Welcome Digest [12.22.25]
Margiela condos, drugs for AI chatbots, the first ever Audio Museum, and more
Welcome To December 22nd
Today’s Important Headlines
🇦🇪 Maison Margiela is making condos in Dubai
With the announcement of luxury residences in Dubai, Margiela continues its evolution from radical anti-fashion to a full-spectrum luxury brand, reminding us that in fashion and design, counterculture rarely escapes absorption by the system it once critiqued. General online consensus suggests the design bears little resemblance to Margiela’s design language, with many viewing it as a dilution and contamination of the brand.
💊 They just dropped drugs for AI chatbots
Petter Rudwall launched Pharmaicy, a website where you can feed AI “drug codes” like cannabis, ketamine, or ayahuasca to see them trip. He says it unlocks creativity, chaos, and a glimpse of AI enlightenment, if you’ve got a paid ChatGPT account.
🗼 Raf Simons is personally throwing an archive sale in Tokyo next week
Raf Simons will host his largest-ever archive sale at Dover Street Market Ginza next week, unlocking rare grails from across his career. New pieces will roll out weekly, many of which currently trade for thousands on the resale market amid fashion’s post-TikTok archive fixation.
🔊 The world’s first audio museum is an architectural wonder
What is “good sound,” really? Jung Eum, translating to proper sound, explores one possible answer through high-fidelity listening, where the goal is faithful, lifelike reproduction of the original source. Eum ultimately leaves the question open, inviting visitors to discover the sound that resonates with them, within what was just awarded the most beautiful museum by Prix Versailles.
🐡 Rick Owens joins fashion’s fish skin movement
Fish leather is emerging as fashion’s newest material obsession. From students transforming discarded salmon skin into couture garments to Rick Owens’ pirarucu-skinned sneakers for Maxfield, haute couture is rethinking what luxury is made from. Fish skin is lighter and more durable than many alternatives, and unexpectedly luxurious.
🚠 A new stunning campaign brings rugs to the Kashmir Mountains
South Asian brand Jaipur Rugs shares an incredible campaign set in the Mountains of South Asia. From ski lifts to walkways, the detailed and intricately constructed carpets contrast with the white canvas of the snow. The photos are worth studying.
Headline curation and words by Mikail Haroon (@mvkail)
Moodboard 010
Today’s inspiration supplement. Click through to view.
From The Archive
An extra piece of content from the Welcome Archive for Magazine subscribers only.
Pepsi’s Gladiator campaign (2004)
The campaign centered on a cinematic colosseum setting where Britney Spears, Beyoncé, and Pink appear as gladiators performing for a Roman emperor played by Enrique Iglesias. The ad featured a mashup cover of Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” continuing Pepsi’s use of classic rock music paired with contemporary pop stars.
Directed by Tarsem Singh and filmed in Rome, the commercial was released globally as part of the Pepsi’s “More Music” 2004 campaign. It was supported by an official Pepsi Music CD release that included the special version of “We Will Rock You” performed by the three artists.
