Deep Read with Phoebe Lovatt

Zoe Dubno is the author of Happiness and Love – a buzzy new novel set inside the decadent but spiritually empty downtown New York art world, where artists, collectors, and social climbers circle each other in pursuit of status and survival.

Our chat that moves between New York and London, artists and patrons, boredom and desire. We also covered the performance of taste, the emotional cost of ambition, and what it means to live inside a culture that rewards image over substance. And, of course, Zoe shared some of her favourite books.

I hope you enjoy the conversation.

-

@phoebelovatt

@deepread.phoebelovatt

@zoedubno

phoebe.substack.com

Deep Reading Lists can be found at phoebe.substack.com

@phoebelovatt

@deepread.phoebelovatt

@sueperchan

@careofchan

-

Today's guest is Sue Chan, founder of Care of Chan, the hospitality-driven creative agency behind some of the busiest events, dinners and cultural moments you've seen online (or maybe even been lucky enough to attend in person). Sue and I first met over a decade ago back when she was transitioning out of her role as brand director at iconic New York City restaurant Momofuku and beginning to build what would eventually become Care of Chan.

 

Since then, the world and the way we come together has completely transformed. We talk about that transformation, the loneliness epidemic, the rise of the event economy, and the way in-person experiences have become the new status symbol when so much of our culture is mediated through screens. From influencer trips that break the internet, to why a good dinner can feel more radical than ever, to the psychological barriers that stop so many people reaching out.

Find Deep Reading lists for each episode at phoebe.substack.com

Follow Phoebe and the podcast: @phoebelovatt @deepread.podcast

-

Today's episode was recorded live in London as part of our Deep Read Salon event series, with my longtime friend and returning guest, Sharmadean Reid (@sharmadeanreid).

 

We reunited for this live episode at Mason & Fifth in West London, where Sharma was hosting a pop-up for her new luxury bathing brand, 39BC (@39bc.world). As a master of what the internet loves to call “worldbuilding,” Sharma has created an entire universe around this brand — drawing on ancient bathing rituals from around the world to build something really special and unique.

 

It felt like the perfect moment to ask her more about her reading and research process, the evolution of her business philosophy, and the personal and professional transitions that have brought her into this new era of her life and career.

 

Sharma and I have loved talking to each other for over 15 years now, and I think you can hear that in this conversation. I hope you enjoy it.

DEEP READING LISTS are available at phoebe.substack.com

Sofie Pavitt is one of New York’s most in-demand facialists and the founder of Sofie Pavitt Face.

If you’re considering a career pivot, this episode will hopefully inspire you. After fifteen years working in fashion for brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, River Island, Gap, and Michael Kors, Sofie left her corporate job, retrained as an esthetician, and built a business from scratch — one client and one facial at a time.

 

This is a fun, business-focussed interview that explores the nuts of bolds of launching a skincare brand from scratch. Sofie shares how she transitioned from designer to entrepreneur, the reality of building a brand in the age of social media, and why her mission is to make effective skincare accessible and uncomplicated. We also talk about work ethic, motherhood, beauty standards, and what it means to build something that lasts in a culture obsessed with the new.

-

@phoebelovatt

@deepread.phoebelovatt

@sofiepavitt

Deep Reading lists for each episode can be found at phoebe.substack.com

-

Today's conversation is with Sophie Bishop, an associate professor at the University of Leeds, whose new book Influencer Creep: How Optimization, Authenticity and Self-Branding Transform Creative Culture is out now.

Sophie shares how her early work on beauty bloggers led her to coin the phrase “influencer creep,” why artists now face the same anxieties as influencers about constant visibility, and how these dynamics connect to broader questions about labour rights, AI, and the future of cultural work.

-

@phoebelovatt

@deepread.phoebelovatt