Curated Letter N°20
February & March 2023 Edition
What to know, read, or listen to–edited for elegant sophistication and powerful confidence
My Dear Friends,
This Curated Letter doesn’t just follow trends—we decode them with context, style, and a pinch of subversion. Edited for elegant sophistication and powerful confidence, it’s written with a female lens—designed to ignite your power.
Sophistication does not exist without elegance and confidence. See you next month with more of both
– Yours, Harper
Bookology
Books that don’t just pass the time—they broaden your perspective, spark conversation, and occasionally inspire.
Podtails
Podcasts chosen with the same care you’d reserve for choosing a couture dress: stylish, elegant sophistication, flattering, and unique.
Mindset Meets Money
Mindset and finance
A weekly podcast in the fields of personal development and financial management. The goal is to help to understand how beliefs and habits can impact finances. And how to harness the power of a positive mindset to achieve financial freedom. Whether a novice or a seasoned investor is out to take wealth-building to the next level, this podcast provides practical advice, motivation, and insights.
Subscribe where ever you get Your podcasts
Women&Money
Personal Finance
From America’s Matriarch of Money, Suze Orman’s Women & Money podcast speaks directly to every mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, and wife. Each week, Suze will empower listeners to own the power to control their destiny and offer the chance to tap into Suze’s unique spirit, people-first wisdom, and unparalleled appreciation that for women, money itself is not the end goal; it’s the means to living a full and meaningful life.
Subscribe where ever you get Your podcasts
Poog
Uncovering the Wellness Industry
Wellness is a trillion-dollar industry full of scams and snake oil salesmen, but comedians and best friends Kate Berlant and Jacqueline Novak just can’t get enough. Join them as they try products and practices, consult healers and experts, and ask the ultimate question: is it truly wellness they’re after or just the thrill of the chase?
Subscribe where ever you get Your podcasts
Up-Scale
The ever-shifting selection of cultural cues, eyebrow-raisers, and clever global chatter—because curiosity leads to elegant sophistication
Nalanda University
Founded in the 5th Century, India’s Nalanda University is believed to be the world’s first residential university. Established more than 500 years before Oxford University, at its peak, Nalanda hosted over 10,000 students from around the world and was considered one of the greatest centres of learning in the ancient world.
The university was destroyed around the end of the 12th Century, its legendary library burnt to the ground, and much of its ancient knowledge was lost. Now, around 800 years after it was lost, the university is being relaunched for the modern age.
The most expensive cities
New York and Singapore topped the list of the most expensive cities in the world in 2022, as global prices soar by more than 8%, making the cost of living in the world’s leading cities even less affordable for ordinary people.
Although the two cities are officially the most expensive places in the world to live, Caracas, Venezuela, had the highest inflation rate of any city in 2022 at 132%, according to the Worldwide Cost of Living 2022 report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Istanbul Modern Museum
The editors of the New York Times have ranked Istanbul among the “52 places to go in 2023.” The new building, situated at the museum’s original location in Karaköy, was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, the mastermind of buildings for numerous international museums and art institutions Centre Pompidou, Whitney Museum, Centro Botín, and Beyeler Foundation Museum.
Best Ski Resorts 2022-2023
If your piste knowledge is a little rusty, Conde Nast Traveller has rounded up the best ski resorts in Europe to know about, from the classic crowd-pleasers to the more off-grid spots and where to eat and stay – from lifts to skins and snowcats.
Paris Couture Week 2023
Schiaparelli creative director Daniel Roseberry said that Dante’s Inferno inspired his collection.
Dior draws inspiration from Josephine Baker.
Chanel presented its Spring-Summer 2023 Haute Couture collection at the Grand Palais Éphémère, creative director Virginie Viard drew inspiration from the animal sculptures at Coco Chanel’s apartment.
Armani’s collection featured voluminous gowns and cropped jackets paired with ankle-grazing cigarette pants.
Viktor & Rolf`s models sashayed on the runway wearing dresses that were positioned in almost every direction — horizontal to diagonal. Their neutral-toned corset undergarments were visible.
Elie Saab’s couture show reflected royalty, opulence and grandeur. According to the fashion house, the collection, dubbed ‘A Golden Dawn,’ was inspired by the “natural scenes and rituals of the revered Kingdom of Thailand.
March Wisdom
“Don’t look for the needle in the haystack. Just buy the haystack.”
Jack Bogle, US investor and business magnate, inventor of ETFs, 1929-2019