👁️ Lines of Sight: Who’s Watching, Who’s Evolving, and Who’s Still Catching Up
Markus Davis, the Art Market’s Transparency Crisis, Kering’s Regenerative Fund, the Latin Grammys
Markus Davis grew up styling himself before styling stars. Today, his vision for PARTYNEXTDOOR blends 90s R&B nostalgia with cinematic scale, reshaping what a tour look can do. In the art world, the latest global survey confirmed what collectors have long whispered: opacity repels. 69% say they’ve walked away from a piece because they couldn’t see the price. The message is clear: visibility and transparency shapes participation. And participation, in any market, shapes power.
Meanwhile, Kering’s Regenerative Fund crossed 1.1 million hectares and opened its doors to smaller brands, proving that collaboration, not consolidation, might be the industry’s best lever for impact. And at the Latin Grammy Foundation’s Scholarship Ceremony, a new class of musicians stepped into the spotlight, with a centennial nod to Celia Cruz reminding us how legacy expands through investment, not just reverence.
🖤 Markus Davis: The Man Behind the Moodboard
As PARTYNEXTDOOR returns to the stage for his long-awaited tour with Drake, one detail remains constant through every visual shift: the styling. From sold-out venues to cinematic music videos, the man shaping PND’s fashion identity is Raleigh-born, LA-based stylist Markus Davis: a name now synonymous with precision, presence, and the power of image.
Markus didn’t arrive in this industry through shortcuts. He cut his teeth in retail before making the leap to Los Angeles in 2023, chasing a vision shaped by ’90s R&B and personal tenacity. His first project with PND, styling the Resentment video in October 2023, marked a shift. From there, the blueprint was undeniable. A Billboard cover in February 2024. Visuals for Real Woman and For Certain. Full tour styling across North America, Europe, Australia, F1 Saudi Arabia, and now again with PND and Drake on their current run.
Each look carries unmistakable cues: sleek leathers, clean lines, and cinematic restraint. Markus builds his worlds from texture and tone, evoking icons like Jodeci while making each fit unmistakably modern. His vision channels confidence and commands attention.
"To me, a memorable fashion look tells a story, channels confidence & commands attention."
— Markus Davis
His touch extends far beyond tour wardrobes. Whether he's curating a Balenciaga neon for the stage or draping PND in all-black Hilary Olson for an emotional closer, Markus is turning artist styling into cultural authorship. By dressing moments, he’s designing memory.
And today, we celebrate the man behind that work. Happy Birthday Markus 🖤
Here’s to the stories still to be styled.
💡 The Value Gap: Transparency, Trust, and the Future of Art Collecting
Earlier this year, Artsy surveyed over 1,600 gallerists and collectors across more than 60 countries. One finding stood out: trust depends on clarity.
69% of collectors said they’ve hesitated to buy art due to a lack of transparency.
Only 5% believe the market is fully transparent on factors like pricing, provenance, and availability.
60% said greater pricing visibility and transparency would make collecting easier.
These numbers reveal friction in the current system. Information remains one of the most powerful levers in any collector’s decision-making. And when it’s missing, the relationship between audience and institution weakens.
Many galleries understand this. Artsy found that over 60% of galleries acknowledged transparency as a key priority for their clients. But fewer than half display pricing publicly. The result: interest without action.
Data confirms what many already sense: artworks with visible prices are six times more likely to sell than those without. Clarity supports conversion. But the impact extends beyond the moment of sale. Visibility also builds context, continuity, and confidence.
At Memora, we’re building tools that reflect these needs. Our approach includes provenance, pricing history, contextual insights, and relevance cues: features designed to serve both new and seasoned collectors. When context is clear, participation expands, markets move faster, and trust compounds.
Only 17% of collectors in the survey said they feel the art market truly reflects their needs. The path forward doesn’t require overhauling the core, it requires better infrastructure to support discovery, connection, and engagement.
The systems that grow this market will be the ones that offer understanding, and make transparency a precondition. The gap might be visible, but so is the opportunity.
🌱 The Ground Game: How Fashion’s Regenerative Future Is Taking Root
The Regenerative Fund for Nature, launched by Kering and Conservation International and later joined by Inditex, has now enrolled over 1.1 million hectares of farmland into regenerative agriculture projects across eight countries. From cotton and wool to leather and cashmere, the mission is material: restore soil health, strengthen ecosystems, and protect producer livelihoods while transforming the raw materials at the foundation of fashion.
To broaden its reach, the fund introduced new partnership tiers. The original entry point remains $3 million over three years, but brands can now join for as little as $200,000 annually or via project-specific contributions, lowering the barrier to entry and widening the circle of responsibility.
The projects vary by terrain but share a common strategy: deepen local knowledge, shift economic incentives, and track outcomes with scientific precision. In Argentina, merino herders protecting endangered species now earn a 15% premium. In India, female cotton farmers have gained organic certification, local procurement hubs, and price guarantees. In Uganda, the focus is on rebuilding soil and limiting wildlife conflict. In Mongolia, nomadic herders are using satellite data to manage grazing. Across these efforts, regeneration is being tested as both theory and practice.
To measure results, the fund has introduced new performance frameworks aligned with the Science-Based Targets Network. Brands are now given clearer insight into the specific impact of their participation, a move toward accountability that feels more essential than optional in a post-greenwashing landscape.
Because here’s the tension: it’s easy to celebrate supply chain reform, harder to ensure it scales with rigor. The real shift won’t come from pledges, it will come from shared systems, transparent metrics, and money moving with intention. If luxury wants to claim a regenerative future, the proof won’t be in promises. It will be in the hectares.
🎶 Latin Legacy in Motion: The Latin GRAMMY Foundation, Celia Cruz, and a Centennial That Calls Forward
On August 13th, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation will host its 2025 Scholarship Ceremony at the Knight Center for Music Innovation in Miami. The evening will honor emerging talent across the Americas, awarding full scholarships, including the Warner Music Latina Scholarship, to students pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Berklee College of Music. This year’s recipients will also gain mentorship and continued development opportunities through the Foundation’s wraparound services.
The timing adds weight. 2025 marks the centennial of Celia Cruz, a cultural anchor whose influence remains vivid across Latin music and beyond. Her voice, image, and energy continue to animate both archives and new releases. Cruz’s legacy has been featured throughout the year in museum exhibitions, media retrospectives, and editorial tributes, including a centennial highlight reel by the Latin Recording Academy.
This year’s ceremony features a performance by Venezuelan singer-songwriter Elena Rose, whose blend of pop, R&B, and reggaetón reflects the changing sonic landscape of Latin music. Her signing with Warner Music Latina signals a generational shift toward hybrid identities and multilingual expression.
Since its founding in 2014, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has awarded more than $10 million in scholarships, instruments, and education programs. Its impact has extended from conservatories to home studios, strengthening the infrastructure of Latin music through direct investment. This year’s event reflects an ongoing strategy: supporting the voices shaping the future while grounding that work in cultural memory.
📖 Top Reads of the Week
Thanks for following along. We’ll be back next week with more on how influence moves: through material, through mentorship, and through the systems that define access.
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