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But looks alone don’t build connection, culture does. And there’s a brand that comes to mind with exactly that kind of culture, one that could bring its own energy into that space instead of just borrowing the aesthetic: Topicals.

Topicals was built by Olamide Olowe, and from the first day it never acted like skincare had to fit into a specific box. Faded, their brightening serum, comes in packaging that looks like it belongs on a sticker sheet, not a pharmacy shelf. Their whole mission ties skin to mental health, community and actually feeling good in your skin, not just looking a certain way. They’ve never played it safe about where they show up either. That’s the exact energy Field Study already has in the room, confident, a little rebellious, unwilling to sit quietly in its category. Topicals wouldn’t be borrowing this space’s cool aesthetic. It would be adding to it.

So here’s my experiential event idea: Coffee, Cars & Topicals, hosted after dark at Field Study. Same vintage cars, same cortados, plus a Topicals table set up next to the espresso bar, with Faded eye patches worn around the event, the same way someone would show off a fresh detail on their car.

The slogan for the event is “skin deep, community deeper”. “Only skin deep” is actually shorthand for something superficial, a phrase people use when they want to say that what’s on the surface isn’t worth taking seriously. This campaign reverses it. Skin deep isn’t shallow here, it’s worth caring about, on its own terms, without needing to be excused or minimized. And then the slogan pushes one step further: community runs even deeper than that.

An event is only as good as the music, too, and part of community is connecting over songs. We’re spinning a classic, soulful vinyl like The Main Ingredient's "Let Me Prove My Love to You" and DeBarge's "Stay With Me" to match the vintage vibe, alongside a live DJ set ready to seamlessly mix in current cultural anthems like Yung Miami's "Spend Dat" to completely shift the energy.

That’s the actual thesis of the event, not just a catchy line. The product, the patches, the routine of putting one on, is the entry point. It’s what gets someone to stop, try something, start a conversation with a stranger next to a car they’ve never seen up close. But the product was never the only point of staying. The connection built around it, the conversation, the shared moment, the memory of taking pictures with how you both look with pink patches under your eyes, that’s what actually earns loyalty. People come back for how a place, and a brand, made them feel less alone in a room full of strangers.

That’s also why this works with somewhere like Field Study. A phrase like “community deeper” needs an actual community to prove it. Field Study already has one, people who show up regularly, who treat the space like a third place, not just a coffee stop. Topicals isn’t manufacturing a community from nothing. It’s stepping into one that already exists and giving it one more reason to gather.

Beyond just being a cute pairing, Field Study’s whole appeal is that it treats care as identity. The cars are maintained obsessively, the coffee is intentional, and nothing about the space is careless. That is structurally the exact same instinct skincare asks people to have about their own skin. I haven’t seen anyone connect those two forms of care before, mainly because skincare marketing tends to live in aspirational spaces, while car culture lives in gritty, technical ones. Putting Topicals inside an environment that already has a “care as a lifestyle” ethos baked in means the brand doesn’t have to convince anyone that care matters; the room is already built around that belief.

And that’s really the bigger differentiator here. Anyone can run an ad. What actually builds loyalty is giving people an entire world they can physically step into, one that already has its own aesthetic, its own rituals, its own regulars, so the brand isn’t performing a lifestyle, it’s just present inside one that already exists. That’s a much harder thing to copy than a basic campaign.

Extras for the night:

• Custom Car Keychains: Branded, pink vintage-style motel keychains featuring the Skin Deep, Community Deeper slogan on one side and Topicals on the other. A perfect, tactile takeaway for guests to add to their car keys, keeping Topicals top of mind on every commute.

• The Late-Night Drink Menu: A one-night-only signature evening drink called the Topicals Glow Latte featuring a warm cinnamon honey latte infused with collagen peptides. The drink is finished with a custom stenciled Topicals logo dusted in cinnamon right on top of the foam for a perfect photo moment.

• Polaroid Detailing Station: Leaning into the analog, IRL, vinyl-inspired energy of the night by taking Polaroids of guests wearing their Faded eye patches next to the vintage cars, given to them on custom backing cards.

Sending this to the CEO of Topicals, Olamide ASAP.

:)

Brand World: Inside Topicals

If you live in New York, you know the energy this past week has been electric.

Everyone is buying into the Knicks. Coffee shops are creating Knicks-themed drinks. Cookie shops are turning the Knicks logo into edible art, and local businesses across the city are finding ways to be part of the moment.

And they 100% should.

Because sports are no longer just sports.

They’re culture, community and identity.

The Knicks making the Finals for the first time in 27 years isn’t just a basketball story. It’s a city-wide moment. And the brands that understand that are finding creative ways to become part of it.

If you’re a brand in New York right now and you’re not doing something Knicks-related, you’re missing a huge opportunity.

The most successful sports organizations and businesses today aren’t just selling products or building teams.

They’re building communities people want to explore.

If you know anything about sports fans, fandom is incredibly social.

Yes, there are downsides. Sometimes the rivalries go a little too far. But at its core, sports gives people something many of us are looking for: a place to belong.

A shared identity, a reason to talk to strangers, a reason to leave the house and a reason to care about something bigger than ourselves.

Sports happens to be one of the best vehicles for that.

At its best, fandom isn’t just about watching a game, it’s about participating in a moment.

What I’ve loved watching over the past few weeks isn’t just the Knicks. It’s how the entire city has responded to them.

And that’s exactly what smart brands understand.

They’re not really just selling coffee or cookies.

They’re selling participation and giving people another way to feel connected to the moment.

A Knicks-themed latte isn’t actually about the latte. It’s about walking into a coffee shop and instantly finding someone else who gets it.

An edible Knicks logo isn’t really about the cookie. It’s about celebrating something together.

The product is just the vehicle. The feeling is what people remember.

And that’s what New York has done so well during this Finals run. The city has turned fandom into a shared experience.

The best part is that most of these ideas aren’t complicated. They’re just timely and local.

One of my favorite examples has been Farm Cafe.

The café started adding Knicks-themed toppers to its drinks. A simple, but effective idea that I love.

Farm Cafe's Knicks-themed drinks eventually landed the café on Good Morning America, and because it's located just a mile from the Knicks practice facility, a few players including Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart stopped by.

And that’s just one example.

There’s vintage-style Knicks merch popping up at Mr. Throwback. Watch parties happening all over the city. A Knicks-themed stoop on the Upper East Side. Fanatics rolling through Manhattan with its fan wagon giving away shirts. A Knicks-themed subway station. Knicks cookies. Knicks watercolor paintings.

That’s the beauty of it. There’s something for everyone to find joy in.

@stoopandthecityYou know it's serious when The Stoop trades hydrangeas for basketballs. 🏀🧡💙 The Knicks are in the Finals and NYC is absolutely electric.

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And if you’re in San Antonio, the same thing applies. I mean, how cute would it be to walk into a local shop and get a Spurs-themed Texas stamp on your boots or your cowboy hat during the Finals?

The goal isn’t to copy New York. The goal is to create a version of this that feels uniquely Texan.

The best experiences aren’t necessarily the biggest ones. They’re the ones that feel authentic. New York is succeeding because it’s tapping into New York culture. San Antonio has an opportunity to do the same this week with Texas culture.

These are the kinds of moments people remember for years to come. They'll remember who they watched the games with, where they were and the stories that came from it.

That’s what makes moments like this so special.

And what brand wouldn’t want to be part of that?

Also, I know some people like to joke about “performative fans,” but honestly, I think that’s how fandom often starts.

Sports are one of the few things that can bring together people of different ages, backgrounds, and interests. The barrier to entry right now is surprisingly low. All you really need is a reason to care.

All of these examples are invitations to join the conversation and belong.

Sometimes that’s all it takes.

One watch party. A Knicks shirt. A team-themed cookie.

Before you know it, you’re checking scores, learning player names, and complaining about missed calls by the refs.

The best experiences don’t just serve existing fans.

They create new ones.

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