The New Garde with Alyssa Vingan

You’ve likely heard that the fragrance business is booming, and this week, Alyssa sits down with one of the newest perfumers on the scene: Trey Taylor, founder of Serviette, which launched earlier this year. Trey began his career by climbing the ranks in independent fashion media and earning a masters in fashion journalism at Central Saint Martins — complete with stints at Dazed, Fantastic Man, Interview, and The Face — before pivoting into beauty, building his brand as a side project while keeping a full time job. Tune in for some incredible tales from Trey’s time in editorial (and when he heard the death knell for his magazine career), as well as how his interest in fragrance piqued after writing an article about how celebrities smell; the challenges of being a niche brand in a massive market; what it was like learning the fragrance ropes from the legendary Marissa Zappas; the culture of Fragrantica and online perfume fandom; the process behind formulating the first four fragrances in his line, as well as its visual identity; why cultural curiosity is the driving force behind Serviette; why being delusional is important for success, and much more.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

If there’s a girl in your Instagram feed whose unique style strikes you — and who wears brands you hadn’t heard of before she posted them — chances are high that she shops at Maimoun. This week, Alyssa sits down with Mina Alyeshmerni, the store’s owner and curator, to talk all things retail, particularly the challenges that come with championing young, niche designers. Tune in to hear about Mina’s journey pursuing fashion in a first-generation Iranian family, as well as her experience training under Julie Gilhart and Tomoko Ogura at Barneys as a first foray into working with emerging designers, sometimes while they were still in school; what it was like working in the personal shopping department at Barneys in its heyday with high-profile clientele (and some personal shopping blind items); being an early proponent of mixing new and vintage at retail; digging deep into fashion forums online and surfing Tumblr to find design talent; building an audience and community on Instagram before opening her store by posting her fashion illustrations; starting an online business by herself; the risks and rewards that come with taking chances on unknown design talent; opening a permanent brick-and-mortar location in Williamsburg; the supportive, mentor-like relationships buyers can have with the designers they carry; how to build a curation; why POV is so important in every aspect of retail; why sometimes as an entrepreneur, ignorance is bliss, and much more.

The time has come for TNG’s biannual unhinged recap of Fashion Month, and this week’s guest, Tyler McCall, is back by popular demand. Tune in to hear the ladies’ takes on Fall 2025 season, including their insights on all of the best (and worst) collections, viral moments, breaking news, designer debuts and departures, front rows, models, and so much more. Enjoy!

This week, Alyssa gets a guided tour through the whimsical world of Susan Alexandra, straight from the brain behind the brand, Susan Korn. What started with some metal jewelry handmade in a class she took on her time off — and later, a beaded watermelon bag she had made in Chinatown and haphazardly posted on Instagram — has turned into a full-fledged, self-funded business that’s been around for over a decade, complete with a standalone retail store. Despite the brand’s perennial cheeriness, hitting this milestone hasn’t been a cakewalk. Tune in to hear Susan’s sage wisdom for entrepreneurs and aspiring designers, as well as her horror stories from working retail and interning at magazines upon arriving in New York; what it was like getting Henri Bendel and Opening Ceremony as early accounts; the difficulties of figuring out how to scale a business without training or infrastructure, and learning the logistics of manufacturing on the fly; the importance of community in the Susan Alexandra universe; her strategy for out-of-the-box runway shows and presentations; how collaborations allow her brand to make things out of its wheelhouse and take the work to the next level; selling (and explaining) herself to suits in order to win new business and lock in collaborators; starting a second brand, Rosette, with a friend and dipping her toe into making clothes; her dream of building a lifestyle brand akin to Ralph Lauren or Martha Stewart, and much more.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

One day, you’re just a girl moving to New York from Canada with a visa and a dream, and a few years down the line, you’re an in-demand industry success story. Such is the case with this week’s guest. Alyssa sits down with Ariella Starkman, founder and executive producer of the full-service creative production company Starkman & Associates, as well as the managing director at HommeGirls, to learn all about the wild world of production. You’ve likely seen one (or several) of Ariella’s events come across your Instagram or TikTok feed, as she and her team have built out experiences for some of the coolest, most sought-after brands on the scene, including Anna Sui, Dazed, Kim Shui, Luar, Nike, Sky High Farm, Stussy, Telfar, Vans, and Warby Parker. At a time when everyone is getting into the IRL activations game, Ariella operates under the philosophy that chic events are a dime a dozen, and making people feel like their time has been considered when they show up for something is crucial. Tune in to hear how Bravo’s “Gallery Girls” inspired Ariella to start a career in the art world and led her to produce her first event in her early 20s, a warehouse art show in Toronto; how time is our most valuable resource and making experiences worthwhile through the details is her company’s guiding principle; navigating the attention economy as a creative and a business owner; the importance of never phoning anything in; the dangers of “compare and despair;” why being the first person to do something is a double-edged sword, but while people may copy you, the sauce is not replicable; how to create a sense of curiosity by finding new, unexpected event spaces; why building a tight-knit professional community is key to finding meaning in your work; why at the end of the day, it’s just not that serious, and much more.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

From handbags to designer ready-to-wear to mass market brands, when — and how — did everything in fashion get so damn expensive? This week, Alyssa is joined by Amanda Mull, senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek and consumer culture expert, to discuss one of her industry passions: pricing. Tune in for an enlightening episode and Amanda’s insights on how studying pricing structures can help you understand the world around us; how rich people being bored during the pandemic played a role in luxury good price increases; why the contemporary category in fashion has all but disappeared; why brands have gotten out of the fashion game and into the merch game, which can only entertain people for so long; what consequences brands could face now that consumer perception of them is no longer fully accurate as prices climb and quality falls; the existential problem that people are getting priced out of the luxury consumer category; how brands can onboard new, young customers if they can’t afford any of their products; why the Marc Jacobs Tote Bag is an interesting success story; how brands like Coach and Tory Burch have succeeded without raising prices; why conglomerates have less leeway to be creative, but a good creative practice is what yields real hits (see Prada and Miu Miu); The Row, Calvin Klein, and how much consumers will pay for minimalism; why resale prices are a real testament to exactly how popular a brand is; how Hermès in-store shopping videos and The Row sample sale hauls on TikTok affect brand perception; how dupe culture and influencer marketing play into all of this, and much more.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

When asked the question “What is it that you do?” sometimes the answer isn’t so simple, and it’s best to let the work speak for itself. Such has been the case for Kristen Naiman, the chief creative officer at The RealReal, who’s worn many hats over the course of her career, from writer to editor to stylist to fashion executive. In this week’s episode, Kristen unpacks her fascinating journey, from her first industry gigs that had her styling at a short-lived Condé Nast title in its heyday (who remembers Condé Nast Sports for Women?), as well as for Hanson, who brought her along to style and creative direct them on a world tour when she was in her early 20s. Tune in to hear more of Kristen’s incredible lore, as well as what it was like learning the fashion and media ropes in the thriving community of creative people in downtown New York and through her friends at PAPER; how a DIY jean jacket she embroidered for Taylor Hanson got the attention of the Gap, and helped her get a job in its concept department in the peak Mickey Drexler days; why the ability to take the cultural temperature is the key to a brand’s success; how she wound up working with Isaac Mizrahi for a decade as a fashion director, and how he taught her the importance of being unapologetically yourself; lessons from her subsequent decade-long stint at Kate Spade at the dawn of the digital era; why working in fashion requires a spidey sense and gut instinct that data can’t fully replace; why brands are dipping into long form content and why The RealReal just launched a Substack; how a cold DM helped her get her job at The RealReal; how she hopes to change the relationship with how we consume fashion; what it was like editing Kim Hastreiter’s forthcoming book, Stuff: A New York Life of Cultural Chaos, and much more.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

Life comes at you fast: One day, you’re moving to Los Angeles from Dayton, Ohio, building a YouTube channel from the ground up while working at a tanning salon, and the next, you’re regularly going viral with millions of views on TikTok, pioneering the “thriftfluencer” space. Such was the case for Macy Eleni, a content creator, secondhand shopping expert, and author of the book Second Chances: The Ultimate Guide to Thrifting, Sustainable Style, and Expressing Your Most Authentic Self. Growing up, Macy couldn’t afford to buy things that were “cool” or new, so she found her personal style and learned about fashion through thrifting — a skill she was able to turn into a flourishing career and a thriving community, both on and offline. Tune in to hear Macy’s inspiring story, as well as her insights on what it was like to start vlogging in high school; the impact that early 2000s paparazzi photos and fashion reality TV had on her personal style; overcoming ridicule as a teen for wearing thrifted clothes; getting in on the ground floor of the secondhand shopping boom and watching the world catch up to your passion; building a diverse and inclusive community via YouTube and TikTok; the wild world of brand deals and monetization; getting a book deal via a cold email; playing the long game in the influencer world in order to stay authentic and build trust with her audience; how to handle the constant pressure to churn out content every day; how creators can help push brands into the future; her foray into unscripted fashion television, and much more.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

