Wait… Is Fun Back?

In this week’s episode of Suddenly Thirty, Lilli and Emily unpack a cultural shift they can’t stop noticing: is fun… back? They start with the moment that sparked the conversation — the latest Chanel campaign featuring Margot Robbie and Kylie Minogue — and why it feels bigger than just a fashion campaign. There is something about it that feels different — more expressive, more playful, and a little less serious. This leads to a bigger question: are we moving out of the era of quiet luxury, restraint, and “perfect taste,” and into something lighter, more expressive, and actually enjoyable again? They explore what’s happening culturally — from the dominance of minimal, curated aesthetics to a growing craving for whimsy, nostalgia, and personality. With the resurgence of playful pop music and a return to more emotional, stylised storytelling, they discuss how “fun” is re-entering the chat, but in a more elevated, self-aware way. They also touch on why this shift might be happening now. With heavy global politics, economic pressure, and the rapid rise of AI and digital saturation, there’s a sense that people are craving something more human — more tactile, emotional, and real. They question whether this return to nostalgia, archives, and “realness” is actually a form of cultural coping. They also look at how fashion is leading the shift. Designers are moving away from rigid minimalism toward softness, storytelling, and personality — reintroducing optimism and play in a way that still feels chic. Casting choices and campaign direction point toward a softer, more human kind of cool. Throughout the episode, they come back to a central idea: maybe it’s not that everything is becoming more casual or chaotic — it’s that we’re entering a phase of curated fun. Less irony, less perfection, and more feeling. So… is fun cool again? Follow us on Instagram @suddenlythirtypodcast to stay up to date with what we’ve been up to, behind the scenes and future episodes. Subscribe to the Suddenly Thirty Substack where we collate all the things we’ve been into this week and share them with you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.