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Back Row with Amy Odell

Fashion, style, celebrity and culture. Insider knowledge. Outsider honesty. Humor included.

Amy Odell

Harry and Meghan are back in the UK, six years after leaving the royal family. In the first part of Back Row's deep dive into Meghan Markle, Amy and former Us Weekly and Hello! editor Justin Ravitz — who has interviewed Prince Harry and worked with the couple's team — trace Meghan's story from her Los Angeles childhood to the night she met Harry.

Part two is available to Back Row Premium subscribers.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

09:00 Meghan's Los Angeles childhood

12:30 Age 11: taking on Procter & Gamble

16:15 Briefcase No. 24 on Deal or No Deal

22:45 Landing Suits

30:00 The Tig blog and Meghan's Goop dream

35:30 Social climbing and Soho House

43:30 Humanitarian ambitions and meeting Harry



Subscribe to the Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe

Buy The Palace Papers by Tina Brown: https://link.amazon/B02EAsx6X

Follow Back Row: @backrow · Follow Amy: @instamyodell · Follow Justin: @jaydubargh

Edited by Chrissi Harris.

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Meghan Markle Deep Dive, Part One: From Struggling Actress to Meeting Harry

PJ Smith, director of fashion policy for Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society), has spent almost 20 years getting companies from Gucci to Net-a-Porter to go fur-free. 

Now that most top fashion brands have sworn off fur, is wool the next big target for animal welfare activists? PJ talks about why, thanks to LVMH, the fur fight isn't quite over, how he got brands to change their mind about fur, and what's next.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

02:30 Why fur-free NYFW is historic

08:00 How Humane World actually changes brands' minds

18:30 Fur farming down 85% — the numbers

22:30 PETA vs. H&M: the wool protests

25:30 Is wool humane? Mulesing explained

46:30 Exotic skins: the next target

52:00 PJ's biggest lesson after 20 years



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Follow Back Row: @backrow · Follow Amy: @instamyodell

Edited by Chrissi Harris.

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Fur Is Out of Fashion. Is Wool Next?

Superfakes have never been better and counterfeiters have never been smarter — so how can consumers buy secondhand luxury with confidence? 

Sarah Davis started Fashionphile on eBay in 1999, while she was in law school. Resale has exploded since: Her company now employs more than 350 people and authenticates roughly 1,500 luxury bags a day. Sarah reveals how she turned luxury authentication into an almost CIA-like operation, what gives away a fake Birkin bag, and how a $35,000 machine can tell if a Cartier Love bracelet is real or not. 



CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

02:00 Law school, eBay, and the Fashionphile origin story

15:00 A real Chanel, a fake one — can you tell?

21:00 Fake bags bought at real stores

23:30 "Your dupe isn't cute"

26:30 The $75 fee that killed the counterfeits

29:30 The $35,000 machine that catches fake Birkins

44:30 Where resale goes next



Subscribe to the Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe

Follow Back Row: @backrow · Follow Amy: @instamyodell · Follow Sarah: @justsarahdavis · Shop Fashionphile: @fashionphile

Edited by Chrissi Harris.


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Fashionphile's Founder on How to Spot a Superfake Birkin (with Sarah Davis)

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Trend forecaster Sean Monahan coined the "vibe shift" five years ago to describe the unease millennials felt coming out of the pandemic. Of all the terms Monahan has coined — from "normcore" to the "boom boom aesthetic" — the vibe shift may have been the stickiest. He and Amy revisited his predictions from five years ago and discuss what he got right and wrong.

Monahan offers predictions on whether smart glasses will take; where rage bait is heading; the future of "flexing"; where the Met Gala goes from here; and what luxury fashion has to do to recover.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

03:00 The boom boom aesthetic and the '80s that weren't

06:00 Why crypto killed streetwear

08:30 Normcore, and the anxiety behind it

19:00 Did tackiness give way to taste?

24:00 Smart glasses, glassholes and surveillance

38:00 Rage bait and the clipping economy

47:30 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' and Jeff Bezos

1:04:30 How does luxury fashion recover?

📩SUBSCRIBE to the Back Row Newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe

Back Row on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amy_odell

📷 Follow Back Row on Instagram: @backrow
📷 Follow Amy on Instagram: @instamyodell

Follow Sean Monahan
📷 Follow Sean on Instagram: @8ghtb4ll
📩 Read 8Ball: https://www.8ball.report/
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The Trend Forecaster Who Coined "Vibe Shift" on What Comes Next (with Sean Monahan)

Amy Chozick has spent her career writing about polarizing women — she covered Hillary Clinton for The New York Times, profiled Elizabeth Holmes right before prison, followed Stormy Daniels for Vogue, and wrote the widely dissected profile of Lauren Sánchez Bezos. 

Her new novel, With Friends Like You (https://amzn.to/4yjRlvI), follows Emily, a broke new mom in Manhattan, who goes looking for the college friend who vanished — and finds her working as a high-end escort to billionaires. 

To write the book, she researched the world of the ultra-rich obsessively. She also reveals what surprised her about Lauren Sánchez Bezos, discusses the detail everyone rehashed from that profile, and more.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

02:00 A new mother, a missing friend, and a billionaire's escort

4:00 Billionaires' Row and the empty towers

13:00 Covering Hillary Clinton, and what power does to people

17:00 Profiling Lauren Sánchez Bezos

23:00 "They stopped apologizing" — the new rich

30:00 Hillary's suits, Lauren's taped-up Vogue pages

41:00 Is fashion getting tackier?



Subscribe to the Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe

Buy With Friends Like You: A Novel: https://amzn.to/4yjRlvI

Follow Back Row: @backrow  

Follow Amy: @instamyodell 

Follow Amy Chozick: @amychozick

Edited by Chrissi Harris.
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How the Very Rich Really Live, From Billionaires' Row to Lauren Sánchez Bezos

This is a teaser of a paywalled episode. To listen in full, become a paid subscriber of Back Row at: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe. Or sign up in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

In a stunning move, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has cancelled "John Galliano: Horizons," the Costume Institute retrospective planned for May 2027. 

Galliano's biographer and fashion journalist Dana Thomas joined Amy hours after the Met made the announcement. They discuss what this means for fashion, for John Galliano, and for the Met Gala's planner and previously all-powerful architect, Anna Wintour.



CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

00:30 Why Dana wasn't surprised

01:30 When you lose the politicians and the donors

03:00 "Not an aberration" — Dana's New York Times op-ed

05:00 The incidents that never got reported

06:00 The 2019 spa incident

07:30 What the comment sections revealed

11:30 Philippe Virgitti, still waiting for an apology

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Buy Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano: https://amzn.to/4cSeZHw

Edited by Chrissi Harris.
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The Met Cancels the John Galliano Retrospective (with Dana Thomas) [TEASER]

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The September Issue is R.J. Cutler's 2009 documentary about the biggest issue of Vogue ever made up to that point — 843 pages, 13 million copies sold. 

Amy is joined by Kate Casey, host of Reality Life with Kate Casey and a documentary and reality TV expert, to rewatch it seventeen years later. They get into what Anna Wintour really thought of the film, why she and her Vogue team hated Sienna Miller's hair so much, how it all aged, and much more.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

02:00 13 million copies sold — and what's left now

06:00 How Anna and Grace actually met

17:30 The retailers' breakfast, when Vogue set the trends

25:00 "Your girls always look the same" - Anna at her harshest

41:00 Anna at home, and the kids who didn't follow her

48:00 The Sienna Miller cover disaster

1:07:00 843 pages, and the era that ended

📺 SUBSCRIBE to the Back Row Newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe

📷 Follow Back Row on Instagram: @backrow

📷 Follow Amy on Instagram: @instamyodell

Follow Kate Casey

🎙️  Reality Life with Kate Casey: 

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reality-life-with-kate-casey/id1154758766

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7iZzKUbEWAsWVkFRebb9Gu
📷 Follow Kate on Instagram: @katecaseyca

This episode was edited by Chrissi Harris.
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'The September Issue' Rewatch: Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, and the Sienna Miller Hair Crisis (with Kate Casey)

Back Row is on vacation this week, so we're revisiting one of the most popular episodes of the year: a two-parter on Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, in honor of The Row's 20th anniversary.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were on television before they could talk and millionaires before they could read. Former Us Weekly editor-in-chief Dan Wakeford, author of the new ⁠Celebrity Intelligence newsletter⁠, joins Back Row to break down the Full House casting story, the Dual Star empire, the billion-dollar licensing machine, and the NYU years that changed everything.

Part Two — revealing the secrets behind The Row — is available to Premium subscribers. Sign up at ⁠Back Row⁠ (https://www.backrow.net/subscribe) to get newsletter access included with your subscription, or in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

⁠Find Part Two in Apple Podcasts here⁠

⁠Find Part Two in Spotify here⁠

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:40 Dan Wakeford and Celebrity Intelligence

02:47 Why the Olsens are a unique case study

07:50 The Full House casting story

10:07 The reality of child stardom

16:22 How their personalities diverged early

19:49 From pennies to $80,000 an episode

26:27 The home video empire begins

33:28 The billion dollar licensing machine

48:00 Turning 18 and taking control

53:41 NYU and the paparazzi years

57:47 How everything changed


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How Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Built Two Billion-Dollar Empires (Part 1)

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Is everything on social media — even lifestyle content — just rage bait now? New York Magazine features writer Rebecca Jennings joins Amy to unpack her hit Vulture piece on the "influencer recession," when aspirational content no longer works and creators have to come up with "brand-safe rage bait."  What does this mean both for the content landscape but also, for rage itself?

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

02:00 What is the "influencer recession"?

02:45 The clipping economy & fake virality

05:15 Audrey Peters & the $25 DoorDash coffee

10:30 Why the Alo yacht flopped

14:35 Why Birkins are embarrassing now

19:30 The OpenAI influencer farm trip

24:00 Brands manufacturing their own rage bait

30:00 How Substack changed the game

34:30 Is rage bait losing its power?


Read Rebecca's story: The Influencer Recession — https://www.vulture.com/article/influencer-recession-audrey-peters-interview.html


Edited by Chrissi Harris.

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'Matcha, Pilates, Alo' Enters Its Flop Era: Inside the Influencer Recession

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Is fashion in the throes of a total creative collapse? Critic Eugene Rabkin — founder of StyleZeitgeist and author of the new book Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism — joins Amy to make the case. He argues luxury has "devolved into a consumerist spectacle," its lack of ideas papered over by relentless marketing.

