Job opportunities; Rocky's new trash bag couch; a time capsule of iconic 2000s Coachella performances; and more

Welcome Digest [4.17.26]

Welcome To April 17th

Today’s Important Headlines

A$AP Rocky dropped a trash bag couch

Produced by his design studio hOMMEADE in collaboration with Crosby Studios, A$AP Rocky’s latest object is a bean bag couch assembled entirely from colorful trash bags, some stuffed with plastic bottles, others with assorted garbage, and one packed with fake dollar bills, the whole thing meant to evoke the texture of a city sidewalk. hOMMEADE has been on a roll, having recently released a retro-inspired mobile recording studio and a vintage gaming console. Online commenters were quick to draw comparisons to Balenciaga’s trash bag pouch. No price point has been announced yet.

This Instagram account curated a time capsule of iconic 2000s Coachella performances

@indiesleaze compiled 18 fan-filmed Coachella performances from 2004 to 2012. Shot by regular attendees rather than professional crews, the footage carries a nostalgic intimacy that polished concert films rarely capture. Standouts include Justice (2008), Crystal Castles (2009), and Lil B (2011).

NVIDIA’s new initiative is trying to integrate AI and fashion

NVIDIA, the producer of an estimated 80% to 95% of the world’s AI chips, has partnered with the London College of Fashion’s Fashion Innovation Agency (FIA) on a series of AI runway showcases featuring generative lookbooks, simulated audience responses, and rapidly generated visual narratives capable of adapting to different markets in seconds. The project is part of a larger strategy by the company aimed at demonstrating human-AI co-collaboration will become a core skill in the creative industry of the future.

Charli XCX’s next album will be rock

In a recent interview with British Vogue, Charli XCX said, “I think the dance floor is dead, so now we’re making rock music.” The response has been split. Some praised her willingness to pivot and understood the creative fatigue that could follow BRAT’s all-consuming grip on culture. Others pushed back, criticizing what they see as her tendency to frame herself within rigid trend cycles, reading it as noncommittal and performative rather than a genuine shift.

Drake commissioned a 9 ft sculpture of Sade

Drake’s longstanding obsession with Sade is now quite literally cast in stone with a newly commissioned nine-foot sculpture recreating the cover of Love Deluxe. The work is by artist Rebecca Maria, whose practice centers on hip-hop iconography, often rendering cultural figures as sculptural monuments dressed in streetwear labels like BAPE.

Issey Miyake’s new NYC flagship is a store, gallery, and cultural hub

Issey Miyake has opened its largest store outside Japan in Manhattan. Beyond being architecturally impressive, the 13,000-square-foot retail flagship doubles as a cultural space, a gallery concept the brand had previously kept exclusive to Japan, showcasing Issey Miyake’s signature pleating techniques, heat-reactive baseball caps, and rotating works by artists including Shoji Kamoda. The store incorporates repurposed tables made from the glass wall panels of the now-closed Tribeca flagship and offers exclusive pieces created specifically for the opening.

A new AI company “TITLES” will train models on an artists work – then pay that artist every time someone uses it

Addressing the increasingly homogenized visual style produced by many generative AI models, which are often trained on large, generic datasets and criticized for their parasitic use of uncredited creative labor, a new artist-centric startup called TITLES proposes an alternative system. Instead of relying on massive, undifferentiated data pools, it allows artists to build small-batch, custom models using their own training media. When an artist’s work is used, the platform tracks attribution in real time, compensates the original creator, and clearly tags them as the source.

Headline curation and words by Mikail Haroon (@mvkail)

Moodboard 059

Today’s inspiration supplement. Click through to view.

From The Archive

An extra piece of content from the Welcome Archive for Magazine subscribers only.

The Jerdon Magnum 357 Handgun Blow dryer

Released in 1981, this Jerdon hair dryer was designed to resemble a .357 Magnum revolver, with the barrel housing the heating element and the grip used as the handle. It reflects a period when novelty appliances used recognizable pop culture imagery to stand out.

Classifieds

Exciting opportunities, employment and otherwise

Christian Dior Couture — Assistant Studio RTW Leather & Fur Intern (Paris, FR)

Internship supporting RTW leather and fur development through design research, technical drawings, material sourcing, and show preparation within a luxury fashion studio. Ideal candidate will be a fashion design student or graduate with strong Adobe skills and interest in luxury RTW development.
Apply

Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment — Curatorial Internship (Brooklyn, NY)

Paid internship supporting a contemporary art program at Barclays Center, assisting with artist research, commissioning, interpretive materials, tours, and on-site artwork stewardship in a high-traffic public venue. Ideal candidate will be an emerging curator with strong writing skills and interest in public art and audience engagement.
Apply

Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) — Social Media Manager (Los Angeles, CA)

Digital strategy and content role overseeing MOCA’s social channels, producing photo and video content, managing engagement, and analyzing performance in collaboration with curatorial and marketing teams. Ideal candidate will have strong content production skills, platform fluency, and experience managing fast-paced social ecosystems.
Apply