Earlier today, Phoebe Gates swung by the VF office to tell us about her new AI-powered shopping app, Phia. It was good timing—the app, which she cofounded with Sophia Kianni, is having quite the week. On Monday, they announced that they’d raised $35.5 million in funding.
The announcement made a splash online, not only for that number. “It was the list Phia posted on Instagram confirming its investors,” Vanity Fair’s Elise Taylor writes. “Gates and Kianni shared them on a graphic resembling a Coachella lineup, with household names like Khloé Kardashian and Alix Earle big and bold up top, and less recognizable names at the bottom.”
The list is so long and varied that you would be forgiven for not knowing who each of these people are. Elise wrote a handy guide for you to understand who’s who within this motley crew.
Elsewhere, what’s going on with Patagonia and Pattie Gonia, Mark McKinnon on how James Talarico could take Texas, and what Jill Biden’s new memoir reveals about her relationship with Melania Trump. |
LINDSEY UNDERWOOD,
SENIOR EDITOR |
The AI-powered shopping app (founded by Bill Gates’s daughter) named investors like Khloé Kardashian, Sydney Sweeney, and…a former Bachelorette? |
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A seemingly standard trademark-infringement lawsuit has developed into a public spectacle being judged by social media users. |
A veteran Lone Star State strategist forecasts a midterm win for Democrat James Talarico, believing political winds could swing deep red Texas blue. |
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From launching the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man to bringing audiences into the worlds of Chef, The Mandalorian, and Elf, the Emmy winner offers an in-depth look at the filmmaking process behind some of his most beloved projects.
Ahead, watch as Favreau breaks down his approach to directing, storytelling, casting, world-building, and collaboration, sharing insights from decades of work across film and television—including what it was like filming Elf in a post-9/11 New York City. From blockbuster franchises to personal passion projects, this is Jon Favreau’s definitive look back at the career that helped shape modern entertainment. |
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