Back Row with Amy Odell

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Frances Solá-Santiago is a reporter for The New York Times's Wirecutter product review site, where her whole job is to test clothing and interview experts about how to find the best stuff for the best value. She's done extensive research into which chemicals sneak into our clothes — and what we, as consumers, need to know about them. In this episode, she reveals how we can shop consciously, some of her favorite picks for bags and clothes, and much more.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:30 How Wirecutter Actually Tests Clothes

06:00 Does Higher Price Mean Better Quality?

09:00 Vintage vs. New Coach Bags — What the Lab Found

10:00 Why Everyone Is Suddenly Worried About Their Clothes

12:00 PFAS Explained — What Forever Chemicals Are

16:00 Who's Most at Risk — You, Garment Workers, or the Planet?

21:30 Which Certifications Can You Actually Trust?

25:30 Health Washing Is the New Greenwashing

35:00 The Frankie Shop Blazer Test

39:30 Why Going 100% Natural Isn't a Guarantee

41:00 Where Regulation Is Headed

49:30 Is Dry Cleaning Safe?

Follow Frances Solá-Santiago

📰 The Wirecutter (NYT) - https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/authors/frances-sola-santiago/

📸 Follow Frances on Instagram: @fransolasantiago
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***SUPPORT THIS INDEPENDENT SHOW by subscribing to the Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe
Go Premium and save three months on an annual subscription to access paywalled podcasts and all newsletter stories.***

Celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger joined me on the Back Row podcast to talk about dressing Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada 2 press tour. Just as that winds down, she's getting ready to dress Lupital N'yongo for The Odyssey press tour.

How does she do it? What goes into these viral press tours? A whole lot more than picking out pretty dresses.

CHAPTERS:

01:02 – The Craziest Moments from The Devil Wears Prada 2 Press Tour

05:10 – Her Strategy for Styling Meryl Streep

11:05 – Dressing the Actor vs. the Character

12:50 – Meryl’s J. Crew Cerulean Sweater

19:20 – Micaela’s “Meta Dressing Approach”

24:20 – Collaborating with Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt

26:55 – Getting Brands to Open the Archives

34:35 – Fashion Emergencies on the DWP2 Tour

35:50 – Styling Lupita Nyong'o for The Odyssey

40:20 – Crafting a Moodboard

44:50 – Micaela’s Advice to Aspiring Stylists

Follow Micaela Erlanger :

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/micaela/?hl=en

Website: https://micaelaerlanger.com/
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Sustainable fashion darling Everlane just sold to Shein, the industry's least sustainable company. What does this shocking deal say about both companies, along with the state of "sustainable" fashion?

I spoke with Ken Pucker, former Timberland COO and professor at Tufts University, one of my favorite experts on this topic. He explains why Everlane was never all that "sustainable," why Shein would want this, and why it's hard to be optimistic about the future of fashion.

CHAPTERS:

01:05 – Breaking Down the Shein Everlane Acquisition

04:30 – Shein’s Innovative Instant Fashion Model

07:20 – How Everlane Ended Up in Bed with L Catterton

12:00 – Ken’s Take on the Future of “Sustainable” Fashion

16:00 – The Greenwashing Problem

18:45 – Everlane’s Radical Transparency Promise

22:15 – The Status of the New York Fashion Act

27:35 – Why Does Shein Even Want Everlane?

30:00 – Which Brands Could Be Next?

34:00 – Ken’s Advice for Sustainable Consumers

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I sat down with Mary Gonsalves Kinney, founder of MGK Style and personal stylist to tech billionaires, politicians, and athletes, to go inside the world of how the ultra-wealthy really shop.

Mary reveals what billionaires' closets actually look like, how much her clients spend per session, and what the fashion industry's pivot to the 1% means for everyone else.

This is part of a paywalled episode. Subscribe to Back Row Premium to access the full episode and all paywalled newsletters at https://www.backrow.net/subscribe. For podcast access only, subscribe in Apple or Spotify.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Introduction

01:00 – How Mary Styles Billionaires

03:40 – What Billionaires Actually Tell Their Stylist

04:49 – Dressing Women in Tech

08:03 – What's Really Inside a Billionaire's Closet

13:24 – Shopper vs. Stylist: What's the Difference?

14:36 – Sticker Shock: The $4,000 Nylon Sundress

15:31 – Why the Aspirational Customer No Longer Exists

29:15 – How Much Do They Spend Per Year?

32:17 – How Luxury Brands Are Quietly Changing Their Strategy

Follow Mary Gonsalves Kinney:

https://www.instagram.com/mgkstyle/

https://www.mgkstyle.com/

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I took off for the holiday this week, so I'm unlocking half of a previously paywalled episode in which podcaster and reality television/documentary expert Kate Casey and I rewatch The First Monday in May, the documentary about the planning of the 2015 Met Gala. Featuring Anna Wintour hob-knobbing with canceled celebs, bandying her venti Starbucks around the Met, and more!

Sign up for Back Row Premium to hear the full episode at BackRow.net to get newsletter access included with your subscription. Or sign up in Apple Podcasts or Spotify for podcast access only.

CHAPTERS:

02:20 – How ‘The First Monday in May’ Got Made

09:20 – The Story Behind the Alexander McQueen Exhibition

12:40 – Anna Wintour is an Outfit Repeater

17:20 – Anna’s Venti Starbucks Cup

27:00 – Could the Met Pull Off ‘China Through the Looking Glass’ Today?

33:50 – Subscribe for the Full Film Recap!

Follow Kate Casey:

↳ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca/?hl=en

↳ YouTube: @realitylifewithkatecasey

↳ Reality Life with Kate Casey: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reality-life-with-kate-casey/id1154758766

↳ Substack:https://katecasey.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web

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