We’re living through exciting but turbulent times: technology is developing faster than ever and we’re increasingly experiencing life through our screens, all while being bombarded with unrealistic perfection on social media, deepfakes and AI-generated content where we can’t even tell the difference between the real and fake any more. Of course, being a fashion magazine, we create fantasy worlds and a brief escape from reality, but some things are impossible to replace with digital versions: real-life human interaction, touch and taste, to name a few things. This brave new world is something we will have to navigate for years to come and somehow find a balance when the real and fake collide. Welcome to issue 18 of PUSS PUSS – The Reality Check issue!