On this hot-take episode with Philippe Pourhashemi we discuss the recent firings of Ludovic de Saint Sernin from Ann Demeulemeester and Rhuigi Villasenor from Bally and their implications. We speak about hype versus talent, what makes the right fit between a creative director and a brand, the relationship between management and creative, brand building and reputational risk, and much more. Support the show

We reconnect with the journalist Amy Odell to discuss the problematic legacy of Karl Lagerfeld, the late designer of Chanel, and the new exhibit devoted to his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. We try to answer one of the central questions of creativity - can you separate the art from the artist? - and dive into other aspects of Lagerfeld's life and work. Support the show

Our guest is Lauren Sherman, former senior correspondent at the Business of Fashion, a top-notch reporter whose no-nonsense writing cuts through much of the industry noise. We discuss why fashion journalism used to be a much richer field, why honest reporting is beneficial to fashion, why it’s imperative for a brand to develop a core audience, why LVMH excels at retaining talent, why brick and mortar retail matters, and talk about her new and exciting role at Puck News. Support the show

We speak with the casting director James Scully about his trajectory of working in fashion, from his days at the iconic New York boutique Charivari in the ‘80s to his days at Harper’s Bazaar and the changes he witnessed while being there, to becoming one of the best casting agents in the fashion industry; his whistle blowing on the rampant abuse of models and the changes it engendered. James’s is a brilliant story of working his way up in fashion through sheer love of it and his talent. It is...

We are back with Philippe to review this past Fall / Winter 2023 Women's fashion show season. We dive into many shows, concentrating on the many debuts, of Daniel Lee at Burberry, Ludovic de Saint-Sernin at Ann Demeulemeester, and Harris Reed at Nina Ricci. Support the show

We are back with fashion journalist and author Amy Odell to discuss Pharrell's appointment as the creative director of Louis Vuitton Menswear and what it means for fashion, what it says about the power of celebrity, Louis Vuitton's business model, and the fashion media. Check out Amy's Back Row Substack, amyodell.substack.com Support the show

We dissect Demna's first post-Balenciaga scandal interview in Vogue with the journalist Amy Odell. We discuss Demna's mea culpas and the various statements he makes, dive into the mechanics of the interview, its possible causes and effects, Kering's corporate strategy, and Vogue's journalistic integrity. We also try to guess who actually conducted the interview. Odell is a seasoned fashion journalist, and together with Eugene, based on their extensive experience they give a glimpse of what...

On this episode we reunite with our regular guest, fashion editor and critic Philippe Pourhashemi, to reflect on the Fall / Winter '23 Men's season. We discuss Pitti Uomo, Milan, and Paris shows, from Jan-Jan Van Essche to Rick Owens to Yohji Yamamoto to Sacai, the debacle that was the Gucci show without Alessandro Michele, and more! Support the show

We speak with Peter Ettedgui of Misfits Entertainment, a co-producer of the new docu-series Kingdom of Dreams, out in the UK on Sky and coming to the US market soon. The 4-part documentary traces the rise of Bernard Arnault's LVMH and François Pinault's Kering on the backs of John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, and Tom Ford. The documentary is full of insight and rare footage, and we speak with Peter about the making of it and what he learned along the way. Support the show

We speak with the author W. David Marx about his new book “Status and Culture: How Our Desire for Social Rank Creates Taste, Identity, Art, Fashion, and Constant Change.” We dive deep into the book and explore its basic premise that our cultural and consumption tendencies, especially when it comes to fashion, have to do more with the desire for status than we let on, how conspicuous consumption works, how the old and the new money signals their wealth, why logomania is in full swing today,...

