Podcasts about Versace

Date: 12/9/2025 Designed to keep you informed without the fluff, this series delivers sharp, essential updates to help you stay ahead in fashion and business. This week, Bret and Emily discuss changes at Versace, Stella McCartney x H&M, and Pantone's Color of the Year. #clothingbrief #fashionnews

Legal scholar Elizabeth Chamblee Burch focuses on three women with mesh implants who were targeted, manipulated, and violated—at their own expense. Through the searing stories of Sharon Gore, Barbara Shepard, and Jerri Plummer—middle-aged women separated by geography, education, and socioeconomic factors—Burch sheds light on not only the injustices of mass torts, which she describes as “personal-injury litigation on steroids,” but also the indignities endemic in women's healthcare.  Drawing on more than 150 interviews conducted over two years, backed by 209,000 pages of documentation, THE PAIN BROKERS is at once a critical work of public service journalism and a real-life thriller. As Burch unfolds each level of the scheme, readers meet: Vincent Chhabra, a Versace-clad entrepreneur and architect of Alpha Law, LLC—which, despite its name and partnerships with some actual lawyers, was a call center. Headquartered at 1000 Corporate Drive in south Florida, Alpha Law employed nearly two hundred operators in headsets who capitalized on patients' private medical records, obtained through a data breach in India, to make unsolicited calls to vulnerable women with mesh implants, including Sharon, Barbara, and Jerri.      Blake Barber, a hulking ex-paralegal with a flamingo pink goatee who turned women's medical fears into cash for third-party funders by orchestrating a ruthless “concierge service” that flew terrified patients to Florida chop shops to have their mesh removed. Dr. Christopher Walker, a Jamaican-born urogynecologist known by his Instagram handle @Dr.Downtown who, after losing his savings in a Ponzi scheme, went from inserting mesh to extracting it at breakneck speed for seven times his normal fee—a feat made possible by refusing to accept women's insurance and forcing them to sign liens against their future settlement proceeds.  J.R. Baxter, a newly minted small-town Arkansas lawyer and passionate crusader for justice who, against daunting odds, represented Sharon, Barbara, and Jerri, as well as 180 other women.And finally, J.R. 's unlikely ally, Barbara Binis, a seasoned Philadelphia defense attorney hired to do financial damage control for a mesh manufacturer who devoted nearly four years to uncovering the mass-tort scheme.           Centered on three women who went through the mesh mill, THE PAIN BROKERS exposes the profit-hungry scammers and unscrupulous doctors whom they trusted.           Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.

On this episode of National Disability Radio, we sit down with award-winning recording artist, advocate, and author Lachi for a powerful conversation about disability pride, music, and unmasking. Lachi shares her journey, from navigating the music industry as a blind artist, to founding RAMPD, a coalition amplifying disability culture across the industry. We talk about what it means to say “I identify as blind,” move beyond the medical and social models of disability into a cultural model rooted in identity and joy, and remind listeners that no one can defeat someone who hasn't given up. From glam canes to Grammy stages, this episode is about claiming space, rejecting internalized ableism, and turning perceived flaws into flexes. Transcript: Alden Blevins: It’s Lachi? I feel very- Lachi: Lachi like Versace. Alden Blevins: Lachi like… Oh, I love that. Michelle Bishop: That is the best way to explain it. Lachi: I mean, but you know what I’m saying? Come on. Alden Blevins: Well, we’re really excited about having you today because we’re all music lovers in this group here. Michelle Bishop: Yes. Alden Blevins: We talk about music all the time. Michelle Bishop: So much. Lachi: Good, good, good, good, good, good, good. I’m in the right place. Michelle Bishop: Hi everyone. Welcome back to National Disability Radio, the official podcast of the National Disability Rights Network. I am Michelle Bishop, 1/3 of your podcast hosting team. Stephanie Flynt McEben: And I’m Stephanie Flynt McEben, public policy analyst here at NDRN. Alden Blevins: I am Alden. I am a communication specialist at NDRN and I am so excited today, like I mentioned, we’re all lovers of music, so we got a guest that I’m really excited about. Lachi is an award-winning recording artist and a recording Academy Grammy’s national trustee. She’s also a disability advocate who’s been breaking barriers in the music industry and beyond. She’s the founder of RAMPD, which by the way, is such a fun play name. I really love that. And the author of the upcoming book, I Identify as Blind. So without further ado, Michelle, you’ve got some questions to kick us off, I think. Michelle Bishop: Yes. We’re so excited to have you with us. As Alden said, we are. We’re huge music lovers. I’m pretty sure we spend most of our meetings where we allegedly plan this podcast just talking about music. So you’re absolutely in the right place today, but to get us started, I mean, you’ve been open about the fact, and I’m just really interested in this as a disability rights podcast. You’ve been really open about the fact that it took you some time to really embrace your identity as a blind and disabled woman, especially in the industry that you’re in that often really rewards conformity. Can you tell us a little bit more about that journey for you, both as an artist and as someone navigating just the world with a disability? Lachi: Okay. Yeah, for sure. Hey, everybody. Lachi here, Lachi like Versace. I am a Black woman with cornrows, chilling here in New York in my studio. I also identify as blind, I identify as neurodivergent, and I identify as an Aries. So do with that what you will. Michelle Bishop: All the important points right there. Lachi: All the important points like name, age, sign. Thank you. Okay. Yeah, but I’m really glad to be here. And thank you for that question, and thank you for having me. So music has always been a very integral part of my life of growing up. Where other babies would kick in the womb, when she was pregnant with me, I was playing the piano in the womb. I don’t know how she got a piano in there, but she’s not a liar, so I’m going to take her word for it. When I was super-duper young, I didn’t really have a lot of friends, especially because of the fact that I had differences and this and that. And so I would take to music to, I guess, understand the world better and have the world understand me better. I just knew how to express myself through song and it just said the things I needed to say. It was the prayer I needed. And because of music, I started to find confidence in how to speak and how to behave and how to act. And as I got older, when I was growing up, disability was not necessarily a thing people talked about a lot in schools and teachers didn’t know what to do. My parents didn’t really know what to do. And so I would always just turn to music. It’s actually right now I’m working on a children’s album because I think that kids need to hear music that has to do with disability and neurodivergence, as well as their parents as they grow up. When I got into college, I started wanting to do music, but I studied business and finance because when I told my parents I wanted to do music, they were like, “That’s not how you spell doctor.” because they are Nigerian immigrants and everybody else in my family went to either med school and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, “No, I want to do music.” But I did get a day job after school, after college, and didn’t love it because this girl is not going to exist behind a desk. So I ended up going to South by Southwest and I got signed actually from playing the guitar at a hole in the wall spot that nobody was at, except for this A&R apparently. So we got signed to an imprint under EMI, which was a major label back then, and we started touring and music then became my life. Now today, why wouldn’t I pay my respects back to music? I mean, it’s because of music that I was able to really lean into who I am, my disability, my confidence, et cetera. So because of that, because of how much music has given to me in my life, I’m here using music to give back to other people with disabilities. Now, your question was essentially, how do you sit here and try to bring about change for disability in an industry that is not only about conformity, but also about like, “Hey, pick me to exploit.” is essentially what the music industry is. You’re raising your hand to be exploited and that’s what kind of authenticity is that? But at the end of the day, music is some of the truest forms of storytelling. And I think to myself, just the way that hip hop has amplified Black culture and the way that country music has amplified rural culture and the way that different global musics have represented different global cultures. I want to use music to amplify disability culture. I want to use music to amplify disability stories and feelings that are difficult to put words to, that are words of the soul, which is essentially what music is. And so I started going to studios and realizing things weren’t as accessible as they should be. I started speaking with organizations and realizing things weren’t as inclusive as they should be. And the response I kept getting was like, “Oh, well, there’s nobody with a disability in the music industry, so why would we make these measures?” And so I have made it my life’s goal through RAMPD, which by the way, the best thing we ever accomplished was our acronym, not us working with the Grammys to get sign language on the red carpet, not us getting these partnerships with title, Live Nation, Spotify. I mean, we’ve done so much, not just for artists, but also for professionals. And we’ve started to realize something really interesting with the work we’ve done with RAMPD. We are getting people joining our membership who are director level folks, who are label owners, who are like the big wigs that write the checks, and they’re like, “I’m neurodivergent. I’m actually hard of hearing. I have a TBI.” And so when I originally set out, they said, “We don’t do disability inclusion because nobody’s disabled.” That was three years ago. Now I’m like, not only are there neurodivergent and disabled music professionals out here, but we all are. So really to conclude, it’s just that everyone is navigating trying to make it out in this world, but everyone’s masking. Everyone feels that they have to change some part of themselves to be as close as they can to what success looks like, be as close as they can to what “beauty” looks like, what winning looks like. But really all it is internalized ableism. And I say, as soon as we drop that internalized ableism and we really start to sit in who we truly are and we start to recognize our perceived flaws as flexes, that’s when we truly start to win. And so that’s what we’re finding out with RAMPD, that people are like, “You know what? I’m tired of navigating this difficult industry with the added layer of having to mask.” And so that’s why I do what I do. Michelle Bishop: Yes. And honestly, as ridiculous as it sounds that they say to you, “Oh, there aren’t any people with disabilities.” When I tell you, we see that in everything that we do. I do voting work at NDRN and we’ll have elections officials tell us, “This polling place isn’t accessible, but there aren’t any people with disabilities that vote here.” And it’s like, “What? You realize we’re everywhere and we do all sorts of things.” Maybe the reason they think there’s no people with disabilities here is because they’re stuck outside and they can’t get in because you didn’t make it accessible, just a thought. But I mean, it sounds like coming up against all that is really, correct me if I’m wrong, helped you to develop that identity and that disability pride in the industry. When did you first say, “I identify as blind.” and what did that mean for you? Lachi: Well, so when I first came into really doing the disability thing, really leaning in, I wanted to find out more influencers or thought leaders and such with disabilities. I didn’t really know that many people. This is pre COVID, 2018, 2019, that kind of thing. And so I came across an influencer, her name is Molly Burke, and we’re great friends now, but I didn’t know her back then. I had just seen her tagline and it had said, “I’m Molly Burke and I’m a YouTuber who happens to be blind.” And for some reason I was like, “I don’t know if I love the happens to be blind thing.” I was like, “Well, I’m proud of being blind. Blindness is part of my identity. I don’t just happen to be a woman. I don’t just happen to be a Nigerian. I don’t just happen to be all of the things I am.” And so I would go to… I was touring… We’re always touring and every time I tour and do a show, I do a comedic open where I just introduce myself, I do a quick self-description, et cetera. And in my self-description, I would say, and I don’t just happen to be blind. My blindness is part of my identity, has given me all of the opportunities I have, and it’s really made me a deeper blah, blah, blah. It was just too long. So I had punched it up to be, “My name is Lachi like Versace. She, her, I’m a Black woman with cornrows and I identify as blind.” And the interesting thing about that is people took onto it. They were like, “Oh, that’s cool, nice and punchy.” But whenever I would say it in front of a large crowd or like I’ve said it on interviews or during commercials, I would get this weird, I don’t know, pushback of like, you can’t identify as blind. Blindness is an identity. It’s a medical condition. Or they’ll be like, “Do you read braille or not?” Or they’ll be like, “We don’t want people to think trans blindness is a thing where you just have a blind identity.” And then you can be like, “Well, I’m blind today, so that’s my identity.” And I thought that was really fun. I was like, “Look, everybody’s upset. They’re talking about blindness though.” So I really leaned all the way into it. And I have to say, I am super proud of my disability identity. Was it music that brought me there? I think in a sense and in a way, like today I have a few songs, you guys are music lovers, I have a few songs out that really talk about my disability pride. I think that a lot of the times as we navigate the world, masking our disability, masking our chronic condition, our difference or whatever, we end up overcompensating. We end up building up this really, really thick problem solving muscle or this really, really thick how to get around things muscle and we overcompensate. When we’re finally accommodated, when we finally get to a place where we’re accommodated or we have the tools we need, we’re coming in like bulk as hell. We’re coming in with problem solving muscles. We’re coming in with all of these things that we had to build up because of navigating the world differently, because of every day working through this very difficult maze that is living a life unaccommodated, then when we finally are accommodated, then we are killing it and crushing it. And how could you not be proud of that? How can that not give you a sense of pride? So the songs that I would love for you guys to check out that are mine is I have a song called Life on Hard, which has gone viral several times on Instagram. I’m known as an Instagram rapper, which is like, what? Hello, I do disability advocacy. Look at that stuff. But anyway, so I have a song called Life on Hard, which is essentially about just winning the game of life, playing it on the hardest setting out here while people are still trying to consult the manual. I have another song called Professional, which is oftentimes when I walk on the stage, people see the cane and they’re like, “Aw, she’s going to do a song for us. Is this from Make a Wish Foundation?” And then I bust out these raps or I hop on the piano and I go ape on this piano and then they’re like, “Oh, snap. What? Okay.” And I’m like, “Bro, I’m a professional artist. I’m not object for pity to make you feel good because you felt weird on a Monday and you didn’t feel like getting up for work, but it’s like, she could do it. So can I.” I’m like, “No, I can do it. You most likely probably just can’t.” So that’s what that song’s about. And then there’s The Bag, and The Bag is just essentially like, I’ve been told no so much like, “No, you can’t. No, you’re not good enough. No, we don’t want you.” And I’m like, “You know what? Yes, I am good enough and I deserve everything. So I’m going to throw everything I deserve in the bag, which is everything.” I don’t know. I would not be the person I am if I didn’t love all parts of myself. And that includes my disabilities, that includes my neurodivergences and all of the other wacky, weird body jazz that I bring with me everywhere I go. Michelle Bishop: Lachi, can we maybe, do you and I just FaceTime each other every morning and hype each other up? Stephanie Flynt McEben: I was literally about to say the same thing. I would like in on a true call. Michelle Bishop: I don’t know if you know. Actually, I want to say quickly, I know some of those songs actually from social media, but they’re real. They’re so real. So people haven’t heard music, go check it out. I don’t know if you know one of our co-hosts, Stephanie is blind. You’re speaking directly to her soul right now. Stephanie Flynt McEben: I literally just texted them in our podcast group text and I was like, she’s totally speaking to my soul RN, but of course I don’t want to interrupt anything. Michelle Bishop: No, I know you’re dying to talk to her about the book, Stephanie, and take it away. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yeah, no, absolutely, for sure. And as somebody who is blind and who also identifies as a blind person and definitely does not identify with the medical model of disability, clearly gotten to more of a social model. But yeah, in terms of going through that journey of accepting all of who you are and everything about yourself, for me, I mean, it took a minute, especially when you’re talking about your experiences as a child and I totally feel that. I was that girl playing the harmonica on the jungle gym by herself. Anyway, this is about you. This is not about me, but I’m just saying that I totally relate to you on a spiritual level. And given that, I would love to know, were there any particular moments when it came to writing the book that were particularly hard or healing? Because I mean, I think that we all know that it’s not always a linear journey. Some days are going to be harder than others. And so would love to get your perspective on that. And I think that our listeners would be interested. Lachi: Yeah, absolutely. The journey for me has been one of constantly unwrapping this amazing gift. I always try to use that as the visual, if you will, of you have this big present and you get to unwrap it and then you just keep getting something cooler inside and then you get to unwrap that and you get something cooler inside and you just keep unwrapping this beautiful gift that is yourself. But you don’t realize that when you first get the box, the amazing stuff that’s going on inside, and it takes time to get to it. So a lot of times growing up, I would kick myself in the butt of, I wish I had come to this when I was so much younger. I wish there were people out there when I was younger, role models that I could look up to when I was eight years old and pointing on the TV and saying like, “Okay, well, I mean, I understand that Ray Charles existed, but that’s not going to…” Stephanie Flynt McEben: Stevie Wonder is here, Ray Charles is here, but we need more of us. Hello. Lachi: We need more of us. Hello. Exactly. And so this time and place where I am right now is where I needed to be for this to work. So I can’t really kick myself in the butt of like, “I wish I had this. I wish I knew this so much earlier. I would’ve been so much further.” That kind of thing. You have to be where you got to be where you need to be. Even right now, this conversation we’re having right now is going to have been necessary for the next thing that is happening in our lives. And just the other day, I was hanging out with Queen Herby, who’s been one of my favorite more modern rappers. I just did a thing with Apl.de.ap. I have done some stuff with Black Caviar. Folks that I’ve looked up to, I’m having the opportunity to Snoop Dogg. I’m having the opportunity to work with these days because of the fact that I am here at the right time now. So when I was writing my book, we were peeling back all the layers. I’m a generally very positive and energetic, social butterfly type of person today. But it’s interesting, I wasn’t always this person and I had to unpack all the layers to get there. One of the biggest things that happens to me, so I’ve always been low vision. So I was born with relatively low vision and it stayed the same throughout my teens and early 20s. But one day I woke up and my sight was just gone. Boom. So the interesting thing is anybody listening would be like, “Oh my God, if I woke up and my sight was gone, I would just die or I would not know what to do. My life would be over.” Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yep. Heard that a million times. Yes. Lachi: But for me, it was weird because I was already low vision, so I was going from level one to the underwater level or whatever. So it wasn’t like that life changing of a thing. I was already using screen readers or Zoom text. I was already doing stuff of that nature. So I wake up blind and I’m just like, “Okay, I guess this is it. This is the day that they told me was coming.” What had ended up happening was my corneas had erupted. And so I went to the doctor and he was like, “You’re going to become completely blind. You’re going to go from this much worse vision than you’ve had to complete blindness over the course of time.” So here you go, here’s a coupon. Bye.” or whatever. So I’m like, all right. So I had decided at that moment that I wanted to start a bucket list. So I was like, okay, what are all the things I’ve always wanted to do before completely going completely blind? So I was like, let me go skydiving, let me go spolunking, let me go meet with people, meet with celebrities and just do all of the things I’ve always wanted to do before I lose my vision. So I went out and I did it. This is still me doing it. This is still me doing it. And so I say that because to people who say if I ever went blind, I would just die. Well, when I went blind, it made me want to live. And that’s what opened me up into being this person that I am today. Stephanie Flynt McEben: That is amazing. I genuinely love that. Lachi: We talk about charity model and propping disabled folks up as tools of pity. We talk about medical model, which is really just waiting around for cure, making the cure the hero. We talk about social model, which is a really good place to live in the sense of things are impairing if they’re not accessible. Society is impairing if it’s not inclusive. But honestly, if I have all of the things, like if I have all my tools, if I have all that I need and if folks are inclusive, then I’m still blind, but I’m not impaired. But I like to go a little step further into what is the cultural model. And so the cultural model is it’s not just a discussion of what society should and shouldn’t do. It’s actually a celebration of what you gain as a person who identifies with their disability or their neurodivergence, the things they need to overcompensate because they’re navigating the world a little differently, leaning into that. So let’s say for instance, deaf culture, sign language, and the fact that folks can have complete discussions outside of what we’re talking about, there is so much deaf pride out in these streets, that is a celebration of culture that comes out of disability. And for me, let’s say for instance, I have ADHD and it powers my one million and counting ideas. I have diagnosed OCD, which helps me carry out all those one million and counting ideas. I have diagnosed general anxiety disorder, which gives me my empathy and my excitement. And then I am blind, which when I have the tools I need, it gives me drive. It keeps me determined, it keeps me focused, and it gives me my dope ass glam canes. There was a girl and her mom, and she came up to me after a show and she was like, “Oh my God, your music was great.” I was like, thank you. She’s like, “Mommy, can I get one of those canes?” And then her mom was like, “Ugh, well, you have to be blind.” And I’m like, “Yeah, girl, you better want to be me.” Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yeah. We drive sticks. Anyway, sorry. Lachi: Yes. You know what? I speak softly and I carry a big old stick. Thank you. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yes. Amen to that. Exactly. As somebody who considers themself a lifelong disability advocate, I never really thought about it in the sense of going beyond the social into the cultural. So thank you so, so much. We all learn something new every single day on this podcast, but I’d love to know a little bit more about, obviously you were very, very, very good at talking through these experiences in such a way that they are very relatable and easy to understand and that thing. So I’d love to pick your brain about the intended audience of your book. Who did you write it for? Other blind folks? Did you write it for, was it written for multiple audiences? Lachi: Yeah, honestly, I wrote it for the person who is masking. I wrote it for anyone who is tired of… Listen, let me put it like this. Let’s face it, disability is boring, a lot of the time it’s sad and it’s compliancy. We have to go the extra mile to make it fun because the actual truth of it is that the only reason it’s boring, sad, and compliancy is because society has kept it that way through its collective internalized ableism. And so my book is actually a humor book. It’s a pop culture book. It’s a comedy book. In fact, when we were talking to the publisher, it’s like, we should be putting this up against other comedic books, not necessarily disability books because it’s a book. I got so many jokes. I have dad jokes, they’re corny jokes, I have rap bars. I rap in a lot of the book just because I was like, “Hey, this rhymes.” I’m going to say it like a rap. We’re doing the audiobook right now, so I actually get to wrap it, which is really fun. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Oh, that is so cool. Oh my gosh. Lachi: Which is really, really fun. But really, honestly, what the book is what everything I do is it is using joy, soul, pop culture, jokes, humor, fashion, and just a really good time to celebrate disability, as well as community. So what you’ll find in this book is my story through my story, through historical deep dives, through interviews with some really, really cool popular figures and a really big deep dose of disability joy. And so a lot of folks who have disabilities, they will read this book and they’ll be energized. It’ll be like, “This is really great. I’m glad that I finally get to read a book that talks about disability in a positive way.” For blind specific folks, they might relate to a few of my stories because I talk about the day I woke up blind, I talk about when I went skydiving blind, I talk about just some of my interesting blind moments. But then I also talk about how I would go to red carpets and not know how to talk to anybody. So I’m in this amazing room with all these celebrities I can’t see and I’m just sitting on the wall. So I talk about some of the hard times too as well. But at the end of the day, really what the book is is an invitation in for somebody who feels a little different, a little awkward, has to mask, and just needed that invite in to talk about disability in a fun, joyful, celebratory way, to recognize that yes, that thing in you that’s different, that thing in you that society has told you you should view as a weakness and hide, you should be proud of. And I say this to people all the time. I say it in the industry, I say it to all my friends, I say it to anyone who will listen. I say it to my local barista and they come back and they say things like, “Oh my God, I’m so glad you said it that way. It turns out I have a titanium hip and I’ve never told anybody about that.” And that’s the vibe. The vibe is someone who was like, “I really needed this to be said to me this way, and now I am able to step all the way into my disability identity.” Alden Blevins: I love, especially what you said about joy. I feel like for me as an autistic person, my experience in the arts is that it is really a space where people who maybe don’t belong in other spaces or don’t feel like they belong in other spaces or are made to feel like they don’t belong in other spaces. I think that a lot of them really do find a safe space in music, in the arts, in theater. And I just wanted to ask, why do you think the music space is such a special one for you and why do you think it’s a place where other people with disabilities seem to flock together as well? Lachi: I mean, you hit the nail on the head. Counterculture, I mean, music often rewards counterculture. And then it eventually becomes mainstream and then we got to rebel against that. So music is a place where your soul can speak. And I think a lot of the times with disabilities, especially autism for me, I’m ADHD, OCD, a different neurodivergence situation, but a lot of the issue is communication. We don’t know how to say exactly what we need or whoever we’re talking to just doesn’t know how to hear what we’re saying. And so I think that what music does is it allows a soul to speak to a soul. A lot of the times music does this thing where you’ll be listening to a song and you’ll just be like, “That, that right there. That’s what I it me. That’s the thing I’m feeling.” type deal. Music has the ability to do that. And so for me, right now, this children’s album that I’m working on, the kids’ album, which is an album that is essentially R&B, pop, electronic, sort of the genres that I dance in for kids centered on disability and neurodivergence. Because what I want to do is be able to say, “Hey, I want you to point at that and say, that’s me.” And I think the easiest and quickest way to point at something and say, “That’s me also.” has been music. And so it’s why it’s been my strongest medium. Again, it’s not my only medium. I’m talking to folks through the book, I’m talking to folks through fashion, et cetera, et cetera. But again, music has been just the quickest, easiest point A to point B conversation easer, if you will, about disability. Another thing I also love to use is humor and comedy. So I make jokes all the time. They’re all bad. They’re all very not good jokes. I need to probably get a joke writer, but the fact that I’m having such a good time telling the jokes, I think I think is all that really matters. So I think both music and humor are just really, really great spaces for two people to get to relate to something that may be difficult to talk about. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yo, if you need a joke writer, I’m your girl. I actually do a joke every single episode of this podcast. Michelle Bishop: Her jokes are not better than yours, Lachi. Don’t hire her. Stephanie Flynt McEben: My jokes are pretty bad. They’re worse than dad’s jokes. They’re like granddad jokes. Alden Blevins: Yeah. Stephanie is the queen of the jokes on our podcast. She always brings one through. Didn’t know that you were working on a children’s music album, and I think that’s really interesting. I actually used to be a teacher, so children’s music is something that’s near and dear to my heart. So I just wanted to ask, what would you want to tell to younger people with disabilities, younger disabled creatives about claiming space and being able to tell their own stories? Lachi: Well, one thing that I heard from someone else, I don’t remember who it was. I think it was- Michelle Bishop: Jordan? Lachi: Yes, Jordan. He’s the one that said this. Michelle Bishop: I love him. Lachi: Yeah, he’s so funny. I met him at a… What did I meet him at? The Webby Awards or something. But anyway, no one can ever defeat someone who hasn’t given up. And for some reason that hit me, and I don’t even think he was trying to say it that deep. He was just saying a joke or something. But I took that and it was like, no one can ever defeat someone who hasn’t given up. So at the end of the day, you are really the only one who can end whatever you’re trying to get. Because as long as you are still going for it, it is still still there. It’s like a Schrodinger’s cat. It’s like as long as you’re still running for it, that opportunity is still there for you to have. The opportunity is never lost as long as you’re still going for it. And people can tell you, people can take your shoulders and tell you to go right. People can take your shoulders and tell you to go left. But until you take your own shoulders and go in the direction that your heart, your soul, your passion, your fire, desires, that is when you truly begin to live. And so I say personally, lean into that. I hear from a lot of younger, especially creators with disabilities. I mentor a lot of folks, tons and tons of folks. It’s one of the things I love to do the most. But what I love to tell folks is you are going to be the best you. And that you is going to include all of the different parts of who you are, but it is especially going to include you leaning in to the things that make you different and unique as unique selling points. Earlier I talked about how people try so hard to be the “definition of beauty”, definition of success, definition of whatever. Everyone’s trying to be this reference man. Everyone’s trying to be as close as they can to the reference man. And if I’m as close as I can to the reference man, then I’ll be successful or then I’ll get this job or then I’ll get this gig. But the truth of the matter is when we look at all of the people that are doing all of the big things, they’re “eccentric”. They’re “weird”. They did some big different idea that no one was thinking about and everybody fell into their trend. The further away you are from the reference man, that is when you start to win. That is when you’ll start to see success. That is when you’ll start to feel much better about yourself. That is when you can wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say, “I am fine.” When you are able to accept all of those different freckles of yourself that are as far away from the reference man as possible, because guess what? There is room outside of the barrel for everyone to win if they are all being their unique self and running their unique purpose. That’s what I would tell to young disabled creators. Michelle Bishop: That’s amazing. Almost feel like we should stop there, but I have so many follow-up questions. Lachi: Listen, I’m here to drop as many mics as they will let me keep breaking. Michelle Bishop: I was wondering how you see the