Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 Women’s with Philippe Pourhashemi - Part 1
In this two-part episode Eugene Rabkin and Philippe Pourhashemi discuss this past season of many debuts, whether the so-called "great reset" was successful, and address two main narratives that are gripping the fashion media, the power and tact (or lack thereof) of the sideline fashion commentariat, and whether designers are out of touch with the needs of modern women.In episode one Eugene and Philippe discuss New York, London, and Milan, the debuts of Demna at Gucci, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, Simone Belotti at Jil Sander, and Dario Vitale at Versace (pronounced, Ver-says) and the democratization of fashion commentary. In episode two they talk about J.W. Anderson's first outing at Dior, Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Duran Lantink at Gaultier, Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela, Miguel Castro Freitas at Mugler, and sophomore efforts by Michael Rider at Celine and Sarah Burton at Givenchy, among other shows. They also discuss the alleged misogyny on part of some designers. It's a lot, hence why we broke up this podcast into two episodes. Substack and Patreon subscribers will have access to both parts early and at once. Consider becoming a paid subscriber; your contribution supports independent fashion journalism, or you can read another article about Kylie Jenner.Support the show
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1:30:45
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1:30:45
We All Came to Barneys with Gene Pressman
Our guest on this episode is Gene Pressman, of the great retail family that made Barneys into a New York fashion institution that has become part of the city lore and that has left an indelible mark on fashion itself. Barneys was a trailblazer, a temple for true fashion cognoscenti. Gene's new book, out September 2nd is called "They All Came to Barneys: A Personal History of the World's Greatest Store." We see no lies; Barneys was the world's greatest store, and we all came there. Gene walks us through the ark of his career, through the changes he has witnessed in the store and in New York City since the '60s and through the '90s. He talks about the seismic changes in fashion he has witnessed firsthand, such as the rise of Giorgio Armani, the ascendance of Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo, the wonder of the Antwerp Six, and his long-lasting friendship with Azzedine Alaia. We also discuss the current state of fashion and retail, and much, much more. Support the show
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2:06:35
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2:06:35
Against the Grain with Patrick Van Ommeslaeghe
Our guest is Patrick Van Ommeslaeghe, one of the most talented Belgian designers you have probably never heard of. We speak about his career arc, from assisting Josephus Thimister at Balenciaga to building out the womenswear at Jil Sander with Raf Simons, to the short but brilliant life of his own brand, why he quite the fashion rat race and has quietly worked behind the scenes at houses like Loewe, and why the current fashion system is broken.Support the show
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1:25:50
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1:25:50
Fashion As Concept with Hussein Chalayan
The Turkish Cypriot designer Hussein Chalayan burst onto the London fashion scene with a brilliant 1993 graduate show Tangent Flows. With work that blended philosophy, science, technology, history and fashion, Chalayan became the pinnacle of conceptual fashion. Today, Chalayan designs and makes art, teaches at HTW in Berlin, and is a mentor at Forecast Mentorship Program 2025. In this wide-ranging episode Chalayan we discuss his career arc and the spirit of intellectual inquiry that has driven him to create some of the most memorable collections in the history of contemporary fashion.Support the show
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1:33:39
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1:33:39
Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2026 Men's with Philippe Pourhashemi
We are back with the fashion journalist Philippe Pourhashemi to reflect on the Spring / Summer 2026 menswear season. We discuss many collections, starting at Pitti Uomo in Florence and ending with Paris. We dissect J.W. Anderson's debut at Dior, including the new ad campaign, Julian Klaussner's runway debut at Dries Van Noten, Rick Owens's moment of grandeur, Craig Green's return to the Paris catwalk, how the Japanese continue to make Paris look good, what we saw at the showroom and why the best clothes are coming from small brands, and much more. Support the show