Statement Piece

You may have seen the photos from billionaire Michael Rubin's star studded Fourth of July bash in the Hamptons. You might have also wondered who is this man? Why are all these celebs wearing white? And don't all their outfits kinda suck? Sophie and Sita bring out the haterade as they attempt to answer all these questions, delving into the history of white parties and sharing their controversial opinions how to wear white 

When a free trip to China, a fast fashion giant, and a crew of up and coming influencers collide, what could go wrong? In this timely ep, the girls unpack the Shein trip lighting up social media. Touching on the allure of freebies, the business of influencing, and shady marketing tactics, Sita and Sophie grapple with the idea that convenience comes with a cost

Sophie and Sita take on the world of dupes aka less expensive versions of popular products. But what's the line between dupe and counterfeit?  Why is Gen-Z so obsessed with this trend? And how did the line between duper and duped be so hard to find? 

They say money talks and wealth whispers, but what happens when those whispers go viral on TikTok? This week, the girls are talking about quiet luxury, the decidedly unrelateable trend featured in Succession and Gwenyth Paltrow's ski trial. But is quiet luxury even new? Why do rich people want to dress this way? And, most importantly, why does everyone else want to dress this way too?

From Kaia to Kendall, what celebrity isn't a nepo baby these days? In this super-sized episode the girls look at the history of nepotism in fashion going back to monarchs and robber barons while breaking down what exactly defines a nepo baby and why the public is obsessed with them. 

Birkin Bags have been a top status symbol among the ultra wealthy for decades, but is their reign coming to a close? This episode, hosts Sophie and Sita break down the bag's history, its cultural significance, and whether its value will last. 

Grab your rackets and your polos, girlies! In this episode, Sita and Sophie break down fashion's long standing relationship with tennis from its early days as a upper-crust social sport to its sliiiightly more liberal (and practical) dress codes nowadays. Of course, discussion veers towards the sport's undisputed GOAT, Serena Williams, and how her sartorial impact will likely be felt for years to come. 

This week Sita and Sophie tackle Crocs- one of the most ubiquitous and controversial shoes in fashion. The girls breakdown the history of the shoe, their cult appeal, and attempt to answer once and for all whether Crocs are the ugliest shoe of all time.

We're back with a new season and new cohost, Sophie Hayssen. This week we reflect on our fashion histories, what cultural factors have influenced our styles, and where our styles stand today.

We explore brand building with Frontman co-founders Annelise Hillman and Nick Bunn, zeroing in on how men's beauty is expanding and why companies like Frontman are on the forefront of consumer behavior shifts. Treat acne with Frontman: https://befrontman.com/

We explore AI's role in fashion with the Trendify team, who constructed an algorithm that can detect where you can buy an item of clothing solely based upon a screenshot of that item. We also take a look at how tech, fashion, and sustainability intersect.

Pojo walks us through her career as a model and how she’s navigated growing her own brand, Models that Eat, as a safe space for models dealing with eating disorders, body image issues, and other social dilemmas within the modeling industry.

We analyze what makes certain trends controversial and whether or not one should partake in them, zeroing in on birkenstocks, slides, utility vests, and more.

Audrey Hilfiger brings us through her journey from organizing business to flower arrangements and finally to Wonderland Home. We discuss the importance of ethical manufacturing, knowing your ingredients, and making products with intention.

We review Dior, Iris Van Herpen, Valentino, and more, examining how their spring pieces reflect society's current circumstances and trends.

We sit down with Varshini, who has been working at TikTok since 2018. She started working with some of the first fashion creators on the platform and has since become a creative producer. We also reflect on the South Asian experience and representation in American media.

We sit down with Zak Heath, a men’s beauty TikTokker, to discuss his thoughts on natural makeup looks, the men’s beauty industry, and how British and American beauty standards intersect.

This week, the Culture Critic podcast host, Nethmi, reflects on her life in Australia and perception of American culture, politics, and more.

We investigate 2020 trends like white wellies and North Face jackets, attempting to shape our thoughts on what will be popular in 2021.

This week, we talk to Courtney Reed about her fellowship in India and China exploring the human hair trade, the origins of her company Initial Cut, and wigs’ rise to popularity in pop culture.

This week, we uncover the sociology of gift giving, including its history, its origination, how it manifests itself as a love language, and how COVID-19 has impacted the practice of it.

This week, we discuss the foundation and operation of the vintage upcycling brand, Ugly B*tch Enterprise, with two of their four co-founders, Mira and Lauren.

We discuss the ramifications of faux fur, how its developed, its usage in high fashion, and how minks' susceptibility to COVID-19 has impacted fur in fashion.

We explore the foundation of Object Limited, a curated vintage reselling and styling platform, and the implications of vintage reselling.

This week, we discuss the fashion archetypes’  socioeconomic implications and origination, covering VSCO girls, cottage core, dark academia, and more.

We uncover the history of wigs in different cultures, how wig hair is sourced, why we use wigs, and how they have shaped contemporary fashion and pop culture.

Tara walks us through her time at Wellesley, starting her career at Google, pursuing her passion by founding her own company, and modeling, including how she got her first modeling opportunity with Rick Owens.

This week, we explore HBO’s “Euphoria,” reflecting on its cinematography, character development, and costume and make up design--character by character.

Journalist, Fashion Blogger, DJ, New Zealander, and I Like You Founder Isaac Hindin-Miller walks us through his career as a hairdresser, journalist, fashion blogger, influencer, TikTokker, and more, reflecting on how the nature of social media and virality has changed throughout 2020, networking in the entertainment industry, and how he built his own brand, I Like You.

G. Celestine, the owner and designer of Soulmates Never Die, joins us to talk about androgyny and gender fluidity in fashion, in addition to how she balances being an entrepreneur and serving in the Navy.

We uncover how Dr. Kirten Parekh came to be a medical influencer as @prescriber on TikTok and built out his investment portfolio in the cannabis industry with the company, Space Coyote. We additionally reflect on how wellness has infiltrated the beauty industry and how to interact with healthcare-related media without a medical background.

We reflect with Content Creator Lexie Lombard on how YouTube has changed throughout the decade that she has been on the platform, her popular quarantine series, her thoughts on cancel culture, and Youtube’s influence on fashion.

Sita and Kathryn walk through trends that they’ve noticed recently, highlighting the trends’ potential origination, their thoughts, and if they themselves would partake.

We explore how the fashion brand, Naso’s Founder and CEO Uyi Omorogbe harnessed TikTok and its algorithm to build out his clothing brand’s awareness and cause, garnering notoriety as the TikTokker behind the series “P*ssing Off My African Parents.” We additionally walk through Naso’s brand narrative, including how it came to collaborate with Banana Republic and fund education for Nigerian residents.

We speak with Twitter activist, freelance fashion writer, creative, and law student Samantha Haran (@decouturize) on her involvement in the virtual met gala, how eliminating seasons in fashion can lead to sustainable practices, the paradox of fashion journalism, and how capitalism plays a role within it all.

We walk through hip hop stars’ historic influences on fashion, including Vanessa Simmons’s own influence through her experiences on the television show, “Run’s House” and being the creative director of the brand, Pastry. We also highlight Vanessa’s career as CEO of Sugar Me and Glitter & Lace, in addition to her passions for clean beauty and women in business.

Get to know more about us as we answer some of your most pressing questions, celebrating the end of our first season and the beginning of our second. Follow us on Instagram @statementpiecepod, TikTok @statementpiecepod, Twitter @StatementPiece_, Facebook and LinkedIn ("Statement Piece: The Podcast") to get more updates about future episodes!

