Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

For celebrity styling duo Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald, the creative-director shake-ups could be a good thing when it comes to putting together looks for their clients during award season. "I actually think it will be a better award season because of that," Bannerman said. The duo known as Wayman and Micah has a stacked roster to dress. The pair works with some of the most in-demand stars in the entertainment industry, from Chase Infiniti to Colman Domingo.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, they share how they started working with Infiniti, how they take a look from sketch to reality, and more.

To read excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Can we speak about your girl Chase [Infiniti] for a moment? How did you guys start working together?

Micah McDonald: We knew that she was new, and we wanted to make sure that she was gonna feel taken care of and looked after versus just styled and explaining the industry from a place of compassion and excitement versus these existential "This is what you need to do. This is how this is gonna need to go, and if you don't go with us, you're just gonna go into oblivion," you know?

The meeting was great. It was a Saturday afternoon. Later that day, we just got a callback from her publicist. She said, "She has never made a decision this easy." She got off the phone, and she said, "I'm not meeting with anyone else. It's absolutely them."

We talk about custom a lot on this podcast, but we don't actually get to see what the real sketches look like, so I want to start with the beautiful Chase Infiniti at this year's Met Gala in custom Thom Browne.

MM: I mean, this is the best version of "what I ordered versus what came"—even the journey of this [and] every step along the way of them just adding and building onto the sketch and really listening to all of our "Ooh, what if?"-s

Wayman Bannerman: We took the inspiration of color from this Jamaican artist named Tamara Madden. She really experiments with color, and she uses color in the Black diaspora to really show African American women and the heritage of their women in a very prominent light and figure. So we took inspiration from her. We sent that over to Thom Browne, and they really captured what we wanted to convey with the theme and put it into a sketch.

Do you feel great now that all of the creative directors just about have landed? … It has been a little bit of a complicated time in the industry, only in that creative directors have been moving around. It takes a beat for them to settle in. Now, it feels like "Okay, we're a collection or two in. People are settling in." Do you feel like this is going to be an even better award season because of that?

WB: I actually think it will be a better award season because of that. Once they've settled in, some designers and creative directors are learning how the award-season campaigns work.

When you come from different houses that don't usually produce award-season looks, it's a trial-and-error process to learn how fast it can move and the pressure behind it as well. They're learning how to receive that pressure and how to produce creative work within that short time span, which we probably didn't see … from them in the previous season. I think it could be enlightening to see what they produce, and we're always excited to see new collections regardless. Seeing what designers do in new houses, also in the award space, could be very rewarding and gratifying to the audiences that love and adore those moments as well.

MM: Again, if you're not a house that's used to [being] able to produce shows and capsule collections, you need to bust out multiple customs week after week. I can only imagine … the learning curve that's had to take place.

I'm excited about the ease.

I always say this, and I probably should stop saying it because it's never taken place. But me and Wayman love to know what our award season remotely looks like before we go on Thanksgiving. Maybe this year might be the year.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Amy Smilovic, founder and creative director of Tibi, can find inspiration at any moment. "It really can hit that fast, but you do have to step outside of your world—in your office or in front of your computer. You have to get outside," Smilovic said. "That's the way to make it happen faster." For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Smilovic shares what goes into designing a new collection for her brand; why she decided to publish her second book, Almost Reckless; the most versatile piece of clothing in her wardrobe; and more.

To read excerpts from the full conversation, scroll below.

I was wondering if you could give a little background on Tibi and the brand's core principles?

Tibi is a global brand. Independent. Always has been.

I started it in 1997 when I was living in Hong Kong. We're going on our 30th anniversary, which makes us officially the oldest, longest-standing independent, largest designer brand in America. There aren't many independent brands out there. I can say that, and it really is predicated on ready-to-wear, sportswear—things that we love. It is a very creative-driven company, and we show at New York Fashion Week and Paris twice a year, and that's about it.

How did you decide you had this second book in you? Who were you writing it for?

The reason why I wrote Almost Reckless was to really help people get their gut back or help refine or develop their own gut. I think this is so critical right now because you're in this world of AI. You are drowning in data, and you've got algorithms that really present themselves with so much certainty that there is one defined way forward. I don't believe in that at all, and … when we lose our gut and we start to trust only in the algorithm, we start to live life in a rearview mirror, right?

Almost Reckless really does help people to first get clarity on what success looks like for them so that they can really drill deep and use the principles of it to serve as guardrails for building their own path and charting their own course. Once you understand who you are, once you've set up your own principles, once you use them as guardrails, you can plow forward at a speed that really looks almost reckless to anyone else, but there's something very settling about knowing different.

I know you're launching the fall '26 collection soon and fall '26 fundamentals. Can you share a little bit about how you approach designing a new collection? Do you seek out inspiration, or is it more organic?

It comes when it comes. All of a sudden, you're on the train, and someone's got a book cover next to you, and you're just like, "Oh my god, what is that book? What is that book title? What are those colors?" Then you're just off and running. It really can hit that fast, but you do have to step outside of your world—in your office or in front of your computer. You have to get outside. That's the way to make it happen faster.

Traci [Bui-Amar] and I, we do have a Canva setup, and we'll just start dumping in things that we like. A lot of times, I'm trying to sell her on something that she's not buying into or vice versa.

What's the most versatile piece of clothing in your wardrobe right now?

I would say probably a wide-leg pair of nylon trousers. It looks sporty; it looks business-like. I can turn them into a jogger. I can roll them up.

The pieces that I can't live without are in our fundamentals. When something graduates to fundamentals, it meant that it proved itself so worthy to be in our closet basically forever. Nothing's forever, but if it got designated that award, then that's a big deal for that piece of clothing.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

As the temperatures rise and the days get longer, it's time for a summer wardrobe refresh. For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Kat Collings sits down with Who What Wear's own Chichi Offor and Lauren Eggertsen to discuss their summer staples, top trends, and more.

Offor will be returning to a classic go-to in the warmer months: shorts. "I've been into jorts, long shorts in general," she said. "A long line, like almost Bermuda, but loose, not tight."

Eggertsen has her eye on a particular pair of cotton poplin pants from J.Crew that keeps selling out: "I've tried to add them to my cart so many times, and they keep getting back-ordered, but they're so cute."

To read about our editors' favorite picks for summer 2026, scroll below.

Let's start with the go-tos that you return to every summer.

Chichi Offor: I've been into jorts, long shorts in general—a long line, like almost Bermuda, but loose, not tight. [I] love a skirt. I'm such a skirt girl. … For summer, [I'm] definitely [going] more knee length, or I could have some maxi moments.

Flowy pants. Oh my gosh, gotta let everything breathe, you know?

Lauren Eggertsen: I agree with all of that. I'm definitely a flowy-pant girl. I love a linen or poplin. Before we actually started this, I was talking to Kat about how there's this J.Crew pair, the Luna Pant, and they're flying off the shelves, and I cannot get a pair. I've tried to add them to my cart so many times, and they keep getting back-ordered, but they're so cute.

I love a flowy skirt. I love a button-down—just things that I can pair back together to all of these items.

Hair accessories are a big indicator of what style era we're in. What does summer 2026 look like for the hair accessory?

LE: I was excited to talk about French combs because I feel like they're so chic. Hair pins are obviously so chic too. I think the French twist, in general, is just this evolution … from the claw clip. The claw clip used to be … your accessory, and now, it's starting to feel a little bit more utilitarian.

CO: I've been seeing some cool hair pins that have beading or just cute little adornments, and I feel like that's the 2026 version of it all.

Dresses. I feel like I'm perpetually looking for a "throw on and go" dress, and I need help. What is feeling current this summer?

CO: Drop waist was popular last year. I think you'll still see some drop-waist options this year. Baby-doll dresses are looking really cute, really cool.

Let's look at shoes. Let's start with sneakers. Are we doing sporty, low profile? Is there change on the horizon?

LE: I think they're still sporty, low profile. I feel like the luxury brands [such as Celine] are leading the charge, and then we see it trickle down into some more approachable brands and price points. … I noticed this when I was in a Prada store in the spring. It was basically like a Ked. I wanted to see everyone's take on it. You could literally just get Keds.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

The official 2026 Swim Report has landed, and we tapped some of the industry's leading experts for the 411 on all things swim, including Natasha Oakley, the CEO and cofounder of Monday Swim and Monday Body; Lauren Chan, a Sports Illustrated swim model, the exited founder of plus-size womenswear brand Henning, and a former Glamour editor; and Sierra Mayhew, our fashion editor who publishes the annual Swim Report.

Over the last several years—and even decades—these women have become true pioneers and voices of authority in the world of swim and resortwear, so on the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, our guests share some of their favorite pieces to shop this summer, how to put together the perfect beach look, and the psychology behind why we're seeing certain trends resurface for summer 2026.

To read excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

People are loving the 2000s revival, but I feel like everyone's trying to look for ways to reinvent it. Natasha, can you share your point of view on this trend from the design side? What made you want to lean into it with a few of the Monday styles?

Natasha Oakley: I think that everyone is really getting into sets as well anytime you can put something on that matches perfectly with your suit or the other pieces of your outfit.

And the shorts are just so wearable and versatile but still look so cute. We've definitely designed that into every single colorway and every collection that we've launched. We're adding it because I think it's maybe replaced the denim cutoff shorts. Now, that's the new thing. You're wearing the little shorts with your big, oversize shirt. One thing we always try to do at Monday is balance that. If you've got the short shorts and a revealing bikini, then you pair it with a more oversize or long-sleeve top. We like to create that balance.

I think our customer is really loving the sets and the way they match back with what they're wearing in so many scenarios. And yeah, it's all those '90s and 2000s vibes and that energy coming back.

Shell jewelry is still very popular this year and this summer. Sierra, is there anything new to know about the 2026 version of shells? Are there any updates?

Sierra Mayhew: Yes, the shell jewelry is looking more natural—like they were actually just taken right out of the ocean. I think there was a time when they all looked perfect and pristine, but I've been having a lot of fun seeing those ones that just look very natural and authentic.

Lauren, when you made your Sports Illustrated debut as a rookie in 2023, you were the first queer plus-size model for the brand. You also founded a luxury plus-size womenswear brand in 2019. As someone who's been in both—in front of the camera and behind the scenes a little bit—how do you feel about size inclusivity and swim in 2026?

Lauren Chan: Overall, we're in a dip in size inclusivity, and we saw more progress around 2018 and 2019. That said, I think that the chart of inclusion, if you will, looks like the stock market. When we look back in 20 years, it will have always gone up. The stock market never ends up lower than it was before, but there are highs and lows, and I think we're in a dip right now, so brands are scaling back. It's our job as consumers to keep talking about that [and] for me to keep showing up and representing.

On the brand side, Knix is one of my favorites. They make up to a 4XL+ in some of the suits. They also make my favorite triangle bikini, because there's more coverage in the front of the bottom.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Celebrity stylist Dani Michelle always knew she'd end up in the fashion industry. "I really loved writing, and I thought that working at a magazine would be the perfect fit," Michelle said. "That was my dream. I wanted to work at a magazine." After landing an internship at Seventeen Magazine, she had an opportunity to assist a stylist on-set, and the rest was history.

Today, Michelle has made a name for herself working with everyone from Kendall Jenner to Hailey Bieber. On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Michelle shares how she got her start, the summer trends she's loving right now, and more.

To read excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

At what point did you start thinking like maybe this could be an actual career path for me?

I knew I loved fashion. I really loved writing, and I thought that working at a magazine would be the perfect fit. That was my dream. I wanted to work at a magazine. Before my last year of college, I got an internship at Seventeen Magazine in the editorial department.

I was the first one in and the last one out. I took a 20-minute lunch, and I was just so happy. I was like, "This is it." I probably fantasized my full future there.

One day, a stylist came in and was like, "She's gonna come with me to set," and I didn't even know what set was, but I was like, "Okay." I didn't know where I was going, what was happening, but that was my next day. When we got to set, she was obviously shooting an editorial for the magazine.

I was watching her decide what they're gonna wear, the photographer taking photos, and I was like, "This is a job?" Picking out an outfit, creating this moment, is a job? This is what I have to do. I-D magazine was my favorite magazine, and Edward Enninful was the fashion director. He got that position when he was 18, and I was like, "I am behind schedule," like, "I have got to start working."

I graduated early, and I moved to California. I had never been here before. I didn't know anyone here, and I was just like, "I have to start, I have to get out." I got here on a Thursday, and with just a bunch of kismet connections, by the next Thursday, I was assisting a stylist.

At what point did you feel comfortable going out on your own?

I was assisting on an Adidas shoot with Kenneth Capello. The stylist had to fly back to New York, and Adidas wanted pickup days, and I knew the product so well, so they all asked me if I could do it.

The stylist couldn't come back, and I did that shoot with Kenneth, and I really clicked, and he started booking me on jobs on my own. We did Adidas and Puma and different magazines and celebrities. I had a really great time with him.

Then I started doing stuff with Nylon magazine, which, you know, I wasn't paid, but they gave me a shipping account that was, to me, the most valuable thing, because they gave me complete creative control.

They would tell me this is the vibe that we want, this is the story we're telling. They would literally just let me do the editorial. I built my entire Rolodex through those relationships, and then also, I would do their upcoming talent and whoever they were featuring in the magazine.

I got to do a lot of stuff with Who What Wear and work with your guys' talent, and sometimes we would do talent, sometimes we would just do a creative story, and I was really fulfilled.

I was supporting myself, and I felt really great about that.

Summer is upon us. Do you have any specific [sunglasses] shapes, frames, or styles that you're really loving for spring and summer?

I am always the long rectangle girl—whether it's a thick frame or a wire frame, vintage, new, whatever it is, I just love that.

I think it pulls the face, and it's probably deep-rooted in a '90s look, but even when the trends have gone really big and '70s, I still just really love a rectangle.

Talk to me about swim. Do you have any favorite designers? Do you have any favorite silhouettes?

I love a French-cut bikini, string, you know, like super sexy, and barely there. But for me, I really like need some support. So I think a one piece is super sexy, I really do, especially ones like French cut, so like Norma Kamali forever and Monday Swim.

Talk to me about shoe trends.

I've always loved kitten heels. First of all, I think that they're so cute. Second of all, you have the confidence of the height of wearing heels.

I think, right now, they have been having a moment for a little bit, so I'm really proud and happy for them, because people are embracing them, but I think it's the perfect mix of getting your heel, elevating your look, but also being really comfortable.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Even from an early age, designer Anna Sui knew she wanted to work in fashion. When she was a child, she was a flower girl at her aunt and uncle's wedding in New York City. "When I got back to Michigan, where I'm from, I said to my parents, 'When I grow up, I'm going to be a fashion designer and move to New York,'" Sui said.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Sui shares how she got her start, the inspiration behind her latest collection, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

How were you first introduced to fashion?

This is the crazy thing. I was a flower girl at my aunt and uncle's wedding. It was in New York City. I was probably four or five. When I got back to Michigan, where I'm from, I said to my parents, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a fashion designer and move to New York." I spent my whole childhood and early teen years trying to figure out what that even meant and how to do it.

You attended Parsons School of Design, but you didn't graduate. You dropped out. Do you think leaving school early helped you learn faster?

I got hired at the end of my second year. I heard seniors talking about a job opportunity, and I thought, "Oh, I love that brand." I ran up there with my student portfolio, and I got the job. I think it was really invaluable, because the designer, Erika Elias, was known in the business as the toughest boss in town. She was very, very demanding, but I learned so much about sourcing fabrics. She gave me my own design room. I had a draper, I had two sewers, and so I learned how to be a designer all on the spot.

Is there any advice you'd give to your younger self starting out in fashion?

I kind of liked not knowing what I was doing, because it gave me a fearlessness. Because I didn't know what the pitfalls were. I think that's something that people should keep in mind. Don't let the things that you worry about or are afraid of hold you back. Just go for it. You create your own obstacles.

I think that that's that's when you don't accomplish it. You have to just go for it and figure out a way, and if you get no for an answer, you figure out another way, and you just get your foot in the door until you get the yes answer.

I want to talk about your [spring 2026] collection. Let's talk about the inspiration behind that.

I had seen Lady Chatterley's Lover with Emma Corrin, and I just loved the costuming in that.

Also, her character, how she started out as this very traditional Victorian wife. From falling in love with this man that worked on their premises, she became undone, and her clothes started becoming undone. I wanted all the models to look like they just had a role in the hay.

The hair was messy, the clothes were kind of disheveled and wrinkly, and so it just made it very sensuous. That was the fun part of trying to put the whole collection together is capturing that look and feeling.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Celebrity stylist James Yardley didn't always work in fashion. "My degree was in photography, which I studied in London," Yardley said. However, Yardley always loved fashion and began interning at Attitude magazine. "The more I worked with the fashion director, who would go on to become my boss for three or four years, the more I learned just to love fashion," Yardley said. Eventually, Yardley began working as a stylist and now has actors such as Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie and Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham on his roster of clients.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Yardley shares how he got his big break in the industry, how he ended up working with Storrie, and more. To read excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Before we get into all of your work, I would love to hear a little bit about your background.

My degree was in photography, which I studied in London. I really did love it. I did fashion, but my big thing was documentary photography. I loved documentary photography. I assisted photographers, and it was a horror show. I think it can be just a very cruel landscape in terms of assisting. I just dropped the idea of ever being a photographer and couldn't even really tell you how to use a camera anymore.

How did styling come about? How did you get started?

It was a very different time back then. In essence, interning was still for free. You didn't get paid in anything. I went in every day looking at it as just like, "This is an experience, a very addictive experience." The more I worked with the fashion director, who would go on to become my boss for three or four years, the more I learned just to love fashion. I started on the menswear with the models, and that was amazing. And then he had some very famous clients. He had Kylie Minogue.

I think I've heard of her.

Just the icon Kylie Minogue and Nicole Scherzinger. He had some people like that, so I really then started to learn the glamor of womenswear as well. And then he hired me.

At what point in the Heated Rivalry debut moment did you [and Connor Storrie] start actually working together, and how did you know he was the right client for you?

I get a call from Nick Todisco. I feel like I owe Nick Todisco my life. He calls me, and he's like, "I have this man. He's gorgeous, incredibly talented. You need to see the trailer for the show." I looked at his Instagram, and he's a real creative. He's done his own editorials in the past. So I was like, "Let's do it."

A lot of my portfolio with menswear had been very exuberant, very over-the-top—which I love—but he was far more refined in his notes of what he liked. He came to my very tiny apartment at the time. We did a fitting. … We could have done it in half an hour, but I think it was two and a half hours. I immediately just knew he was a real joy to work with. I think that's the best way of putting it.

How did you start to hone in on a strategy together about how you wanted him to look? How did we go from the earlier press moments— pinstripes, higher-waisted trousers, strong tailoring? How did these early elements become so central to his red carpet looks?

I think the fact that we are aligned with one another is pure luck. … Maybe it was something in the universe that threw us together because he has similar taste levels that I have with Hannah [Waddingham] and other clients as well. I reference a lot of Old Hollywood. I do it with Hannah with Marilyn Monroe–esqueness of the figure. With him, it's the same thing. It's Old Hollywood with a twist that's modern. People might have noticed with my tailoring [that] it's always slightly above where the waist would be, but that's his true waist.

Then the wide-leg pants, the pinstripes—it's very early Hollywood. The same with the blazers and the shirts. We've experimented with lots of different silhouettes that are very similar but always, always have a tweak of something else.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

For the 2026 Met Gala, celebrities interpreted the dress code, Fashion Is Art, and exhibition theme, Costume Is Art, at the event in many different ways.

As Hillary Kerr points out, there was a surprising number of headpieces.

"I was really pleasantly surprised—and was not expecting—the level of veils and masks and headpieces going on," Kerr said.

Another unexpected interpretation of the theme came from Sabrina Carpenter in Dior, according to Kerr.

"I think she looked incredible," Kerr said. "It felt like a very meta commentary on art and film and fashion."

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Kerr sits down with Kat Collings to share their favorite looks from the red carpet, the most unexpected moments, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Hillary Kerr: What was the most memorable moment for you?

Kat Collings: Let's elaborate on Beyoncé for just a moment because you cried.

HK: Like a giant emotional baby.

KC: It was really the family of it all that I think was quite touching, right? Showing up with her daughter.

HK: But it's also it's just Beyoncé. This is the first time in a decade. Do you remember the last time?

KC: No.

HK: It felt like a homecoming to see her there again, and it makes me just all kinds of emotional and delighted to see her out and about.

KC: I feel like you have some trends you want to call out.

HK: I was really pleasantly surprised—and was not expecting—the level of veils and masks and headpieces going on.

Again, I love, because when do you get to wear those in real life? Almost never.

I say yes to all of that. Katy Perry wearing Stella McCartney, and she had a peephole situation going on. Face guard. It was very fencing adjacent. Don't know what that was about, but I loved it.

KC: Gwendoline Christie had the face mask as well. There was a lot of veiled, unveiled moments.

HK: What were some of the more unexpected interpretations of the dress code that we saw tonight?

KC: One that was more literal, I think, was Sabrina Carpenter.

She's wearing kind of wrapped in film strips from the movie Sabrina.

HK: The headpiece that she was wearing with the bejeweled front. That also references the film, because Audrey Hepburn wears a headpiece like that at some point in time.

The dress was Dior. I think she looked incredible. It felt like a very meta commentary on art and film and fashion.

HK: Which designers worked really well for this theme and why?

KC: I'd say Saint Laurent got a lot of credits. But that's not really a surprise, because Anthony's [Vaccarello] a cochair of the hosting committee this year.

Schiaparelli I think is perfect for this.

Kylie Jenner's look, inspired by Venus de Milo, was kind of like a paper-doll fantasy, and that felt very suited, I think, to the theme.

HK: I also really love Emma Chamberlain's, which was also probably one of my favorite looks for the night.

She's wearing custom Mugler and worked with an artist who actually hand-painted the gown itself.

Thirty different colors. It took over 40 hours, and it looks like a piece of abstract art that had been sort of poured onto her body.

She always does something interesting. I love all of her work with her stylist, Jared Ellner. I just think they are a perfect pairing.

She always takes really interesting risks. I just thought this was unexpected and painterly and beautiful and colorful.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

For celebrity stylist and author Erin Walsh, putting together looks for a press tour is all about being able to pivot on a moment's notice. "In the process of creating a press tour like this, it's a constant dialogue," Walsh said. "You can make decisions about what you think will work, but then you need to pivot as things are happening in real time." Walsh collaborated with her client, Anne Hathaway, ahead of one of this year's most anticipated (and fashionable) films: The Devil Wears Prada 2.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Walsh shares what it's like to prep for a press tour of this magnitude, how she started working with other stars like Selena Gomez, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Obviously, there has been so much anticipation around the film and around the press looks. You say that you like to start with how someone wants to feel. What was the process like, and what were some of those key shapings for this press tour?

In the process of creating a press tour like this, it's a constant dialogue. You can make decisions about what you think will work, but then you need to pivot as things are happening in real time. There's a cast that you're working alongside. You want to just keep evolving and making the work better and refining and retuning.

One of the things I love about the original film is its exploration of the depth of fashion and the joy that it can offer, and its transformative power. So, really finding ways through the choices on this tour to explore those themes in every single fashion tool at our disposal.

From color to texture to shape to silhouette to designer range. Bringing attention to newer designers, honoring the ones that we've known and loved. At its heart, to me, fashion should be a means to bring us to our joy.

I want to talk about Tokyo. Anne was in this beautiful, ruffled Valentino couture dress and an updated version of the Rockstud heel, which also is a little easter egg to what we have seen from the trailer. Can you talk to me a little bit about the significance of that look and that shoe and why it came together in the way it did for Tokyo?

That look, it just felt like such a specific, perfect way to start in Asia and in Tokyo. Even the origami effect of the dress, it felt so Japanese. The color story was obviously perfect. I loved the white Rockstud shoe. The new shape is excellent. It's so flattering. The ankle strap placement and the two toe cleavages. It's just gorgeous. It's a really great update on a style that I think many thought was over. If I have to place any bets, I would say it's for sure back, and it looks better than ever.

Let's talk a little bit about Selena Gomez. She's another client that I feel like you unlocked a new style era together. Talk to me about how you focused on the most important thing, which is Selena and her essence, and what she wanted to build with you?

First of all, she's a wonderful, beautiful person, but she's somebody who uses her platform to make the world a better place and to connect with people in a real way. It always has felt to me like it has to be genuine and clear and really just a means to help her and her message shine.

I found with her, less can be more, and just letting her beautiful essence shine has really been the point.

I want to talk about an early look that you worked on together, which is for the VMAs, and she wore a custom, red beaded Oscar de la Renta gown that went viral immediately. What are some of your favorite references or brands and designers for Selena [Gomez]?

I feel like, reference-wise, we got into such a great space with the Old Hollywood and kind of Sophia Loren and décolletage shapes and just beautiful, deep colors and impactful, but streamlined silhouettes—trying not to do anything too fussy or too overwhelming. The glam team is amazing, and the team she works with is amazing and supportive. I think everybody was zoned in together on "How are we trying to tell this story?" We were all on the same page, which just makes it stronger.

In general, when you work with somebody in their glam team, as well, you want to use each other and be on the same page. You're more powerful when you're cohesive, certainly.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

For costume designer Molly Rogers, expectations were high when it came to putting together the looks for The Devil Wears Prada 2. "I promised myself that I would just stay in my own bubble because I cannot deliver the best outfit if I am concerned about outside judgments or thinking outside what my role is, which is part of the crew, and I'm expected to deliver," Rogers said. Luckily, Rogers had experience working on the first Devil Wears Prada film as an associate costume designer under Patricia Field.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Rogers shares her process of putting together the characters' looks for the sequel, the story behind those iconic thigh-high Chanel boots, and more.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

How did you grapple with that pressure of knowing that the expectations were so high?

I'm so fortunate that I did work on the first one because I had a history with the director and the screenwriter and the cast. It's really good to know the roots. I promised myself that I would just stay in my own bubble because I cannot deliver the best outfit if I am concerned about outside judgments or thinking outside what my role is, which is part of the crew, and I'm expected to deliver. If I thought about recrimination or anything that was happening, I think it would have really stunted me.

I always like to create a beautiful fitting room. … The actor comes in, and I'm in there with my team, and everybody feels like we can create and collaborate, and it's just a pretty place to be. It's not a typical wardrobe fitting room. It's kind of glamorous, and we feel like we're really going for something.

Where did you start the costume-design process, and did you immediately start to think about where you would pay homage to the original?

I loved the first movie, and when I read the second script, I was very excited that there were nods and mentions to the first one because that's always fun to look out for or catch. I was fortunate enough to be in my little apartment in Miami Beach, and the director was in Florida. He had been immersed in it much longer than me, and we were just talking generally about things and the state of the business and what the movie was really about.

When I got to New York and started doing… I like to do presentation decks for the actors to say "This is what I'm thinking—does it connect to you?" So I started working on the images. I got to speak a lot with the screenwriter, Aline Brosh McKenna, who is delightful. It's a process, which is why it's called preproduction. You're not shooting anything yet, and you get to marinate and think about things.

I would love to discuss some of the original iconic looks and get little bit of insight on how you decided on certain items—for example, Andy's cerulean sweater.

Pat and I were stuck in a fitting on Leroy Street, and for some reason (and I don't remember why), we needed this outfit immediately. This is before you were shopping and you could send pictures to the costume designer and you could help guide a shopper.

We sent [Wendy]—"super shopper" is her nickname. Out she ran down lower Fifth Avenue in and out of J.Crew and Banana Republic. [She] just brought back 12 shopping bags and was so stressed out and freaked out because [that scene is] a pivotal moment—like, "You're being made an example of, you fish out of water." And it was chosen by Pat like nothing. I don't think there were a lot of sweaters. I think it was more about what dumpy shoe or what skirt.

Sometimes, those things are good when you have a time deadline because you can't spin out of control. … It's either this or nothing, and that just felt right.

Do you remember the decision process of those iconic [Chanel] boots?

I should make up a fantasy story. Honestly, sometimes, it's whatever's in the room. It wasn't "Show me all the thigh-high boots in the world." It's "You're fitting someone, you have a limited amount of time, you've called in everything you possibly could that you might use, and they happen to be there."

I remember I called Chanel when we were in preproduction, and I said, "Annie has been cast as the assistant." Chanel said, "We want her." They were like, "We will back the truck up for you, and how can we help?" And Mr. Valentino also said that to Meryl [Streep], "How can I help your closet?"

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

With the 2026 Met Gala just around the corner, trend forecaster and content creator Mandy Lee is ready to see the 'Costume Art' theme come to life.

"You can interpret that theme in a million, billion different ways," Lee said. "There's so much to work with."

One of the exhibition themes that Lee is the most excited to see on the red carpet is pregnancy.

"I'm so thrilled that there's going to be a spotlight on that," Lee said.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Lee shares her Met Gala predictions, how she made the jump from working in-house as a trend forecaster to amassing a following of over 600,000 on TikTok alone, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

For anybody listening who hasn't heard about that, I would love if you could just give a little bit of a glimpse into how you started your career as an analyst and then now you are one of the internet's favorite fashion commentators?

I started my career working in planning and forecasting at sort of like a tech company in Boston and eventually moved into beauty.

I did the planning and forecasting for an in-house hair company here in Brooklyn.

I got laid off during the pandemic and it ended up being kind of the best thing that happened to me, because that very day, I downloaded TikTok.

I essentially just wasn't seeing the content that I wanted to see and talk about.

To be honest, I really missed analyzing trends. I really, really love that about my corporate job, so it felt like I was losing my identity when I got laid off.

I've been able to ride the wave all the way to now. I've been freelance for four years, which is something I'm so, so proud of.

I'm now signed with IMG as currently their only the fashion commentator.

I would just love to hear your takeaways from the last season in terms of what are some things that really stayed with you that kind of got you really excited from last fashion month?

For me, the overall theme of fall winter '26 was movement. With fabrics, with silhouettes.

The whole quiet luxury thing, I always hated it.

I feel like it was sort of the first instinct into recession core, but that doesn't work.

Just because you make basic clothes does not mean they're going to sell.

Unfortunately, I think Sabato's [De Sarno] Gucci was a good example of that.

Just because you're making more simple clothes does not give people an incentive just to buy them.

I think movement and texture were the huge takeaways for fall '26 and just kind of leaning more into what makes a brand stand out and really honing on different house codes and what makes a brand actually special—not just making the same white t-shirt with the logo on it.

That's not gonna fly.

What are some of your Met Gala things that you're predicting or looking forward to?

This year is costume art and I believe the dress code is art is fashion.

You can interpret that theme in a million, billion different ways. There's so much to work with.

Oh my god, I'm so excited.

A lot of the exhibition will focus on different bodies. Classical, reclaimed, pregnant, anatomical and abstract, where it's sort of the main pillars that they talked about for the exhibition, specifically.

As we know, the theme is always a little bit different than the exhibition.

To me, the exhibition leads the theme more often than not and when I get into my trend predictions, more often than not, I'll pick a few that actually end up in the exhibition.

We only get to see five ahead of time.

The one I'm most excited about I think is the pregnancy one. I'm so thrilled that there's going to be a spotlight on that.

I mean, Rihanna she went to the Met Gala. What? I think twice pregnant.

Comme [des Garçons] I hope to see a lot. I actually wore a Commes coat, because I knew bodies would be a thing and I was like, "Whoa, there's got to be some lumps and bumps here."

I think the anatomical body will be the most obvious for people. Like the Schiaparelli lung dress Bella [Hadid] wore.

Thom Browne and Schiaparelli, I think, own the carpet like almost every Met Gala. So I think we'll always have that to look forward to. Also Marc Jacobs last year? I think Marc Jacobs won the Met Gala last year. I was floored and blown away. Also Teyana Taylor will own. And I think another prediction is Olandria (Carthen) will make her debut.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Before Lauren Conrad starred on The Hills and became a style icon, she was on the MTV hit Laguna Beach. One reason she thinks Laguna Beach has had a lasting cultural impact is the fact that everyone can relate to being a high school student and going through that major milestone in life. "I think it's that moment in life where everything's about to change," Conrad said. "You're about to leave your hometown, and it's exciting, and it's scary, and I think that so many people could relate to that."

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Conrad shares where she was getting fashion inspiration from while filming the show, whether she thinks you could create a show like Laguna Beach today, the Y2K trend she still loves, and more.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Laguna Beach was only for three seasons—and you and the original cast were only in it for two—but the show had such a lasting cultural impact. Why do you think the show has held our attention for 20 years?

I think it's that moment in life where everything's about to change. You're about to leave your hometown, and it's exciting, and it's scary, and I think that so many people could relate to that.

If Laguna Beach existed today, in what ways do you think it would be the most different, especially considering the inevitable involvement of social media, influencer marketing, stylists, all that jazz?

I don't think you could create the same show today. I don't know what it would look like. I think part of the appeal of this show is we didn't know what we didn't know. We didn't know to not be ourselves or to filter ourselves. There were obviously no stylists or makeup artists there. We were just throwing on tank tops and showing up to film. I think that's what makes it feel so authentic.

We weren't doing it necessarily to launch a brand or do anything that a lot of people do today, which is smart and I get, but we didn't even know that was an option. A lot of us were just stoked to not have summer jobs and also—we talk about this all the time—didn't think it was ever gonna air. This was just a cool experience that we did, and we thought it would just be a fun little project.

I genuinely don't think we would have been layering our tank tops as confidently as we were without seeing you and your friends and what you were wearing on Laguna Beach in the early 2000s. I'm curious. At that time, where were you getting fashion inspiration?

My friends. We were all just dressing alike. There were a couple local boutiques that we would all shop at. We would just wear a pair of Miss Sixty jeans, maybe a studded belt, layer a couple tanks, Rocket Dogs—done. I don't think we were even thoughtful about the way we were dressing. We weren't like, "This is going to be on TV. We should take some time to get ready." Half the time, we've just rolled out of bed. We're teenagers.

What's one trend from back then that you feel like you still wear today or would wear today and enjoy?

I've always worn Ugg boots. Uggs were huge.

There are low-rise jeans, big sunglasses, flip-flops.

I actually always love big sunglasses. I'm funny. I commit to a style because I have to get special lenses put in them for migraines. I'll find a style I like, and I'll buy it in several colors, and I get all the lenses. Then every few years, I update it.

Right now, I'm smaller. It's mostly because I play a lot of tennis, and I want to be able to play in them. But I've always loved the bigger, the better. I love a giant sunglass.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Celebrity makeup artist Pati Dubroff has always loved beauty products. "I was that 10-year-old kid who was obsessed with makeup and was at my mother's makeup table all the time, putting makeup on, then on her, then my friends," Dubroff said. After graduating from high school, Dubroff moved to New York City, where she started assisting makeup artists who took her under their wing. "I assisted some really incredible artists who really showed me the ropes in the fashion world and the music world," Dubroff said. Eventually, Dubroff started working with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Margot Robbie, Dakota Johnson, and Priyanka Chopra.

In the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Dubroff shares how she got her start in the industry, what it's like prepping for a press tour, the underhyped product she swears by, and more.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Can you give our listeners a little background on how you first got started in the beauty world and what drew you to it?

I was that 10-year-old kid who was obsessed with makeup and was at my mother's makeup table all the time, putting makeup on, then on her, then my friends. I was the person in high school who was getting everyone ready for every party. As soon as I graduated high school in New Jersey, [I] moved to New York City.

I always loved makeup, but I didn't know it was a career. When I was growing up, it was like '70s, early '80s, and it wasn't a known career, except the ladies who sold makeup at makeup counters. So I went to New York City to do that because I wanted to be around the makeup. Then I started assisting. I assisted some really incredible artists who really showed me the ropes in the fashion world and the music world. Then I segued into Hollywood in the late '90s, early 2000s, and I've been happily painting movie stars ever since.

When you are starting out with a press tour, how do you start putting together the looks overall?

I definitely want to consolidate my kit. Just traveling the world, I don't want 100 pounds of makeup. [For the Barbie press tour], of course, there are so many references to Barbie to be inspired by clothing-wise, but it was also not the Barbie of the '50s, '60s, '70s, where she had the blue eye shadow, per se. It was like, "Who's Barbie now?"

My wheelhouse was really about my color palettes that I kept and traveled with, and it was every shade of pink you can imagine but also some coral. There was lavender in the mix, and there were some reds. My wheelhouse of color is my foundational, important piece. Then it's just looking at, What is the day? What is she wearing? What is the event?

What are some of the key building blocks that everyone should know about their own makeup before they move on to more complicated things?

You're putting on a mask that you want people to react to. That's what doing makeup is. How do you want people to react? So [it's] really thinking about it like that.

Could you tell me one product that you think is overhyped?

For overhyped, I love a lip pencil, right?

I get people maybe want their lips to look bigger, and they don't want to go for fillers and things like that, but just know that it's gonna look like overdrawn pencil, not like your lips are that much bigger.

What about an unsung, underhyped product?

When we're talking about alternatives to procedures, I use these eye drops that open the eye. They're called Upneeq, and it opens the eye in a way that's fantastic.

Is there a skin product where you're like, "Everyone should have this concealer or this moisturizer"? Is there a highlighter that works on everyone's skin or a lip?

There's this skincare product. It's a serum that I discovered—I guess it's a year and a half now, maybe only a year—called (Plated), and they're exosomes. It's completely changed my skin. I used to have these very strong pigmentation spots. They're faded. Even when I was doing my makeup today, I was going to conceal the pigment spots that I know are there. They're not there anymore.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

Megan Tamte, the co-founder of Evereve, entered the fashion space at a pivotal moment in her life. "I was a mom, a young mom, in transition in my life," Tamte said. "My life was changing, things were evolving, and I was feeling like my fashion and my style was being left behind." Tamte decided to go shopping in the hopes of finding new clothes that reflected where she was in her life at that moment.

"I went shopping at a department store, looking for fashion that would help me feel unstuck, that would move me forward, and ended up in a dressing room crying," Tamte said. On the way home from that experience, Tamte began thinking about how she could change the way women shop. "It was really on that drive home that I began to reimagine what that experience could be."

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Tamte sits down with Hillary Kerr and Lauren Eggertsen to share why she started Evereve, why they built an entire campaign around a fashion survey, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Hillary Kerr: Megan, can you tell us a little bit about how you entered the fashion space you and what you wanted to build with Evereve?

Megan Tamte: Entering into the fashion space was a little bit unexpected. I was a mom, a young mom, in transition in my life. My life was changing, things were evolving, and I was feeling like my fashion and my style was being left behind.

I went shopping at a department store, looking for fashion that would help me feel unstuck, that would move me forward, and ended up in a dressing room crying. I literally sat in this dressing room for about 10 minutes and just cried my eyes out and just wondered, "Who am I now?" Once I pulled myself together and left the dressing room without anything in hand, I went back to my car and started the drive home.

It was really on that drive home that I began to reimagine what that experience could be. I knew I wanted modern, wearable, easy fashion that was versatile and also had a little bit of edge. I also wanted a community. I wanted women to help me on my journey and to come alongside me and to help me just really feel good and confident again. It was really on that drive home when Evereve was born.

HK: You and your team at Evereve recently have gone the extra mile and conducted a study to find out how real women feel about fashion. What was the inspiration behind doing this?

MT: We just wanted to hear from real women. We wanted to understand the state of fashion. I feel like so much has changed in the last couple years. We just wanted to take a moment and pause and reach out to women and understand how they're feeling about fashion.

We found out that a lot of women are feeling intimidated. A lot of women want help. We just love the idea of listening to women.

HK: I know that you built this entire campaign around a set of questions that real women have about fashion. Talk to me a little bit more about the inspiration behind it. What sort of questions you wanted to answer, what sort of inspiration you wanted to get?

MT: Seventy percent of women feel intimidated by fashion. Seventy percent of women admit that they want guidance and they want help. Most women view fashion as a form of self-care. Women love fashion. They view it as part of taking care of themselves, but they don't always know how to make it happen. That really set us up for this campaign that is callled Everwonder, answering the real questions that women have about fashion.

We have over 120 stores across the country, from the East Coast to the West Coast and all in between, and we are very close with our customers. I'm very close with our customers. I love getting in a dressing room and listening to their stories and understanding what they're up to and listening to their questions.

We get a lot of real, live data from our customers and so we are just so excited to answer the real questions that women have about fashion right now.

HK: Lauren, I'm curious about your point of view on this, as well. What are some of the questions that you get—whether it's from friends who are in the industry or people who are out of the industry?

LE: I do have a lot of friends that are in this industry that I've kind of grown up with and they're my peers now. I feel like the kinds of things we talk about are what's worth the investment right now versus just a trend? And what do you think of this designer? And it's maybe more industry focused, and I feel like those questions about advice really are more event-focused, if that makes sense.

So what to wear to a wedding? I'm going to this cocktail party. I have this thing. Should I wear this? Should I wear that? It's really outfit-focused.

I feel like my friends who don't work in the industry, a lot of what they struggle with is how to look current without [looking like] they're trying too hard. They don't want to feel left behind in the trajectory of where fashion is heading, but they also don't care that much.

HK: Number one tip for people who are standing in front of their closets getting ready and thinking that they have nothing to wear?

LE: I really would encourage you to try thinking about what it is you're going to whether it's the office and coffee date, at a cocktail party.

Find one thing—whether it's a top or a shoe or even a bag, a skirt, etc.—that you love and be like, "Okay, this is where I'm starting."

Then you're starting with the piece that you know you're going to feel good in versus trying to find some outfit to fit the thing you're going to that's not serving you.

MT: For me, I tend to think about how I want to feel that day. I also sometimes I start with my shoes, because I think about my day and what I have to do and how I want to feel. Sometimes, I like, again back to this comfort piece, I start with how I want to feel and then envision what kind of shoes I need to to wear to kind of get through the day. Then, I'll build my outfit around that.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

For journalist and co-founder of Milk Makeup, Zanna Roberts Rassi, there were too many good looks on the 2026 Oscars red carpet to count. “So many standout looks for me,” Roberts Rassi said.

One of Roberts Rassi’s favorites was Sentimental Value star Renate Reinsve’s red Louis Vuitton dress. “It’s a fashion girl's dress,” Roberts Rassi said. “When you saw it just wrap around her body, this one piece of red fabric, I'm inspired.”

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Roberts Rassi breaks down some of her favorite fashion and beauty looks from the night, which designer made the biggest impact this awards season, and more. To read excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

I want to talk about some of the looks. What were some of the standout looks for you?

So many standout looks for me. Some of my favorites without doubt last night, let's start with Renate [Reinsve.] What a smoke show. Literally, my pulse raised when I saw this amazing Louis Vuitton red dress.

Karla Welch actually told me that morning she was like, “Xana, it’s the simplest thing you’re ever gonna see.” It’s a fashion girl's dress. When you saw it just wrap around her body, this one piece of red fabric, I'm inspired. It wasn’t a classic Oscars look, but for me, it was by far one of the best dressed.

Emma Stone. That’s the dress I want to be buried in, I think. Or if I ever got married again (not that I’m planning on it, dear husband), it will be the one.

It shimmered in just the right way. It looks so casual and effortless, but there was literally, I don’t know, 600 hours of work that went into that beautiful little cat sleeve.

The other one that I got excited about was Teyana Taylor, who I feel like has had the most fun for this awards season.

She has had this incredible run, and we’ve seen her do absolutely everything. She has been fashion’s overachiever. She was what Coleman Domingo was to us last season. She’s just gone at it, won every fashion battle, one fashion battle after another.

Last night was the perfect combination of all of the events. It was kind of tame for Teyana [Taylor]. I suppose it was Teyana [Taylor] doing Oscars. The Chanel number, the black-and-white beading, and then the feathers.

You are also the co-founder of Milk Makeup, so we have to talk about beauty, too. Was there anything that you really loved last night?

There was a couple of very Milk Makeup–esque skin moments. We’re all about less is more, less, but better. Your skin, but better. That glassy skin we saw quite a lot of. Emma Stone. She just looked like she had the whole Hydro Grip family on. She had that beautiful, glassy skin with that blurry lip.

Then you have Zoe Saldaña, who was another kind of Milk Makeup girlie with just that glassy skin, no-makeup makeup.

As you look back on this award season, what are some of the biggest trends that you notice, whether it’s silhouettes or colors or accessories or anything really?

I’d say overall silhouettes are sculptural. There’s a lot more sculptural. We’re seeing a lot more architecture. Red carpets have been leaning into these more powerful shapes and these dramatic silhouettes, rather than the safe gowns you mentioned before. Less of the mermaid, more of these cool shapes.

Louis Vuitton have led the charge with that with these futuristic shapes. You see Chase [Infiniti], you see Teyana Taylor. It’s been incredible.

I’m wondering if there was a designer, a brand, or a house that made the biggest impact, in your opinion, for this red carpet season? And who do you think is just warming up?

Zac Posen is just warming up. I think the fact that he hit this red carpet season so hard with some of the youngest stars in Hollywood.

Matthieu Blazy, of course. Chanel was so well represented and so fun to see in this new iteration. I mean the colors. We’ve never seen that kind of color. We’ve never seen this clover green that Rose [Bryne] wore, the orange that Teyana [Taylor] wore. It’s really exciting to see.

People run towards the house to dress for a red carpet event. Louis Vuitton, I mean, Nicolas [Ghesquière], you can’t go wrong. Just the futurism, the architecture, these incredible silhouettes, and they’re just unique.

We don’t see enough of them on carpets, and I’m just really excited to see more of it in the future.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

For celebrity stylist Petra Flannery, dressing celebrities goes beyond film premieres. "There are so many things these days beyond just film when I started, which was the focus," Flannery said. "Now, everybody's got their series and TV, and that's all so exciting because it just keeps everybody busy and keeps my world busy." Flannery's world is very busy when she's dressing the likes of Emma Stone, Claire Danes, and Zoe Saldaña, to name a few.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Flannery shares the inspiration behind some of her clients' most iconic looks, the difference between preparing a celebrity for a global press tour versus just one appearance, and more.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Talk to me about award season. What is it like? How do you orient yourself in such a crazy moment in time?

That's true. There are so many things these days beyond just film when I started, which was the focus. Now, everybody's got their series and TV, and that's all so exciting because it just keeps everybody busy and keeps my world busy.

I have Emma Stone attending everything this year because she's, once again, a very talented, beautiful actress … nominated across the board. Zoe Saldaña—extraordinary—will be coming back to pass on the torch, so to speak, to the Best Supporting Actress this year for the Oscars. Then I have Claire Danes. She was nominated for a Globe and then nominated for the Actor Awards.

I want to talk a little bit about Emma Stone, who is obviously a longtime client of yours. I still, to this day, think about that peachy, backless Calvin Klein gown that you put her in back in… I think [it] was the Globes in 2011, if memory serves. Talk to me about that look. Did you know that you were going to make such a stir?

I knew I loved the color. I loved the sketch, and I loved the color, and it was Calvin [Klein]. It felt fresh. She was blonde. It's interesting finding the right color for things, right? That felt effortless, like a T-shirt dress. I knew I loved it, but I didn't know how it was going to be received. And it was received so well. I think it really put her on the map—even with Vogue. I remember … the next issue of Vogue had a full-page spread on it. I think that's right when Anna Wintour and the fashion department there [were] really recognizing her as like, "Oh, here's somebody that's really wearing it well." Obviously, it takes somebody like Emma [Stone] to bring it across. I just do one part of it, but she takes it home.

I also want to talk about Zoe Saldaña because she is incredible. You guys have done such phenomenal work together over the years. "Only" having a presentation at the Oscars and a global tour, is this a little bit easier? Does it feel like the same level of pressure when you have a global tour going on?

With award season, I'm always very heightened about all the dresses and doing a good job. It's such a big stage, [so] I do really put a lot of effort into it, making sure that everybody feels their best and looks their best. It's a little bit of a lighter year with Zoe [Saldaña] because she's just going to be coming back and passing the torch on.

Talk to me about the [Avatar: Fire and Ash] premiere. That was about as high of a slit as a dress can handle. How do you do that? Also, can you tell me a little bit about the Cartier jewels? Because they were kind of ridiculous.

Yeah, they were spectacular. The stones were the perfect color because they brought in a little hint of the bow. The dress, yes, it's funny. The dress had a little … striped hot pant with it [on the runway], but we got the dress sans hot pants. We tried it on without. We were like, "Wow, it's really high, but actually, it's quite beautiful, you know?" Then we thought, "Well, why don't we try the sheer hose with it?" Which is very Saint Laurent. Very Anthony Vaccarello.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Youtube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For makeup artist and groomer Tasha Reiko Brown, she got her start working in a different type of artistic medium: graffiti. "I started in art, doing graffiti," Brown said. "The biggest canvas, the freest canvas, and it was just that time in New York. It was fun. It was creative."

Eventually, the canvases started getting smaller until Brown started doing makeup. "I think it just sort of came to me," Brown said. "Because of my background, it was just very, very organic transfer just to sort of switch canvases." Since she made that switch, Brown has gone on to work with everyone from Tracee Ellis Ross to Michael B. Jordan.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Brown shares how she got her start, the products she can't live without, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

I want to talk about your incredible career and your incredible clients and all of the work that you do, but before we get into all of that, can we start by talking a little bit about how you got your start in beauty and what you were up to before that? A little birdie told me it was something quite interesting.

It was something quite interesting. It was New York. New York was always interesting back in those times when New York is still interesting, but it was more interesting back then.

I started in art, doing graffiti. The biggest canvas, the freest canvas, and it was just that time in New York. It was fun. It was creative. You can do it in the middle of the night. It was after the club when you still had all of that energy going. Me and friends, we would work on a piece. We'd climb up the thing, go to the rooftop, work on a piece all night long.

At what point did you start to think like, "Oh, I'm actually interested in sort of the beauty side of things"? Art on a smaller canvas, if you will.

Art on a smaller canvas. Well, I moved from the larger canvases because I got too old to keep ducking and dodging police when they would catch you doing that. I eventually moved to smaller canvases and acrylic.

Faces came along, through, I think it was just organic… I don't think I found it, or was looking for something else to do. In my mind, I was going to keep doing my canvases. I was going to show in galleries. It was going to be just this artist, bohemian. Like inside my warehouse, throwing paint everywhere, a type of existence.

I think it just sort of came to me. Because of my background, it was just a very, very organic transfer just to sort of switch canvases. The canvases kept getting smaller and more intimate.

For our folks at home, who are maybe not in a red carpet situation, but they know they're going to be photographed, what are any tips or tricks? What should we know when doing our makeup at home?

I think you should look at what you don't like. What didn't you like about the last time you were photographed? You looked a little washed out? We need to do a little bronzer. We need to do a little blush. And more than we think, right?

Look at what you don't like and then just correct those things. I don't think you need to go out and purchase a whole new beauty wardrobe. Most likely, the things that you need are the things that you have. It's just applying them correctly or applying them to maximum effect.

So look at what you don't like and then just do little tweaks and you'll get there.

Do you have any predictions for 2026, whether that's products or techniques or styles or anything that you think is going to be big in 2026?

I think multiples are going to be big in 2026. Like a lip and cheek. I see a lot of oil stains that I think are beautiful. That I feel like brands are expanding and doing a lot of lip, because stains typically wear more of that dryer, matte texture.

Now it's like a stain that has a glossiness to it. I love multiples because I love a coordination happening. You don't have to sort of try to mix and match too much. You can get a lot done with a little bit of product.

Every year, where skin is going cleaner, cleaner, cleaner, the best version of you with not a lot of product. Obviously, that makes me really, really happy.

What are some of your absolutely can't miss products? Your desert island products?

Solution 10 by Chanel. It doesn't matter if you just did a peel, a laser. It only has 10 ingredients. I can use it on someone. I don't really know their skin. I know it's not going to react at all. It's just going to give me hydration.

Another Chanel, the Baume Essentiel. It's the glowy—it's like painting with light, even if heavy isn't my aesthetic, but sometimes the skin demands it. It's a cheat code. You just kind of put it over the face.

Because powder isn't the last thing you see, it's that glow. It's that light hitting it. The eye is just tricked, and it's like, "Oh, there's nothing there." So it kind of makes everything heavy look light, and it makes everything light look angelic.

I love these Morphe pencils. Probably $8 or $9. They're lip liners, but they have five different shades of brown, and a good brown lip liner is really, really hard to find.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Youtube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Celebrity stylist and creative consultant Karla Welch is always looking for that lightning in a bottle when it comes to styling clients like Renate Reinsve and Tessa Thompson. "I'm always looking for the thunderbolt, the idea, and that's how I kind of approach every bit of styling," Welch says.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Welch walks through some of the iconic red carpet looks she's styled, how she thinks about dressing clients for the Oscars, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

How do you feel about this season? Does it feel different than previous seasons? How do you feel about having yet another client nominated for an Oscar?

I love Renate [Reinsve]. We've worked together since Worst Person in the World, one of the best movies of all time, and we just have an incredible way of working together. I love award season. The first week back was stressful. I was like, "What are we doing? What am I doing with my life?"

I was back to work on the first, and then I think in that first week, we did 30 looks between the two gals, Tessa [Thompson] and Renate [Reinsve], who were both nominated for [Golden] Globes, and Amy Poehler, of course, who was also nominated and won a [Golden] Globe. It felt like a lot, but it felt like a lot for everybody.

So Oscars are coming up. Nominations just came out. Obviously, knowing you, you've been thinking about this for a while. What is the direction you're considering? What can you tell me that doesn't tell me anything, but tells me something?

Well, I have two directions. I actually thought I already had the dress kind of done in my mind as a sketch. I'm always looking for the thunderbolt, the idea, and that's how I kind of approach every bit of styling.

I always say I'm conjuring a muse. I was just driving the other day, and I had an idea, at Cannes, of how I wanted her to look at the end. Then I just veered away from it, and then I was like, "No, no, fuck it. I'm right," so that's what we're gonna do.

Can we talk about Tessa Thompson most recently at the Golden Globes in an incredible custom Balenciaga?

[Tessa Thompson] wore one of his first dresses at The Academy Gala. The little yellow strapless with all the little daisies on it.

Tessa and I just started working together, even though we had known each other for years. So it was quite a thrill. I was like, "You know, I would really love it if you [Pierpaolo Piccioli] would give me one of the new looks. I want you to meet her, and I just know you'll love each other." [Pierpaolo] was like, "Yeah, I trust you. Go for it."

When you ask PR, some of the PR people are like, "Here's this dress." And I'm like, "That's not the dress I want." So again, it's the relentlessness. I try to do it in a very nice way. I was like, "I really think she's gonna get a Globe nomination, and will you guys make her a dress?" This dress came together really kind of, not last-minute, but quickly.

[Pierpaolo] was like, "Carla, this is the dress I'm gonna make." Because we hadn't come up with the decision or the color. And he's like, "And this is the color."

And you're talking to the colorist of the world. Like, he's the master. It's like, snake skin. And every single one of those little [beads] is all lined with metal. Little, tiny metal beads. And then on Friday night, it finally arrived, and we zipped it up, and then we were done.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Jewelry designer and cookbook author Jennifer Fisher, she was obsessed with fashion at an early age. "I was always taking clothing from Santa Barbara vintage stores and adding things to them," Fisher said.

After graduating from USC's Marshall School of Business, Fisher got her start interning at places like L.A. Style Magazine and quickly realized that she wanted to be on the editorial side of the fashion industry. "I was on the publishing side, and I was like, 'This is not what I want to be doing. Crunching numbers on ad spend.' Like, 'No, I want to be on the other side with the beautiful dresses and all this stuff,'" Fisher said.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Fisher shares how she went from working as a celebrity stylist to becoming a two-time nominee for CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year with her jewelry business. Along the way, Fisher shares some of her closet must-haves, how she made that leap, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Take me back, for those that might not know, to where it all started when you first started your career in styling.

I grew up in Santa Barbara, California. In Montecito. I was starved for fashion. I would have my parents drive me down to Melrose Avenue so I could buy the pointy, witchy boots.

I was always taking clothing from Santa Barbara vintage stores and adding things to them. I wanted a Vogue magazine subscription when I was younger, so much so that when my parents sold our house to Jane Seymour—which is kind of random—she asked to keep the Vogue wallpaper in the bedroom. I've always been into fashion, my whole life. I went to USC's Marshall School of Business.

Studied business marketing, which some people know, some people don't. I went to USC, and then I thought I wanted to be the publisher of Vogue magazine or something like that. Then I would get internships. I had an internship at L.A. Style Magazine, and I'd watched the racks of clothing going by on the editorial side.

I was on the publishing side, and I was like, "This is not what I want to be doing. Crunching numbers on ad spend." Like, "No, I want to be on the other side with the beautiful dresses and all this stuff."

I went into styling. One of my friends worked at Propaganda Films. Back in the day, it was like when Michael Bay was there, and Antoine Fuqua, and all of these major movie directors now were doing commercials. I started working for one of the directors there without any experience. I became a commercial wardrobe stylist.

I want to talk fashion. Everyone wants to know what you're wearing, what you're buying. What do you care about right this second? What are you wearing? What are you buying?

I'm obsessed with these Destree little jacket tops, because you look structured and it cinches your waist in, but it doesn't feel constricted.

You and I are always carrying our The Row bags. I just got Peggy. Peggy doesn't hold as much as I'd like. I can actually fit more into my Row Bindle bag than I can into Peggy, which almost even my small 90s bag fits more.

I wear big shoes a lot. I wear boots more than I wear heels. Even out at night—like in events and things—I'm kind of more of a boot girl than I am like a sandal, heel girl.

There's a pair of the burgundy pointed toe. The heel is a little low for me, but I'm going to go to Saint Laurent to go try them on just to kind of see.

You have a great sunglasses. What's your favorite pair of sunglasses right now that you have?

The new Saint Laurent ones that I have that look a little more Audrey Hepburn. I have been wearing them all the time, and they're amazing. They're a little bit more round. They feel a little more Audrey Hepburn. They're very cool.

Then I also love an aviator. I'm a big aviator girl. I wear the Saint Laurent aviators that are wireframed. That are oversize. Those are my favorite work sunglasses. I love to wear sunglasses all day long.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For fashion writer and designer Jane Herman, denim is in her DNA. "I grew up in jeans," Herman says. "That's the best way to put it." For decades, Herman's father, Ron, owned some of the most influential retail stores in Los Angeles. "Denim and jeans were a really big part of the stores," Herman says. "There was the famous jean bar, which was in the men's department downstairs that sold all the latest and the greatest from Europe and the U.S."

After spending summers working at the jean bar, Herman went on to work as a fashion editor on the creative teams at places like Gap and Theory, among others. In 2013, Herman co-founded JeanStories.com, a website dedicated to all things denim. In 2020, she founded her own made-in-L.A. clothing company, The Only Jane. Just two years later, she brought all of her denim knowledge to Substack, where she writes her popular newsletter, Jane on Jeans.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Herman shares how she got her start in the fashion industry, the five pairs of jeans she thinks everyone should own, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, keep scrolling.

You've often said that denim is in your blood. Can you explain that a little bit for our audience?

I grew up in jeans. That's the best way to put it. My dad is Ron Herman. He owned for decades, some of LA's most influential retail stores. Denim and jeans were a really big part of the stores.

There was the famous jean bar, which was in the men's department downstairs, that sold all the latest and the greatest from Europe and the U.S. My dad loved jeans and really instilled in me a deep appreciation for, not just the way they look and the way they feel and the way they fit, but also what they mean and their role in culture and style and pop culture.

In high school, I would work in the stores in the summertime. I started in back stock. Over the years and over the summers, I slowly graduated to working in that very jean bar, where I learned so much.

It was the early 2000s. Premium denim was just starting. I became really familiar with all the brands that were the big players then, like Earl and Paper Denim & Cloth.

Everyone was wearing Diesel, and a really important part of my fashion education was just working behind the bar and helping people find jeans that made them feel good.

In addition to your own brand, what are some of the other denim pieces that you're obsessed with right now that feel very current?

I love bootcut jeans right now. I really love wearing boots. They just make me sit differently. They make me walk differently. My stride gets longer.

The bootcuts that I love—and this is one of the better-sellers that I've seen—is the Buck Mason Roper, which is a really good interpretation of the Levi's 517, and it's got a high waist and a gorgeous wash.

The other jean that I really love right now is from a new brand called Ossou, which is based out of New York. They have a jean called the Noon, and it's just a really classic high-rise, straight, slightly tapered leg jean. Looks a little bit like the Valentino jean that came down the runway from spring '26. It has that kind of taper that you wear it a little longer. It's a very clean wash. They've put a lot of thought into their hardware, and that jean, I think, is really special.

I see a lot of people buying Levi's still. Levi's makes a really great 90s 501 in selvedge denim that is a little pricier than the non-selvedge, but it's a great, great jean. If you don't know what to buy, but you want a pair of jeans, just start there.

If you were building a capsule jean wardrobe for someone, what styles do you think that they should own?

You need a high-rise straight-leg jean of some kind. Something that is the archetype of a pair of jeans. When you close your eyes, you think of a five-pocket jean in its most classic form. Not too complicated wash, but that's just clean and a very good foundation for almost anything.

Then you need a really relaxed fit that you can do errands in. That's maybe a barrel for a lot of people. Could be a slouchy or wide-leg style. Could be something that just is loose and that you could actually sit and read a book in.

I think it's very good to have a black jean in your closet. I personally like my black jeans to have some stretch. They often make very good night jeans. Whatever you're gonna wear at night with your people out. It should fit the body somewhere. If it's a wide-leg style, then I like to see a really clean top block, meaning it's fitted in the waist. It's nice in the butt. It's not hanging off of you in any kind of way.

Then I think it's a good idea to have a summery jean in your wardrobe, which is something that's very light-washed, maybe has a frayed edge. I don't like my jeans to have unfinished hems, except for in the summer.

It's a jean that you wear in the summer that's really lightweight, and that you wear with sandals and that has holes in it. You don't have to worry about being cold with holes in your jeans.

The last pair of jeans I think you can have is something a little bit more playful that has some kind of embellishment or quirk to it.

I have a pair of Stella McCartney jeans—I'm actually wearing them right now—they have these corduroy inserts, and so they're slightly bell. They're very like hippieish. The corduroy is navy and super luscious and boffed, and that the denim is really soft and they're just fun. They're different. I think it's nice to have a jean in your closet that isn't just denim.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Celebrity medical aesthetic provider Vanessa Lee got her start in the beauty world as a nurse. "I never wanted to be a nurse, but I'm Filipino American, first generation. My mom was like, 'You want to go to school for art?' And I was like, 'Yes,'" Lee said. "She was like, 'Wrong answer. We're going to nursing school.'" After working as a cosmetic nurse for a decade, Lee founded the beauty concept bar The Things We Do in 2018.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Lee shares how she got her start, the treatments she's most excited about this year, and more. For excerpts from our interview with her, scroll below.

Can you share a little bit about how you got your start in beauty and skincare and really what your expertise is?

I started The Things We Do in 2018, … but before that, I had been working as a cosmetic nurse or aesthetic nurse injector for 10 years. I never wanted to be a nurse, but I'm Filipino American, first generation. My mom was like, "You want to go to school for art?" And I was like, "Yes." She was like, "Wrong answer. We're going to nursing school." I was like, "You know what? Let's just do this. I can do art on the side and maybe after like a year or two I can ditch the nursing thing and go full-time with writing and creating and all of that stuff."

Ended up doing the nursing route. [I was] working at a plastic surgery office when I first started but was working in their minimally invasive wing. This was back in 2008, 2009, where the business that it is now is not what it was back then.

Our industry, minimally invasive aesthetics, has really only been around for about 20 to 25 years. I've been in it for about 17 years. Everything was just starting to happen, and it was so exciting.

I just started at a place where they were like, "Listen, we can pay you really cheap because you have no experience? We're going to teach you a bunch of things." Some of it was really awesome. Some of it was kind of scary.

As soon as I had my legs underneath me, I was like, "You know what? I'm going to start saying no to some of these things, because I really want to make sure that, at the heart of things, I am a patient advocate."

Talk to me about some of the newer market offerings or some of the things that you really believe in that maybe are not as widespread that you are an early adopter for?

[In] 2018, when we opened, our number one sought-after treatment was PRFM, which stands for platelet-rich fibrin matrix. [It is] a growth factor and the next-generation treatment of what we can do with PRP. It helps thicken and rejuvenate the skin without adding any kind of unwanted fullness or shaping of the face. That's not what we're going for. We're going for skin health.

As you look ahead to 2026, are there any things, whether it's from skincare or procedures, that you think will gain traction in the new year?

I think we're looking to the East right now in terms of what they're leading with—with Olive Young coming in, with everyone going to Korea, with all of the science and innovation that we take so long with here in the U.S. Because we're held back with restrictions meant to keep us safe and also it's a political game at the same time, we're looking to the East to lead.

There are a few things ingredient-wise that I think are really exciting. Have you heard of volufiline?

Yes, because I'm a nerd, but tell me more about it.

Volufiline is a plant-based ingredient that works on adipose proliferation. What that means is the fat cells that you have in a certain area become slightly more robust and respond to the volufiline topical that you're placing on. Right now, I think there are a couple of companies here in the U.S. that have incorporated volufiline, but I think we're going to see a lot more of it next year.

I also think that we're going to see a lot more of prebiotics and probiotics for skin because we have been trying to acid-wash the skin so much for so long. I think things like alpha glucan oligosaccharides—prebiotics for skin that allow the healthy fauna and bacteria be able to flourish—and also things that kill the harmful bacteria are one of those things that are inexpensive and … accessible to everyone, and we just have to look to different ingredients to protect the barrier as much as possible.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Spoiler alert: Peplum is back.

Well, that's according to Joseph Tang, Holt Renfrew's women's and men's fashion director. "I'm kind of over these puffy-sleeve tops that we've been seeing so much of," Tang says. "I think the peplum with a very sophisticated, clean neckline is really great. It's so flattering." For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Tang shares how he got his start in fashion, the coat he thinks everyone should own, and more.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

For those who don't know, you are the fashion director at Holt Renfrew. Everyone should know what Holt Renfrew is, but please give us the lowdown in case people aren't aware.

Holt Renfrew is a luxury retailer here in Canada. It is the epicenter of fashion. It is the store that has everything you want and more if you are intrigued in luxury fashion, if you love beauty, if you love lifestyle. We are situated in all the major cities in Canada. We've got stores in Vancouver, Calgary, three here in Toronto—where I'm based out of—and one in Montreal. Fun fact: Holt Renfrew's legacy and the brand has actually been around longer than Canada's been a country.

Many of us use the new year as a time to clean out our closets, refresh our wardrobes. I'm going to give you a category, and you tell me what style you would recommend investing in for this year. Outerwear.

For outerwear, I am saying to everybody you need to invest in a beautiful wool coat. It could be double-faced cashmere if you're fancy, but a double-breasted wool coat will get you so far in terms of really completing your look as long as it's tailored really well.

New pair of jeans.

I'm really, really into raw-denim jeans. I don't want to say wide leg. It's like a relaxed, looser fit, high-waisted with a cuff. I think the rolled-up cuff detail is an exciting way to wear your jeans and a cost-saving hack for not having to hem them if you need them to be hemmed.

Okay, going-out top.

This one in the office was a little bit of a controversial topic when I mentioned it in one of our meetings, but the peplum is back. I'm kind of over these puffy-sleeve tops that we've been seeing so much of. I think the peplum with a very sophisticated, clean neckline is really great. It's so flattering.

A pair of work pants.

I would go back with the same fit in your jeans, but I have a two-pronged approach. You can do a high-waisted wool trouser. My ready-to-wear buyers always know that I reference that scene in Maid in Manhattan when Jennifer Lopez is trying on that white Dolce [& Gabbana] suit. Those pants are the perfect pair of pants. They are a really great high-waisted, fitted [silhouette], and then they have a bit of a flare at the bottom. Those are the must-have pants. I go back to those pants all the time because they just fit perfectly.

If you want to be a little bit more casual, a kick-flare, cropped ponte pant pull-on is a very nice way to take it from day to night.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Despite being a descendant of Louis Cartier, Jean Dousset wasn't destined to go into the jewelry business. "By the time I was born, Cartier had been sold out of the family," Dousset said. "I wasn't raised crawling around the stores of Cartier or immersed in the whole epic story of Cartier." However, when an opportunity arose to interview for a job at a famed French jewelry house, Dousset knew it was meant to be. "I just happened, one day, to receive an opportunity to interview for one of the famous French jewelry houses called Chaumet Place Vendôme, the epicenter of jewelry," Dousset said.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Dousset shares how he got his start in the jewelry business, why he made the switch to working with lab-grown diamonds, and more.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

You are a descendant of Louis Cartier, so your history of high jewelry obviously precedes you. I know you've never actually worked for Cartier, but I want to give listeners a quick overview of how you found yourself still in the fine jewelry business, where you worked up until you launched your own label.

By the time I was born, Cartier had been sold out of the family. I wasn't raised crawling around the stores of Cartier or immersed in the whole epic story of Cartier. I just was sort of in the background, more storytelling, and I wasn't destined from the get-go [to go] into the jewelry business. Nobody in my family is in the jewelry business in any way, shape, or form.

I just happened, one day, to receive an opportunity to interview for one of the famous French jewelry houses called Chaumet Place Vendôme, the epicenter of jewelry. Then I walked in the space, and I was immediately taken by the grandeur of the place, its historical dimension, the displays, the gemstones. That was the start of my career.

You did make this pivotal shift a few years ago to fully transitioning into lab-grown diamonds. Can you give our listeners a quick rundown about why you decided to make that transition?

I consider myself a traditionalist. I've been in this industry, like I said, 30 years, and until lab-grown diamonds came to my attention, all that was available were natural diamonds. I worked with them for the longest time, but I always thought that diamond prices were very high. It forced people to constantly compromise what is supposed to be a really enjoyable moment and purchase in one's life. It had a lot of tension to it.

We were talking about trade-offs instead of spending time talking about what people really want. We were constantly telling people what they could have instead of what they really wanted to have. The first time I saw lab-grown diamonds, it was really a tech product invented by people in tech. The real diamond industry was not yet involved.

Fast-forward a couple years, then I started seeing lab-grown diamonds cut like the best-looking diamonds I've seen and looked for my entire life. They were also certified by the foremost authority in diamond grading, which was GIA. Now, the value proposition is so different that lab-grown diamonds, to me, became irresistible.

For listeners who aren't looking for an engagement ring but want a piece of fine jewelry—maybe it's their first big jewelry purchase or [they] want to add to their collection—what would you recommend them buying that will never go out of style? Whether it's a specific type of bracelet, earring, necklace, what are you thinking?

I like to call it women's jewelry essentials. What are these pieces that you should buy if you can? [A] tennis bracelet. Looks good that you can dress it up or down. A pair of studs should be probably the first thing that you buy, and [lab grown] also gives you an opportunity to have a decent size, beautiful quality, frames your face perfect. Pendant. Very basic. You're not taking any risks. You can wear it all the time, and then from there, you can build up. I would say jewelry essentials would be my recommendation.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

In the latest episode, Editor in Chief Kat Collings sits down with Associate Director of Special Projects Kristen Nichols to unpack the 2025 Luxury Report, her annual summary of where where luxury fashion is headed now and what's coming next. You can't talk about luxury fashion in 2025 without mentioning the unprecedented shake-ups at legacy houses—we're talking about more than 20 creative-director swaps!

Kristen and Kat discuss the new energy and anticipation around luxury fashion, the resurgence of preppy staples, the It items defining fashion right now, consumer shopping patterns, and how celebrity influence is shaping brands today. Basically, as prices of these goods rise, there's more emphasis on heritage, storytelling, and artistry, reframing what luxury truly will mean in 2026 and beyond.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

What would you say are the top houses that had the biggest response and people were most excited about?

One of the first designers to make their debut this year was Michael Rider at Celine. He came from Ralph Lauren, and I think that was ahead of a lot of the director debuts. It presented a new take on preppy style that really translated to some of the big trends we saw and [the] ways people were dressing this year.

Jonathan Anderson at Dior was a very exciting moment. It was just interesting to see how he reframed a lot of the archival references that are so iconic at Dior but then really brought his new vision to them in a way that connects with a new audience but also the existing audience at Dior.

What about one or two others?

Louise Trotter at Bottega was also one of the big moments in Milan. A lot of the people we've been talking about are men who are taking over at these fashion houses, so I think there was a lot of excitement and support behind her leading a really big brand. That was also one of the more challenging brands to take over because Bottega was already so loved.

The most anticipated moment throughout the whole year was Matthieu Blazy at Chanel. It was interesting even that it was an evening show versus a day show, and the set felt so different in this dark environment that was lit up with this truly new universe of Chanel with all of the planets and everything. The moment that stands out the most is the finale look with the rainbow skirt where the model and Matthieu embrace at the end, and it was just this moment of joy and optimism.

Are there any celebrity pop culture moments that you can point to that have had a big influence on luxury trends?

Gen Z is really setting the tone for this new wave of people in fashion. Jacob Elordi works with Cartier and Bottega, and I think he can truly wear anything and make it look cool. He wears Bottega bags almost every time he's photographed. He has a collection of Cartier watches and the Love Bracelet, and was just shot by Sofia Coppola for their recent campaign. He's just someone who really is influencing style for that generation, men and women alike.

What are the key buys currently, and how did they gain traction?

The one that collectively was named as an It item for the year was the Chanel 25 bag, and that's one we actually predicted early. What's interesting about that bag that sets it aside from previous-generation It items is this is a bag that first appeared on the runway for the spring 2025 collection, but since it appeared, it has appeared in every collection since.

We're weeks away from 2026. What are some of your luxury fashion predictions?

Gucci and Louis Vuitton announced that they'll be showing their cruise collections in New York, and Dior will be showing theirs in L.A. this spring. I think this is just a really interesting indicator because the cruise collections are very well-known for being in these far-flung, international vacation/holiday destinations.

The fact that they're choosing these domestic U.S. locations shows that there's a lot of interest in the market and making sure they're paying attention to the shoppers that are based here. Just on the business side of things, I think we'll see more of a focus on the U.S. fashion space or local fashion shows.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Every year, Senior Fashion Editor Anna LaPlaca releases her State of Style report, and there was a lot to unpack this year. From new creative director shake-ups at Dior, Chanel, Loewe, Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega (need we continue?) to the end of quiet luxury (gone, but not forgotten), Anna sits down with Editor in Chief Kat Collings to discuss her findings and share her thoughts on what's to come in 2026.

Think of this episode as a quick download of everything you need to know in fashion from this year, and the "why" behind some of the biggest trends, moments, and style news that happened in 2025. For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Let's revisit that rise of quiet luxury. Where is it going, and where are we heading next?

The whole quiet luxury movement really taught us how to build a foundation of our wardrobe, but now what we're seeing is so much more emphasis being placed on showing your personality through your personal style. Opting for pieces and looks that are more expressive and eye-catching.

I don't want to say it's dead completely because I think there's definitely a time and a place for it, but in terms of the "goal aesthetic" that we as fashion people are looking towards, I do think it's waning. We're tired of it. We need joy. We need drama.

If it's not quiet luxury, what is loud luxury?

I've seen so many designers take this idea and do it in their own unique way. The first one that comes to mind is Bottega Veneta... we had Louise Trotter come in. It was her debut as creative director, and she really put [the brand's signature intrecciato], plus even more of these really unique, bold textures, at the forefront. So it was like this intrecciato leather coat that had a white, feathery, almost collar-like necklace just popping out.

Then there were also a number of the looks that had these really bold, like fringy, colorful pieces, but it was made from this recycled fiberglass. They had these, like, full-volume feather skirts and even sequins popped up in this collection, which were shocking, I think, to a lot of us. When I saw that, I was like, "Oh, wow, the tides are really changing."

I feel like maximalism goes hand in hand with color.

I would say, fall 2025, we saw a lot of bright colors start to emerge. And then for spring 2026, it was this explosion… It's been said that in the past, periods of maximalist fashion have been linked to times of financial turmoil. I don't want to say that we're in that right now, but I do think the period of time we're in is maybe just uncertainty and unease. So I'm looking at this new color trend as being a response to that.

The last time we really saw bright color at the forefront of the trend cycle was in the late 2000s, early 2010s, and maybe that was a response to the 2008 financial crisis. Who knows?

Balenciaga had this beautiful feathered skirt and almost like a leather T-shirt, and it was cherry red and the ballet pink together. I feel like it's all about these off-kilter combinations.

I also think we need to talk about the '80s influence right now. What does it say about 2025 that we're seeing things like a cigarette trouser and padded shoulders?

It is kind of exciting to see that there's one major [decade] coming back into play, and it's almost unanimously the '80s. We have to talk about Chloé. It's probably the most obvious of the '80s references, right? I mean, there were these acid-tone florals with big, voluminous shoulders and even the leggings-as-pants of it all. It was on the nose, but so fun, and I'm now excited to see those looks out in the wild.

I want to return to the wave of new creative director debuts we saw for spring 2026. I'm curious which designers seem to be having the most success so far.

You can't have the conversation without speaking about Chanel. This seemed to be the headline of the entire season, just because of the way that [Matthieu Blazy] really took the traditional codes of the house and made it completely his own. That's the exciting one because somebody like me, who isn't necessarily the core shopper, I'm now like, "I might become a Chanel girl now."

One more debut I do want to mention is Rachel Scott of Diotima going to Proenza Schouler. Of course, Rachel's own brand is known for a lot of crochet and handiwork, so her bringing that sensibility to a place like Proenza, with all of its sleek tailoring and sort of menswear coding, I think, is particularly exciting.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For Oscar-, Emmy-, and two-time Tony Award–winning designer, Paul Tazewell, he built on the characters he outfitted in Wicked to showcase their evolution in the sequel, Wicked: For Good. "For Glinda, we realize how she has become kind of a bird in a cage," Tazewell said. "She's become a propagandist figure of good, albeit dressed impeccably in an elegant kind of Hollywood glamour."

When it came to designing the costume for Cynthia Erivo's character, Elphaba, Tazewell took inspiration from the original 1939 character, the Wicked Witch of the West, with a twist. "I've taken that as an idea or as a silhouette, and I've reformed that into one that is more of a power figure," Tazewell said.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Tazewell shares how he designed the costumes for the sequel, where he took inspiration from, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

In Wicked: For Good, you were building off of the characters in the universe that you had already outfitted in Wicked. Of course, a lot has changed since then, and Elphaba and Glinda have gone through a bit of a journey and grown quite a bit. How did you start to think about approaching that change and how it would be reflected in their costumes?

When we pick up with Wicked: For Good, we are about a year after leaving them, which is when Elphaba jumps through the window on her broom, with cape and hat in hand, and sings "Defying Gravity." When we open up to Wicked: For Good, we see that she has evolved into this heroic figure. It's represented by a sweeping coat and trousers that we had set up as part of her silhouette in Wicked Part 1, in Shiz.

For Glinda, we realize how she has become kind of a bird in a cage. She's become a propagandist figure of good, albeit dressed impeccably in an elegant kind of Hollywood glamour. You see this high contrast between these two characters that we've left in the first film, and how they then have realized themselves.

That's informed by their choices and how they're living with those consequences as they walk through life or as they fly through life.

Elphaba is perceived as evil, obviously, despite wanting to actually help the people of Oz, and she's wearing all black and her typical witch garb. As you mentioned, her sweeping coat and trousers were supposed to be kind of empowering. I'd love to hear a little bit more about, for you, the design process of striking that balance of representing both who she actually is, but then also how others perceive her.

I would say that the strongest point of view that's in operation is how the silhouette that I put Elphaba in for Wicked: For Good is reflective or nostalgic of the original Wicked Witch of the West from the 1939 film.

That archetype is what we kind of popularly hold onto as our idea of what a witch is. I've taken that as an idea or as a silhouette, and I've reformed that into one that is more of a power figure.

I think that because we've got a coat that has texture, that feels organic, which aligns her with nature and also with the animals that she's advocating for. There's something that is more badass about her look as opposed to just being a turn-of-the-century dress in black. I'm giving her a feeling of empowerment.

The coat is slightly reflective, because it's made out of a waxed linen. It's a fabric that's kind of like a raincoat, which again, thematically, this idea of water and how water is supposed to melt her, just kind of infuses as much as possible the Easter eggs or just themes that carry us back to the original idea of what her story is.

As you said, [Glinda's] kind of like this bird in a cage. Obviously, there's a very calculated sense of perfection to the way that she presents herself and puts herself together. I would love to hear a little bit, too, about what kind of details you used to ensure that her outfits had that almost too perfect sheen to them.

For so many of Glinda's looks, I was tapping into an idea of Hollywood glamour that you see represented in films of Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly. Just the fragile nature of how femininity was presented in that period. Really tapping into what those ideas are within that silhouette. With a sweeping skirt. The tonality of pink and lavender, and blue, and then sparkle.

Those are all qualities that give you this magical sense of beauty, of romanticism, of femininity. That's kind of Glinda's superpower. That's her secret sauce is that she presents a persona that's very enticing for the Ozians. I'm using those silhouettes in a very intentional way in order to create that kind of persona for Ariana Grande as Glinda.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For legendary costume designer and author of The Fashion of Clueless, Mona May, her interest in fashion started at an early age. “I was one of those kids who drew as a little girl,” May said. “I was drawing princesses and many outfits.” Growing up, May lived in many different countries, which had a lasting impact on her. “I think that had a lot of big influence on me. How I kind of process things,” May said. “In the first years of my life, I got to see saris and the beautiful colors, and I really, really loved that.”

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, May shares how she got her start in Los Angeles, what it was like working on Clueless, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, keep scrolling.

I would love to hear a little bit about how you ended up doing costume design and if that was something that you always wanted to do.

I was one of those kids who drew as a little girl. I was drawing princesses and many outfits. As a kid, I grew up in different countries. I was actually born in India, and I lived there until I was three, and then I moved to Poland, and then Germany. I was always kind of surrounded by different cultures.

I think that had a lot of influence on me. How I kind of process things. In the first years of my life, I got to see saris and the beautiful colors, and I really, really loved that. That influence of early childhood, I think, had a really big mark on me.

I was the kid who was drawing, and luckily, my parents really supported it. I got to kind of do art as a kid, and I really wanted to be a fashion designer. That was kind of my dream. So that’s what I pursued. I went to school in Europe and Paris, Milan, and London.

Then I really set my eyes on the States. I kind of was very fascinated by different fashions here. New York was so different. California was so different. I ended up in New York and then California. I went to fashion school here in L.A.

While I was in school, I had friends at USC film school. At one point, they came up to me and said, “Hey, we’re doing this little film. It’s our thesis film. You have clothes, right?” I said, “Sure. Yeah, absolutely. I have clothes. What do you need?” From that moment, I was hooked. It was so interesting to me to actually create characters, personas, to dive into people’s psychology, who they are. It was so much more than fashion.

It’s really cool that that ended up being your path. Obviously, Clueless was a big moment for you.

