Wow. It’s been almost a month since I last wrote here. One of the promises I made to myself was that I would only Substack when I genuinely felt like it. And lately, life has kept me both insanely preoccupied and consuming media at a level that feels borderline addictive. Not quite writer’s block. More like a collective overwhelm, which is something I keep hearing from a lot of people. There is simply too much to process.
I’ve activated where I can. I still read Substacks in my inbox. But I haven’t actually been on the app itself since 2025. I dip in and out of Instagram holes and WhatsApp threads, but I’ve been leaning hard into real life encounters. Those have reminded me of two things: they matter deeply, and also, don’t put too much pressure on them - not every IRL meet up is going to hit or be the best thing ever. And, that’s ok.
The Epstein files are horrific. Even discussing them makes me feel like a conspiracy theorist because the facts themselves are so disturbing. Trump is still in office and as corrupt as ever. People are hurting. ICE is active. The factory below ours in Midtown is literally making gloves for the government that I am certain, though I can’t prove it, will end up on agents detaining people in freezing climates… all while we’re one floor above hand stitching resistance sweaters.
The human condition is strange.
It has been so cold outside that leaving the house feels both romantic and insane. And, AI is here and already disrupting everything we thought we understood about what it means to be human.
And yet. I’m still here. You, dear reader, are too.
The last time I left you promising a full Australia recap after our epic New Zealand ride. I’m not doing that today. The short version: Byron Bay was magic. We saw dear friends, met great people, and counted as many hot Aussies with mustaches as Mother Nature, and my boys, would allow. The “Australia effect” article in the NYT was published weeks after our return and made perfect sense to me.
It’s only February but 2026 already feels endless. I’m writing this from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, icing a sprained ankle while my gang is out on the mountain. We’re staying at Caldera House, which I highly recommend, especially if you have a family. It feels like having a home with all the amenities ready to go - you truly don’t have to think about a thing. I’m excited to hobble around town this weekend and discover this wild western corner of our country. Last night we made the requisite stop at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar. So far, I’ve been blown away by the kindness here and the beauty of the landscape. The world is vast and full of good humans.
I’m also just off a couple of days in NYC with Kris and Dave from Detroit. More to come with these two divine humans, but for now I’ll just say they reminded me that there are many gifts buried inside this wound we find ourselves in. Activism has brought extraordinary people into my life. What a reminder to find your people and have some fun together while attempting to dismantle the patriarchy. Find hope in action together.
They were especially curious about how our sweaters are made, so we even brought them to our workshop on 36th street deep in NY’s garment district. It made me realize I sometimes take for granted the special system we’ve built over the last ten years at Lingua Franca. It really is a well oiled machine filled with humans who care deeply about putting love into each garment, each stitch, and each other. I’m proud of it!
We are in the middle of Fashion Week, showing our Fall ‘26 market at the LF townhouse at 95 Jane St. This collection is the most pared back and thoughtful we’ve done. “FOCUS” is our word for 2026 and I hope it shows.
If this is your sort of thing. Check out our look book below, shot by Sophie Elgort so you can see what’s coming this fall. We’re showing at 95 Jane Street until the 20th. Let me know if you’re a store, or know one, that wants to see it.
A bit more housekeeping so I can continue to tell the team substack worth my time: We’re in the middle of a very short Presidents’ Day sale which you really shouldn’t sleep on and our new Spring Collection is launching this Wednesday. There are beautiful transitional pieces I’m excited for you to see.
What else?
We’re coming off a big couple of weeks celebrating dogs with the Westminster Kennel Club. I joked that we were becoming a high fashion dog brand, but truly, there are worse things. Being at the Westminster Dog Show at the Javits Center almost made me weepy. MAGA hat wearing bulldog dads hanging out with pride flag waving poodle owners and little old ladies who lunch from Dallas, all in joyful harmony over their shared love of canines. I wanted to call Vanity Fair and tell them to rush a reporter over. America can be saved! We just need to get everyone a dog.
We held our own mini Best in Show on Jane Street, and the President of Westminster, Don, helped judge the winners. It was silly, good humored fun, and I hope we do it again next year. The fact that it was the same weekend we lost Catherine O’Hara, the world’s official iconic best in show, felt like strange cosmic timing.
Our Wuthering Heights collaboration has been a welcome hit of love in a dark world. I went to a screening hosted by Chloe Malle for Vogue last week and was completely swept away. Escaping into another universe for two hours feels necessary right now.
Check out our collection with the World Without Exploitation and the survivors of Epstein. These Courage is Contagious sweaters are just about the only thing keeping me from hurling my phone at my screen whenever I see Pam Bondi’s face.
I posted a video of myself that sort of went viral. It was the first time I’ve really done something like that, talking openly about being a political brand and what that means right now. My team keeps telling me people want to see the founder. And, I know they’re right. But as I’ve written here before, as an elder millennial it still feels wildly unnatural to just turn on a camera and… go. That said, the sentiment was real, and the response was generous. So maybe this is the start of something more consistent? Does this mean I can start expensing my Marie Robinson bills? ha.
It’s not easy to build a fashion brand while speaking your truth when fashion can feel trivial next to citizens being shot and killed in our streets, children harmed by powerful men with no repurcussions, voting rights under threat, women prosecuted for miscarriages, and families separated without reason. There’s always that tension between not letting them steal your joy and wondering how we’re supposed to carry on as normal. I don’t have that balance perfectly figured out. I know I’ll do things that make me cringe later. But I also know that I operate with intention and sincerity. I hope that matters. I hope people can hold more than one truth at once. That we can sell resistance wear and also make beautiful ready to wear. I hope we can thread that needle.
However, don’t think I’m on some high horse believing every brand must use its voice. I understand why some don’t and get that too. Still, I am personally so inspired by bigger brands like Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia that do. They are my north stars.
Speaking of brands I dig, Marfa Stance is one I’ve long respected for the way they’ve grown while keeping quality obsessive and their ethos intact. The founders, Georgia and Barrie, have become dear friends, and Sean and I were thrilled to be featured in a recent little ad campaign for them.
We played mahjong at the LF townhouse with our friends at The Mahjong Line. This game has caught on fast for good reason. It’s fun. It’s communal. It’s an excuse to gather with friends for no other reason than to sit around a table together. I hope that trend continues.
I hosted a dinner at my house with Dee Poku for her Dinner for Eight series for WIE Suite. We ended up almost doubling the guest list, which made me very happy. I love when tables overflow and you meet people you weren’t expecting. It also confirmed that if you want one cohesive table conversation, you should probably keep it to eight. Dee knew what she was doing.
At that dinner I met Shelly Tygielski known as @mindfulskatergirl, and learned something both new and infuriating about how taxes are handled around donations. Read her piece about this here.
We’ve been deep in basketball season and Windham Mountain season. I love our little ski town up north and the community of friends we’ve built there over the years. The store is fully stocked with Lingua Franca, which is always an added bonus, and you truly never know who you’ll spot at the club. Just a couple of weekends ago I ran into the eternally chic Linda Fargo in the ladies’ room and had the best catch up. I’m grateful for the time we get out of the city in nature.
And so, in the middle of a news cycle that feels ripped from a doomsday movie, life goes on. Dinners, and birthdays, and photoshoots and more. Small joys tucked between the chaos. I’m constantly reminded why we keep moving forward. I hope you’re getting your own reminders too.
And now,
What I’m reading:
The Optimists by Brian Platzer. Brian is a friend and a dad at our school, but I’d say this even if I didn’t know him. It’s smart, funny, and genuinely delightful. I’m proud to know him and very proud to recommend it.
The Wedding People by Alison Epoch. I’m finally reading the book everyone was talking about all summer and am loving how easy and absorbing it is. The perfect plane book when you need your mind to take a break from the world.
Next up:
American Fantasy by Emma Straub
Vigil by George Saunders, a favorite author of mine. This book is in my top five.
What are you reading? What should I pick up next? Leave me your recommendations.
Are you, like everyone else watching Heated Rivalry? I haven’t started it yet, but I think this may make some of you very happy.
I’m obsessed with learning about the Overton Window and how our government is using it to brainwash all of us. Don’t let them!
Semi related - I’m joining Scott Galloway’s efforts and resisting and unsubscribing.
I’m also super excited about our collaboration with the one and only Jonathan Hiaght. We will be hosting him at the LF townhouse in March so more to come here, but his new book, the Amazing generation is out and a great gift for your pre teens and teens.
I absolutely love Sandra Bernhard and can’t wait to see her in White Lotus. Did you catch her in our dress she wore for the premiere of Marty Supreme? (on sale now!).
“May this level of extra find me,” read a comment on this IG showcasing the most beautiful object I’ve seen in a long time.
Also extra, people who have the discipline to create something like this. I don’t know if I could ever…though really would love to have that commitment!
This kitchen hasn’t been touched since 1958 and it’s sort of making me realize we have lost some of the best design elements we’ve ever had.
I have never had an itch to play Dungeons and Dragons, but she’s almost, ALMOST making me want to. A game that's not about winning but only about telling a great story? Sort of incredibly sweet and twee.
There were literal frozen waves in Montauk a couple of weeks ago which were truly mesmerizing.
That’s it for now. Gonna throw on some Brandi Carlile (so sad I’m missing her in NYC), and chill. Just a reminder that there are still kind, talented, interesting people out there doing cool things. Go find them—and dig it the most.
xo Rachelle
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