They get into the greedflation behind a $140,000 Dior dress, why "craftsmanship" is the industry's greatest con, the Italian sweatshop scandals that never seem to stick, how Bernard Arnault turned the fashion world into the fashion industry — and the death of criticism, and why nobody seems to care.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction

02:30 Fashion's creative collapse: the thesis

08:30 Greedflation & the $140,000 Dior dress

13:00 The craftsmanship con 

15:00 Sweatshop scandals: Dior & Loro Piana's vicuña

23:30 The death of fashion criticism

32:00 Bernard Arnault & how he industrialized fashion

📺 SUBSCRIBE to the Back Row Newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe

📷 Follow Back Row on Instagram: @backrow
📷 Follow Amy on Instagram: @instamyodell

Follow Eugene Rabkin
📷 Follow Eugene on Instagram: @eugenerabkin
📚 Buy the book: Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism

This episode was edited by Chrissi Harris.


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Is Fashion in Total Creative Collapse?

John Galliano is the subject of the Costume Institute's 2027 exhibition and will be celebrated with his very own Met Gala. Galliano's biographer Dana Thomas — author of Gods and Kings, a dual biography about Galliano and Alexander McQueen — joins the show to talk about what this means. Amy and Dana recap Galliano's fall from grace and image rehabilitation — thanks to Anna Wintour. 


This is a free preview. Hear the full conversation — a detailed recap of the controversy, the apology Galliano never made, and Amy's take on whether the Met should honor him — in the full episode in Back Row Premium.


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John Galliano Is Finally Getting a Met Gala. Should He? (Teaser)

"Parisian Heist" author Jo Piazza joins Amy to break down the October 2025 Louvre robbery — the suspects, the mysterious "sponsor," and why  authorities aren't sure the suspects are telling the truth. 

Plus: why museum security is so basic, how art gets used to launder money and fund violent crime, the billionaire families who quietly run the art market, and what a $181 million Jackson Pollock says about the state of art and wealth.

(00:00) Introduction
(02:30) Recap: the Louvre heist, October 19, 2025
(04:30) The Isabella Stewart Gardner heist: $500M, still unsolved
(07:30) The arrests and the mysterious "sponsor" named Joe
(08:30) How basic museum security really is
(13:00) What was stolen: the Napoleonic crown jewels
(16:30) The Wildensteins & how art launders money
(30:00) The $60 billion shadow art market
(31:00) Restoring Empress Eugénie's crown & the French jewelry houses
(38:30) The $181M Pollock & Jerry Saltz's takedown of the art market

Subscribe to the Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe
Buy The Parisian Heist: https://amzn.to/4yLV6ex

Follow Back Row: @backrow · Follow Amy: @instamyodell · Follow Jo: @jopiazzaauthor

Edited by Chrissi Harris.


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The Louvre Heist and Shady Billionaire Art Owners

In this special episode in collaboration with the Power User podcast Amy Odell joins tech journalist Taylor Lorenz to trace the arc of wearable tech — from the abomination that was Google Glass to Snapchat's vending-machine Spectacles and the company's recent $2,000 flop. Also, why Meta's rollout of it's new $299 fashion-first AI glasses, odious as many find them, may end up being a smash hit. 

Follow Taylor's show Power User on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube, and subscribe to her newsletter, UserMag.

Chapters:

00:00  Intro — why everyone's arguing about Meta's glasses

01:36  Turning a camera into a fashion accessory

01:55  Welcome + the "hot surveillance summer" question

02:45  Google Glass and the original abomination

04:16  Snapchat Spectacles, vending machines, and a $130 flop

06:48  GoPro and how sports normalized filming everything

08:55  Ray-Ban Stories (2021) and the "creep" problem

10:57  2025: Oakley Meta and the first AI glasses

11:55  2026: low-profile frames, rhinestones, and AI as the real sell

13:25  The influencer rollout and the decline of fashion media

18:39  Why Kylie Jenner

21:40  How phones already normalized recording everything

24:56  Fashion, plausible deniability, and getting women on board

26:20  Will they actually sell? Meta's copy machine

29:19  The anti-screen crowd may be Meta's best customer

32:14  Beyond glasses: pins, pendants, and camera AirPods

35:29  Who owns the data? Facial recognition and the scary part

37:11  Zuckerberg, Bezos, the Met Gala, and OpenAI's fashion play

39:59  Snap's $2,000 flop and why ugly tech dies

43:03  Wrap-up
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How Meta Turned Smart Glasses Into 'Hot Surveillance Summer' (with Taylor Lorenz)

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Town & Country editor Caroline Hallemann's new book is The Kennedys and the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made. She joins Amy to discuss the eerie parallels between these two dynasties.

Among the surprising stories in Hallemann's book: how Jackie Kennedy fought to keep wearing French designers as First Lady, why JFK Jr. wanted Princess Diana on the cover of George, the real story behind Diana's death and the ongoing conspiracy theories, and how Meghan Markle copied Carolyn Bessette's style. Plus: what Jack Schlossberg's blistering congressional loss means for the Kennedy dynasty.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

03:00 Young Jackie at Miss Porter's and her enduring fashion influence

08:00 What "American Love Story" got wrong about Carolyn Bessette

10:30 JFK Jr. launches George magazine

14:00 Why John wanted Diana on the cover

20:00 Diana's death: what actually happened

32:00 The conspiracy theories that still swirl around Diana's death

39:00 Why Meghan Markle keeps copying Carolyn Bessette's style

53:00 Is Jack Schlossberg the next JFK Jr.?



Subscribe to the Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe

Follow Caroline Hallemann: https://www.instagram.com/challemann/

Buy the book: https://amzn.to/4fVX8Bq
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The Kennedys and British Royals: Diana's Death, Meghan Markle's Muse, and JFK Jr.'s Ego

This is a teaser of a paywalled podcast. Get the full episode by subscribing to the Back Row newsletter.

For podcast content only, go Premium on Apple or Spotify.

Joy Cioci has been in fashion for 23 years — first with her own ready-to-wear and bridal brand, and for the past six years, as a private stylist to some of the wealthiest families in the country. 

She joins Amy to talk about what that job is actually like: how she pulls $80-90K worth of merchandise on loan for a single client, why some of her clients refuse to play the Hermès "game," and why women spending $1.5 million a year on clothes have no idea what just dropped at Chanel.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

4:00 Who Joy's clients actually are

9:30 How pulling merchandise on loan from stores works

11:00 Inside an $80-90K shopping trip

18:00 What ultra-wealthy people actually want from their wardrobe

21:00 Finding rare pieces no one else has

Follow Joy Cioci

📸 Follow Joy on Instagram: @joycioci

🛍️ Shop Joy Cioci: https://joycioci.com/
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A Stylist to Billionaires on How the .01 Percent Really Shop

Lawyer and The Fashion Law founder Julie Zerbo makes her Back Row pod debut to discuss the latest Phia scandal. The startup, founded by Bill Gates's daughter Phoebe Gates and her Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni, was just found to be taking credit for affiliate sales it did not drive. People are calling it "fraud" but is it, really? Can the Gates name and a slew of celeb founders help them sail through this unscathed? 

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

02:32 Phia's origin story and Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kiani's Stanford beginnings

09:16 The first scandal: Fortune's report on Phia's data collection

16:17 The second scandal: Bloomberg's cookie-stuffing investigation

19:18 Explaining cookie stuffing — and the Honey/PayPal lawsuits

27:23 Did Phia's investors do proper due diligence?

36:22 Could this be fraud? The legal answer

43:15 Does Phia's celebrity halo make it bulletproof?


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Follow Julie Zerbo and The Fashion Law: https://www.thefashionlaw.com/
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Phia's Latest Scandal: Is Phoebe Gates's Startup in Trouble?

Veteran fashion journalist Dana Thomas returns for Fall 2026 couture awards! We talk about the hat wars at Dior, the wildest shoes, and the Chanel chicken bag that seems like it can't carry more than a pill or two.

This is a teaser of a paid episode. Subscribe at Back Row 
(save three months on an annual subscription) to access paywalled podcasts AND all newsletter stories.

For podcast access only, sign up in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

03:18 What "couture" actually means

08:08 Award: Most Viral Front Row Celebrity

10:49 Award: Best Front Row Celebrity

13:37 Award: Best Couture Handiwork

16:58 Award: Best Shoes

20:18 Award: Best Bags

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Fall 2026 Couture Awards: Dangerous Shoes, Hat Wars, and Wedding Dresses

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Taylor Swift married Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden — and nobody's seen the photos yet. Will Vogue get them? Will anyone? Amy Odell is joined by veteran celebrity journalist Justin Ravitz (former Executive Editor at Us Weekly and Rolling Stone) to count down 13 burning questions about the wedding of the year — 13, of course, because it's Taylor's lucky number.


From the Dior couture ceremony looks to the guest list chaos (Zadie Smith? Wayne Gretzky? No Kardashians?) to whether this whole thing might end up as a theatrical release, Amy and Justin go through it all.


CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

02:50 #13 – What did she get talked out of?

06:23 #12 – What did Travis Kelce wear?

10:52 #11 – How close were they with their guests, really?

22:08 #10 – What was in the guests' NDAs?

25:33 #9 – Who leaked the wedding photos?

28:19 #8 – Were there religious elements? Was Adam Sandler ordained?

30:45 #7 – Did anyone try to slip them a gift?

37:27 #6 – Were there brand or corporate sponsors?

38:59 #5 – What were her cats doing?

40:54 #4 – Whose idea was the TT logo?

42:22 #3 – What celebrities were invited and said no?

44:57 #2 – Who was deliberately not invited?

51:59 #1 – Will the wedding be a theatrical release?

58:47 Final thoughts
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13 Biggest Questions About Taylor Swift's Wedding

This is a teaser of a paid episode. To access the full episode, subscribe to Back Row at BackRow.net and get newsletter access included with your subscription. Or sign up in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil — authors of ⁠JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography⁠  — return to the Back Row podcast in honor of Love Story's likely Emmy nominations. Terenzio assisted JFK Jr. at George magazine, and McNeil has covered him at People since the 90s, so they know what the show creators don't. 

We cover what we didn't get to last time: Daryl Hannah's bombshell New York Times op-ed, what the show got right and wrong about Carolyn Bessette's distress over the paparazzi, the plane crash, and whether Jack Schlossberg is the next JFK Jr.



Chapters:

00:00 — Intro

04:00 — The actor who played JFK Jr. called RoseMarie

08:30 — Daryl Hannah's bombshell NYT op-ed

14:30 — The wedding: how reporters found out

23:30 — Was Carolyn really depressed and homebound?

