Television has long served as a mirror reflecting societal values. However, some programs do more than simply reflect reality. They actively change it. For decades, discussions surrounding female pleasure were relegated to whispers behind closed doors or completely ignored. It took bold storytelling and unapologetic protagonists to break this silence. By placing female intimacy at the forefront of pop culture, television has dismantled taboos and transformed how society approaches relationships and personal wellness. Today, viewers enjoy a landscape where personal exploration is celebrated.
A Watershed Moment for Mainstream Wellness
The late 1990s and early 2000s marked a definitive turning point for female representation on screen. Shows began featuring independent women who spoke openly about their desires, frustrations, and physical autonomy, challenging the historical norm where such topics were either censored or heavily stigmatised. One of the most significant cultural milestones occurred when television narratives started treating sexual wellness products not as shameful secrets, but as standard, healthy aspects of a modern lifestyle.
This normalisation led to a massive shift in consumer behaviour and societal acceptance. Suddenly, women felt empowered to explore their pleasure without the heavy burden of judgement. It was during this pioneering era that specific wellness devices transitioned into cultural touchstones. Even today, the legacy of these foundational episodes lives on as consumers continue to seek out the best rabbit vibrators and similar tools. People now view these items as essential components of holistic self-care rather than taboo novelties meant to be hidden away.
The Tangible Impact of Media Representation
This cultural shift is not just anecdotal. It is backed by robust sociological research. The stories we consume have a profound, measurable effect on what we consider normal or acceptable in our daily lives. When television depicts diverse, realistic approaches to intimacy, it gives viewers a critical framework to process their own experiences and dismantle inherited shame.
Sociological research published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information confirms that popular media plays a highly influential role in reshaping societal stigmas. The comprehensive study found that nearly 19 percent (specifically 18.9 percent) of conversations regarding sexual stigma explicitly cited media as a primary influencing factor. This compelling data demonstrates that representation on screen actively shapes public attitudes toward sexual wellness and personal identity. By moving these topics from the fringe to prime time, networks have effectively provided an essential service in public health and mental wellbeing, fostering an environment where open dialogue is encouraged.
How Modern Television Fosters Empathy and Openness
While early pioneering shows walked so modern television could run, today’s series have evolved the conversation significantly. Contemporary writers and directors are pushing far beyond the initial shock value of discussing sex openly. Instead, they are deeply exploring the emotional complexities, awkwardness, and vulnerability that universally accompany human intimacy.
Shows now tackle critical themes like consent and physiological challenges with a liberating honesty that encourages genuine empathy. As noted in a deep dive into what ‘Sex Education’ teaches us about adolescence, modern television treats sexual vulnerabilities with a non-judgemental openness rather than reducing them to a simple comedic punchline. Characters are allowed to be flawed, curious, and authentic.
This progressive storytelling approach has cultivated several positive cultural outcomes:
De-stigmatising communication: Viewers are given the necessary vocabulary to communicate their boundaries, expectations, and desires effectively with partners.
Removing shame from exploration: By seeing relatable, multi-dimensional characters navigate their own intimacy journeys, audiences feel much less isolated in their personal experiences.
Elevating the wellness industry: The depiction of intimate products as standard lifestyle items has driven the market to focus heavily on high-quality, body-safe designs and inclusive marketing.
Promoting inclusivity: Storylines now regularly highlight the unique experiences of marginalised groups, ensuring a much broader spectrum of viewers feel seen, understood, and validated.
Looking Forward: The Continued Evolution of Screen Intimacy
The journey from hushed taboo to mainstream conversation has been decades in the making. As streaming platforms continue to champion diverse creators and bold narratives, the cultural dialogue around female pleasure will only grow more nuanced. Television has proven itself to be much more than simple escapism; it is a powerful catalyst for positive social evolution. By continually challenging outdated norms and embracing the full spectrum of human intimacy, modern media ensures the conversation surrounding sexual wellness remains progressive. Ultimately, these ongoing narrative shifts guarantee an educational and empowering environment for all viewers.
Designers and developers often face challenges when collaborating on projects, particularly when it comes to converting design concepts into functional, production-ready code. The process of translating UI designs into code can be time-consuming, error-prone, and repetitive, leading to inefficiencies and delays in the development process. Additionally, maintaining design consistency across multiple files and platforms can further complicate the workflow, especially in large-scale projects.
Kie.ai’s GPT-5.4 Codex API simplifies this process by automating the design-to-code workflow. It seamlessly integrates design files, images, and text inputs to generate accurate UI code, optimize interfaces, and ensure consistency. By reducing manual work, Kie.ai allows designers and developers to focus on what they do best: creating, building, and improving user experiences—while accelerating the development timeline and boosting collaboration.
Key Features of GPT-5.4 Codex API for Designers and Developers
Long-Context Support for Large-Scale Projects
One of the most powerful features of Kie.ai’s GPT-5.4 Codex API is its ability to handle long-context processing of up to 1 million tokens. This means the API can effectively manage and understand large codebases or complete project structures, maintaining consistency across complex development scenarios. Whether you’re working on a large enterprise application or a multi-page web project,Codex API ensures that changes made in one part of the project are seamlessly reflected throughout the entire codebase, improving workflow efficiency and reducing the chances of inconsistency.
