Maria Gracia Santillana Maria Gracia Santillana | March 12, 2021 | Lifestyle, Style & Beauty,
Long seen as the epitome of secrecy and luxury, fashion weeks and long-form documentaries were our only way of finding out the tips and tricks of the fashion industry - but Fashion Week is every week when you've got podcasts in your pocket.
Conventional wisdom says to let the clothes do the talking, but what happens when we can’t see the clothes? Rather than attempting to replace fashion shows and movies, these fashion podcasts are going past the visual and exploring the history and context of collections.
Whether headed by fashion journalists, industry insiders, or design houses, these podcasts are your inside scoop behind the scenes.
See also: See Louis Vuitton's Fall/Winter 2021 Collection
Hosted by Vogue International editor Suzy Menkes, Creative Conversations reads like a roll call for the biggest names in fashion. The legendary critic’s in-depth interviews get the most out of her guests, giving you a truly inspirational listen. Recent guests include Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, Creative Director at Hermès, Sterling Ruby, and Leonard Lauder of Estée Lauder.
Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Dressed’s deep dives into fashion trends, both past and present, has built a loyal following. Hosted by Cassidy Zachara and April Calahan, Dressed is the perfect listen for anyone who wants to learn more about fashion. Episodes range from interviews with experts on traditional Arab dress, to exploring the rise of Indigenous designers, and the impact of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s iconic collar. This podcast truly answers the “who, what, where, and why” of fashion.
Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Known as the hub for everything commercial when it comes to fashion, the Business of Fashion Podcast is the program to listen to if you’re interested in the economic side of the industry. Hosted by founder and CEO Imran Amed, this podcast brings you the biggest names in fashion in the designing, investing, and business sides.
Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
As the trends of the '90s and early 2000s re-emerge in today’s market, Vogue special-edition podcast takes us to the original days of supermodels, grunge and hip-hop. Hosted by Vogue’s International editor-at-large, Hamish Bowles, the 13-episode series explores how the '90s sparked a cultural fusion that remains relevant 30 years after the fact. With guests like Tom Ford and John Galliano, this star-studded podcast goes straight to the designers to get behind the trends.
Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Inspired by Coco Chanel’s forward-thinking mentality, 3.55 Chanel Connects is the latest installation in the design house’s podcast. After the success of their four-part podcast centered around the last-ever interview with Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel expanded its platform to interview and showcase different personalities from the world of fashion and art. Recorded in locations meant to represent the brand, whether that be Gabriel Chanel’s apartment or the Cannes Film Festival, this podcast immerses you into the minds of Chanel creatives.
Bonus tip: If you’re looking for podcasts in other languages, Chanel Connects publishes select episodes in French, while their runway episodes are translated into a variety of languages.
See also: See Givenchy's Fall/Winter 2021 Collection
Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
With multiple mini-collections, the Dior Talks podcast takes you through the iconic house’s stance on art, culture and fashion. Each episode features a renowned name from the art world, exploring the ways in which staple Dior pieces have been styled and restyled across decades. Their latest series, Lady Art, partners with ten artists and collectives from around the world in a “game of metamorphosis,” seeing how each can transform the iconic Lady Dior handbag. Host and Paris-based journalist Katya Foreman talks with 10 creatives to see how they transformed the piece.
Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
While larger fashion houses have started their own podcasts, it’s not usual for individual designers to start one off the bat. Hosted by New York-based designed Recho Omondi, The Cutting Room Floor is focused on demystifying the fashion industry from the inside. While Omondi has recently focused on young designers, she's also not afraid to talk about historically-taboo topics. From systemic racism’s prominence within the industry, to its complicity in environmental destruction, The Cutting Room Floor’s perhaps most vocal guests include Diet Prada, Bethann Hardison and Heron Preston, who did not shy away from the changes and challenges of fashion.
Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Hosted by Vogue Australia’s Clare Press, Wardrobe Crisis is the hub for all things sustainability and ethical fashion. The podcast explores the role of fashion in climate change and highlights those who are doing the work. Never judging or patronizing, Press’ approach also examines larger issues of representation, with episodes questioning the womenswear/menswear binary and others that highlight the work of Native Australian designers.
Website | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Sitting right at the fashion zeitgeist, Corporate Lunch is your home base for hot takes. Hosted by GQ editors Noah Johnson, Rachel Tashhjian, and Samuel Hine, Corporate Lunch touches everything fashion and fashion-adjacent. With guests like singer-songwriters Phoebe Bridgers and Aaron Lee Tasjan, and literary couple Nico Walker and Rachel Rabbit White, Corporate Lunch’s guests see past the bubble of fashion.
Bande à part is built and designed to feel like you are listening to a conversation between two life-long friends, phone lines and ringtones included. Rebecca Arnold, fashion history lecturer at the Courtauld Institute of Art, and Beatrice Behlen, fashion and decorative arts curator at the Museum of London, bring you their “weekly catch-up calls,” discussing anything from packing dresses for museum transport, the Savage x Fenty show, and even clowns.
Photography by: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels