Welcome Digest [1.9.26]
Cartoon character AI companions, North West produces for Babyxsosa, and more
Welcome To January 9th
Today’s Important Headlines
📸 New Fujifilm camera lets you shoot in any decade’s aesthetic
Fujifilm’s Instax Mini Evo Cinema lets users apply decade-based digital effects to photos and short videos. Some find this interesting, others have called it nostalgia bait, saying Fujifilm should stop releasing filter heavy Instax models and instead bring back popular discontinued film stocks like Pro 400H and FP100c.
🧠 Nike’s latest shoe stimulates your brain with every step
Nike’s new Mind Technology shoes use 22 foam nodes in the soles to stimulate pressure points linked to the brain. Designed for pre-game and post-game wear, they aim to boost focus, presence, and mindfulness by strengthening the mind-body connection, making them Nike’s first footwear to combine design with neuroscience.
🎤 North West produced a Babyxsosa track
Babyxsosa dropped a new song yesterday produced by North West, shortly after North shared a Hatsune Miku flip last week. The choices reflect the deeply online influences shaping her taste, blending underground NYC rap, fashion, Japanese sounds, and catchy melodic hooks, a mix that mirrors Ye’s own habit of drawing from every corner of contemporary culture.
🐄 MSCHF is letting their customers decide a cow’s fate
You may remember that in August 2024 MSCHF crowdfunded the purchase of a cow named Angus, offering contributors ‘Angus Tokens’ that can be redeemed for beef or handbags once the cow is slaughtered. Angus now has just 64 days left to live. But there is hope: Angus Token holders can cancel their preorder through a “Remorse Portal.” If half of them do, Angus will be spared and sent to a sanctuary. As of yesterday, only 32% have cancelled. We’ll see what happens.
🤖 This AI cartoon character companion will live on your desk
Razer announced Project AVA, a handheld AI assistant that plans schedules, tracks your habits and moods, and appears as a selectable character inspired by esports figures and anime aesthetics. Pitched as a productivity tool but advertised as a “friend for life”, many online are already joking about the wild assistants they could have, including a King Von version. Critics warn it could worsen already rising loneliness by selling artificial intimacy as utility.
👟 Experimental ASICS collaboration transforms classics into avant-garde slip-ons
Parisian designer Tareet has reworked ASICS running silhouettes into entirely new forms for his LABEL LIGGEY YAT project. Drawing on Afro European influences from Senegal and Marseille, he distorts the GEL Quantum line using layered leathers, paint dips, and avant garde finishes. Supported by ASICS, the result pushes the brand beyond heritage remixing and into real experimentation.
Headline curation and words by Mikail Haroon (@mvkail)
Moodboard 017
Today’s inspiration supplement. Click through to view.
From The Archive
An extra piece of content from the Welcome Archive for Magazine subscribers only.
During the Russo Japanese War of 1904 to 1905, a French postcard publisher released a series of satirical postcards mocking Japanese General Oku Yasu Kata, whose name was treated as a vulgar French pun on “au cul,” or “of the ass.”
Although France was not directly involved in the conflict, it was allied with Russia, which explains the scatological humor aimed at the Japanese. The postcards aged poorly, as Japan defeated Russia, marking a major upset for European powers, including Tsar Nicholas II.
Classifieds
Exciting opportunities, employment and otherwise
SculptureCenter — In Practice Open Call (New York City)
Annual open call for artists without a prior institutional solo exhibition in NYC to propose solo exhibitions at SculptureCenter. Selected artists will present work as part of In Practice 2027, a yearlong series of solo presentations, with support for on-site, off-site, and nontraditional formats.
Anemonia — Creative Role (Berlin)
Startup fashion brand seeking a Berlin-based creative to work independently across design and conceptual tasks. Midi role (~20h/week), hybrid and flexible, open to non-traditional backgrounds with strong creative thinking and fluency in English.
L.A. Louver — Archivist (Los Angeles)
Project-based, limited-term archivist role supporting the appraisal, processing, and preservation of L.A. Louver’s Archive and Library ahead of its transfer to The Huntington. Requires professional archival experience and familiarity with digital and physical records in contemporary art contexts.
Flavor Paper — Screen Printer, Wall Covering (Brooklyn, NY)
Full-time screen printing role at a Brooklyn-based wallpaper studio specializing in hand-screened production. Seeking an experienced printer with a strong appreciation for craftsmanship, attention to detail, and the physical stamina required for high-quality, daily production work.
Miss Grass — Graphic Designer (US, Remote)
Freelance graphic designer role shaping the Miss Grass visual world across social, packaging, merchandise, and campaigns. Remote, US-based, with an emphasis on taste, branding, and cultural fluency.
Guapo Studio — Designers (Argentina, Remote)
Hiring UI, visual, and brand designers to join a fully remote, creative-first studio. Open to designers with strong English skills, a collaborative mindset, and fluency in Figma and Adobe tools.
Believe Leotards — Fashion Designer (London, Remote)
Seeking a fashion-focused designer skilled in Illustrator, Procreate, or Fresco to support clothing and marketing material design. Leotard-specific experience not required.
WORTHLESSSTUDIOS — Grant Writer (Remote)
Freelance grant writer role supporting arts programming through proposal development, application submission, and reporting. Ideal for writers with 3–5+ years of experience in arts or nonprofit funding.
WORTHLESSSTUDIOS — Artist Residency Program (NYC / Upstate NY)
$5K artist residency providing space, fabrication resources, and industry-level project management support for large-scale sculpture. Includes a $45,000 fabrication budget in partnership with UAP.
Professional Fine Art Services — Fine Art Driver & Installer (Monterey Park, CA)
Full-time or part-time role focused on white-glove art handling, transport, and installation for high-end clients. Requires a clean driving record, physical capability, and attention to detail.
Really well-curated rundown, the Razer AI companion angle is intresting but also kinda dystopian when positioned as solving loneliness. The ASICS x Tareet collab is wild though, taking the GEL Quantum and completely distorting it with layering and paint feels more like sculpture than footwear. I tried on some experimental ASICS last year and the material choices alone make wearing them feel different, so curious how these hold up beyond the visual impact.