28:00 — The plane crash: what actually happened
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What 'Love Story' Got Wrong About Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and JFK Jr.'s Final Days

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Get 15 percent off Edie Parker with the code AMY15: https://edie-parker.com/

Brett Heyman launched Edie Parker as a luxury handbag business. Her acrylic clutches became a hit with Met Gala-going celebrities. Despite her success with accessories, she decided to pivot to a uniquely challenging industry: legal cannabis.

She talks about what she learned working in Gucci PR during the Tom Ford era, why she entered the cannabis business, and the stigma she's still fighting.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:30 From Gucci PR to Founding Edie Parker

07:30 The Kate Hudson Met Gala Bag That Started It All

11:00 Why She Pivoted to Cannabis

13:00 Why You Have to Be Vertically Integrated in Every State

15:00 The Stripes That Are "Too Appealing to Children"

20:30 What Trump's Rescheduling Order Actually Changes

28:00 Celebrity Campaigns: Pat Cleveland, Gabby Windey, and More

35:30 Why No Institutional Investor Will Touch Cannabis

39:30 Did the Cannabis Pivot Scare Off Handbag Customers?
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From Purses to... Pot?!

***This is a TEASER of a paywalled episode. Sign up for a Premium subscription at Back Row (https://www.backrow.net/subscribe) for access to the Back Row newsletter and all paywalled podcasts. (Audio only subs available in Apple and Spotify.)*** 


As the founding editor of beauty magazine Allure, Linda Wells has seen it all, from the dawn of La Mer to the current age of plastic surgery overload. Now the editor of AirMail Look, she's been covering the craziest procedures, from rib-cracking and reshaping to $500k facelifts. 

She discusses how plastic surgery has gone completely off the rails — and where this wild trend is going. 

CHAPTERS:

01:15 – Beauty Trends of the 1980s

03:45 – The Wildest Trends in 2026

08:15 – The Growing Visibility of Plastic Surgery

15:05 – Why Surgeons Are Hunting for New Procedures

17:30 – The Sport of Celebrity Speculation

20:25 – Facelift Prices Are Up 400%

23:45 – The Risks of an International Operation

26:50 – Subscribe to Listen to the Full Episode!
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How Plastic Surgery Went Off the Rails [TEASER]

It started with turkey meatballs and ended with an endorsement deal that led the internet to call her "Gwynicide." Gwyneth Paltrow has had quite a slew of viral moments this month. 

I sat down with branding expert and sociologist Ana Andjelic — CMO, author of the Sociology of Business newsletter, and host of the Hitmakers podcast — to talk about what this means (if anything) for Brand Gwyneth. 



CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Introduction

01:00 – The Turkey Meatballs and the Arugula Meme

05:30 – Inside the Jade Egg Era of Goop

09:30 – The Trae Stephens Interview and the AI Weapons Controversy

18:00 – The 51 Park Israeli Real Estate Ad and the Backlash

21:00 – The Three Pillars of the Gwyneth Brand

24:30 – Is Goop Still Relevant?

26:00 – Why Goop Kitchen Is Struggling in New York

31:00 – Is Gwyneth an Asset or a Liability Now?

34:00 – Can Kinship Ventures Actually Succeed?
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Amy's Gwyneth book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Gwyneth/Amy-Odell/9781668005774



Follow Ana Andjelic:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ana_andjelic/

↳ Sociology of Business: https://andjelicaaa.substack.com/

🎙️ Hitmakers podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3pmW3iyjF9pl65QgVcabPK
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Emergency Gwyneth Paltrow Pod!

***SUPPORT THIS INDEPENDENT SHOW by subscribing to the Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribeGo Premium and save three months on an annual subscription to access paywalled podcasts and all newsletter stories.*** 

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

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:30 How Wirecutter Actually Tests Clothes

06:00 Does Higher Price Mean Better Quality?

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

10:00 Why Everyone Is Suddenly Worried About Their Clothes

12:00 PFAS Explained — What Forever Chemicals Are

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

21:30 Which Certifications Can You Actually Trust?

25:30 Health Washing Is the New Greenwashing

35:00 The Frankie Shop Blazer Test

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

41:00 Where Regulation Is Headed

49:30 Is Dry Cleaning Safe?

Follow Frances Solá-Santiago

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

📸 Follow Frances on Instagram: @fransolasantiago
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Your Clothes Are Full of Chemicals. Here's What You Need to Know.

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

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

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



CHAPTERS:

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

05:10 – Her Strategy for Styling Meryl Streep

11:05 – Dressing the Actor vs. the Character

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

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

24:20 – Collaborating with Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt

26:55 – Getting Brands to Open the Archives

34:35 – Fashion Emergencies on the DWP2 Tour

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

40:20 – Crafting a Moodboard

44:50 – Micaela’s Advice to Aspiring Stylists



Follow Micaela Erlanger :

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

Website: https://micaelaerlanger.com/
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Inside 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Press Tour with Meryl Streep's Stylist

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

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

CHAPTERS:

01:05 – Breaking Down the Shein Everlane Acquisition

04:30 – Shein’s Innovative Instant Fashion Model

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

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

16:00 – The Greenwashing Problem

18:45 – Everlane’s Radical Transparency Promise

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

27:35 – Why Does Shein Even Want Everlane?

30:00 – Which Brands Could Be Next?

34:00 – Ken’s Advice for Sustainable Consumers


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What Everlane's Sale to Shein Means for 'Sustainable' Fashion

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

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

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

CHAPTERS:

00:00 – Introduction

01:00 – How Mary Styles Billionaires

03:40 – What Billionaires Actually Tell Their Stylist

04:49 – Dressing Women in Tech

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

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

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

15:31 – Why the Aspirational Customer No Longer Exists

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

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

Follow Mary Gonsalves Kinney:

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

https://www.mgkstyle.com/


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Stylist to Billionaires Reveals How the Ultra-Rich Really Shop — and How Much They Spend

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

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



CHAPTERS:

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

09:20 – The Story Behind the Alexander McQueen Exhibition

12:40 – Anna Wintour is an Outfit Repeater

17:20 – Anna’s Venti Starbucks Cup

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

33:50 – Subscribe for the Full Film Recap!

Follow Kate Casey:

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

↳ YouTube: @realitylifewithkatecasey

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

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



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The Met Gala Then vs. Now: How ‘The First Monday in May’ Holds Up 10 Years Later [TEASER]

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were on television before they could talk and millionaires before they could read. Former Us Weekly editor-in-chief Dan Wakeford, author of the new Celebrity Intelligence newsletter, joins Back Row to break down the Full House casting story, the Dual Star empire, the billion-dollar licensing machine, and the NYU years that changed everything.

Part Two — revealing the secrets behind The Row — is available to Premium subscribers. Sign up at Back Row to get newsletter access included with your subscription, or in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

Find Part Two in Apple Podcasts here

Find Part Two in Spotify here

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:40 Dan Wakeford and Celebrity Intelligence

02:47 Why the Olsens are a unique case study

07:50 The Full House casting story

10:07 The reality of child stardom

16:22 How their personalities diverged early

19:49 From pennies to $80,000 an episode

26:27 The home video empire begins

33:28 The billion dollar licensing machine

48:00 Turning 18 and taking control

53:41 NYU and the paparazzi years

57:47 How everything changed


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SUBSCRIBE to the Back Row newsletter and go Premium to access all paywalled podcast episodes and newsletters: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe 

Kim Kardashian spent 10 years being the most reviled woman at the Met Gala. Then she became the blueprint.

Cultural critic and psychoanalytic psychotherapist MJ Corey, author of Dekonstructing the Kardashians, joins Back Row to explain how Kim paved the way for the Tech Gala (04:42), why the hatred only makes her bigger (17:39), what the Paris robbery really did for her career (28:15), and why she's acting now (30:35).
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How Kim Kardashian Broke the Met Gala

The full episode is for paid Back Row subscribers: backrow.net/subscribe

A note to listeners: On May 15, prices will increase to $8/month and $72/year. Upgrade to annual to lock in the lower rate. Or sign up at backrow.net/subscribe to get newsletter access included with your subscription and don't miss a single juicy story.

This episode contains spoilers.

We've waited 20 years for The Devil Wears Prada 2 — and it's better than expected. Rachel Tashjian of CNN joins me to break down what the sequel gets shockingly right about Anna Wintour, Vogue, and journalism's decline. We also cover Emily Blunt stealing the movie, whether the filmmakers got too close to Anna, and the billionaire character hiding in plain sight.

Chapters:

00:00 Spoiler warning & intro

05:56 How accurately does the film depict journalism?

17:34 Did the filmmakers get too close to Anna Wintour?

29:07 The billionaire characters: who is Benji really?


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Why 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Is More Accurate Than You Think, with Rachel Tashjian [TEASER]

This episode is sponsored by Margaux. First time shoppers get 10 percent off with the code BACKROW. A few of my favorite styles:


  
Wrap sandals 

  Phoebe flats

  Downtown boot


The 2026 Met Gala was the most controversial in memory — and Back Row is telling you what the fashion press won't. Amy Odell and Heather Cocks of Go Fug Yourself and Drinks With Broads break down the biggest narratives from the night: the Bezos backlash, the protests outside, why Vogue's silence was deafening, and what it actually means that tech billionaires have taken over fashion's biggest night.

Plus: Beyoncé's return after 10 years, Blue Ivy's debut, the Kardashians and their nipples, Lauren Sanchez's Madame X look, why Jeff Bezos snuck in the back door, John Galliano and fashion's cancellation problem, and whether any of this controversy will actually stick.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

00:49 The Bezos Backlash and the protests

04:14 The Ball Without Billionaires

07:15 Vogue's silence on the controversy

10:31 Why tech billionaires are really at the Met

18:26 Lauren Sanchez's Madame X look

43:39 The Kardashians, Beyoncé, and the best and worst looks

49:15 Galliano, Anna Wintour, and fashion's cancellation problem

54:05 Will the controversy actually matter?

Subscribe to the Back Row Newsletter and Back Row on YouTube. 

Follow Heather Cox at Drinks With Broads  and Go Fug Yourself. 
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Met Gala 2026 Recap: Beyoncé, the Bezos Backlash, Kim Kardashian, and Vogue's Silence

WARNING: This episode contains SPOILERS for 'The Devil Wears Prada 2.' 

This is my full interview with 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna. After talking to them both when I was writing 'Anna: The Biography,' I couldn't wait to hear about how they put this movie together after TWENTY YEARS. Who and what were they skewering? Did the film get too close to its source material, Anna Wintour? How did Lady Gaga enter the picture? And... will there be a THIRD movie?!

