What's Contemporary Now?

The episode follows AMBUSH’s evolution from jewelry made for friends to a brand that Yoon describes as a platform, shaped by experimentation rather than a rigid business plan. She speaks candidly about learning in real time, being paid to learn, and why every job and skill eventually becomes useful. From research as a daily practice to AI as a tool that can accelerate creative work without replacing it, Yoon makes a case for staying open, resisting the urge to live in boxes, and trading horizontal expansion for deeper, more human storytelling. Her definition of what feels contemporary now is simple and powerful, pursuing who you are fearlessly, and staying uniquely human in a world increasingly driven by algorithms. Episode Highlights: A childhood shaped by movement and solitudeGrowing up between Korea, Hawaii, California, and Seattle, Yoon reflects on how constant relocation fostered independence, imagination, and an ability to adapt quickly to new environments. Solitude as a creative advantageTime spent alone became a space for imagination rather than isolation, laying the groundwork for curiosity, inner confidence, and long-term creative resilience. Subculture as a formative educationFrom Seattle’s grunge era to Tokyo’s club scene, Yoon describes how underground culture, music, and nightlife taught her more about identity and community than any formal training. Discovering design through curiosity, not strategyHer path into graphic design and later fashion emerged organically through interests in magazines, presentation, and visual storytelling, rather than a predefined career plan. Being paid to learn as a philosophyYoon frames early jobs, including PR and corporate design work, as opportunities to learn on someone else’s dime, reinforcing her belief that no experience is wasted. AMBUSH as an organic unfoldingWhat began as jewelry made for friends evolved naturally into a brand, then into a platform, driven by experimentation, relationships, and responding to real demand rather than market forecasting. Tokyo as a creative accelerantMoving to Japan exposed Yoon to layered subcultures, cross-pollination between music and fashion, and a culture open to hybridity, shaping AMBUSH’s DNA. Fashion as communication, not productYoon describes fashion as a visual language for expressing identity and connection, rather than simply clothing or commercial output. AI as a tool, not a replacementShe speaks openly about embracing AI as a powerful assistant that can accelerate research and execution, while insisting that creative intent and thinking cannot be outsourced. What feels contemporary nowFor Yoon, being contemporary today means fearlessly pursuing who you are, resisting algorithmic pressure, and staying grounded in humanity, curiosity, and purpose rather than chasing scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Asad Syrkett joins What’s Contemporary Now? for a wide-ranging conversation about design as a cultural language and the quiet ways environments shape identity, memory, and access. From a childhood spent moving through New York City’s homes, department stores, and streets, to a new chapter living and working in Milan, he reflects on how early encounters with the built world formed a lifelong curiosity long before he had the vocabulary of architecture or interiors. Grounded in his background in architectural history and editorial leadership, Asad speaks to why design is never neutral, how interiors hold narrative and emotional weight, and why aspiration today feels less about status than self-knowledge. As attention splinters and taste is increasingly mediated by screens rather than experience, the conversation returns to what endures: craft, context, and the human touch as the most contemporary forces shaping how we live now. “If you like it, I love it. I’d rather a space reflect real engagement with the self than something copied from Instagram.” - Asad Syrkett Episode Highlights: Living in Milan versus passing through itAsad reflects on the shift from visiting Milan for work to truly living there, and how permanence deepens relationships, curiosity, and cultural exchange beyond the churn of Salone and design week. A childhood shaped by environments, not fashionGrowing up in Harlem and New York City, Asad became attuned early to how homes, retail spaces, and objects reflect identity, class, and aspiration, long before he had the language for design. The built world is never neutralFrom department stores to shop windows, he describes how cities teach us, early on, that design encodes power, values, and social difference. Curiosity as a lifelong engineRaised by a family deeply invested in culture, music, books, and dance, Asad traces how being encouraged to ask questions shaped his editorial and intellectual instincts. Why architectural history unlocked everythingStudying architectural history at Columbia gave him context and language for instincts formed in childhood, connecting design to authority, religion, economics, and social structures. A career guided by sustainability of curiosityMoving between journalism, design studios, digital media, and business wasn’t about restlessness, but about building an intellectually sustainable life around design. Context over aestheticsAs an editor, Asad emphasizes that interiors don’t exist in a vacuum, they are social, political, and emotional artifacts shaped by history, access, and intention. Access versus upward mobilityHe challenges the idea that design is about “upward mobility,” reframing it instead as access, self-knowledge, and environments that reflect inner growth rather than status alone. Italy as a culture of makersLiving in Milan has sharpened his appreciation for Italian design’s deep respect for craft, family-run production, and material knowledge passed down through generations. What’s contemporary now: the human touchIn a digital, accelerated world, Asad argues that the most contemporary thing is work shaped by human skill, physical effort, and deep commitment to craft, things technology cannot replicate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our first episode of 2026, we sit down with Kyle Hagler and Emil Wilbekin for a deeply personal and wide-ranging conversation at the intersection of Native Son, culture, and media. We begin with formative histories shaped by strong women, faith, and instinct, before tracing how both have navigated long careers defined