Back Row with Amy Odell

What can we glean about Condé Nast's politics from recent current events? Teen Vogue has been shuttered, but Vanity Fair's Trump 2.0 package was a journalistic achievement of the sort rarely seen these days. Anna Wintour is a known Democratic supporter and fundraiser, yet she's been cozying up to the Trump-supporting Bezoses for Met Gala money. Amy Odell is joined by comedians and cultural critics Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton, who host the highly addictive and excellent Good Noticings podcast, to figure out what this all says about Condé Nast right now. Plus, Melania Trump’s $40 million documentary, and how it ties back to all of this. Chapters: 0:00 – Welcoming the Good Noticings podcast 0:37 – Vanity Fair’s major Trump 2.0 article and what it says about Condé Nast 4:42 – Anna Wintour is leaning into controversy 6:30 – Why did the Trump team do the Vanity Fair story? 7:15 – Christopher Anderson’s photo spread 8:53 – The discourse around Karoline Leavitt’s lip filler 15:16 – Reacting to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos sponsoring the Met Gala 25:34 – The fashion relevancy of Melania Trump’s $40 million documentary 29:26 – Would Vogue put Melania on the cover? Speculation! 33:06 – How will controversy affect the Met Gala’s future? Links & Resources: Good Noticings Podcast Apple⁠⁠ Spotify TikTok: @goodnoticingspod Instagram: @goodnoticingspodThe Olivia Nuzzi Good Noticings episode Claire Parker Instagram: @clairethescare Ashley Hamilton Instagram: @ashleyhammm Back Row Newsletter ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ Amy Odell Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can a 2.5-hour artsy, originally scripted film open at the box office? The Marty Supreme cast is so determined to get us to the theater for this movie that they're wearing full monochromatic orange for promotional appearances. Gwyneth Paltrow is being strategic with her fashion choices in other ways, and helping daughter Apple's prospects in the process. This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published Thursday, December 18, 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brian Moylan, a renowned Real Housewives expert and author, joins to dissect Rachel Zoe's compelling debut on RHOBH. They explore the motivations behind Rachel's casting, comparing her fashion influence to others in the game. Moylan provides a hilarious recap of Rachel's standout moments and delves into the mystery of Mauricio's supposed Chanel couch. Discussions on fashion branding and how reality TV serves as a platform for designers add depth, while personal insights about Rachel's life and her recent split keep the conversation engaging.

