Infinite Digging #2
On Cecile Bahnen, Gender Wars, Dating Apps, Female Health Monitoring Apps, and Problemista.
Would you look at that, we both made it to Infinite Digging #2!! If you missed the first one, you can read it here.
1. Cecile Bahnen
I can’t say that I knew of the Dutch designer before her ASICS collab triad began, but I’m glad it crossed my path. Bahnen’s ready-to-wear pieces predominantly feature a palette reminiscent of a ballerina studio. The garments, dyed in white, black, and pink, resemble the softness of flowers yet they still look technical. The collections include flowy Springtime dresses with a workwear silhouette crafted from denim. The footwear combines the traditional sneaker rubber soles with the untraditional ballerina flats and Mary Jane’s. One standout piece is a long black coat adorned with bows and a cinch at the waist created from nylon, water-resistant fabric. In what I think is a great collaborative partnership, Cecile Bahnen joins ASICS for a third time to extend what she creates with her RTW, aided by ASICS’ sneaker materials and expertise. I couldn’t it describe it better than herself in this interview she gave with HYPEBEAST, “I’ve always been drawn to the juxtaposition between femininity and elements that are more technical and sportive…So, it felt like a natural decision to collaborate with ASICS, finding common ground between our two distinct universes.”
Congratulations to Cecile Bahnen on another great sneaker. The ASICS Gel-Quantum 360 VII releases on August 8 (set a reminder for the raffle here). The Mary Jane GT-2160 from the second collaboration is on my dream shoe list and hopefully, in my closet soon.
2. & 3. Dating Apps & Gender Wars
Every once in a while, I’ll check in with my single friends to hear their perspective on dating, in particular, dating apps. I remember discussing with my therapist the anxiety I felt about being on dating apps when I was recently single, as it reminded me of a blind date. You don’t really know a person, and you’re supposed to gauge interest based on shitty prompts and selfies. There’s already a disconnect as you swipe through endless profiles, and the emotional connection you might make from a brief in-person interaction doesn’t translate the same way through an app. But, that’s most likely by design. Dating app downloads have decreased YOY, a different result in comparison to the uptrend in global dating app revenue. Dating app companies are scrambling (and failing) to keep users and their revenue hooked. I’ve never been the type to pursue dating, if it happens it happens. But, I can say that after trying out the apps, they’re not for me. And apparently, I’m not the only one. There’s a difference in the dating app experience for women and men, yet no one can pinpoint where the problem lies or who’s at fault. Statistically, women view the apps less favorably and are more likely to have a negative experience within dating apps (linked above but read more here). But as I read more into the app dating data, there’s a really big point that’s overlooked!
Are the gender wars back?
In 2019, the women of South Korea joined forces to fight back against femicide, dating violence, abuse, and sex crimes that were often committed by men with little to no consequence. The movement, known as the 4B Movement, sees women refuse to date, marry, and have sex because they feel safer and out of harm's way. Sounds simple but it plays a big role in South Korea, which already has the world’s lowest fertility rate. The US is also experiencing a dip in fertility rates which comes at an interesting timing for US women as our presidential candidates debate our reproductive rights on TV as more US women follow the example set by S. Korean women. And while we’re on the topic…
4. Fertility tracking and Period Apps
For those unfamiliar, women now (with the help [?] of tech) track their periods, fertility and other female health monitoring on apps similar to Flo or Clue. However, studies examining the privacy policies from apps revealed poor data-management practices, raising concerns during a very sensitive time for US women with privacy experts raising concerns that “data from menstrual tracking apps could be used to prosecute anyone seeking to terminate a pregnancy” in a post-Roe v Wade overturned country. Approximately 85% of period tracker apps (in a sample group of 25 apps) allowed the sharing of personal health data with third parties (!!!). It might be time to delete your period app, and don’t forget to delete your data before you do!
5. Julio Torres’ Problemista
I first came across Julio Torres on HBO’s Los Espookys, a show about a group of friends trying to make ends meet with their horror production company. The former SNL writer now has two things for you to watch on Max, and I recommend both. I’ll start with Fantasmas, a series that follows Torres on quest for his lost earring with a bunch of skits in between featuring cameos from Alexa Demie, Julia Fox, Emma Stone, and Evan Mock to name a few. Very creative, very left-field, very Julio Torres. Problemista follows Torres’ witty, creatively abstract aesthetic as well but it tells a much deeper story about the reality that immigrants face when Torres’ character, an aspiring toymaker, gets fired from his job and his work visa runs out. Also RZA plays a cryogenic artist with bleached hair.