by pivots, visibility, and cultural responsibility. From Emil’s journey through magazine leadership to founding Native Son, to Kyle’s perspective on power, representation, and stewardship within fashion, the conversation explores what it means to build influence without losing yourself. Together, they reflect on community beyond branding, legacy without chasing legacy, and why staying contemporary today requires clarity, courage, and a willingness to exist fully in complexity. “A lot of my success came from haphazard decision-making based on instinct, not some grand plan. I followed the moment and figured it out later.” - Kyle Hagler “Native Son was never about nightlife or crisis. It was about creating space where we could see ourselves reflected with dignity.” - Emil Wilbekin Episode Highlights: Beginnings that explain everythingEmil reflects on being adopted at birth and raised by radically cultured, spiritually grounded Black parents, while Kyle traces the imprint of a brilliant young mother who negotiated her way through systems not built for her and brought him along for the ride. Strong women as original architectureNot a theme, a fact. Both credit women with shaping their confidence, ethics, ambition, and emotional literacy long before any career took form. The professional pivot, demystifiedReinvention is not indulgence, it is survival. Emil maps his evolution across media, teaching, faith, and founding Native Son. Kyle frames adaptability as the only real form of security. Safety, redefinedKyle’s assertion lands quietly but firmly: safety does not live in institutions or titles, it lives in your ability to navigate turbulence and keep moving. Spirituality as infrastructure, not ornamentEmil speaks to prayer and meditation as daily practice and social responsibility. Kyle shares a later awakening forged through loss, illness, and uncertainty, arriving at calm through surrender. A very New York origin storyThe Octagon in the 90s, Helmut Lang uniforms, early shade, and worlds colliding. Friendship eventually sealed not by proximity, but by shared obsession, precision, and care. Doing the work before knowing the impactEmil reflects on Vibe as cultural moment-making understood only in hindsight. Kyle recalls realizing his influence only once others named it, while he was simply doing the job. The birth of Native SonAn India retreat, a voice, Baldwin on a bookshelf. A mission emerges to create space for Black gay, queer, and gender nonconforming lives beyond nightlife, crisis, or erasure. Progress and backlash, side by sideVisibility expands while political resistance hardens. Both argue that representation without ownership is fragile, and that DEI without equity is noise. What feels contemporary now Fearless self-definition. Living in nuance. Building community that can hold contradiction, accountability, and becoming, without waiting for permission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Angelo Flaccavento has long been one of fashion’s most distinctive critical voices — sharp yet empathetic, rigorous yet imaginative, always willing to question his own certainties. In this conversation, he traces his path from a Sicilian childhood spent absorbing magazines in boutique backrooms to becoming a writer whose clarity and candor designers both fear and admire. We discuss the formative power of self-doubt, the responsibility of the critic in an era shaped by branding and algorithms, and why genuine surprise has become fashion’s rarest commodity. Angelo reflects on taste as a lifelong education, the tension between fantasy and reality, and the importance of staying fluid rather than defined in a moment obsessed with categorization. “I’m a dreamer, but not an escapist. Fantasy has to somehow crash to the ground in order to become reality.” - Angelo Flaccavento  Episode Highlights: A Sicilian childhood shaped by boutiques and early fashion literacy Angelo grew up in Ragusa surrounded by family-run boutiques at the height of Italy’s fashion boom. Magazines, Versace dresses, Guy Bourdin images, and the glamour of the early ’80s became his first education in style and visual culture. Discovering i-D and turning Ragusa into his personal London Getting a subscription to i-D as a teenager becomes a defining moment. He reads each issue obsessively, treating it as a window into a world he hasn’t yet reached — the foundation of his sharp, culturally attuned eye. From aspiring designer to critic: finding the right medium Though he once dreamed of being a designer, he realized he was more drawn to ideas, imagery, and interpretation. Writing became his path, encouraged by teachers who sensed his voice before he did. A voice that evolves rather than settles Angelo talks about tone and style as living entities — shaped by constraints, sharpened by editors, and never fixed in place. He values clarity, concision, and atmosphere, always pushing himself toward more precision. Doubt as a creative engine He sees doubt not as insecurity but as momentum, calling it “the essence of progress.” Self-questioning keeps him open, curious, and resistant to stagnation. Criticism as decoding, not destruction For Angelo, the critic’s role is to cut through PR storytelling and help readers understand what they’re actually seeing. He believes in honesty delivered with generosity — critique as illumination, not cruelty. Maintaining integrity in a political, PR-driven industry He speaks openly about the emotional and professional navigation required each season, from access issues to difficult conversations, and why seeing shows live is essential to telling the truth. Fashion’s power to surprise Angelo celebrates the rare, electric moments when a show shifts the mood of the entire industry — reminders of why fashion still matters and how a collection can rewire the cultural conversation. Taste as instinct refined over a lifetime For him, taste is a mix of instinct and education — shaped by art history, architecture, vertical lines, trial and error, and everything one has ever seen. Taste is biography turned into perspective. What is contemporary now: resisting definition Angelo concludes that the most contemporary stance is fluidity — refusing to let algorithms, labels, or nostalgia define us, and staying open enough to see the world anew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Camille Miceli brings a vivid, almost incandescent joie de vivre to Pucci, treating color, movement, and intuition as both vocabulary and philosophy. Her worldview is shaped by an upbringing steeped in art and fashion, and by formative chapters with Alaïa, Lagerfeld, Jacobs, and Raf Simons — each adding a layer to her finely tuned sense of glamour and discipline. She reflects on the value of frivolity in an anxious age, the necessity of surrounding oneself with challengers rather than cheerleaders, and the quiet radicalism of returning Pucci’s prints to hand-drawn imperfection. The picture that emerges is of a creative director who treats joy not as escapism, but as a practiced, precise way of making a brand — and a life — feel vividly alive. “We didn’t come to this planet to suffer. I’m here to enjoy, even if there are stressed days. You have to laugh sometimes.” - Camille Miceli Episode Highlights: An upbringing steeped in art and fashionCamille grows up between an art-world father and a fashion-world mother, surrounded by New Realists, Guy Bourdin shoots, and Azzedine Alaïa at the dinner table — early immersion in glamour, image, and attitude. Alaïa as her first tough teacherAt sixteen she interns for Azzedine Alaïa, who is lovingly ruthless about precision. The “traumatic” rigor of placing rocks every ten centimeters becomes the root of her perfectionism and obsession with detail. Chanel and Karl as excess and foresight schoolAt Chanel with Karl Lagerfeld, she encounters fashion as total universe — decor, invitations, product, marketing — and learns to think several moves ahead, like the “Chanel forever” bag response to a critical article. Marc Jacobs and the power of generosity and teamsAt Louis Vuitton, Marc pulls her fully into the creative side, asks her to design earrings, and kick-starts her jewelry career. She absorbs his generosity, his habit of crediting collaborators, and his refusal to work with “yes people” — a model she now applies as a creative director. Dior, Raf, and the dialogue with art and designAt Dior under John Galliano and then Raf Simons, she deepens her passion for art, design, and couture, finding common ground with Raf through shared references and visual obsessions. How all those experiences prepare her for PucciYears in fittings, communication, and collaborations give her a 360-degree approach: she thinks about clothes, image, stores, and storytelling as a single ecosystem, which she now applies to Pucci’s collections and retail spaces. Pucci as art, joy, and imperfectionShe sees Pucci prints as psychedelic artworks and immediately brings hand-drawing back to restore “imperfection as perfection.” The wobbly lines and pressure marks make the prints human, charming, and alive. Using print as logo and rethinking heritage codesRather than drowning everything in pattern, she treats the print as a signature — a button, a jacquard, a matte-and-shine texture — so a black jacket can still read Pucci. She evolves the codes instead of changing them seasonally. A modern stance on fashion systems and wasteShe pushes see-now-buy-now because she hates the lag between image and product, especially in an age of instant gratification. Pucci runs only two collections a year, staggered like intelligent “drops,” which lets her reduce waste and think deeply instead of chasing volume. Collaborations, culture, and what’s contemporary nowShe favors collaborations that bring true know-how (technical skiwear, for example) over hype, and considers the Art Basel entrance carpet a proud moment of print as art rather than logo spam. When asked what is contemporary now, she lands on sharing, respect for others, and radical care for the planet — especially water — and dreams of self-sufficiency as the ultimate luxury. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Matthew Whitehouse reflects on the winding path from a rainy Lancashire childhood and a brief burst of band-life glamour to leading The Face, a title forever suspended between myth and reinvention. He speaks with disarming clarity about reviving an icon without embalming it, insisting that the magazine’s only true mandate is to capture the texture of now — not nostalgia, not futurism, but the pulse of the present. We explore the politics that slip in through lived experience rather than declarations, the power of small stories to illuminate larger truths, and the editor’s craft as an exercise in restraint as much as vision. For Whitehouse, what’s contemporary is whatever you’re excited enough to run toward — a simple, infectious creed that shapes every page he oversees. “I’m not interested in the future. I’m interested in now — in documenting what it feels like to be alive in this exact moment.” - Matthew Whitehouse Episode Highlights: Growing up in Morecambe and dreaming of escape Born in a rainy seaside town that felt “far” from where he was meant to be, Matthew talks about music as his first love and his imagined ticket out, from The Beatles and Oasis to Springsteen. The ice cream man with a band and big plans While friends went to university, he stayed behind in Morecambe, working as an ice cream man and waiting for his kicked out bandmates to finish college so they could take music seriously. Dropping out for The Heartbreaks and accidental fame in Japan He leaves university just before the fee deadline, signs a publishing deal days later, tours with his band The Heartbreaks, tastes pop-star treatment in Japan, then ends up back home working in a meat packing factory. Band life, Burberry campaigns and the old fear of selling out Alongside the band, he appears in a Burberry campaign and editorials for i-D and Dazed, remembering how brand work once felt like “selling out” in a way that feels almost quaint now. From factory freezer to i-D and the grind of becoming a writer While cutting lamb shanks at 5 a.m., he pitches free pieces to small music sites, builds a portfolio, lands a short research job at i-D’s video team, and eventually pivots into editorial because he knows he has to write. The fast leap from editorial assistant to editor of The Face In about three years he moves from editorial assistant at i-D to editor of The Face, initially thinking the relaunch is a bad idea before realizing the opportunity of a clean slate with a legendary masthead. Legacy, fragmentation and making a magazine about the now Everyone remembers a different “version” of The Face, so he sees himself as a guardian trying not to ruin something beloved while making it feel true to 2025, balancing global pop