The HALO Report 5.21.25: Conceptions of Summer
- Em Seely-Katz
- May 21
- 3 min read
Thoughts on Pierpaolo Piccioli's Balenciaga appointment, dressing better without trying harder, and a sale at Marc Jacobs.
Welcome to The HALO Report — HALOSCOPE’s new weekly digest, an of-the-moment mix of news items, opinion pieces, and sale announcements designed to keep you posted on the nitty-gritty of the fashion world and all of its tangents without having to keep a constant eye on your feed.
This week, a modern Black Dandy teaches us how to journal, speedrun converting your boyfriend to style-cognizant, Balenciaga has a new CD—do we care?, looser, more relevant-feeling labels succeed Sandy Liang and Gauntlett Cheng, sales abound from big-name accessories brands to tiny family operations, and more.
The latest long-ish reads from the brightest minds in fashion.
As per usual, Viv Chen topped the charts of my internet time this week with “this is what 80 looks like” for The Molehill. Chatting with style icon Raymond Holbert, who has kept a journal for over half a century and is the epitome of a modern Black Dandy (I loved Chen’s comparison of his outfits to the looks featured in the Frog and Toad picture books). The friends touch upon Holbert’s journaling practice and much more—it’s an inspiring, adorable, and stylish read all around.
I recently started dating someone with no interest in fashion, but if I put the YouTube video “Dress better without trying harder” by Speeed on 1.75x speed, perhaps he will be compelled by its straightforward, pragmatic, easy-to-implement style tips.
“Is It That Hard to Design Gucci?” by Amy Odell for Back Row is a fascinating, incisive questioning into what has become an almost mythological speed bump in the fashion industry: why have so many Gucci Creative Directors been, by all accounts, flops?
“Plumpgasm Nudegasm” by Jessica DeFino for The Review of Beauty touches upon the uncanny and the hyperreal of the beauty choices debuted at the Met Gala, from Walton Goggins’ Moroccanoil collab to Doja Cat’s Betty Boop-like mug.
The Wardrobe Edit’s latest, “The Style Edit: Going Out Tops, Summer Jewellery & NAP Sale Picks,” is an easy dose of shoppable inspiration for your burgeoning summer wardrobe.
What to keep in mind — and look forward to — in the past and coming weeks.
Pierpaolo Piccioli is the new creative director for Balenciaga, and the crowd… is ambivalent? A choice that seems to pull its punches, Piccioli (yet another white man crowding the upper echelons of the runway sphere) seems to prioritize legacy over innovation, stating, “I don’t want to cancel what has been, because a house is made by lots of people.”
Oversized, floppy flowers, colorful knit stripes, and loose, louche silhouettes define Stine Goya’s PF25—a great alternative for feminine dressers who find the Sandy Liang side of the industry a bit too stuffy and contrived. These pieces feel like the kind you would only think to buy on vacation—a little cheesy, a little brash—but then you’d find yourself reaching for them long past your travels, having embedded themselves in your conception of summer.
Young label Lucille Thièvre has arrived at Maimoun with slinky, siren-like shirred sets and ornamented cut-out tops—its energy is similar to pre-COVID Gauntlett Cheng, before that label started courting Red Scare hosts and similar types in earnest.
Seeing as the label has started to elicit whispers of criticism from the most forward-thinking fashion minds on the internet, expect to see more collabs like the Easter-coded Tory Burch x Bon Bon while the former tries to maintain its hard-won relevance.
Ever an under-the-radar label, Clarks collaborates with another IYKYK brand, Engineered Garments, on a capsule of loafers and Clarks’ signature Wallabees decked in fringe and suede charms.
Less about impulse buys — and more about tracking discounts on the pieces already on your wishlist.
Given its past few runway successes and red carpet cameos on the likes of Sarah Paulson, now might be a good time to check out the Marc Jacobs 50% off private summer sale and consider investing in the brand’s upswing.
Take up to 30% off a collection of richly-hued cardigans, V-necks, and knit accessories like bandanas and socks in a rainbow assortment of colors during the &Daughter Seasonal Sale.
Mansur Gavriel’s 60% off summer sale offers bags, shoes, and wallets in supple, summer-colored leather.
From Saturday, May 31 to Sunday, June 1, check out the no-holds-barred Vaquera sample sale on Walker Street in NYC, including not only archival and deeply discounted pieces, but also vintage gems from the designer’s own collection.
Since production has slowed after the designers had a baby, Ijji’s hiatus sale offers 50% off the slim (but incredible) pickings of remaining stock still on the website.🌀
Em Seely-Katz is the creator of the fashion blog Esque, the News Editor of HALOSCOPE, and a writer, stylist, and anime-watcher about town. You can usually find them writing copy for niche perfume houses or making awful collages at @that.esque on Instagram.
