Maybe fashion really is a monarchy....

A new industry appointment, China's inevitable takeover and the power of print

🌶 THE GIST OF IT

Welcome to your biweekly roundup of all the contemporary cool girl news that’s fit to print. We’re breaking down fashion publishing’s newest heir to the throne, China’s EV takeover and so much more.

Also inside: how influencers tanked a new restaurant with the power of the internet and a book rec with a whodunnit mystery storyline about gentrification that oddly doubles as a romcom.

Let’s go.

💸 Saks Global’s $600M Lifeline: Luxury is Still in Style (If It Evolves)

Saks Global just secured a major $600M cash infusion, led by Amazon and private equity firm Insight Partners. (Lest we forget that Jeff Bezos has wanted to be in fashion for a long time now, oddly. Buying Shopbop hasn’t done it for him but I guess having a Sak’s Fifth storefront on Amazon will?). That kind of money signals not just survival, but an aggressive digital transformation play. Saks has been quietly building out a stronger e-commerce platform, and this new round of funding hints at more tech, more data, and maybe fewer underperforming stores. The luxury customer of 2025 isn’t shopping like she used to, and Saks knows it. Less is more, but faster is everything.

This isn’t just a retail story—it’s a relevance one. Saks has the name recognition, but not the cultural cachet it once did. And agreeing to buy out Neiman Marcus, which had an even staler reputation certainly didn’t help. (Shameless plug: I’ve talked about the business blunders of Saks in this podcast episode.) Compare that to, say, Loewe or Jacquemus, who thrive on narrative. If Saks can figure out how to make “American department store” mean something in a TikTok universe—while staying rooted in elevated, personal service—they might just earn a place in Gen Z’s fashion psyche. And if not? There’s always Amazon’s logistics.

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👑 Chloe Malle’s Vogue: Make Print Great Again

So, it’s official….the reigning queen of Conde Nast is stepping down (sorta) as the editor in chief of US Vogue—and she’s appointed an heir. Chloe Malle is stepping into the Vogue Editor-at-Large seat (still reporting to Anna though….) with the kind of energy that signals change—not chaos, but thoughtful evolution. Known for her writing and podcasting, Malle brings a deep curiosity about culture beyond couture. She’s aiming for a Vogue that doesn’t just show beautiful things—it explains why they matter. Less polished perfection, more textured storytelling. Less whispering from the front row, more dialogue from the floor seats. Chloe is reportedly already toying with the idea that Vogue may scale back from being a monthly print so that they can tell more in depth, compelling stories and produce more compelling editorials. Personally? All my favorite magazines are quarterlies at this point and I do think that the future of most serious print media is on a quarterly basis at least.

What’s especially promising is her focus on quality—not just on the surface, but in the decision-making. She’s already talking about harkening back to a time when people poured over the pages of their magazines and treated them like mini heirlooms. Honestly? I’d be lying if I said I don’t think she’s got the right idea. (Even if she does like to dress like Eva Braun.)

And speaking of making print great again……

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🗞 The Onion’s Print Revival: Satire Sells (IRL)

You didn’t hallucinate that headline—The Onion is printing a limited-edition physical newspaper. And people are buying it. What started as a one-off satirical stunt has turned into a surprising retail moment. In a time when media brands are cutting print left and right, The Onion's move suggests something deeper: that we still crave tangible culture, and that scarcity in print—if done right—can feel like luxury.

This isn’t just about satire. It’s about identity. Print is becoming the new vinyl: analog, aesthetic, and symbolic. When you buy a niche zine or limited-edition paper, you’re not just reading—it’s a flex, a point of view. You’re saying: I value slowness. I like to hold what I consume. And this media is important enough in my world that I’m willing to pay for it. And in a world that’s algorithmically flattened everything? That tactile intimacy is worth something.

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🔋 China’s EV Takeover: The Quiet Power Move (of Many)

While the U.S. (pretends climate change isn’t real) and Europe debates charging infrastructure and emissions targets, China has quietly built a global EV empire. In just a few years, Chinese electric vehicle makers like BYD have gone from local players to global threats—offering stylish, affordable models that compete on both performance and price. Think I’m overselling it? Well, get this: Chinese EV maker BYD entered the Australian car market (where they are not punished with high tariffs) in 2022 and now represents 14% of all EV sales there. And it’s not just about the cars; it’s about the ecosystem. China controls massive portions of the lithium battery supply chain and production capacity, giving it a nearly unshakable advantage.

This isn’t just about transportation—it’s about the future of manufacturing, trade, and even geopolitical influence. If China becomes the EV supplier to the world, it also controls the next phase of automotive design and energy policy. The West is responding, but very slowly. And in luxury? Expect to see more “Made in China” on high-end wheels, whether we admit it or not. Think about the American CEO of Ford Motors, who bypassed laws to make a Chinese EV his daily driver under the guise of “competitive analysis”.

Moral of the story: You can’t compete where you don’t compare. And the U.S. government is full of sore losers.

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📚 TT BOOK REC: What You Leave Behind

In the humid shadows of Deep South legacies, What You Leave Behind thrums like a courtroom thriller wrapped in generational reckoning. Set deep in a historic town in Georgia, Morris delivers more than just a legal drama — she gives us Deena Wood, a Black attorney-turned-reluctant-activist who returns to her hometown after her marriage unravels and unearths a past that refuses to stay buried.

The case at hand — the suspicious death of a local Black recluse — should be open-and-shut. But when a suspiciously popular land developer puts a ‘sold’ sign on the recently deceased’s property, Deena becomes curious. And thus, Deena is pulled into a web of buried secrets, stolen land, and small-town justice meted out in whispers. Morris paints the South not as a place frozen in time, but as one where memory is weaponized and silence is currency.

And in the midst of all this legal drama, Deena reconnects with a childhood friend who hasn’t been that much of a friend since Deena’s marriage dissolved and her job at a prestigious Atlanta firm was revoked. Deena is mad but her childhood friend Howie just wants to make things right— and wants Deena to consider that maybe they should try being more than estranged friends. This is not a tidy redemption story. It’s a slow-burn unbraiding of history — both personal and political. Deena’s fight is not just for justice, but for the soul of a town that taught her to survive by forgetting. And as the legal tension mounts, the real trial becomes the one inside Deena herself: Who was she before she left, and who does she have to become to make things right for the people in her hometown?

Read it because: if A Time to Kill had a child with The Vanishing Half, and that child grew up listening to NPR beneath Spanish moss, it would be What You Leave Behind — a novel that reminds us some legacies aren’t inherited, they’re demanded.

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🧠 CULTURE CANDY (links to make you cool to talk to)

1. The Wine Bar Closure That Says Everything About Modern SF. -Wine bar meets influencer saga meets small business heartbreak. A beautifully messy microcosm of Gen Z gentrification, social capital, and the economics of taste in one SF block.

2. Coach’s Coffee Shop Empire -Coach isn’t just selling bags anymore—they’re selling lifestyle. Enter the café-as-retail-model era. Question is: is this a genius brand move, or just another vibe chase? (Shameless plug: we dissected the rise of lifestyle activations from fashion brands here)

3. The Next Frontier For Tech Is Your Face- After blazing the trail (and flatlining) for smart eyewear, Google is betting that it’ll be better the second time around.

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   🖤 UNTIL NEXT TIME...

   The fashion girls are cosplaying as feudal serfs, China is running laps around the developed world, and print media still has a home. You? You’re watching it all and probably learning a little Mandarin.

   xx Jenn,
   Thoughtful Threads
   Your URL safe space for good taste and smart takes

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