stars with niche local figures. Politics in the margins rather than as a banner He describes issues where politics is felt rather than announced, like an edition that quietly became about the cost of living crisis through its voices and stories rather than an explicit think piece. When timing lands and small stories carry big themes He relishes moments where covers hit the perfect moment, like Jenna Ortega on the day Wednesday drops, and stories like a Manchester record label piece that opens up into class, race and regional inequality. What makes a good editor and what is contemporary now He likens editing to jazz, knowing which notes not to play, trusting his team, staying in conversation with young people, and defines what is contemporary now as whatever you are genuinely excited enough to run toward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Recho Omondi, host of The Cutting Room Floor, handles candor with the ease of someone who has little interest in performance and every interest in clarity. Over seven years, her once-modest podcast has steadily entered the cultural foreground, helped along by her habit of thinking — and learning — in public. She moves fluidly between roles: moderating conversations, appearing on other platforms, or steering her own interviews with a mix of composure and quiet provocation. There is an unmistakable steadiness to her presence, never loud, yet impossible to misread. Raised by a single Kenyan father, the youngest of three, and shaped equally by the American Midwest and a constellation of international cities, her education was as experiential as it was academic. Unbothered by imposter syndrome, assured in unfamiliar rooms, and pragmatic about a future she believes has no fixed ceiling, Recho isn’t one to ask for anyone’s permission. The goal with her work is to encourage people to think for themselves — to trust instinct, interrogate what is handed to them, and question the comfortable consensus wherever it appears. “There’s never been a room I didn’t feel worthy of. Every room I’ve ever been in, I’ve thought, ‘Oh, finally.’” - Recho Omondi  Episode Highlights: A childhood of dual worlds: Recho grew up in small Midwest towns while spending every summer traveling through Europe and Kenya, giving her a uniquely global perspective from a young age. Raised by a single Kenyan father with big expectations: Her dad — an afropolitan ER doctor — emphasized reading, travel, ballet, theater, and intellectual curiosity, shaping her worldview and ambition. Independence born from the absence of a mother: Without a maternal figure at home, she learned self-sufficiency, adaptability, and emotional self-navigation — traits that now show up in her confidence and presence. The pre-med years and the turning point into fashion: Initially on a pre-med path, she realized fashion was her true calling after immersing herself in magazines and secretly visiting SCAD during spring break. Her fashion label as a crash course in business: Running her own brand for seven years taught her everything — production, trademarks, operations — a real-world business school built through trial and error. The Cutting Room Floor’s origin story: The podcast was born from frustration with how designers were misunderstood and siloed. She created the space she wished existed — honest conversations with the people themselves. Her stance on confidence and imposter syndrome: She has never experienced imposter syndrome; every room she’s entered has felt right. Her self-assurance stems from upbringing, birth order, and early exposure to diverse worlds. The recurring themes she sees across all conversations: Capitalism’s exhaustion, the tension between humanity and technology, and the truth that fashion is really about culture — not clothes. Her critique of fashion media and Vogue today: Recho believes American Vogue has lost its edge and that Anna Wintour should have passed the baton around 2010 — while global editions and independent magazines remain strong. What’s contemporary now: Kindness — not niceness. In a world overwhelmed by speed, noise, and digital disconnection, genuine empathy and presence feel modern, radical, and necessary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his first-ever podcast interview, Ludovic de Saint Sernin traces the journey from a nomadic childhood to becoming one of fashion’s most closely watched voices. He talks about the diary-like beginnings of his brand, the Mapplethorpe collaboration that became a full-circle moment, and why he sometimes becomes his own muse. We explore queerness, visibility, and the tension between intimacy and scale as his label grows, along with how travel, community, and personal history shape his work. He's a designer committed to beauty, honesty, and the freedom to define oneself. If you want to understand the world of LDSS—its sensuality, vulnerability, and conviction—this episode is the essential entry point. “Being contemporary now is being recognized for your uniqueness and cultivating it with audacity and strength, with a community around you that helps you build the message.” - Ludovic de Saint Sernin PS His collection for Zara is available in stores today. Episode Highlights: On names and identity The full name is a mouthful, even in French. LDSS exists so the world can say and recognize it easily while still honoring who he is. On an itinerant childhood Born in Brussels, raised in Abidjan, then dropped into Paris’s 16th where labels mattered. It was the shock that taught him how clothes define presentation and power. On finding fashion From sketching landscapes and Disney to sketching clothes in Paris. A mother who spotted the obsession early and sent him to draw, paint, and sew. On family and those legendary road trips Seven siblings across three marriages, languages braided together, summers packed into a car from Brussels to Portugal. A chaotic joy that shaped his sense of community. On travel as fuel Travel began as risk and escape and became a network. Work trips are less sightseeing than people finding. Inspiration now comes from the community he builds city to city. On launching the brand Leaving Balmain, making a first collection alone, putting a diary on the runway, and discovering a business on the fly when buyers immediately placed orders. On message and responsibility Autobiography became brand DNA. The work mirrors his story and holds up a mirror to queer life today, insisting on visibility without losing grace. On Mapplethorpe and making it personal A full circle collaboration treated like a six-month devotion, with hand work by Ludovic himself and the show in New York to honor the photographer’s city and spirit. On the designer as muse He steps in front of the camera when the story is intimate and the image needs his body to make sense. Be your own muse as liberation, not vanity. On what is contemporary now Visibility, audacity, community. Cultivating uniqueness with confidence and surrounding yourself with people who help you build the message. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For GQ’s global fashion correspondent Samuel Hine, clothes have always been more than fabric; they were a form of identity long before they became his career. Growing up as an identical twin in Chicago, he learned early that style could be a language of individuality. That instinct eventually led him to New York, a meeting with Will Welch (through a friend of his grandmother, no less), and what’s now a decade-long career shaping how we read and interpret menswear. In this conversation, we talk about the evolution of fashion criticism, the rebirth of men’s style, and why GQ’s “new new masculinity” reflects more than just trend but a cultural recalibration. Hine shares his thoughts on writing as both love and labor, the designers moving fashion forward with integrity over hype, and what he calls a quiet “masculine renaissance” where men might not all be okay, but at least they’re dressing the part. “I never thought of being visible or outward-facing as a strategy. I just always felt that being out in the world—seeing what people are wearing, what they’re talking about—is part of the job. It’s not just a role you perform, it’s a person you become.” - Samuel Hine  Episode Highlights: Finding identity through clothes — Growing up as an identical twin in Chicago’s North Shore, Samuel used clothing to differentiate himself, from refusing blue jeans to obsessing over Oxford shirts and shaggy sweaters. From Chinese and history to fashion — A self-described reader before writer, he majored in Chinese and history, then realized fashion could be his intellectual project as much as his personal style. Early media spark — Running his high school radio station and interviewing Liz Phair showed him media could be a passport into worlds far from his suburban life. Studying men’s fashion criticism — An independent study traced men’s fashion writing from Oscar Wilde to Tumblr, convincing him there was space to take menswear as seriously as he did. The GQ break — A friend of his grandmother connected him to Will Welch; he started as Welch’s assistant, then grew with the brand across print, web, social, and events. What the global correspondent does — “Go where the action is.” He covers the men’s and co-ed weeks worldwide, files features and fast leads, collaborates with 13 GQ markets, and lives between planes and pages. Show Notes and niche obsession — His GQ newsletter lets him cover the hyper-specific: show reviews, underground designers, and off-runway lore, building a direct pipe to readers beyond SEO. Who’s winning now — He praises Ralph Lauren for steady world-building over clout-chasing, and singles out Dario Vitale’s Versace debut for feeling genuinely fresh, young, and wearable. Who would matter without hype — Designers who would make clothes regardless of money or press: Eckhaus Latta, Kiko Kostadinov, Telfar. Purpose and compulsion over noise. What’s contemporary now — Print. As an antidote to algorithmic brain-rot, magazines channel human taste and help readers develop their own; the medium feels newly vital. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this year’s WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards, Billie Eilish asked, “If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? Give your money away” — a line that instantly reverberated far beyond the room. It was a reminder of the event’s magnetic pull and its place as a mirror for culture’s contradictions. Under Editor in Chief Sarah Ball, WSJ. Magazine has become precisely that kind of reflection: glamorous, self-aware, and culturally indispensable. In this episode, Ball reflects on her path from a D.C. household stacked with newspapers to leading a magazine that continues to grow in both influence and revenue. She speaks about the art of editing in an age of speed, the new language of luxury journalism, and the enduring power of a story told with precision and care. ““I loved beautiful glossy fashion and style media, but I also loved very tart writing about style and fashionable people — that eyebrow-raised, gimlet-eyed, social scorecard kind of writing that mixed elegance and critique.” - Sarah Ball  Episode Highlights: On Growing Up Surrounded by Media — Raised in a Washington, D.C. household that received five newspapers a day, Sarah describes an early life shaped by constant conversation, curiosity, and the sound of pages turning. On the Early Spark — Between Capitol Hill’s newsroom corridors and stacks of Vogue and Vanity Fair, she found herself drawn to storytelling that combined politics, aesthetics, and human behavior. On Robin Givhan’s Influence — She credits Givhan’s fashion criticism for teaching her that clothing could be language — a way to read power, politics, and cultural change. On the London Years — A summer at the Associated Press covering the highs and lows of early-aughts London — from Kate Moss’s tabloid saga to art auctions and nightlife — cemented her love for culture writing. On the Golden Age of Vanity Fair — She recalls the thrill of that newsroom under Graydon Carter: “You don’t know you’re in a golden age until the golden age is over.” On Quality Over Quantity — Ball resists the speed-at-all-costs mentality of digital publishing: “If what you’re serving is reheated garbage, are you really going to keep that reader?” On The WSJ. Audience — She describes WSJ. Magazine as a luxury product with a discerning readership: “They pay a lot to access our content, therefore they expect a lot.” On Visual Storytelling — A cover, she says, must surprise: “It has to show you someone in a new light — a story and an image that feel like an experience you can’t get anywhere else.” On Video and the Future of Formats — Ball sees video — particularly conversational formats like podcasts on camera — as one of the most powerful frontiers in media: “The informality of the video podcast is replacing entire swaths of traditional television. These conversations now shape culture in real time.” On What’s Contemporary Now — For Ball, it’s humor. “A playful and unself-serious sense of humor feels most contemporary — people laughing together again, not at each other.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talking to Tish Weinstock offers the kind of unfiltered honesty — or, as she calls it, radical honesty — that every interviewer hopes to find in a guest. She has a unique ability to move between the frivolous and the deeply meaningful with equal parts wit and whimsy, leaving you to wonder whether she’s someone who refuses to take herself too seriously or simply someone who won’t struggle against whatever feels truthful in the moment. Whether you know her from her work as a writer, her time in front of the camera or on the runway, or simply as a familiar face at all the right parties, she’s one to watch for anyone curious about culture and the people shaping it. In a conversation that spans her early experiences with loss and grief, the chaos of her intern years, and a recent visit to a trauma retreat in America, this episode has a little something for everyone. “When I wrote that piece called I’m an intern, not an idiot and someone from upstairs came running in to tell me to take it down, that’s when I realized your words actually matter, that they can shake something even if the system doesn’t want them to.” - Tish Weinstock  Episode Highlights: On early influences Tish grew up in London in a traditional home marked by early loss, gravitating to darker, sardonic heroines and art that felt surreal, spooky, and sincere. On first contact with fashion She obsessed over ad campaigns on her bedroom wall and later realized that what drew her in was storytelling through images as much as clothes. On finding the door in A chance encounter at a friend’s house led to internships at Tank and Garage where she learned the grind and took her first steps into writing. On writing as power At i-D she published I’m an intern, not an idiot and learned that words move systems even when the system pushes back. On becoming a beauty writer by accident She did not care about products at first and then noticed beauty as identity and language in a new wave of body positivity, drag, and Instagram natives. On Isamaya French and Dazed Beauty Collaborating there showed her how beauty can merge subculture, technology, and art long before the wider culture caught up. On creativity and authenticity The work sings when the obsession is real and it falls flat when the topic is traffic bait that she does not care about. On writing today Substack rekindled her love of writing as a living diary where immediacy and imperfection feel more honest than highly polished feeds. On wellness and the mind A week without a phone at a trauma program helped her reframe negative thoughts and confirmed that presence is a practice not an arrival. On what is contemporary now Radical honesty feels most alive today since culture is saturated with performance and curation and audiences are hungry for what is real. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The morning after his show debut as Victoria’s Secret’s new Creative Director, Adam Selman joined me to talk through the emotions still vibrating from the night before. The conversation moved from backstage calm to creative catharsis, touching on the full-circle moment of opening the show with Jasmine Tookes, who walked his first-ever presentation years ago. This isn’t a conversation about lingerie or spectacle, it’s more about connection, leadership, and the power of joy as a design principle. Adam spoke about collaboration as communion—how designing with rather than for transforms the room—and how lessons from Rihanna, his “School of Rihanna,” continue to inform how he leads and creates today. He also shared what it means to step away and return stronger, finding the space between Adam the man and Adam the brand, and discovering how quiet became his greatest teacher.  “I think joy is contemporary now. Feeling is contemporary now. Celebration is really what it’s all about.” — Adam Selman Episode Highlights: On The Morning After the Show — Recorded just hours after his Victoria’s Secret debut, Adam reflects on the calm, joy, and sense of unity that defined the show’s atmosphere. On Full-Circle Moments — Opening with Jasmine Tookes, who walked his first-ever show when he had his own brand, marked a personal and poetic return to where it all began. On Collaboration Over Command — Rather than dictating looks, Adam co-created them alongside the models, inviting input and feedback to build genuine creative connection. On Working with Carlyne Cerf — He calls their partnership effortless, built on laughter and instinct. “She finishes my sentences,” he says. On Diversity with Intention — Rejecting tokenism, he focused on authenticity: “We’re all sick of ticking boxes.” Casting was rooted in real conversation, relationships, and shared respect. On Joy as Practice — For Adam, joy isn’t decorative—it’s foundational. He sees joy as the most contemporary expression of creativity and leadership. On Learning from Rihanna — He calls his years designing with her “the School of Rihanna,” a masterclass in courage, collaboration, and cultural fluency. On Stepping Back to Move Forward — Time away from his brand gave him space to recalibrate. Through meditation and reflection, he found peace between Adam the man and Adam the brand. On The Maker’s Mindset — A lifelong builder, he’s never afraid to fix what breaks. “You can’t be afraid of it. You have to own it, make it, fix it.” On What’s Contemporary Now — For Adam, it’s joy, connection, and the courage to redefine beauty through authenticity rather than perfection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicholas Aburn’s path to AREA was never a straight line. He grew up watching CNN Style with his mother, worked full time at Prada while studying at Central Saint Martins, and famously failed under Louise Wilson before showing his collection anyway and becoming the first in his class to get a job when he was hired by Tom Ford. He now calls that failure a “delayed education,” one that taught him how to manage his own creative and emotional state — a lesson more valuable than any critique. From Ford, he learned the beauty of discipline and real clothes, and from Demna, during his time at Balenciaga couture, the importance of reduction and authenticity. In this episode he speaks about balancing fantasy with function, leadership through empathy, and optimism as a deliberate practice rather than an accident of temperament. To Aburn, what’s contemporary now is simple and human, defined by less ego, more honesty, and the courage to describe what you actually see. Episode Highlights: On Early Fascination with Fashion — Watching CNN Style with his mother shaped his early understanding of fashion as something serious, creative, and meaningful. On Working at Prada During School — Balancing full-time retail work at Prada with his studies at Central Saint Martins taught him discipline and grounded his creativity in reality. On Failure as a Delayed Education — His experience with Louise Wilson became what he now calls a “delayed education,” showing him that self-management is the foundation of all creative longevity. On Observation and Duality — Moving between Prada’s commercial world and St. Martins’ creative chaos made him both participant and observer, sharpening his sense of perspective. On Learning from Mentors — From Tom Ford he learned the beauty of discipline and real clothes, and from Demna the importance of reduction and authenticity. On Leadership and Empathy — As creative director at AREA, he sees leadership as both creative and emotional, centered on clarity, inspiration, and shared enthusiasm. On Wearability and Fantasy — He views AREA’s identity as a balance between product and performance, believing that real clothes and theatricality can coexist. On Introversion as Creative Strength — A self-professed introvert, he finds energy and perspective in solitude, designing through observation rather than noise. On Optimism as Practice — He treats optimism not as naivety but as a skill that fuels creativity, curiosity, and resilience. On What’s Contemporary Now — For Aburn, it’s simple and human — less ego, more honesty, and the courage to describe what you actually see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When we first thought to sit down with Jerry Lorenzo, we planned to talk about culture, fashion, the first official womenswear collection from Fear of God, and the unique background that made his future feel wide open — though not necessarily destined for fashion. We did all of that, but the timely wisdom he shared reached far beyond the industry. Lorenzo speaks with the calm authority of someone who knows where he stands and why, and his reflections feel essential — filled with the kind of clarity we all need in an era when certainty is elusive and conviction, or belief in something greater than oneself, is a most valuable anchor. His belief in answering the call that is uniquely yours, above the noise of approval or criticism, is both admirable and a powerful reminder worth practicing in any life or vocation. Twelve years after founding the brand, his advice to himself is still to keep on going. Episode Highlights: On Early Lessons in Presentation — Growing up as a person of color in different communities taught him that how you present yourself carries weight, shaping both identity and access. On Faith as Foundation — He describes his father’s spiritual approach to leadership and how faith became the anchor of his own creative and business philosophy. On Purpose Over Product — For Lorenzo, design begins with intention — clothing as a means to help people feel grounded, confident, and closer to their best selves. On Fear and Freedom — He reframes “Fear of God” as reverence, explaining that true freedom begins where fear ends — a guiding principle for both life and brand. On Conviction and Calling — He believes success lies in answering the unique call on one’s life, rather than seeking approval or validation from the outside world. On Women’s Wear — The decision to expand into women’s fashion stemmed from a sense of absence — creating what he felt was missing for women just as he had for men. On Sobriety and Clarity — Sobriety gave him the ability to be fully himself in every space — a kind of freedom and constancy that fuels his creativity and peace. On Building a World, Not Just a Brand - Fear of God is less a label than a language. Its universe extends beyond clothes into values — presence, reverence, and belief. On Fashion’s State of Flux — Lorenzo sees fashion as a mirror of the times — reactive, often performative, and more about perception than truth. On Success and Stillness — Twelve years after founding Fear of God, he measures success not by scale or revenue, but by peace, integrity, and the ability to keep going. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s more contemporary than the pursuit of happiness? The restless task of creating it, sustaining it, sharing it. It’s a game not so far from that of the creative class, with its inevitable demand for the next turn, the next gesture, the next affirmation of relevance. Designers, editors, critics, even self-anointed new media mavens know it all too well. Exploring larger cultural truths in their microcosmic forms is a habit we’ve happily returned to this season, and one we look forward to sharing across the months ahead. Because happiness, like relevance, is never fixed. It slips just out of reach the moment it seems secured, requiring constant reexamination and reinvention. The same holds true for the people and industries we cover: what feels urgent today risks redundancy tomorrow. That cycle of fulfillment, exhaustion, and reinvention, is the rhythm of both creativity and life. And in that rhythm lies the story of what it means to be contemporary now. New episodes begin Monday, October 6th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the world appears to have taken leave of anything resembling objective reality, and our feeds continue to oscillate between the surreal and the mundane in a choreography of dissonance, we have returned to the quiet act of making. Production on the new season is underway, and with it comes the opportunity to explore the role creativity holds within culture. More than ornament, it serves as reflection, as resistance, and occasionally, as remedy. Whether through personal narrative or collective observation, there is no shortage of terrain. The world, in all its instability and invention, continues to offer more questions than answers. That feels like the right place to begin. We will be back this fall with a new season! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent years, it’s become harder to tell whether fashion can still stand on its own, without leaning on the scaffolding of sport, film, or whatever cultural tentpole happens to be in rotation. But with the sustained relevance of System and the sharp ambition behind its latest expansion, Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Wingfield offers a clear answer: yes—fashion can still trade on itself. It is a business, unquestionably—but a beautifully complex one, in constant dialogue with culture. And in that dialogue, the currency of creativity proves more stable than gold. Unlike so many aspects of contemporary life, its role is inimitable, its value evergreen. In this conversation, Wingfield traces his own route—from suburban teenage boredom and record sleeves to the visual literacy that would come to define his work. We talk about System’s origins, the logic behind System Collections, and what gets lost when coverage is dictated by algorithms rather than curiosity. “The most interesting commentary on a film often came from the costume designer, not the star. That logic applies to fashion too.” - Jonathan Wingfield Episode Highlights: From suburban boredom to fashion curiosity - Wingfield traces his creative awakening to the disconnect between small-town life and the cultural energy of nearby London—music, record sleeves, and magazines were his early portals. The record sleeve as first editorial influence - A Peter Saville–designed cover for New Order’s True Faith becomes an entry point into the world of typography, photography, and image-making. A formative mentorship on the road - A months-long carpool with UK publishing legend Alan Lewis becomes a crash course in magazine craft—headline writing, storytelling, and editorial voice. Why editing is about the final decisions - For Wingfield, the joy of putting a magazine together isn’t in the interviews—it’s in the final details: captions, pull quotes, and headlines that shape meaning. System’s founding as a response to access fatigue - Frustrated by increasingly hollow interviews with celebrities, Wingfield wanted a space for deeper, more sustained conversations—System was his answer. Virgil Abloh as a cultural inflection point - A cover story featuring Virgil becomes a turning point for System, bridging industry credibility and outsider influence, and reframing who the magazine is for. The slow reveal: System’s relationship to time - Wingfield shares why the magazine resists real-time commentary and favors longer arcs—interviewing designers after the noise has died down. The launch of System Collections - He introduces System’s newest project: a seasonal, time-capsule-style publication that offers deep visual and editorial takes on fashion month. On interviewing well—and waiting for silence - One of his top tips: don’t rush to fill silences. Real answers often follow the pause. What’s contemporary now? Swerve the algorithm - Wingfield’s closing reflection: avoid being trapped in feedback loops. Discovery, intuition, and counterintuitive creativity are what truly move culture forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s easy to repeat oneself in fashion. Certain truths return again and again, not because we lack imagination, but because they remain unresolved. One of them is this—authenticity isn’t rare because people are unwilling to be real, but because many still don’t know who they are. Carlos Nazario does. And more than that, he shows up as himself, without spectacle and without self-mythologizing. What makes this conversation compelling isn’t only his perspective on fashion or culture. It’s the way he holds space for complexity—the exhaustion and the joy, the disenchantment and the deep love for the work. There’s a calm clarity in how he speaks about image-making, identity, and the creative life. Not as fixed roles, but as evolving practices. For anyone feeling unmoored by the state of the industry or uncertain about how to keep creating in a time that feels increasingly TBD, this episode offers something more valuable than certainty. It offers perspective, and the steady presence of someone who has figured out how to move forward without losing himself along the way. “I love fashion. I don’t always love the fashion industry.” - Carlos Nazario  Episode Highlights: Redefining Exhaustion in Creative Work - Carlos discusses the mental and emotional toll of fashion’s nonstop pace—and why he refuses to glorify burnout, emphasizing presence, boundaries, and creative sustainability. Loving Fashion vs. Loving the Industry - He unpacks the tension between a deep love for fashion itself and disillusionment with the political performance of the industry. The Power and Limits of the Internet in Fashion - Carlos reflects on the democratization of commentary online, and how the resulting noise makes it harder to sift out meaningful, resonant work. Image as a Tool for Transformation - A powerful meditation on imagemaking as a vehicle for cultural change, generational thought, and emotional resonance. Resisting Small Talk, Embracing Realness - He shares his discomfort with surface-level conversations in industry spaces, and his craving for meaningful, emotionally honest exchanges. Retreat, Identity & Reclaiming the Self - A story about a therapeutic retreat—where he wasn’t allowed to share his profession or last name—leads to a conversation about selfhood outside of industry labels. Critique vs. Cruelty - Carlos addresses the rise of snarky, anonymous fashion criticism, drawing a distinction between valuable critique and performative cruelty. The Weight of Representation - He speaks candidly about his experience as a Black, Afro-Latino stylist—and how resilience, optimism, and responsibility continue to shape his point of view. Time, Mortality & Legacy - A moving reflection on life’s brevity, what it means to step away, and how true impact often comes from stillness and intentionality. What’s Contemporary Now - Looking within. Carlos defines contemporaneity as self-awareness, intention, and resisting herd mentality in favor of independent thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is Monday, but not just any Monday. It's the first Monday in May queue. The flash bulbs, the group chats, the live tweets, the MET Gala is here, and with it, the annual flood of speculation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices