TED Radio Hour The state of fashion
14 snips
Jul 4, 2025 
In this thought-provoking discussion, Amanda Mull, a Senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek, and Cameron Russell, a former supermodel and author, dive into the fashion industry's dark realities. Mull highlights the environmental impact of online shopping and excessive returns, while Russell shares insights on exploitation within the modeling world. Together, they tackle the duality of beauty and consumerism, urging listeners to reconsider their shopping habits and the complexities of fashion. Their conversation is a captivating blend of personal stories and critical industry truths.
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24-Decade Costume Creation
- Machine Dazzle designed 24 unique costumes representing 24 decades of American popular music.
- Each costume blends concept and history with vivid, playful, and symbolic elements.
Online Shopping Excess Story
- Aparna Mehta shopped online excessively, ordering multiples of the same items to decide later which to keep.
- She did this frequently, unaware of the environmental and logistical impacts.
High Cost of Free Returns
- Free returns popularized online shopping but created a high return rate and massive logistical costs.
- Returns cause extensive handling and inspection, leading to significant waste and inefficiency.