july favorites
my favorite moments, content creators, brands, and music this month.
this might be the most monumental month of my 2025. the 1st of July marked my 7 years in los angeles. every time this anniversary comes around, though very grateful for my experiences, i’m always shocked by my continuation. because of my community, i get to keep going. i get to experience joy in this city, some of which i’ll tell you about below!
before we get there, one major life change: i quit my job at kar creative. if you know me, you that know i was really excited about this role - i‘ve spent 4+ years working up to this point in my career so walking away from being a social media manager wasn’t easy. that being said, i flexed some familiar muscles by honoring my needs. i’m more than ready to take a break from being chronically online and i’m looking forward to creating space to reconnect with myself. i have a few projects that i want to work on, this being one of them, and i’m excited to dedicate more of myself to myself.
i don’t know what’s next for me in terms of social, but i think the intersection between marketing and creative will always excite me, so i’m very curious to see where i’ll go from here.
that’s generally where i’m at. onto my favorites of the month!
my favorite moments
7YLA — as i mentioned, the 1st of july marked 7 years in los angeles. i feel like 7 means a lot to a lot of people. it doesn’t mean much to me in terms of luck or spirituality (8 has always been my number), but it’s not lost on me that making it in this city is an accomplishment. here’s a video i made to time stamp and commemorate this season of my my life in LA.
Jack’s Latest Piece — jack dropped his latest painting, Fine Ass Girls Going Out Tonight. having conversations with jack about showing up online has been helpful for me as i navigate my relationship to social. talking through strategy and world building with the removal of due dates, deadlines, and dollar signs made the experience freeing and fruitful. back to the painting, i’m forever floored by jack’s ability to bring glassware to life through oil on wood. the way he plays with reflection and lighting makes me feel like i’m nestled in the coziest of spaces, warm and safe, even with the premise of the piece leaning into the idea of nightlife.
Danny’s Dinner Party — danny hosted a gorgeous dinner party in our backyard. a few close friends wandered over as we were in the midst of preparing - it was nice to be seen as a unit organizing something special. joe designed an arrangement with stems that we hand selected with the help of the florists at Floral Art by Mia. we enjoyed bucatini with a homemade cashew-based sauce courtesy of danny, a light and refreshing salad tossed by ray and ale, some chocolate covered harry’s berries that i prepared, paired with wine from Angeleno Wine Co. that jack picked up. we managed to enjoy the meal with only a few mosquito bites, huge win! back in the house, we paired jack’s peach cobbler with some vanilla ice cream and garnished with mint leaves form the garden.
Los Fleaz — jack and i were on the bill for los fleaz alongside HUNY XO, and we played 2 sets! it was an energetically charged experience. the tension of being seen trying, the process of hand selecting tracks, prepping and designing a set - it was all very thrilling. if you missed it, don’t you worry - we’re resident djs! follow @losfleaz on instagram and we’ll see you at the next fleaz. if we don’t see you, i hope you’re in total alignment.
creators i’m loving:
@kalxsha / @thelabisalive — lately, i’ve been obsessed with kalesha madlani, creator of the lab. she is a creative strategist with extensive experience working in the music industry. kalesha launched her podcast this month and i’m hooked. naturally, i started to dig for more of her content and came across a very fun episode of nicky at night with nicky reardon (@nicky.reardon) that she was featured on where they dive into music marketing and world building - if you’re a music nerd, aspiring a&r or artist manager, i highly recommend! as i’m redefining what the future of my career will look like, i’m taking immense inspiration from kalesha and her work with the lab!
@chloeeshel — chloe and i met on a zoom call a few months ago when we ended up working on a brand project together. soon after, we ran into each other irl at my friends cafe in virgil village, good friend coffee, and exchanged info. since then, we’ve done a few content days together and it’s been really nice to create for creation sake. she’s been a major advocate of my creative work, and has shown me endless support in my decision to take a break from social. chloe has a deep understanding for brand world building, how to leverage aspirational content through influencer activations, and build communities for brands online. she’s working with a really fun beverage brand that i think you should check out! more on that later.
@ayanna_cooks / @the_apartmentcafe — ayanna joined the KAR Creative team back in may. when we met, i was immediately energized by her - ayanna loves social, is great at storytelling and community building, and is so fun to work alongside. she recently kicked off her new side project, the apartment cafe, a monthly community event hosted by her as a way to make new friends in nyc. if i wasn’t being financially conservative (i did just quit my job so…), i’d have an east coast flight booked to make it to the next one. if you are based in new york, consider checking it out!
brands to keep an eye on:
@drinkbeergirl — beer girl is the cutest beer brand to ever exist. you think i’m joking? check out their branding. my friend chloe has been managing their instagram and she’s poured so much life into their online space. recently, they’ve partnered with a handful of brands and have co-hosted community events in los anegles. if that’s your thing, you should consider giving them a follow so you don’t miss the next one! aside form the branding and irl activations, the beer is actually so nice. my roommates and i recently enjoyed some on a 7pm evening, windows open, summer heat fading, billie marten playing in the background. it tastes like stella’s younger cousin - refreshing and light. and i didn’t even feel bloated after drinking! it was a divine experience.
@cosa__ceramica — if you know me, you know i’m almost exclusively drinking from a ceramic mug/cup, most of which have been made by @karinablackk, the creative genius behind COSA. one of my favorite drinking glasses is the ripple cup. I don’t think those are available at this time, but karina recently launched a restock of some other handmade goodies - check it out on the COSA website. and if you’re in los angeles, COSA is opening up in virgil village this summer! if you’re curious about COSA’s opening, karina has been sharing her journey on social!
favorites in music:
billie marten / dog eared — billie marten dropped some new easy listening ear candy with her fifth full length album, dog eared. it’s a new release so I’m still getting to know it, but i will say it sounds like the billie marten i know and love. my initial thoughts on when to play this album - 1pm at a cafe, when making a colorful salad at home on a summer afternoon, or when going for a drive to the beach on a lazy sunday. it’s the perfect soundtrack to any of those experiences, and likely many more! karina and i have tickets to see her in san francisco at the end of the summer, and i’m very excited to be serenaded.
kevin abstract + friends / blush — i’ve been listening to a few tracks from this project. because of the place i’m in sonically (which is either softer acoustic contemplative alternative or heavy experimental electronic pc music), much of the album hasn’t grabbed me. the one’s that have feature dominic fike, maroon, doggy, and geezer. i will say, based on the interviews i’ve seen and the way KA has described the concept of blush, i am intrigued and ultimately love the way that community and non-commitment is at the core of what blush is. two interviews that break it down: Kevin + friends on Zach Sang Show and 10 Minutes with Kevin Abstract.
new blood orange — dev hynes has released a few blood orange singles ahead of the late august release of essex honey. the track i have on repeat is “the field” featuring many talents, including one of my favorite girls, caroline polachek. her reverberated vocal hauntingly wailing “sing to me, in the heat of the sun / sing to me, when the day is done” makes me feel so many things. warm, existential, and contemplative all at once? incredible work.
justin bieber / swag — and of course, swag. unoriginally, i think it’s really very good, with the exception of the druski interludes. it’s so nice to have new jb, and the praise from former and new fans is well deserved imo.
transparently, i haven’t listened to too much else aside from that. in preparation for my los fleaz set, i was doing a lot of digging, purchasing, and practicing. i’ll link a few of my favorite remixes that i played at the party below:
lastly, i’ll leave you with a playlist of my july favorites below.
if you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading and for supporting. i’m still fine tuning cadence, content, and much more for this space, but if there’s anything you’d like to hear more about, i’m all ears! send me a message on instagram (linked below) and follow for more. :)
lovu!
charron
july favorites (apple music) / july favorites (spotify)
