Nymphet Alumni

In this week's episode, we examine a specific brand of dark femininity that feels like a vestige of 2016, embodied through dramatic imagery of luxury accessories, cartoon vixens, and predatory wildlife, and expressed through a paradoxical strain of man-hating male centrism. We discuss this aesthetic’s positioning in opposition to the Clean Girl and how interpersonal dynamics popularized by sex work inform its understanding of power and money. We also investigate why the dark feminine resonates so deeply among women of the so-called “Latina belt,” drawing connections to chola culture and Arabic literary traditions to explore how this affect functions as a negotiation between patriarchal tradition and Western ideas about female sexuality and autonomy. Finally, we identify the aesthetic’s greatest arbiters and muses, from Helmut Newton and Riccardo Tisci to Maddy Perez and BLACKPINK’s Lisa.Links:
Image board
Examples on Instagram, TikTok
Ralph Bakshi: A Forgotten Pioneer
Rihanna - B***h Better Have My Money (Explicit) (Official Music Video)
BbyMutha - RULES (Official Music Video)
Why Men Love B*****s: From Doormat to Dreamgirl by Sherry Argov
“How the Cholo Clown Became the Face of L.A.” by Frank Rojas for LA Times (“Smile Now, Cry Later” history)
Viral Alexa Demie Yo Voy clip
Ghazal History – Encyclopaedia Iranica
BLACKPINK’s Lisa introduces “Vixi”
@shopnou_ on Instagram
“The Wild World of Chris von Wangenheim” by Daisy Woodward for AnOther
Chris von Wanghenheim on TheFashionSpot
“Pomellato Revives Helmut Newton’s Daring ’80s Campaigns in a New Show” by Annie Davidson Watson for W
Ricardo Tisci by Donatella Versace for Interview
Givenchy Fall 2011 Menswear on Vogue Runway
Givenchy Spring 2011 Ready-to-Wear on Vogue Runway
Givenchy Fall 2011 Ready-to-Wear on Vogue Runway


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In the first Study Break of the year, Biz and Sam survey the state of the world refracted through the prism of pop culture. They discuss Odessa A’Zion’s wig allegations, the hypernormal clownery of Nicolas Maduro’s kidnapping, Bella Hadid’s blonde hair omen, and the pop-princess perfection of Zara Larsson. Plus: a meditation on time in the second quarter of the 21st century, viewed through the anamorphic looking glass of Hollister’s 2016 anachronism, Cameron Winter’s Dorian Grey agelessness, and North West’s prodigious beat-making potential.
Links:
Hollister’s Tumblr Drop
2016 Revisionism
Stateside + Zara Larsson by Pink Panthress
North West’s Beatmaking Sample
Cameron Winter at Carnegie Hall
Bella Hadid for Dazed MENA
@shop_reallifeasliv
Carnival Time, Hardness, and the Machines That Process Excess by Sachin on Substack
Work-Hardened Archetypes by Sachin on Substack
Venezuelan Oil Explainer in The Guardian
Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques
Oil Company Pushback in The Guardian
Who is Zach Bryan’s Wife?
Rama Duwaji Profile in The Cut
Previous Episodes Referenced:
Ep. 76: Get Silly
Ep. 24: The Snapocalypse
Ep. 25: America (with Light Townsend Cummins)


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

This week, we herald the coming of the Pastel Grunge Revival, a new wave of candy-colored femininity characterized by an eclectic and deliberately unsettling fusion of childlike innocence and overt sensuality. We discuss the style’s influences— soft grunge Tumblr imagery, cartoon nostalgia, Harajuku fashion, sex worker style, and more— and unpack the social functions of age regression, self-objectification, and homosocial fantasy that resonate with young women online. We also provide a brief overview of pastels in visual culture from the 1950s to present, and we explore the myriad reasons why this aesthetic emerged from Los Angeles in particular.
Special thank you to Monica @finalformfemale for this episode idea!!

Links:
Image board
Ashley Williams – Vogue Runway
f5ve – I Choose You (Official MV)
PGR It Girls and Creative Forces Masterlist: Mazzy Joya, Savannah Hudson, Miss Madeline and Chase Icon, Cannelle, ADÉLA, Manon Macasaet, Lexi Kingery, Kennedy Dechet, Natasha Somerville, Aerin Moreno
Shopbluedream.us and @shopbluedream on Instagram for an inspired selection of PGR clothing
Misc. PGR brands: Lovett, OGBFF, OMIGHTY, Poster Girl, I.AM.GIA, Poison Candy Apple, WeedSlut
TikToks of girls posting their younger selves to sad songs
Accidentally getting a job as a stripper in Japan TikTok storytime
fakemink - Easter Pink (Prod Suzy Sheer) (Official MV)
Rhode remakes Richard Avedon’s iconic Versace 1994 campaign
OG Soft Grunge It Girls: Joanna Kuchta, Shelby Hamilton aka meowshelbs, Erika Kamano fka Erika Bowes
Gwen Stefani and the Harajuku Girls (2005)
Nicki Minaj explains Harajuku Barbie (2009) (+ Nicki’s iconic pastel necklaces by ONCH)
Rapper CeeChynaa shows off her vintage doll collection



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

After a brief hiatus, the Nymphies are BACK!! In this annual ceremony, we honor 2025’s greatest achievements in fashion and culture with awards from us at the Nymphet Alumni Academy of Arts and Sciences, including categories such as Best and Worst Rebrand, Outfit of the Year, Best Sillyboy, and Best Brainrot Trend, featuring exclusive access to our careful deliberation process. We lay to rest dearly departed aesthetics of years past, and we end the evening by announcing the winner of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, immortalizing one true legend in the Nymphet Alumni canon. For the first time, we’ve also tallied up your votes for the Reader’s Choice Awards!


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In this episode, we’re joined (again!!) by Avery Trufelman, the grand dame of fashion podcasting, to discuss the latest installment of her podcast, Articles of Interest, titled Gear. In this meticulously researched series, Avery dives deep into the history of tactical/outdoor fashion and the ways in which the United States Military and the world of high-tech performance wear continuously influence each other. She answers our pressing questions about American frontier cosplay, the symbolism of the modern field jacket, the innovations behind lightweight tech, and why gear has reemerged as a major fashion language. We also touch on the future of patriotism ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary and the rise of meme-ified military archetypes among Gen Z.

Links:
Articles of Interest on Substack



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe