Before it's obvious. Five culture stories, under five minutes, five days a week. For innovators shaping brand, marketing and strategy.

Monday 7 September 2026 · Ep 195 · Curated by Mike Litman

Kith marks the 1996 Yankees with planters, rugs and teddy bears

Listen to this edition

0:00

Follow so tomorrow's arrives by itself Spotify Apple Podcasts

New here? A quick rating in Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps other innovators find it.

In this episode

1Fashion and Style

Kith marks the 1996 Yankees' 30th anniversary with a planter, rugs and a teddy bear

Kith's 30th anniversary collection for the 1996 Yankees does not sell sportswear. It sells a planter, a teddy bear, rugs.

Why it mattersIt takes sport licensing from apparel into the home. Kith has done this before, which suggests it sees a lasting market.

Via Hypebeast

On our radar beforeKith has now come up in 9 of our 195 episodes. First: Ep 48, 13 Apr. Latest: Ep 176, 19 Aug. Every episode on Kith.

Four more signals

2Tech and Digital

A $70 e-reader is beating Silicon Valley on product logic.

Why it mattersA cheap e-reader winning on simplicity suggests hardware is being sold on subtraction rather than feature count.

Via The Atlantic

3Lifestyle and Taste

Malin + Goetz posts double-digit growth on the tomato scent it launched in 2020.

Why it mattersTomato fragrance has outlasted its trend moment, rewarding the brands that stayed disciplined while others chased the next thing.

Via Glossy

4Culture and Ideas

AI wiped out 40,000 Nairobi knowledge jobs.

Why it mattersAI's removal of 40,000 Nairobi knowledge jobs shows how quickly the distributed gig work behind content and service can be replaced.

Via Techmeme

5Brand and Business

Chinese EV makers are pivoting to humanoid robots. Industrial platforms are chasing consumer identity.

Why it mattersWestern robotics and consumer tech brands have a narrowing window before Chinese EV makers, with their proven cost discipline, define the category price point.

Via South China Morning Post

What it means

Nostalgia found a new address. It moved into the home.

Kith turning 1996 Yankees history into planters and rugs, a $70 e-reader winning on simplicity and tomato fragrance outlasting its trend moment all favour permanence over novelty. The appetite is for depth rather than launch energy. Brands built on one specific thing held for a long time are gaining ground on those chasing the next thing.

One to watch