Fashion

We Keep the Dead Close Author on the Unsolved 1969 Murder at Harvard

Becky Cooper, author of We Keep the Dead Close, spent 10 years researching the murder of Jane Britton….

Becky Cooper was a junior at Harvard University when she first heard the story, though it had been campus lore for decades: a female student in Harvard’s graduate archaeology program was murdered by a professor with whom she was having an affair. But the police never couldn’t pin the professor down, so he walked free—and remained teaching—to this day. Cooper’s fascination with the story sparked her own 10-year investigation into the tragic, unsolved murder of Jane Britton in 1969.

Cooper’s findings have culminated in a new book, We Keep the Dead Close, out today. While it’s easy to chalk this up to just another work in the true crime canon, the author takes great care not to sensationalize Britton’s story, or bludgeon it into tidy, conclusive narratives. Instead, she painstakingly chases down every lead, source, and tip—which, more often than not, are inconclusive. (“You need to make sure you are not wielding it to modern ends,” Cooper says of her exhaustive research process.) The result is a both an honest portrait of the victim and those who loved her, as well as the cryptic, archaic world of academia.

Vogue spoke with Cooper about own time at Harvard, the true-crime exposure in pop-culture, and separating fiction from reality.

What was your own experience like at Harvard?

I had a very wonderful lucky time at Harvard. I think I was made to feel like my past—I grew up in a household where ordering a drink with dinner was an unnecessary indulgence—didn’t matter at all. Only later did I realize what some of my friends had.

It was only coming back, when my friends were the graduate students, that I realized the structural voicelessness that puts people in a position to feel powerless.

When you were there, Jane’s story had become almost a myth—a tale that represented the dangers of being female in academia rather than being a factual event.

There’s a quote in the book: “Some realities need to be fictionalized in order to be apprehended.” The version of it that I had inherited, the version that stayed alive before the case was solved—was that her advisor had killed her because they had an affair.

As I get deeper into the investigation, I don’t think at all that he’s the murderer. And so my question is both who killed Jane—but also why is this the story that has such a hold on this community? What is it trying to gesture at? [What’s] contained within this myth? I was reverse engineering that quote, where it’s like, “All right, here’s the fiction, what’s the reality?” Here’s reality for me. There’s a 2018 study that was done by the National Academy of Sciences that shows that 50% of female faculty have experienced sexual harassment in the last three decades of the archeology program in the anthropology department. Of the withdrawals from the program, 87% were female. If you look at the distant, the past is not that distant.

This book is mainly about Jane, her life, and her untimely death, but you also interweave your own view into it. When writing Jane’s story, why did you decide to interweave your own?

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Air Jordan 3 “Paris” Reportedly Trades Elephant Print for Damask

Jordan Brand may be preparing to drop a special Air Jordan 3 dedicated to one of the world’s most recognizable cities. Landing in June 2027, the Air Jordan 3 “Paris” comes with a unique design that ditches the usual elephant print. Instead, the rumored edition is said to feature damask detailing, special Paris-inspired branding, and a limited drop focused on the French capital.

The first word comes from @zSneakerHeadz, but Jordan Brand has not confirmed the sneaker yet. A mockup is currently circulating, so the final look may differ. That said, the described design is an interesting direction for the Air Jordan 3, especially for fans used to seeing elephant print as one of the silhouettes hallmark visual elements.

The shoe is said to feature a white tumbled leather upper with a navy rubber outsole. The most noticeable change is replacing the traditional elephant print with a damask print. The pattern is reportedly on the toe and heel, with another section next to the Jumpman logo on the tongue. The treatment gives the sneaker a different visual character without straying from the Air Jordan 3’s recognizable structure.

More branding is expected to tie the release closely to its namesake city. The mudguard is said to have the wording “Jordan Paris Family 91, 92, 93, 94,” while the heel is said to have “NIKE PRS.” The details give the shoe a more specific identity than a simple colorway, with the reported inscriptions presenting it as a tribute to Paris and its role in the Jordan Brand story.

The sneaker is expected to be released in men’s sizing and will carry the style code JJ3727-100. It retails for $230 and will be available in select Jordan Brand stores in Paris. If the release details are accurate, the limited distribution may make the pair tough for sneaker fans outside the city to get their hands on. But the brand has not confirmed the information that has been reported, and the image shown is a mockup and not an official product reveal.

The Air Jordan 3 “Paris” is also expected to join a growing list of regional releases such as the Air Jordan 3 “Middle East.” These projects give Jordan Brand the chance to attack the same silhouette through various regional themes, not just the usual retro colorways. The damask pattern with city-specific branding would, in this case, make the Paris edition clearly distinct.

This classic Air Jordan 3 shape combined with a strange pattern is bound to appeal to collectors. The expected Paris-only distribution adds another layer of exclusivity, although the final release details have yet to be confirmed. If the June 2027 launch comes to fruition as described, the Air Jordan 3 “Paris” could be one of the more unique regional editions on Jordan Brand’s calendar.

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Nike LeBron 24 “Christmas” – Holiday Collection Gets Grinchy Green Look

Nike Basketball’s holiday collection is starting to take shape, and LeBron James’ latest signature shoe is bringing a particularly loud look to the seasonal crop. First-look images of the Nike LeBron 24 “Christmas” have surfaced, showcasing a black and electric green colorway with metallic silver accents. The rumored Grinch-inspired direction of the upcoming release is shaping up to be one of the more unique additions to Nike’s Christmas footwear collection.

The shoe will be dropped on December 4 for $200. Its most striking feature is the electric green colorway, which gives the design a strong visual identity. Black is used on the upper for contrast, and metallic silver is seen on the Swoosh near the heel. Another contrasting touch comes from a red logo on the tongue, offering a subtle nod to holiday colors within the overall aesthetic. The shoe continues the theme with a green rubber outsole below.

Aside from the looks, the LeBron 24 “Christmas” also features performance elements associated with the broader LeBron 24 line. The outsole has a Zoom Turbo unit that is said to keep the shoe light and quick. That bit gives the holiday edition purpose beyond just its seasonal styling, keeping it tied to the basketball performance direction of the signature series.

The Grinch concept is part of a larger “naughty list” theme that also includes the Sabrina 4 and Book 2. Rather than treating the LeBron 24 as a standalone holiday release, Nike seems to be building a connected seasonal collection around the idea. The electric green colorway fits that direction, making the shoe pop while giving the broader theme a recognizable visual thread.

The first glimpse of the sneaker came via a 360-degree video Nike shared. The audience got a first look at the color blocking and design details as the shoe was presented from various angles. A handful of basketball creators also got a sneak peek at the pair earlier on a trip to Nike headquarters, helping build the early hype around the release.

The style code is IO8205-300 and the shoe is expected to drop in men’s sizing through Nike and select retailers. The December 4 date and $200 price point give us a sense of what to expect, but the information provided doesn’t list every retailer that will sell the sneaker.

The Nike LeBron 24 ‘Christmas’ is holiday-themed and performance-inspired for LeBron’s signature line, featuring a bright green colorway with silver details, red tongue branding, and an outsole with Zoom Turbo cushioning. Its Grinch-inspired theme also fits clearly into Nike Basketball’s broader seasonal plans. If you’re a fan of the brand’s Christmas releases, this pair is already making a strong first impression.

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