Fashion Month is upon us once again! To help kick off the Fall/Winter 2025 season, The Standard kindly invited TNG to host an intimate conversation about the fashion week machine, from how it’s covered and how people prepare, to why it still matters, to what’s working and what’s not — as well as potential ways it can evolve for the future. Alyssa is joined by an esteemed panel that includes Emilia Petrarca of Shop Rat, Rachel Tashjian of The Washington Post and Opulent Tips, and Nikki Ogunnaike of Marie Claire. Each guest has over a decade of experience covering fashion month in several capacities, so tune in for a lively conversation filled with nostalgia, wisdom, gossip (!!!), tips passed down from fashion legends, criticism, and laughter. Enjoy!

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How many comments have you seen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube over the last few years that read: “Give the marketing team a raise!” It’s easy to boil everything a brand does down to simple marketing tactics, but how does one formulate a cohesive strategy — with a mix of product, content, social media, events, PR, collaborations, and more — and create a cultural hit? This week, Alyssa is joined by Ana Andjelic, a global brand executive, founder of The Sociology of Business newsletter on Substack, and author of Hitmakers: How Brands Influence Culture, to dive deep into the world of brand marketing and understanding how to tap into a cultural moment. Tune in to hear Ana’s insights about mass culture versus niche culture and how they move at different speeds; whether it’s possible to build a brand in 2025 without a fandom or community behind it; what happens when you use “authenticity” as a shortcut to culture; why brands must avoid being prisoners of the past and living in the archive; how to diversify the ways you’re present in culture; the dangers of trying to grow too fast; whether product plus PR can equal a brand; why there are so many marketing content creators on TikTok, Substack, and YouTube now; unpacking ‘brat’ as a marketing case study; why sometimes it just comes down to throwing a really good party/showing people a good time; and a discussion about the marketing highs and lows from today’s most buzzed-about brands, including Telfar, Vans, Skims, Rhode, Prada, Miu Miu, Erewhon, and Loewe.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

The stateside skincare industry is more saturated than ever, but there are some key players who got in on the ground floor and aren’t simply riding out the trend. Sofie Pavitt, founder of Sofie Pavitt Face and owner of the results-driven Sofie Pavitt Skincare Studio in Chinatown, is one of these people. After building a promising career in accessories design working for brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap, Tory Burch, and Michael Kors, she pivoted in her 30s to pursue her love of skincare, enrolling in school and training to be an aesthetician while keeping a full-time fashion job. Fast-forward to today, and she’s developed a tightly edited line of skincare products that recently launched in Sephora, positioning her among the beauty industry big dogs.

Tune in to hear about Sofie’s fascinating journey, including how she got recruited by Abercrombie right out of college in the UK; how trips to Seoul several times a year for her accessories design job helped her fall in love with skincare culture; the insane budgets fashion companies had 20 years ago; what it was like going back to school and starting a whole new career as an adult; how giving virtual skincare consults during the pandemic was a lightbulb moment for her; why “acne positivity” is a scam; how a DM from Zendaya in late 2020 snowballed her career as an aesthetician; whether beauty people are nicer than fashion people; the process of getting your product into Sephora; why personal brands are more important than ever because people want to feel connected to the products they buy; realizing that you can train technique but you can’t train kindness or empathy; why sometimes it’s valuable working for free, and much more.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

For the final episode of the year, Alyssa answers your burning questions about life, work, fashion, media, divorce, dating, the future of The New Garde, and much more. See y'all in 2025!

As we approach the end of what feels like the longest year on record, Alyssa sits down with fashion writer Alexandra Hildreth to discuss the many highs and lows of the past 12 months in fashion. Topics include, but are not limited to: trad wives, bag charms, mall brands, SKIMS, cowboys, the TikTok ban, designer musical chairs, boho chic, the Galliano comeback, the death of personal style, the Chanel job, brat, print magazines, man-on-the-street style interviews, underconsumption-core, and blogger discourse déjà vu. Enjoy!

Holiday shopping season is in full swing! Ahead of the onslaught of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Alyssa sat down with Nicola Fumo, host of the Attention Recession podcast and a senior commerce editor at People, for a conversation on the state of commerce content, from gift guides to Amazon Live. Tune in for an entertaining explainer on all things affiliate, as well as Nicola’s insights on why data-driven gift guides have replaced vibes-based ones; the pressure publishers are under to hit their story and revenue quotas during the holiday season; the disclosure conundrum when it comes to affiliate revenue; the evolution of the market editor as a career; how culture has arrived back at QVC and we’re all infomercial stars now; dealing with choice paralysis and why being a smart consumer is crucial; the experience of shopping on TikTok vs. on Instagram; how Amazon Live has become an additional platform for Bravolebrity drama and red carpets; the “holiday sale haul” content genre and the SSENSE sale becoming a meme; what makes a gift guide stand out in a crowd of clickbait; gift guides as voyeurism; and why personal recommendation content is having a breakthrough moment as an escape from the algorithm-based internet.

While it seems like everyone’s getting into the vintage game right now, few players have the experience and sharp point of view to set them apart in a crowded landscape and keep them in it for the long haul. This week, Alyssa sits down with Kathleen Sorbara, owner of Sorbara’s New York (formerly Chickee’s Vintage), to learn how she’s succeeded in the wild world of brick-and-mortar retail — an operation that evolved from selling a curation of vintage pieces on the side of the road. Tune in to hear about how Kathleen’s career journey began by sending an audition tape into an MTV modeling reality show and getting signed; how she navigated being a teenager in an adult world while climbing the modeling ranks; how being around clothing, art directors, creatives, and stylists on modeling jobs became an education on fashion and vintage; learning to run a retail store with no retail experience; navigating the highs and lows of the vintage trend cycle; how the aesthetic of her buy changes over time; how she stays agile and innovative to stand out in the vintage space; what happens when IG fan pages drive people to the store after a celebrity like Harry Styles is spotted shopping; honing her taste and getting inspiration from going to the ballet and other iconic New York programming (as well as from the retirement community her Florida hometown); recounting brick-and-mortar horror stories; learning that “no” is a full sentence; building a booming men’s business by having cute girls sell menswear to guys who were confused about fashion; and why always thinking about the next thing is crucial to avoid becoming stagnant or stale.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

If you’re a follower of fashion, you’ve surely felt the influence of sports on the industry steadily increase over the past several years. This week, Alyssa is joined by Madeline Hill, author of the Impersonal Foul newsletter and co-host of The Sports Gossip Show podcast, to discuss the flourishing relationship between fashion and sport, and how they sit at the intersection of many pop culture interests. Tune in to hear Madeline’s lore as a teen model and a key player on Fashion Twitter, as well as her insights on how celebrity courtside culture, Instagram mood boards, and athlete off-duty style have brought sports to a wider audience; what The Cut launching a sports vertical and CR Fashion Book announcing a mysterious sports venture for 2025 signal for fashion media; why so many brands have locked into tennis culture, even before the release of Challengers; how F1 has become a tentpole event akin to Coachella or Art Basel for fashion and beauty brands, and what its 10-year deal with LVMH could bring; what to expect from Lewis Hamilton co-hosting the Met Gala in 2025 with LeBron James as an honorary chair; the extremely chic LVMH Olympics sponsorship; how TikTok is driving sports-heavy fashion trends like tenniscore, blokecore/blokette, motorcore, golfcore, and balletcore across the globe (and onto the runways); the evolution of athletes as influencers and the types of brands getting into athlete sponsorships; the impact of a new era of WAGS and athletes in public relationships exemplified by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, as well as fashion influencers like Alix Earle, Morgan Riddle, and Paige Lorenze bringing a new female viewership to sports; and what opportunities the fashion and beauty industries can glean from this rapidly growing audience of sports fans.

All hail the queen! This week, Alyssa sits down with beloved publicist, consultant, and co-founder of the Black in Fashion Council, Sandrine Charles, to get the inspiring story behind her rise up the industry ranks, and what led her to eventually open her own bicoastal agency, Sandrine Charles Consulting, eight years ago. Tune in to get Sandrine’s insights on the importance of having people who champion you in the workplace; why you should always “take the best and forget the rest”; how she found her niche in working on fashion collaborations; what it was like to be one of the only women doing PR in the menswear space; working with brands as they grow versus when they’re already established; working with streetwear brands before the fashion establishment took them seriously; helping to launch KITH and Noah into the stratosphere; how pitching has changed now that the editorial landscape is so different; the beauty in being a cheerleader for your peers; why building solid relationships with people is crucial and the value that comes with being vulnerable; what inspired her to start the Black in Fashion Council with her co-founder, Lindsay Peoples; knowing exactly what you bring to the table and conducting yourself accordingly; why it’s OK to stay private and get off the hamster wheel sometimes; and standing firm in the belief that if you’re doing genuine, good work, people will support it.

It’s been an incredibly fun year for pop music, and the same can be said about the fashion that’s come along with it. This week, Alyssa sits down with Brittany Spanos, a senior writer at Rolling Stone and pop connoisseur, to discuss how the newest names on the scene are using aesthetics strategically to brand themselves and introduce their personas to the world. The ladies touch on the biggest breakout talents of 2024, particularly Sabrina Carpenter, Addison Rae, Chappell Roan, Tate McRae, and brat-era Charli XCX, and how they all (like the pop stars who came before them) use fashion to build their identities and create their narratives. Tune in for an in-depth discussion on this and much more, including Brittany’s thoughts on the smart ways that Carpenter, Rae, and Olivia Rodrigo are subtly introducing retro pop culture references to a new generation; why Rae’s slightly weird creative direction led by Mel Ottenberg is so genius; who are the best pop star/stylist pairings in the game right now; how we’ve reached Peak Britney Spears reference over the past year and why it’s getting out of hand; why the best pop stars are embracing pastiche at a time when fans are exhausted by repetitive references; what the future might hold for pop acts designing collections with luxury fashion brands, like Harry Styles for Gucci or Dua Lipa for Versace; and what could be the next big avant-garde pop star/fashion designer partnership on the level of Lady Gaga and Alexander McQueen.

This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

How will people pay homage to a new generation of red carpet stars in the future if their fashion choices consistently reference the past? This week, Alyssa is joined by Emily Kirkpatrick of I <3 Mess in an attempt to tackle this question at the midpoint of the 2024-2025 awards season. Tune in to hear the ladies discuss fashion’s big problem right now in terms of moving forward; how pulling museum-caliber vintage became the ultimate sartorial flex; when a red carpet tribute turns from a sweet wink or nod into a crutch; the feedback loop between the way celebrities dress and the way media covers it; what the future of getting dressed looks like when we’re so busy rehashing the aughts and doing retro throwbacks; how young Hollywood is underestimating fashion’s ability to help a new talent establish a brand identity and make a big personal statement; why risk-averse celebrities would rather wear something safe from the archives than opt for a polarizing look that creates enough conversation to become iconic years later; why celebrities need their own breakout fashion moments early in their careers, even if they’re bad; when press junket theme dressing goes too far; and whether we’re in a drought of red carpet looks that we’ll be talking about and referencing 20 years from now.

If you’ve ever wanted to get to know your favorite girl from the internet, then this is the episode for you! This week, Alyssa sits down with Marta Freedman — the magical mind behind Hot Girls Eating Pizza and Air Milkshake, as well as the co-founder of Dieux and Angel Therapy — to learn all about her entrepreneurship journey and the wisdom she’s picked up along the way. Tune in to hear Marta discuss what MySpace taught her about building connections by being authentic online and having that resonate with other people; how starting Hot Girls Eating Pizza to meet other young adults grieving the loss of a parent was a crash course in establishing community on social media; how she realized early on that Instagram was a tool for world-building and honed that skill; why throwing themed parties and believing in her own ideas were crucial in expressing her creativity; how she leveraged her community to work with brands; the pros and cons of moonlighting as an influencer and being able to monetize your following; the power that comes with staying true to who you are; why entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart; how to find a work-life balance when you work for yourself; why softness is power and there’s no shame in vulnerability; the importance of staying in alignment, being guided by intuition, and being your own advocate; and why you should invest in people who invest in you.