It was a dream come true in a sense, because it was fashion and film. When Amy wrote the script, we actually met on a different project on the pilot, and we just connected creatively. She was like my creative soulmate, truly. When she wrote Clueless, she called me up. She’s like, “This is the job for you. It has all the elements. It has the colors. I want it to be colorful. I want it to be fun. It has to be fashion-forward. You have to come up with fashion, new fashions that people are not wearing yet.”

So it really was like, “My god,” to work on something that connects two of my loves, you know?

Is it kind of crazy for you to kind of see that something that you guys did on the film now is kind of the way that people are dressing? How is that for you to see that reaction?

I mean, it’s insane. It’s truly insane. You can’t predict anything like this. The feeling is so incredible, because I am half kind of fashion designer in my heart, too. To be able to kind of set trends through the film in a way.

Think of the gym outfit for Cher. The white T-shirt with the black tank top on top. People didn’t wear that. Now you buy it together. You know what I mean? This is in everybody’s wardrobe.

When you watch the movie now—and I’ve seen so many screenings lately—the kids came dressed, and they all are just so still inspired by the fashions.

It’s generational, because you have the moms who watched the movie when they were 15 in the 90s who are now in their 40s, 50s, 60s. Now the young kids and that is so amazing to me, that the fashion kind of stood the test of time. That there is really still inspiration there.

I think that when you watch the film, the fashions are still very wearable. Very kind of current in some ways and timeless. That’s what I’m so proud of in a way. I think it’s something that I have as my point of view. I think that I inject that into all my movies. This kind of timelessness of the Sophia Loren of the ’50s and the Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The black dress.

Those pieces that you know that you can wear them and feel great. The peacoat, the beret. As I said, A-line skirt. Those things that just really are to go-to pieces and put in a way that I think translated over the years in a very well. In a feminine way.

Keep scrolling to buy Mona's book and shop some Clueless-inspired pieces.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For celebrity stylist Enrique Melendez, working with Wednesday star Jenna Ortega has evolved over the years. "Honestly, at the beginning of her career, we kind of followed a blueprint, so to speak," Melendez said. "Zendaya, what she was doing. Selena Gomez, Dove Cameron, Sabrina Carpenter … They all had a show on Disney, and they kind of followed a business model." As Ortega got older, Melendez worked with the actress to transform her style. "As we started spending more and more time together, she started booking different types of roles, and I think we just kind of explored what her actual personal style was and also what she would gravitate to in wearing on red carpets and press," Melendez said.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Melendez shares what it's like styling Ortega's press tours for the hit Netflix show, how styling a red carpet look versus a press junket look differs, and more. Watch the episode here, or to find excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

How did you guys start to figure out what her true style was?

Honestly, at the beginning of her career, we kind of followed a blueprint, so to speak. Zendaya, what she was doing. Selena Gomez, Dove Cameron, Sabrina Carpenter… They all had a show on Disney, and they kind of followed a business model.

I think, as she got older, everything that we were wearing wasn't representative of who she was, as she was obviously discovering herself, and I'm discovering new things about her as we started to work together.

As we started spending more and more time together, she started booking different types of roles, and I think we just kind of explored what her actual personal style was, and also what she would gravitate to in wearing on red carpets and press, and stuff like that.

I think Wednesday was the first time we really had a full-on press tour.

No one knew what a hit [Wednesday] was going to be when you were preparing for press for season one. You very much knew what a hit it was when you were preparing for season two press. What did those conversations look like? What was the strategy like? What was the planning like?

Jenna [Ortega] is like family to me, and I was like, "I just don't want to disappoint her in this first fitting," you know? At the end of the day, I was like, "What are we going to do?" I don't like to bombard her with questions because she was filming another project, and I know she's paying attention to that. I'm like, "We've done the black and the lace and the sheer. I don't want it to be boring when I go into this fitting with her. I want her to feel like something new." Obviously, all of those elements—black and lace and all of those—make sense. I'm like, "There has to be another way to kind of capture the essence of the Tim Burton world."

I just started pulling away anything that kind of inspired me. A week before, I'm about to fly to London to have this large fitting, and she's like, "Hey, what are you thinking for this Wednesday tour?" I'm like, "I love that you reached out because I want to know what you're thinking." She's like, "Well, I just want to feel mature. I don't want to feel like a child. I'm really feeling this '90s world." Just '90s-inspired clothing in her personal closet. I just started doing some major edits. At that point, I was like, "All right, cool. Kate Moss, Christina Ricci, Winona Ryder." And old editorials with them, and they still captured the essence of goth, but in a glam way.

How do you think about the strategy for [when] it's a press look, it's still a major moment, but it's not the red carpet?

I think Jenna [Ortega] put some pretty hard parameters when it comes to that, I think, which I love. I know that when I'm pulling for a smaller press moment that sometimes my crazy ideas don't make sense for this. I really kind of stay in super chic. Again, I go back to her personal style, which is clean lines, simple. That '90s aesthetic. Carolyn Bessette Kennedy kind of. She loves just simple, statement (not even statement) foundational pieces. That's just her vibe.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For Frankenstein costume designer Kate Hawley, meeting Guillermo del Toro while working on a project in New Zealand was meant to be. "He'd basically just looked at all my books, and I had this wonderful collection of horrors," Hawley said. "He just said, 'We can communicate. We understand each other. We have the same books. We can work together.'" And the rest is history.

Since that chance encounter, Hawley has worked with del Toro on everything from Pacific Rim to Crimson Peak. Now, Hawley is collaborating with del Toro again with his take on Frankenstein for Netflix.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Hawley shares what it was like meeting del Toro for the first time, the role color plays in designing the costumes for the film, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

I'd love to hear a little bit about how you guys first connected.

He was in New Zealand, and he was having meetings with Peter Jackson about The Hobbit. Peter [Jackson] had me sort of scuttled in the corridor somewhere. I was sort of like Miss Havisham working there on another project. Peter [Jackson] walked in, and behind him was Guillermo [del Toro]. They just stood around and chatted, and we were talking about work, and Guillermo [del Toro] looked at my bookshelf, and it's one moment that really sat with me.

It wasn't about me showing my work or trying to sort of do a tap dance around that. He'd basically just looked at all my books, and I had this wonderful collection of horrors. He just said, "We can communicate. We understand each other. We have the same books. We can work together." That was the biggest takeaway from that.

Of course, I collapsed in a corner and went, "Oh my God, I've just met my hero." But it was about communication and understanding language.

I think that's been with us the thing that binds all of us with Guillermo [del Toro]—all of us as collaborators that work with him and have had the great fortune and joy to work with him more than once—it's sharing that common language and building on that.

I'd love to hear from your perspective a little bit of the evolution of the color. At first, we see her [Elizabeth] in that kind of bluish green dress. Then in the second scene that we see her and she has the red umbrella and she has the yellow scarf, which I thought was really so striking. When you were adding in these other colors, how did that come about?

It came back to the images of beetles, glass, iridescence, going back to Favrile glass and Louis Comfort Tiffany, but particularly the beetles in that. Because she was ephemeral and represents all these fleeting images of women, it was also about metamorphosis. The colors keep changing.

In fact, one of the fabrics that we developed—which was based on skin cells, blood cells—then became malachite, which we had around. When you enlarge them, they sort of take on sort of beetle-like patterns. It was the same with the little jacket in the cell.

When I looked at how Guillermo [del Toro] and Dan [Laustsen], our wonderful cinematographer, were framing everything, there's these wide shots and then you sort of dive into the closeups and you see that in the creation of the creature himself. There's a huge crucifixion, and then we're right inside the creature.

It felt like we needed to magnify those elements of textures, and that's the same scale that you see on beetles, and that they're actually quite large patterns.

I would love to talk a little bit, too, about her bridal look. I'd love to hear about the design process, specifically for how you landed on this look, and how did you guys decide that this was going to be it?

It's always being aware of what your collaborators are doing. Every week, I'll catch up with Dan [Laustsen]—or daily, even—and with Tamara [Deverell] and her world. I saw what she was doing with Guillermo, developing the cell for the creature, which was like a ribcage.

When we see the creature pick up his first piece of clothing off the forest floor, it's a dead man's coat. He's wearing the memories and the imprint of a dead man essentially on him. It's like a flayed skin.

When we're in the second part of the story, we're seeing the creature's story, and Elizabeth is seeing through his eyes.

She starts to echo the creature in that world. I worked from the inside out, so this dress literally became the skeleton as an exoskeleton and played with traditional historical garments at the time.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Costume designer Negar Ali Kline grew up surrounded by fashion and style. "My parents immigrated to the States in the '70s, and they had a European sensibility," Kline said. "They dressed really well. My grandparents dressed really well."

After spending more than 25 years in the world of costume design and styling, working with the likes of Maya Rudolph and Jessica Lange, Ali Kline knew she had to work on the hit Netflix series Nobody Wants This after reading about it online and requesting the script. "It was so funny, witty. Erin's writing, her banter is just of the time. She just created this world. Each character was so fully realized in the pilot episode. Knew exactly who they were," she said.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Kline shares how she got her start in the industry, how she developed those early mood boards for the show, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Can we talk a little bit about your background and your career and how you fell in love with fashion? How did you land in the very interesting and specific world of costume design?

I fell in love with fashion, well, rather style, right? It was something that I would say I guess I grew up with it in the atmosphere. My parents immigrated to the States in the '70s, and they had a European sensibility. They dressed really well. My grandparents dressed really well.

I'm an only child, and I remember my parents hosting parties where everyone was dressed really glamorously. I mean, this is the '80s, right? You can imagine. Shoulder pads, jewelry. This is like Dynasty. Taffeta. That's what was going on inside my home. I've always been obsessed with pop culture. This was the time of Madonna and Cyndi Lauper, and Prince. Now, looking back, I think this informed me, right?

I never thought to seek a career in fashion. I was going to college, and I started working for Paper Magazine, and I was an assistant to the publisher. This is like the late '90s, and it was just a very cool place to be. These great contributing fashion editors were coming through, and they started asking me to assist them on their shoots. I just kind of fell into that.

Talk to me about working on season 1 of Nobody Wants This. How did you get connected with Erin [Foster], who's the creator? What drew you to the story?

I read about—at the time it was called Shiksa, actually—I read about Nobody Wants This in Deadline. I thought, "Wow, this sounds cool." I was familiar with Erin [Foster], and I reached out. I knew one of the EPs, so I reached out to Olly Obst and asked if I could read the script. He sent it to me.

It was just one of the smartest [scripts]. It was so funny, witty. Erin's writing, her banter is just of the time. She just created this world. Each character was so fully realized in the pilot episode. Knew exactly who they were. I was obsessed, like, I have to do this.

I'm wondering how you approached those initial mood boards when you were in the process, whether it was interviewing for the job or first starting. Were there fashion pieces written into the scripts, or did you have total freedom to pull from whatever people you knew, muses, people you saw on the street, whatever it may be?

The way I approach early mood boards is that I'm trying to convey an approach to the character versus literal outfits, right? Very early on in that first meeting, it just felt like Erin [Foster] and I were naturally aligned in the way that we saw Joanne.

For me, it was really important that she had this versatility in her style. She understands putting herself together in a specific way for the environment that she's gonna find herself in. The way she dresses for a Spotify meeting with executives is different from the way she dresses to go to a basketball game as a WAG versus how she dresses to meet the parents, right?

She can use style as armor. She can use style to garner attention when she wants attention.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For actress Justine Lupe (and Who What Wear cover star,) starting to film season one of the hit Netflix series Nobody Wants This while at the end of her first trimester of pregnancy was perfect timing. "It was divine intervention in a real way, because, yes, I felt like I had mono through my first trimester," Lupe said. "I could not get up. It was so, so tiring. I really lucked out that it started and then I was in that amazing kind of reinvigorating second trimester. Like a Renaissance moment." and

When it came to Lupe's character, Morgan, the costume department tweaked her wardrobe to adjust for Lupe's real-life pregnancy, while still maintaining the character's essence in the clothes.

"They did such a good job of keeping the essence and the character alive in these new outfits that were a little bit more, I guess, conservative, or covered up a little bit more," Lupe said.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Lupe shares what it was like being pregnant while filming the show, how her 2025 Emmys look came to be, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

I want to touch on being pregnant while filming season one of the show. My first question is how? As far as I know, nobody has escaped the first-trimester extreme fatigue. Did you have that? How did you deal?

I actually got the job when I was in my first trimester, and then I started the job right at the end of my first trimester. It was divine intervention in a real way, because, yes, I felt like I had mono through my first trimester.

I could not get up. It was so, so tiring. I really lucked out that it started and then I was in that amazing kind of reinvigorating second trimester. Like a Renaissance moment. You're like, "I can do anything." It was a very different experience than what I was experiencing a month prior. I lucked out.

Let's talk about Morgan, your character's style on the show. I'm curious if there are any outfits that you especially loved wearing or that you feel like the public had a strong reaction to?

I had the most fun with the bomber jackets that I would wear with the little skirts. It was definitely in reaction to my belly growing that they were like, "Let's put a bomber jacket on her," but there's something really cool about a big jacket and legs with tights on them.

I've never done that in my day-to-day life, and now I'm like, "Okay, I'm in." It's cool. Before they knew I was pregnant, they had gone out and they had gotten this huge wardrobe together of all this stuff that I was gonna wear. It was a really clear character that they had built with these outfits. Then I got pregnant—or I was pregnant—and I told them, because I was out of my first trimester and it wasn't as vulnerable a thing to share.

They did such a good job of keeping the essence of the character alive in these new outfits that were a little bit more, I guess, conservative, or covered up a little bit more. Because Morgan, you know, in the first round there was a lot of miniskirts and little tiny tanks that showed my belly, and they did such a good job of keeping that vibe alive.

I wanted to pivot to a fashion moment IRL that you had recently, the Emmys. You wore a Carolina Herrera dress by Wes Gordon, and I want to know how you picked it; how it came to life.

I saw a picture of it on the runway. Rebecca Ramsey, my stylist, sent me a picture of it a while ago, right after it went down the runway. I had the same exact reaction that you had. I was like, "Oh, wow. That is gorgeous." Then I sent it to my publicists, and they were also like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, holy smokes, that's beautiful." It didn't really come back around. It was on our radar. When the Emmys came up, we were like, "Well, what about asking about this?" Like, could we see if we could get it? It feels like a champagne glass of an outfit. It's so fancy and happy and celebratory and sexy. When they said that they were gonna send it, I was over the moon. So excited.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Change was certainly afoot during S/S 2026 Fashion Month. Who What Wear's associate director, special projects, Kristen Nichols, noted that this season really was unprecedented.

"I think this is kind of an unprecedented season where we have 15 plus—I've lost count—new creative directors taking the helm at the biggest fashion houses across the industry," Nichols said. "It's really this big moment of change."

Lauren Eggertsen, Who What Wear's editorial director, agreed that there have been some real shakeups in the industry. "I think this season we saw a lot of polarizing opinions about certain debuts or collections, and I think that's very exciting and to me means that there's real change happening," Eggertsen said.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, shopping director Bobby Schuessler sits down with our editors to share their biggest takeaways from Fashion Month, the trends they predict we'll see in stores this spring, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Were there any personal favorite shows or collections that each of you saw?

Kristen Nichols: I think this is kind of an unprecedented season where we have 15 plus—I've lost count—new creative directors taking the helm at the biggest fashion houses across the industry. It's really this big moment of change.

Looking back to New York, we started out with Ralph Lauren being one of the big shows to start out the season.

I thought it was just a really powerful jumping-off point to kind of consider a designer who has been at the helm of his house for almost six decades and has really refined his vision.

Now, especially just coming off of Milan, we're starting to see a lot of the young and new designers, and kind of what's taking shape there.

I think the juxtaposition of those two has been really interesting to watch unfold.

In New York, some of my favorite collections were Altuzarra and Khaite, and Tory Burch. In London, I loved Burberry and Simone Rocha, and DeLara.

Lauren Eggertsen: So much happened in Milan, and I feel like something I took away from it and being there and the buzz that was there is that I feel like people were having really good conversations about these debuts again and just collections in general, whereas I feel like in the past things have recently just been they are what they are and there's not much to talk about.

I think this season we saw a lot of polarizing opinions about certain debuts or collections, and I think that's very exciting and to me means that there's real change happening.

Prada, always, I'm a huge fan. Have to talk about it first. I feel like this is one where people either loved it or hated it.

I really loved it. I feel like the brand is always one step ahead of everyone else and is kind of the brand to beat in terms of setting this new standard every season.

Prada is always about juxtaposition and finding innovation that is kind of just blows your mind in a lot of ways, truly thinking outside of the box. That's exactly what we saw with this collection, in particular.

They did workwear shirts paired with lady bags, satin opera gloves, Frankenstein skirts (as our senior fashion editor, Eliza Huber, called them in her review).

It was kind of like these skirts spliced together with things like lace, pleated fabrics, and bustling.

Versace, I could talk about it forever. This debut collection from Dario Vitale was quite polarizing, as well. I think it's exactly what the brand needed.

We saw a lot of emphasis on wearability and practicality in New York. Lots of great styling moments also, but any key trends that you saw between New York and London?

KN: I think I'll also weigh in on Milan, because I feel like, as Lauren mentioned, that is kind of where we start to see trends really form. Week after week, things kind of build upon one another.

I think the first one I've been talking a lot about this recently is kind of this prep bourgeois trend, which I really kind of first noticed at the Celine show for Michael Rider's debut back in July.

It just stood out to me as something that was very different and unique. I think we're starting to see other brands weave elements of this in their collections as well.

At Tory Burch, we saw a lot of polo tops paired with midi skirts, pumps, and belts.

Then in London, I noticed some similar looks at Toga, which was an editor favorite at fashion week.

There were these great polos and Oxford shirts tucked into mini skirts and these kind of unnecessary belts that were a fun styling element.

Even at Prada in Milan, we saw some elements of this kind of sporty preppy, even though the overall collection felt a little more ladylike.

Based on some of the trends you spotted, everything we've been discussing, are there any very specific key pieces that we think are going to be everywhere come spring?

KN: I think we'll see a lot more of these preppy '80s, '90s pieces come into play. A lot more color. On top of that, outside of the trend, I think spring 2026 will be the time to buy your next bag.

With so many designers coming into new houses, there's obviously such a strong push for them to create their first major hero bag. I think designers are really focused on that.

At Gucci, there was this kind of slouchy take on the classic Jackie bag that I know Lauren [Eggertsen] posted about, and I saw all over my feed. It already seems to be the bag people are wanting to order.

LE: I think that Gucci bag is gonna be huge for sure.

No one's done a take that really challenges the exact structure of the Jackie in a while. It was definitely talked about a lot at the re-see, and I was just trying to overhear people's conversations.

I think it was another one that was a bit polarizing in a way. People either were obsessed with it or they were like, "Why are we doing this?" I think it's great because I think the Jackie is always going to be iconic.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

It's one of the most wonderful times of the year: the Who What Wear 100.

From the splurges to invest in this season to the shoes you need to make room for in your closet, twice a year, the Who What Wear team breaks down the best of the best—across all of the major categories.

When it comes to the items that senior fashion editor Eliza Huber recommends you invest in for fall, she's prioritizing modern classics with a twist.

"For this guide, we really focused on pieces that will feel super relevant and fresh this time of year," Huber said.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Editor in Chief Kat Collings sits down with Huber and associate fashion editor Nikki Chwatt to share the items to invest in this season, their favorite trends for fall, and more.

To read excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

I think of fall as a time that you invest in those one or two splurge items more than any other time of year. If you've been saving up for that one new fall piece, something you'll wear for years to come, what are you recommending we buy?

Eliza Huber: I like to think of investment pieces this time of year as modern twists on classic items.

Obviously, you want the item that you're spending a lot of money on to be timeless and last forever and be able to be worn all the time.

For this guide, we really focused on pieces that will feel super relevant and fresh this time of year.

One of those items is a pair of navy-and-black Chanel ballet flats in patent leather.

I feel like everyone has or wants the tan-and-black combo, but navy-and-black is so cool right now and such a fun clashing color combo.

The same goes for the Cartier Tank.

I feel like a lot of people have the silver version on a metal bracelet—which is gorgeous and classic, timeless—but a lot of people right now are kind of wanting to buy the golds.

One fun way to make it feel extra 2025 and extra fall is to buy it on a cognac croc leather band. Really chic, a little bit different, so you're not having the same watch as everyone.

Nikki Chwatt: For designer bags right now, we're loving Bottega's new bucket version of its Andiamo bag. It's a really nice investment piece for the fall. It just came out. It just hit the stores.

It has a soft leather outer and then there's an inner divider. It's made from the brand's signature weave.

It comes in black and fondant, which is Bottega's rich brown hue, but we're really loving the burgundy shade.

It looks very luxe and expensive.

Where should we be looking to buy some key shoe styles for fall?

Huber: We kind of thought of this as a capsule wardrobe for shoes.

We have everything from boots of various heights to low-profile sneakers to shearling-lined flats.

One pair of shoes that's really fun are these Khaite Britt clogs.

They are a sandal, but I think they're a very autumnal sandal.

There are a lot of fun ways to style them, and you can score really similar styles at Zara, or there's even a Dr. Scholl's pair that I saw people on TikTok talking about.

Then there's this It-girl brand that started last year in 2024. It's called Jude. All of their shoes are so cute.

They have this great slit peep toe, which is very in right now.

Finally, the Adidas Tokyo is such a cool sneaker right now.

It's really the second coming of the Samba, and like the Samba, I think it'll for years be popular because new colorways are always coming out and people can get excited about the next one that they maybe can't get their hands on and then another color comes out that they want.

What do you think is going to be the top fall trend of the year?

Huber: I'm really into plaid. I feel like there was the black trouser with the plaid tied around the waist that's actually a belt at Kallmeyer and they just came out.

I think styling-wise, there are super-interesting ways to wear it, so I'm excited to play around.

Chwatt: I'm betting on indigo jeans. I've been seeing them everywhere already ahead of fall, and I just love the uniform appeal and sophisticated vibe that the dark wash exudes

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Pamela Love didn't always love jewelry. "In the beginning, I really didn't like jewelry at all. My mother was a big jewelry person, but it was very basic jewelry," Love said. As she became a teenager, her mindset shifted, and she began making jewelry out of anything she could find.

"I was making jewelry out of found objects and kind of finding clever ways to adorn myself," Love said. "Maybe as an act of rebellion against what I thought was the cookie-cutter idea of what jewelry is." Eventually, Love founded her eponymous line of jewelry in 2007, and the rest is history.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Love shares how she got her start, what she thinks of some of her most iconic styles, whether you really can mix metals, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Tell us a bit about how you fell in love with jewelry?

In the beginning, I really didn't like jewelry at all. My mother was a big jewelry person, but it was very basic jewelry. Diamond tennis bracelets are classic, but also just diamonds. The bigger they look, the better. Whether it was real or faux, it was all a very classic prong set something or other. I just kind of felt it was a little bit boring and formulaic. I was like, "I'm not into jewelry. I'm not a jewelry person." As I got a little older—a little older being maybe 14 or 15—I started exploring making jewelry out of anything I could find.

I was making jewelry out of found objects and kind of finding clever ways to adorn myself. Maybe as an act of rebellion against what I thought was the cookie-cutter idea of what jewelry is. Obviously, fast forward,I love diamonds and I love working with fine materials, but as a tween and a teen, I fell in love with the idea of making jewelry and adorning myself in ways that were subversive or different and very hands-on.

I don't know if there was one point in which I totally fell in love or if it happened slowly over the years to the point where, when I was coming out of college, I was a totally jewelry-obsessed person.

I have to share that I had the five-spike ear jacket style. To me, I was like, "These earrings are sensational." It was my whole personality for a very, very long time. I want to hear about this earring. Do you think of that as one of your iconic styles?

Yes, and it was a top seller for a very long time. It was a fun piece. The way it came to be was actually quite funny. We used to make this necklace that was like a carved skull. We had a turquoise one, a jade one, and a carnelian.

At the bottom was this little kind of spike. When you are making large amounts of something, you don't cast just one; you make a casting tree. That means the mold had six or eight of them that would be cast at one time. One day, I was looking at them as they came out of the casting, and they came out all attached, and then you clip them, and then you attach the jump ring and attach it to the necklace. I was like, "Hmm, this thing makes an interesting earring, and maybe it'll be good behind the ear." We used to say it in our off-slot, "jewelry happens." It was a "jewelry happens" moment. It ended up being a really popular style.

You have a super-wide range of beautiful pieces, and I feel like your brand is a great one where someone can really find something that speaks to their personality or point of view. I'm curious which styles have kind of risen to the top or are most popular?

In 2020, we launched a piercing line. So, a new category. It's earrings, but they're typically with a threaded back or a pushback, so that you can be pierced with them, along with huggies and clickers that are smaller scale. That line has become an enormous part of the business.

Even our store in Brooklyn, we offer piercing, and that's a very popular service. I would say the piercing collection definitely has really grown and is a big part of the business. As well as our engagement ring collection, which is more bespoke, so it gives me the opportunity to work more closely with a lot of our clients.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

There's no shortage of inspiration at New York Fashion Week. As the presentations and runway shows are wrapping up in the city, a recap is necessary to break down all the trends, boots-on-the-ground observations, and which designers really delivered standout collections true to their vision.

Who What Wear's shopping director, Bobby Schuessler, sat down with senior fashion editor Eliza Huber and senior fashion and social editor Tara Gonzalez for all their thoughts on the spring/summer 2026 shows of New York Fashion Week. Hot off the heels of the Tory Burch show, here, they chat through the buzziest moments, their personal favorite collections, and of course, the trends and styling hacks they spotted on and off the runways.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

We wanted to do this in real time. You just came from the Tory Burch show, so let's talk about everything.

Eliza Huber: Tory is always a huge standout for me. I feel like when I get the invite every season, it's like a little high, because I know that I'm going to want to buy, right? My collection of Tory is getting a little scary. [The runway show] was held at this beautiful old bank that I actually used to shop at in my first year when I moved to New York, when they used to do the Brooklyn Flea there. There was this turquoise funnel-neck, knee-length trench coat paired with brown trousers. That was such a color combo that I used to be scared of. Now, I'm excited to try it out. That's definitely coming home with me.

Speaking of trench coats, we've seen them all week. Different iterations: long, cropped, and now you're saying knee-length. What do you think is the trench coat vibe for spring 2026? I still like a longline one, but maybe it's knee-length?

EH: There are certain items you only need one of. A trench coat? I think I have 12. At COS they had this little cropped, almost cape-like one that's so chic and a mushroomy color. Then you can have a super-long, double-breasted trench coat. Then you can have a more Row-esque baggy one. There was a really pretty one like that at Tibi.

Tara, what was your favorite show that you saw this week?

Tara Gonzalez: A highlight for me is always Sandy Liang, which is very obvious, but I'm such a Sandy girl. We're also both from Queens, so I feel like that's why I connect so much to her clothing. She made funky little patterns with a little cute bunny, and then she had this really fun white lace skirt that looked like a little curtain, which was so cute. There were sandals with huge, oversized buttons on them, and it was just so fun, so playful, really different for her, but still felt like part of her universe.

Is there another show that really had a strong point of view? Where you felt immersed in the experience, and immersed in the brand?

EH: I feel like Rachel Comey is like that. The clothes change, and they're modern, and they adapt, but the Rachel Comey girl and world stay really consistent and true to itself. A lot of brands can be influenced by trends, and just like what's going on in the world, Rachel just knows what her clients and her shoppers want and what she likes and never really strays from that.

TG: I would say Susan Alexandra and Rachel Antonoff. It was a dog show for anyone who doesn't know, so the models are wearing Rachel Antonoff clothing, and they're carrying Susan Alexandra bags, and the dogs are all available for adoption, and they have Susan Alexandra leashes. The show is just such a joy, such a delight. There are actors and actresses from SNL and other sitcoms and movies. Dylan O'Brien was in the show, and Chris Fleming was the host.

Were there any collections that surprised you?

EH: I really wanted to see what Rachel Scott would do with Proenza. With a brand that has been around for a long time under the same leadership, you just never know what someone new is going to do. I feel like [her first collection] perfectly merged what she does best and what the house codes are. I love how Proenza has always been this brand that could do really bright, vibrant colors and patterns, but do it in such a sophisticated, wearable, clean, elegant way. And I feel like she put her own twist on that, but kept that DNA really strong.

Were there one or two key trends that you saw throughout the week?

EH: The long pendant necklace is one of those trends where it's really nice because we're already wearing it, but it's evolving. But you don't need to always be buying something new every single season. I feel like the trend cycle can be so quick, so it's nice to almost see something be like a through line through different seasons.

TG: First it was the skirts over the pants, and now I feel like it's the apron. [Eckhaus Latta] had this really amazing look: There was like this long pair of pants, and then, it was like an apron that was like this beautiful pale yellow color that was tied around the side. It was flowing in a way, but it was very much apron.

What's your one standout moment from New York Fashion Week?

EH: I have a standout look! It's this Khaite look, and it's just simple and done really well. It was this tiny, little cropped khaki-colored jacket with short sleeves. Very shrunken, but tailored really beautifully with a dark wash, rigid denim, knee-length skirt that had this folded up hemline.

TG: I had a sentimental moment, which has to do with my outfit today. So this dress is a Moschino dress that Jenna Rink wore in 13 Going on 30. It's the final dress that she wears when she's putting together the yearbook, where you're just emotional, and she gets the job, and then she marries Mark Ruffalo, and it all happens for her. She's a fashion editor, and now I'm a fashion editor. We're obviously so tired because we've been running around all day, but I feel so lucky to get to do this, especially with amazing people like you guys. When I put this on, I was like, "Wow, if little me had known that one day you're going to be just like Jenna Rink and you're gonna wear that dress…" It's really cool.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

For the hair-and-makeup team behind the Netflix hit series Wednesday, achieving that ghostlike look on the characters is an art. To achieve those perfect dark under-eye circles, Nirvana Jalalvand's pro tip is not applying any product under Jenna Ortega's eyes. "I literally just don't put any product under her eye, and then I just bring the base color up to where her under-eye is, and it creates that illusion of shadow," Jalalvand said. "Once you get rid of the warmth and the skin tone, then it really allows the bluey tones under her eyes to pop out."

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock sits down with Jalalvand and the other Wednesday hair-and-makeup masterminds—Francesco Pegoretti and Lynn Johnston—to discuss their go-to products they used on set, how they drew inspiration from the original black-and-white run of The Addams Family, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Were there any standout staple products that you loved using this season?

Nirvana Jalalvand: The Pat McGrath foundation was incredible. Also, the Pat McGrath under-eye powder. I actually just used that all over [Jenna Ortega's] skin, and it just gave this really beautiful "airbrushed finish" quality to her skin, which I thought worked really well.

Lynn Johnston: We did use a lot of MAC products. We used some Charlotte Tilbury products, Sculpted by Aimee, Glossier, Armani Luminous Silk, of course. Then on the special-effects side, we used some of the Bluebird palettes on the skin, illustrator palettes. The Embryolisse moisturizer is great for just breaking up any makeup if it's a bit cakey during the day. It's great for pulling it back and then working on top of again.

Francesco Pegoretti: I like a lot—Maria Nila and Oribe. For example, for the gala, when we have something structured, I like this brand Blix for hair spray.

Obviously, the Addams family is known for this pallor to their skin. It's slightly ghostlike. How are you achieving that look, and what complexion products are you using?

NJ: That Pat McGrath foundation I was telling you about … worked really well because you can layer that really nicely. Jenna obviously has gorgeous Latino skin, but we still want her to have that goth, ghostly look like you were saying. What I have always done to find her Wednesday shade is I look at the lightest part of her complexion, and I match to that to give an overall hue of slight fairness.

I am very impressed with the dark circles. The characters who have the dark circles, they're so natural looking. How do you create such realistic-looking dark circles on these characters?

NJ: For Jenna, because hers is a lot more subtle … I literally just don't put any product under her eye, and then I just bring the base color up to where her under-eye is, and it creates that illusion of shadow. Once you get rid of the warmth and the skin tone, then it really allows the bluey tones under her eyes to pop out.

Jenna loves it when they're popping out. Sometimes, if she was well rested, she'd be like, "Oh, I look too well rested today."

LJ: For some of the guys, we used either tones in the MAC Pro Palette that are very lacking in warmth, or sometimes, it might be the Ben Nye matte foundation. It just depended on who it was going on to and what their own skin color was. Anything that's very thick or heavy, we tended to mix it with the MAC Pro makeup mixer to try and thin it out. Sometimes, there would be more than one color used so it doesn't look so blocky. It looks more like something that's real.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

As summer winds down, it's time to put away those summer dresses and micro shorts to make room for coats and sheer tights, just in time for the leaves to change. With fall just around the corner, the Who What Wear team is breaking down the biggest trends we'll see this season. As Who What Wear's associate director of special projects, Kristen Nichols, notes, there's been a resurgence of faux and upcycled fur.

"It's actually kind of a surprising one, because we haven't seen that sense of like furry and faux fur on the runways in quite some time," Nichols said. "It was kind of shocking, but it made a big impact."

Who What Wear's associate shopping editor, Audry Hiaoui, is predicting that preppy style will be back, as well. "I feel like that's always a little bit of my personal style anyway, but I'm excited to be seeing the polo dresses and polo shirts and things like that coming back, too," Hiaoui said.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, our editors share their favorite fall runway trends, the items they are adding to their closets in the coming months, and more. For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Give us a little overview of the trends that we saw on the fall-winter runways this past spring?

Kristen Nichols: There were so many great trends. One of the most talked about trends on the runways was this resurgence of faux fur and upcycled fur.

We saw these really plush outerwear pieces at Altuzarra, right off the bat at New York Fashion Week. Then, at Milan Fashion Week, there were these really incredible coats at Prada that had these beautiful faux-fur collars. Then, Miuccia [Prada] continued that at Miu Miu with these really incredible stoles.

We just saw these furry elements in almost every iteration, whether it was the full coat or an accessory, so I think that will be a really key trend for fall. It's actually kind of a surprising one, because we haven't seen that sense of like furry and faux fur on the runways in quite some time. It was kind of shocking, but it made a big impact. Another one of the biggest trends was this focus on really feminine fashion codes. To bring it back to Miuccia [Prada] again. In Miuccia Prada's show notes at Prada, she posed the question, "What does femininity mean today?"

I think that was on the mind of a lot of designers, and they were kind of reinterpreting how women are dressing today and maybe how women dressed in the past, and kind of bringing those together. We saw these kinds of almost nostalgic nods to femininity, but brought into the modern time in modern ways. There were lots of slip dresses, bullet bras, car coats, voluminous bows, and a lot of satin.

I think the brands that really showcased this in the strongest sense were Prada, Schiaparelli, Fendi, Miu Miu, and Givenchy, just to name a few. I think that'll make a big impact on how people will be getting dressed this fall.

I want to jump back to the trend you mentioned: femininity. Are we starting to see this trend trickle into the market already early September? What are you seeing?

KN: We've definitely seen this since last year, actually. I think we've seen the rise of the kind of satin and lace slip skirt, which has been huge. I've been a big fan myself, and that's starting to evolve into other iterations.

Of course, like the Dôen shorts were the shorts you couldn't get in your cart even if you wanted to, because they sold out like practically immediately, even after they restocked recently.

KN: Then, I think, for fall, we'll see more slip dresses. The Phoebe Philo dress is kind of the one every fashion girl wants in their closet, but there are so many other versions. I think that will continue to be big for fall.

A lot of the other elements of femininity will be big, as well, but I don't see them in the fashion space quite yet. I think we're seeing early signs of it. For example, the satin bullet bra is maybe not the most wearable, but it has already popped up in some editorial shoots.

I think it has street-style written all over it, whether you tap the more editorial bullet bra or maybe just a satin bra layered underneath something. I think we'll see that a lot this season.

Any favorites from what Kristen just mentioned, or in general for you?

Audry Hiaoui: I feel like faux-fur definitely was a big one. I wasn't expecting to love it this much. I think as someone who usually is wearing a black wool coat—obviously very classic, still very necessary for fall—I'm excited to kind of switch up and choose something a little bit more playful and have that in the rotation, too. I definitely will be getting a little faux fur coat to wear this fall. Preppy style was all over the runways, too.

I feel like that's always a little bit of my personal style anyway, but I'm excited to be seeing the polo dresses and polo shirts and things like that coming back, too.

So, we saw a lot of these moodier looks also. You know, black lace, sheer chiffon, leather, Victorian ruffles… If this isn't part of your normal style, but you want to play into this moody look, where should you shop?

AH: One of the things in this style that really stood out to me is the sheer pieces. I think that one of the easiest ways is to get a sheer black skirt. For fall, you can pair that with a black sheer tight and then a turtleneck on top.

I also think that you can do a lot of things with vintage leather pieces. For jackets, I love shopping them on eBay. Some of the search terms that I use are "Wilson's Leather," "Colebrook & Co," and "Jones New York."

Or just search something like "'90s zip front-tie leather jacket." I think that leather and sheer skirts are two really fun ways to kind of engage with those trends.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

When Who What Wear's associate features editor Ana Escalante got engaged, there were a lot of things swirling around in her head. One of those topics was figuring out what she was going to wear on her wedding day.

"As I began this process, which is very personal and very intimate, I found myself so frustrated by the lack of options. I think that the wedding industry, especially if you're plus-size, has a way of making you feel so small," Escalante said. This lack of options sparked a story idea digging into why it took so long for designers to understand the plus-size bride.

"When I kind of began talking and reaching out to other plus-size brides or other plus-size content creators who had recently gotten engaged, I kind of felt that there was this one section of the market that was missing when it came to plus-size bridal," Escalante said.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Escalante shares how the story came together, the criteria she had for designers she met with, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired this story and why you wanted to write it?

Obviously, when I got engaged, there were so many things swirling in my head. Perhaps the most funny of those things was like, "What am I going to wear?" That was always kind of top of mind when I got engaged. As I began this process, which is very personal and very intimate, I found myself so frustrated by the lack of options.

I think that the wedding industry, especially if you're plus-size, has a way of making you feel so small. I think it's almost something that a lot of plus-size fashion people have desensitized about the ready-to-wear industry. We know that a lot of the clothes that we see on the runway aren't gonna come in our size, but you know, for the one wedding dress that we're excited to wear or the dress that we've dreamed about for years, you would think that perhaps that is another facet of the industry that might be somewhat inclusive, but in fact, I found it was very much the opposite.

The story kind of came about from this very personal need. When I kind of began talking and reaching out to other plus-size brides or other plus-size content creators who had recently gotten engaged, I kind of felt that there was this one section of the market that was missing when it came to plus-size bridal. There are so many mass market stores out there that are serving a ton of women in America, whose inventory is really vast when it comes to different sizes. That was one option that a lot of us have.

The other option that we have is to befriend designers or shell out tens of thousands of dollars on a custom-made gown. That's not financially lucrative at all for a lot of us. I felt like there was this sort of, like, demi couture piece that was missing in the bridal industry. I wanted to figure out why that was missing, if there were any designers who were catering to that kind of bride who had a little bit more of an elevated eye or a little bit of a healthier budget, and if they are in the market, where's the marketing behind that? That's kind of how it began.

What were your first steps in tackling this dress journey and the story, specifically, because it already sounds quite overwhelming?

It was a process that I think, in total, was about two months of reporting and going into different bridal boutiques. Even before I reached out to you guys about doing this story, I had already gotten to a handful of appointments and been like, "Wow, there's a lot to unpack here." Before I kind of got really, really deep into the process, I wanted to talk to Alysia Cole, who is this plus-size bridal stylist and content creator. A lot of the content that she does really, again, came about from this personal need and this personal frustration when she was getting engaged back in 2015 due to a lack of samples and the lack of styles available for plus-size brides.

I'm curious what were some of your favorite boutiques that you felt did this really well in terms of your appointment experiences?

When it came to featuring designers who were going to be in the piece, I had a very stringent list of requirements that they had to meet. One of those was that I had to sit down with a designer and interview them, and ask why they are making certain decisions on their sizing. Another part of featuring the designers who were in the piece, I needed to go into the showrooms and actually physically try on the samples.

I could sit down with the designer, and they could be like, "We're working on having a plus-size sample, and we have plus-size brides in the past, but our biggest sample is a size six." That's not gonna work for me. So had to throw them out, as well. Because of that, the two designers that really fit that bill were Alexander Grecco and Jenny Yoo. I cannot say enough how incredibly special and memorable those conversations and experiences were.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

When you're known for creating "the Rachel" haircut, you really don't need an introduction. While Chris McMillan may be known for inventing Jennifer Aniston's iconic haircut, he's venturing out to try something new: launching his first haircare line, Chris McMillan Hair.

McMillan realized that his clients were always asking how they could re-create his signature looks at home. "Every time I do someone's hair in the salon, they're like, "Oh my god, I love my hair. How can I do this myself?" McMillan said. "I just basically created the products that I use and or that I mix, and I created my core products."

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, McMillan tells Who What Wear's senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider how he got his start, why he decided to launch his line, the products he can't live without, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

How did you first become interested in hair, and when did you realize it could be a career path?

I think I've always been drawn to hair. I remember watching my mom do her hair at bath time. I'd be sitting in the bathtub while my mom was doing her hair and makeup to go out.

This is probably like the early '70s, and she would tease her hair, and then you would smooth it out, but I always liked it teased.

I would say, "Leave it like that. It looks really good." Here I am, like four years old, having an opinion on how my mom should wear her hair.

How did you get that training? Were you watching people doing hair? How did you get to where you are today?

It was offered in school as an elective. My 10th-grade summer, my mom was like, "You should go to beauty school." I was like, "They're gay." My mom was like, "Yeah, you should go to beauty school." I was like, "Oh, okay, so I guess we got that conversation out of the way."I just ended up spending the summer going to beauty school—my 10th grade summer.

Then, in 11th grade, I would go to school four periods a day, and then after lunch, go to beauty school. By the time I was a senior in high school, I had completed 1600 hours of beauty school.

I just needed to wait to turn 18, which was November 9, my senior year, and literally November 10, I went to the State Board of Cosmetology in Hollywood, and I took the test and I passed.

I'd love to talk product specifics. Can you walk me through each of the products and how they make your styling routine easier?

I have a drawer at my station, and it's got, like, 50, maybe 60 products in it. I grab seven of those products on a daily basis.

Every time I do someone's hair in the salon, they're like, "Oh my god, I love my hair. How can I do this myself?" So I just basically created the products that I use and or that I mix together, and I created my core products.

In everyone's hair, I use a blow-dry spray, which is sort of like a prep spray that I use. It cuts the blow-dry in half. It takes the frizziness out of the hair.

It adds a lot of shine. It also takes the frizz, keeps the humidity out.

After that, what I do is I put your head upside down after a great blowout, and I'll put a little texture spray. It's a dry shampoo meets a texture spray. It has the properties of a dry shampoo without the powdery residue.

What I do after I do that is I take the balm, which is sort of a paste, and then a serum again. Then, I use that on the ends of the hair, just to kind of take the preciousness out of the ends of the hair and define the layers and define the texture of the ends of the hair.

Then, of course, I use hair spray, because you gotta use hair spray. Because what hairdresser isn't obsessed with hair spray?

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Costume designer Arielle Cooper-Lethem always knew she wanted to work in fashion, even from an early age. "I've always loved clothes—vintage clothes, especially—and kind of knew I wanted to do something in fashion, styling, or design from very small," Cooper-Lethem said. She started working in retail at 14 and eventually landed an internship at W magazine in the accessories closet. "I learned so much. It was amazing, but I kind of quickly realized that fashion was not going to pay enough," she said.

After continuing to work in retail and restaurants, Cooper-Lethem landed her big break when a friend's mom was working as a production accountant on a Disney series. "I got a job dressing extras on this Cinemax series that was set in the '70s, and I just loved it," she said.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Cooper-Lethem sits down with Who What Wear Editorial Director Lauren Eggertsen to share how she went from dressing extras to overseeing the costume design for Lena Dunham's new Netflix series, Too Much.

To read excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

I'd love to hear a little bit about your background and how you got started in fashion and costume design, specifically in your career.

I've always loved clothes—vintage clothes, especially—and kind of knew I wanted to do something in fashion, styling, or design from very small. I started working retail at 14 and got a job in the accessories closet at W Magazine—an internship—my freshman year at NYU. I learned so much. It was amazing, but I kind of quickly realized that fashion was not going to pay enough. That was a very tough realization, because I was like, "What do I do now?"

I kind of had this long period of working retail, working restaurants, feeling lost without clothes, you know, in a creative sense in my life. Then I happened to have a friend's mom who was doing accounting—she's a production accountant—and she was working on a Disney series. She was like, "There are a lot of other productions in this building, and you should come and you should work with me and you should talk to some of the other costume designers in the building."

I did, and I got a job dressing extras on this Cinemax series that was set in the '70s, and I just loved it. It was so much fun. It just felt like I could kind of learn a lot, move through a lot of space really quickly. There's a kind of hierarchy to fashion. A kind of very constant cycle to fashion that I don't know, I guess, just didn't work.

The second I found the film, it was like home. It's like you're just at a new summer camp every time you do a different project, and there's a sort of permanence to it that's really nice.

Can you start from the beginning and tell us how you got connected to Lena Dunham and the project, and just how it all started for you?

I met Lena through a mutual friend. Of course, I had watched Girls. I'm from New York. I guess there was a kind of thing around meeting her, because she was told to me by other people that she was the voice of my generation, right? She never said that, but the world kind of said that. We hung out a bunch of times, and she's just the most lovable person on the face of the planet. Girls has aged better than anything.

I guess at some point her line was, "Oh, you're a New Yorker who moved to London for love," which I did. I married a Brit, and she was like, "You get it." I read the scripts and there was so much costume in the script, which was really fun. I think a lot of what you see on camera just felt really clear from the moment I read these characters.

I know you mentioned that you do have that personal connection, because you moved to London for love. In terms of the costuming for Too Much, what would you say were kind of the key elements for you of things that represented New York style versus London style?

I mean, I'm a New Yorker. New Yorkers have the most swag in the world, obviously. I will say that I think that there's a kind of eccentricity and individuality to London dressing, and also kind of more of a high and low mix, I think that really wanted to capture.

I think there's an underground subculture that's been a bit more preserved than it has in New York. In New York, you can really tell who someone is by looking at them, and it's not necessarily a uniform, but we walk out of the house kind of ready to be out the whole day and prepared to have to go to three different kinds of events, right?

I think Londoners kind of lean into personal dressing a little bit more. It's like, "I'm gonna show up wearing this no matter where I am."

With sourcing, we definitely tried, where possible, to source American costumes in the States and UK costumes in the UK.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Just three years after her acclaimed biography of Anna Wintour, fashion and culture journalist and New York Times best-selling author Amy Odell has a new project: Gwyneth: The Biography, a revealing biography of actress and Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow. Drawing from extensive interviews and meticulous archival research, Odell traces Paltrow’s journey from a '90s fashion icon to a polarizing wellness mogul, offering a nuanced portrait of a cultural figure who has captivated the public for over three decades. In this episode, Odell shares insights into the voices that shaped her narrative and reflects on the one question she would have asked Paltrow if given the opportunity.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Who What Wear co-founder Hillary Kerr sits down with Odell to discuss her latest work, share insights into the voices that shaped her narrative, and reflect on the one question she would have asked Paltrow if given the opportunity.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Your last biography, the incredible, intimate biography of Anna Wintour, was phenomenal as well. Why did you want to focus on Gwyneth Paltrow for this project?

There are not that many people who have had a real cultural impact—and Gwyneth Paltrow—love her or hate her—has had a real cultural impact. She's been in the public eye for 30 years. She's someone who people have been magnetically attracted to and who has also been very, very polarizing.

I interviewed more than 220 sources for the book, from people who worked with her at Goop to people who worked with her on films to friends. I wanted to pull back the curtain on who she really is, because countless glossy magazine profiles have been written about her. And what I learned is that those profiles really only scratch the surface of who she is.

Out of all of things that you uncovered about her early life, what was the most surprising?

I was most intrigued about the general dynamic at Spence, which, I think, informed her character in an important way. Her earlier life was in California, where her parents were working. They had a house in Santa Monica, and she went to a school there where there were a lot more nepo babies, for lack of a better term.

Then, coming to New York and being around the kids at Spence (the nepo babies) was a different experience. They were more so finance nepo babies, big law nepo babies, billionaires, and Grecian princesses (literal princesses from Greece) who would interview figures like Queen Elizabeth for their senior project.

What was the most interesting thing that you uncovered about the Goop empire?

What fascinated me the most is how it is a company where the celebrity founder is both an asset and also a bit more challenging for both the people who work there and perhaps for the CEO. I believe Gwyneth has a lot of strengths as a leader and founder of the business. She was one of the first stars to say, “Hey, why am I using my image to promote other brands like Estee Lauder and American Express (or other brands she had partnerships with)?” She questioned using her image for that when she could use it to start her own brand.

So, she launched Goop in 2008. Thinking back to 2008, social media barely existed as Instagram launched in 2010. And it wasn't necessarily a given that stars, particularly actors, were going to go be on social media and build these online audiences. She was really early in committing to building her business online and starting a newsletter. And in that way, I think she was sort of the original influencer.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Summertime means a few things: Outdoor happy hour, so much sunscreen, and wedding season. While some bridal fashion trends from last year have come and gone, some are here to stay.

According to Who What Wear's associate director of special projects, Kristen Nichols, "last year, some of the biggest trends we saw were a lot of drop waists [and] this return to timeless elegance and also the resurrection of a lot of archival looks, as brides wanted to source these unique, rare vintage pieces."

While this return to elegance has continued into the current season, Nichols is also seeing some newness, specifically around silhouettes. "I think one of the things that made the biggest impact during bridal fashion week, specifically, were these very grand gowns with voluminous skirts," Nichols said.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Nichols and Who What Wear's senior editor, Anna LaPlaca, discuss the latest bridal trends—and which trends are on the way out. Check out the full Wedding Issue here.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Anna LaPlaca: Remind me what we're seeing in terms of bridal fashion trends this time last year, and then I'm curious if those trends have endured or if they've evolved or maybe even disappeared?

Kristen Nichols: I was trying to think back to what we were seeing last year—which feels like so long ago—but we always do a really great annual wedding report, so I revisited it to see what was happening a year ago.

Last year, some of the biggest trends we saw were a lot of drop waists [and] this return to timeless elegance and also the resurrection of a lot of archival looks, as brides wanted to source these unique, rare vintage pieces.

Then we also saw a lot of thoughtful looks for pre-wedding events and after-party looks, as people have started to build out their wedding-weekend wardrobes, more so than just their actual wedding dress.

A bride who did it all was Alex Cooper, who really incorporated elements of all of those trends into her wedding wardrobe.

I actually almost want to avoid using the word trends, because a lot of these are very classic pieces, which is something I think we're seeing evolve in fashion overall, as people really return to this more timeless fashion.

It's especially making an impact in the wedding space.

In terms of trends that have disappeared, I don't know if there's any that are completely out of the fashion space, but there are a few I think that are kind of slowing down.

I think last year was all about these neck scarves. Also, these dramatic floral appliqués, but I think we've seen those slow down a little bit.

Another one in that space that we were kind of picking up on last summer are these chiffon capes, but I'm actually starting to see more and more and more of those, so I think that's something we'll have to keep our eye out for.

AL: What about newer trends? Is there anything that feels especially fresh for this season that you're really excited for?

KN: I think one of the things that made the biggest impact during bridal fashion week, specifically, were these very grand gowns with voluminous skirts that are coming back in a big way.

We saw gowns finished with these giant bubble skirts and basque waists. Really impactful looks. I think it's perhaps a nod to the '80s glamour and lavishness that's also been taking over the runways.

Anthony Vaccarello did this so well at his last runway show with giant bubble skirts that are very editorial but in the wedding space create a very impactful, maximalist moment that can also be very romantic at the same time.

AL: I'm wondering how you see this broader fashion landscape impacting what we're seeing in the bridal space. Is there anything in particular you've noticed?

KN: We really are just seeing this nostalgia sweep the fashion world right now.

In the wedding space, it's specifically this kind of golden age of style and the real celebrity moments or even bridal moments from the 1950s. I think we're seeing this in ready to wear as well.

Whether it's looking back to the '80s at Saint Laurent—even with Jonathan Anderson's first ideas at Dior—there's this sense of looking back to the heyday of American sportswear, which doesn't necessarily translate at all to bridal, but I think overall, we're just seeing the sense of looking back in the nostalgia.

I think we'll see that momentum continue in the bridal space for a while.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Actress, writer, producer, and director Molly Gordon loves being comfortable in what she wears. "I love a big striped button-down, vintage Dior, vintage Ralph Lauren, and a Levi or a legging," Gordon said. In addition to starring in FX's critically acclaimed series The Bear, she co-created the upcoming film Oh, Hi! alongside her friend Sophie Brooks.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Gordon shares some of her favorite moments from season 4 of The Bear, the storylines she'd love to see play out on the show, and the items she gravitates toward in her wardrobe.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

Let's talk a little bit about season 4. How does it feel now that people are getting to experience the ride with your character and come along on the journey?

I feel so lucky to be a part of that show. It's just this odd combination [of] the filmmaker being great, the actors and the experience being really fun, and people liking it. … Getting to work with Ayo [Edebiri] this season was like, "Oh my god, Claire and Sydney finally get to be together. Yes." The wedding was so much fun under the table with the entire cast.

This season [has] this really beautiful scene with Jeremy [Allen White], written by Chris [Storer], where Jeremy and I both got to say these things that I think both of our characters had been waiting to say for a long time, and it felt like this beautiful release. To get to work with someone like Jeremy, who I think is one of our greatest actors…

Do you have any storylines that you would really love to see play out or break or change in some way?

I'm gonna just follow Chris down whatever he wants. I absolutely love Liza [Colón-Zayas]'s character, so [I] just want to follow her more. I love Sarah [Ramos] and Ebon [Moss-Bachrach]'s flirtation that's happening this year. I'd love to see more of that. Just classic yelling in the kitchen. More cooking. I want to manifest Jeremy and Ayo and Ebon screaming at each other.

You have mentioned before that you are a "comfort over everything" girl … and a dresses girl. What are some of your go-to pieces?

I always am wearing a hat because I get sunburned really easily, and I'm shy, and my hair is sometimes dirty. I always have dirty hair, so I'm always hiding it with the hat. This is a Sandy Liang dress. I love her stuff. I love a Ref moment. I love a vintage dress.

I love a big striped button-down, vintage Dior, vintage Ralph Lauren, and a Levi or a legging.

I love a flat. I love Reeboks. Fast fashion is complicated, but I love a Brandy Melville T-shirt. Honestly, I just like vintage. I grew up in L.A. going to the Rose Bowl [Flea Market]. I have a lot of the dresses that I've had since high school.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Being an elite athlete isn't just about your in-game performance. Part of the job includes how you present yourself online, the sponsorship deals you land, and, yes, even what you wear to games. That's where stylists Manny Jay and Brittany Hampton come in.

Jay began his career as an editorial stylist working with actresses and musicians, and he even assisted the legendary costume designer and fashion stylist Patricia Field. Through the power of manifestation, Jay says he was able to make the pivot to working with a top athlete, the WNBA's Skylar Diggins. "Just last year, I started saying to myself, 'I'm going to start doing tunnel walks at the top of the year,'" Jay said. "By the end of the year, that's when I had met Skylar [Diggins], so yeah, I kind of manifested that too."

Hampton got her start in fashion by designing prom dresses while she was still in high school. "There were girls that were in my class that were like, 'Hey, could you design my prom dress?'" Hampton said. "MySpace, at the time, was really big on finding the new, up-and-coming artists, and I had that platform to showcase that I was a designer and made a couple girls' prom dresses, and it kind of went viral." Eventually, Hampton made the transition from designing to styling after moving to Los Angeles.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Jay and Hampton sit down with Who What Wear senior fashion editor Eliza Huber to share how they got their start in the fashion industry, why they decided to work with athletes, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Do you remember when you first realized that you wanted to be a stylist? How did you go about pursuing it as a career and building your portfolio of clients?

Manny Jay: When I first was shopping on my own, my parents gave me the free will to shop when I was like 8 or 9. [They were] just like, "Pick out whatever you want. We're just gonna buy it." That led to me picking out my 'fits and then my sister being like, "Well, I like what you're wearing. How about you pick out my 'fits?" So I started doing that. That led to my mom being like, "Well, you gotta pick out my 'fits too." That was something that I naturally was just doing all the time.

What ended up happening in my life was I ended up getting cancer right after I graduated, which was when I was 19. At that time, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I knew I didn't want to go to college, but I was like, "If I beat this—or when I beat this—I want to pursue something that would be, ideally, a dream." I ended up going into remission. I was about 20 at the time.

I met some friends on MySpace at the time—Coco and Breezy—and we just became really good friends. They were like, "Hey, you know, what you're doing with your friends and what you're doing back home, that's styling. You can get paid for that. That's a career. You should move to New York. I have friends that are making a lot of money doing this and are really fulfilled." I was like, "You know what? That sounds like my calling. I think I'm gonna try to do that."

Coming from a small town like Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that was a big deal. No one really left home. [I moved] to New York and [was] just kind of assisting. Wherever I could work, I was just there. However I could assist, I was there. Brick by brick, I was building something for myself and making connections. I was pretty much manifesting it. I was like, "I'm a big-time stylist" even though I didn't even know I was a stylist till the day I moved to New York.

You started out designing, Brittany. When did that switch happen that you were like, "Okay, we're gonna change this up"?

Brittany Hampton: I've been designing since I was a kid. My chores weren't regular chores. I didn't get to wash dishes. I didn't pull out the vacuum cleaner. My grandmother was always like, "Pick needles out of the carpet." When it came down to me being above age, my grandmother always taught me that if I sketch something, I had to physically sew it, which stopped me from sketching. Eventually, I was like, "I don't want to sketch anymore then."

But I found myself in high school still sketching, and I would find times where you might be not paying attention in class and just doodling away. There were girls that were in my class that were like, "Hey, could you design my prom dress?" MySpace, at the time, was really big on finding the new, up-and-coming artists, and I had that platform to showcase that I was a designer and made a couple girls' prom dresses, and it kind of went viral. I was making dresses for girls in Houston and in L.A.

Going from that and then into styling, I was like, "Let me let this go." I had a brand called Dolls Couture. I started styling. Moving to L.A., I was working for fashion shows, runway shows. L.A. was the closest for me, so it was always easy to be a backstage dresser and then end up leading into styling.

[Manny], you mostly styled musicians up until you met Skylar Diggins. Was that intentional? Now that you've broken into the WNBA, do you see yourself leaning more into sports in the future?

MJ: I am a believer of manifesting. At one point, my manifestations were like, "Oh, I want to work with Disney kids and up-and-coming talent," and I was able to do that. When I got tired of that, I was like, "Oh, I want to do actresses." Then I started getting actresses manifesting that type of work. Then it was musicians, which I really enjoy because I get to be a little bit more creative. That has been the lane that I've been in for the last few years heavy.

Just last year, I started saying to myself, "I'm going to start doing tunnel walks at the top of the year." By the end of the year, that's when I had met Skylar [Diggins], so yeah, I kind of manifested that too. I love it. I think that there's so much opportunity within the sports styling world, and I've come to realize that a lot of brands love athletes as well. That has been fun working with different brands that want to support. I can see myself doing a lot more sports styling too.

[Brittany], you've been a staple in the sports world for a while now in different leagues and different levels, but it seems like women's basketball and the W now, specifically, are your biggest styling markets. What, to you, makes this space so fulfilling and these women so fun to work with?

BH: It's a unique story. I think that we see youth differently, right? I think it's because we've been in their shoes. We know what that age feels like. To be able to identify with who they are and then be able to help mold them into who they're about to become—especially stepping into their power—I think that's been my main stance and why I am the woman that I am in this industry.

I think getting Paige [Bueckers] was one thing and then being with her through her career when she tore her ACL, and she became the comeback kid. … You put your faith in these kids. That really helps define who they are and then who you are to them as their mentor. They like to call me their auntie, and I love that for me.

I've gotten to work with literally any and everyone. I take their perspectives as very unique, but then I try to redefine the younger girls and the rookies and really just be able to help them and lead them into their way.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

BeautyStat CEO Ron Robinson never intended to become a cosmetic chemist. "I had ambitions of becoming a medical doctor," Robinson said. "I had some pressure from my parents to go to med school, and after studying biology and chemistry in college, I actually applied and got into med school and realized it was not for me."

After sending out resumes, Robinson landed an interview with Clinique for an open cosmetic chemist role and was hired on the spot. With over 35 years of experience, Robinson went on to found the innovative skincare line, BeautyStat, in 2009. Most recently, he became the chemist-in-residence at Hailey Bieber's beauty brand, Rhode.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Robinson sat down with Who What Wear beauty director Erin Jahns to share how he got his start in the beauty industry, the products that are worth the hype, and more.

For anyone who might not know what a cosmetic chemist does and how you got started in your career, can you kind of explain that?

A cosmetic chemist is someone who researches, develops, and or formulates beauty products. I've done all of that and have been doing so for the past 35 years. I started as a cosmetic chemist back in 1990, but what's interesting is that was not my initial goal. I had ambitions of becoming a medical doctor. I had some pressure from my parents to go to med school, and after studying biology and chemistry in college, I actually applied and got into med school, and realized it was not for me.

I dropped out, really disappointing my parents. I had to get a job. I was sending out resumes. Back in late '89, early 1990, Clinique, a division of the Estée Lauder companies, called me in for an interview, and they loved my passion, my experience, and my research of chemistry and biology, and they hired me on the spot as a cosmetic chemist. That's how I fell into this industry that I now love.

Were you particularly always interested in skincare? When did you first develop your own skincare routine or realize that that was important?

I had no idea there was this world of science and research around cosmetics and skincare. My earliest memory of me, personally, getting into skincare was… I don't remember… the Biore pore strips?

These were these, like, band aids that you'd put across your nose. You'd let them dry, and then you'd pull them, and it would pull out all of these clogged pores. It was something that provided this visual impact. It was kind of gross, really, when you think about it, but that was my first experience with being able to see some instant, in this case, gratification of cleansing my pores, if you will. That was my first interaction or engagement with beauty before I actually became a cosmetic chemist.

In your opinion, what are some of the buzzy ingredients and products that people really should listen to the hype about and really are worth it?

Certainly vitamin C. Peptides. Another proven gold-standard ingredient. What's exciting is that people are now really listening to experts around sunscreen. They are looking for new and exciting sunscreens that really work well with their skin type and tone. They're also looking at mineral and understanding that there are better mineral sunscreens out there as well.

So I think those are the ones that have all the merit and have all the data to support that, yes, consumers should continue looking for those ingredients and finding those products that will work for them that contain those ingredients.

I know that we talked about vitamin C a little bit, but since you've mentioned peptides, can you go into again what age bracket should maybe start considering peptides and what peptides are doing for your skin that vitamin C isn't doing?

Peptides, they are short chains of amino acids, and there's so many different types of peptides out there. They could be made to do different things—whether that's to hydrate, to repair the skin barrier and hydrate, they can work to provide anti-inflammatory and calming, soothing benefits, or they could address firmness and wrinkles as well.

The ones I recommend for the younger population are those more hydrating, barrier-repair peptides. Even some of the plumping peptides can be great for younger consumers. As you advance and are looking for more anti-aging concerns around wrinkles, expression lines, and that sort of thing, there are other peptides that you could use, as well.

At BeautyStat, we use different types of peptides. We have our new peptide, Wrinkle Relaxing Moisturizer. This is for the Gen X consumer who's looking for wrinkle relaxation. Really an alternative to Botox in a jar, if you will. It's not a replacement. It's just an alternative if a consumer is afraid of needles or is concerned about the cost for going to a derm treatment. We're giving her a nice option that has some great clinical results against smoothing skin.

And our new C Lip Serum, we also have peptides that are working to help plump the lips and help to plump out those expression wrinkles around the lips as well.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

From one editor's tried-and-true hair product to another's go-to dark-spot correcting serum, our team tested hundreds of products across multiple categories to narrow them down to their favorites.

In the hair category, Senior Beauty Editor Jamie Schneider loved Crown Affair's Air Dry Mousse. "I have wavy, curly hair that's dense, but also fine, so I need a very specific hair formula that is going to give me enough hold and definition, but won't weigh my curls down or make them feel crunchy," she says.

A standout product in the skincare category was Brownkind's Dark Spot Corrector, according to associate beauty editor Maya Thomas. "I've been absolutely loving the Brownkind dark spot corrector, because I feel like not only did it brighten my skin immediately, but I started seeing the spots lighten over time," says Thomas.

For a breakdown of some of the products our editors can't stop talking about and an excerpt of the full roundtable discussion from The Who What Wear Podcast, scroll below.

[Let's] dive into hair as our first category to discuss, because we tested shampoos and conditioners and gels and creams and serums and basically everything. I'd love to know everyone's standout products and why.

Jamie Schneider: For me, the Crown Affair Air Dry Mousse is my absolute tried and true. I have wavy, curly hair that's dense, but also fine, so I need a very specific hair formula that is going to give me enough hold and definition, but won't weigh my curls down or make them feel crunchy. This mousse checks every single box.

Maya Thomas: For me, because do do a lot of protective styling, and when I'm not doing protective styles, I wear my hair straight. I really, really love the PATTERN Beauty Breakage Barrier Hair Mask. It's really, really helped me combat my breakage I get from wearing my hair in protective styles as frequently as I do.

I do experience a lot of breakage around the crown of my head, so leaving that in for a bit, my hair feels so much better and looks a lot better, and feels really strong. Whenever I put them back in my knotless braids, they're good to go.

Kaitlyn McLintock: For me, I love the Vegamour Gro+ Advanced Hair Serum.

I have very fine hair, and I actually think I have some traction alopecia from always wearing my hair up in a bun or a ponytail. I have experienced some thinning, mostly around the perimeter of my hairline and the temple area.

I've been using that on and off for about a year now, and I can see actual growth coming in, which is so exciting. I'll see little baby hairs growing back, and I do feel like it's actually helped thicken and add density to my hairline, which is super exciting as someone with very fine hair.

I'm going to move on to skincare, because I think that was the most daunting. Again, would love to hear the products that you all feel like everyone should add to the routine.

Schneider: I think everyone should try the Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Moisturizer. It will make your skin look perfect. I have literally gone through four jars since testing it. It makes my skin look the most dewy it's ever looked and so bouncy. I will say it won best light moisturizer, because it has this gel cream texture that's really airy and just great for warmer weather, but it really is deeply hydrating.

Thomas: Another one I really loved was the Brownkind Dark Spot Corrector. I dealt with hyperpigmentation my entire life, especially after moving to New York. I experienced a lot around my nose, my mouth, and my eyes.

I've been absolutely loving the Brownkind dark spot corrector, because I feel like not only did it brighten my skin immediately, but I started seeing the spots lighten over time. In about three to four weeks, I really started seeing a difference.

McLintock: I'm gonna kind of bounce off Jamie's and recommended moisturizer just because I have never been able to use rich or heavy moisturizers, even though my skin gets dry, and I really need one.

I also am extremely breakout-prone. I go to Sofie Pavitt a lot for her line, in general, because everything that she makes is noncomedogenic and with acne in mind, in order to not break out people. She launched a new moisturizer that is really, really rich, really hydrating, and is the only thing that has never broken my skin out. That's been a huge game changer for me.

Let's get into fragrance. What are your favorites?

Schneider: Amouage Guidance is my go-to for anything. Day, night. Regular day, special occasion. It also lasts a really long time on the skin. One spritz can really take you from day to night, which kind of justifies the price a little bit. I know this one is on the luxury side, but it's incredible.

Thomas: I'm usually not a gourmand girl at all. I love my florals, and I love my musks, and bonus points if it's like a floral musk. Henry Rose Dave actually kind of changed my mind on what a gourmand could be. It's extremely layered. Upon first spritz, you do get those nice kind of vanilla notes, but there's something darker lurking beneath that I really, really love. I feel like it's a grown-up vanilla scent for those of us who are not big on vanilla.

McLintock: I agree with you, Maya. I get kind of a nutty undertone from it. I love that perfume. I wear it all the time. It makes me feel very warm and cozy, which is why I really like it for a winter scent.

I also like pairing it with Torn by Henry Rose, which is another all-time favorite. I got my sister and my mom hooked on Torn, and now we're fighting over my bottle of Dave, so I'm keeping it close to my chest.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Ann Foley never intended to become a costume designer. "I sort of fell into it by accident," she says. "I was majoring in fashion merchandising. I grew up in Georgia, so I went to school at Georgia Southern University."

While in college, Foley went with her boyfriend at the time to a movie set where he was working as a PA. "My boyfriend at the time took me to set. He was a PA on a movie that was shooting in Savannah. I thought, "Oh, my God, this is amazing," Foley says. She then moved to L.A. with $500, and the rest is history.

Since that move, Foley has gone on to work on projects like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Altered Carbon. More recently, she was the costume designer on season 2 of The Last of Us.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Foley shares how she got her start in the entertainment industry, how she started working on The Last of Us, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

How did you get into costume design to begin with, and start this career?

I sort of fell into it by accident. I was majoring in fashion merchandising. I grew up in Georgia, so I went to school at Georgia Southern University.

My boyfriend at the time took me to set. He was a PA on a movie that was shooting in Savannah. I thought, Oh, my God, this is amazing.

Then I saw the costume designer, who was Julie Weiss, who's a legend in our business. I didn't even know costume design was something you could do.

That's when I told my mom, "You know what? I think I'm not gonna go work at The Limited—even though The Limited is great—I'm gonna go to L.A. and try to be a costume designer."

I moved to L.A. with $500 and one phone number, who was Aggie Rogers, who was a family friend. She introduced me to Hope Hannifin, who was her assistant on a previous film, and this was Hope's first movie.

So it was my first movie, it was Hope's first movie, and so we just jumped in together.

Since then, you've obviously spent a ton of your career on some really fun projects in the superhero genre, like Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and She-Hulk for Disney+. I'd love to know what draws you to those types of worlds from a costume design perspective.

It's about world-building, and I really love that. Even back in my assistant design days, when I was working with costume designers like Ellen Mirojnick and Michael Kaplan and Betsy Heimann, and Marlene Stewart, they all were always drawn to world-building projects. I learned so many interesting things from each one of them.

As I started designing, I definitely did find myself in this sci-fi lane, which I'm not gonna lie, I really kind of love.

Then it started into world-building, like with Altered Carbon, which was an amazing design experience.

One of the things I've always loved about television is that it keeps you on your toes, for sure, especially with a show like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., where you're doing 22 episodes a season. Every eight days is a new episode.

And you're prepping one episode as you're shooting another. It becomes this crazy hamster wheel, and it teaches you how to shift and pivot on a dime, how to just move forward and not doubt yourself, and just believe in what you're doing.

Can you tell me about how you got involved with The Last of Us?

I was a huge fan of the show before I even got the call to come in to interview. Sort of like you, I was never into video games. I knew about the show. It was definitely on my radar, but I had just gotten back from Australia on a show, and I had the worst jet lag, so I was up all night. I just binged the entire season in one sitting, and it was just incredible. I was so blown away by the beauty of it and the Joel and Ellie relationship, specifically. When I got the call, I just jumped at it.

What was even more interesting about doing the second season for me was that it was five years later, so I wasn't necessarily tied into what happened in season one.

This was a completely new world that we were gonna get to see, and Ellie is now 19. Instead of a 14-year-old kid, now Ellie is a 19-year-old woman. Even Joel. There's subtle little changes that we got to do with Joel, like something as simple as just tucking his shirt in and presenting himself more like his brother, because he's also a pillar of the community.

We really got to see Jackson this season, and really going into Jackson and meeting that community. This was all stuff that drew me in.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Emilia Wickstead was destined to work in fashion from a young age. Growing up in New Zealand, Wickstead watched as her mother studied to become a pattern maker and eventually a designer. "Every day after school, I would go to her studio or her store and watch her fit in client after client," Wickstead said. "I would fill her pin cushions. I would get to understand from a very early age, sort of what women wanted, essentially."

After launching her eponymous label in 2008, Wickstead has gone on to design ready-to-wear, bridal, home, and more. On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Wickstead shares how her upbringing helped shape her relationship with fashion, the pieces she loves from her latest pre-fall collection, and more.

Scroll below for excerpts from their conversation.

I'd love to start out if you can share a bit about your upbringing and how you first formed your relationship with fashion.

Born and raised in New Zealand, and my mother, she was 24 at the time, she decided to go to tech to study to be a pattern maker and to sew clothing and essentially be a designer. That was the same year that I was born.

That's all I've really ever known. It was always just my mom and I in Auckland. I saw her business grow from its birth, and I got to understand and witness things that became incredibly inspiring without me even realizing it.

Every day after school, I would go to her studio or to her store and watch her fit in client after client. I would fill her pin cushions. I would get to understand from a very early age, sort of what women wanted, essentially.

This was in the glory days of the '90s. Of course, you know, women were incredibly dressed up. From New Zealand, that's a really big thing to say, because New Zealand is quite a casual country.

In those days, I mean, I can still see the outfits now. My mother would have fashion shows at my aunt's house, and everyone would get dressed up, and it was a feast for the eyes, let's say.

I guess that was my first introduction, really, to seeing women in matching jackets and trousers, and dresses for an occasion. That (without me even realizing) was of huge influence.

At what point in your upbringing did you feel like you had found this sense of your own personal style, and then when did you realize that that was something you wanted to translate into your brand?

At Emilia Wickstead, we're dressing discerning women. We have this dedication to quality and beauty above all else.

We have this considered femininity. This precision and structure, but we're also quite experimental, and we design into a world of fantasy, and that's what is incredibly fashion forward about us as a brand.

Interestingly enough, when I was very young, my mother said that it would always be a huge argument over what I would wear—even to nursery—because I would want to dress myself and wear all sorts of layers.

Apparently, I had to have days that were scheduled for when I dress myself and when she would dress me, because I was so passionate about what I would wear and what I wanted to wear, and very forthcoming with those ideas. It was all a little crazy.

Into my early teens, when you start to get a feel of who you are and who you want to be. I had a haircut like a boy. It was two centimeters long. I had flowers in my hair, or I'd dress as a skater girl, and I would only wear men's clothing.

I did all sorts of things and was just very free, I would say. I think that's the beauty of growing up in New Zealand.

I'm quite surprised at how liberal my mother was with me. By the time I was a teenager, she had built quite an outstanding, brilliant brand that when I did move to Milan at 14, I remember arriving with my very short boy haircut and all of a sudden seeing femininity everywhere and sort of thinking, "Oh, my goodness, maybe I'm going to try that out."

No one was casual. Everyone was dressed up. Every day was an occasion.

All of a sudden, I guess I became incredibly fascinated with that and then transformed myself again.

For listeners looking to shop the pieces from the [pre-fall] collection, what are some of the items that you are most excited about, and what can you tell us about the whole world that this collection will embody?

I absolutely love this collection. This was the collection inspired by Rossellini's film Journey to Italy. It's filled with wonderful things that I love.

In particular, I love that we have a beautiful blue gingham story, which is a mixture of painterly gingham lines all in different hues of blue.

There's this beautiful cotton summer dress that I've actually been wearing every day.

Also, there is a favorite jacket and dress in the collection, which is in a single wool crepe and beautiful apple green. It's called the Lizette Jacket and Leontine Dress.

I also love the Collins Dress. There are two of them that are in the green, but to be paired with this little, short, boxy jacket, which has this very strong topstitching and big buttons. It feels very contemporary, but also like I could wear it.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Kathleen Felix-Hager fell into the world of costume design by accident when she joined the costume department on the 1995 film Waterworld. "I was around the film industry growing up," Felix-Hager said. "My stepfather was in the business, so I was familiar with a lot of it, but the ins and outs of a costume department were very new to me, and [I] was able to have the best school ever on that film." Since then, the Emmy-winning costume designer has gone on to work on critically acclaimed films and television projects such as Veep and Hacks.

For the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Felix-Hager shares how she got her start in the entertainment industry, how she landed the job on Hacks, and more.

For excerpts from the conversation, scroll below.

I would love to hear a little bit about what led you to even be here with this show. I've heard you kind of stumbled into costume design by accident. Is that right?

Yes, very much by accident. My first job was on a film called Waterworld in 1994. I was able to join the costume department there and just really was able to learn on the job.

I was around the film industry growing up. My stepfather was in the business, so I was familiar with a lot of it, but the ins and outs of a costume department were very new to me, and [I] was able to have the best school ever on that film. I was so green that I just was like a little sponge, and I just absolutely fell in love.

At what point through that first experience did you realize you really had a knack for costume design and wanted to make it into a full-time career?

I didn't really think about it as a career at that point because it was just so new to me, and I was excited about learning all I could learn. Every job led to another job, and I just really responded to the fact that you could tell a story through costumes. I found that fascinating. I was a big reader as a child. I still am a big reader, so I have a visual way of looking at a script because of that and really just how it can move a story forward. I found [it] fascinating and inspiring, so I just kept plugging along.

How did you end up landing the job on Hacks specifically?

Morgan Sackett, who's [the] producer of Hacks, was the producer on Veep, so I had worked with him previously. He called me up one day, and he said he had a couple of scripts he really wanted me to read [for] this new show starring Jean Smart. I read the first three scripts and had a meeting with Morgan and the showrunners—Lucia [Aniello], Jen [Statsky] and Paul [W. Downs]—and just hit it off. I really responded so strongly to the scripts and the relationship of these two women at two different points in their lives that I really could see Deborah Vance in my head.

It was 2020 when it happened, so it was really smack-dab in the middle of COVID. It was like summer of 2020, and I wasn't even sure how we were going to work through it. To do something exciting, new, and fresh and creative in this very weird time on the planet helped keep me sane in a very tangible way. I'm really grateful for that part of it also.

We have to talk about Deborah's style, which has also evolved from season one to season four in many ways. I believe you based some of Deborah's looks on your grandmother. [Can you] share a little bit about your grandmother's style and some specific reference points from her that helped shape Deborah's whole vibe?

My grandmother's name was Mary, and she was a very flamboyant woman who liked to smoke and drink and listen to jazz. You know, her hair was done. Her makeup was done, nails. Even if she had [on] a sweat suit, it was matching and somehow bedazzled. So she was just slightly over-the-top.

She's no longer with us, but I do have a large collection of her vintage costume jewelry that she collected, so I'd use some of that on Deborah. I think that my grandmother would be very happy to see that. Talking with Jean about Deborah Vance, more is more. We couldn't put enough jewelry, enough pattern, enough color, enough feathers. At the beginning of season one, she was slightly hesitant to some of the things that I had suggested. She would be interested in them, but she would say, "Oh, honey, I can't wear that," and I said, "Well, no one's in here but you and I, so let's just try it on and see what happens." She would put it on, and she'd look at me and say, "Well, you were right." After several of those times, she started to trust me, and I would put things together, and she was sort of like, "That's a lot, but I trust you." We just had fun playing around with the over-the-top-ness of Deborah Vance.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Welcome to The Who What Wear Podcast. Think of it as your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors, and tastemakers who are shaping the fashion-and-beauty world. Subscribe to The Who What Wear Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Before Christos Garkinos became the world's leading livestreamer of all things luxury, he was working at his parents' Greek restaurant in Detroit, Michigan. "I grew up in the restaurant," Garkinos said. "I was four years old on a milk crate, working the register."

After graduating from business school, Garkinos worked corporate jobs at places like Clorox and Disney before landing a role under Richard Branson at Virgin Megastores that changed the course of his career. "That was when I was able to kind of express myself more from a fashion perspective," Garkinos said.

On the latest episode of The Who What Wear Podcast, Garkinos shares how that job at Virgin Megastores changed his life, the items everyone should have in their wardrobe, and more.

For excerpts from their conversation, scroll below.

Take me back to you growing up. What was your relationship to fashion growing up, and did you always know that this is what you wanted to pursue?

I'm a child of Greek immigrants. My parents immigrated in the mid 50s to Detroit. I grew up in the restaurant. I was four years old on a milk crate, working the register. My dad was called "Nick the Greek." He was impossibly good-looking. They would go out every Saturday night, because they were the party kids of Greektown in Detroit, and I'd watch my dad get dressed. He had no formal training. He wasn't even a high-school graduate, and he just knew how to put things together.

I would watch him put together outfits, like a mustard tuxedo jacket with the crazy shirt, his jewelry, his hair. The minute I realized I was going to be in fashion. It's a typical gay boy experience when I'm by myself, on the playground, playing tetherball, which, you know, is the lonely friend game. The ball was going around, I was nine years old, and I heard the clickity clack of a girl's heel, like a high school girl who's probably cutting class. I looked over and I heard those stilettos and I said to myself, "Someday, I'm going to be around that." I didn't know what it meant. Something like a thunderbolt hit me. Then a true thunderbolt did hit me, because the ball came around, smacked me in the eye, and I got a black eye from it.

You go up and you go down, you figure out something, and then it goes down like this. It's been that sort of crazy time for me my whole life.

You started your career in marketing at several very big companies like Clorox, Disney. Tell me about that, and then the pivot to fashion.

I went to business school at Michigan. I went to San Francisco and I worked for Clorox. I showed up on my first day in a seersucker suit, with a yellow tie, thinking, "Chic." They sent me home and said, "No." I was a gray suit for two years. I worked there for two years, and I got into Harvard to go to business school.

Then someone at Disney in 1990 called me. They offered me a job in lieu of going to Harvard, and I took it. I was at Disney during the heyday, from like '90 to '95, and I was sent to Europe to open up all the Disney Stores. I did that for a few years, but my biggest love, other than fashion, is music.

I idolized Richard Branson. I used to love Virgin Megastores, and I would just spend hours there. I was on a really bad blind date in London, and I went to the Virgin Megastore in Piccadilly.

I was flipping through a Billboard magazine before the internet. They ran an ad for that job one time. I found it a month later in London, and two weeks later, I started the job. It was a total kismet. That was when I was able to kind of express myself more from a fashion perspective.

It was a great time, until it wasn't. I went on Fox News in 1999, and they're like, "Hey, Christos. What about Napster? Do you think that's gonna be a threat to the music business?" I'm like, "No, everyone's gonna want to have CDs. What's digital music?" Cut to: I was out of a job a year later. So that was the pivot into fashion.

I always wanted to have a store, and I had started a store in L.A. Then I stumbled into resale. I loved the whole concept of resale and fashion and what it meant.

This is 30 years ago, and Sex and the City was just coming out in the late '90s, and people were kind of understanding bags. There was no internet. I was working with all the best closets in the world and kind of grew into fashion, became kind of this expert in fashion and the idea of resale, which is now the most booming part of our economy.

Let's talk a little bit about products. What are some of the items that have always been in demand and still are?

Every girl—and now I say boy—needs a great clutch. I can get a Chanel clutch; it'll sell 20 times. I'm always on the search for clutches. I think clutches are literally the mainstay of any wardrobe.

Obviously, a little black dress. I call these pieces your best friends in your closet. A little black dress is important.

A cropped denim or leather jacket is super important. Obviously, an accessory, like a great scarf, is important.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.