We reflect on Man Repeller Global Sales Director Jasmin Aujla’s career before and within the fashion publication, Man Repeller, zeroing in on her most recent article, “Netflix’s ‘Indian Matchmaking,’ Unpacked by 4 South Asian Women.” We inquire about South Asian representation in media, reflect on cultural differences between being Indian in the United States, United Kingdom, and India, concluding with a reflection on multicultural family dynamics.

We walk through Diandra Barnwell’s career in fashion, journalism, and entertainment, including her experiences at Cosmopolitan Magazine and on the show, “So Cosmo.” We highlight how she got to her present involvements in philanthropy, activism, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, we discuss how tokenism has impacted Diandra and how institutions can limit their complicity.

We analyze findings from the 2020 Boston Consulting Group x Highsnobiety report, “Culture Culture Culture: Quantifying What Matters Most to the New Fashion & Luxury Consumer” and the 2018 Highsnobiety report “The New Luxury: Buying In is the New Selling Out” by Train Trunzo, Jian DeLeon, and Emily Dreesen. We answer what the New Luxury mindset is and how we ourselves invest in subcultural knowledge and pay a premium to feel included in cultural conversation. To read the papers, check out our Instagram @statementpiecepod, Twitter @StatementPiece_, and LinkedIn and Facebook pages, “Statement Piece: The Podcast.”

We discuss TikTokker $ERIC’s (@MoneySignEric) creative process, how he won the Chipotle x David Dobrik challenge and received free access to Chipotle for a year, how COVID-19 has impacted his content creation, and how activism interacts with TikTok. Finally, we conclude with analysis on a potential federal TikTok ban.

Kathryn recalls her experience as an extra in a music video, leading us to discuss the idea of labor in the entertainment and fashion industry. First, we review the trade-off of time and skills experienced in unpaid internships. We continue to examine unpaid modeling work, the effects of the pandemic, and the potential growth for unions within the modeling industry. Last, we emphasize the need for worker-driven protection agreements to ensure that every worker is happy and healthy.

With Trishna, a pre-dental former Pop Talk radio host, we explore American body politics, or the ways in which society regulates, controls, and struggles with the human body. We unpack how coronavirus may impact cosmetic surgery procedures and how that relates to the age of the “Instagram face.”  Furthermore, we discuss body politics’ intersectionality with Tik Tok culture, race, age, culture, data, governmental politics, and personal finances, specifically women’s investment in their own bodies.

We are analyzing recent and predicted mergers and acquisitions within the beauty and fashion industries. First, we cover Coty’s stake in KKW Beauty and discuss investment deals within the Kardashian and Jenner family. We relate these to 7 fashion industry trends from IMAP’s M&A Fashion Report from 2017. We look at growing demand for influencer personalities and established technology frameworks. Next, we consider potential future M&A deals and the significance of designers' families’ histories within fashion companies. Finally, we conclude that fashion and beauty are different in how they function, interact with each other, and how the economy responds to them.

We are assessing greenwashing accusations against H&M and prison labor’s perils in the fashion industry. Then, we speak with Arrow + Phoenix Swimwear Founder and Creative Director Kayla Bell about the intersectionality of social and environmental issues in fashion and how she built her business to be as sustainable as it can be.

We are discussing the commodification of Pride Month as well as expanding on the idea of performative allyship within different fashion brands, ranging from Louis Vuitton to Converse. Next, we question this year’s decrease in buyers’ consumption of Pride products and finish the episode by highlighting Olivier Rousteing and Balmain’s most recent campaign. Some virtual pride events that you can attend include those on myGwork, Attitude Magazine’s website, Animal Crossing, and Reddit.

We are examining big brands’ responses to calls for greater diversity and inclusion and Black executives’ roles in uplifting Black talent, highlighting Edward Enninful, Jide Zeitlin, Virgil Abloh, Aurora James, Sharon Chuter, and more.  Some Black-owned fashion and beauty brands that you can shop at include Jam + Rico, Tier, Wasi Clothing, Savage x Fenty, Fenty, Kaike, and Pat McGrath Labs.