Sunday Inspiration: Volume 2.24

Sentiment of the week: “It's a very Greek idea, and a very profound one. Beauty is terror. Whatever we call beautiful, we quiver before it. And what could be more terrifying and beautiful, to souls like the Greeks or our own, than to lose control completely? To throw off the chains of being for an instant, to shatter the accident of our mortal selves? Euripides speaks of the Maenads: head thrown I back, throat to the stars, "more like deer than human being." To be absolutely free! One is quite capable, of course, of working out these destructive passions in more vulgar and less efficient ways. But how glorious to release them in a single burst! To sing, to scream, to dance barefoot in the woods in the dead of night, with no more awareness of mortality than an animal! These are powerful mysteries. The bellowing of bulls. Springs of honey bubbling from the ground. If we are strong enough in our souls we can rip away the veil and look that naked, terrible beauty right in the face; let God consume us, devour us, unstring our bones. Then spit us out reborn.” ― Donna Tartt, The Secret History

Here’s what is currently inspiring us: Allowing the season of your life to be the season of your life, the ease of oversized jeans, coffee first thing in the morning, a deep journaling session, knowing that at the end of the day you always have you, trusting your intuition over the opinions of others, taking leaps of faith into unknowns, knowing you will be rewarded for your courage, the sweet smile of a toddler, eating big bowls of fruit, prioritizing protein, indulging in mandatory walks, the delight of a good coffee table book, being mindful with your time - or letting it be so unstructured that you are riding a current of present moments, protecting what is yours and knowing what is not yours to grip, the pleasure of an afternoon read, knowing that no matter what you will get there, being inspired by women who put themselves out there, finding sacred ground in a philosophical debate, giving books as gifts, actively seeking out inspiration, gallery walls, vintage shopping for interior decor, making a home a home.

What we are consuming this week:

Podcast: Aspire Insights: How Not Talking About Money Is Stopping You From Making It with Nicole Lapin on Aspire with Emma Grede 

Book: What Matters Most Is How Well You Walk Through the Fire by Charles Bukowski

Song: She Moves In Her Own Way by The Kooks

Brand of the week: Yael Aflalo, the creative genius behind Reformation, is back for her second act: Aflalo. This time, Yael is going luxury. One visit to the Aflalo website, which is filled with bold yet subtle architectural design elements and highly editorialized photography that is comprised of elevated basics, and you know that you are in for more than just the perfect summer dress. Click shop and the first option is diamonds. Diamonds. An invitation and a reminder that Aflalo is not just a luxury clothing brand but a full lifestyle. In the Aflalo universe, a woman can effortlessly parade around in a silk dress and a diamond bracelet by the sea. In the Aflalo universe, a woman is wonderfully feminine, minimalistic, and elevated. On our wishlist: Dahlia Dress, The Affine Coat, Cassia Top, The Racket String Anklet.

News, updates, & happenings in the industry and in culture:

• Outdoor Voices’ founder raises Series A for new start-up - BoF

• Chanel Names Ruth Warder Global Chief Communications Officer - WWD

• Elizabeth Paton to Succeed Lauren Indvik as FT’s Fashion Editor - BoF

• Brian Wilson, Leader of the Beach Boys, Dies at 82 - NYTimes

• Sotheby’s London to sell ‘greatest collection of Surrealism to emerge in recent history’ expected to hit $81M - ARTNews

Topics to make you a more interesting woman:

• 5 standouts from the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival - Vogue

• How to layer body care - Goop

• Mourning the millennial adult I will never get to become - The Coolist

• Best and worst moments from the 2025 Tony Awards - NYTimes

• An oral history of Valentino Garavani's fashion empire - W Magazine

• Let’s talk Ralph Lauren vintage - The Millennial Decorator

Moodboard of the week:

Artist of the week: Milton Avery, a modern American painter (1885-1965), is where we turn to when we need a masterclass on color. His pieces have been described as poetic, bold, and innovative. His departure from the conventional paintings of his era produces paintings that are both distinctive in style and calming in experience. For more information on Milton Avery, click here.

Ritual to implement: Checking in with yourself before responding with a yes or a no. Not trusting the automatic yes that pops out of your mouth but rather taking an introspective moment to ask yourself what you really want to do, be, say, feel, experience. Removing the people pleasing and filling your calendar with the things that fill your soul - not someone else’s.

Place to daydream about: The Emerald Lake House designed by Jenni Kayne is the neutral aesthetic home of our idyllic dreams. Located in Lake Arrowhead, every corner is pristinely curated and designed. To book a stay at The Emerald Lake House, click here.

Personal insight of the week: “The impulse to write things down is a peculiarly compulsive one, inexplicable to those who do not share it, useful only accidentally, only secondarily, in the way that any compulsion tries to justify itself. I suppose that it begins or does not begin in the cradle. Although I have felt compelled to write things down since I was five years old, I doubt that my daughter ever will, for she is a singularly blessed and accepting child, delighted with life exactly as life presents itself to her, unafraid to go to sleep and unafraid to wake up. Keepers of private notebooks are a different breed altogether, lonely and resistant rearrangers of things, anxious malcontents, children afflicted apparently at birth with some presentiment of loss.” ― Joan Didion, Slouching Towards Bethlehem

What’s on our wishlist: The Major Trench Jacket by Helsa

Reordering this week: Heirloom Tomato Hand Soap by Flamingo Estate

Home of the week: This townhouse is earthy minimalism meets romanticism meets family living. A dream for the neutral palette lovers who also crave a dark green accent; who want expansive spaces and lived-in accents; who want a sophistication but not at the price of coldness. Home of Irene Forte, founder of Irene Forte Skincare. Designed by Alice Gyllenkrok. Located in London’s Kensington neighborhood. Photography by Genevieve Lutkin. Featured in Vogue.

Nostalgic for: When you had to visit bookstores to buy your books. The endless hours spent perusing shelves. The smell of new pages. The experience of testing out the spine, the paper weight, the cover, the opening; how it felt in your hand. The dreaming of which world you were about to enter into; which book(s) you were going to take home.

Questions to ask at the dinner table:

• What’s a mundane activity you could turn into an art form?

• What is one legacy you’d like to leave behind?

• How do you define “inner peace,” and when was the last time you felt it?

Question to ask yourself this week: Where are my thoughts leaning towards fear and how can I guide them back towards an expansive truth?

Have a beautiful week. Until next Sunday.

Sincerely,

The REVUE Team

REVUE grows like all beautiful things: slowly, intentionally, and through the hands of women like you. Share it.