The Mall Gala

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Happy Thursday, Future Party. Yesterday, one of TV’s true titans passed away at the age of 87 — Ted Turner. Over the course of his decades-long career, he helped create pay TV, founded CNN, and — for better or worse — introduced the concept of the 24-hour news cycle. At one point, he was the largest shareholder in Time Warner and the second-largest private landowner in all of America. Talk about a legacy.

Mall brands ZARA and Gap not only made appearances at this year’s Met Gala, but were also behind two of the event’s most talked-about outfits.

Why It Hits: Who can afford Met Gala tickets — and spend lavishly dressing celebrities — says a lot about who’s thriving in fashion right now. Over the past year, iconic labels like Gucci and Dior have seen sales sputter, while mall brands — yes, including ZARA and Gap — have surged in popularity as they work to elevate their offerings and attract high-profile designers.

Behind The Style: Will the Met soon get a clearance rack?

Last Looks: While ZARA and Gap aren’t the first mall brands to pop up at the Met Gala, it’s significant just how much their designs turned heads… which could change how consumers perceive both brands. And that’s exactly the point.

Posen has noted that Gap has a long, underappreciated history of appearing at major fashion events — including the now-iconic moment when Sharon Stone wore a black Gap shirt to the Oscars in 1996. He’s also floated the idea of adapting Kendall Jenner’s Met Gala look into a consumer-ready top.

Meanwhile, Bad Bunny has been on a ZARA kick this year, first wearing the brand during his Super Bowl halftime show. Interestingly, some eagle-eyed fans even believe the artist may be teasing a partnership with the retailer to launch his own fashion label, “Benito Antonio.” Stay tuned.

Next Red Carpet: We may be entering the most extreme era yet of turning runway looks into consumer products, with one-of-a-kind red carpet designs being adapted for the average mall shopper. That could spark even greater interest in who’s wearing what at major events.

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Several new reports suggest that dating is becoming increasingly unaffordable for the average single American.

Why It Hurts: Dating in America has earned a bad rap over the past decade, fueled by the general failure of dating apps, rising social isolation, and now the growing costs of courtship. With the US facing a government-recognized loneliness epidemic, not being able to afford taking someone out to dinner may be a low-key national emergency.

Behind The Check: A dozen roses? In this economy?!

Last Stop: Courtship isn’t supposed to be a luxury line item, but the economics are starting to make it feel that way… and reshaping what dating looks like in the process. Farnoosh Torabi, financial analyst and host of the So Money podcast, told Wired that budgeting for dating “makes it more intentional, but it can also make dating more limited and more unequal.”

That dynamic has led some women to prioritize relationships that offer immediate financial security, while pushing some men to put the idea of finding a partner on hold altogether — trends that could ripple across entertainment, dining, travel, and everything in between.

Next Relationship: Organized, IRL dating events are already back in vogue, which could lead forward-thinking brands to create “dating” loyalty programs that make nights out more affordable and repeatable — essentially a dressed-up version of Groupon.

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30.6% of you voted Already been to concerts in yesterday’s poll: What’s your concert status for 2026?

“Boys Like Girls’ The Soundtrack of Your Life Tour was amazing! And I have tickets to see Alex Warren, Yellowcard, and Hilary Duff.”

“Season subscriber to Detroit Symphony Orchestra going on three decades. Live music is the best.”

“My area has a lot of free or really cheap concerts in the summer. They aren’t big-name acts, but they’re fun. I usually end up going to a few.”

“I’ve been to a couple — mostly for older acts that might not be around to perform much longer. But the ticket prices make me cry.”

“Gotta put gas in my car instead of entertainment.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join Poll Of The Day, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🎸 Sony Music is reportedly paying Blackstone roughly $4 billion for Recognition Music Group, which owns the catalogs of superstars like Justin Bieber and Neil Young.

🎮 Gaming-focused VC Griffin Gaming Partners is launching a $100 million fund dedicated to investing in indie game titles.

🎥 Netflix has struck a deal with Train Dreams filmmakers Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar to develop projects from talent discovered at film festivals and film schools.

🚀 After merging with xAI, SpaceX will now officially be called… SpaceXAI. High five to all the consultants on this one.

🛰️ Speaking of SpaceX SpaceXAI, the company has struck a deal with Anthropic to provide the AI startup with 300 megawatts of computing power… possibly powered by an orbital data center.

🤖 Open-source AI platform Hugging Face debuted an app store focused on robotics models.

👔 Tanya Cohen is exiting her role as a partner at Range Media Partners to join creator-economy studio Made By Us Studios as co-CEO.

🪧 TikTok is letting advertisers post on more than the platform — they can now stream to billboards.

🫐 TikTok is pausing its AI summary feature after it reportedly described Charli D’Amelio as “a collection of various blueberries with different toppings.” Incredible.