovation, and most of all cultural exchange, demonstrating the ways in which people, like the objects we create, can be both unified and unique,” said Nate Steele in his article “Nahat Oud” for the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. In 711 AD, the Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula and they brought the oud with them. A few more centuries and the oud gave rise to the European lute.
PARENTING & ART
Making ‘Howie’: the 100% handmade kids’ TV show
When Justin Barker was laid off from a television production gig, he found space to finally pursue a long-held idea he’d had for a new type of kids’ show, which he’ll be sharing right here on Substack
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Not long after the idea for “Howie” came to me, I began plotting the format. Ideas flowed easily, but the prospect of handling everything alone was overwhelming. Unlike my past work with a large team, I’d have to tackle this production alone. I was daunted by the challenges of playing set designer, camera person, TV host, puppeteer, and motion designer.
Taking a breath, I realized that without a full-time job, this was not only an opportunity to step out of my creative comfort zone but a chance to bring my dream to life—inviting young viewers to immerse themselves, experience new perspectives, and connect with their grown-ups through commercial-free-made media.
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Witnessing their uproarious laughter at Howie’s antics shocked me at first. Did I actually make something that my kids would enjoy? I was honestly mesmerized by their response. They didn’t know it, but in a split second, seeing their little faces light up gave me the boost I needed. As they laughed, they affirmed the worthiness of this adventure, fueling my excitement about creating a show capable of making them and maybe others ask, “When will the next ‘Howie’ episode drop?”
WELLNESS
Strike a power pose
Journalist and author Rosamund Dean writes about why getting out of a hunched-over stance and into a powerful pose can boost your mood, energy, and even your immunity
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Three years ago, while emerging from the bleakest of the winter lockdowns, I wrote a feature about ‘tech neck’ for Grazia. The term refers not only to the aesthetic effects (i.e. the horizontal wrinkles that can accumulate below the jaw) but also the litany of aches and pains associated with it. For that feature, I spoke to Nahid de Belgeonne, founder of The Human Method, whose work is all about the mind-body connection. She advised lying on the floor between Zoom calls to get you out of forward flexion and realign your spine, adding that it’s as important for your emotional well-being as it is for your joints.
Part of the reason that yoga, Pilates and barre classes make you feel so good afterwards is because of the focus on posture and alignment. Catie Miller, founder of the brilliant Barre Series, has just launched a Postural Reset Programme, promising a strengthened core, deep mindfulness, and enhanced confidence through self-nonverbal communication. ‘Maintaining good posture is not just about standing up straight,’ she says. ‘It involves a dynamic interplay between muscles, breath, and mental focus. This intermingling relationship decreases tension, increases energy, improves circulation and strengthens the muscles to alleviate pain such as headaches, back pain, and digestive issues.’
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’s book, The Hammer: Power, Inequality, and the Struggle for the Soul of Labor, is available to order, plus he shares details of his upcoming book tour:
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Substack Reads is a weekly roundup of writing, ideas, art, and audio from the world of Substack. Posts are recommended by staff and readers, and curated and edited from Substack’s U.K. outpost by Hannah Ray.
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I’ve been seeing a lot of excitement about this Wordy Bird business
EV cars emit huge AC magnetic fields, shown to be carcinogenic:
https://romanshapoval.substack.com/p/acmagnetic