Litcore and ‘magic’ coffee

Also, is there such a thing as being too aesthetic? 20 October 2023 [View online]( / [Sign up]( Today we have stories from founders who are using their hobbies to change industries, from readers curating book libraries to home chefs making a name in the restaurant world. Plus, be careful how far you push your side hustle – featuring the Wall Street CEO/DJ. *Special thanks to our sponsor [Bright Cellars](. 01. First up: [Myosa Seoul](. With its satisfyingly minimalist interior, the dessert-focused cafe specializes in Korean treats such as blackberry rice bingsoo. 02. But maybe there’s such a thing as a cafe being too aesthetic… [Dae]( launched by artist Suea, recently decided to ban photography after too many customers (for her liking, anyway) were coming in for sometimes hours-long photoshoots. Quick pics are fine, but tripods are no longer allowed. File this under: your business, your rules. 03. Kuwait-based [Nour Almejadi]( initially got into cooking without formal training. Instead, she grew a following through the recipes she posted on social media, which led to jobs developing recipes for local restaurants (and eventually she went back to school to upskill). So when it came to opening her own cafe, [Ode Eatery]( she leaned into her inventiveness to stand out in the crowded food and beverage scene: ‘I have the flexibility of running a small operation, making it easier to constantly add new items and tweak existing items on the fly,’ she says. ‘This flexibility gives the concept a fresh edge.’ BRAND PARTNERSHIP Take the guesswork out of shopping for wine, with Bright Cellars. Just take their quick and easy seven-question wine quiz to assess your taste preferences, and they'll deliver wines you're guaranteed to enjoy, directly to your doorstep. Plus, education cards accompany each bottle so you can learn as you sip. Start your wine journey and get your first 6 bottles for just $55 ($150+ value)! [Find my perfect wine.]( 04. ‘Who knew that old books would offer an enticing career path, especially in the time of smartphones and our extremely online culture?’ says Phoebe Lovatt, who first launched [Public Library]( which features her collection of ‘mind expanding’ books, and most recently [Salon Studio]( to source unique books for homes and public spaces. Spotting a rise in interest in curated book collections, hosting book-related salons and podcasts is also part of her offering. 05. Book curation and consulting is a growing opportunity for the book obsessed. After developing a following for her aesthetically-pleasing reading-focused Instagram, [Simay Demirel]( started a service offering book rentals and sourcing for showrooms and displays (a recent client: Copenhagen’s [Another Aspect](. You can also go more niche. Creative director [Lula Ososki]( specializes in sourcing rare art books and is set up to provide curation and research services. 06. Another option: wear your book on your sleeve. Litcore – apparel featuring references to famous literature, cinema and other cultural ephemera – is the latest hobby turned status symbol. Literary journal [The Drift]( has a baseball cap referencing a 1910s socialist feminist magazine, while [Girls on Tops]( sells t-shirts with the names of influential women in cinema, like Thelma Schoonmaker (Martin Scorsese’s long-time editor, of course). 07. However, if you want to start something featuring your favorite author, proceed with caution: the Montreal brand [Minor Canon]( pulled its hats featuring famous female authors after revealing it hadn’t asked permission. BRAND PARTNERSHIP Portfolios with 5% invested in art outperform How is the average person supposed to get access to an asset that has been the exclusive domain of the ultra-rich for centuries? The answer is Masterworks, an award-winning platform for investing in fractionalized works of art. Masterworks has completed 14 exits on their artwork, all of them profitable. See important Regulation A disclosures at [masterworks.com/cd](. [Skip the waitlist.]( 08. Watch this spot space. With seemingly endless skincare product and brand launches, it’s hard to recognize a passing fad from a longer-lasting trend. But it seems bright and bold pimple patches are here to stay. Zit sticker brands such as [Starface]( have built a category around drawing playful attention to something most people wanted to hide, while [Hero Cosmetic]( patches offer ingredients that zap acne quicker than ever. 09. Could icy skincare be next? Aussie brand [Del Sol]( just sold out of its Hyaluronic Melt Kit – a concoction of four hydrating hyaluronic acid variants, which are frozen into a face sculpting tool. NYC facialist Sofie Pavitt recently launched [Nice Ice toner pods](. You stick them in the freezer and smooth over the skin to reduce puffiness. 🧊 10. We love side hustles. But there comes a time when you need to make tough decisions: play it safe by sticking to your 9 to 5, or pursue your dream and hope it works out for the best. Has [DJ David Solomon]( otherwise known as the Goldman Sachs chief executive, picked the right track? 11. Jayran Zehedi spent 15 years as a jewelry buyer for the likes of ASOS before quitting, selling everything and staying with friends and family to launch [Pawnshop]( her own line of recycled silver, gold, and vintage jewellery. While the early days – launching during a lockdown – weren’t easy, her jewelry is now a staple on editorial and celebrity photoshoots, and has done collaborations with streetwear labels such as Valé. 12. [David Suh]( grew a TikTok following of four million as the go-to guy who can teach you how to turn awkward photo poses into a confident stance (a slay, in TikTok parlance). While taking really good photos for social media may not seem like a big money maker, he's carved out a lucrative niche in premium photography: he just renovated [his photo studio]( and charges $8,000 for a coached photoshoot (prints are extra). Given [three in five]( Gen Z say they would become an influencer if given the chance, he's likely onto something. 📸 13. Something else that may have popped up on your feed: super satisfying and often physics-defying card shuffling stunts. It’s all thanks to the thriving online subculture around cardistry, an offshoot of card magic focused on impressive flourishes and tricks done with a deck of cards. Copenhagen-based [Anyone]( is the brand to watch in the space: the founders design their own decks (with impressive collabs) and produce videos that highlight emerging talent. 14. Speaking of magic – but make it coffee. Making their way out of Melbourne’s coffee scene – usually around a decade ahead of the rest of the world – ‘magic’ coffees are made when you add steamed milk to a double ristretto. They’re kind of like a sweeter flat white. And there’s a lot of excitement around whether it could be the next flat white: British supermarket chain M&S trademarked the name for use in the UK earlier this year. For anyone living in London or passing through, test it for yourself at [Courier Coffee]( now open seven days a week at 211 Hackney Road. ☕️ 15. Another grocery aisle trend: blood sugar balancing snacks. [Joy Days]( makes cookies with a low glycemic index, while[Good Idea]( (founded by one of the cofounders of Oatly) is an energy drink that doesn’t spike blood sugar. While it’s a must-have for the 415 million people with diabetes around the world, it’s also becoming an area of increasing interest for the health conscious. 16. Finally – the[perfect dish]( for your TikTok girl dinner? More from us (and elsewhere) 🎃 The true history of [pumpkin spice](. 🍰 A fun [dessert timeline](. 🤠Crocs launched cowboy boots. [Seriously](. 🍷 You can now visit [Gohar World.]( 💪 Are [heavy backpacks]( the next thing in fitness? [Advertise with us]( Drop us a line any time at [hello@couriermedia.com](mailto:hello@couriermedia.co). Update your preferences [here](. Unsubscribe [here](