It’s official: The physical luxury hierarchy is dead. From Tokyo to London, the new "it" bag isn't Hermès, it's the humble, canvas Trader Joe's tote. We unpack the theory we predicted in 2023: that ubiquity killed the classic status symbol.
This is your permission slip to ditch the designer bag and flaunt the merch that signals you're cultured and diverse.
The new luxury isn't about buying expensive things; it's about intangible assets like being well-traveled and "in the know."
(NOTE: In this episode, we incorrectly stated that the Chanel CEO was previously at Procter and Gamble. She was previously at Unilever.)
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Beauty influencer Mikayla Nogueira recently posted a luxury haul video that left a lot of people unimpressed; what does this signal about the times we're in?
Mikayla’s haul backlash wasn't about the products themselves, but the shocking volume and the visible death of discernment. How did the luxury market, once defined by restraint and craftsmanship, become so desperate for relevance that it enables this spectacular, tacky overflow?
We examine how a certain class of wealthy, but uncivilized, consumer is now the market's target, forcing legitimate luxury houses to trade quiet quality for garish visibility, ultimately lowering the bar for everyone with a discriminating eye.
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After a few seasons of sartorial subtlety, the pendulum is swinging hard at Gucci. After parting ways with Alessandro Michele's maximalist 70's fever dream, Gucci decided to pivot hard into a pared down aesthetic under Sabato de Sarno—which led to catastrophic losses in revenue.
Now with Demna's highly anticipated debut for Gucci, the silence has been broken by a cacophony of maximalism, irony, and unapologetic self-expression. Join us as we unpack the Gucci lookbook—and what it says about the shift from quiet luxury. We're diving deep into the cultural psychology behind this shift: Is fashion reacting to a desire for post-pandemic escapism? Are we tired of blending in? And is this the definitive moment that signals a pivot away from 'less is more' to 'more is fabulous' for the next generation of style icons?
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Buzzed about beauty brand Ami Colé was everywhere — Sephora, Vogue, viral beauty TikToks — until it wasn’t. Meanwhile, Collina Strada, a low-key darling of the fashion underground, has quietly weathered over a decade in business. In this episode, I unpack how these two brands illustrate the new rules of business founders and general entrepreneurship: profit over growth, independence over investors, and the quiet power of staying niche.
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Recho Omondi is the host of The Cutting Room Floor, a beloved fashion podcast that’s known for its industry insider interviews and no-BS tone. But recently, Omondi made headlines for posting a job listing offering $55K a year—for what many argued was three roles in one. The internet lit up with people feeling a variety of mixed emotions about the creator and about creative industries as a whole.
Today, we're exploring why this moment touched a nerve—and what it reveals about labor, legacy, and the price of “breaking in” to fashion.
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(Ep. starts at 1:15!) Is it just a bankrupt accessory store, or is it the final glittery nail in the coffin of a certain kind of girlhood?
She survived butterfly clips, body glitter, and three recessions—but Claire’s may not survive 2025.
In this episode, we break down the liquidation of Claire’s and: fashion's fragility, girlhood nostalgia, and why TikTok might be the new mall. It’s capitalism in cute packaging— and we’re unboxing it.
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SZN 4 STARTS NOW! (Episode starts at 2:30)
Polo Ralph Lauren’s Oak Bluffs campaign looks like a page from a very tasteful scrapbook— but not everyone’s feeling the love. Today, I’m breaking down why this campaign hit some people right in the heart....and others right in the skepticism. We’ll talk about branding, visual storytelling, and how fashion sometimes tries a little too hard to remember the past beautifully.
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the last episode of SZN 3! and btw….we are LIVE on YouTube 🥳
(episode starts at the 3:15 mark!)
Sak’s Fifth Avenue is a storied American fashion institution, but are its best days behind them? talk of late payments and layoffs have thrust the retailer into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. let’s discuss.
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(episode starts at the 2:50 mark!)
Soho House, a private members only club, has been a who’s who gathering space for 30 years. and then…..they decided to go public. since 2021, the membership group has been struggling with being exclusive and fast growing. can a company be both? what are the parallels between them and the fashion industry? let’s discuss.
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(episode starts at the 3:00 mark!)
in the first ever aesthetic news roundup, we discuss a few interesting headlines:
- champagne sales decline as we globally decide there’s nothing to celebrate
-Alix Earle is trying to sell the most cheugy millennial fits. will Gen Z buy into it?
-is running gear the new streetwear?
let’s discuss!
(episode starts at the 10:00 mark!)
the 2025 presidential inauguration was full of badly dressed billionaires and the people who love them. join us for a commentary on the sartorial choices of the leaders of the nation as we discuss the fashions of the day, because fashion is political.
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Walmart's $80 Birkin bag dupe has set the internet ablaze. some people feel like the bag democratizes fashion and levels the playing field for aspiring luxury consumers. others feel like dupe culture, especially of the Hermes variety, is harmful to the fashion industry and to design at large. lots of valid points were made on both sides but the real question is......what does the $80 Wirkin represent and who is it for? let's discuss.
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Read the Glamour Mag article here
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(episode starts at 6:45 if you wanna miss the fun chatter in the beginning)
it’s our last episode of 2024! 🍾✨
what better way to usher in a new calendar year than to talk about a highly curated list of what’s in and what’s out? (subjectively of course because we’re all different and all in good fun as usual) 2024 was quite a year and there are some things i don’t want us to bring into 2025. let’s discuss…..
And be sure to check out the new playlist ‘Thoughtful Tracks 001: Out of Office’ to enjoy your last bit of downtime! **if you have Apple Music, this free app lets you transfer songs**
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this week, we analyze Lord & Taylor’s legacy as a premier department store to a fallen emblem of the American middle class. but just when you thought it was over, an anonymous group has decided to relaunch the legacy brand as an online off-price retailer.
how does this move reflect broader trends in retail? let’s examine the challenges and opportunities this business strategy brings for the fashion retailer in today’s e-commerce driven market.
(NOTE: at one point in this episode i mentioned that Hudson’s Bay might own Canadian retailer Holt Renfrew- that’s a lie actually; they’re owned by Selfridges Group. but you can’t lie, the vibes are so similar to Sak’s Fifth lol)
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hey beautiful people! our first minisode here: just wanted to pop in and chat briefly about some things that have been on my mind.
to sum it up:
- how do you streamline content so that it’s most impactful?
-what’s up with Black Friday 2024? have we reached the end of the consumerism railroad?
our regular podcast content will resume in the near future.
thanks for always tuning in! <3
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In this episode, we unpack the viral video of a soft life content creator who thought she’d found paradise—only to realize she married a "monster." We break down how the soft life aesthetic can actually hold women back, pushing them into narrow, performative boxes that aren’t as glamorous as they seem.
We also dig into how American exceptionalism fuels classism and the harmful status markers it creates, plus why the obsession with fashion dictated by male suitors is the worst part of soft life content. Spoiler: it’s all about controlling women’s choices.
Catch our raw take on the contradictions of the soft life, and how it’s more limiting than liberating.
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ahhhhh! we're on camera! (and we got cut off technically before the end of the episode so sorry for the abrupt ending lol)
in this episode, i drag myself for some of my recent fashion takes and then we discuss high level thoughts about fashion trends in the wake of a looming conservative presidency
will we be high femme or androgynous? who gets to sell us those 'blue bracelets'? what will we do with our high heels?
let's discuss. (on video for the first time!)
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a lot of us are coming to terms with the depths of misogyny in the U.S. and that will take time.
among those realizations, i encourage you to realize your true self aesthetically and consider the idea…..who would i be if i didn’t consider what men thought?
this episode is a manifesto, a trip down memory lane and a hope for the future 💙
(EDIT: when going down memory lane i mistakenly credited Tim Burton with directing the Kelis video for “Get Along With You” and it was actually, Paul Hunter. i guess they were just “inspired” by Tim Burton. forgive me, internet 🥺)
another one! (DJ Khaled voice)
let’s have a chat about some of the most interesting fashion headlines in recent memory….
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in this episode, we dive into the return of business formal dress codes—because apparently, our sweatpants weren't cutting it in the boardroom! as companies roll out their return to office plans, the stakes are higher than ever. is it time to dust off those blazers, or are we just trading comfort for conformity?
join us as we unravel the fashion dilemmas and the not-so-subtle power plays behind what we wear to work. after all, when job security is on the line, it’s not just what you say; it’s how you look saying it!