The Conversations

Latest Episodes:

What's Happening in Fashion Right Now? Oct 10, 2020

Show notes

In keeping with the big-issues theme of our season opening episodes, to kick off season 4, we pan out to take a broad look at the hot button issues in fashion. Covid 19’s economic impact on the industry has dominated the headlines for months but time has shown that the pandemic has only ruptured the structural cracks that were already there in the system.

In this episode, we delve into economic hit from shifting consumer shopping habits and its influence on the declination of the department store. And if engineering an unprecedented economic recovery wasn’t enough, fashion is doubly tasked with the serious demand of representing better social and cultural practices as it relates to racial equity and sustainability. Even the functions of marketing and communication in fashion demand a reset. The industry just finished its fashion month showing a mix of virtual presentations and fashion shows and one thing is clear is that the path forward is anything but clear. And while our multi-billion dollar industry in a state of flux, there’s a dearth of media to try to make sense of the chaos.

The big issues in fashion are big indeed, welcome to Season 4! We'll be discussing multiple elements in and around these shifts and more, along with some great esteemed guests!

We hope you enjoy this kick off episode, continue to support by subscribing, rating us ***** and following us on @TheConversations.Podcast.

A Conversation With Leandra Medine Cohen: On Introspection Aug 23, 2020

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The racial unrest swept across the fashion industry like a tsunami, blindsiding and swiftly sidelining many, primarily female, executives in its wake. Leandra Medine Cohen founder of the popular fashion and lifestyle website Man Repeller is one such executive who “step(ed) back” from her CEO role, leaving the reigns in the hands of her team, announcing at the time that “the team deserves a chance to show you what Man Repeller can be with me on the sidelines.” Since her announcement in early June, Cohen has remained silent on just what happened to induce her sudden departure until this month with the launch of her newsletter - the first letter announcing her come back.

We invited Leandra to speak to us this episode to discuss the topic of introspection - what that looks like for her, the process that got her to this point and the elements that helped her along this path.

We hope you enjoy this episode! DM us on Instagram @TheConversations.Podcast and let us know what you think. Please also subscribe and rate this podcast (*****), we appreciate all your support :)

WAP - WTF or Female Empowerment? Aug 15, 2020

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Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's hyper-sexualized single and video WAP (Wet Ass Pussy) has been the main topic of cultural conversation this week.

Raw and definitely unapologetic, these female superstars rap of their honeytrap sexual prowess and the ensuing wet rewards. Reminiscent of the raunchy tracks from Lil Kim’s 90s heyday, nothing is left to the imagination in lyrics that demands not suggests, “bring(ing) a bucket and a mop for this wet pussy.” The sexualized narrative in WAP’s lyrics and video paints the woman having agency over her body and sexual pleasure. But the discourse in the Culture posits, is this display vulgar, sending the wrong message and thus culturally damaging or is it simply the embodiment of female expression and empowerment? We discuss this and ask the broader question in this episode, does WAP represent a positive or negative reflection on the Culture?

We would love to hear what you think about this very charged conversation - DM us on Instagram @TheConversations. Podcast. Please also subscribe and rate this podcast (*****), we appreciate all your support :)

A Conversation With Bandana Tewari: Will There Be a Mass Exodus From Fashion? Aug 08, 2020

Show notes

It didn’t take a global pandemic for Bandana Tewari to rethink her future role in fashion. Four years ago, the former Vogue India Fashion Director, left the glamour and excess of that title behind, and moved from Bombay to Bali to work independently as a fashion journalist and sustainability activist. Tewari calculated to stay in fashion in a more beneficent role, still showing support for creativity while promoting slowed production.

But for so many other fashion professionals, the reality of whether they can remain a part of a profits-over-product, profits by-any-means-necessary industry, is a moral question and for a contingent may no longer be a choice, but an inevitable outcome — in no small parts deepened by the pandemic, economic downturn, racial fallout, harmful environmental impact, constant exposure of unethical labor, wage and manufacturing processes, toxic work cultures and technological takeover.

On this episode, Bandana Tewari joins us to discuss how the industry values have changed in the last 20 years, her journey advocating for sustainability and why we should expect a mass exodus from fashion.

We hope you enjoy this conversation! Please let us know what you think and also subscribe, rate this podcast (*****) and follow us on Instagram @TheConversations.Podcast for more.

Has Fashion Lost Its Center? Aug 02, 2020

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The current call to address the systemic and structural ills across fashion has exposed an already broken industry that was undergoing significant disruption to its purpose and values. But the sheer breath and scope of the demands for deep industry-wide clean up due to issues ranging from rampant sexual assault to toxic work culture, nepotism to racism, begs the question, how does the industry plan to go about instituting these much needed changes?

Discussing issues of leadership and secession, journalism, critical thought and system vs segment or democracy, in this episode we ask, has fashion lost its center?

We hope you enjoy this conversation! Please let us know what you think and also subscribe, rate this podcast (*****) and follow us on Instagram @TheConversations.Podcast for more.

What Did You Think of 'The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion' Documentary? Jul 25, 2020

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In this episode, we talk about the new Netflix documentary 'The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion'. We discuss our immediate reactions and the main themes we thought about within it, as the film works to capture the influence of Black culture and specifically Hip Hop culture on global fashion, the making of the multi-billion dollar streetwear category and celebrate the stories of unsung icons including Misa Hylton and April Walker.

We hope you enjoy this conversation! Please let us know what you think and also subscribe, rate this podcast (*****) and follow us on Instagram @TheConversations.Podcast for more.

To Cancel or Not to Cancel: Cancel Culture? Jul 19, 2020

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In general terms, the emergent cancel culture movement targets to empower the voice of the marginalized to hold oppressors and abusers accountable to their myriad offenses. But as quickly as the movement is taking hold, so has the pushback. “Has to cancel culture gone too far?”, “It’s getting out of hand if it hasn’t already,” are some effective headlines aiming to discredit the calling out and actions demanded for all things from genuine human rights injustices (including toxic work environment, racism, sexual harassment) to subjective behavior across fashion and culture.

Upholders of the status quo are having a field day leaning on the annihilative implications in the word “cancel” to delegitimize this movement. With the threat of reducing this culture war to arguing semantics and distracting from the important work to be done, we revisit our 2018 “Call-Out Culture,” episode, with "To Cancel or Not to Cancel", that is the question.

We hope you enjoy this conversation! Please let us know what you think and also subscribe, rate this podcast (*****) and follow us on Instagram @TheConversations.Podcast for more.

A Conversation With Qianna Smith Bruneteau & Chrissy Rutherford: The American Influencer Council Jul 12, 2020

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For millions of influencers, the rapid rise of the largely unregulated $8 billion influencer marketing economy has resulted in little to zero labor rights protection, disproportionate endorsement rates, multiple practices of racial bias (including visibility and pay inequities), as well as the easy trap of falling foul of community guidelines. This is all compounded by the current demand for authentic, purpose driven, messaging — while maintaining a stellar, inoffensive online footprint, among other minefields to navigate in the content creating space — influencers are often left to simply figure it out for themselves. And with no shortage of critics of their perceived undeserved success, it’s not surprising influencers would organize to bring some regulation to their livelihood.

The American Influencer Council, a newly formed trade organization has stepped in to replace the current trial and error approach to influencer marketing with policy and protection written “by creators for creators.” The AIC's founder Qianna Smith Bruneteau and influencer and council member Chrissy Rutherford join us on this episode to breakdown the little understood influencer landscape that’s full of gray areas... the relationship between brand, influencer and policy, creator rights and responsibilities and how AIC will help to navigate the culture of fear and uncertainty with no central nervous system or clear rules in an economy that’s proving to be working. And about that massive Times Square billboard when AIC launched and other elements Diet Prada have taken issue with in their recent post - we address that too.

We hope you enjoy this substantive conversation, it certainly gave us a lot to think about. Please let us know what you think and also subscribe, rate this podcast (*****) and follow us on Instagram @TheConversations.Podcast for more.

With the Race Issue in Fashion, Is There an Element Where We as Black People Are Doing It to Ourselves? Jul 08, 2020

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A damning Medium essay, titled 'The Truth About Essence', was published last week detailing a toxic culture of abuse, intimidation and underpayment at Black-owned, Black run Essence Magazine. Authored by a group of employees named Black Female Anonymous - this stunning unfolding in the midst of the rise of several Black-led professional groups demanding equity across the fashion industry - inspired us revisit our Black leadership episode from last year.

Additionally, during this time, a recent New York Times article, 'It's Time to End Racism in the Fashion Industry. But How?' detailed several Black groups and their varying, not yet unified initiatives, aimed at changing the current oppressive structure of racial inequality in fashion. The article insinuates that the disparate Black voices lack a collective game plan or more salaciously, are in competition.

Journalistic devise notwithstanding, the journey to dismantling white supremacy in fashion is froth with some issues within the Black community also, including the desire to uphold toxic and elitist systems, Black oppressors, and in parts the ruthless advancement of personal and territorial agendas. In this episode, we ask as it pertains to the race issue in fashion; is there an element where we as Black people are doing it to ourselves?

This is a very delicate topic, but as always, we hope you get involved and let us know your thoughts - a conversation is key! Please also subscribe, rate this podcast (*****) and follow us on Instagram @TheConversations.Podcast for more.

A Conversation With A Current Affair: Discussing Current Affairs in Fashion Jun 27, 2020

Show notes

To kick off their virtual, vintage shopping weekend (#avirtualaffair), vintage platform A Current Affair, invited us to an Instagram Live conversation tailored to this influential and growing fashion community. We touch on the genesis and near three year history of this podcast, our roles in fashion and discuss the current events, bringing context and summary to the racial climate that’s led to the disruption and fallout across our industry. And finally we talk about the vintage community; the joy and sustainability they bring to the fashion business.

Join Jason at 2.30 EST today (June 27th) for his Instagram Live show @jasoncampbellstudios where he’ll be selling a selection of vintage clothing and accessories.

**PLEASE EXCUSE THE AUDIO QUALITY FROM THIS LIVE SESSION, WE HAD A COUPLE OF TECHNICAL ISSUES - WE HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SUBSTANCE OF THE CONVERSATION NONETHELESS**

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