Sean Monahan, a Los Angeles-based writer and consultant, is perhaps best known for co-founding K-HOLE, the trend forecasting collective that gave the world normcore – a term that became both a cultural phenomenon and a punchline, as well as more recently, vibe shift and boom boom aesthetic.
Edmond Lau, meanwhile, operates from Sydney as a self-styled luxury memeologist and cultural strategist. His work explores the convergence of fashion, technology and new media.
Both are members of our SEED CLUB, so we decided to get them together to see what they had to say about what's going on with the world right now. What follows is the unfiltered exchange (with links added for context) that spans the unswaggy valley and vibe shifts to the triad of capital, dark modes, Californian ideology, globalisation aesthetics – and more. Enjoy.
Edmond Lau: hey hey
Sean Monahan: Hi guys
Protein: welcome sean welcome edmond 👋🏻it would be great if we could kick things off what you’re both working on/thinking about at the moment?
EL: I've been experimenting with vibe coding on cursor. Have been working on a 90s videogame/racing inspired art project
EL: I think it's quite ironic that the tech bros claimed that AI would spell the end of designers when it seems like AI is instead lowering the barriers for devs too. So perhaps simply the old thesis holds true – AI will replace us all
EL: I've also been reading Tony Tulathimutte's 'rejection' – it's so deeply uncomfortable to read but I can't stop. It's very 'of the time'
EL: oh, and also I'm going to new york next week so I've been stalking people's following list on instagram to find out where they go to eat/drink
EL: finally....been thinking about 'the unswaggy valley' a lot – and how easy it is to say 'trends don't matter, just wear what you like' but harder to practice when what you like is being clowned left and right
SM: I’m in Paris right now. Enjoying the weather immensely. After years in Los Angeles, I’ve remembered how good seasons are for productivity. What have I been thinking about…
Protein AGENCY provides insight, foresight and strategy for global brands that's rooted in culture and the collective knowledge of SEED CLUB - our decentralised research community of 450+ global experts.
