From the Editors

Alana and Nam sat down to assess some of today's hottest trends in this issue’s editorial.

Smoked salmon

Nam: Alana recently turned pescetarian which means the conversations in the office often turn fishy in the best way possible. Maybe this is always in-trend but within our four walls at least, smoked salmon is the latest hot commodity.

Alana: I’m a simp for smoked salmon, or any form of raw fish for that matter. Take me out and I’ll go crazy for sashimi, or I’ll immediately scan a café menu to make sure they have a smoked salmon bagel, complete with capers, red onion, and cream cheese. It’s healthy for you, not to mention melt in your mouth indulgent. But I can’t ignore that niggly feeling about how bad fishing is for the environment, which definitely needs to be dealt with at a later date.

Olivia Rodrigo

Nam: Although I did plug that tribute gig in the previous issue, I’ll admit I’ve yet to sit down and listen through SOUR. Pop music was a staple of my Spotify rotation last year, which isn’t the case this year for whatever reason. Maybe I need less cheering up in 2021. That said, the snippets I hear on TikTok are promising.

Alana: My sister is a huge Olivia Rodrigo fan, and as a general rule when she likes something I assume I will dislike it. But my frozen heart thawed quickly when I listened to 'drivers license'. Those lyrics, those damn lyrics. Play it when you’re driving home alone at night and it’s impossible not to resonate with Olivia’s devastating breakup. I wish my own heartbreak resulted in millions of dollars, but we all can’t be that lucky.

The Sopranos

Alana: My opinion on The Sopranos is a hot take, which I may not be entitled to because I’ve only seen a handful of episodes with my dad. Maybe I should have stuck it out, but hey. The Sopranos has been claimed by Nam as one of the greatest shows of all time, and perhaps there’s truth to that.

Another HBO show of the '90s is Sex and the City, and honestly one of the best things I’ve ever watched. But we never even include it in the “best of” conversation because it’s a female led show focused on relationships. Female led shows are considered appropriate for only half the population and male dominated shows are the norm. For me, I’ll give The Sopranos a sceptical pass, but I’m open to exploring it more in the future.

Nam: The Sopranos is one of those things that not only lives up to the hype, but could even do with some more!! The show started trending last year when people, like myself, discovered and watched it for the first time. Television today is oversaturated with shows that learned all the wrong lessons from it so why not give the OG a try? It is lockdown after all.

Crocs

Alana: Crocs may be one of the best purchases I’ve made. Albeit, the ones I bought were off-brand and a men’s size 9. They are the best outdoor-indoor shoes known to humankind, and they are also incredibly comfortable. Perfect for gardening, taking out the bins, and cooking in the kitchen. Pro tip: buy some jibbitz for your Crocs. It will make them stand out and add some extra pizazz to an already epic shoe.

Nam: I’ve yet to own a pair of Crocs myself but if Alana’s enthusiasm is any indication, I need to hop on this bandwagon. I’ve seen some pretty cool takes on the Croc on Pinterest, which maybe I’ll see here come summertime. Or sooner. I challenge you, Alana, to show off your snazziest pair on our next Zoom call (sigh).

Sweater vests

Nam: Sweater vests are another classic example of a Korean/Japanese staple becoming trendy in Western fashion and I’m all for it. Maybe it’s my bias for any smart-casual look, but they’re easy to pull off and don’t give af about gender, either.

Alana: I’m a big fan of sweater vests, or body warmers as we used to call them in Canada. They are effortlessly able to be styled with a pair of sleek sunglasses and some baggy jeans, and voila, you’re the next Kendall Jenner. There’s about four or five in my wardrobe, all copped from some op shop for less than $5 each. Big fan, but I never knew about the roots in Korean/ Japanese fashion, so thanks, Nam!