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro
2:43 How the sequel finally got made
5:17 Miranda's backlash: the fast fashion puff piece explained
8:14 How Miranda Priestly changed in 20 years
9:36 The new assistants and the new workplace
12:20 Every cameo, explained
31:43 Emily Blunt and the evolution of Emily Charlton
39:52 Will there be a third film?


LINKS & RESOURCES:
▸ Subscribe to the Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe
▸ Read my book, Anna: The Biography: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Anna/Amy-Odell/9781982122638
▸ Find me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instamyodell
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'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Filmmakers on How They Nailed the Fall of Fashion Magazines

I went on Sam Sanders's show on KCRW to talk all things Met Gala 2026!

We get into the Bezos Met Gala sponsorship, fashion's new Gilded Age, and The Devil Wears Prada 2. We also talked about why tech money is taking over fashion, what happened to the aspirational consumer, and whether the Cerulean monologue could even exist in 2026. Sam is one of the best interviewers around — this was a really fun conversation. Thanks to the KCRW team for allowing us to share it here. Follow Sam's show here.

CHAPTERS:

01:30 – Has the Met Gala Become the Tech Gala?

05:20 – Has Fashion Entered a New Gilded Age?

10:20 – The Widening Gap Between the Classes of Fashion

14:20 – What it’s Like to be a Fashion VIC

18:00 – What’s Changed in Fashion Since The (1st) Devil Wears Prada?

20:00 – Does the Cerulean Monologue Hold Up in 2026?

25:10 – Fixing the Met Gala

27:40 – Amy’s Sources of Fashion Inspo


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There Is No More Cerulean

People magazine's "World's Most Beautiful" editor Andrea Lavinthal joins Back Row to go behind the scenes of the most coveted — and complicated — cover in celebrity journalism. Anne Hathaway talked to People about The Devil Wears Prada 2, her husband, and her haters. But handing out this prize isn't as easy as it might seem.

Andrea breaks down how the "World's Most Beautiful" franchise has evolved since Michelle Pfeiffer in 1990 (3:28), why "most beautiful" is more fraught for women than "Sexiest Man Alive" is for men (1:51), and how much creative control a star like Anne Hathaway has over the shoot (9:33). Plus: why Gwyneth Paltrow's "Most Beautiful" cover made an editor think it would get her fired (25:54).

Links & Resources

📰 SUBSCRIBE to the Back Row Newsletter for exclusive scoops and bonus podcast episodes: https://www.backrow.net/ 

 📸 Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/

Mentioned in this episode: 

↳ People's Anne Hathaway cover story, photographed by Jonny Marlow 

↳ JFK Jr.'s "Sexiest Man Alive" cover story

This episode was edited by Chrissi Harris.
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The Fraught History of Naming Celebrities 'World's Most Beautiful'

The 2026 Met Gala has three storylines running at once: Jeff and Lauren Bezos as lead sponsors, The Devil Wears Prada 2 opening the Friday before, and Anna Wintour doing more press than she has in years. Amy sits down with Chantal Fernandez of The Cut to break down all of it — plus predictions for the night.



0:00 Intro — Why This Met Gala Is Different

1:14 - Meet Chantal Fernandez

5:42 The Theme: "Costume Art" & What It Actually Means

8:01 - The Real Story Nobody's Covering: The New Costume Institute Galleries

10:17 - How Met Gala Exhibitions Became Museum Blockbusters

12:35 - How Themes Actually Get Chosen (and Who Funds Them)

14:02 - Anna's Role: Making Exhibitions Commercial

19:00 - Why the Met Gala Gets More Criticism Than the Oscars

21:14 - What Brands Actually Get Out of Spending $350K on a Table

24:26 - Can You Even Boycott the Met Gala?

28:06 - Lauren Sanchez, Schiaparelli & the New Ultra-Rich Aesthetic

30:16 - Breaking Down the NYT Lauren Sanchez Profile

32:56 - Graydon Carter's Perfect Quote

40:14 - Fashion Is Losing Power — and the Bezoses Are a Symptom

44:01 - Anna's Devil Wears Prada 2 Marketing Blitz: Smart or a Mistake?

49:19 - Predictions for Met Gala Night

52:49 - Will Devil Wears Prada 2 Be Any Good?

54:10 - Outro



Partner message: Go here: https://beehiiv.link/8yrisv and use the code AMY30 to get 30 percent off a subscription to beehiiv.



Links & Resources

📰 Back Row Newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/ 

📸 Amy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/



Mentioned in this episode: 

↳ Chantal's VIC story

↳ Amy’s recent Met Gala reporting

 ↳ NYT profile of Lauren Sanchez by Amy Chozick

↳ Chantal’s 2024 Met Gala story 

↳ Charlotte Cowles’s story asking Anna if she’s retiring
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Met Gala 2026: The Bezos Backlash, Devil Wears Prada 2, and What It All Means for Anna Wintour

What does extreme wealth actually do to a person? Their psychology, their relationships, their behavior?

New York Magazine features writer Lane Brown set out to answer that question by interviewing a dozen ultra-high net worth individuals, people worth $30 million or more. (Read his full story here.) Almost no one wanted to talk. The ones who did had never spoken about this before.

Lane and Amy discuss what he found: why sudden wealth immediately isolates you, how self-made billionaires think versus inheritors, why the goalpost never stops moving no matter how much you have, and the eight-step psychological descent — mapped out by a therapist who treats the ultra-wealthy — that can turn an ordinary rich person into someone completely detached from reality.

Part 2 is available to Back Row premium subscribers at backrow.net/subscribe, which includes full newsletter access. You can also subscribe through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

CHAPTERS

00:00 — Introduction

01:19 — Meet Lane Brown

02:12 — What Extreme Wealth Does to a Person

03:21 — The First Thing Money Does: Isolation

06:36 — Who Counts as Ultra-Wealthy?

07:28 — How Lane Got Mark Cuban to Talk

09:31 — Why the Rich Refused to Participate

11:22 — Self-Made vs. Inherited Wealth

13:18 — Is It All Just Luck?

14:16 — The Goalpost That Never Stops Moving

17:41 — The 8-Step Descent Into Corruption

20:23 — Do Billionaires Know People Hate Them?

23:24 — When Luxury Purchases Lose Their Thrill

27:03 — Are Billionaires Actually Cheap?

29:02 — The Tax Strategy Behind the Spending

This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Joyce Ciesil and Jonathan Voytko.
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12 Ultra-Rich People Opened Up About What Money Did to Them

This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published April 7, 2022.

What on earth is Anna Wintour doing on the cover of Vogue?! A theory as to why she's leaning so hard into The Devil Wears Prada 2 promo — and what it all says about her legacy.
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Why Anna Wintour Did the 'Vogue' Cover

How much was Vogue really like The Devil Wears Prada? Amy Odell sits down with former Vanity Fair critic and the author of the Premiere Party newsletter, Richard Lawson, to rewatch The Devil Wears Prada before the sequel drops. 

Amy interviewed more than 250 people to write Anna: The Biography, including Anna Wintour's closest friends and collaborators. Richard worked at Condé Nast for a dozen years — and has stories. They review the movie's origin story, break down each scene, and talk about what was totally real and what was totally made up.


In Part 2 for Premium subscribers, the discuss how the movie impacted Anna Wintour's public image and how she really felt about all of it. Part 2 is available to Premium subscribers. Sign up at Back Row for full newsletter access or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

CHAPTERS:

01:30 — The Devil Wears Prada Origin Story

05:50 — How the Film Elevates the Book

09:10 — Richard’s Real-life Andy Sachs Experience

17:00 — The Movie’s Opening Montage

20:10 — Miranda’s Arrival: “A Million Girls Would Kill For This Job”

24:50 — Andy’s Boring Boyfriend

31:00 — What was it Really Like for Assistants in the Aughts?

34:20 — Would Andy Have Succeeded Without Miranda?

36:50 — The Story Behind the Cerulean Monologue

42:30 — The Harry Potter Book: Did Miranda Want Andy to Fail?

45:30 — The Met Gala Scene

53:50 — Why the Costumes Worked

Links & Resources:

Back Row newsletter:
Premiere Party newsletter

Get Anna: The Biography
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'The Devil Wears Prada' Rewatch: Was 'Vogue' Really Like That?

Will Kris Jenner's birthday party be immortalized on an HBO show in a hundred years?

Maybe. 

The Gilded Age was America’s first era of extreme wealth, inequality, and loud luxury, spanning 1870 to 1900. On this episode of the Back Row podcast, which explains how fashion and culture really work, Amy talks to Gilded Age historian and author Elizabeth Block about how shockingly closely society and fashion today mirror the wealthy and luxury industries during that time period.  

Elizabeth is the author of the upcoming book Gilded Age Fashion: More Than 50 Iconic Looks and the Stories Behind Them.

Their conversation breaks down how Kris Jenner's birthday feels straight out of the late 1880s; how sky-high luxury fashion prices are basically the same as they were back then; the most extreme luxuries of the past and present; and Vogue's Gilded Age origins.

Listen to Part 2 for Elizabeth’s take on what life was like for the have-nots during the period — and why she sees parallels between Taylor Swift’s wedding and the Gilded Age. 

Part 2 is available to Back Row Premium subscribers. Sign up at BackRow.net  (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 — Introducing Dr. Elizabeth Block

01:20 — Are We Living in a New Gilded Age?

03:20 — The Gilded Age Weddings

07:40 — Kris Jenner’s Birthday Party: Gilded Age-Coded?

11:00 — How Much Did Socialites Spend on Dresses? Then vs. Now

16:30 — Gossip Columns: What Were the Faux Pas?

20:30 — Etiquette Books and the Rules of Modesty

26:20 — Vogue’s Gilded Age Origins

Links & Resources:

Back Row Newsletter

Amy Odell — Instagram

Elizabeth Block — Instagram 

Newsletter: Gilded Age Fashion

Books:

Gilded Age Fashion: More Than 50 Iconic Looks and the Stories Behind Them

Beyond Vanity: The History and Power of Hairdressing

This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Joyce Ciesil and Jonathan Voytko.


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Are We Living Through a New Gilded Age?

Are tech billionaires the next Kardashians?

From Mark Zuckerberg sitting front row at Prada to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s Met Gala sponsorship, tech billionaires are increasingly present in the fashion world in 2026. Why is this happening?

Amy invites tech journalist Taylor Lorenz back on the pod to discuss this controversial relationship between fashion and big tech. They dive into Bezos funding the Met Gala (4:30), why going to fashion shows could be a byproduct of tech backlash (07:00); Mark Zuckerberg at Prada (13:30), the future of space tourism (19:00); and whether smartglasses are fashion or surveillance (24:20). 

Listen to Part 2 to hear their takes on Bryan Johnson’s ‘Don’t Die’ movement and Clavicular’s Looksmaxxing on the runway — and what these male beauty and wellness trends mean for the future of fashion. 

Part 2 is available to paid subscribers at backrow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.


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Why Tech Billionaires Are Becoming Fashion’s New Kardashians

What did Love Story get wrong about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette?

Amy Odell sits down with Kate Storey, author of White House by the Sea, to break down what really happened inside the Kennedy compound — and how the show fictionalizes their lives, relationship, and famous Cape Cod summers. And she answers the urgent question: was there really a breakfast board?!

Kate  spent years reporting on the Kennedy family and shares what the show gets right, what it gets completely wrong, and what their real lives were actually like behind the scenes.

Sign up for a Premium subscription to Back Row to hear Part 2. Go to BackRow.net to get newsletter access included with your subscription. Or sign up in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

CHAPTERS
01:06 why everyone is watching “love story”

03:00 inside the real Kennedy compound

06:00 how the show fictionalizes Hyannis Port

08:20 how John and Carolyn really started dating

12:10 when the paparazzi began

13:00 JFK Jr.’s Cape Cod childhood

15:40 the treasure diving story

17:50 the infamous boat moment

19:20 the “breakfast board” truth

21:00 Carolyn vs the Kennedy family (real story)

23:30 what Carolyn was actually like

27:00 their dinner parties and private life

28:30 how they really got engaged

30:00 iconic photos vs reality

31:00 how accurate is the show overall?

34:00 their final plans for the house

36:00 why they didn’t prioritize security


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Inside JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette’s Life on Cape Cod

This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published Tuesday, March 17.



After waiting two years for John Galliano's next move, we finally know he's going to Zara. In this analysis, Amy talks about why fashion people have forgiven him for his antisemitic and racist tirades that became public in 2011 and led to him losing his job at Dior — and why this move is a risk for Zara. Amy finishes with the "Loose Threads" news roundup, featuring Adrien Grenier's Devil Wears Prada 2 laments and a funny update about Gwyenth's clothing auction.
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Joh Galliano for... Zara?!

Amy Odell is joined by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan of ⁠Go Fug Yourself⁠ and the ⁠Drinks With Broads⁠
newsletter to break down the biggest fashion stories from Oscars night—and what they reveal about Hollywood right now.

They discuss Anna Wintour’s surprise appearance (and why she’s leaning into The Devil Wears Prada 2), the backlash against Timothée Chalamet and what it says about celebrity culture, and the ongoing dominance of luxury brands like Chanel and Dior on the red carpet.

Plus: the state of red carpet coverage, why it feels increasingly sanitized, and the looks that worked—and didn’t.

In part two, we get into the media’s Ozempic discourse, Chanel vs. Dior, and why the K-pop Demon Hunters cast didn’t get the attention they deserved.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Oscars as luxury marketing
05:00 Why everything in Hollywood is too long
09:30 The biggest fashion stories
10:30 The problem with red carpet coverage
19:00 The Timothée backlash
26:00 Kylie Jenner and celebrity optics
29:00 Anna Wintour at the Oscars
35:00 Chanel vs. Dior
40:00 The best (and safest) looks

Don't forget to ⁠sign up for the Back Row newsletter.⁠


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The Oscars’ Biggest Fashion Stories: Anna Wintour, the Timothée Backlash, & Is Chanel Good Again?

Paris Fashion Week wrapped up the Fall 2026 shows, so Amy Odell and New York Times bestselling author Dana Thomas are handing out the Fashion Month Awards.

Together they break down the biggest moments from New York, Milan, and Paris Fashion Week, including:

• Prada’s viral runway stunt
• Marc Jacobs’ comeback in New York
• The rise of fashion watch parties bringing fans into the shows
• Why tech billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg are suddenly sitting front row
• The best trends and the weirdest trends of the season
• What Chanel’s new era could mean for fashion

They also talk about how fashion shows—and fashion media—are changing as creators, newsletters, and independent platforms reshape the industry.

Part two of the Fashion Month Awards is available to Back Row Premium subscribers. Sign up at BackRow.net to get newsletter access and more exclusive fashion reporting included with your subscription, or in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Chapters:

00:00 — Introducing Dana Thomas and the Fashion Month awards
01:25 — Is fashion entering a new generational era?
04:10 — The shift from magazines to creators and newsletters
06:40 — Loudest viral stunt: Prada’s layered runway trick
10:15 — Fashion watch parties and opening shows to the public
15:35 — Why fashion shows might become spectator events
20:55 — Sleeper hit of the season
24:30 — Most awkward front row celebrity
28:00 — Tech billionaires invade fashion week
31:50 — Hardest-working front row celebrity
34:20 — Best trend of the season
36:40 — Weirdest trend: the return of tails

Links and Resources:

Amy Odell - Instagram
Back Row newsletter

Dana Thomas
Instagram 
Deluxe (book) 
Gods & Kings (book) 
Fashionopolis (book) 
Style Files (newsletter) 

Credits:
Produced by Amy Odell. Audio editing by Joyce Ciesel, video by Jonathan Voytko.
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Fashion Month Awards Part One: Chanel’s New Era & Tech Billionaires in the Front Row (with Dana Thomas)

Amy Odell sits down with Liz McNeil and RoseMarie Terenzio, authors of JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography, to discuss the real romance between Carolyn Bessette and JFK Jr. that inspired the FX show Love Story, executive-produced by Ryan Murphy. 

Terenzio assisted JFK Jr. in the 90s at George magazine, and McNeil covered him as an editor for People. For their book, they interviewed more than 150 people who knew him. They share personal encounters with the couple and people in their inner circle, talk about what John would have made of the frenzy over his style today, and explain what in 'Love Story' is pure fiction.

PART TWO, including discussion of how the Kennedy family deals with relentless press and the REAL reason for that famous fight in the park, is available to Premium subscribers of ⁠Back Row. Sign up at  backrow.net for full podcast and newsletter access, or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Why everyone is talking about JFK Jr. and Carolyn again
01:25 What the FX show “Love Story” gets right (and wrong)
06:10 Why Gen Z is suddenly obsessed with them
07:10 The truth about JFK Jr.’s style
12:10 What drew John and Carolyn together
21:00 What Carolyn Bessette was really like
29:30 Carolyn’s struggle with paparazzi
35:30 The iconic wedding dress
39:15 What the show said about the famous park fight

Links & Resources:

Partner message: Go to beehiiv and use the code AMY30 to get 30 percent off a subscription.

Get RoseMarie and Liz's book: JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography

Sign up for the Back Row newsletter
Follow Amy Odell on Instagram
Follow Liz McNeil on Instagram
Follow Rosemarie Terenzio on Instagram

This episode was produced by Amy Odell, with audio editing by Joyce Ciesil and video editing by Jonathan Voytko.
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The Real Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette

Paris Fashion Week is off and running. Jonathan Anderson's fall 2026 Dior show kicked off the week — and Amy liked it a lot more than she expected! She reads her review of the show from the Back Row newsletter, which discusses how fashion has become mass culture and why designers like Anderson need to reach aspirational shoppers. She ends with the "Loose Threads" news roundup, featuring Condé Nast offloading 'Them,' and more. 

PLUS, a teaser from Monday's interview with JFK Jr.'s biographers (8:45), inspired by the FX show Love Story.
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Dior Review: Can Jonathan Anderson Cure the 'Luxury Ick'?

Amy sits down with Noëmie Leclercq of luxury news outlet Glitz Paris to debate the "Hermès game" (aka everything customers allegedly have to do in order for boutiques to offer them the chance to purchase a Birkin or Kelly bag). They discuss pre-spends, background checks, and Hermès’ apparent alliance with Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Noëmie also talks about why superfakes have become a big problem; how the class action lawsuit in the U.S. has affected Hermès sales practices; and the secret “grey market” where billionaires buy the most exclusive bags.

In Part 2, Noëmie and Amy discuss whether or not the Birkin bubble has popped, why the market for "superfakes" is booming, and the (grim) outlook for Birkins on the secondhand market.

Part 2 is available to paid subscribers of backrow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Chapters

00:00 — Introducing Noëmie Leclercq of Glitz Paris
01:10 — Is Hermès really stalking their clients?
03:00 — Breaking down the Hermès game
05:40 — Hermès locations: US vs. France
06:00 — Who is the ideal Hermès customer?
07:40 — This French law requires Hermès to background check clients
12:10 — The pre-spend: does Hermès really need to sell furniture?
19:00 — What is the grey market for Hermès products?
24:40 — The Hermès lawsuit: how did it change the game?
28:40 — Can the Birkin be overexposed?
30:20 — Listen to part 2 for Noëmie’s take on if the Birkin bubble has popped

Links & Resources:

Back Row newsletter

Amy Odell — Instagram

Noëmie Leclercq — Glitz Paris

This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Amy Odell, Joyce Ciesel, and Jonathan Voytko.


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The Secret Rules of the Hermès Game: Who Actually Gets a Birkin?

Amy Odell talks with fashion director-turned-entrepreneur Marina Larroudé about why she left Teen Vogue for Barneys -- and then started her own brand. Marina recalls Style.com's earliest days; how top brands really weren't on board with the internet; what it was really like to work for Anna Wintour; and what she saw from inside the industry that convinced her there was a big business opportunity in footwear.

Part 2 is available to paid subscribers at BackRow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. In Part 2, Marina talks about how she makes walkable heels; what it was like for Taylor Swift to wear her shoes on the Eras tour; and her plans for the future of Larroudé.

Products mentioned in this episode:

⁠Boat shoes⁠

⁠Fuzzy lined ballet flat⁠

⁠Dolly platform sandal⁠ (the same style Taylor Swift wore): 

⁠Stella sneaker⁠

CHAPTERS:

00:00 — Introducing Marina Larroudé

03:00 — Why are people so fascinated by Anna Wintour and the Condé Nast world?

05:30 — What does the fashion director at Teen Vogue do?

09:00 — Marina's experience at Style.com

13:30 — The Bella Thorne photoshoot disaster

16:30 — Marina's experience working with Anna Wintour

18:40 — Why Marina left fashion media to work at Barneys

25:10 — On founding Larroudé: "No one was making high-quality shoes for drop-off"

35:00 — How Marina makes Larroudé's shoes comfortable

38:30 — Listen to part 2 for Marina's take on what makes a walkable heel

Back Row newsletter

Amy Odell - Instagram

Marina Larroudé:

Instagram

Larroudé:

Website

Instagram

TikTok

This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Amy Odell, Jonathan Voytko, and Joyce Ciesel.


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Marina Larroudé on Anna Wintour, Barneys, and Building a Multi-Million Dollar Brand

This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published February 17, 2026. 



Why don't fashion designers view Olympic figure skating the way they do red carpets — as a forum to exploit for brand impressions? The sport is fabulous, glamorous, and awe-inspiring, after all. Amy digs into how figure skating costumes are made and why the world's top ready-to-wear designers generally don't want anything to do with making them — and why the athletes also aren't clamoring for brands to step in.

Plus, a special New York Fashion Week report (6:00).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why Big Fashion Doesn’t Dress Olympic Figure Skaters

Part 2 is available to paid subscribers at backrow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

In Part 2, Amy and Lila debate the Saks Fifth Avenue bankruptcy — detailing the brand's fraught relationship with Amazon, the possibility of government intervention, and what it all means for the future of the department store.

On this episode of the Back Row Podcast, Amy talks with Lila Delilah, THE Madison Avenue Spy, about the current unhinged state of luxury retail — from the "Very Important Client"  system to how luxury brands deal with all-out frenzies over once-secret sales. They also discuss the Hermès game, brands that have threatened to sue Lila, and more.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 – Introducing Madison Avenue Spy

5:10 – Were there VICs in 2010?

7:00 – How have luxury sales evolved?

13:10 – The lines are getting out of control

15:00 – What are the most legendary sales right now?

16:10 – Will The Row do invitation-only sales?

20:00 – Hermès shoppers are begging for appointments

27:00 – The brands that threatened to sue Madison Avenue Spy

31:10 – The bag-buying experience at Chanel vs. Hermès

34:40 – Reacting to the “Great Reset”

37:45 – Was Hermès ever really a fashion brand?

41:00 – What could break the spell Hermès has on shoppers?

Links & Resources:

Back Row Newsletter

Amy Odell - Instagram

Madison Avenue Spy:

Substack

Website

Instagram

TikTok

Telegram

This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Joyce Ciesil and Jonathan Voytko.


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Confessions of a Luxury Sale Whisperer (with Madison Avenue Spy)

Are awards shows still about movies — or are they now luxury fashion marketing disguised as cultural prestige? And who’s actually funding all these celeb red-carpet appearances — the studios, the stars, or the brands?

Amy Odell is joined by Debra Birnbaum, Editor-in-Chief of awards season news outlet Gold Derby, to break down how modern awards campaigns actually work and why the fashion is so important.  Amy and Debra talk Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Supreme press tour and if it was too annoying to win (23:10);  who really pays for all the glam (14:30); and how the Met Gala came to overshadow the Oscars (33:30).

Subscribe to Amy's Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/

Follow Amy on Instagram

Follow Debra Birnbaum on Instagram 

Check out Gold Derby for more awards season predictions. 
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Are Awards Shows Just Luxury Marketing Now?

Part 2 of this episode is available to paid subscribers at backrow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

After years of quiet luxury, opulence is back in fashion.

In this episode of the Back Row podcast, Amy traces the origins of fashion’s current obsession with excess — all the way back to… Bravo?


Joined by Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam of the wildly popular Watch What Crappens podcast, they discuss how Real Housewives culture shaped today’s luxury landscape, even as the fashion world distanced itself from reality stars. Lauren Sánchez may be one of the most talked-about attendees at couture week — but Bravo stars have been doing her look for 20 years! They also talk about how much Bravo helped get Gigi and Bella Hadid's careers going, Rachel Zoe's debut on RHOBH, and more.

CHAPTERS
00:00 – Introducing Ben & Ronnie of ‘Watch What Crappens’
01:20 – Lauren Sanchez’s style is just the Bravo look
05:00 – Breaking down the Bravo aesthetic
10:40 – Are Sky tops coming back?
16:50 – Will fashion ever accept the Real Housewives?
24:30 – Would the Hadids have happened without Bravo?
27:30 – What’s up with Mauricio’s Chanel blanket?
30:40 – Is Rachel Zoe too confident for the Real Housewives?
37:10 – Bravo misidentified a Kelly bag
40:20 – The Birkin that costs $1,000,000 (before you can buy it!)
44:30 – Is plastic surgery the new Birkin?

Links & Resources:
Back Row newsletter 

Back Row Podcast:
Apple
Spotify

YouTube
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How the Bravo Look Took Over Fashion and Beauty (with Watch What Crappens)

In Part 2, Ana Andjelic and Amy Odell break down Meghan Markle’s new brand As Ever, how The Row quietly built one of the most powerful luxury brands in fashion, and what's next for Chiara Ferragni after her acquittal. 

Part 2 is available to paid subscribers at backrow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Celebrity brands are everywhere—but what separates the ones that thrive from those that fail?  Can fame alone turn a celebrity idea into a lucrative enterprise?

In this episode of the Back Row Podcast, Amy Odell sits down with branding expert Ana Andjelic (former Chief Brand Officer of Esprit & Banana Republic, author, and the voice behind the newsletter The Sociology of Business) to break down the secret formula behind the most successful celebrity businesses.

From Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop to Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty and Hailey Bieber’s billion-dollar sale of Rhode, they explore why fame alone isn’t enough, how authenticity clashes with marketing hype, and what it really takes to turn star-power into a lasting cultural phenomenon.

CHAPTERS
00:00 – Introduction: Why some celebrity brands succeed while others fail
03:20 – What is Gwyneth Paltrow even selling at Goop? And with the relaunched Gwyn clothing line?
09:10 – The death of quiet luxury: where does Gwyn fit?
10:50 – Apple Martin and Gwyneth’s viral Calvin Klein moment
11:30 – What’s kept audiences captivated by Gwyneth for 30 years
18:00 – Predicting the future of Gwyneth’s brands
21:10 – Alex Cooper and Unwell Hydration is more than just trendy water
29:00 – The key to Hailey Bieber’s $1 billion brand deal
32:45 – Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is playing the long game
35:00 – Shay Mitchell and Toddler Face Masks: rage bait or reputation ruin
36:00 – Meghan Markle’s brand As Ever: “Last time I talked about her, I got raked over the coals”

Links & Resources
Back Row Newsletter

Amy Odell - Instagram

Ana Andjelic:
Instagram
The Sociology of Business (Newsletter)
The Business of Aspiration (Book)
Hitmakers (Book)

This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Amy Odell and Jonathan Voytko.


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Celebrity Brands: What Works, What Doesn’t (Goop, Rhode & More)

On this holiday episode of The Back Row Podcast, Amy Odell shares a special installment of Retail Confessions, featuring an anonymous interview with a former Harrods sales associate.

The interviewee discussed what it was really like working on the shop floor at one of the world’s most famous luxury department stores — from intense sales pressure and demanding clients to the unspoken rules of the über-rich. To preserve anonymity, the interviewee’s responses are read by Amy’s husband, Rick. 

Sign up for Back Row Premium to hear more episodes like this.
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Retail Confessions: Inside Harrods — Demanding Shoppers and the Rules of the Ultra-Rich

Amy Odell talks with model and writer Lauren Chan about what she calls a "recession of size inclusion" in fashion. After years of progress, brands are reverting back to casting “straight size” models by default —and the consequences go far beyond aesthetics.

Lauren shares a fashion week story that captures the problem perfectly: a major entertainment cover shoot featuring a size-12/14 talent had no designer samples available, Amy and Lauren discuss why it matters when the fashion industry ignores bigger bodies; how AI will affect body diversity in fashion; the impact of GLP-1s; and more. 

Follow Lauren Chan on Instagram. 

Follow Amy Odell on Instagram.

Subscribe to the Back Row newsletter.
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The Recession of Size Inclusion in Fashion (with Lauren Chan)

FOR PART TWO OF THIS PODCAST, sign up for Back Row Premium in Apple 
or Spotify. In part two, Amy gets Dana Thomas's thoughts on Emily in Paris after watching it for the first time; how French attitudes toward plastic surgery compare to those in America; and how the French feel about the Bezos billionaire lifestyle.

In this episode of the Back Row podcast, veteran fashion journalist Dana Thomas joins Amy Odell to talk about Emily in Paris! She reveals what it was really like to actually live the fantasy of moving to Paris at 18 years old to work in fashion, how it influenced her style, and how actual French fashion is so different from the show.

CHAPTERS  
00:00 Why Emily in Paris works as fantasy
01:30 Dana Thomas’s real “Emily in Paris” story
03:40 Modeling and learning French beauty and style rules
06:40 French chic vs. American cool
09:50 Life as a teenage model in the 1980s
12:00 Falling in love and moving to Paris
14:00 How French women actually dress
17:20 Scarves are very important 
22:30 The French style formula, explained
26:20 Handbags, pockets, and why French women don’t carry much
29:00 Men’s style in Paris vs. the "Emily in Paris" fantasy

Links & Resources:
Back Row newsletter

Amy Odell - Instagram

Dana Thomas
Instagram 
Deluxe (book) 
Gods & Kings (book) 
Fashionopolis (book) 
Style Files (newsletter) 


This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Amy Odell and Jonathan Voytko.
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Emily in Paris vs. Real French Style

Gwyneth Paltrow has long been known for promoting various wellness fads that drive experts crazy. Long before she was publicly singing the praises of raw dairy products, she would publish "detox" diets each January. These were the foundation of Goop's wellness business. In this excerpt from Amy's latest book Gwyneth: The Biography, hear about how Goop began, how its viral diet advice generated great controversy (along with invaluable notoriety) in its early days, and how health and medical experts felt about it all.

Get the full Gwyneth audiobook here.

Get Gwyneth: The Biography in hardcover or ebook here.

Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from Gwyneth by Amy Odell, read by Chante McCormick. Copyright © 2025 by Amy Odell. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. 


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How Gwyneth Paltrow's Extreme Diet Sparked a 'Detox' Craze

What can we glean about Condé Nast's politics from recent current events? Teen Vogue has been shuttered, but Vanity Fair's Trump 2.0 package was a journalistic achievement of the sort rarely seen these days. Anna Wintour is a known Democratic supporter and fundraiser, yet she's been cozying up to the Trump-supporting Bezoses for Met Gala money. Amy Odell is joined by comedians and cultural critics Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton, who host the highly addictive and excellent Good Noticings podcast, to figure out what this all says about Condé Nast right now. Plus, Melania Trump’s $40 million documentary, and how it ties back to all of this.

Chapters: 
0:00 – Welcoming the Good Noticings podcast
0:37 – Vanity Fair’s major Trump 2.0 article and what it says about Condé Nast
4:42 – Anna Wintour is leaning into controversy
6:30 – Why did the Trump team do the Vanity Fair story?
7:15 – Christopher Anderson’s photo spread
8:53 – The discourse around Karoline Leavitt’s lip filler
15:16 – Reacting to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos sponsoring the Met Gala 
25:34 – The fashion relevancy of Melania Trump’s $40 million documentary 
29:26 – Would Vogue put Melania on the cover? Speculation!
33:06 – How will controversy affect the Met Gala’s future?

Links & Resources:
Good Noticings Podcast

Apple⁠⁠

Spotify
TikTok: @goodnoticingspod
Instagram: @goodnoticingspodThe Olivia Nuzzi Good Noticings episode

Claire Parker Instagram: @clairethescare 
Ashley Hamilton Instagram: @ashleyhammm 



Back Row Newsletter

⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠

Amy Odell Instagram
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Anna Wintour, the Bezos Met Gala, and the Politics of Condé Nast (with Good Noticings)

Can a 2.5-hour artsy, originally scripted film open at the box office? The Marty Supreme cast is so determined to get us to the theater for this movie that they're wearing full monochromatic orange for promotional appearances. Gwyneth Paltrow is being strategic with her fashion choices in other ways, and helping daughter Apple's prospects in the process.



This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published Thursday, December 18, 2025.
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Gwyneth Paltrow's Strategic 'Marty Supreme' Fashion Game

World-renowned Real Housewives expert Dame Brian Moylan joins Amy Odell on the Back Row podcast to talk about Rachel Zoe's debut on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! They analyze what Rachel and Bravo gain from her joining the cast and why fashion people are so eager to get on this show. Then they recap all of Rachel's scenes in the first two episodes of season 15, and do some investigative journalism on Mauricio "Mo" Umansky's disturbing Chanel couch.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro to Dame Brian Moylan
02:41 - Why did Rachel join the cast?
07:26 - Why fashion people are joining Real Housewives
11:09 - Recapping Rachel's scenes in episode 1
12:38 - DOES MAURICIO HAVE A CHANEL COUCH?
13:28 - Why are all the Birkins unclasped?
27:11 - Rachel and Roger's shocking split
33:22 - Rachel cooks bacon and eggs
36:00 - What is Rachel implying about Roger's girlfriend?!


FOR PART TWO OF THIS PODCAST, sign up for Back Row Premium in ⁠Apple⁠ or ⁠Spotify⁠. In part two, Brian and Amy recap RHOBH season 15 episode 2 and play the game "Cast or Pass," in which Amy gives Brian a fashion person and he decides whether or not to fantasy cast them as Real Housewives.


Links & Resources:
Back Row newsletter
Follow Amy on Instagram

Brian Moylan 
Instagram
RHOBH Vulture recaps
The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives


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Rachel Zoe's 'Real Housewives' Debut (with Brian Moylan)

This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published December 9, 2025.



0:16 - Fashion enters its "great unsettling"

1:47 - Prada Group acquires Versace 

2:24 - Broader instability across the fashion industry

4:00 - Loose Threads news roundup
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Versace's Second Shocker and Fashion's Great Unsettling

Tech journalist and creator​ ⁨@TaylorLorenz⁩  joins Amy Odell on the Back Row podcast to explain how social media has completely reshaped fashion. From the backlash against fashion creators to why facts barely matter online, they dive into Vogue World, The Row's viral sample sale, and more.

Taylor, formerly at The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, now runs her own newsletter, podcast, and YouTube channel covering the creator economy.

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Amy Odell welcomes Taylor Lorenz
00:53 – Why fashion people are frustrated with social media
01:49 – Why audiences trust creators more than experts
02:42 – How algorithms reward outrage
03:36 – Why being first beats being accurate
04:25 – “Facts don’t matter”: the validation economy
05:55 – Platforms secretly boost and suppress creators
06:41 – Why follower count no longer matters
07:29 – The death of critics (and why creators can’t be honest)
08:15 – Will AI actually help creators?
11:40 – How creators really make money in 2025
12:38 – Advent calendars, meme marketing, and virality
14:23 – The Row sample sale goes viral 
16:55 – Can fashion brands control their image? (No.)
18:36 – The famous "Open letter to The Row"
19:32 – Brands vs creators: a toxic relationship
20:20 – Why brands can’t stop creators from posting
22:05 – Why chasing access will break your heart
22:49 – Anna Wintour’s decline and cultural relevance
25:08 – Vogue World and the struggle for relevance
26:41 – The Met Gala red carpet isn’t what it used to be
29:46 – The Devil Wears Prada prequel problem
30:38 – What it takes to survive online long-term
32:13 – Why Becca Bloom fascinates people
33:15 – The obsession with “capitalism slop”
34:07 – Hustle culture and the fantasy of success

Links & Resources:
Back Row newsletter
https://amyodell.substack.com

Amy Odell Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/

Taylor Lorenz
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenz
User Mag (Newsletter): https://www.usermag.co/
Power User (Podcast): https://open.spotify.com/show/5iganPXXEoTDB9lIQzY7Fh
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taylor-lorenzs-power-user/id1733535260

Creators / links mentioned
"Open Letter to The Row" (Neelam Noted): https://neelamahooja.substack.com/p/open-letter-to-the-row-we-need-to
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How Social Media Broke Fashion (and Everything Else)  with Taylor Lorenz

"Hermès playing cards are my go-to."



Chapters:

01:35 - VIC no. 1: The Expat Living in Dubai 

03:10 - VIC no. 2: The Personal Shopper for Upper East Siders

03:32 - VIC no. 3: The expat living in Hong Kong

05:31 - VIC no. 4: The New Yorker who's feeling  uninspired

06:42 - VIC no. 5: The Personal Stylist to Upper East Side Billionaires and Centi-Millionaires


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What Fashion's Wealthy 'Very Important Clients' Want and Gift for the Holidays

Fashion critic Rachel Tashjian joins Amy Odell to unpack the biggest shifts happening right now in fashion media. From Vogue’s future to the creator vs. critic debate, AI-generated fashion models, $26,000 Versace dresses, and why fashion discourse seems to be getting meaner.

Rachel, formerly the Fashion Critic at the Washington Post and now Senior Style Reporter for CNN, breaks down:

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro: Amy Odell welcomes Rachel Tashjian
00:21 – Rachel’s new role at CNN
02:34 – Why video matters in fashion journalism
03:54 – Are people still reading? Changing media habits
04:22 – Amy on books, audiobooks, and audience shifts
05:49 – The rising tension in fashion discourse online
07:16 – When commentary overshadows the clothes
08:22 – Algorithms flatten expertise in fashion
09:29 – Creators vs. traditional editors: a 15-year evolution
10:43 – Substack, TikTok, and where fashion criticism lives now
11:35 – Access, honesty, and the cost of true criticism
12:46 – Do creators need editors? The “no safety net” problem
13:19 – Dior controversy: when brands exclude influencers
14:31 – Should influencers follow critic standards?
15:35 – Does Vogue still matter in 2025?
17:06 – Why Vogue covers still trigger huge reactions
18:33 – Anna Wintour’s influence across culture
19:32 – How AI is about to transform fashion media
20:55 – Performative fashion vs. post-Instagram design
22:33 – Can AI replace fashion creators?
23:54 – AI’s role in fashion advertising and image-making
24:43 – Will AI replace human fashion voices?
25:31 – The future: will Vogue become just covers?
27:14 – The price conundrum: $26,000 dresses and who they’re for
28:55 – What fashion brands really want from the public
30:49 – TikTok’s misinformation problem in fashion
31:49 – The Vogue rumor and how fake fashion news spreads
31:57 – Three fashion creators Rachel loves
33:29 – Three fashion creators Amy loves

Links & resources:
Back Row newsletter
https://amyodell.substack.com



Amy Odell Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/

Rachel Tashjian
CNN announcement: https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/10/07/rachel-tashjian-joins-cnn-as-senior-style-reporter/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprophetpizza/

Creators mentioned
Kim Russell @TheKimbino: https://www.instagram.com/thekimbino/

Jay Tibbits: https://www.instagram.com/jaytibbitts/

Rashida Renée @:howtobeafuckinglady: https://www.instagram.com/howtobeafuckinglady/

Mandy Lee @OldLoserinBrooklyn: https://www.instagram.com/oldloserinbrooklyn/

Timothy Chernyaev @relaxitsonlyfashion on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relaxitsonlyfashion?lang=en

Fashion Roadman: https://www.youtube.com/@FashionRoadman/videos
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Is Vogue Still Relevant? Rachel Tashjian on Fashion’s Power Shift

Hype for The Devil Wears Prada 2 (out May 2, 2026) is already off the charts. In this special holiday episode, listen to an excerpt from Amy's book Anna: The Biography about how The Devil Wears Prada book and film came to be — and how Anna Wintour really felt about all of it. 

Listen to the Anna audiobook on: Spotify, Apple, or Audible. Or get the book in print here.

Amy's latest book Gwyneth: The Biography is also available in audio on: Spotify, Apple, or Audible. You can get the book in print here.

Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from Anna by Amy Odell, read by Imogen Church. Copyright © 2022 by Amy Odell. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
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The Devil Wears Prada: Anna Wintour and the Assistant Who Started It All

And a bunch of other pieces from her clothing line. This is my story. Check out the photos in the Back Row story.



2:16 - Trying the gray T-shirt and jeans

4:23 - Trying the legendary black pants

5:10 - The oversized gray suit

6:13 - The Blair midi dress (one with the rouching)


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I Tried Victoria Beckham's Gray T-Shirt

Brown may be the new black — but brands are the new cults. Amy talks to CUNY professor, author, and ex-marketing executive Dr. Mara Einstein about how brands exploit cult-like marketing tactics to get us to buy, particularly during events like Black Friday. They discuss the real reason brands pushed Christmas shopping before Halloween (!) this year; how brands get us to buy in a world where we're increasingly disconnected from each other; why the "attention economy" is really the "anxiety economy"; and more.

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro to Dr. Mara Einstein and her research
00:52 - How brands are like cults
04:43 - How the luxury industry employs scarcity marketing to get people to buy things like Birkin bags
06:59 - The power of scarcity marketing
09:52 - How the economic blackout might affect retailers on Black Friday in 2025
12:45 - How brands like Lululemon and Cos harvest your data
16:54 - Why the "attention economy" is really the "anxiety economy"
19:47 - How brands "rage bait"
28:32 - How fashion marketing got people to buy Lucky Strike cigarettes in 1934
35:03 - Dr. Einstein weighs in on the de-influencing trend 

Links & resources:
• Amy Odell's Back Row newsletter — 
• Get Dr. Mara Einstein's book: ⁠Hoodwinked⁠ How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults 
• Listen to Dr. Einstein's podcast, Hoodwinked in Apple: 
Or Spotify

Credits:
Produced by Amy Odell. Edited by Amy Odell and Jonathan Voytko. 

#FashionPodcast #BackRow #fashion #blackfriday #shopping
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Black Friday: How Fashion Brands Use Cult Tactics on You

The Atlantic staff writer and Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves author Sophie Gilbert joins Amy to talk about All's Fair. The new Ryan Murphy show starring Kim Kardashian has received uniformly dire reviews — yet has triumphed in the face of its badness with pretty respectable ratings. Is this the end of competency in culture? Did All's Fair's creators intend for this show to be so terrible? Plus what Kardashian's captivating blankness, on unflinching view in All's Fair, says about the state of culture today.



Chapters

00:00 Introduction: All's Fair and its reception

02:27 The show's themes and stars

05:02 Why the Kardashians took off as reality stars

06:53 All's Fair's depictions of plastic surgery and the Kardashian-Jenner influence on plastic surgery more broadly

11:54 Kris Jenner's 70th birthday party and depictions of extreme wealth in popular culture

20:02 Are we reaching the end of competence in culture, as we are in politics?

24:15 Why girlbossing is back

29:07 Comparing All's Fair's fashion to And Just Like That's

32:32 What does Ryan Murphy really think of women?

37:21 How Kim Kardashian is handling the show's scathing reviews

41:16 Sophie on the most surprising thing she found when researching her book 'Girl on Girl'

46:49 Sophie's thoughts on Lily Allen's astonishing new album about the dissolution of her marriage



Links and resources:

Get Sophie's book: Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves

Read Sophie's All's Fair review in The Atlantic.

Read Sophie's essay about how money is ruining television in The Atlantic.

Read Jill Filipovic's essay, "The End of Competence."

Read Amy's All's Fair fashion review or listen to it as a podcast in Spotify or Apple.
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Kim Kardashian’s Brand Is Blankness; ‘All’s Fair’ Is a Tacky Mess

In honor of Anna Wintour's last Vogue cover as editor-in-chief, featuring Timothée Chalamet, Amy counts down her top 10 most influential covers from over the course of her career. Which ones would you add to the list?

(0:23) Why Timothée's cover was a big surprise

(1:18) What the social media commenters said about the cover

(3:01) The cover countdown begins

(6:08) Countdown halfway point

(9:14) Anna's number-one most influential cover

(10:08) Back Row commenters weigh in on Amy's list and make their picks

(12:20) Loose Threads (fashion news highlights) featuring All's Fair's terrible reviews, Kris Jenner's birthday party, and more.

This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published November 11, 2025.

Links & resources:

• Amy Odell's Back Row newsletter

• Anna: The Biography, by Amy Odell

• "Ugly clothes for ugly times" by Raquel Laneri
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Anna Wintour's 10 Most Influential Covers

Amy interviews Marisa Meltzer, author of It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin, about how Birkin became one of the most famous fashion icons of the sixties. Marisa talks about how she became the inspiration and namesake for the Hermès Birkin bag, and whether or not she was ever paid for this distinction. She also reveals how Birkin really felt about the Birkin bag becoming more famous than her — and much more.


(1:19) An excerpt from the audiobook of Amy's latest book, Gwyneth: The Biography
(2:52) Jane Birkin's early life and upbringing, including how she met her husband John Barry when she was 17; and how she ended up moving from London to Paris and meeting Serge Gainsbourg
(6:55) Birkin's significance as an icon of Swinging 1960s London
(8:28) Birkin was an It girl in the pre-tech age. Can you reverse-engineer being an It girl today? Or does the algorithm sap people of the required mystery?
(12:09) How romantic relationships vault It girls like Birkin and Gwyneth Paltrow. 
(14:14) The Birkin bag origin story.
(18:57) Did Hermès unfairly co-opt Birkin's name for a massively profitable bag? How did she feel about it?
(22:16) How much Hermès paid Birkin for use of her name.
(25:57) How Birkin handled aging out of her It girl status. (Or did she become an It dame?)
(31:00) Was Jane Birkin ambitious?
(32:34) Amy and Marisa play a game: It girl or not an It girl? Featuring: Alix Earle, Lauren Sánchez, Anna Wintour, Apple Martin, and more.

Links & resources:


  
Amy Odell's Back Row newsletter  

  
It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin, by Marisa Meltzer 

  Listen to Amy's book Gwyneth: The Biography in Apple, Spotify, and Audible.

  Check out Amy's biography of Anna Wintour, Anna: The Biography.


Credits: Produced by Amy Odell. Edited by Amy Odell and Jonathan Voytko. 
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Was Jane Birkin Unfairly Commodified by Hermès?

Amy sits down with Ryan Bailey, host of So Bad It's Good, to analyze Victoria Beckham's Netflix docu-series. They discuss how it compared to David Beckham's docuseries and RJ Cutler's docs about Martha Stewart and Anna Wintour; what makes Victoria so appealing; what the show blatantly left out; and how the Victoria Beckham fashion line is actually performing as a business. 

For more, follow So Bad It's Good with Ryan Bailey. 

Follow Ryan on Instagram and YouTube.

Read Amy's earlier review of Victoria Beckham in Back Row.

Time stamps:

(00:00) Introduction to Ryan Bailey and His Podcast

(01:09) Exploring the Beckham Docu-Series

(04:36) Family Dynamics and Tabloid Drama

(06:42) Victoria Beckham's Media Presence

(08:26) Victoria Beckham's Fashion Journey

(12:00) Insecurities in Celebrity Culture

(15:53) Business Success and Challenges

(21:17) Victoria Beckham's Fashion Brand and Industry Respect

(22:51) Target Audience and Market Positioning

(25:13) Body Image and Fashion Industry Challenges

(27:03) The Pressure of Being a Nepo Baby

(29:43) Owning Privilege and Public Perception

(30:48) The Future of Celebrity Brands

(34:24) Comparative Analysis of Celebrity Documentaries
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Victoria Beckham's Netflix Show: Infomercial or Documentary? With Ryan Bailey

The Row's sample sale just wrapped in New York City.  The slew of haul vlogs fans of the brand posted after pillaging the sale resulted in some of the best content involving influencers since the Fyre Festival. What do these tell us about the brand and the current state of shopping culture? Amy explores.

This story originally appeared in the Back Row newsletter.

Also discussed in the show:

The only The Row haul parody you need.

Amy's earlier reporting on The Row from Back Row: Can the Olsens Make The Row the Next Hermès?

Banana Republic is GOOD, friends. Check out this shirt dress and this button-down.
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The Row's Sample Was WILD

Avery Trufelman, the host of the Articles of Interest podcast, talks to Amy  about her new season, how the military influenced gorpcore and modern preppy clothing, Greta Lee's new Vogue cover, and more.

This is an extended version of the Back Row newsletter that published on October 21.
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Avery Trufelman on the Origins of Modern Menswear and Gorpcore

Amy Odell (author of Gwyneth: The Biography) interviews Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, stars and creators of the hit play with music, Gwyneth Goes Skiing — a send-up of the 2023 trial involving Gwyneth Paltrow and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson. 

Amy talks about her interview with Terry Sanderson for her book; Linus and Joseph talk about their research process for the play; props (yes, they visited the Goop store); and why this viral courtroom moment translated so well to the stage. Gwyneth recently discussed Amy's book in British Vogue, and the three discuss that, too.

Guests: Linus Karp & Joseph Martin

🔗 Links & Resources
• Buy Gwyneth: The Biography

• Listen to Gwyneth: The Biography in Spotify
• Gwyneth Goes Skiing tickets / info (NYC → Aspen → LA)

Support the Show
• Follow Back Row: https://amyodell.substack.com/
https://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/
• Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@amy_odell

00:00 — Intro: 'Gwyneth: The Biography' + 'Gwyneth Goes Skiing'
00:29 — How Gwyneth and Terry Sanderson ended up in court
01:40 — A preview of 'Gwyneth Goes Skiing'
03:30 — Research: the play and the book
09:00 — Portraying Terry Sanderson & Gwyneth Paltrow
18:00 — Goop store visit & props
22:00 — Amy recalls interviewing Terry Sanderson
28:00 — Discussing Gwyneth's response to 'Gwyneth' in British 'Vogue'
31:00 — Closing thoughts 

Credits
Host and producer: Amy Odell
Editing: Amy Odell and Jonathan Voytko
Recorded October 17, 2025
Photos: Anna Clare (Courtesy of Awkward Productions)
Video: Courtesy of Awkward Productions
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Does Gwyneth Paltrow Wish Me Well?

Amy reviews Victoria Beckham's new Netflix documentary, which sheds light on how she went from maligned tabloid star to the founder of her own fashion brand — and how she made over her image to earn the industry's respect. Plus, "Loose Threads" about Anna Wintour, Victoria's Secret, and more.



This episode originally ran in the Back Row newsletter.



Subscribe to Back Row on YouTube for more stories like this.
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The Untold Story of Victoria Beckham's Brand

Amy is joined by Dana Thomas, fashion journalist and New York Times bestselling author of Deluxe, to pick spring 2026 Fashion Month Awards. Categories include: Most Baffling Success; Best Debut; Most Polarizing Collection; and more. 



For more stories like this, subscribe to the Back Row newsletter and Amy's YouTube channel.

Get more from Dana Thomas in her Style Files newsletter.

Books referenced: Amy's Anna: The Biography; Dana's Gods & Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano
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Fashion Month Awards: Spring 2026

Amy reviews designer Matthieu Blazy's historic debut collection for Chanel. 



This podcast is based on this issue of her Back Row newsletter.



Also referenced: this "Retail Confessions" column where a former Chanel sales person talks about what it was really like working in the store selling to some of the world's wealthiest people.






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The Verdict on Chanel!

Well, it happened. At long last, Jonathan Anderson showed his first Dior women’s collection. 



Is everyone happy now? Well, not really.



Read this story in Back Row and see the images discussed.
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Jonathan Anderson's Dior Debut: The Response!

I’m Amy Odell. You may know me from writing New York Times best-selling biographies of Anna Wintour and Gwyneth Paltrow. Or my first book, Tales from the Back Row: An Outsiders View from Inside the Fashion Industry.



I'm turning my popular Back Row newsletter into a podcast, covering everything from what's happening at luxury brands like Dior and Loro Piana, to trends in athleisure, to pop culture phenomenons like Emily in Paris or the Barbie movie.
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