Enhanced Front-End Development: UI Code Generation and Page Logic
The GPT-5.4 Codex API significantly boosts front-end development by automating UI code generation. Whether it’s generating HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, the API can translate design files or visual assets into production-ready code. Additionally, it handles page logic, ensuring smooth interactivity between page elements such as forms, buttons, and navigation. This feature is particularly useful for designers and developers working together, as it accelerates the design-to-code process, reduces manual coding efforts, and improves overall code quality.
Integrating External Tools to Streamline Development Workflows
Codex API allows seamless integration with external tools within your development workflow. This means that you can automatically trigger tasks such as code refactoring, building, and testing, all from within the same platform. By incorporating external tools like CI/CD pipelines or web search functionalities, developers can fully automate their processes, saving time and reducing human error. This integration results in a more efficient development cycle and allows teams to focus on higher-level tasks like feature development and user experience improvements.
Multi-Modal Input for Increased Development Efficiency
The multi-modal input capability of Codex API is a game-changer for developers and designers. By allowing the integration of text, images, and files, the API can process a wide variety of inputs. Designers can upload design drafts, screenshots, or documentation, and the API will generate or modify the corresponding UI code based on these visual cues. This feature drastically increases development efficiency, enabling teams to work faster and with fewer errors, as it eliminates the need for manual interpretation of designs into code.
Why Choose Kie.ai for Design-to-Code Solution?
Support for GPT‑5 Through GPT‑5.4 Codex API Models
Kie.ai offers access to a range of Codex API models, including both GPT‑5 to GPT‑5.4 Codex API options, enabling developers to choose the best model for their workload. This flexibility allows teams to start with more accessible versions like GPT‑5 for standard coding tasks and scale up to Codex API for advanced design‑to‑code automation, long‑context processing, and complex workflows. Having multiple versions available under one platform means your projects can evolve without switching services or dealing with fragmented tooling.
Affordable GPT-5.4 Codex API Pricing
One of the standout benefits of using Kie.ai’s GPT-5.4 Codex API is its affordable pricing. Compared to official pricing, Kie.ai offers a significant discount: Input 1M tokens costs approximately $0.70 and Output 1M tokens is around $5.60, both approximately 60% cheaper than standard rates. Additionally, high-tier top-ups provide a +10% bonus, effectively reducing the price to $0.636 for input and $5.09 for output per 1M tokens. This cost-effective model allows developers and businesses of all sizes to integrate design-to-code automation without breaking the budget.
Comprehensive API Documentation and Support
Kie.ai provides detailed API documentation, which makes it easier for developers to get started with the Codex API. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, the clear guidelines, examples, and best practices ensure smooth integration into your projects. In addition, technical support is readily available, ensuring that any issues or questions are addressed promptly, allowing developers to stay focused on their core tasks.
Enhanced Security with API Key Whitelisting and Usage Restrictions
Kie.ai enhances security and control over your API usage by offering whitelisting for API keys. This means only authorized users can access the Codex API, providing an additional layer of protection for sensitive data and code. Furthermore, businesses can set usage limits for the API, helping to prevent unexpected overages and maintain predictable costs throughout the development process. This makes Kie.ai a reliable and secure solution for enterprises and development teams that require control over access and usage.
How to Use GPT‑5.4 Codex API in Design and Development Workflows
Step 1: Set Up Your Kie.ai Account and Retrieve Your API Key
Begin by creating an account on Kie.ai and obtaining your unique API key. This key is required to authenticate every request to the GPT‑5.4 Codex API and ensures secure communication between your systems and the API. Once you have the key, you can configure your development environment to include it in request headers, allowing you to call the API from your codebase or automation scripts with confidence.
Step 2: Prepare and Submit Multi‑Modal Inputs
After obtaining your API key, structure the data you want to send to the Codex API. The API supports multi‑modal input, meaning you can include a combination of text, images, and design files in a single request. This flexibility allows both designers and developers to upload wireframes, screenshots, or descriptive text that reflects the intended UI or logic, enabling the API to generate or modify code based on these diverse inputs.
Step 3: Choose Your Response Behavior and Tool Options
Next, configure how you want the API to respond. You can select whether the output should stream in real time or return as a complete result after processing. Options such as reasoning effort settings allow you to control how much analytical depth the model applies to the task, balancing speed and detail. Additionally, you can integrate external tools in your requests to extend workflow automation — for example, triggering web search or invoking custom functions as part of the generation process.
Step 4: Handle and Integrate the Output in Your Workflow
Once the GPT‑5.4 Codex API processes your request, it will return the generated content — including generated UI code, logic modifications, or other structured outputs based on your inputs. You can then integrate this output into your existing development workflow, review and refine it as needed, and build it into your project pipeline. This iterative loop of generating, reviewing, and refining helps teams streamline design‑to‑code transformations and maintain alignment between design intent and final implementation.
Practical Applications of GPT-5.4 Codex API in Modern Development Workflows
Automating UI Code Generation for Startups and Small Teams
For startups or small development teams with limited resources, Codex API can quickly convert design mockups and wireframes into UI code. Instead of spending hours on manual coding, developers can upload design drafts, and the API will generate HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code that is production-ready. This accelerates the development cycle, reduces manual errors, and allows small teams to bring products to market faster, without sacrificing quality.
Optimizing Front-End Development for Large Enterprises
In large enterprises, maintaining design consistency across multiple pages and platforms can be a major challenge.GPT-5.4 Codex API offers a solution by enabling multi-file refactoring. It automatically reflects changes made in one part of the codebase across all files, making it easy to scale and manage complex projects. This capability is invaluable for teams that need to maintain consistency across a vast, interconnected front-end system. Whether working on a large-scale web application or a multi-page site, the API ensures a unified approach.
Enhancing UI/UX Design Workflow Through Multi-Modal Input
Many design teams work with a variety of inputs, including sketches, screenshots, and documentation. With Codex API, designers can upload images and design files, and the API will instantly generate or modify the necessary UI code to match their design. This feature is especially valuable for UI/UX designers looking to streamline their workflow, as it eliminates the need for manual interpretation of designs into code and minimizes the time spent on revisions.
Integrating Automation into Development Workflows for Increased Productivity
For developers working on repetitive tasks, such as code refactoring, testing, and UI adjustments,GPT-5.4 Codex API offers the ability to automate these processes. The API can automatically perform tasks like building, debugging, and updating page logic, reducing manual intervention. This boosts productivity and ensures faster delivery of features, making it especially useful for teams working in fast-paced environments where quick iterations are critical.
Improving Cross-Team Collaboration Between Designers and Developers
In many development environments, designers and developers work in silos, which can cause delays and miscommunication.Codex API improves collaboration by allowing designers to directly upload their design drafts, which are then automatically translated into code by the API. This helps developers quickly implement changes and ensures that the final product stays aligned with the original design vision. The ability for both teams to collaborate seamlessly improves efficiency, reduces feedback loops, and speeds up the product development cycle.
How GPT-5.4 Codex API Brings Designers and Developers Together
Kie.ai’s GPT-5.4 Codex API streamlines the collaboration between designers and developers by automating the design-to-code process. By processing multi-modal inputs such as design files, images, and text, it generates accurate UI code and optimizes interfaces, significantly reducing manual work. This not only accelerates development cycles but also ensures design consistency across multiple platforms. Whether you’re working on a start-up project or managing large-scale enterprise applications, Kie.ai’s Codex API offers scalable and cost-effective solutions to boost productivity and enhance collaboration between teams. With its long-context processing capabilities, developers can handle large projects while maintaining smooth workflow integration and minimizing errors.
Like most Pokémon games, Pokémon Pokopia comes packed with its share of legendary and mythical Pokémon. And yes, you can actually have some of them move into your island! Legendary and mythical Pokémon are among the rarest in the game and usually appear through special events, story milestones, or hidden encounters, so you’re not going to come across them just by exploring the island.
There are 12 legendary and mythical Pokémon in Pokémon Pokopia, and while not all of them can become permanent residents, they’re still worth tracking down for the Environment Level boosts they provide. From storm-bringing Kyogre to party-crashing Volcanion, having these powerful Pokémon around can dramatically change the look and feel of your island. Here’s a full guide to all the legendary and mythical Pokémon in Pokémon Pokopia and how you can unlock each one.
Pokémon Pokopia: Where to Find All Legendary and Mythical Pokémon
As stated, there are 12 legendary and mythical Pokémon in Pokémon Pokopia and you can unlock them by progressing through the story, traveling to specific Dream Islands using the matching dolls, or using special items under certain conditions.
While not every legendary and mythical Pokémon will settle on your island, a few do stick around as residents. The rest will only show up for a short time, but every single one will get added to your Pokédex, so you won’t miss out on tracking them all. Here’s where you can find every legendary and mythical Pokémon in Pokémon Pokopia and how to unlock them:
Kyogre
You’ll first meet Kyogre during the “Yawn up a Storm!” main quest in the Withered Wasteland. After triggering rainfall and rebuilding the fishing docks, you’ll need to free a trapped Onix. Once that’s done, Kyogre will appear and get registered in your Pokédex. After that, it may occasionally appear in the ocean, bringing rain to different areas when it calls out. Although Kyogre can’t become a resident, you can interact with it whenever it shows up.
Raikou
Raikou is first spotted in Bleak Beach. To unlock it, head to the northwest island and build its Lightning Rod habitat by placing three Utility Poles in a row. Once the setup is complete, Raikou will return and can stay there as a resident.
Entei
Entei is a post-game unlock in Rocky Ridges. To make it appear, you’ll need to complete all 20 cooking recipes. After that, Entei will show up in the hot springs cave, where you can interact with it and bring it to your island.
Suicune
Suicune is also unlocked after Pokémon Pokopia’s main story. Once you’ve walked a total of 10,000 steps, Suicune will appear at the restored fountain in the Withered Wasteland, as long as you rebuilt the fountain earlier in the story.
Volcanion
Volcanion appears at the volcano summit in Rocky Ridges after completing the “Time to Party” quest. To summon it, you’ll need to collect 15 Rainbow Feathers and offer them at the summit shrine. Once it appears, you can recruit it and move it into a habitat.
Articuno
Articuno is a post-game Pokémon found in Bleak Beach. You can unlock it by building the Ice Shrine habitat at the northern tip using five Ice Crystals, which you can get from Ocean Dream Islands. Once the shrine is complete, Articuno will descend and become available.
Zapdos
Zapdos is unlocked in the Sparkling Skylands after the main story. To unlock Zapdos, build the Storm Perch habitat on the highest floating island using five Lightning Rods. Once completed, Zapdos will arrive during a thunderstorm and can then be recruited.
Moltres
Moltres can be unlocked in Rocky Ridges by building the Volcanic Summit habitat on the highest peak. Once the habitat is ready, Moltres will land and become available.
Lugia
Lugia is a post-game encounter in Bleak Beach. You can unlock it by building the Silver Wings habitat near the ocean using 10 Silver Feathers dropped by Wingull, which causes Lugia to rise from the ocean at dawn and get added to your Pokédex. However, Lugia won’t become a resident.
Ho-oh
Ho-oh is unlocked after building the Rainbow Tower using all eight Rainbow Feathers collected across different regions. Once the structure is complete, Ho-oh appears in a rainbow arc. Like Lugia, it cannot live on your island.
Mewtwo
Mewtwo appears in the Sparkling Skylands after completing all four floors of the “Rebuild the Huge Building” quest. Once the structure is finished, it will descend from above and can be recruited as a resident.
Mew
Mew is a post-game mythical Pokémon that shows up randomly across all regions, usually disguised as a glowing object or flower. To unlock it, you’ll need to interact with these unusual items whenever you come across them until Mew eventually reveals itself and gets added to your collection.
And that’s every legendary and mythical Pokémon in Pokémon Pokopia and where you can find each one. For more gaming news and guides, be sure to check out our gaming page!
Paul McCarthy’s latest exhibition SS EE Saint Santa Eva Elf Drawing Sessions 2025 with Lilith Stangenberg opened at Hauser & Wirth in Paris on 21 March, where it runs until 31 May. The exhibition brings together a new series of large-scale drawings alongside a six-channel video installation, continuing the leading contemporary American artist’s long-running exploration of performance and cultural symbolism.
Developed in collaboration with German actor Lilith Stangenberg, the works extend the pair’s ongoing A&E project, with both artists inhabiting the characters of Santa and the Elf. Through these figures, McCarthy revisits one of his most enduring motifs, using the familiar iconography of Santa Claus to examine corporate capitalism and the spectre of fascism. The drawings were produced during improvised performance sessions staged within McCarthy’s Los Angeles studio, a reconstructed interior of the artist’s childhood home.
Rather than presenting finished images alone, the exhibition situates drawing as part of a broader performative process. The accompanying multi-screen video installation places viewers within the unfolding action, emphasising McCarthy’s interest in instability, authorship and interpretation. The exhibition offers a continuation of the artist’s provocative and often unsettling interrogation of cultural myths and the structures that sustain them.
The exhibition is on view through Sunday 31 March at 26 bis rue François 1er, Paris 75008.
Philo built her cult back when Céline still carried its accent. Today, that same audience trails her to her namesake brand, arguably with even greater devotion. Although there hasn’t been a single fashion week show, her pieces somehow always manage to land in the front row. Which says a lot, considering the whole operation runs on lookbooks, minimal communication, and a series of Instagram previews that weirdly feel like global events.
Collection E, the fifth by now, will make its way into stores this June. The Instagram drop hit on March 19th, but long before that, sometime between haute couture week, it was uneveiled in a discreet Paris showroom, attracting loyalists and newly converted alike, all there to inspect silk and leather up close. Front and center were gentle-to-the-touch shearlings, in deep bordeaux, honeyed browns, and midnight blues, applied everywhere across the board, nipped in peplum jackets, coats, hoodies, pants too.
Next to them, picture slouchy leather salopettes and jackets completed with knit collars. Technical tees covered in 3D embroidery, the kind of layered texture that makes flowers look straightforward. T-shirts turning into sheer maxi dresses, wanting to touch the floor and cover nothing. Outerwear loaded with pockets and cinched waists. Minimalistic earrings, shiny cuff bracelets, and suede belts. Everything looks simple, until a tiny twist here or there makes the cult lose their minds.
What happens when avant-garde meets “add to cart”? In 2026, it looks like Zara securing John Galliano for a two-year run, just another Tuesday. Luxury has developed a curious soft spot for the mass market, the headline-grabbing one-offs are basically tradition at this point. Jonathan Anderson might be a private guy, but his long-term situationship with Uniqlo is quite hard to miss. And sometimes, it’s not a detour, it’s the destination. Take it from Francesco Risso, who went from Marni to GU’s $30 racks. If anything, this feels intentional.
It’s been almost two years now since Galliano’s Margiela dolls walked his last show. Since then, he’s been touching grass, literally. He explained it like “walking through the woods without my phone, getting lost but not being afraid to get lost, and relying on instinct again, reconnecting with instinct, like breathing correctly,” to a little bird that turns at the name Vogue. That same bird also reports that “he’s been secretly working in an atelier ‘somewhere around Paris’ since January.”
How would a creative start, you ask? With the beloved archival deep-dive. Lucky him, Zara’s personal time capsule of previous hits (and misses), is roughly 50 years worth of déjà vu. “I’m super excited, because it’s not something I’ve done before, so that kind of tickles me—the newness, the excitement, the actual process,” he told Vogue. Well, one thing’s certain, September sees wallets loosened and checkout buttons abused. The crowd is ready.
Gelsomina is a French Bulldog riddled with worms she got by lapping at pond water, living out her days in a glass house. In her shockingly scholarly voice, she begins to ponder the creatures around her—John and Wendy, her owners, Zampanò, the puppy they added to the house to provide Gelsomina a playmate, and the outside world, which she has little access to, despite the house’s transparency. With a range of perspectives—from the triad of worms inhabiting her, each fretting over their place in the group, and an omniscient, worldly consciousness—Gelsomina attempts to fill her last days getting to the heart of the unknown.
Eloquent and playful in its exploration of the divine within the mundane, The Oldest Bitch Alive breaks apart traditional novelistic conventions to create something bizarrely new. Morgan Day sat down with Our Culture to chat about skill issues, crafting voices, and Russian dolls.
I feel like this book is so ambitious, yet sticks the landing. You explore the perspectives of dogs, humans, tapeworms, as well as an uncanny omniscience. What made you want to go for everything at once?
It actually was born out of a slight skill issue. I’m starting to realize now, as I’m working on other projects, that I write a lot and cut down a lot. My editor, Tara, very kindly calls it ‘sculptural.’ It’s just a mess on the page that gets broken down and thrown away at some parts. It was frustration with having to choose a perspective. It originally was a fully omniscient POV, but I felt it wasn’t doing Gelsomina, the French Bulldog, justice. I really wanted to understand her experience. And over time, the words made an entrance in the novel, and I thought, ‘Well, it’s not fair to the worms if they don’t get a shot…’
Which is a normal thought process.
I started to build in that way. And there was a lot of nonfiction I wanted to be in the book, but I wanted it to stand on its own, side-by-side with the fiction. It just became this… I don’t know what to describe it.
Photo by Rodrigo Restrepo Montoya.
I love when I read a book that clearly took a lot of research. You tackle science, philosophy, architecture—what drew you to these themes?
I’m not an architect, but I’ve worked for architecture firms for a number of years. And I’ve always been, as a writer, really fascinated by their capabilities for this act of worldbuilding, which is so ambitious and impressive. Science, to be honest, I don’t know, I’m not one who’s studied a lot of science, but as I was researching things about parasites, I’d come across these surreal and revolting facts of life that would draw me in. It was tumbling from there. And I would read philosophy books and have no idea what’s going on, but it’s this beautiful, artistic act on the page that I’m engaging with. I feel like something’s happening in my brain.
Tell me about crafting Gelsomina’s voice and perspective. For a French Bulldog, she’s surprisingly erudite.
She is an interesting voice. When I was done, I realized it might be the voice that feels most natural to myself in writing. It’s obviously a projection of a human voice onto a dog. But what I wanted to get at was the texture of language, and the ability of the language to refract, in a way. One sentence could take multiple meanings, or it could just be more of a sensorial experience than a literal one. A lot of times, I would sit there and open a book, choose a word and start with it, then look it up along with an etymology. Another word would come up, and it would piece together in that way.
I was just glad it didn’t have the tone of those 2016-era dog Instagram accounts, where everything’s misspelled and they take on the voice of a toddler. It’s marketed as a book from a dog’s perspective, so you never know…
[Laughs] Yeah, something we talked about a lot was how to position and talk about the book. I think so far we’re starting to find that people are very surprised, whether it’s good or bad, for a dog book.
You write about ({i}), the standard representation of life, which is made up of the physical form, cosmic matter, and the self. It’s so vague when usually, novels try their best to position the reader within the world. What made you write about this?
I wanted to get at this feeling of being in the world that’s very abstract, and there’s different philosophies in the book I pull in about our interconnectedness. I felt like I needed something that could encapsulate that, but at the same time, it comes up later that the Urban Dictionary definition of the symbol is “online clitoris.” That’s what you’d type, back in the day, before emojis. That was a way to both have this lofty, elevated explanation of being in the world for everyone that was brought down by this crass and juvenile symbol. I wanted to have both in one thing.
I noticed a parallel between that formation and the worms inside Gelsomina inside the glass house.
Exactly. Maybe it goes back to architecture, and being around architects, but I was really interested in scale, and that Russian doll effect. For us, what it means for us to be in our room, within our apartment, within our house, within our city… it’s porous but not.
Over time, the words made an entrance in the novel, and I thought, ‘Well, it’s not fair to the worms if they don’t get a shot…’
I read that the novel might have been inspired by your real life French Bulldog.
Yeah, my family had two. I started writing the book after they passed away a few years ago. I guess it was a way of grieving, but I was just reflecting on their life, especially their end years. When it was over, I started wondering about what they saw and how many people they interacted with. They weren’t friendly dogs. They weren’t out and about. How many spaces were they in across their life? How many creatures did they interact with? What was their sense of the world? Was it just their individual perimeter sites that we plopped them in, and they don’t know anything else? It was fascinating to me.
What did the writing process reveal about your relationship with her?
It sounds obvious, but I couldn’t remove myself in trying to write her experience. I was always present, and that’s how I was interacting with her. Inevitably, there’d be a projection of human emotion or dynamic onto her. I also started reflecting on her as a being that can be sexual and can reproduce, but never did. She had this sterile existence, literally. I started thinking about whether she was cognizant of that.
Finally, what are you working on next?
I’m working on a novel about furniture. [Laughs]
I would expect nothing less.
I forgot how hard it is to start a project. You finish one, then say, ‘Let’s start a new one, that sounds fun.’ I’ve been banging my head against the wall for months. But it’s going.
Vines, the project of composer and producer Cassie Wieland, has announced an EP called Covers I. It’s out May 15, and it finds her tackling songs by Frank Ocean, Sufjan Stevens, Wheatus, and Fleetwood Mac. Check out her cover of ‘Silver Springs’ with Helado Negro below.
We are now in the digital era, where almost everyone aspires to become content creators. While many still utilize traditional methods of content making, some seek alternative and more efficient ways to get the job done. Thankfully, deepfake apps now exist. The emergence of these AI-powered media tools has significantly changed how digital content is created, edited, and shared.
As we move further into this year, more and more people are adopting them for swapping faces, generating avatars, and producing convincing synthetic videos to streamline the work and enhance their output. However, with numerous apps being launched, finding the right pick can feel like searching for a rare file in a crowded archive. To save you time and effort, we have already done the dirty work for you and compiled the deepfake apps worth trying in 2026. Let us look at them one by one!
Five Best Deepfake Apps of 2026
1. Simfa
Image Credit: Simfa
Leading the options on the list is Simfa, the ultimate creator toolkit. From face swapping to outfit swapping and color grading, it is designed to produce high-quality outputs with minimal effort, catering to creators and brands. This tool is also one of the most efficient and user-friendly deepfake tools available in 2026. Simfa focuses on simplicity without sacrificing quality, enabling users to complete renders within 2 to 5 minutes. Unlike other deepfake platforms on the market, this one is ideal for achieving reliable results without a steep learning curve or manual tuning. All of these promising features come at available package prices with credits that never expire, making Simfa a top-tier choice for creators who want fast and private results.
Key features:
Advanced AI face swapping, outfit swapping, and color grading
Fast processing optimized for performance
Clean, intuitive interface
2. Zoice
Image Credit: Zoice
Zoice is an all-in-one platform featuring various AI tools that enable users to create realistic visuals and audio. In detail, you can use it for avatar generation, face swapping, video synthesis, image generation, and voice cloning. With seamless tool-switch features, every user can achieve a coherent workflow. Zoice offers credit-based and subscription-based purchases. However, an active paid plan is required to buy credits.
Key features:
Diverse suite of AI tools
Integrated all-in-one ecosystem
Free plan availability (limited features)
3. Synthesia
Image Credit: Synthesia
Another option to consider is Synthesia, which is an AI video generation tool. It serves as the central platform where users can create, localize, manage, and publish AI media. The features include AI avatars, video editing, team collaboration, and translation to over 160 languages. Synthesia aims to reduce the use of resources in video production by 90%. Beginners, creators, and enterprises will find suitable plans among the packages available, with a free basic option for starters.
Key features:
Advanced AI avatar video generation
Signed off by CFOs
Free plan availability (limited credits)
4. Reface
Image Credit: Reface
Reface is a mobile-first deepfake app that reimagines everyday life with AI. Focused on casual face swapping, users can place their face on photos, movie scenes, viral clips, and GIFs in a matter of minutes. Reface is ideal for beginners looking for templates to create images and quick videos, as it lacks advanced customization and control. Its plans are basic and premium packages, with the latter bearing more features.
Key features:
Instant face swap features
Extensive library of templates
Quickly share to social media platforms
5. DeepFaceLab
Image Credit: DeepFaceLab
Closing the list of deepfake apps is DeepFaceLab, which is an open-source tool designed for advanced creators and researchers. Instead of automated workflows and templates, it enables model training and manual configuration to create high-quality deepfakes from the ground up. While it is far more technical and challenging to use, users can control everything, paving the way for a specifically tuned output.
Key features:
Highly customizable
Free to use
Ethical Considerations When Using Deepfake Apps
Powerful tools like deepfake apps are here to help content creators become better, not turn them into something worse. With such features at your fingertips, everyone must use them responsibly. Creators should avoid misuse that can lead to misinformation, identity concerns, and privacy violations. We encourage mindful usage to ensure that these technologies remain a positive force in digital media.
Choosing the Right Deepfake Apps in 2026
With a flood of top deepfake apps worth trying in 2026, content creators can choose from beginner-friendly mobile tools to advanced options. However, you would be wasting time, money, and other resources if you select randomly. Choosing without careful consideration can even lead to subpar results.
Among the many available tools, only a few manage to reach the standard, and five of them are on this list. Accordingly, Simfa is at the center of this evolving landscape, offering a streamlined, high-performance solution for modern content creation. Its combination of usability, accessibility, speed, and quality makes it a strong choice for entertainment, marketing, storytelling, and beyond.
Think about the last time you slipped on a pair of sandals and forgot they were there. Not because they were unremarkable, but because they fit so perfectly, so naturally, that your feet simply accepted them as part of the experience. That feeling, that seamless union of foot and footwear, is exactly what HEYDUDE has spent years engineering into every sandal they create. And with the latest additions to their ever-growing sandal collection, the brand has reached a new level of anatomical precision that deserves your full attention.
The HEYDUDE Sandal Series is not interested in being just another set of warm-weather options you grab on your way out the door. These are sandals that have been thoughtfully constructed around the actual shape and needs of the human foot. From contoured EVA footbeds that mirror the natural curves beneath your arch to DUDEWAVES TECHNOLOGY that textures the surface for enhanced grip and airflow, every design decision serves a single purpose: keeping your feet genuinely happy from morning to night.
What makes this collection particularly exciting right now is the breadth of new arrivals. HEYDUDE has introduced fresh styles across multiple categories, covering flip flops, platform slides, espadrille-inspired designs, and minimalist wave slides. There are options built specifically for women who want elevated style with serious comfort, and there are options built for men who need something rugged enough for water days yet refined enough for evening plans. Across the board, every sandal in the series shares a commitment to being lightweight, travel ready, and engineered with the kind of cushioned support that most sandal brands simply do not prioritize.
Let us explore each new arrival in detail and help you find the sandal that was designed specifically for the way you live.
Maui Breeze Flip | $34.99
Some sandals try to be everything to everyone and end up being nothing special to anyone. The Maui Breeze Flip takes the opposite approach. It knows exactly what it is: a beautifully uncomplicated flip flop that delivers an extraordinary level of comfort for its effortlessly simple design.
The product description captures the experience perfectly. The Maui Breeze Flip feels like wearing a yoga mat on your feet. It is lightweight, plush, and what HEYDUDE calls “super squishy in the best way possible.” That squishiness comes from the contoured EVA footbed, which does far more than simply cushion your step. The contouring follows the natural anatomy of your foot, cradling the arch, supporting the heel, and allowing your toes to spread comfortably across the surface. This is the kind of footbed engineering that you typically find in premium orthopedic sandals, yet here it sits inside a $34.99 flip flop that looks effortlessly casual.
The synthetic upper keeps the design clean and low maintenance, while the easy-on system means there is zero fussing with straps or adjustments. You slide in and you go. The lightweight flexible outsole ensures that every step feels natural and unforced, and the 40 C Durometer footbed rating indicates a softness level specifically calibrated for maximum underfoot comfort without sacrificing structural support.
Available in six vibrant color options including a stunning Pink that commands attention, the Maui Breeze Flip is sized in women’s 5 through 12. It is also marked as travel ready, meaning it packs flat, weighs almost nothing, and transitions seamlessly from poolside to boardwalk to beachfront dining. For women who want a flip flop that genuinely prioritizes their comfort without asking them to compromise on color or style, the Maui Breeze Flip is a standout choice.
Hey2O Flip Flop Mesh | $44.99
Water and sandals have a complicated relationship. Most flip flops become slippery, uncomfortable, or outright hazardous when they get wet. The Hey2O Flip Flop Mesh was engineered from the ground up to eliminate every one of those problems, making it the ultimate sandal for men who split their time between sand and street.
The name gives away the philosophy: this is a flip flop built for water days and warm weather escapes. The breathable mesh upper is the first thing that sets it apart from conventional flip flops. Where most sandals use solid rubber or synthetic straps that trap moisture against your skin, the Hey2O’s mesh construction allows water to pass through and evaporate quickly, keeping your feet cool and comfortable even after a swim or a walk through the surf.
The micro-fiber wrapped toe post is another thoughtful detail that addresses a common complaint about thong-style sandals. The soft microfiber prevents the irritation and chafing that hard plastic or rubber toe posts often cause during extended wear. It is a small touch that makes a significant difference over the course of a full day.
Beneath your foot, the textured footbed enhances comfort while improving underfoot airflow, and here is where the Hey2O really shines for water use: the drainage outsole is specifically designed to channel water away from the footbed rather than letting it pool beneath your foot. This means that even when you step directly out of the ocean or a pool, the sandal sheds water rapidly and maintains its grip. The lightweight flexible outsole with traction pods adds further confidence on wet surfaces, providing reliable footing where other sandals would leave you sliding.
Available in three color options including a bold Sargasso Blue/White and sized in men’s 7 through 15, the Hey2O Flip Flop Mesh is priced at $44.99 and tagged as both NEW and travel ready. For the man who needs a sandal that performs equally well on a boat deck, a beach trail, and a waterfront restaurant patio, this is the one to own.
Austin Slide Classic | $49.99
Platform sandals have dominated women’s fashion for several seasons now, but finding a platform that actually feels good to wear for more than an hour has remained a persistent challenge. The Austin Slide Classic is HEYDUDE’s answer to that challenge, and it is a remarkably convincing one.
Described as the sandal “voted most likely to be worn on repeat all summer,” the Austin Slide Classic is a platform sandal you can wear with jeans, dresses, and just about anything else in your closet. It has been built with what HEYDUDE calls “extra attention to the details,” and those details are immediately apparent when you examine the specifications.
The memory foam cushioning on the straps is a feature that most platform sandals completely ignore. While other brands focus all their cushioning efforts on the footbed, HEYDUDE recognized that the straps themselves are a major source of discomfort in slide-style sandals. By lining the straps with memory foam, the Austin Slide eliminates the pinching, rubbing, and pressure points that typically develop across the top of the foot during wear.
The contoured EVA footbed provides the same anatomical support found throughout the collection, enhancing comfort and improving underfoot airflow. The platform height of 65mm (approximately 2.5 inches) gives you a noticeable lift without creating the instability that taller platforms often introduce. The synthetic upper keeps the look clean and versatile, and the easy-on system ensures you can slip into these slides without any adjustments.
Available in four elegant color options including a rich Cognac that pairs beautifully with summer earth tones, the Austin Slide Classic is sized in women’s 5 through 12 and priced at $49.99. Like every sandal in the series, it is travel ready and features the 40 C Durometer footbed for optimized softness. This is the platform sandal that finally lets you have the height you want without paying for it in foot fatigue.
Delray Buckle Classic | $69.99
For women who want a sandal with more structure, more presence, and more personality, the Delray Buckle Classic delivers on every front. This is the most feature-rich sandal in the current collection, and its 4-star rating from 47 reviews confirms that customers are responding enthusiastically to what it offers.
The Delray Buckle Classic is where foam and function meet foot. It combines on-trend style with lightweight footing and secure straps to give you ultimate comfort and style wherever you go. The design centers around an adjustable functional buckle that allows you to customize the fit across the top of your foot, while an internal gore system hidden beneath the buckle provides additional stretch and flexibility for a fit that adapts to your foot throughout the day.
The textile lining adds a soft layer of comfort against the skin, and the heel pull tab makes getting the sandal on and off quick and effortless. The contoured EVA footbed provides the anatomical support that defines the series, and the platform height of 66.5mm (approximately 2.6 inches) delivers a fashionable lift that pairs beautifully with everything from casual shorts to summer dresses.
Available in four bold colorways including an eye-catching Leopard print that makes a genuine style statement, the Delray Buckle Classic is sized in women’s 5 through 12 and priced at $69.99. It is tagged as NEW, and its combination of adjustable fit, premium materials, and striking design makes it the go-to sandal for women who refuse to choose between fashion and comfort.
Tide Espadrille Slide | $39.99
There is something inherently appealing about espadrille styling. It evokes coastal living, relaxed weekends, and the kind of effortless sophistication that never goes out of season. The Tide Espadrille Slide captures that entire aesthetic while delivering the modern comfort technology that HEYDUDE is known for.
The description says it best: easygoing comfort meets coastal vibes. The squish foam lined upper strap is the signature comfort feature here, wrapping your foot in a soft, padded embrace that makes the sandal feel broken in from the very first wear. The slip-on design keeps things effortless, requiring nothing more than a quick slide to get you out the door.
What makes the Tide Espadrille Slide technically impressive is the DUDEWAVES TECHNOLOGY integrated into the footbed. This proprietary texture pattern enhances comfort while improving underfoot airflow for breathability, addressing the common problem of hot, sticky feet that plagues many closed-footbed sandals. The molded espadrille-inspired outsole gives the sandal its distinctive coastal character while providing a stable, comfortable base for all-day wear.
Available in Black/Egret and sized in women’s 5 through 12, the Tide Espadrille Slide is priced at an accessible $39.99 and is travel ready. For women who want a sandal that carries a sense of relaxed sophistication without the weight or discomfort of traditional espadrilles, this slide is a perfect match.
Wave Slide Men | $24.99
Sometimes the best design is the one that strips everything back to its essentials. The Wave Slide Men embodies this philosophy completely, delivering a monochromatic, minimalist slide that prioritizes pure comfort and function at an unbeatable price point.
At just $24.99, the Wave Slide Men is the most affordable sandal in the current collection, but do not let the price fool you into thinking corners have been cut. The upper molds to the foot for a snug fit, meaning the sandal adapts to your individual foot shape rather than forcing your foot to conform to a rigid structure. This molding capability is a feature typically found in much more expensive sandals, and its inclusion here makes the Wave Slide an exceptional value.
The DUDEWAVES TECHNOLOGY footbed texture is present and accounted for, enhancing comfort and improving underfoot airflow for breathability. The lightweight outsole and flexible outsole work together to create a walking experience that feels natural and unrestricted, while the travel-ready construction means this slide packs easily and weighs almost nothing in your bag.
Available in Black and sized in men’s 7 through 15, the Wave Slide Men is tagged as NEW and serves as the perfect everyday summer staple. Whether you need something for the gym showers, the backyard, the pool, or a quick grocery run, this slide handles it all with quiet confidence and remarkable comfort.
The Technology That Ties It All Together
Across every sandal in this collection, two technological pillars stand out. The first is the contoured EVA footbed found in the women’s styles, which provides anatomically shaped cushioning that supports the foot’s natural structure. The 40 C Durometer rating on these footbeds indicates a carefully calibrated softness that absorbs impact without bottoming out, striking the ideal balance between plush comfort and functional support.
The second is DUDEWAVES TECHNOLOGY, HEYDUDE’s proprietary footbed texture system that appears across multiple styles for both men and women. This technology enhances comfort by creating a textured surface that improves underfoot airflow, reduces moisture buildup, and provides subtle tactile stimulation that keeps your feet feeling energized rather than fatigued.
Both technologies reflect HEYDUDE’s broader commitment to anatomical comfort, the idea that every sandal should be shaped around the foot rather than asking the foot to adapt to the sandal.
Your Summer Starts Here
The HEYDUDE Sandal Series offers something genuinely rare in the footwear market: a complete range of sandal styles that all share the same unwavering commitment to comfort, quality, and thoughtful design. From the yoga-mat softness of the Maui Breeze Flip at $34.99 to the fashion-forward presence of the Delray Buckle Classic at $69.99, from the water-ready performance of the Hey2O Flip Flop Mesh at $44.99 to the unbeatable value of the Wave Slide Men at $24.99, every price point and every lifestyle is covered.
Every sandal in the collection is travel ready, designed to be lightweight enough for packing and versatile enough for any warm-weather destination. And with the Refer a Friend program offering 25% off for you and 25% off for someone you share it with, plus Afterpay available for orders between $30 and $1,000, there has never been a better time to discover what anatomical comfort truly feels like.
Your feet carry you through every adventure, every errand, and every moment that matters. This summer, give them sandals that were genuinely designed around them.
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Water and sandals have a complicated relationship. Most flip flops become slippery, uncomfortable, or outright hazardous when they get wet. The 
