Sunday Morning: 7.28.2024

A weekly Sunday digest where I muse over my favorite things from the week, divided into five parts: seeing, reading, listening, eating, and shopping.

Seeing

Half the fun of attending the Warm-Ups at MoMA PS1 is watching everyone strut around the museum in stilettos, mini skirts, and club outfits. There's something delightfully absurd about us all sauntering past priceless art with our nipples out. Honestly, that’s exactly how art should be enjoyed!

There are plenty of fantastic artists on view right now, but Mexican artist, Reynaldo Rivera touched my little Los Angeles Heart. His presentation, Fistful of Love/También la belleza, features over forty black-and-white and color photographs that span the 1980s through today. A self-taught photographer, Rivera’s first subjects were those closest to him, including his sisters, who remained muses for decades. His work is informed by the drama and deep emotion of boleros and rancheras, the glamour of Old Hollywood and the Golden Age of Mexican cinema, and predecessors like Brassaï and Cartier-Bresson.

You might even see a similar Euphoria face…

Reading

Girlhood by Melissa Febos, is a collection of seven essays that delve into that period between adolescence and womanhood. It’s when we first start feeling the sting of societal and patriarchal conditioning, realizing we’ve been trained to cater to men while losing pieces of ourselves. Melissa Febos wields some of the sharpest, most insightful metaphors and sprinkles in personal anecdotes to drive her points home.

A women must cultivate a double self: the public self and the real self. Somehow you must keep that fragmented self, no matter if Lacan tells you its impossible. Your life depends on its management. You can dream and think and spit and fuck as long as you don’t keep a sloppy house. As long as you don’t leave fingerprints or pennies in the bread. If you do, that’s it. They can do anything they want to you.

It’s made me deeply reflect on my own conditioning, like those adolescent moments wearing my first push-up bra, desperately seeking the male gaze and women’s approval. It makes me shudder. On another level, I’ve been pondering my relationship with myself and my online persona. What does it mean to constantly post yourself online and endlessly review those images?

Listening

Perhaps you're still caught in the whirlwind of a BRAT summer, but I have entered a serene lull, a deep slumber of sorts—a pause from the chaos to reflect. Steven Bamidele’s new three-song album is just the moody, groovy, nostalgic music I needed for my Sunday morning contemplations and reflections. Steven is a Nigerian-born, London-bred, singer/ songwriter. His influencers range from Radiohead to Solange. Worth a listen.

Eating

Kisa, short for Kisa Sikdang, at 205 Allen Street, delivers one of the most unforgettable dining experiences I've ever had. I left the restaurant truly elated, in the purest sense of the word. Paying homage to Korean diners of the 80s, this gem is brought to you by the team behind C as in Charlie.

Here's the deal: arrive early, put your name on the list, and brace yourself for a wait. Once inside, choose from four types of Baek Ban, a traditional Korean meal, with options like bulgogi, spicy pork, spicy squid, or Bori. I opted for the bulgogi—thinly sliced beef—but the sides are where my love-letter begins and ends. To top it all off, use the quarter they provide at the end to grab a mocha coffee from the vintage coffee machine.

Shopping

A few things that have caught my eye this week, online and in person. From one of my favorite online sites, Shop Vestiage, as well as a store visit with Ulla Johnson.

ROSA MOSA, ZICZAC Slides, are so simple and one of the few pairs of mini wedges that I have liked.

La Veste Towel Dress, Are you kidding me with this? I am debating between the red and the yellow, let me know which one I should opt for in the comments.

Joanna Bag Medium Palissander . I have admired this Wandler bag from behind my screen for ages. While I certainly don't need another tote, I wanted to share that many of their totes, shoes, and belts are currently on sale.

Le Bon Shoppe Little Boy Tee, is back in stock. This is a fantastic white T-shirt, that I failed to mention in my white t-shirt round up. It’s on the thicker side, but so soft and the perfect crop length.

Ulla Johnson invited me to come in and play dress-up, and her pieces are nothing short of breathtaking – you can tell by the price tags. I slipped into a white knit two-piece set with zig-zag fringe, which I've now declared my rehearsal dinner outfit if I ever tie the knot. I also tried on my dream mini-shift dress but didn't dare peek at the price tag. If you've got the budget and want a wedding guest dress/ occasion dress that's truly special and stands out, this is the place to splurge.

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday.

xoxo MYA