Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1545489
P op-culture news flash; we'll soon have a new show to binge. Bret Easton Ellis' 2023 book The Shards was optioned, and the 10-episode series produced by Ryan Murphy premieres on FX and Hulu on Wednesday, August 5. Will it be good enough to be acknowledged during awards season (our favorite fashion season). Honestly, who cares, as Murphy always delivers what his audience wants: the salacious, titillating, and tantalizing. As we go to print on this issue, the trailer has yet to be released, and we've only been able to sleuth out a few details. However, I read the book when it was released, and hopefully the plot of the series will closely mirror. The novel is based in the glorious excess of the '80s and set at the epicenter of that carnal nihilism, Los Angeles. A group of jaded high schoolers at Buckley, an elite prep school, confronts issues of identity, jealousy, sex, drugs, and, equally as important, how many parties can they fit into one evening. But there's a spin: A serial killer is on the prowl, targeting teenagers. Above: Graham Campbell, Kaia Gerber, Igby Rigney, Hayes Warner, Homer Gere. Jordan Roth at opening night of Dog Day Afternoon on Broadway, March 30, 2026. OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. The Shards Le Labo In Scents Ryan Murphy's newest melodrama focuses on 1980s prep-school jadedness and a cast that understands the assignment. COURTESY FX PHOTO PHILIP ROMANO; COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. Murphy has brought together an insanely beautiful ensemble, including pretty nepo baby Kaia Gerber (progeny of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber), who likely lived her teenage years much like the characters from The Shards; the impossibly handsome Homer Gere (Richard Gere and Carey Lowell), and one of our style icons, Jordan Roth (whose parents are billionaire Steven Roth and theater producer Daryl Roth). Others portraying the moral entropy permeating the Hollywood Hills of that era include Hayes Warner and Graham Campbell. Murphy nailed two of his most recent soap opera-like shows, Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans and Love Story (chronicling the doomed JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette), and we're hopeful he accomplishes as good a watch with The Shards. The fashion. We swooned over the prowess of the costume designer behind Love Story, Rudy Mance. Carolyn's vintage '90s Calvin and Prada were so on point and period perfect. For this latest series focusing on the heady '80s, we hope to see Camp Beverly Hills, K nown for its traditional approach to crafting fragrance, Le Labo has been back in the lab, creating a new collection of incense. Kodo, or the way of incense, is a centuries- old Japanese tradition that teaches one to appreciate incense in an almost ceremonial manner, centered on creating a deeper appreciation of the moment while listening to the scent. Le Labo handcrafts each incense stick in a 12th-generation family workshop in Kyoto, using traditional techniques and carefully selected materials. The latest release includes the musky, woody Ambroxyde 17; Santal 26, a smoky, leathery scent, and Encens 9, which evokes frankincense and soft amber notes. The set includes 35 sticks, each with a burn time of about 25 minutes, and adds depth and atmosphere to your daily routine. $48, at Le Labo. Steven Hempel North Beach Leather, and Willi Smith. What would make it even better: some shopping montages where the set designers recreate iconic bastions of '80s fashion, such as Giorgio Beverly Hills, Parachute, and Maxfield. The soundtrack. If you know me at all, you know my playlist pretty much centers around '80s new wave. That said, I'm actually writing this with Bryan Ferry's "Slave to Love" playing in the background. Hopefully each episode features classics like Vanity 6's "Nasty Girl" and Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran (So Far Away)." Don't attempt to reach me on Wednesdays, as this series drops weekly. I'll be turning on my OOO — #priorities. Billy Fong 16