When Everything Becomes a Collectible

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ICYMI ⋆˚✿˖°

HELLO ANGELS!!

I am on day 1 of my cycle so bare with me, HSR. I feel like it needs to be illegal for women to make decisions on day 1 but here we are.

This week, the global HSR angels hosted an IRL Los Angeles Event (@masha.photo and @_shayalexis), a London Meetup (coordinated by @mjezquerra) and a digital AI workshop (organized by the unofficial global Angel Ambassador @brookekm_) and because of that, the HSR community is starting to get noticed by the big guys like Slow Ventures’ (see our mention in their newsletter alongside creator household names like Bryan Johnson, Paige Lorenze, FORM), all with millions of followers.

So I took matters seriously and hopped on a call with the unofficial HSR Global Angel Ambassador (Brooke) to figure out how to really take this to the next level. Remember: the community tells you what it wants, not the other way around. More to come this fall…(PS. If you want to know EXACTLY what Slow Ventures is looking for when they’re investing, listen to Megan’s episode of Hot smart Rich).

SAYING GOODBYE : Now that I have your attention, I am signing off next weekend and will be missing from your inbox on Sunday, August 31 while I’m away in the Côte d’Azur for a family wedding (my locker has been getting lots use with the vibes for this trip). I would say don’t miss me too much, but I secretly hope you do.

And because I love a good double meaning, I’m carrying this intention from my forensic psychic medium into my break and the new season ahead: “What I have attracted is not necessarily what I am attracting.” I hope it resonates with anyone else stepping into change.

♡ This Week’s Mood Board ♡

♡ Consumer Trends The HSR Angels Gossiped
About Most This Week ♡

♡ Everything has become a “collectible” and the latest and greatest to drop this week was the 818 Mini Bag Charm on 8/18 that I guarantee all the "it girls” will have.

♡ Money Matters: And for at least Gen Z, "little treats are worth going over budget for” so I l had to look into this on a deeper level and it turns out there’s a real psychology to it all which I learnt all about on this podcast here!

♡ I think this is just the beginning of creator brands moving into traditional celeb partnerships—with Negin Mirsalehi’s Gisou naming Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as its first Global Brand Ambassador.

♡ I tried Mary Phillips’ mp.h beauty and it’s worth the hype. No surprise the Lip Ciggy Hydrating Lipstick Balm was completely sold out at Sephora on launch day. I loved listening to Mary on Gloss Angeles this week about creating the collection, here.

♡ Dogs steal the spotlight from their famous owners. Lil Luv Dog is profiling their famous friends’ pups for launch week and my personal fav so far is Victoria Villarroel’s little man here. The first brand deal they need to do tho is with Serena Kerrigan’s very own @panchothediva tho.

♡ Get the prenup: Net-a-Porter and Imaginary Ventures founder Natalie Massenet has filed a shocking lawsuit against her former life and business partner, Erik Torstensson, alleging she was deceived into spending $95M to fund their lifestyle, his addiction, and his business ventures.

♡ The brand marketing that millennials and gen-z’s are equally obsessed with: made-for-social mockumentary series. First there was InStyle’s “The Intern” that hooked viewers because they couldn’t tell they were watching branded content and now there is Bilt’s Roomies that has already amassed 82K followers on it’s dedicated IG page. Finally brands are catching on that it’s the integration that hooks the consumer, not the mandated script.

♡ HSR Podcast Updates♡

Last week, we sat down with Dr. Julie Chung, Co-Founder of T3 Micro—the founder you don’t know behind the brand you already love. She shared powerful insights every ambitious woman needs to hear, from how color theory analysis can help you look your best, to what it really took to build a top-selling beauty brand at Sephora over the past 20 years. We talked about embracing your identity as a multi-hyphenate, the new standard she believes women should hold their partners to, and what’s really going on with 13-year-olds swarming Sephora. Julie also opened up about why soft power is more effective than hard power, and how she’s managed to build a thriving business with her family—without losing her mind.

Missed it? Now’s your time to catch up—this episode is full of gems.

♡ Consumer News ♡

♡ the brands, people, places, things that have captured my attention ♡

♡ Women’s Health & Beauty ♡

• Tatcha launches The Longevity Serum with Steph Shep reflecting on aging as a gift in the brand’s latest campaign. – Instagram

• Louis Vuitton prepares to release its debut collection of beauty products. – BoF

• Ro launches a new campaign empowering women to make informed health decisions, with personal reflections front and center. – Instagram

• Lil Luv Dog, co-founded by Steph Shep and Cara Santana Leto, is redefining pet care with beauty-industry-inspired branding. – Vogue Business

♡ Media, Entertainment & Creator ♡

• Pinterest unveils its 2025 Fall Trend Report, forecasting 9 major fashion and lifestyle shifts you’ll see everywhere. – AOL

• Natalie Massenet sues her former business partner, alleging fraud in their joint venture. – BoF

• Off Season announces a WNBA partnership featuring new product lines highlighting teams across the league. – Instagram

♡ E-Commerce, Retail & Social ♡

• Dairy Boy by Paige Lorenze is redefining country-core retail with community-driven storytelling and limited edition drops. – BoF

• Target CEO Brian Cornell steps down after a decade, as the retailer works to revive sales. – New York Post

• Jinx hits $100M in revenue and names a new CEO to lead its next phase of premium dog food growth. – LA Business Journal

• LA It Girls: Pia Mance and Tezza Barton are perfecting community marketing with their Photo Studio, now on set at H&M’s new HQ. – Instagram

♡ Tech, Business & Investing ♡

• Soho House goes private in a $2.7B deal led by MCR Hotels, with Ashton Kutcher joining the board. – Instagram

• OpenAI raises billions while warning that AGI could one day make money obsolete. – Business Insider

• Jeannette Smitts van Oyen of JPMorgan shares insights behind 2025’s biggest beauty M&A deals. – WWD

I think we’ve officially hit peak celebrity brand.

When Jonathan Katz-Moses, a woodworking creator with fewer than 150,000 Instagram followers, raised $2 million from Slow Ventures’ $60M creator fund, it wasn’t just a win for him, it was a signal that the playbook has changed. He built 400 instructional videos, built trust in a niche, and came to investors with a clear plan: hire product developers, file patents, expand into new products. He didn’t raise money off his name. He raised money because his community trusted him, and he knew how to execute.

Compare that to the graveyard of celebrity brands we’ve all seen.

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