🌍 Time is of the essence – but is the essence about time?⌚
Plus kimchi patatas bravas, where to buy vintage menswear and the rapid rise of the slomad
The big BRiMM reveal is tantalisingly close now. Some pixels being adjusted, some copy tightened, the vibe… well that’s already locked. And the impact, well that’s in part down to you, well… all of us together. As our early crew, we’re hoping you’ll support our launch. So watch this space. Just a little while longer. Until then, we’re bringing you our regular mix of links we love + musings on lower-impact living.
This week’s theme is… timing⌚
Our subject line may read like a riddle, but it has been a confusing week. These are confusing times. Among the tariff chaos, there was hope: a shut down of the de minimis rule in the US – which means packages under the value of $150 are now subject to customs and tax duties – has stopped Shein and Temu in their tracks. They’ve ceased all digital advertising, and Shein has put its London IPO on hold. Reasons to be cheerful, gang.
And then along came Tony Blair, with a roast-style takedown of the government’s climate strategy and net zero targets. “Doomed to fail”, he pronounced, and “riven with irrationality”. Helpful, Tony. Climate scientists bristled at his suggestion that more investment was needed in carbon capture: “we can’t have adaptation without mitigation,” they reminded him. Which is science speak for, yes we need innovative solutions and technology to reverse this damage, but we also need to stop creating it too.
You know that, we know that, and that’s why we’re here. To lay out a path for a joyful life that requires less carbon and more joy. Financial sacrifice is not the whole story. (Check out LSE’s response to the Blair report for a quick list of all the things considered wrong with it.)
And of course this week also marked the timing of Trump’s first 100 days in office. Take your pick of the media analysis covering his ‘all-out assault’ on the planet, but The Guardian’s assessment that he’s “launched more attacks on [her] in 100 days than his entire first term” leaps out.
So, it’s time to offer a different take. In the spirit of ‘building in the open’, another reason we’re kicking things off at this time of year is simply because it’s spring, and we’re all more likely to reset our habits. We’re also, during this perky season, more likely to consume new things. We want to offer you fresh brands and products that are well considered, and can lead to you moving through life more lightly. We want to connect you all with each other, and build a community where the blows of Blair, Trump and the rest, sail past you. Where we can all focus on the spring that lies ahead of us, and not the winter behind.
Subject line still not making much sense to you? Don’t sweat it – just check out this soothing, Tilda Swinton-narrated video on the deliciously slow new pace of travel. Take your time friends. Don’t let them catch you in the fray. We’ve got you, and we’ve got each other.
Team up, tune in and let’s turn the tide,
Team BRiMM x
p.s. What’s your most joyful weekend moment? Having time for a long lunch? Early morning coffee at your fave spot? Or having an extra hour in bed? Share what makes you happy and we’ll give you back an inspiring list with everyone’s tips.
p.p.s. do you like this email? Why not forward it to a friend?
The BRiMM life questionnaire
This week it’s the turn of BRiMM member Anna Foster. Anna is not only an extraordinary stylist, (i-D, Exit, Lula) but also the founder of ELV Denim, the super cool British brand that crafts highly desirable pieces from upcycled materials
Favourite walking route
“Along the rocks to Coco Beach in Nice.”
All-time top second-hand find
“My menswear Burberry winter coat – I bought it from John Simons which has great vintage menswear. It’s much too big for me and I love that!”
What’s your most joyful weekend moment
“Saturday afternoon chats in the sun with my family (with a glass of rosé).”
Watch out for the rest of Anna’s answers on our site, launching soon
Fancy doing our BRiMM Life Questionnaire yourself? Get in touch
FROM THE COLLECTIVE
Emilie tipped us off about Black Bee Honey and seed people Kabloom’s cool little World Bee Day bundle (it’s 20 May, btw)
Sam spotted that 100 per cent compostable material Vivomer is now being used by skincare geniuses Wildsmith (as well as by It’s about all of us, as mentioned in our first ever newsletter, hardcore BRiMM fans)
Dan shared this beaut of a Modern House article on ‘adaptive reuse’, by the man behind the UK's first permanent building made from rubbish, Duncan Baker-Brown
We love to hear what our collective is finding. Share your links with Becky
MOVING PAST ECO-PARALYSIS
An assistant professor at the University of Bologna, cognitive behavioural therapist and clinical psychologist, Lucia Tecuta specialises in, among other things, ecotherapy and climate-conscious therapy. In other words, she knows how to get sh*t done. In this in-depth Psyche magazine piece, Lisa shares tips and tools on how to manage everything from climate anxiety to full-on eco-paralysis, including using a (rather pretty) Climate Emotions Wheel, diaphragmatic breathing techniques and self-guided ‘thought-disputing plays’. At the bottom there’s a bonus list of recommended links and advice, including an NYT roundup of six podcasts to tackle your climate anxiety and a book that rather neatly merges our regular newsletter sign-off and this week’s theme: Megan Kennedy-Woodard and Dr Patrick Kennedy-Williams’ Turn the Tide on Climate Anxiety.
→ FIND OUT MORE
TIME’S UP, TIKTOK TRENDS
The latest Gen Z trend is in, and this one might just be a keeper. According to Business of Fashion’s Joan Kennedy and Sheena Butler-Young on this week’s episode of ‘The Debrief’ podcast, young consumers are calling time on the short-lived viral microtrends that have been sweeping social media since the end of the pandemic. Back then, TikTokers lept on everything from Barbie Core to Strawberry Girl Summer, in voracious swoops of Boohoo, Shein and all those other low-cost high-impact fashion sites. Apparently now, “Gen-Z shoppers seek authenticity, durability and individuality in their fashion choices,” and “people are talking more than ever about just this viral churn and how wasteful it is”. So long, mob wife/cottagecore/coastal grandma/tomato girl/*supply-teach chic (*we made the last one up. We think, anyway).
BRANCH OUT
Do you struggle to stay focussed and hit your deadlines? Find yourself doomscrolling at every opportunity? Apps like Flora and Forest offer environmentally-friendly support, firstly in the shape of virtual trees: start the latter app and it plants a virtual tree which will grow for as long as you stay on it, but wilts and dies if you pick up your phone and open up others again. A favourite of all those poor kids entering exam season this week, we love how it awards virtual coins for staying focussed, allowing its partner, IRL tree-planting organisation Trees for the Future, to plant actual trees, in an actual Forest.
→ GROW MORE
GO WITH THE SLOW
Despite the paradox, the rise of the digital ‘slomad’ is “rapidly gaining momentum”, according to travel brand Roadbook (whose name refers to the manuals used by “rally co-drivers and overland travellers to navigate across uncertain terrain” – love). Thanks to a major attitude shift towards remote work following Covid-19 – which as an off-shoot has also led to more long-term work visas becoming available in places like Thailand, Barbados, Croatia and Portugal – as well as advances in internet coverage and tech, working from different places for longer amounts of time is becoming increasingly popular. What’s more, slomads are extra likely to prioritise conscious travel and low-impact choices when selecting where they stay and what they do. Check out this excellent investigation from last summer (it’s only fitting that we’re slow to come across it…). Any digital slomads out there? We want to hear from you!
→ READ MORE
JOLLY BRAVE POTATOES
Did you know ‘patatas bravas’ translates to ‘brave potatoes’? Neither did we until we started musing on a headline for this joyful little recipe. Ravinder Bhogal, the chef, stylist, woman behind marvellous Marylebone resto Jikoni and much more, loves to serve her Korean version of the Spanish mainstay as soon as Jersey Royals are in season. Which happens to be, right, about… now. Salut!
→ MAKE THIS
TIME ON OUR MIND, TIME ON OUR SPEAKERS
James built a playlist all about time this week, which you can listen to now, later – well, anytime really. Just be sure to pop it on and lose all track of it, too…
The carbon footprint of an email depends what device you use to open it, but sending you this one used about 3.5g of carbon.
This was such a thoughtful read! I felt called to spend some time out in nature & went for a lovely hike in Banstead Woods. It was the perfect medicine ☺️