November 2025
Here we are — the final stretch of 2025, and honestly? What a year to reflect on.
This was the year quiet luxury stopped being a whisper and became a roar. The year butter skin replaced glass skin (because who wants to look like a glazed donut forever?). The year we collectively decided that maybe, just maybe, we don’t need seventeen serums when three great ones will do.
But more than the trends that came and went, 2025 felt like a turning point. A collective exhale. We saw fashion move away from logo-screaming maximalism toward pieces that actually mean something. We watched indie beauty brands from Seoul to Singapore outsell legacy names because they simply understood what we actually wanted: effective formulas, honest marketing, no BS.
And somewhere in all of this, Arahkaii was born.
Why We’re Building This
I’ll be honest — launching Arahkaii in late 2025 feels both perfectly timed and wildly ambitious. The media landscape is crowded. Everyone has an opinion. Every platform claims to be “different.”
But here’s what kept me up at night (in a good way): there was no platform truly championing both the incredible independent creators and the established brands doing things right across Asia and beyond. The talent exists everywhere — from emerging artisans working in small studios to heritage brands reimagining their legacies with integrity.
The problem? These stories aren’t being told cohesively. There’s no destination that says “if you care about craft, ethics, and quality — whether it’s from a one-person studio or a globally recognized name — this is where you find it all.”
So we’re building that destination. A space where an emerging jewellery designer in Manila can sit alongside an established sustainable brand from Copenhagen — because both meet our standards.
Where it’s not about indie versus mainstream, but about values: craftsmanship, integrity, transparency, purpose.
Not because we’re trying to be different for the sake of it. But because the work deserves this kind of platform.
Where We Are Right Now
Let’s be real: we’re at the very beginning.
Arahkaii is currently a vision being built one piece at a time. One article. One connection. One conversation. We’re setting up the infrastructure, crafting the editorial voice, and — most importantly — reaching out to the brands and designers we believe in.
We’re in conversations with independent makers who’ve been working quietly for years, waiting for the right platform. We’re also talking to established brands who’ve been doing ethical work long before it was trendy but haven’t had the spotlight in Asia-focused media.
Some will say yes immediately. Some will take convincing. Some might not be ready yet. And that’s okay. We’re building this thoughtfully, not desperately.
Every brand and designer featured on Arahkaii will be here because they meet our non-negotiables: quality that lasts, ethics that matter, and purpose beyond profit. Whether that’s a two-person atelier or a fifty-year-old company doesn’t matter. Values do.
What 2025 Taught Us
Even in these early days of building Arahkaii, the year has already taught us so much.
We’ve learned that readers are genuinely craving substance over hype. That “intentional living” isn’t just a buzzword — it’s how people actually want to shop, dress, and exist. That when you talk about brands with real missions and authentic stories, people lean in. They ask questions. They want to know more.
We’ve also learned that sustainable fashion isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. That clean beauty doesn’t mean compromising on performance. That modest fashion and contemporary style aren’t mutually exclusive. That heritage brands can innovate just as boldly as startups.
Most importantly? We’ve learned that both Asia’s creative economy and conscious consumption globally aren’t “emerging trends” — they’re here. And the appetite for a platform that bridges both is real.
2025 By The Numbers
Let’s talk about what actually happened this year in the wider world of fashion, beauty, and living:
In Fashion:
- Faux fur officially dominated fall/winter runways and street style, proving ethics and style can coexist beautifully
- Hot pants made an unexpected comeback as Gen Z’s answer to the mini skirt
- Collarless coats became the season’s unlikely hero — elegant, understated, and finally giving us something new to invest in
- Sheer blouses entered the office, and somehow we made revealing look refined
In Beauty:
- Butter skin took over from glass skin — because soft, natural radiance beats high-shine perfection
- Waterless beauty formulations moved from niche to necessary
- K-beauty’s influence continued expanding, but now it’s about science-backed ingredients, not just cute packaging
- Sleep optimization became the new wellness flex — forget juice cleanses, we’re investing in quality rest
In Living:
- Home air quality monitors became as common as fitness trackers
- Vagus nerve stimulation entered mainstream wellness conversations
- Gut health became the new skincare — finally connecting what we eat with how we glow
- The at-home spa experience got serious, with sauna blankets and cold therapy tools selling out everywhere
These are the movements we’re watching. The conversations we want to deepen. The trends we’ll decode and contextualize as we grow.
What’s Coming in 2026
Here’s where it gets exciting.