On this episode we speak with one of the most interesting designers working in New York (and the world) today, Peter Do. Peter has caught fashion's eye with his sharp, elegant way of dressing that goes against the predominant sportswear and streetwear ethos that American fashion is known for. We sat down with Peter to talk about his journey, his design process, and the challenges he has faced along the way. Support the show

On this episode we speak with one of the most interesting designers working in New York (and the world) today, Peter Do. Peter has caught fashion's eye with his sharp, elegant way of dressing that goes against the predominant sportswear and streetwear ethos that American fashion is known for. We sat down with Peter to talk about his journey, his design process, and the challenges he has faced along the way. Listen to the full episode on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stylezeitgeist Support...

In this free-wheeling episode we talk to designer Sruli Recht about his journey and about his thoughts on design, the fashion industry, death, and circumcision, amongst other things. When we first met, Sruli was making menswear, technically. But it was apparent that Sruli is not a fashion designer but a product designer, or an artist, if you will. His science fiction-level approach to designing clothes and objects has always intrigued us, as has his unabashed openness and a sober and...

In this episode we discuss the (rather underwhelming) Men's Spring / Summer '23 fashion season. We look at the ups and downs, highs and lows, and pick our favorite collections. Support the show

On this episode we speak with Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, the founder and editor of Vestoj magazine, a publication that aims to bridge fashion and theory, and a bible for all fashion fanatics with an intellectual bent. Anja is one of the most formidable brains in the fashion media and it was a pleasure to speak with her about her journey to Vestoj, her view of fashion criticism and its place and how she's shifting her attitude from being a critic to an informed observer. Support the show

On this episode we speak with three young fashion media people - Luke Meagher of the YouTube and Instagram channel Haute Le Mode, Mario Abad, the fashion editor of Paper magazine, and José Criales-Unzueta, a regular contributor to I-D, Them and the Business of Fashion about the challenges they face and the problems they see with the current fashion media landscape. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/stylezeitgeist)

On this episode we are back with the critic Philippe Pourhashemi to review the Fall / Winter '22 season, including analyzing how Balenciaga, Rick Owens, and Armani responded to the war in Ukraine, and the reaction of our colleagues, amongst other things. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/stylezeitgeist)

On this episode we are back with the journalist Philippe Pourhashemi to review the Fall/Winter '22 men's season. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/stylezeitgeist)

On this episode we host Aitor Throup, one of the most innovative menswear designers who has conceptualized menswear like no other. We discuss his meteoric rise, the difficulty of translating conceptual fashion into a ready-to-wear proposition, his stints at Stone Island and C.P. Company, designing a uniform for the English national football team at the age of 28 , his two upcoming exhibitions, and his new project, Anatomyland. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/stylezeitgeist)

On this freewheeling episode we host Jon Caramanica, the New York Times pop-music critic and “critical shopper” columnist. We talk about forming our style journeys in parts of Brooklyn you’ve never heard of, discuss our favorite stores, New York shopping, the demise of Barney’s, death of directional retail, argue about hip-hop and pop culture and much, much more. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/stylezeitgeist)

We are back with the journalist and critic Philippe Pourhashemi to discuss the (few) ups and (many) downs of the S/S ’22 womenswear shows that just finished in Paris and Milan. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/stylezeitgeist)

We speak with the American designer Geoffrey B. Small, who has for decades operated outside of the corporate fashion system, about his experience of building an independent fashion house in Veneto, Italy. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/stylezeitgeist)

We are back with our friend, the journalist and critic Philippe Pourhashemi to give you our (not very favorable) impressions of the Paris men's Spring / Summer 2022 and Couture Fall / Winter 2021 shows. Find out what we thought about the Balenciaga couture debut, Chanel and Fendi, Margiela, Rick Owens, Prada and Raf and much more. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/stylezeitgeist)

On this episode we host Dr. Valerie Steele, the Director of the Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology), whose knowledge of fashion and ability to put it in socio-historical context is positively awe-inspiring. We discuss her own journey from a high-school dropout to a Columbia doctorate, how and why she chooses topics for fashion exhibits, the genius of Alexander McQueen, fashion fetishes, and the bondage inspiration behind Dior's New Look. You read that right! Support the show...