This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published December 9, 2025. 0:16 - Fashion enters its "great unsettling" 1:47 - Prada Group acquires Versace 2:24 - Broader instability across the fashion industry 4:00 - Loose Threads news roundup Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tech journalist and creator​ ⁨@TaylorLorenz⁩ joins Amy Odell on the Back Row podcast to explain how social media has completely reshaped fashion. From the backlash against fashion creators to why facts barely matter online, they dive into Vogue World, The Row's viral sample sale, and more. Taylor, formerly at The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, now runs her own newsletter, podcast, and YouTube channel covering the creator economy. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: Amy Odell welcomes Taylor Lorenz 00:53 – Why fashion people are frustrated with social media 01:49 – Why audiences trust creators more than experts 02:42 – How algorithms reward outrage 03:36 – Why being first beats being accurate 04:25 – “Facts don’t matter”: the validation economy 05:55 – Platforms secretly boost and suppress creators 06:41 – Why follower count no longer matters 07:29 – The death of critics (and why creators can’t be honest) 08:15 – Will AI actually help creators? 11:40 – How creators really make money in 2025 12:38 – Advent calendars, meme marketing, and virality 14:23 – The Row sample sale goes viral 16:55 – Can fashion brands control their image? (No.) 18:36 – The famous "Open letter to The Row" 19:32 – Brands vs creators: a toxic relationship 20:20 – Why brands can’t stop creators from posting 22:05 – Why chasing access will break your heart 22:49 – Anna Wintour’s decline and cultural relevance 25:08 – Vogue World and the struggle for relevance 26:41 – The Met Gala red carpet isn’t what it used to be 29:46 – The Devil Wears Prada prequel problem 30:38 – What it takes to survive online long-term 32:13 – Why Becca Bloom fascinates people 33:15 – The obsession with “capitalism slop” 34:07 – Hustle culture and the fantasy of success Links & Resources: Back Row newsletter https://amyodell.substack.com Amy Odell Instagram https://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/ Taylor Lorenz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenz User Mag (Newsletter): https://www.usermag.co/ Power User (Podcast): https://open.spotify.com/show/5iganPXXEoTDB9lIQzY7Fh https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taylor-lorenzs-power-user/id1733535260 Creators / links mentioned "Open Letter to The Row" (Neelam Noted): https://neelamahooja.substack.com/p/open-letter-to-the-row-we-need-to Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Hermès playing cards are my go-to." Chapters: 01:35 - VIC no. 1: The Expat Living in Dubai 03:10 - VIC no. 2: The Personal Shopper for Upper East Siders 03:32 - VIC no. 3: The expat living in Hong Kong 05:31 - VIC no. 4: The New Yorker who's feeling uninspired 06:42 - VIC no. 5: The Personal Stylist to Upper East Side Billionaires and Centi-Millionaires Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fashion critic Rachel Tashjian joins Amy Odell to unpack the biggest shifts happening right now in fashion media. From Vogue’s future to the creator vs. critic debate, AI-generated fashion models, $26,000 Versace dresses, and why fashion discourse seems to be getting meaner. Rachel, formerly the Fashion Critic at the Washington Post and now Senior Style Reporter for CNN, breaks down: Chapters: 00:00 – Intro: Amy Odell welcomes Rachel Tashjian 00:21 – Rachel’s new role at CNN 02:34 – Why video matters in fashion journalism 03:54 – Are people still reading? Changing media habits 04:22 – Amy on books, audiobooks, and audience shifts 05:49 – The rising tension in fashion discourse online 07:16 – When commentary overshadows the clothes 08:22 – Algorithms flatten expertise in fashion 09:29 – Creators vs. traditional editors: a 15-year evolution 10:43 – Substack, TikTok, and where fashion criticism lives now 11:35 – Access, honesty, and the cost of true criticism 12:46 – Do creators need editors? The “no safety net” problem 13:19 – Dior controversy: when brands exclude influencers 14:31 – Should influencers follow critic standards? 15:35 – Does Vogue still matter in 2025? 17:06 – Why Vogue covers still trigger huge reactions 18:33 – Anna Wintour’s influence across culture 19:32 – How AI is about to transform fashion media 20:55 – Performative fashion vs. post-Instagram design 22:33 – Can AI replace fashion creators? 23:54 – AI’s role in fashion advertising and image-making 24:43 – Will AI replace human fashion voices? 25:31 – The future: will Vogue become just covers? 27:14 – The price conundrum: $26,000 dresses and who they’re for 28:55 – What fashion brands really want from the public 30:49 – TikTok’s misinformation problem in fashion 31:49 – The Vogue rumor and how fake fashion news spreads 31:57 – Three fashion creators Rachel loves 33:29 – Three fashion creators Amy loves Links & resources: Back Row newsletter https://amyodell.substack.com Amy Odell Instagram https://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/ Rachel Tashjian CNN announcement: https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/10/07/rachel-tashjian-joins-cnn-as-senior-style-reporter/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprophetpizza/ Creators mentioned Kim Russell @TheKimbino: https://www.instagram.com/thekimbino/ Jay Tibbits: https://www.instagram.com/jaytibbitts/ Rashida Renée @:howtobeafuckinglady: https://www.instagram.com/howtobeafuckinglady/ Mandy Lee @OldLoserinBrooklyn: https://www.instagram.com/oldloserinbrooklyn/ Timothy Chernyaev @relaxitsonlyfashion on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relaxitsonlyfashion?lang=en Fashion Roadman: https://www.youtube.com/@FashionRoadman/videos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hype for The Devil Wears Prada 2 (out May 2, 2026) is already off the charts. In this special holiday episode, listen to an excerpt from Amy's book Anna: The Biography about how The Devil Wears Prada book and film came to be — and how Anna Wintour really felt about all of it. Listen to the Anna audiobook on: Spotify, Apple, or Audible. Or get the book in print here. Amy's latest book Gwyneth: The Biography is also available in audio on: Spotify, Apple, or Audible. You can get the book in print here. Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from Anna by Amy Odell, read by Imogen Church. Copyright © 2022 by Amy Odell. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

And a bunch of other pieces from her clothing line. This is my story. Check out the photos in the Back Row story. 2:16 - Trying the gray T-shirt and jeans 4:23 - Trying the legendary black pants 5:10 - The oversized gray suit 6:13 - The Blair midi dress (one with the rouching) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brown may be the new black — but brands are the new cults. Amy talks to CUNY professor, author, and ex-marketing executive Dr. Mara Einstein about how brands exploit cult-like marketing tactics to get us to buy, particularly during events like Black Friday. They discuss the real reason brands pushed Christmas shopping before Halloween (!) this year; how brands get us to buy in a world where we're increasingly disconnected from each other; why the "attention economy" is really the "anxiety economy"; and more. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro to Dr. Mara Einstein and her research 00:52 - How brands are like cults 04:43 - How the luxury industry employs scarcity marketing to get people to buy things like Birkin bags 06:59 - The power of scarcity marketing 09:52 - How the economic blackout might affect retailers on Black Friday in 2025 12:45 - How brands like Lululemon and Cos harvest your data 16:54 - Why the "attention economy" is really the "anxiety economy" 19:47 - How brands "rage bait" 28:32 - How fashion marketing got people to buy Lucky Strike cigarettes in 1934 35:03 - Dr. Einstein weighs in on the de-influencing trend Links & resources: • Amy Odell's Back Row newsletter — • Get Dr. Mara Einstein's book: ⁠Hoodwinked⁠ How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults • Listen to Dr. Einstein's podcast, Hoodwinked in Apple: Or Spotify Credits: Produced by Amy Odell. Edited by Amy Odell and Jonathan Voytko. #FashionPodcast #BackRow #fashion #blackfriday #shopping Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices