ESSENTIALS is the weekly newsletter of nss magazine, delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.
The first week of May is usually one for the books in the fashion world, largely because the Met Gala takes place on the first Monday of the month. This year’s theme, “Fashion is Art,” pointed toward a broader shift we’ve been quietly witnessing for some time now: fashion’s growing obsession with the art world. And there could hardly have been a more fitting moment to underline this new romance between the two industries than the opening week of the Venice Biennale. The real question, though, is whether fashion genuinely cares about art or if it is simply the latest cultural territory to be absorbed, exploited, and eventually abandoned, much like cinema and hospitality before it.
This was the most political Met Gala yet: here are 5 looks we will remember, for better or for worse.
Don’t know what to read? Here’s our selection for your leisure time.
Zegna is the sponsor for this year’s Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. What does that say about the current state of fashion?
Late spring calls for beautiful (and colorful) nail art.
From an old newsstand in Rome to a hotspot of sociability: interview with Edicola Erno.
Not sure how May will go? Pick a tarot card.
Everyone is obsessed with Tomodachi Life, because cozy games are Gen Z’s favorite escape from the real world.
How to avoid makeup pilling – causes and solutions.
Banksy returns to Venice: with Banca Ifis and Ifis art, “Migrant Child” re-emerges from the water for the 2026 Art Biennale.
Everybody has magic to them, but according to Dazed, Gen Z is fully leaning into psychic delusions.
There’s a shrine in Tokyo where people pray for concert tickets, as reported by the BBC.
Dating is a rich person’s game now – at least that’s what Wired reckons.
The Atlantic argues that music’s next contrarian moment is near, and it’s all because of TikTok.





