letters from the front row
Creative Success is not defined by how much work you're putting out.
There is this idea that we need to post as much as we can to capture the biggest audience, a notion that is a bit self-destructive if you ask us. Because yes, in the past we advocated for not looking for perfection when putting out work, but at the same time, success by itself is not strictly defined by how much work you put out. That distinction led us to write this essay today, as we get irritated every time we open the feed lately, especially on our MacBook (swear it’s a different algo there).
November 04, 2026
We started using spam accounts because our feeds became too fake
Yes, spam accounts are not new. They weren’t invented yesterday, most certainly not in the latest wave of what counts as “it.” They let people share snippets of their lives, deep cuts you might say, without cluttering their personal feeds, as if the purpose of social media wasn’t updating everyone on what you’re up to.
november 02, 2026
Personal Style is rare because most people dress from a reference.
Personal style, as the name suggests, is personal, and as much as one can take inspiration from others, be it different eras, different cities, or any of the above, they still need to find their own unique spin on it to truly make it personal.
november 11, 2026
You can’t create meaningful work if you don’t have a unique perspective.
Thing is, once you put a piece of work or an idea in the universe for others to see, it’s not yours anymore, and on a deeper level the idea was never yours to begin with, because you were just the vessel through which it was actualized. But we are not going to dive THAT deep today.
noevember 02, 2026
Keep Reading
Personal Style is rare because most people dress from a reference.
Personal style, as the name suggests, is personal, and as much as one can take inspiration from others, be it different eras, different cities, or any of the above, they still need to find their own unique spin on it ...
November 03, 2026
Friends Of The Mercer: VIC
Behind the scenes of every scene, there are a few who move the needle in the direction it should go - and in the sports sector, let alone in New York City as a whole, Vic is one of them. We chatted with our friend, a...
November 03, 2026
We started using spam accounts because our feeds became too fake
Yes, spam accounts are not new. They weren’t invented yesterday, most certainly not in the latest wave of what counts as “it.” They let people share snippets of their lives, deep cuts you might say, without cluttering...
November 02, 2026
You can’t create meaningful work if you don’t have a unique perspective.
Thing is, once you put a piece of work or an idea in the universe for others to see, it’s not yours anymore, and on a deeper level the idea was never yours to begin with, because you were just the vessel through which...
November 02, 2026
Prada’s America’s Cup back on the timeline
The latest from Prada’s universe is here in the form of a new iteration for its undefeated classic, as two colorways were unveiled. They’re sold exclusively in North America, but thanks to the “internet border” - ever...
October 29, 2026
Not every piece of advice you receive is going to make your work better.
Somehow, when something is going in your favor, everyone believes it’s their time to show their expertise and weigh in on what you should do next, as if you weren’t the one who got the project to where it is today. As...
October 26, 2026
Friends Of The Mercer: ELLE
October 24, 2026
Brands are trading the runway for numbers that don't move the culture.
When looking at Victoria’s Secret’s Instagram account, one boasting 78,336,484 followers as of writing, we can see that most posts and reels around the fashion show sit in the hundreds of thousands of views (when not ...
October 19, 2026
Friends Of The Mercer: MJ!
October 17, 2026
Fashion keeps asking for a new direction and never waits for it to land.
This is the longest musical chairs game of our lives. With the recent news of Seán McGirr exiting McQueen - after merely nine collections to date, if counted correctly (math class, go figure), from Fall 2024 Ready-to...
October 16, 2026
Friends Of The Mercer - Kaivon
October 15, 2026
Tyler, the Creator turned a Barcelona jersey into a full lifestyle collection
The hottest event of the year when it comes to football, and in La Liga in general - is El Clásico. "Upcoming Clásico jersey to feature the logo of Tyler, The Creator" was the title that the club shared, and with tha...
October 15, 2026
Friends Of The Mercer - Roxy
October 14, 2026
Taste is the most valuable resource in today's social media landscape.
The countless hours you spent consuming a specific piece of content, the thousands of hours that went into the studio testing 500 different snares to make sure it sounds perfect, watching 200 films, or the same film 5...
October 14, 2026
The new cool is supporting your friends.
What happened to showing love to your friends and supporting their work? Be it on Instagram, TikTok, Substack, YouTube, your local neighborhood, your city, or wherever your circle is at. Is that really too much to ask...
October 13, 2026
The new luxury is happening offline.
As Paris Fashion Week, and Fashion Month as a whole, officially wrapped up, we found ourselves taking a minute off, looking at the industry from a bird’s eye view, trying to see the current landscape across all the sh...
October 13, 2026
Friends of The Mercer: Dilly
October 12, 2026
Maria Koch built a wardrobe where nobody has to pick one identity.
At Paris Fashion Week, 032c presented “Stable”, informed by the Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivism) and defined by the tension between control and desire, discipline and decadence. “Stable” is bringing a new womenswea...
October 11, 2026
Your next great idea already exists and you just have not noticed it
Lately, as we expand our film taste and more, we decided to venture into the work of the late, ultimate American surrealist master director and one of the creatives of our times - none other than the late David Lynch....
October 11, 2026
Celeb co-signs are not a form of payment.
Not so long ago, before social media blew up (and then died again?), and in the first days of the modern clothing brand owner and celebrity relationship, the landscape was very different. Free product in exchange for ...
October 11, 2026
Friends Of The Mercer: Maya
September 24, 2026
Off-White’s Future May Belong To The Community, Not One Creative Director.
At Milan Fashion Week, Off-White’s “10 × 10: Icons Reimagined” resembled a group project in the best sense: ten creatives were invited to reinterpret ten recognizable parts of the house, with no single creative direct...
September 23, 2026
Friends Of The Mercer: Nandi
September 22, 2026
Friends Of The Mercer: MJ
September 17, 2026
Friends of The Mercer: Hailey
September 14, 2026
Friends of The Mercer: Chucky
September 12, 2026
Jonathan Anderson Is Giving Back to the Arts Through A2-Dior
The utmost unrivalled good deed for a fashion house to commit to is using its platform for something extending further than fashion itself. Today, Dior and A24 announced a two-year creative partnership spanning film a...
September 11, 2026
Friends of The Mercer: Dax
September 09, 2026
Friends Of The Mercer: Daquan
September 07, 2026
What you choose to reference reveals something deeper about yourself.
That reference the person across the table from you just made that you didn’t understand was not them trying to be “niche” or “performative” –honestly take both those words out of your vocabulary at this point– that r...
September 07, 2026