January kicks off our editorial programming in earnest. We’re launching with curated content across fashion, beauty, living, and culture — focusing on what actually matters versus what’s just making noise.
Our “In Conversation” series begins in Q1 — in-depth profiles and interviews with the makers, founders, and designers doing work that deserves your attention. From independent artisans to established brands reinventing themselves, we’re telling stories that go beyond surface-level “founder profiles.”
We’re building our brand portfolio strategically. Every outreach is intentional. Every partnership will be authentic. We’re not racing to fill our pages with anyone who’ll respond — we’re curating a collection of brands we genuinely believe in. Independent and established. Local and international. As long as they meet our values: craft, ethics, quality, purpose.
The Arahkaii marketplace experience is in development. By mid-2026, we’re planning a seamless shop experience that makes supporting the brands we feature as easy as one click. Because intention shouldn’t require extra effort.
And yes, we’re expanding the team. As we move into 2026, we’re bringing on contributors, editors, and voices who share this vision. Growth is happening — thoughtfully, not frantically.
The Year-End Reflection
As we close out 2025, I keep thinking about what “intentional living” actually means. It’s become such a buzzy phrase that it risks losing meaning.
But spending these past months building Arahkaii from scratch, reaching out to potential partners, and defining what we stand for — I think I’m starting to understand it better.
It’s not about perfection. It’s not about only buying from independent, sustainable, ethical brands 100% of the time (though we’d love that). It’s about awareness. About asking better questions. Making more conscious choices when you can. Supporting brands — big or small — who give a damn about how they operate.
It’s about the moment you pause before checkout and think: “Do I actually need this? Will I use this? What does buying this support? Does this brand align with my values?”
And sometimes the answer is still yes — you buy the thing. But now you know why. And that shift? That’s everything.
What We’re Building Toward
As Arahkaii grows, here’s what guides us:
- Quality over quantity — We’ll feature fewer brands, but feature them well
- Curation over saturation — Not everything that exists deserves coverage
- Substance over aesthetics — Though we’ll take both when we can get them
- Integrity over influence — No pay-to-play, no compromised coverage
- Diversity in size and scale — From independent ateliers to established houses doing it right
- Asia-rooted, globally minded — Championing the region while staying open to the world
What We’re Leaving Behind in 2025
As we build into 2026, let’s collectively leave behind:
- The pressure to buy everything trending on TikTok
- The idea that more products = better results
- Fast fashion justified by “but it’s cute”
- Greenwashing disguised as sustainability
- The false binary of “indie good, mainstream bad”
- The exhausting pursuit of perfection in literally anything
A Note of Gratitude
To everyone who’s followed along in these early days — thank you. Genuinely.
Building Arahkaii has been equal parts exhilarating and humbling. There are days when the vision feels crystal clear, and days when I wonder if anyone actually needs another platform in this space.
But then I have a conversation with a designer who lights up when they hear what we’re building. Or I see engagement on a piece of content that took hours to craft. Or someone reaches out saying “this is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
And I remember: yes, there’s space for this. There’s need for this.
To the brands we’re in conversations with — thank you for your patience as we build the right foundation. We’re not rushing this because we want to do it justice. Your work deserves that.
And to anyone reading this who knows a brand, designer, or maker doing exceptional work — established or emerging, big or small — send them our way. We’re actively building our portfolio and we want to hear about people doing things right.
Final Thoughts
2025 was the year of saying “let’s build this.”
2026 is the year of actually building it.
More content. More partnerships. More stories told. More connections made between conscious consumers and brands worth supporting.
But always with the same north star: championing kindness, artfulness, independence & inspiration — wherever we find it.
Here’s to closing out 2025 with clarity and stepping into 2026 with momentum.
Let’s build something worth bookmarking.
—
Warmly,
Lina Roseli Founder & Editor-in-Chief Arahkaii
As Editor-in-Chief of Arahkaii, Linaroseli brings a thoughtful, intentional approach to storytelling. She leads the editorial team with a focus on clarity, creative depth, and modern femininity, shaping narratives that feel both elevated and deeply human. With extensive experience across lifestyle and culture writing, she believes great content should spark curiosity and offer readers a moment of pause.
Lina oversees editorial direction, guides writers, and curates features that reflect Arahkaii’s signature balance of simplicity and substance. Outside of work, she enjoys slow mornings, artful spaces, and discovering emerging voices. Her guiding philosophy: write with sincerity, edit with purpose, and let every story carry meaning.
