STYLE:

Doja Cat is the latest celebrity to announce the launch of her own label, following in the footsteps of names like Gigi Hadid.

Dubbed It’s Giving, the limited-edition line debuted its first drop over the weekend, with items including a crop topped emblazoned with “YES” text, in addition to a tee featuring kitten graphics with lettering reading “it’s giving.” More wardrobe staples add to the lineup, with a logo hoodie and matching sweatpants arriving in brown. The collection is complete with white thongs and a jock strap labeled “YES,” as well as accessories such as trucker hats, stickers, socks and a tote bag.

To tease the official launch, Doja wore pieces from the collection in her latest look, accompanied by her fresh buzz cut along with the Balenciaga Le Cagole bag in pink.

Take a closer look at the designs above and head to It’s Giving’s website for the first drop, now available for pre-order with shipping beginning September 30.

Picture it — it’s the early aughts and you have just enough money in your Delia’s shoulder bag to splurge on a pair of sneakers. The internet is in its early stages and your exposure to sneaker releases is limited to online forums, a handful of websites and the Eastbay catalog your brother hoards with a vengeance.

Walkman in tow, you catch the bus (Uber isn’t a thing yet) to the local mall to pick up something, but of course, the Air Jordan you’ve been waiting for since it was previewed on your retro card has long sold out. Resale culture is extremely risky (think buying out of a trunk of the neighborhood bootleg movie guy) and your mom won’t let you camp out for shoes so it’s the general release wall for you.

You’re a high schooler so size-wise you’re somewhere between big kids’ and men’s sizes. A precarious spot as men’s sizes are twice the price, but big kids lack premium materials and often have a more bulbous toe shape. (It’s a little thing but it’s a big thing.)

You wander over to the women’s sneaker section, a minuscule offering scrunched between baby’s shoes and the very back of the store. Your gaze trails from floor to ceiling. Everything is pink.

Make no mistake, there has never been a time when women were not part of sneaker culture. Reduced? Restrained? Underserved? Yes. But while women’s exclusives are currently on the rise, it is an extremely late measure to put it kindly.

Back in the days of burned CDs and dial-up modems, the women’s category subscribed heavily to the “pink it and shrink it” ethos assuming if a woman wanted a t-shirt it had to be a baby tee, if a woman wanted a basketball jersey it was fitted and cropped, and if a woman wanted a pair of sneakers she most assuredly wanted them to be pink.

The relationship with pink is a strained one for Millennials specifically who had the hue forced upon them. To this day, when a female collaborator launches a silhouette in pink you can open the comments and there are bound to be complaints regarding the shade. Poor pink. Poor, poor controversial pink.

As Y2K fashion began to reemerge, along with it came a fresh perspective on color and femininity as a whole. Thanks to purveyors of pink like Tracee Ellis Ross, designers like Balenciaga and Valentino, and the introduction of Barbiecore, pink reemerged as something off-beat and cool. A hair flip in the face of season after season of neutrals.

In the world of sneakers, pink has seen a rapid increase in cool factor. On Hypebae alone, the last several footwear posts featuring pink colorways have been some of our best performers across social and editorial, including a Valentine’s Day-themed New Balance 550, hairy suede Nike Dunk High and a monochromatic Nike Dunk Low — all earning tens of thousands of upvotes from our community.

The pink sneaker wall of the early 2000s would be welcomed today by all genders, people given the choice to don the shade as opposed to the specifically young female Millennial footwear enthusiasts who had very few other options.

To quote a Neanderthalian commenter, “Women don’t know what they want.” Yes, we do. Options.GUESS Originals has just revealed its Fall 2022 collection, presenting an array of rich, earth-toned garments for the chilly season.

Grounded in a rich color palette of deep greens, blues and rich browns, the latest line features medium washed KIT Carpenter jeans accented with havana brown stitching. Arriving in an assortment of elevated comfort stretch denim with light to dark stonewash treatments and over-dyed twill. Crafted from premium stretch denim, the jeans expertly blend a classic utilitarian style with an everyday silhouette. Elsewhere, a black faux-leather pair of pants steal the show and are sure to be an absolute staple during the colder months. The brand revisits its archive, incorporating its vintage wash technique into the crewnecks and reworked corduroy jackets.

Take a look at GUESS Originals’ Fall 2022 collection. Ranging from $12 to $128 USD, GUESS Originals’ Fall 2022 collection is available on the brand’s website.