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The Palestinian-American model made her long-awaited catwalk return during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. No modeling career hiatus has been felt as much as Bella Hadid's. Following her appearance at Miu Miu's Spring/Summer 2023 show  in October 2022, she took a break, citing her battle with Lyme disease and the stresses and strains of the fashion industry, sharing on August 6, 2023, in an Instagram post that “[ she’d] be back when [she’s] ready. ” Now, after two years dedicated to her health while still working on editorials, launching her ethereal fragrance line Orebella , and exploring her passion for the equestrian world, model and businesswoman Bella Hadid has returned to the runway.  It was at Paris Fashion Week that she made her big return, walking for Saint Laurent Spring/Summer 2025 . With slicked-back hair, an androgynous suit, and chunky glasses à la Yves, Hadid dazzled fashionistas, netizens, and industry professionals worldwide. It's not that a Saint Laurent appearance wasn't in the cards. After all, she has been a Saint Laurent girl for quite some time — whether as the face of the brand's Fall/Winter 2024 campaign or at the Cannes Film Festival in May, when she stunned in a sheer dress from Anthony Vacarello's Fall/Winter 2024 collection on the vibrant red carpet. Many thought Hadid’s scant appearances with the French fashion house were simply because she was fulfilling a contract. However, on October 15, at the much-hyped Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after a five-year hiatus , Hadid proved she was back for good, strutting the runway in red lingerie and a fluffy, voluminous coat to match as Cher sang “Believe.”  Whether in a suit or lingerie, fashion devotees, pop culture aficionados, and insiders alike were thrilled to see one of the most influential models of a generation back on the catwalk with her unmistakable strut and poise. But beyond the thrill of seeing her back on the glitzy, sometimes-messy runways, her return may have more significance than just delighting the public. In a highly-politicized world where professionals and burgeoning voices alike can lose gigs for their political, moral, and social stances , Hadid's comeback could demonstrate a thing or two about standing up for what you believe in.  Since the media frenzy around Gaza and the Hamas-Israel conflict started in October 2023, many publications and public figures have chosen to either be silent or adopt pro-Israel positions, while those who have expressed sympathy towards Palestinians have been silenced. From the one-sided headlines currently circulating on the Internet to instances in the entertainment industry, such as the dismissal of actress Melissa Barrera from the film Scream   VII  after her statements against the violence and human rights violations committed by the Israeli government, there has been a growing tendency to condemn support for Palestine over the past year.  The fashion industry, like any other, is dominated by Zionism. Ranging from multinationals such as LVMH keeping their financial ties with Israel , to an internal message shared by   WWD  from Chanel chairman Alain Wertheimer and CEO Leena Nair expressing their deep sadness ‘‘...by the terrorist attacks against Israeli citizens’’ while donating $4 million to pro-Israel organizations, the boycott lists continue to grow — including the likes of   Dior, American Eagle, Tory Burch, and DKNY.     As intolerance, bigotry, and oppression are far from being lost in the fashion landscape, those who show any form of support for the Palestinian cause are increasingly being targeted. Instances of professionals such as model Camilla Déterre, who posted “#freepalestine” on her Instagram stories  and was subsequently dropped by her agency Elite, and Vogue fashion editor and stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who was nudged into stepping down from her role  after using her social platforms to advocate for a ceasefire, are evidence of this climate.  Given Bella Hadid’s Palestinian roots — her father is Palestinian businessman Mohamed Hadid  —, the insults and harassment are much more intense. The scars have been there since her youth, from being called a terrorist by the head of her school’s football team, as the model shared with Libyan-American journalist Noor Tagouri's The Rep  podcast, to being cut out by friends.  Since becoming a strong voice for the Palestinian cause , she and her family have been subjected to online harassment and threats from both Zionists and the Israeli government . Besides the impacts on her personal life, her professional one has also been affected. On Tagouri's podcast, the model revealed that many companies have stopped working with her because of her beliefs. From the recent Adidas situation  — where the sportswear giant removed her Adidas SL72 campaign amidst reactions from pro-Israel organizations — to sharing her feelings about being turned down by other brands due to her values, Hadid explained to Tagouri that she believes “...if [she] had started advocating for Palestine when [she] was 20, [she] wouldn't have gotten the recognition and respect [she] has now.” But for Hadid, certain aspects of her life are more valuable than her career. “I realized that I’m not on this Earth to be a model,” she shared in an interview for GQ  with journalist Sarah Hagi. “I’m so lucky and blessed that I’m in a position where I can speak out the way that I do. And really, the downfall is what? That I lose my job?" Sacrifices come and go, but her principles remain. By challenging the dominant ideology of the fashion industry while asserting her cultural identity, Bella Hadid has helped raise awareness of the Palestinian cause more broadly. Together with her sister, Gigi Hadid, they have donated $1 million to Palestinian humanitarian groups, according to multiple sources such as Teen Vogue ,  BBC , and  Business Insider . The Orebella founder has also acted as a key figure in mobilizing younger generations and other celebrities to support the Palestinian liberation — for instance, beauty mogul Huda Kattan , founder and CEO of Huda Beauty, credited the model with inspiring her to come forward in an interview for Dazed . ‘‘She gave me the courage to speak out,’’ Kattan explained, adding that while it can be scary, she's there ‘‘for something bigger.’’ Ultimately, Hadid's runway return to the runways, alongside numerous editorials and the rise of her fragrance label, holds deep power. She's a constant reminder that there's no need to hide your moral principles and positions in order to conform to the industry’s expectations and politics. In the end, some things matter more. 🌀 Ana Reitz  is a Brazilian fashion writer who breathes fashion. As a Latin American fashionista, she values a diverse and inclusive fashion landscape and aims to make a difference in the complex yet beautiful industry that surrounds her. She writes anything fashion-related for her own Substack For Fashion’s Sake .

Fiona Lynn, frontwoman of NYC-based indie band Whisper Doll, talks Perfume Garden, Courtney Love, and grunge musician-style. The visualizer for Whisper Doll’s single " Change " begins with fast-moving flowers blooming in a dark purple filter, the echoey vocals of the intro moving in — straight from a Fairyopolis   book. Perfume Garden , Fiona Lynn’s debut album under the moniker Whisper Doll, was released on October 24th. Each song is like a dream rock Garden of Eden, with fantastical Mazzy Star -esque vocals. The band’s live shows are the same, with venues and basements bathed in a familiar blue glow. For the album release party, co-sponsored by Kitsch Magazine, crowds of girls dressed like dolls came to sing along feverishly to " Doe Eyes ." A couple of days before the show, we chatted about artist's identity, stage style, and visual language. This interview has been edited for grammar and clarity. Mila Grgas:  How did you come up with the Whisper Doll persona? How does your stage style manifest your artist’s persona?  Whisper Doll:  The name of the band came from my favorite movie, Daisies (1996). It has this scene where the two main girls talk about how they feel like they're dolls, and the world is rotten, so they will be too. Feeling like a doll and that other people view you as a vessel is something I connected with. Throughout the movie, they wrestle with being seen as real people. I write a lot about these themes, especially in my song "Lady in Blue." The Whisper part of the name is a slightly creepy element. Also when we play our louder songs, I like the contradiction.  Mila Grgas: Who or what are your biggest style inspirations? Whisper Doll: I was really inspired by KatieJane Garside . She is this cool artist who makes a lot of creepy neo-folk music and some hard rock. She toured with Hole and inspired Courtney Love's style. The images that are out there, I was really inspired by [them]. And she kinda dressed like a disembodied doll. I’m inspired by all the ruffles and lace, Mori Kei  style, hyperfeminine mixed with some sort of masculine element, whether some sort of hypermasculine accessories like a military belt or the loud grungy music itself. I love the contradiction. I like how Sky Ferreira  and Courtney Love  have interpreted this style, too.  Mila Grgas: What are your opinions on the '90s feminist grunge rock style and the kinderwhore look that artists like Courtney Love and Bikini Kill are known for?  Whisper Doll: When I was younger, I really liked it. When I found out KatieJane Garside inspired Courtney Love, that made a lot of sense. I think that style is really cool and I love how it subverts traditionally feminine clothing. Mila Grgas: Which songs on the new album have a particular look to you?  Whisper Doll: I normally have visuals associated with songs, and I can kinda direct my music videos around them. With the song "Cheap," I always had an image of a beach in my head, so we shot the visualizer on Rockaway Beach at dusk. I was seeing a lot of light and dark blues. Then, the "Change" music video was placed on a New York City street in the East Village. The drum beat sounds like a march to me, like marching yourself through "Change," and blossoming out of a bad situation. I saw grays and purples for that song and visuals of the walking and of blooming flowers. All of my songs I associate with colors and snapshot images, and I try to bring that to life when I create the visualizers.  Mila Grgas:  What led to having the audience dress up as dolls for this release? What do you think about artists having their fans dress up and its popularity? Whisper Doll:  Since it’s so close to Halloween, people were asking if we had a costume theme for the show, and I thought it would be fun. I think having people dress up is cool, it gives an extra kind of creativity for the audience and creates community in the crowd. I can't wait to see what people wear. Mila Grgas: How have you been sourcing your stage outfits? Do you feel like you source them from those visuals? Whisper Doll:  I normally feel pretty rushed, I throw on whatever feels right. If I’m playing a basement show I go a little more grungy. The stage outfits are always a heightened style of my own outfits. Mila Grgas: What is your dream stage look?  Whisper Doll: It would definitely be some sort of tattered lace frilly doll-like dress. Something entrenched in that '90s hyper-feminine-yet-tattered style. There’s this Etsy seller,  Zollection,   who makes tattered, recycled, [and] stained vintage dresses, so something like that. Mila Grgas: Do you have your stage outfit for the album release?  Whisper Doll: [laughs] I have some ideas. I got this really cool dress while touring in Japan when I was with Kara [Lu, bassist]. Probably I’ll wear it with a blouse over it and some tall boots. Maybe I should get that dream dress from Zollection’s Etsy. I wonder how fast it could come. That dress is so disembodied, tattered, and torn. It is a very emotional look and it speaks to the music. It's how my songs would look if they were a dress. Mila Grgas: When I first met you, you were a stylist for a shoot we were on. How has styling and working on shoots influenced your style? Whisper Doll: It’s emphasized how important visual images are to musicians and how important crafting some sort of visual that people can attach to. Our generation is so visual and music is so much more impactful when you have a visual to connect it to. And it’s really fun.  Mila Grgas: I feel like you’ve done an amazing job of defining your image. Just by looking at your flyer for Thursday, you can tell what kind of art, and music you are out to make.  Whisper Doll: Hell yeah, thank you. It's definitely very intentional. The way I make art flyers and stuff, it’s all building off of my own personal style and relating it to the music.  Perfume Garden will be available to stream on Spotify  on October 24th. For more information about Whisper Doll, including ticket availability and concert dress themes, please visit their website . Mila Grgas is a writer, filmmaker, and New Yorker. Her work often covers feminist mythology and art.

Washington Spirit’s Creative Director Domo Wells shares her approach to elevating the club’s fashionable offerings. “A sports renaissance,” is how Domo Wells, the recently appointed creative director of the Washington Spirit, describes the accelerated growth of women’s soccer in 2024. A sublime summer of sport, piloted by the US Women’s National Team’s sensational victory at the Paris Olympics, has heralded a 45% increase in NWSL attendance. Now, more than ever is the time for clubs to do all they can to maintain this upward trajectory, and for Wells, this means spearheading a new approach to tangibly merchandising the Spirit.  Wells, a D.C. native now residing in Los Angeles, spent the last decade with her feet placed squarely in the music industry, calling Spotify her home for three years. While an interest in fashion was pre-established, “the sports aspect was actually a surprise,” Wells tells HALOSCOPE, sharing how she came to her new creative leadership role. It was in fact the Spirit themselves that propositioned Wells — who had not long before founded her creative agency, Dead Dirt. “They saw some spillover after my launch from some WNBA players who had worn some of my pieces,” she shares, adding that, “[Spirit] wanted to do a one off and I wasn't interested in that. I was like, ‘I think there's a lot more that could be done here if you guys are open to it.’ And they were.”  The result of this first-of-its-kind role for the club? A fall capsule merchandise collection and accompanying campaign marrying prime fashion editorial with the traditional sports aesthetic. “My intention was to elevate the merge in a way that hadn't been done yet,” said Wells of her choice to focus on garments not usually provided by the club, moving away from modest logo-ed baseball caps and minimalistic crew neck sweaters — which are, of course, still on offer in the club’s core collection. “It wasn't necessarily about completely flipping their merch upside down into something unrecognisable more than easing them into the elevation,” she explained, seeking inspiration from sporting merchandise of the ‘50s and ‘60s, like the much-beloved varsity jacket. “They’re meant to feel like pieces you would want to wear outside of being at the game or in the stadium,” Wells says of the capsule’s garments, adding that these are, “...pieces you would want to actually wear as part of your wardrobe because they're cool and not just throwaway merch for the season that you turn over whenever there's new stuff next season.”  At the heart of the campaign, aptly entitled “Renaissance Sports Women,” are the highly personable Spirit players for which the club’s supporters hold in the highest regard. Photographed in an ostentatious exterior, the French parterre and greenhouse of a historic D.C. home, the players don the collection confidently, their collective and individual strength on full display. “I think the best thing about working with athletes is how coachable they are, they really value instruction, especially if they're in a foreign environment,” Wells said of the shoot experience, noting that all players involved were “honestly amazing.” The creative director, who had not worked with the players in such a close capacity previously, has high praise for the athletes. “Courtney Brown was giving model. Aubrey [Kingsbury] came to slay. I was like, ‘Oh my God, girl, you might need to get into this for real.’”  Shot in the summer during the Olympic break, many of the Spirit’s brightest and most popular stars were unavailable to feature in the campaign as they were busy playing, and winning, in France. Nevertheless, Wells was “...super happy with who showed up because they came with all the positive energy of being willing and ready — and they had never done anything like this with the team for the team.”  The hope is that this capsule collection, and the many that will surely ensue, will aid in bringing together an authentic and diverse fan community to the Spirit. “This team and the league in general are doing a ton of work to appeal to diverse audiences and so they're on their way, but there is a ways to go,” shares Wells, adding, “You have to allow people to learn with you and earn their trust that you know what you're talking about. And I understand that process.”  Wells believes that her previous experience in the music industry, and not having worked within a sports team before, greatly aids her. “[Spirit] has enough sports experts. They need someone who understands what they are trying to achieve, but comes from a different place of expertise.” Naturally, this differing angle of interest shapes Wells’ wider wishes for the team. “It should be a no-brainer that there's a halftime show, it's a no-brainer that we have pregame performances and we have a playoff capsule and amazing new merch, and it's a no-brainer that we have all of these notable people at the game.”  As for the continued growth of the women’s professional soccer league, Wells wants to see “the NWSL operating very similarly to the WNBA, where people understand them in the same way and they value them in the same way,” adding that, “I think that this year really has been a historical marker for women's sports and the WNBA has really led that charge.”   As the Spirit surpasses their 2023 merchandise sales, it is clear that their ahead-of-the-pack attitude is beginning to pay off, ushering in a new fruitful era, both monetarily and culturally. “What I look forward to is seeing what things look like two to three years from now and what we've built on top of what they already have going. We just have to bring everybody to them,” says the hopeful creative director.  🌀 The collection is available in stadiums now and online on November 11th. Molly Elizabeth  is a freelance fashion writer and commentator based in London.

The nearly 50-year-old punk label is retooling for the modern age. When news hit the HALOSCOPE office that BOY London  was going to be digitizing their visual archive for the first time, we were absolutely chomping at the bit to get our eyes on it first. Founded in 1976, BOY London has been emblematic of underground subcultures from Punk to Acid House for nearly 5 decades now. Made famous through their connection to major celebrities like Madonna, Boy George, Andy Warhol, Rihanna, and Beyoncé, BOY is fanning the flames of their ever-burning cultural relevance with their Fall/Winter 2024 collection. I had the chance to meet up with the BOY London team to talk all about their inspirations for the collection, their vision for the future, and to answer the age-old question: Is punk really dead? Here is our conversation: This interview has been edited for grammar and clarity. KAITLIN OWENS:  I’m seeing a lot of utility wear and racing-inspired looks. How did you go about designing the collection? What were your inspirations? BOY LONDON:  For Autumn/Winter 2024, our racing inspiration came from Bosozoku . It’s a Japanese youth culture associated with customized motorcycles and outlaw biker gangs [that] turned against the Westernized business suit-and-tie and adopted their own uniform style called Tokkōfuku , modelled off military wear — hence the utility references in the collection. We looked carefully at the slogans and symbols that were used by these gangs and interpreted them in the “BOY” way — always reverting back to our punk heritage and DNA. KO: I am obsessed with the vibrant reds and chunky knits in this collection. How were the red-and-black textiles featured in many of the looks constructed?  BL: [The featured textiles] are a red-and-black knitted Tiger intarsia using merino wool for the base and what's called an eyelash yarn technique in mohair. KO: Are there any plans to revive looks from the early days of BOY? Or is your team looking more towards the future of fashion?  BL:  We are always looking back at our extensive history which is rich in diversity — there is a huge amount to pull from. However, we are always looking ahead and evolving the collections, but always being mindful to create [sic] the core DNA of the brand. KO: As your visual archive becomes available to the media for the first time, I’m curious — what are your favorite collections? BL: Which do you return to as a touchpoint for the DNA of the brand? We always love the simplicity of how BOY was used in the ‘80s and ‘90s — bold logos that are remembered so clearly on caps and T-shirts worn by the likes of Elton John, Rihanna, Pet Shop Boys, and Andy Warhol. The logo is iconic and we enjoy reimagining this in more modern applications. KO: I would love to hear your opinions on the legacy of Brit Punk fashion. We’ve heard ad nauseam that “punk is dead”— what do you think? BL: Obviously, we love the rich and exciting history of “British punk” with the amazing associations with some of Britain's most famous and influential punk artists like Sid Vicious. Whilst these are always very clear in our minds when designing new collections, it's obviously important to evolve with the times and what people are actually wearing and buying into. To us, “punk” is an attitude [that] comes with certain beliefs and idealisms — it's not about safety pins through a ripped jacket but more about how you carry yourself and the life choices you make. Punk will never die because it belongs within us — it's not an image or a particular look but a way of life. For more information about BOY LONDON and to take a closer look at their archive, please visit their website here. 🌀 Kaitlin Owens is HALOSOPE's Archival Fashion Editor and the Editor-in-Chief of Dilettante Magazine. For a closer look at her work, please visit kaitlindotcom.com .

How much of a chokehold does the “fear of looking bad” have on our favorite fashion girls? Each time a new award season approaches (which usually is right after the Emmys), the discourse on how the fashion community will be inevitably disappointed resurfaces. I am all for the referential premiere looks that we’ve seen on Zendaya , Margot Robbie , and Dakota Johnson . I’ve even been surprised and pleased with Ayo Edebiri and Greta Lee’s well-tailored Loewe and Prada looks. However, when I look at pictures from the Hollywood of years ago, it’s easy to see that a fearlessness and lack of polish are lost. I hate to reference a very obvious moment but it’s such a memorable look for a reason. I don’t even need to add a visual, but I will: Julia Roberts  looks joyous in every picture from the 1990 Golden Globes. Her hair is curly, her gray suit is almost too big on her, and she’s wearing a men’s tie. It’s the bravery and naturalism that makes it one of the oft-repeated images on many a mood board. As much as I enjoy romanticizing the ‘90s and what that era meant for red carpet events, the real task on our hands translates to all corners of the beauty world: what does glamour mean to an online community that doesn’t really know what it wants to see? We love drama, archival looks, and when muses truly embody a designer’s vision and brand palette. But we don’t really love when there’s too much going on; when the pieces don’t look wearable or comfortable on the person; when the subject tries too hard or doesn’t risk enough; or when we know contracts on celebrities restrict them from wearing something flattering or less safe. We (I) also don’t know how big a stylist’s role truly is from celebrity to celebrity. Some take a hands-on approach (Law Roach); others merely offer small suggestions. Do they have the power to dictate what celebrities cannot wear? I don’t think anyone can say how much of what we see on a red carpet is the star’s true taste, even when it comes to glamorous looks where they have the chance to showcase their most personal style.  Though the public (online, offline, anyone who consumes pop culture) could have expectations that are too high, they’re still very much based on the pendulum of what’s trending. Right now, the more effortlessly flawless the makeup, hair, and attire are = the more glamorous. This is much more evident than before, in the sense that the look has to deliver on all fronts: while moving, in a close-up, in flash photography, on video, on high-speed slow-motion cameras, and in candid pictures. Achieving that is nearly impossible. It’s unrealistic, but we adore when it does happen, when it clicks and satisfies what we had in our heads for a premiere look, for the Oscars or the Met Gala. Effort is loved but unreasonably looked down upon when noticeable. This could be a greater societal taste indicator, but I would like to keep a mindset that’s as least judgemental as possible. What causes excitement and admiration is obviously very personal, and if we gravitate towards the public figures whose style we admire, maybe the universal term of glamour is no longer useful. These events are the only ones that can really fulfill our craving for glamour, and remind us why we still (kind of) revere Hollywood. Maybe now the truth is that celebrity is no longer this mysterious, magical, all-encompassing prism. Nowadays, we know the reality of how much effort goes into red carpet looks — and the real feat is making them look easy.  What is holding back these appearances could be a lack of jewelry, as has been mentioned many times on social media: the art of wearing a good necklace is lost. Anne Hathaway  is one of the last celebrities to understand its importance, thanks to her Bulgari contract. And, too, consider the fact that the presence of natural curly hair on the red carpet is lost. But what could also be the cause of celebrity fashion’s degradation is simply the notion of how effortlessness can never be the same as flawlessness. A look being effortless itself already makes us believe it is flawless — not because it looks polished in every angle, but because its distinct characteristics have aligned and shown personality, beauty, and fashion sense all at once.  In an interview with blog WORTHY in 2021 , celebrity jewelry stylist Michael O’Connor mentions specific eras that show how the pendulum has swung: “Throughout the late 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s, celebrities still wanted the ‘WOW’ factor, but they wanted a more modern feel. This era seemed to herald the ‘death of the necklace,’ in an effort to modernize and minimalize a look but still create ‘wow!’ As a result, earrings became the most important piece for many celebrities.” He mentions 2009 as an important year for the return of the necklace, with both Nicole Kidman and Amy Adams opting for statement pieces for the Oscars.  This makes me believe it takes a select few necklaces to start the trend again. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a maximalist moment (see Ayo Edebiri’s and Jenna Ortega’s simple silver chains at the 2024 Emmys), but it has to add some kind of “glamour” that we don’t get to see anywhere else. It adds to the new definition of glamour of our time, and it can be the rounding out of an already tasteful look. 🌀

Calling your partner “stinky” suddenly has a whole new meaning. In 2016, Arabelle Sicardi wrote a story for RACKED  on Smell.Dating , the world’s first mail-in, smell-based dating service. The bare bones of the service were this: the company sends you a T-shirt, you wear that T-shirt around town, get it nice and stinky, then mail it back to them. They will then send you a handful of other, pre-stinked shirts sent in by potential love matches. You sniff the shirts, rank your favorites, and then Smell.Dating connects you with partners who also noted that your B.O. was especially primo. A genius idea, right? Our pheromones dictating whether or not two people will be compatible mates has been a prevailing theory  for decades. Now, while there is some controversy on exactly how much  our natural musk affects our dating batting average, there’s certainly some degree of olfactory communication going on between lovers.  Why else would “stink” and “stinky” be such common pet names for those who are sweet on each other? The scent of your partner’s body has long been a tentpole for expressing one’s own attraction and devotion. Does Napoleon’s “Home in three days, don’t wash” letter to his darling Joséphine ring any bells? My own husband enacts a time-honored practice he calls “whiff dosing” (read: shoving my face into his smelly armpits while he laughs with glee) and I will admit (privately, to you, my dear HALOSCOPE reader — and not to him) that despite my pleas for mercy, I do secretly love this little routine of ours. There’s something comforting about the way your partner stinks — it’s alluring and familiar and one of the things I miss most when he’s out of town. In popular media, bodily scent has been featured a few times as the catalyst for sexual obsession and violent crime. The 1985 Patrick Süskind novel and subsequent 2006 motion picture Perfume: The Story of a Murderer  follows a man who becomes so obsessed with recreating the scent of a woman’s body that he goes mad. A Season 6 episode of Criminal Minds  features a killer who distills the bodies of his female victims into scented candles — all the better to smell you with, my dear? So it’s safe to say, that while we cannot definitively prove in a scientific sense that smell is directly linked to romantic or sexual attraction…. there’s certainly something   in the air. All that being said, it’s no wonder Smell.Dating wanted to capitalize on this virtual hotbed of stinky attraction in the name of online matchmaking. But here’s the question on everybody’s lips: Did it work?  I went straight to the source and asked. Arabelle Sicardi has written extensively on scent and its relationship to seduction, power, and identity politics (I would highly recommend their essay on “Perfume, Power and God” ), so I figured, aside from their direct involvement in testing out the Smell.Dating platform, who better to reach out to about a sexy smelly story than the Fashion Pirate themselves? KAITLIN OWENS:  I know it was way back in 2016, but do you remember how any of your Smell.Dating dates went? Was it a love connection or just another dating gimmick? ARABELLE SICARDI:  I do remember going on a few dates — honestly it was fun and a great method of "blind dating" because it brought me into a situation I wouldn't necessarily have chosen for myself. I ended up going on two — two?  — dates with a firefighter who smelled marvelous. But I am, in the end, gay as hell, and I didn't want to date a man, regardless of how cute, capable, and delicious he might have smelled. For the record, I would stand by the fact a gimmick can still be a marvelous adventure. App dating is horrific — I would not say smell-based dating was any worse than any other kind of date I've been on. KAITLIN OWENS: There’s an entire industry centered around pheromone perfumes which amplify or alter your natural scent in order to attract a partner. What is your opinion on these products? Do they work? ARABELLE SICARDI : I've used and have written about pheromone perfumes before, early in my journey of smell culture and desirability politics. They're a fun concept, sure, but just that alone — totally marketing. I'm not mad about it — all of beauty is storytelling. But it's a lie, you know? The science isn't there. And there are simply better perfumes. KAITLIN OWENS: So what makes smell sexy? Is there a particular perfume you wear to attract a mate? ARABELLE SICARDI : Sexy is completely individual. I don't really pick perfumes based on seduction the way it's typically marketed — which, currently, means an edible gourmand. Seduction, to me, requires open-hearted intimacy and familiarity — choosing to be who you are with the person you choose, and the ability to ask for exactly what you want without apology. I don't wear fragrance to seduce. Fragrance is a public garment to me. Knowing what I actually  smell like is a gift few people get to open! I’m inclined to agree! Personally, for me, I use scent as a tool for “sexiness” — but not so much for “attraction” or “seduction.” I’m aiming to be beautiful and alluring but I don’t necessarily want to catch any spiders in my web — the same way you’d wear a low-cut dress or a pair of uncomfortably high shoes. It feels cliche to say “I wear it for me!” but I really do. It doesn’t really matter much to me if my husband likes my perfume or not — he’s not the one wearing it! Now, for the part we’ve all been waiting for: consumerism! Here’s my list of Go-To Sexy Perfumes: Fat Electrician  by Etat Libre d’Orange Babycat  by YSL Odile  by Marissa Zappas Sì  by Giorgio Armani AMBER  by Marc Jacobs Kaitlin Owens is HALOSOPE's Archival Fashion Editor and the Editor-in-Chief of Dilettante Magazine. For a closer look at her work, please visit kaitlindotcom.com .

Why on Earth has Vogue  not digitized this collection yet? The photos went triple platinum on Pinterest: undone hair and tired eyes , giant knit cuffs folded over  inky black zip-up gowns, sumptuous hand-knit scarves spilling over top of a delicious velveteen coat . Autumn Goth Fantasy, who? Practical Magic obsession, where? Yohji Yamamoto knows what the girls want: soft and cozy fall garments that make you feel only a tiny bit like a Salemite Witch. For some mind-boggling reason, this collection has yet to be digitized in Vogue Runway’s archive. They have Fall/Winter 1998’s ready-to-wear  show (great turtleneck inspo btw!) and they even have Spring/Summer 1999’s ready-to-wear collection  (featuring THIS look , which feels shockingly similar to Celine Dion’s backward Galliano suit for the 1999 Oscars ), but no FW99… Speaking of a Galliano similarity: this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the two designers in artistic lockstep with one another. Actually, Look #94 in the collection in question (Fall/Winter 1999) featured a  gaggle of tilted 1890s-inspired hats and billowing coat dresses  that felt very reminiscent of classic Galliano — although some could argue this is a bit of a “chicken or the egg”-type phenomena. Who tackled the late-1800s “loose woman” fantasy first: Yohji or Galliano? You could make a strong argument for either. Safe to say, they both had their fingers HOT on the same sartorial pulse for quite a while. FW99 was a triumph for Yamamoto. It featured not only his signature elegant simplicity  but also more daring, sculptural silhouettes  and bold pops of color.  It’s surprising how well this collection has stood the test of time. There are certainly elements of ‘90s fads present here ( a quick poncho moment , anyone?), but they don’t read as hacky or overly contrite. "Fashions fade, style is eternal," Yves Saint Laurent said — and Yamamoto knew (and still knows) that all too well.  We saw these same styles and silhouettes reawakened during FW24. The brand Cos showed quite a few drapey black maxi coats and oversized men’s suiting  looks, Miu Miu played with bold pops of color alongside more hearty, neutral knits  and Y/Project nailed the same flowy, vampiric, witchy silhouette  we saw in Yamamoto’s vision. This fall, why don’t you take some inspiration from Yohji Yamamoto’s insanely decadent archive? eBay is a treasure trove for Yohji knits  — with some of them at very reasonable price points ! If you liked the maxi looks from the show, they have some 3-piece knit sets  along with a whole bunch  of incredible  long coats  and  dusters.  They even have a suit jacket made of the same delicious, caramel-colored velour fabric! If anything, let this runway retrospective serve as a reminder that you CAN have beautiful fashion. These spectacular vintage shows and archival treasures don’t exist in some far-off fantasy land. They’re sitting in resale shops all across the world, just waiting for you to rediscover them — sometimes at unbelievably low price points. Don’t be afraid to look! 🌀 Kaitlin Owens  is a vintage fashion writer, movie buff, lover of good eats, and a women’s size 7.5 (if any shoe brands are reading). She is the Editor-in-Chief of Dilettante Magazine. You can find her on socials @magdilettante .

Some progress was made, but not nearly enough. After a five-year hiatus and one failed rebrand, the long-anticipated comeback of the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was streamed live from Brooklyn’s Duggal Greenhouse on October 15th. The theme of the night was aggressive girl power. With all-female performances from Lisa, Tyla, and Cher, Victoria’s Secret seemed to want to shift our focus away from pretty girls in pretty lingerie and towards this ephemeral idea of “female empowerment.” “...we’ve transformed so much as a business. We felt that we wanted to celebrate our product…and we just wanted to celebrate women,” said Janie Schaffer, the brand’s Chief Design Officer, on the event’s Pink Carpet. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has always been aspirational — a glittering production of gorgeous models in gorgeous lingerie, selling the fantasy that you (yes, you, the average viewer) could look just like these stunning supermodels (but only if you buy Victoria’s Secret).  However, there was something noticeably different about the return of the show. While the brand brought back its OG angels like Adrianna Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Jasmine Tookes, Taylor Hill, and Tyra Banks — t he show's styling was much more…. pared down this time around . Bouncy blowouts were replaced with slicked-back hair, and glowy, baby-pink makeup was absent in favor of neutral, matte faces. Despite VS’s attempt to revive the show to become the brand it once was, it seems its heyday has long passed. The brand will never be the same as in the early aughts — because the culture surrounding it has changed so much. Unfortunately for Victoria’s Secret, its history is often synonymous with (the now much-reviled) early 2000s extreme diet culture. Many Victoria’s Secret angels (i.e. models hand-picked by the brand) have revealed that they fasted days before the show and engaged in unhealthy eating habits  (read: starved themselves). Not to mention that the brand has been criticized for its lack of diverse models featured in its fashion shows and ad campaigns, further fueling the harsh and uncompromising Eurocentric beauty standards that ruled the early 2000s.  The brand attempted to correct this undesirable labeling by rebranding in 2021 to be more size and race-inclusive but completely lost the glamorous allure of the brand that was celebrated with thinner, and whiter, models. People today expect more out of loungewear and intimates. They expect inclusivity and comfort alongside beauty and glamour – not despite it. Consumers seek a style that serves their lifestyle, not clothing that forces them to conform to a rigid sense of beauty. The brand’s inconsistent sizing has made it harder for women to find a bra that fits properly, and customers often complain of thin fabrics and poor construction of the garments , raising questions about brand quality. It’s obvious that this year, Victoria’s Secret did not have its usual 12 million dollar budget for the fashion show . The downgrade was most noticeable in some of the small details the show is known for — the plain, warehouse-style runway (instead of the customary glittery catwalk ), the lack of bedazzled bras, the boring slip dresses, and the sometimes downright tacky angel wings. The overall collection felt uninspired, with no clear creative direction. Perhaps the brand wanted to play it safe as it reentered the market with a fresh start, but it forgot that the glamorous and seductive appeal of past shows was what initially set the brand apart from its competitors. At least on the inclusivity front, there was some improvement. Plus-size models like Ashley Graham  and Paloma Elssener  got to walk the runway, along with Alex Consani , the first-ever transgender model to walk for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.  The return of the V ictoria’s Secret Fashion Show marks a new era for the brand. If Victoria’s Secret aims to be a major lingerie and loungewear competitor in 2025, it must find a way to combine inclusivity and style. They need greater innovation in their loungewear (beyond simply following the trends), more creativity across the board, and more plus-size models featured on both the runway and in ad campaigns. In 2024, everyone can be a bombshell. Victoria’s Secret must realize that “body positivity” and bombshell glamour are not mutually exclusive. 🌀 Niya Doyle is a writer based in Brooklyn, New York. Her work has been featured on Autostraddle and Editor & Publisher . She loves writing about all things beauty, and topics centering about black femme and queer identities. When she’s not writing she’s probably scrolling through Depop searching for the latest thrifted drops.

They ate. Listen — if you’re going to be soaked in blood, please make sure it goes with your outfit. Lee and Maren from Bones & All (2022) It certainly helps the aesthetic vision of this film that both main characters are played by people who otherwise belong in modeling campaigns. Director Luca Guadagnino has been commended for his decision to dye Mike Faist’s hair blond for his role in Challengers. It seems to me Guadagnino has an eye for hair — as I’d argue the raggedy mullet that Timothée Chalamet sports in Bones & All, with the grown-out hot pink curls, is an equally inspired choice. Lee (Chalamet) and Maren (Taylor Russell) both have wardrobes that strike you as authentic and individualistic. They look just like teenage runaways in their familiar denims, off-white jersey tops, flannel button-ups, and oversized canvas coats. Pale pinks and soft florals lend these two cannibals an innocent touch. Maren’s brown lace-up boots and Lee’s cowboy hat are the perfect leather details. Everything feels worn-in and precious — like these are really the only few clothes they carry with them, on their lonely adventure through the American Midwest. 8.0 Hannibal Lecter from The Silence of the Lambs (1991) When we first see Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in The Silence of the Lambs , he’s wearing something, to put it in a kind way, bland. If you put a Lucy & Yak  logo on his forest-green jumpsuit you wouldn't be able to escape it in your local coffee shop. But after Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) walks past all the depraved and sick criminals that line the hallway before Lecter, his appearance seems instead unsettlingly clean and put-together. Lecter spends most of the film in these clinical get-ups. His white T-shirt and white trouser combination strikes me as incredibly chic and well-fitted, but the bright orange jumpsuit the FBI put him in for his transfer is egregious. I can only imagine he’d agree with me — if he could fully express himself through his iconic plastic and metal muzzle. Of course, you can’t talk about things Hannibal Lecter wears without mentioning his most iconic accessory. I wonder if there were any moisturizing properties to his unconventional face mask. During the ending scene of the film, Lecter is wearing a quite dashing oatmeal-coloured linen suit, with both matching shirt and tie. He pops a straw-coloured fedora on his head — sometimes a man just wants to wear a hat. All in all, not too bad for a guy who was behind bars almost the whole runtime. 6.9 Jennifer Check from Jennifer’s Body (2009) She eats boys and looks good doing it. Jennifer (Megan Fox) has not one but two iconic oft-replicated looks; one is her iconic B aby Gap heart zip-up hoodie , and the other is her blood-soaked bridal-esque prom dress. I’d argue that Jennifer’s purple-and-yellow cheerleading uniform and her concert outfit — with the denim mini skirt and cropped puffer jacket — should also receive some attention. Jennifer’s outfits serve more as a juxtaposition to her gorey ways — the perfect girl-next-door drenched in blood. It’s not until her prom outfit that Jennifer starts looking like something more supernatural and ghostly, yet there’s something tragic about it still. The idea of Jennifer once having planned to wear her pretty white dress to Prom and now attending being turned into something she did not wish to be and cannot control is surprisingly tragic, for an anti-hero whose last words are: “My tit”. Big silver hoops, pink lipgloss, a heart locket, and a flip-up phone make this cannibal a teenage dream. 7.7 Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Love  the detail of his graphic tie. The apron is understandably a practical decision, though I feel a lost opportunity for some colour blocking. Would love it if we could see some of the whimsy of the tie injected into other areas of Leatherface’s outfit. Perhaps a patterned shirt, a la Lisa Says Gah . And although I won’t judge the whole wearing-someone-else’s-face-on-your-face thing he has going on, I think a quick brush through the hair would do some wonders for the overall impression. 5.5 The Girls from Yellowjackets (2021) For some reason, in my mind, the girls from Yellowjackets  and The Last Dinner Party  are the same people. I don’t know why, exactly, but it implies something quite sinister regarding this last dinner party they are having. For ( spoiler alert! ) eating their friend Jackie, the stranded girls in Yellowjackets  imagine themselves as having dressed up in white ceremonial garb for a Grecian feast. This is, of course, not what they actually look like when devouring their friend (and team captain) in the raw wilderness. This delusion strikes me as profoundly relatable. Who hasn’t had a sip of wine with closed eyes to pretend they are on holiday in a French wine district? I like the gold details and draping on their robes, and I like that all the girls are wearing different iterations of a similar outfit — no embarrassing, accidental matching in my Greek banquet fantasy. Their flowing hair and gold-leaf accessories add to the regal antiquity feel. And while the outfits strike me as slightly costume-y, I guess this can be forgiven as after all, well, it is a fantasy. 6.5 🌀 Olivia Linnea Rogers  is a Norwegian-British writer, fringe enthusiast, film watcher, and poet, if you're lucky. Based in London. She can obviously be found online on   Instagram  (@olivialinnearogers) and   Twitter  (@olivialinrogers).

