Welcome back to Codes of Culture. I’m Ashumi Sanghvi.
After a short summer hiatus, we are back to sharing the top news and insights shaping luxury, culture and technology with a slightly longer version for today’s newsletter. At times, it feels like it’s hard to keep up with the pace of change and rapid developments, especially across AI, but taking a pause and zooming out is important to understand the broader context of these changes and the macro conditions that they affect.
In today’s roundup, we share the top stories making headlines and more quicklinks for what’s been on our radar over the summer.
AI continues to set the tempo, with Google upgrading Gemini’s image editing, Meta striking a creative pact with Midjourney, and Saks Global reshaping luxury retail through personalisation. Fashion is experimenting across every layer: Louis Vuitton shocks beauty with $160 lipsticks, Lacoste courts culture at the US Open, and Oakley doubles down on its identity as a tech company. Meanwhile, platforms from Pinterest to ShopMy are rewriting social commerce rules, while Gap proves joy and inclusivity still sell with a denim campaign that went instantly viral.
It’s a week that underscores fashion and culture’s shifting drivers: tech innovation, cultural capital, and the renewed power of storytelling. Scroll on for 15 things on our radar.
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