Trying something different this month, I’m still decoding what these Tiny Signals might mean or what larger cultural trends they feed into. So rather than share my deep thoughts on one topic, I’m sharing the bullet point list from my Tiny Signals notes app.
Here’s what I’ve been noticing recently:
1. The magical allure of Donn’s Depot bathroom
In February 2020 I took a trip to Austin and went bar hopping. My friend Blaire and I became obsessed with the ladies bathroom in one of the bars, there was something magical about this room that one can only experience by being there (proof: she posted pics here). Fast forward to spring 2025 and I notice both Charli XCX and Dua Lipa posting similar photos of this bathroom (note: neither tag the location). This probably has no deeper meaning other than gals love a bathroom pic but interesting nonetheless!
2. Instagram Sunday Recaps
I’ve been noticing a trend among Gen Z’s that I follow: only posting stories on a Sunday as a recap for the week that was and rarely posting on main. Then I read this article from the New York Times “Instagram Wants Gen Z. What Does Gen Z Want From Instagram?” on Gen Z’s changing relationship and use cases for Instagram and it tracked.
3. Butter me up
Butter yellow fits, the Kerrygold influencer trip, easter butter sculptures and mounds of butter on the bar. Butter (the color and product) is having a moment!! As a kiwi I know a thing or two about high quality butter and am ready for America to catch up. I’m predicting more butter sculptures as part of table-scapes and bespoke butter blends on restaurant menus.
Related: I loved this Butter Lamb Sculpture deep dive on ‘Thank you, Ok’
4. It’s going to be an Upper East Side summer (xoxo)
With The Frick reopening and a ton of new boujee restaurants (Penelope, Le Veau D’Or, Cafe Commerce, Chez Fifi) and of course Bemelmans enduring cultural relevance for younger New Yorkers, it feels like it’s going to be an UES Summer. There’s something about a visit to the UES that feels like a portal to another world.
5. Apparently not wearing make up in 2025 is still a radical act
Remember when Alicia Keys going sans makeup to the Grammys made global headlines in 2016? Yeah well, turns out nothing’s changed. Both Pamela Anderson and Addison Rae are making waves for going bare-faced recently. Wild that a decade on from Alicia Keys, skipping makeup is still viewed as a radical statement for women. Even more telling: both women chose to go makeup-free right as they were overhauling their public image. So is ditching cosmetics a deliberate power move to signal a new persona or just the quickest way to grab headlines?
Related: The NYC subway ads currently look like this:
6. The Irish cultural resurgence
If (like me) you use to love stopping by Swift Hibernian Lounge for a casual drink and now are distraught by the lines down the block you aren’t alone. It seems everyone is busy splitting the G, lining up outside Irish pubs, posting Mary O’s Soda Bread Shop , and listening to Kneecap and Le Boom.
7. As I previously predicted unhinged cakes are starting to appear!
7. Gatekeeping is back
Bring back gatekeeping! TikTok has overexposed us to every bar, restaurant, trend and life hack. We’ve forgotten that there’s magic in the search, the thrill of the hunt and serendipity of surprise. We’re seeing tastemakers and decision makers move access to information behind a paywall, into paid Substack chats, close friends stories and group chats. When everyone is ‘in the know’ it no longer means anything.
Related articles: NYT How Group Chats Rule The World & Semafor The Group Chats That Changed America, Vogue Business Is Gatekeeping Cool now?
8. Live poetry & prose reading parties are on the rise
At the start of this year I attended an intimate Substack ‘Burns night’ as part of their live reading event series. It reminded me of the speech and drama competitions of my youth. There was something inspiringly analog about being in this cozy backroom, listening to people pour their heart out on a mic. More of this!
Related: The Guardian ‘Inside the new wave of literary parties’
10. Brand builders are born to be hotelfluencers
I have a specific google maps list that saves beautiful hotels around the world I want to stay in and if I ever retire from branding my dream is to build a boutique hotel in New Zealand. Turns out I’m not the only brand builder that has this dream: Audrey Gelman of The Wing fame just opened her new hotel upstate (immediate add to my maps list) and Tori Simokov recently quit her creative strategy job at Complex to focus full time on ‘Window Seat’ her travel and hotel focused substack (another great read). I fully trust anyone who has worked building brands in transferring those world building skills into a physical space.
Hotels are having a moment and immersing ourselves into unique spaces will only continue to grow. I think we will see more trips booked to remote locations purely for the hotel experience. A thoughtfully designed property can shine an international spotlight on an overlooked region and inject real capital into local economies. (Of course, there are some real downsides to creating overtourism). I just wish they were more affordable, it’s hard to find anything below $600 a night (even upstate!).
In short: the line between brand and hospitality has blurred - and I’m here for it.
I love your brain 🩵
Love this! Xoxo
Shelli