The stars say “Undertaker Chic” is going to be huge next season. Wouldn’t it be nice to know the trends ahead of time? To know exactly   when to snatch up that eBay Betsey Johnson slip dress before the price skyrockets?  Sure, we can always predict  the next big thing based on past trend cycles (styles always come back around!) or based on what the niche fashion cool kids are currently wearing — or really even what the dozens of professional trend forecasters are predicting….. but what if we could know?  What if there was some kind of crystal ball we could look into to see exactly what everyone is going to be drooling over a couple of months from now? Well, I tracked down the leading Fashion Psychics in the industry (yes, there is such a thing) and asked! Inbaal Honigman  is a celebrity psychic whose work has been featured in Elle , Cosmopolitan, and MTV. She uses Tarot, astrology, palmistry, clairvoyance, and other methods of divination in her readings.  Here’s what she had to say about next season's fashion trends: “… The ‘80s revival isn't over,  and now expands to oversized silhouettes. The 7 of Cups Tarot card predicts frayed edges and vintage washes for denim styles, and tops sporting undone hems and effortless rips. Floral patterns will add detail. Rather than bright ‘80s colors, the runway will debut hazier shades such as aloe, daisy, and lavender. Leaning into the darker side, some ‘Undertaker Chic’ is predicted  by the 5 of Disks Tarot card. Every dark hue except black will make up the palette. Midnight blue, ink gray, and aubergine purple, with flashes of burgundy and amber. Structured shoulders and long layered skirts will complete this sophisticated style, paired with sturdy black court shoes for red carpet evenings, or clunky boots for every day.” I don’t know about you, but to me, that sounds like we’re all going to be dressing like sexy ‘80s New Wave rock stars next season. I feel like I’ve been prepping for that trend my whole life. Get me some shoulder pads — STAT! Now, as with all good psychic advice… you gotta get a second opinion! I caught up with Abigail Soltis , a creative writer and psychic from New England. Her divining background is a little bit different from Inbaal’s— she derives her inspirations from Christian Mysticism, the natural world, and the occult feminine.  Here’s what the spirits told her  would arrive next in fashion: “…I'm seeing futuristic, architectural designs. I'm seeing them as slate grey, but pops of neon patterned within. An example that I was seeing was using  shoulder pads  to create a castle wall structure.” (Hmmmmm — sounds a little bit like an extension of the Weirdieval trend!) Abigail continued, “…I was also seeing full-body wear with hoods — they look a little bit like morph suits, but upscale. This type of fashion reminds me of Kanye's Yeezy and some of what Grimes may wear (I see she's following [ Rui Zhou ] on Instagram so I'm pointing to there), and I'm also seeing lace included in these full-body suits. I feel like where we have seen crochet grow huge, lace may be what replaces it.  Lastly, I'm seeing some drop-waist dresses, accordion pleats, and animal motifs (I saw a moth specifically! Maybe a Whimsigoth connection?).” TWO shoulder pad mentions from two different psychics? Oh... there isn’t a vintage Claude Montana jacket in the world that’s gonna be safe from me… Also! Pantone, if you’re reading, this part of Abigail’s reading is for you: “…For colors? Neon yellow (#d0fc01), orange (#c05b0d, #fa9900), teal (#b5e5d4), and some sort of electric pink like (#fe00c4) feel huge.” So, with all this in mind, here’s what I’m going to be on the hunt for next season: Vintage Claude Montana ANYTHING (Obviously) Sturdy Black Court Shoes (maybe some Miu Miu Mary Janes ?) Anything in Shocking Pink And, as always, anything that could’ve been used as a costume in Practical Magic… 🌀 Kaitlin Owens is the Archival Fashion Editor for HALOSCOPE. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Dilettante . For a closer look at her work, please visit kaitlindotcom.com .

