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There’s a Betoota Advocate spoof story about Zoë Foster Blake that always pops in my head when I think of her: “Local Mum Convinced That She and Zoë Foster Blake Would Actually Be Best Friends If They Met”. It works because it’s true.

The Edit Ina, the most-clicked, and a better granola. Arma leather jacket, Chloe Charlton pendant and chain necklace. LISTEN: INA GARTEN INTERVIEWED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES PODCAST Not that we needed reminding, but Ina Garten is not to be underestimated. Listening to (or reading) this interview with her, you’re instantly struck by not only her affability and propensity to seek out enjoyment and pleasure, but also her steely determination.

There are a few principles I live by in life, and one of them is that restrictions or challenges are good for you. This sounds like it’s on a bit of a serious note — but stay with me. While this truly works for life in general, I think about this all the time whenever I go on holidays in regards to my personal style. I am, at heart, a true city girl. Tropical holiday dressing does not come naturally to me. The advice is always to know your wardrobe before you pack it. I don't do this.

This is a classic THE EDIT newsletter edition: a round-up of what I’ve been reading, watching, listening, shopping and more. I started doing this on Instagram and then brought it over on Substack which is how I got my start, if you’ve been around way back when. It is long. Please click expand to read, particularly the SHOP section at the end. Enjoy! The hypothesis of a recent fashion podcast I was listening too had that fashion needs fixing and there’s a lack of creativity.

From top left, clockwise: Rixo jacket, Arma jacket, Carelli jacket, Dissh jacket. Wearing Anine Bing black silk tank (old), Camilla & Marc jeans and Heirest lab-grown diamond earrings in all images. Fretting while getting ready for an important work event, I tapped into the search bar “powerful women outfits”. Reader, I am loath to admit that I deferred to such stereotypical definitions of power, but the pattern was clear.

Matteo Azzolini and I write about similar subjects: style, taste, the consumption and expression of both across fashion, retail, beauty and luxury industries. And, we’re both similarly curious: who’s actually reading, and what they’re actually doing, versus what we’re assuming. After chatting across different time-zones (Matteo is from Milan, now based in London), we have decided to collaborate on this survey.

Cos tshirt, Zara skirt, Mango shoes that I’ve had for years and, Muun bag with Alemais swimmers inside. At the beginning of my career, someone suggested that I meet the founder of a fashion brand. Though nascent, their sales figures were impressive, but they openly encouraged customers to wear their items once, maybe twice, throw it out and buy something else so that they always had a new look. I just couldn’t get past it, morally or logically.

I get so many DMs across Substack and Instagram, I thought I will start including them in The Edit newsletters. If you’re new here, The Edit newsletters are a round-up of what I’m reading, listening to, shopping, exploring, cooking. I remember when I first heard of Alex Eagle’s boutique in Kensington, and then seeking out her merchandising work out when she opened a store in Soho.

*New Balance is supporting this article which allows it to be free for all readers.* For a recent trip to Tokyo, I was stumped on finding accommodation. I wanted somewhere that was boutique, design-led, in a certain area near where I liked exploring, and didn’t break the bank. Trunk Hotel was booked out, so I inputted my preferences into AI. It provided me three hotels. One was not even close to what I wanted (corporate hotel in the wrong location), but there were two others that looked intriguing.

This essay was commissioned by Netflix as part of My Brilliant Career: My Way, a series of personal essays inspired by Netflix’s new series My Brilliant Career, out now. From Netflix’s My Brilliant Career, out now. Speak up “Keep your head down, be quiet, work hard.” That’s what my parents told me when growing up and when I entered the workforce. This is something that is writ large in some parts of Chinese culture and other Asian diasporas – clearly, in my family.