Of the many, many, many words written about HOOD BY AIR and its founder/designer SHAYNE OLIVER, this NEW YORKER piece may be my favorite. OLIVER’S big-picture understanding of human behavior and motivation is significant, and not just evidenced by the effective hype drummed up around the brand. Every quote and explanation he gives GLAZEK has a humorous — and frequently sex-driven — hard candy shell with a gooey, brilliantly observant center. Take his explanation of “formalizing sloppy” in HBA designs: “It’s like when someone is horny and in a T-shirt, and it’s dropping off the shoulder. The idea of that being so open and so vulnerable—it’s, like, ‘Where’s my pants? Where’s my underwear?’” And on designer hoodies of the aughts: “He felt that designers who appropriated streetwear had a fascination with urban men but were also afraid of them—he considered their skittish engagement to be ‘peckish,’ ‘gross,’ and ‘disconnected from the real masculinity’ driving street culture,” GLAZEK reports. Says OLIVER: “It’s, like, ‘I think that guy is really hot, but I don’t know how to approach him, so I’m going to put elements of myself in him.’ There’s a power play where you’re inspired by something but you don’t want to give it credit.” The team — sorry, collective, I believe that’s what we’re calling these now — around OLIVER proves equally savvy, but I’ll quit with the quotes and let you discover their thoughts on the term ‘gender-fluid,’ approach to intellectual property, and rebellion in the form of taffeta for yourself... Love a good fiber controversy moment. TARGET claims that some of the 750,000 EGYPTIAN cotton sheets it ordered from WELSPUN were made of “some other material,” and has subsequently dropped the supplier. The move has triggered some of WELSPUN’S other major customers — including WAL-MART, BED BATH & BEYOND, and J.C. PENNEY — to investigate the matter as well. The rule-breaking on WELSPUN’S part comes down to “fiber provenance,” meaning the cotton wasn’t actually grown in EGYPT, but not that it was a lesser-grade quality than promised. “'EGYPTIAN cotton’ sounds special, like MOROCCAN leather or FRENCH perfume,” VIRGINIA POSTREL explains, but it’s the country’s history of producing long fibers (which are sturdy and won’t pill as easily) that make the cotton “better,” not the location where the growing goes down. POSTREL points out that the U.S. has long surpassed EGYPT as the world’s leading produce of long-staple cotton (what you’ll see labeled as Pima), and that most of the fabric types produced in EGYPT are actually best served by medium and short-staple cotton... E! NEWS is giving NYFW coverage another go, airing selected fashion shows, events, and behind-the-scenes footage beginning SEPT. 8. The bulk of content revolves around celebrity brands, of course, including the GIGI HADID x TOMMY HILFIGER collaboration and collections from two LAGUNA BEACH alumni (you know who). I’m a little surprised it will cover the TOM FORD show — maybe that’s enough of a mainstream celebrity given JAY Z’S opus — though I’m positive it’s a strategic element in the brand’s execution of an “in-season” collection. Less shocked the channel will run the YEEZY SEASON 4 show/presentation/MSG-takeover/whatever, which perhaps means a more TV-friendly expression of movement than seasons 1 — 3. Sing it with me now: Pink fur, got NORI dressing like CAM / Thank god for me / Whole family getting money / Thank god for E!