I don't have time, but I do  have taste. Halloween comes with an overwhelming pressure: a pressure to be sexy or silly, to rally a group together for a party, or to convince a reluctant beau to hard launch in a couple's costume. But every niche fashion girl knows the most intense pressure of all: the desire to be niche .  What is the perfect IYKYK costume? And how niche is too niche? Because really, there’s no point in dressing up if you have to spend all night explaining your costume over loud music, or in the dark, or to a boy who probably doesn’t actually care. He just won’t understand! These costumes are for the girls, and, most of all, they’re for you .  I’ve curated an elite list of iconic fashion and art moments that can be executed in a few days, hours, and some even in a few minutes. Each idea allows for some personal interpretation so that you don’t need to place any overnight online orders, but some might require a run to your closest Spirit Halloween. This list is organized from least to most effort and materials required. Phoebe Philo You need: Turtleneck, black trousers, white sneakers Phoebe is one designer with a distinct uniform that can be easily adopted after a few minutes of digging through your or your roommate’s closets. Top it off by tucking your hair into a turtleneck, the chicest hairstyle of all. She always wears her white sneakers, a staple I know you have, and you can avoid conversation for most of the night by imitating the furtive mystery that she maintains despite being such a prolific fashion figure. This costume may raise some eyebrows as it doesn’t look like much of a costume, but the girls who get it, well, they get it. Jane Birkin You need: White T-shirt, tailored jeans, wicker basket, bangs (optional), a Serge Gainsbourg (optional) Jane Birkin is the ultimate simple cool girl — and it’s a look easily achieved in just a few minutes. You can switch up her look by wearing a white shift dress, or tights under shorts, but the wicker basket is what’s most required for this to be a successful Halloween look. Bangs are a plus if you have them, and you can opt for a blowout if you want, but the Birkin look is best achieved with as little effort as possible. This outfit can be converted to a couple’s costume if you have a second half who tousles their hair, pops the collar of a slightly unbuttoned collared shirt beneath a blazer, and chain-smokes Gitanes cigarettes all night long as Serge Gainsbourg. Marina Abramović and Ulay, Rest Energy (1980) You need: White button up, black skirt, black stockings, black shoes, a bow, a beau This look can be executed solo but it’s better with a partner, especially if you have an incredibly tragic and complicated romantic relationship with them. Bonus points if they make you cry. A bow and arrow can be purchased at most Halloween stores, but I’d recommend leaving the arrow at home so that there’s no risk of a punctured heart when alcohol is inevitably consumed. A broken  heart may not be easily avoidable though, so proceed into this costume with caution, and prioritize fun over flirting. If you do this look on your own and spot a fellow art nerd of interest, invite them to pull your bow’s string to reenact this piece and start a conversation. Perry Ellis by Marc Jacobs, Spring/Summer 1993 You need: Florals, flannels, black boots This iconic collection may have gotten Marc Jacobs fired from Perry Ellis, but you will surely be the niche queen at any party you attend. This was the beginning of grunge on the runway against the ‘90s backdrop of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, so there’s no wrong way to recreate these looks yourself. Simply combine stripes, florals, plaids, silver jewelry, and skull caps until you reach a state of Nirvana. It’s easily adapted to a group costume if several of your grungy girlfriends want to join in, and similar to the Birkin effect, the less effort you put in the better. Just layer, layer, layer. Naomi Campbell doing community service in Dolce & Gabbana (2007) You need: Silver dress, heels, orange construction vest (optional) Model Naomi Campbell was sentenced to five days of community service and anger management courses after admitting to throwing her phone at her maid. She finished her hours with the sanitation department in New York City, and on her final day of service, she famously arrived in a silver Dolce & Gabbana gown. The dress is now displayed in the “NAOMI: In Fashion” exhibition at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London. She truly went out in style, and that’s why this is a great last-minute Halloween costume (actual Dolce not required). Throw on a sparkly silver dress and heels, and take some artistic liberty by adding a bright orange construction vest, perhaps even a hard hat. If you’re feeling crazy, get one of those trash pokers. It might require a day to gather the supplies, but this moment is silly yet still stylish. Liv Tyler & Stella McCartney at the Met Gala (1999) You need: W hite tank tops, Sharpies, a brunette, a redhead The moment when I knew I’d met my best friend in New York City was when we both simultaneously said that we’d been dying to do this Halloween costume. You can get as granular as you want with it. She and I bought white tank tops, cut one sleeve off, glued studs over our meticulous Sharpied letters, and even laced up the sides like Liv and Stella did. I wore a black skirt and she wore brown trousers. I even wore green earrings. Our height difference also contributed to this costume turning out perfectly. If you have less time and dedication, a simple Sharpie on a tank top works — because this costume is all about the graphic shirts as an homage to the original rock royalty. Shalom Harlow for Alexander McQueen (1999) You need: Bedsheet, tutu, belt, spray paint Perhaps the fashion moment of all fashion moments, you are undertaking a legacy by choosing to recreate this look. It requires some arts and crafts, along with sacrificing some bedding, but who uses a top sheet anyway? All that’s required is some black and yellow spray paint on a white fabric layered over a tutu, secured on your bust with a buckled belt. For the ultimate McQueen effect, I recommend slicking your hair down, extending your arms, and wandering hauntingly throughout the night as if you’ve just been violated by robots with spray cans. You must embody the entire moment, not just the look. No matter what costumes you choose for Halloween, whether they’re sultry or modest, comical or horrific, a fashion moment will always be remembered. An unknown costume can be the best conversation starter. Or the love of your life might find you in a crowd because they also happen to love Phoebe Philo’s era at Celine (just kidding, this only happens in movies). There are so many costume options that are neither angels nor devils, so I encourage you to be unique and inspired, because the sexiest thing a girl can be on Halloween is a niche reference. 🌀 Jane Lewis is HALOSCOPE's Runway Editor based in New York City. She grew up on farms in Southern California but now she always matches her shoes to her bag.

On plastic surgery, Ozempic, and body modification as body horror. Stage 1 – Desire The caricature of the “mad scientist” type hails from the character Victor Frankenstein, from Mary Shelley’s eponymous 1818 novel. Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus  is widely regarded the beau ideal of both the science fiction and classic Gothic genre, concerned with themes of fear and haunting, featuring religious symbolism, images of forgotten castles and dilapidated ruins, and plenty of stark contrasts. Victor Frankenstein creates his monster because he wants to aid the betterment of humankind, through a thorough understanding of the secrets of life and death. Or so he tells himself. This is his desire.   A few months into 2024, I stand in the fluorescent light in the bathroom of my dilapidated East London flat and brush my teeth facing the medicine cabinet mirror. I suddenly notice, with repulsion, how yellow my teeth look in the light. I don’t think much about how I haven’t had this thought while looking in any other mirror. I am immediately convinced of this one singular reality — where I have a flaw and it must be dealt with. I am haunted by the mistake I perceive in myself and wish to rectify it. This was my desire.   Stage 2 – Intervention In The Substance , directed by Caroline Fargeat, Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle — a television fitness instructor, and, too, a woman who has been newly informed that she has aged out of being the person she wants to be. Elisabeth resorts to using a new experimental procedure called ‘The Substance,” which promises her a newer, better, younger, more beautiful, more perfect version of herself. In this story, Elisabeth is both the mad scientist and the Creature. She experiments with herself but also creates a new life form, Sue. In this sense, The Substance  takes the notion of a “new self” literally.   Moore’s presence in the film is particularly poignant as the actress has previously been mocked and ridiculed for the cosmetic interventions she has undertaken. In 2021, after walking for Fendi at Paris Fashion Week, she was described as “unrecognizable.” Not the kind of unrecognizable the public enjoys. The language we use about women who have had plastic surgery, and other cosmetic interventions, is to describe ruins. She ruined  her face. What I find hard to understand is why we only say this about the result and not the procedure itself. There is an understanding that nobody can “ruin” their body or face into being better. I’m not trying to be deliberately obtuse, I understand the difference we are referring to, but I think the narrative that cosmetic intervention is only detrimental when it is seen to have “failed” obscures the real, complex, questions at hand. It is far too easy to say that something is good when we like it and bad when we don’t.   There are three main imagined aims of cosmetic intervention – to change , to preserve,  and to unveil . To change – to go from one thing to another, for example using Ozempic to lose weight. To preserve – to stop time and remain or return to a younger version of oneself, for example, Botox to prevent and smooth wrinkles. To unveil – the idea that there is a more beautiful version of yourself hiding behind the current version of yourself, for example, a nose job to “straighten” the bridge. But the truth, of course, is you cannot preserve, or unveil, without also committing to change. All of these aims are different, but the core aim is the same – to fix . Something is missing, something is broken, something is to be improved upon, something is to be rectified.   Stage 3 – Reveal In a previous HALOSCOPE essay, Moodbored , I wrote how in the practice of digital moodboarding the public gets to play pretend with mascots of wealth and their possessions. I find this to also be increasingly true in the conversation around cosmetic surgery. We, the public, enjoy living vicariously through our celebrity counterparts and this extends into the arena of changing appearances. We exact ourselves over their looks. We become the chorus pointing out the blatant tragedies and ironies as we see them fit. The buccal fat removal discussion  from a few years ago saw this come to a frustrating head — where every day there seemed to be a new woman on our screens being marked with a big ugly F . We discuss fresh facelifts and newly injected baby Botox with irreverence. Do we like it? Do we not like it? When a woman intervenes in her appearance, she becomes free game. We are all suddenly allowed to track what she does to her body, and when we find her at prime vulnerability, we hunt and dissect. There is nobody else to blame so we blame the woman who has the ruin, the stark contrasts, the haunting, on her face. The truth is when a celebrity goes under the knife, they’re never planning on coming out the other side “worse.” The general public often can’t afford these procedures, so we live vicariously through faces of fame. All the while telling, and perhaps promising, ourselves that we would never end up like the celebrities we revile for what we deem their ill-advised choices. The end scene of The Substance  mimics this endpoint of cosmetic intervention. Elisabeth’s desire for youth and beauty has met its monstrous end — and the audience who she did it all for, that used to love her, viscerally hates her. They call her a freak, doused in her blood. This is why I find it hard to make a definitive judgment on the place of cosmetic surgery in our society — because the victims of it so often become the transgressors, the mocked, the ridiculed. The creatures. The haunted. Look at her: she ruined her face .   Stage 4 – Fix The mad scientist trope is “mad” in their morality —  an unethical character that takes things too far, who jettisons the ethical and moral values society prioritizes over their own clashing desires: progress or perfection. The female celebrity who sacrifices her “natural” beauty in an attempt to achieve a better kind of beauty is regarded in the same sense. But this character, when female, is seen less as evil or dedicated, and more like a fool. Hoisted by her own petard. So, where is the line between aesthetic enhancement and extreme transmogrification drawn?  Everyone seems to know and agree in hindsight, but these poor celebrities just keep falling short of what is so obvious to us. In a sense, we end up pitying them, regarding them as cautionary tales, the same way we pity Frankenstein’s monster, and ward ourselves with Gothic admonition. When have we taken it too far? These are the questions we are constantly trying to answer. Ozempic  hit the culture like a nuclear bomb. A miracle weight loss drug  — something that previously would’ve been regarded as pure science fiction. And the question on everyone’s lips was once again: is this  going too far?   This summer, at the age of 22, I undertook my first “permanent” cosmetic procedure — I did end up having my teeth whitened. I am quite a prude when it comes to fillers, plastic surgery, or other appearance-enhancing procedures. I just can’t shake the feeling that any industry that profits off of, mainly, women’s insecurities is deeply, deeply, deeply evil. And I can’t help but feel that having these procedures done is not empowering — it is barely even committed with free will. And so this is why when having my teeth whitened, which is obviously a quite minimally-invasive procedure regardless, I felt like a massive hypocrite. You see: I don’t really have a good understanding of where I  even think the line should be drawn. I struggle with makeup. I struggle with skincare. I even struggle with fashion, occasionally. Because I believe in the power and freedom of women and abhor anything that can, will, or does suppress us.   And I find it theoretically difficult. In theory , I love the fact that we can do anything to and for ourselves. I love the idea of body modification. I love the idea of tattoos and piercings. I love the idea of gender-affirming surgeries. These are all procedures that figure in the “unveil” category. Then there is a stranger middle ground that complicates things: braces. Accutane. Lasik. Procedures that are not commonly thought of as cosmetic but often align more with the medical genre of human intervention into appearance. These procedures figure in our minds more as normality leaveners than as “enhancers.” They are commonly thought to swiftly fix — but to be necessarily  fixing “real” flaws, not imagined ones or deeper personal insecurities. They are aspiring towards a certain level of normalcy. But where, and how, do we define normal ?   This is why I personally disagree with the common notion that minimally-invasive procedures, like fillers, used to move our facial features around by mere millimetres, are somehow “better” than larger procedures, like breast augmentation. Or anything that will make you look, in the public’s opinion, “worse.” Because the “minimal” is a lie. If you are changing your appearance, you are changing your appearance. I have a certain respect for a cosmetic procedure that doesn’t seek to “perfect” someone into normalcy — and instead seeks to make one different. I have an adoration for women who use cosmetic surgery to create a new self that is not aspiring for the ideal version of “normal.” The freaks, one could say. (Though I remain aware that, at the end of the day, these women are still contributing to the economic machine that keeps the wheels of cosmetic surgery turning, and subsequently normalising the act of paying vast amounts of money to change your appearance). The filler industry feels, to me, more like a façade. A get-perfect-quick scheme. The lipstick economy becomes the filler economy. Heal your life temporarily by amending an imagined ruin in your face. Similarly, questions of medical intervention bring to mind different kinds of bodily autonomy, like abortion rights, which are under threat in the US and beyond .  I guess what I’m trying to say is that, despite being largely ethically opposed to cosmetic interventions, I cannot simply agree with the idea that being untouched, pure, or “natural” is better. This line of aesthetic theory takes us very quickly into very treacherous territory. And I don’t think it's a coincidence that the “natural” ideal often follows a conservative line of thinking. Even a comedic phrase like “big naturals” emphasizes God-given features as superior. But I also don’t believe that this argument not being true means the opposite is inherently true. Take, for example, the bizarre world of “looksmaxxing,”  which rarely encourages full surgical interventions and is more focused on daily “soft” interventions like diet, exercise, and facial exercises like “mewing” or gua sha. “Looksmaxxing” is another intervention process that emphasises the “unveil” aim. Find and bring forth a better self with relatively “natural” steps. But anyone who has followed the “looksmaxxing” rabbit hole knows it is anything but a wholesome, or even sane, approach to appearance, being rooted in incel communities.   When I had my teeth whitened, this paradox became incredibly clear to me. I liked living in the bubble where I was somehow natural, but when I was having bleach applied to the inside of my mouth, to the teeth I have carried around in my face for, essentially, my whole life, I was forced to reckon with the question of how this was in any way different on a moral and ethical level, and in any way more “natural” than other cosmetic interventions.   Stage 5 – Cha-ching! I think the conversation around cosmetic surgery is worthless when it leaves out the fact of profit. These procedures cost money — and this money is gained by someone . Therefore, there is profit to be made in inspiring insecurities in others. The cosmetic surgery and injectables industry is anticipated to exceed $59.54 billion by 2030 . The age of the mad scientist doesn’t come to fruition without the mad scientist, or the mad scientist’s assistant, or the mad manufacturing scientist, or the mad scientist’s social media manager. No purchase exists outside of the web of capitalism — and that includes cosmetic procedures. We can’t afford to pretend they do.  So, if we are to draw this metaphor — The Age Of The Mad Scientist — who is really Victor Frankenstein? The conversation around cosmetic surgery is thorny. It includes several different parties with warring desires within them. There is no clear villain slaving away in their lab, bringing life to our worst desires. As for the victims, personally, I always end up thinking about the Demi Moores, the Pamela Andersons, the Kristen Davises, the Janet Jacksons. Women who are mocked for having work done, and eventually branded as scary  and ruined  for wearing the haunting of this twisted system on their faces. A system they are only trying to appease — to appease us, such Gothic readers. I like to imagine a world where we can embrace cosmetic intervention and body modification as a practice uncomplicated by knee-deep societal tensions, a world where being your own mad scientist can truly be empowering, but I just don’t think this is that world. Stage 6 – Desire Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein ends with Victor Frankenstein wishing he would have destroyed his creation. This is his dying desire.   Immediately after having my teeth whitened, I freaked out. I was so befuddled by this decision I had made to permanently alter my appearance that I vowed to never do it again. The hypocrisy of it sat in me like molten lava. The irreversibility was haunting. A few weeks after I have my teeth whitened, I get used to it. The entire world that makes way to the process begins to normalise in my mind. I look at my teeth and think I could’ve gone lighter. I think maybe in a year. Maybe in a few years. Maybe before a special occasion. The intervention has not curbed my insecurity — it has only further convinced me of its one singular reality, where I have a flaw and it must be dealt with. I am haunted by the mistake I perceive in myself and wish to rectify it. This is the desire. 🌀 Olivia Linnea Rogers  is a Norwegian-British writer, fringe enthusiast, film watcher, and poet, if you're lucky. Based in London. She can obviously be found online on   Instagram  (@olivialinnearogers) and   Twitter  (@olivialinrogers).