For years, brands have chased polish and precision. Instagram feeds were grids of perfection; campaigns were rehearsed spectacles. Now, some are testing a different approach. Substack, the newsletter platform best known for independent writers, is becoming a space for brands to experiment with voice, immediacy – and, increasingly, a bit of mess.

i‑D, the fashion and culture magazine recently acquired by Karlie Kloss’s Bedford Media, has just joined the platform. Its inaugural post promises subscribers “a one-way ticket into the i-D hive mind (be careful), including exclusive columns by our team, live group chats and premium shitposts straight from our own phones.”

The message is clear: this is a space for direct, sometimes messy communication, where formality is less important than immediacy.