StyleZeitgeist Podcast

On this episode we speak with the London-based fashion and interior design journalist and photographer Mark C. O'Flaherty. Mark is the author of The Narrative Thread, a book about the relationship of fashion collectors to their clothes, and a regular contributor to the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, the World of Interiors, among others.We talked about the early '90s London club and queer culture and how it influenced London's fashion scene, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's enduring sway over it, his work with Alexander McQueen, about the now forgotten London fashion heroes Body Map. We discuss Mark's almost accidental career, the difference between writing about and shooting fashion and interiors, and frustrations about doing genuine journalism today.Support the show

So, you want to get a job in fashion? But how? Or are you curious about what goes on behind the scenes of creative director musical chairs? On this episode we speak with Alice Bouleau, Partner at Sterling International, a premier executive search agency. Alice places creative directors and high level executives all over the world in some of the most prestigious fashion houses. We dive deep into how the fashion recruitment process works, examine why some designers actually don't want creative director positions, the blunders that happen along the way of recruitment, the current creative director musical chairs environment, why you have not gotten a response to your resume by applying via LinkedIn and Indeed, common mistakes applicants make, and qualities Alice looks for in a candidate. Last but not least, Alice gives Eugene some career advice.Support the show

So, you want to launch a brand? But do you know how it all actually works? For this episode we invited our old friend Joseph Keefer, who has had a long career in fashion on all fronts; retail, production, merchandising, and design, and who has launched his brand JKEEFER in 2020 in New York City. Joey is one of us, he grew up in the skate, punk, and hardcore scenes in Washington, DC. He started in retail as a teenager, and has moved from gig to gig, slowly learning the ropes. On this episode we go through Joey's journey that has included gigs at Odin, the pioneering menswear store in New York, and SSENSE, among others. We talk about the golden age of New York City's men's fashion in the mid aughts, in which Joey has participated, working closely with designers Robert Geller and Siki Im, the nuts and bolts of merchandising and production, and how his various roles have informed his design practice. Support the show

We are back with Philippe Pourhashemi to discuss this past menswear season. We talk about the shows at Pitti Uomo, Milan, and Paris, from the strange department-store-bound debut of Marine Serre at Pitti Uomo, and an unexpectedly joyful show of Pierre-Louis Mascia, about how bad the Milan shows were this season, the gimmicks at J.W. Anderson, the impotence at Prada, about the grotesque spectacles that Pharrell puts on at Louis Vuitton, and how Japanese designers like Undercover, Sacai, Kolor, and the newcomers like Masu and Taakk continue to make Paris look creative. We go in depth about Dries Van Noten’s last bow, the show itself, and Van Noten’s legacy. We discuss the spectacle of the Rick Owens show, asking when is spectacle good and when is it not enough? And much, much more. Support the show

Derek Guy, a renowned writer and fashion commentator, dives deep into the changing landscape of menswear. He reflects on the nostalgia of fashion forums versus today's social media chaos. The conversation uncovers the roots of masculine shame in fashion, critiques the cost of fast fashion, and champions vintage clothing as a powerful form of self-expression. Derek emphasizes the importance of craftsmanship over consumerism, urging a return to considered consumption and the revival of tailoring and DIY repair to combat modern fashion woes.

On this episode we speak with Lorenzo Osti, the son of Massimo Osti, about the life and legacy of his father, the pioneer of modern men’s fashion. We talk about Osti’s design ethos, work methods, and innovations, and how the newly established brand Massimo Osti Studio carries on Osti’s legacy today.Support the show

On this episode we review the Fall/Winter 2024 fashion season in Milan and Paris, including the Alexander McQueen debut and the feedback it has received, the state of Balenciaga and Demna, Ann Demeulemeester, Sacai, and more. Philippe shares thoughts on his new favorite brand, Hodakova, and we talk about why the Dior show was an ad, why the smaller brands like Gaucherre and Lutz Huelle are important, and much more. The question of the day, considering the debuts we have witnessed over the last twelve months - is the new generation capable of producing a great designer?Support the show

On this episode we speak with Natasha Degen, Professor and Chair, Art Market Studies, Fashion Institute of Technology about the uneasy symbiosis of fashion and art that she examines in depth in her recent book Merchants of Style: Art and Fashion After Warhol,. We talk about the encroachment of corporate luxury fashion on the art world with Warhol as the pivotal figure, the degradation of the art museum, art and fashion collaborations, Raf Simons and Sterling Ruby, Marc Jacobs and Takashi Murakami, Virgil Abloh and Pharrell, Bernard Arnault's and Francois Pinault's forays into art as the new Medici, and what is lost when art becomes sponsored by the private sector and consumed by the masses.Support the show

On this episode we are back with Philippe to discuss this past men’s season shows at Pitti Uomo, Milan, and Paris. We talk about the contrast between Luca Magliano and S.S. Daley, Gucci, Prada, and Zegna (best of season in Milan), why Rick Owens was the show of the season and Yohji Yamamoto was a letdown, the continued elegance of Dries Van Noten, and Rei Kawakubo’s uncharacteristic feeling of lightness, Hermès’ uncompromising quality, why the Japanese newcomers TAAKK and MASU (not covered by Vogue Runway, but covered by us) made Paris exciting, and which small brands we loved and why we are going to lean into supporting smaller brands this year. We wonder out loud, how bad can Louis Vuitton and Dior get? We cheat a little in the end by discussing Galliano’s Maison Margiela Artisanal show, because how could we not?!Support the show

On this episode we speak with Maria Wiesner, the styles editor of Frankfurt Allgemiene Zeitung and the author of a book about the life and work of Jil Sander (published earlier this year in German by HarperCollins). We discuss the formative years of the Queen of Minimalism, how Bauhaus and Hamburg honed her aesthetic, how her trail-blazing, uncompromising vision of minimalism paid off handsomely in the ‘80s and the ‘90s, and her ill-fated deal with Prada.Support the show