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Marc Jacobs’ Spring 2026 Was Stiff and Past-Forward

Vera Adamidou
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Marc Jacobs’ Spring 2026 Was Stiff and Past-Forward

Every new season, I’m unwillingly reminded of Marc Jacobs’ evolution, in the best way possible. When lockdown shrank fashion into survival mode, Jacobs went bigger, literally. Inflating silhouettes, exaggerating proportions, flirting with a kind of techy, new-age Rei Kawakubo drama. He made extreme structure feel almost friendly, which is exactly why Spring 2026 feels restrained. The collection might’ve just traded volume for reminiscence.

Details of the Marc Jacobs Spring 2026 show
@marcjacobs via Instagram

“Surfacing on their own, memories shape, influence, and inform. Free from nostalgia, recovering the past also reminds us that loss is inevitable and hope is work. Memories, both bittersweet and beautiful, are a faculty of purpose, influencing current and future actions – who we are, what we create, what we leave behind, and what we carry forward,” the show’s notes stated. Which said a lot about the collection, but what really explained it was what followed. A precise roll call of credits and receipts, ranging from Yves Saint Laurent to Perry Ellis, X-Girl to Stüssy, Helmut Lang, Prada, and his own archives. That’s the part the industry seems to have forgotten. Names, respect, and brutal honesty about inspiration.

Details from the Marc Jacobs Spring 2026 show
@marcjacobs via Instagram

The collection was titled “Memory. Loss,” and it got reactions. Even Anna Sui apparently cheered, “What a great show! Clothes we can wear,” so Vogue says. The silhouettes were stiff, rectangular, almost merciless. Skirts lacked pockets, but their sharp angles were just perfect for stuffing both your hands in, possibly the hands of the person next to you too, if you’re feeling generous. And if that didn’t limit mobility enough, Jacobs made sure to throw in a collar or two. In all the backwards-worn coats, awkward button-ups, sprinkles of glitter and plaid, one question kept nagging. If the models weren’t wearing wigs, how differently would their hair really fall? I couldn’t imagine it any other way, which, to be honest, was a little unsettling. But hey, they made the collection’s obsession with memory all the more precise.

Grand Theft Auto V: This mod reduces the game to the bare minimum

Sebastian Bickley
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Grand Theft Auto V: This mod reduces the game to the bare minimum

What happens when one of the biggest open-world games gets stripped down until almost everything that made it iconic is gone? A new GTA V mod answers that question in brutal fashion, compressing the game to an impressive 2.5GB. It still runs. You can still move, drive, shoot, and trigger chaos. But what remains feels less like Los Santos and more like Los Fantasmas, as it’s a ghost of what it should be.

From sprawling sandbox to skeletal build

The headline number is the part users notice first: Grand Theft Auto V compressed from roughly 120GB to about 2.5GB. The figure has been highlighted in specialist outlets for the surprising modification, and it spread quickly because the reduction sounds impossible for a title of this scale.

But this is not a miracle of lossless compression. It is a subtraction on an extreme level. The modded version removes chunks of the map, cuts missions, and drops audio files, producing a degraded build with flat textures, clipping, and choppy animation. In some scenes, frame rates reportedly fall into single digits.

Even so, the game does not collapse at all. Footage described in that report shows players are still able to drive recklessly, fire heavy weapons, play casino games available in the game (but barely), and even skydive. That paradox (core interactions surviving while the world around them disintegrates) is what makes this mod fascinating. It’s not the most practical way to play, but it’s an interesting experiment to see what parts of GTA V are truly structural.

There is a wider context behind the curiosity. Rockstar’s own support page now lists 105GB of required storage for GTA V Enhanced, while the Legacy branch is listed at 125GB on HDD. Rockstar also notes that downloadable content and programming changes can alter requirements over time. In other words, bloat is not imagined; it’s part of the long lifecycle of a heavily updated game-as-a-service game.

That helps explain why a “tiny GTA V” clip lands so hard online. It taps into a familiar frustration: players juggling massive install footprints, patch growth, and limited SSD space. For players on laptops or older desktops, each major update can mean deleting another game just to keep one installed.

A lesson for GTA 6?

The obvious reaction is to laugh at how ugly the results look, and that’s fair. Reports describe an experience where Los Santos is barely recognizable. But dismissing it as a meme misses the technical point. The mod shows that enormous modern game packages contain a lot of data tied to fidelity, variety, and convenience, not just the basic simulation loop. If you strip enough of those layers away, “the game” can be executed, but the experience itself would disappear.

It also raises a design question that will matter in the GTA 6 era: what should be modular by default? Optional high-resolution texture packs, language audio bundles, or single-player/online component installs are no longer niche requests from users. They are becoming quality-of-life essentials for players with smaller drives, handheld PCs, or slower internet connections. Rockstar’s published requirements already show how storage-hungry the modern build is.

Remember: Rockstar might not be happy with it

There is one practical layer people should keep in mind. Rockstar normally allows certain PC single-player, non-commercial mod projects, but excludes any kind of modification that could impact multiplayer/online services. So these kinds of experiments belong in an offline, single-player context, not in GTA Online.

Rockstar’s online enforcement framework is clear: account actions, including suspensions and bans, can follow violations of the terms and community guidelines. The company’s BattlEye FAQ states that anti-cheat protections are used to detect manipulation and cheating attempts in GTA Online sessions. In short, “interesting mod experiment” and “safe to take online” are not the same thing.

So yes, this 2.5GB build is ridiculous. But it is a mirror held up to modern AAA development. GTA V became massive because it accumulated content, systems, and polish across years of updates. Remove enough of that weight and you get something uncanny: a version that still functions in narrow mechanical terms, yet no longer delivers the city-scale illusion people came for. That is the real story behind the headline number.

Four Stunning Photographs to Celebrate World Whale Day

Gerda Krivaite
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Four Stunning Photographs to Celebrate World Whale Day

Whales form an essential part of the ocean ecosystem, migrating thousands of kilometers annually between feeding and breeding grounds – and looking magnificent doing it. By stimulating phytoplankton growth through nutrient-rich excrement, they support the foundation of the ocean food web. They’re also critical players in carbon sequestration by promoting phytoplankton blooms that absorb atmospheric CO2, as well as through “whale falls,” when their massive bodies sink to the seafloor, locking away significant carbon for centuries.

In 2026, whales face ongoing challenges from the intensifying climate crisis. The International Whaling Commission’s 1986 moratorium significantly reduced whale hunting and allowed populations to recover, but commercial whaling continues: Norway maintains its objection to the moratorium and hunts minke whales, Iceland operates under a reservation to the ban, while Japan resumed whaling after leaving the IWC in 2019. Further, accidental capture in fishing nets and vessel collisions pose very great dangers, with an estimated 300,000 or more cetaceans dying each year from entanglement in fishing gear alone.

Amid these circumstances, there’s hope to be had: humpback whales have rebounded from around 10,000 at their lowest point to approximately 80,000 today. Research published in December 2025 revealed that their success stems partly from a remarkable dietary flexibility, as they can switch between prey sources when conditions change, staying in an area even when their preferred food disappears.

Other fascinating changes are underway, too. Just last week, a parliamentary bill was introduced in Aotearoa New Zealand seeking legal personhood for whales. The Tohorā Oranga Bill, introduced by Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono on February 11, 2026, would recognise whales as having inherent rights including freedom of movement and migration, protection of natural behaviors and the right to thrive in a healthy marine environment.

To mark World Whale Day, Our Culture presents four photographers that have captured the magnificence of these creatures:

Ollie Clarke

 

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A post shared by Ollie Clarke (@ollieclarkephoto)

Rachel Moore 

 

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Álvaro Herrero 

 

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A post shared by Álvaro Herrero (@mekanphotography)

Marcia Riederer 

 

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The UK Cultural Significance of Party Substances: A Brief History

Abbie Wilson
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The UK Cultural Significance of Party Substances: A Brief History

Britain has a reputation for its partying, built from the mid-20th century onwards. And even before the Swinging 60s brought drink and drugs to the heart of the cultural landscape, people had been letting loose at social events with the help of controlled substances for centuries. Stick around as we give you a quick overview of the different eras and the substances that defined them.

Alcohol’s Role from Ancient Times to the Industrial Revolution

Alcohol has been brewed and consumed in the UK for thousands of years, and the pub as we know it today grew out of the tavern-focused culture brought here by the Roman conquerors.

While they may be closing in record numbers, pubs still serve as the keystone of many British communities, with strict regulations governing alcohol sales. However, it wasn’t until the mid-1700s that the law really intervened in this party substance. The damage done by the Gin Craze forced the government to act. At the time, gin was a cheap escape for the working poor as the country industrialised.

The 20th Century’s Teenage Revolution

Alcohol’s position as the most popular party substance remained unchallenged until the 1950s and 60s, when teen culture rose to prominence. Amphetamines and later LSD entered circulation, and again the government responded to growing concerns. This time it was the Misuse of Drugs Act, introduced in 1971.

By the late 1980s, party culture had shifted, both in preferred substances and music choices. Raves rose to the fore, and with them the use of ecstasy. It became so popular that some clubs sold more water than they did alcohol.

The Current Climate

Ecstasy’s time in the spotlight was comparatively short-lived, as the 21st century has brought a new party substance with it: ketamine. In 2015, around 160,000 people admitted to taking it. In 2023, that rose to almost 300,000.

Mirroring this rise in use is the growing demand for ket detox services that address the dependency issues and health damage done by the substance. Its prevalence among people aged 18-24 singles it out as another youth culture drug that will shape party experiences this generation, and the associated pitfalls that come with it.

The Ongoing Debate

As in previous periods of history, campaigners are calling for ketamine to be moved from a Class B to a Class A drug. This is happening at a time when other public figures and researchers argue that we need to do more to decriminalise potentially dangerous substances in order to better manage their use and support those with addiction issues.

Simultaneously, we’re seeing a growing sobriety movement, with people ditching not only controlled substances like ketamine but also alcohol and all legal stimulants. As well as being a culturally and ideologically led movement, living costs play a part.

The Future of Party Substances

There’s no chance that parties will go out of fashion in the UK. And as long as there are big get-togethers, mind-altering substances will be used in some form. Whether the legal landscape shifts towards continued acceptance or there’s a tightening of laws around usage remains to be seen.

Becoming Through Pain at Somers Gallery Reimagines the Body

Gerda Krivaite
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Becoming Through Pain at Somers Gallery Reimagines the Body

Becoming Through Pain, a group exhibition curated by Huma Kabakcı, will be open to viewers from 25 March until 2 April 2026 at Somers Gallery, London.

Bringing together eight international women artists – Pauline Batista, Sena Başöz, Shannon Bono, Dyana Gravina, Jennifer Nieuwland, Lolita Pelegrime, Aziza Shaden and Gülce Tulçalı – the exhibition considers how experiences of pain shape the body and the self. Working across different media, the artists address medical histories and political realities, foregrounding repair as a generative and resistant act.

Rather than treating pain as something to be hidden or overcome, the exhibition frames it as a force that can produce new forms of understanding and solidarity. In doing so, it responds to the long-standing marginalisation of women’s bodily experiences, highlighting how harm is recorded, contested and transformed through artistic practice.

The project aligns with Sensity Studio’s broader commitment to supporting emerging women artists from developing countries as they establish sustainable careers in the UK and Europe.

The exhibition will be on view at Somers Gallery, 96 Chalton Street, London NW1 1HJ.

 

flowerovlove Unveils New Single ‘Casual Lady’

Konstantinos Pappis
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flowerovlove Unveils New Single ‘Casual Lady’

flowerovlove has dropped a new single, ‘Casual Lady’. Co-written with Justin Tranter, Russell Chell, Skyler Stonestreet, and Ryland Blackinton, the track features an introduction by Madeline Argy. Give it a listen below.

Last year, flowerovlove opened for Olivia Rodrigo at London’s Hyde Park and toured North America with Haim and Halsey. She’s set to make her Coachella debut on Sunday, April 12.

Natalie Wildgoose Announces EP, Shares New Single ‘Nobody on the Path’

Konstantinos Pappis
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Natalie Wildgoose Announces EP, Shares New Single ‘Nobody on the Path’

Yorkshire singer-songwriter Natalie Wildgoose has announced a new EP, Rural Hours. It’s set to arrive on April 15 via state51, and the delicately lonely single ‘Nobody on the Path’ is out today. Listen to it below.

“The moors record what happens on them,” Wildgoose said in a statement about the new single. “I think the body does the same. As a child I would walk aimlessly and often daydreamed alone, I still do. Returning to Yorkshire a few years ago to start this project, I wanted to capture those thoughts and feelings you get on solitary walks in the dales, finding quiet in the hills. This song took shape during a very real, and at points unpredictable, hormone cycle, sometimes that’s just how it happens. Sometimes the path wanders, and you will wander with it.”

Salvador Season 2: Cast, Rumours & Release Date

Alexandra Pleșa
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Salvador Season 2: Cast, Rumours & Release Date

A fresh Spanish drama is climbing the Netflix ranks, while also keeping viewers glued to the screen. Salvador, which premiered on the service in early February, is currently the seventh most-watched non-English show on the platform, with 1.2 million views during the last week.

With an intriguing premise – a father seeking vigilante justice – this is the kind of thriller that seamlessly blends action with a moving family story. Could a second season be on the horizon?

Salvador Season 2 Release Date

At the time of writing, Netflix is yet to renew the Spanish production for more episodes. Even so, the title isn’t listed as a limited series, and we’re sure the behind-the-scenes powers that be can find a way to continue the story.

As long as the platform gives the green light, Salvador season 2 could arrive in early 2027.

Salvador Cast

  • Luis Tosar as Salvador Aguirre
  • Claudia Salas as Julia
  • Leonor Watling as Carla
  • Patricia Vico as Sonia Martín
  • Richard Holmes as Mateo
  • Fariba Sheikhan as Marjane
  • Candela Arestegui as Milena

What Could Happen in Salvador Season 2?

The series follows Salvador, an emergency medical technician and recovering alcoholic trying to rebuild his life. His fragile stability collapses after a violent night, when he responds to a clash between rival football ultra groups.

At the scene, Salvador makes a shocking discovery: his estranged daughter Milena. Rather than a bystander, she’s a member of the extremist group known as the “White Souls.” We’re talking about an ultra-nationalist neo-Nazi organisation built on racist and violent ideology.

Determined to understand how she was drawn into such a world, Salvador infiltrates the group’s orbit and places himself in escalating danger. As he digs deeper, the line between revenge and self-destruction begins to blur.

A gripping watch, Salvador explores youth radicalization and fatherhood, with action scenes keeping viewers engaged throughout. The first season unfolds across eight episodes and ends as the violence surrounding the group spirals, and multiple characters are forced to confront the consequences of their choices.

Th finale provides a sense of closure. At the same time, there are ways to expand the story. If the show becomes a global hit, we’re sure Salvador season 2 would deliver an equally resonant storyline. After all, extremist networks rarely disappear overnight.

Are There Other Shows Like Salvador?

If you were enthralled by Salvador, you might want to check out some of the other international series recently making waves on Netflix.

The list includes Unfamiliar, Cash Queens, To Love, To Lose, Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, Land of Sin, and City of Shadows.

Cash Queens Season 2: Cast, Rumours & Release Date

Alexandra Pleșa
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Cash Queens Season 2: Cast, Rumours & Release Date

How far would you go when short on money? And would your friends support you if you came up with an unorthodox plan to improve your circumstances? Those are the questions at the heart of Cash Queens, which is currently climbing the Netflix charts.

With 1.3 million views in the last week, the French production also made the top 10 in seven countries where the platform is available. The fact that it’s based on true events only makes it more enticing. Could we get a sequel somewhere down the line?

Cash Queens Season 2 Release Date

At the time of writing, Netflix is yet to renew the dramedy for more episodes.

That said, the streaming service might still be waiting to see how the show performs before making a decision. The title isn’t listed as a limited series, and the first season ending leaves room for future stories.

As long as Netflix gives the green light, Cash Queens season 2 could arrive in early 2027.

Cash Queens Cast

  • Rebecca Marder as Rosalie
  • Zoé Marchal as Kim
  • Naidra Ayadi as Sofia
  • Pascale Arbillot as Chloé
  • Tya Deslauriers as Alex
  • François Damiens as Michel Marionnaud
  • Sami Outalbali as Malik
  • Olivier Rosemberg as Ézéchiel
  • Jonathan Cohen as Victor Castel

What Could Happen in Cash Queens Season 2?

Originally titled Les Lionnes, Cash Queens is a French dramedy inspired by the Gang des Amazones, a group of women who went on a bank robbing spree in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s.

The series revolves around five women from different walks of life whose personal and financial crises push them to the edge. Overwhelmed by debt, abusive relationships, unstable jobs, and the threat of losing their families, they form an unlikely alliance. Their desperate solution? Robbing a bank.

What begins as a one-time heist spirals into something bigger, and crime might be the women’s only way to escape their bad situations. However, keeping their identities hidden becomes more difficult as they attract the attention of not only the police, but also other dangerous criminal figures.

The first season ends with multiple story threads still hanging and a few twists sure to leave viewers clamoring for more. A potential Cash Queens season 2 would likely pick up from there. The gang is fractured, facing threats from many sides. Yet, you can’t help but root for them.

Are There Other Shows Like Cash Queens?

If you’ve finished Cash Queens, you might want to check out some of the other crime-related international series streaming on Netflix. Recent additions include Unfamiliar, Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, Land of Sin, City of Shadows, and The Price of Confession.

Best Automated Video Editors

Our Culture Mag & Partners
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Best Automated Video Editors

Creating high-quality videos can be a time-consuming process. From cutting footage to adding effects and transitions, traditional editing often requires hours of manual work. Automated video editors are changing the game by streamlining this process, making it faster and easier to produce professional-looking content.

Why Choose an Automated Video Editor?

Before diving into specific tools, it’s worth understanding what automated video editors offer:

  • Time-saving: They handle repetitive tasks like trimming, transitions, or text overlays.
  • Consistency: Automation ensures uniform style and formatting across multiple videos.
  • Scalability: Many tools support batch processing or cloud rendering, ideal for agencies or marketers producing high volumes of content.
  • AI Assistance: Advanced platforms can analyze footage, detect scenes, and suggest edits automatically.

With these benefits, automated video editors are not just convenient—they’re essential for modern content creation workflows.

Nexrender

Nexrender is an open-source automation tool designed specifically for Adobe After Effects projects. It allows users to dynamically update video elements and automate rendering processes at scale.

Core Features:

  • Dynamic Media Replacement: Automatically swap text, images, and videos in templates.
  • Scriptable Workflows: Build custom pipelines and integrate Nexrender into existing systems.
  • Cloud and Local Rendering: Supports scalable workflows for teams and large projects.
  • Open-Source Flexibility: Developers can extend its functionality or adapt it to unique requirements.

Advantages:

  • Professional-grade automation for After Effects
  • Ideal for bulk rendering or repetitive video projects
  • Highly customizable via scripting
  • Cloud-friendly and scalable

Best For: nexrender.com is the go-to solution for those who need precision, control, and automation at scale, making it an invaluable tool for professional video creators.

Adobe Premiere Pro + Adobe Sensei

Adobe Premiere Pro combined with Adobe Sensei AI offers intelligent automation for editing tasks. Sensei can detect scene changes, auto-reframe videos, and even match color across clips.

Advantages:

  • Scene detection and auto-cuts
  • Auto color correction and matching
  • Content-aware fill for video backgrounds

Best For: Professional editors already in the Adobe ecosystem who want AI assistance without fully automated pipelines.

Runway

Runway focuses on AI-powered editing, allowing creators to remove backgrounds, add effects, and even generate synthetic media with minimal input.

Advantages:

  • Intuitive AI editing tools
  • Background removal and real-time effects
  • Collaborative workflow for teams

Best For: Creators seeking speed and AI assistance without deep technical knowledge.

Magisto

Magisto is a marketing-oriented platform that automatically selects the best moments from footage and assembles polished videos with music and transitions.

Advantages:

  • Fully automated video assembly
  • Smart storytelling through AI
  • Library of licensed music and themes

Best For: Small businesses or marketers needing quick, professional videos.

Lumen5

Lumen5 converts written content like blog posts into engaging videos. It pairs text with visuals and audio automatically, ideal for content repurposing.

Advantages:

  • Text-to-video conversion
  • Extensive media library
  • Drag-and-drop simplicity

Best For: Content marketers who want to turn articles or scripts into video content.

InVideo

InVideo combines templates with AI suggestions, making it easy to produce professional-looking videos quickly. It offers automatic trimming, scene suggestions, and text-to-video features.

Advantages:

  • Ready-made templates
  • AI-assisted editing
  • Fast production for social media

Best For: Marketers, YouTubers, and social media managers who need speed and simplicity.

Conclusion

Automated video editors save time, improve consistency, and allow creators to focus on storytelling rather than repetitive tasks. Among these, Nexrender stands out for its flexibility, scalability, and professional-grade automation. Its deep integration with After Effects makes it perfect for agencies, developers, and serious content creators.

Other tools like Adobe Premiere Pro with Sensei, Runway, Magisto, Lumen5, and InVideo provide strong alternatives depending on your skill level and workflow. Whether you need AI-assisted editing, marketing-focused automation, or full pipeline integration, there is an automated video editor to fit your needs.

For those who value precision, control, and scalable automation, Nexrender remains the ultimate choice for modern video production.

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