Jil Sanders made a literal 'reference library'; Bob Dylan made a Patreon; big streaming numbers Ye's Bully; and more
Welcome Digest [3.30.26]
Welcome To March 30th
Today’s Important Headlines
Jil Sanders curated a literal ‘Reference Library’ for Milan Design Week
Jil Sander and Spanish cult-classic design magazine Apartamento will debut a new exhibition during Milan Design Week titled “Reference Library,” which will feature over 60 books carefully curated by a diverse range of creatives. Attendance will be limited to 60 hourly time slots, during which attendees will be required to wear white gloves to handle the collection. Contributors include Jil Sander’s creative director Simone Bellotti, Celine Song (Past Lives), Lykke Li, Hans Ulrich Obrist, and many others.
Bully is 2026’s biggest rap release
After years of botched releases, AI usage allegations, and cancellations, BULLY is out and allegedly pulled in nearly 50 million Spotify streams on its debut day, marking the biggest opening for a 2026 rap album so far, surpassing J. Cole’s The Fall Off. Overall, reactions to Bully have been far more positive than those to Vultures or Donda. The album has been compared to the range of TLOP, feeling more polished than recent projects, though some fans feel the final stretch still needs refining and may incorporate AI elements.
Another developing footwear trend: sneaker-formal hybrids
Continuing 2025’s footwear trends around Mary Janes, loafers, and ballet flats, this year we’re seeing those silhouettes blended into sneaker-hybrid reinterpretations. While models like the Puma Speedcat Ballet and Adidas Taekwondo Ballet have been especially popular, some of our favorite releases blending formal and casual footwear include Nike’s upcoming collab with Lakewood, Onitsuka Tiger’s loafer-sneaker hybrids in collaboration with Versace, and the Nike x Comme des Garçons Air Max loafer hybrid crafted in patent leather.
Bob Dylan dropped a Patreon page filled with AI slop historical fiction
While currently on tour, Bob Dylan has launched a Patreon page called Letters From the Grave under the username @bobdylan180, an archive of historical fan fiction featuring figures like Aaron Burr, Frank James, and Wild Bill Hickok. For $5 a month, users can access short-story-style “letters that were never sent” from historical figures, including one from Mark Twain to Rudolph Valentino. AI usage is fairly apparent throughout, which comes as little surprise considering how Dylan infamously used Moby-Dick’s SparkNotes for his Nobel Prize lecture a decade ago.
7-Eleven made a vintage workwear collection
To celebrate 45 years in Hong Kong, 7-Eleven has collaborated with fashion label GrowthRing & Supply on a ’90s-inspired, vintage workwear collection, which debuted at ComplexCon Hong Kong last week. The standout pieces are the button-down chore jackets, detailed with an assortment of custom patches that commemorate key milestones from the past four decades.
Headline curation and words by Mikail Haroon (@mvkail)
Moodboard 051
Today’s inspiration supplement. Click through to view.
From The Archive
An extra piece of content from the Welcome Archive for Magazine subscribers only.
UEFA fined Serbian soccer club Crvena Zvezda $103,000 for a tifo featuring an Orthodox icon of Saint Simeon and a “May our faith lead you to victory” banner.
UEFA’s official reason was: “Displaying a message deemed inappropriate for a sporting event” and “undermining the reputation and integrity of football and UEFA.”