conversation around disability and inclusion and evolving these days. And a lot of our listeners are people with disabilities or people who have other even multiple intersecting identities in which they experience barriers as well. What does allyship look like to you? Lachi: This is one of my favorite questions. So yes, we have folks with disabilities and we have folks who want to work with people with disabilities, want to help a friend with a disability, want to make sure they don’t say the wrong thing to a person with a disability, neurodivergence, chronic condition, mental health condition. That’s not an ally. Wanting to help a person with a disability is not an ally. To me, wanting to support someone with a disability, that’s an ally in the very basic definition of allyship. Here’s what I think an ally is. To answer the question, I got to do two things. One, talk about the disability umbrella. So the disability umbrella encompasses so many forms of disability. It is neurodivergence, which is ADHD, dyslexia, OCD. It is mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar. It is someone who learns a little differently. It is someone who has explosive situations like anger management. It is someone who has substance abuse disorder, maybe somebody who drinks too much or uses different substances. It is chronic back pain. You know what I’m saying? It is asthma. It is EDS. It’s POTS. It is long COVID. It is different complications that you gain after pregnancy. It is different complications that you gain as you age. It is different complications you gain through menopause. It is temporary. It is breaking your arm and wearing a cast. It is seasonal depression. There is nobody on this earth that is not within the disability umbrella. And I don’t mean that you’re going to grow into it. I don’t mean in the future. I mean right now. Whether you identify as a person with a disability or not, you have disability identity because you have experience in your body disability. And when you figure that out, then you’re an ally. Allyship is seeing yourself through the other person because you can’t look through someone else’s eyes unless you can see yourself in them. And you can’t see yourself in disability until you recognize the disability identity within yourself. All of a sudden, and I say this and people are like, “What? I say this, but I’ve seen this. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve seen people who did not associate themselves with any form of disability or anything and they’re just like, Oh, them. Oh, I’ll help them. We have a conversation and then we have a follow-up conversation and then we’re drinking and then all of a sudden they’re telling me all their disabilities and then they’re walking a little different when they encounter disability. It’s no longer a them thing. And so that’s what an ally is. People with disabilities are also allies. I am an ally to the deaf community because I recognize though I’m not deaf, I see the having to navigate the world differently in you of myself. So that’s how I define an ally. An ally is someone who understands their own disability identity and can see it in others. Michelle Bishop: Don’t mind me over here just taking notes. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Literally. Oh my gosh. Lachi, thank you so, so, so much for being with us and taking time. I know that your website, lachimusic.com is one of the places where folks can stay up to date on all of the latest and greatest things that you’re up to. Is there anything else in particular you would like to plug for our listeners? Lachi: Like you said, LACHI, L-A-C-H-I M-U-S-I-C. I’m on the internets everywhere. Instagram, Spotify, check out the old music. If you’re a creator, a music creator or professional with a disability, check us out at RAMPD, R-A-M-P-D.org. Or if you want to donate or if you want to partner with us over at RAMPD, please do. If you are a cane user, whether you’re a blind cane user or you use Mobility Cane, check out glamcanes.com, get your canes bejeweled. I Identify as Blind, our book is out on Penguin Random House, imprint called Tiny Reparations by Phoebe Robinson, who is also a comedian. So we’re out here all writing very funny books. So please check it out. And lastly, listen, try to find moments in your day of disability joy. And when you find that moment, take a picture of it or write it down so that you can go back to it and live for those moments. So thank you guys so much for having me on this podcast. It’s really been a blast getting to talk at you about all things I identify as blind. Alden Blevins: I love it. I was over here taking notes too because I just found so much of myself in what you were saying and so many things were poignant and empowering. I, as an autistic person, try to be an ally to other parts of the disability community myself. And that’s something where I’m always trying to put myself in the shoes of another person and what they might experience. So I think that’s really powerful. We were so grateful to be able to connect and learn more about you, Lachi. Lachi: Yes, yes, yes. So honored to be here, guys. Michelle Bishop: Before you head out, Lachi, do you want to hear one of Stephanie’s grandpa jokes? Lachi: I was going to say, I was like, “Let’s hear one of these granddad jokes.” Let me see. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Okay. This might be- Michelle Bishop: Okay, do it. Stephanie Flynt McEben: … a granddad joke. Okay. Where do spiders like to get their information? Lachi: The web? Michelle Bishop: That would be something to do with web. Stephanie Flynt McEben: But what kind of web? Lachi: Wow. Really? You are fired from being my comedy writer. You are fired to be my comedy writer. I was rooting for you too. I was like, let’s just… Please. Stephanie Flynt McEben: I wouldn’t even get to the punchline yet. Michelle Bishop: Worldwide web? Stephanie Flynt McEben: It is the worldwide web. Michelle Bishop: Oh. Stephanie Flynt McEben: It’s fine. It’s fine. My wife warned me not to tell that joke this month and I didn’t lose it. Michelle Bishop: Oh my gosh. I’m so glad you stuck around for that part. Lachi: As I live and breathe. Thank you guys so, so much. This has been so much fun and I will see who else I can tell that joke to. And go ahead and just to help you out, Stephanie, I’ll go ahead and embarrass myself by telling that joke to others. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Not my best work, but that is allyship. Yes. Michelle Bishop: Oh my gosh, Lachi, thank you so much. And everyone, please lachimusic.com. Check it out. Listen to the music, read the book. Alden Blevins: Speaking of the worldwide web, this has been National Disability Radio. We celebrate stories, leadership, and talent of people with disabilities. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation with us on that worldwide web at ndrn.org or anywhere you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks for listening and until next time. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Bye.

On this episode of National Disability Radio, we sit down with award-winning recording artist, advocate, and author Lachi for a powerful conversation about disability pride, music, and unmasking. Lachi shares her journey, from navigating the music industry as a blind artist, to founding RAMPD, a coalition amplifying disability culture across the industry. We talk about what it means to say “I identify as blind,” move beyond the medical and social models of disability into a cultural model rooted in identity and joy, and remind listeners that no one can defeat someone who hasn't given up. From glam canes to Grammy stages, this episode is about claiming space, rejecting internalized ableism, and turning perceived flaws into flexes. Transcript: Alden Blevins: It’s Lachi? I feel very- Lachi: Lachi like Versace. Alden Blevins: Lachi like… Oh, I love that. Michelle Bishop: That is the best way to explain it. Lachi: I mean, but you know what I’m saying? Come on. Alden Blevins: Well, we’re really excited about having you today because we’re all music lovers in this group here. Michelle Bishop: Yes. Alden Blevins: We talk about music all the time. Michelle Bishop: So much. Lachi: Good, good, good, good, good, good, good. I’m in the right place. Michelle Bishop: Hi everyone. Welcome back to National Disability Radio, the official podcast of the National Disability Rights Network. I am Michelle Bishop, 1/3 of your podcast hosting team. Stephanie Flynt McEben: And I’m Stephanie Flynt McEben, public policy analyst here at NDRN. Alden Blevins: I am Alden. I am a communication specialist at NDRN and I am so excited today, like I mentioned, we’re all lovers of music, so we got a guest that I’m really excited about. Lachi is an award-winning recording artist and a recording Academy Grammy’s national trustee. She’s also a disability advocate who’s been breaking barriers in the music industry and beyond. She’s the founder of RAMPD, which by the way, is such a fun play name. I really love that. And the author of the upcoming book, I Identify as Blind. So without further ado, Michelle, you’ve got some questions to kick us off, I think. Michelle Bishop: Yes. We’re so excited to have you with us. As Alden said, we are. We’re huge music lovers. I’m pretty sure we spend most of our meetings where we allegedly plan this podcast just talking about music. So you’re absolutely in the right place today, but to get us started, I mean, you’ve been open about the fact, and I’m just really interested in this as a disability rights podcast. You’ve been really open about the fact that it took you some time to really embrace your identity as a blind and disabled woman, especially in the industry that you’re in that often really rewards conformity. Can you tell us a little bit more about that journey for you, both as an artist and as someone navigating just the world with a disability? Lachi: Okay. Yeah, for sure. Hey, everybody. Lachi here, Lachi like Versace. I am a Black woman with cornrows, chilling here in New York in my studio. I also identify as blind, I identify as neurodivergent, and I identify as an Aries. So do with that what you will. Michelle Bishop: All the important points right there. Lachi: All the important points like name, age, sign. Thank you. Okay. Yeah, but I’m really glad to be here. And thank you for that question, and thank you for having me. So music has always been a very integral part of my life of growing up. Where other babies would kick in the womb, when she was pregnant with me, I was playing the piano in the womb. I don’t know how she got a piano in there, but she’s not a liar, so I’m going to take her word for it. When I was super-duper young, I didn’t really have a lot of friends, especially because of the fact that I had differences and this and that. And so I would take to music to, I guess, understand the world better and have the world understand me better. I just knew how to express myself through song and it just said the things I needed to say. It was the prayer I needed. And because of music, I started to find confidence in how to speak and how to behave and how to act. And as I got older, when I was growing up, disability was not necessarily a thing people talked about a lot in schools and teachers didn’t know what to do. My parents didn’t really know what to do. And so I would always just turn to music. It’s actually right now I’m working on a children’s album because I think that kids need to hear music that has to do with disability and neurodivergence, as well as their parents as they grow up. When I got into college, I started wanting to do music, but I studied business and finance because when I told my parents I wanted to do music, they were like, “That’s not how you spell doctor.” because they are Nigerian immigrants and everybody else in my family went to either med school and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, “No, I want to do music.” But I did get a day job after school, after college, and didn’t love it because this girl is not going to exist behind a desk. So I ended up going to South by Southwest and I got signed actually from playing the guitar at a hole in the wall spot that nobody was at, except for this A&R apparently. So we got signed to an imprint under EMI, which was a major label back then, and we started touring and music then became my life. Now today, why wouldn’t I pay my respects back to music? I mean, it’s because of music that I was able to really lean into who I am, my disability, my confidence, et cetera. So because of that, because of how much music has given to me in my life, I’m here using music to give back to other people with disabilities. Now, your question was essentially, how do you sit here and try to bring about change for disability in an industry that is not only about conformity, but also about like, “Hey, pick me to exploit.” is essentially what the music industry is. You’re raising your hand to be exploited and that’s what kind of authenticity is that? But at the end of the day, music is some of the truest forms of storytelling. And I think to myself, just the way that hip hop has amplified Black culture and the way that country music has amplified rural culture and the way that different global musics have represented different global cultures. I want to use music to amplify disability culture. I want to use music to amplify disability stories and feelings that are difficult to put words to, that are words of the soul, which is essentially what music is. And so I started going to studios and realizing things weren’t as accessible as they should be. I started speaking with organizations and realizing things weren’t as inclusive as they should be. And the response I kept getting was like, “Oh, well, there’s nobody with a disability in the music industry, so why would we make these measures?” And so I have made it my life’s goal through RAMPD, which by the way, the best thing we ever accomplished was our acronym, not us working with the Grammys to get sign language on the red carpet, not us getting these partnerships with title, Live Nation, Spotify. I mean, we’ve done so much, not just for artists, but also for professionals. And we’ve started to realize something really interesting with the work we’ve done with RAMPD. We are getting people joining our membership who are director level folks, who are label owners, who are like the big wigs that write the checks, and they’re like, “I’m neurodivergent. I’m actually hard of hearing. I have a TBI.” And so when I originally set out, they said, “We don’t do disability inclusion because nobody’s disabled.” That was three years ago. Now I’m like, not only are there neurodivergent and disabled music professionals out here, but we all are. So really to conclude, it’s just that everyone is navigating trying to make it out in this world, but everyone’s masking. Everyone feels that they have to change some part of themselves to be as close as they can to what success looks like, be as close as they can to what “beauty” looks like, what winning looks like. But really all it is internalized ableism. And I say, as soon as we drop that internalized ableism and we really start to sit in who we truly are and we start to recognize our perceived flaws as flexes, that’s when we truly start to win. And so that’s what we’re finding out with RAMPD, that people are like, “You know what? I’m tired of navigating this difficult industry with the added layer of having to mask.” And so that’s why I do what I do. Michelle Bishop: Yes. And honestly, as ridiculous as it sounds that they say to you, “Oh, there aren’t any people with disabilities.” When I tell you, we see that in everything that we do. I do voting work at NDRN and we’ll have elections officials tell us, “This polling place isn’t accessible, but there aren’t any people with disabilities that vote here.” And it’s like, “What? You realize we’re everywhere and we do all sorts of things.” Maybe the reason they think there’s no people with disabilities here is because they’re stuck outside and they can’t get in because you didn’t make it accessible, just a thought. But I mean, it sounds like coming up against all that is really, correct me if I’m wrong, helped you to develop that identity and that disability pride in the industry. When did you first say, “I identify as blind.” and what did that mean for you? Lachi: Well, so when I first came into really doing the disability thing, really leaning in, I wanted to find out more influencers or thought leaders and such with disabilities. I didn’t really know that many people. This is pre COVID, 2018, 2019, that kind of thing. And so I came across an influencer, her name is Molly Burke, and we’re great friends now, but I didn’t know her back then. I had just seen her tagline and it had said, “I’m Molly Burke and I’m a YouTuber who happens to be blind.” And for some reason I was like, “I don’t know if I love the happens to be blind thing.” I was like, “Well, I’m proud of being blind. Blindness is part of my identity. I don’t just happen to be a woman. I don’t just happen to be a Nigerian. I don’t just happen to be all of the things I am.” And so I would go to… I was touring… We’re always touring and every time I tour and do a show, I do a comedic open where I just introduce myself, I do a quick self-description, et cetera. And in my self-description, I would say, and I don’t just happen to be blind. My blindness is part of my identity, has given me all of the opportunities I have, and it’s really made me a deeper blah, blah, blah. It was just too long. So I had punched it up to be, “My name is Lachi like Versace. She, her, I’m a Black woman with cornrows and I identify as blind.” And the interesting thing about that is people took onto it. They were like, “Oh, that’s cool, nice and punchy.” But whenever I would say it in front of a large crowd or like I’ve said it on interviews or during commercials, I would get this weird, I don’t know, pushback of like, you can’t identify as blind. Blindness is an identity. It’s a medical condition. Or they’ll be like, “Do you read braille or not?” Or they’ll be like, “We don’t want people to think trans blindness is a thing where you just have a blind identity.” And then you can be like, “Well, I’m blind today, so that’s my identity.” And I thought that was really fun. I was like, “Look, everybody’s upset. They’re talking about blindness though.” So I really leaned all the way into it. And I have to say, I am super proud of my disability identity. Was it music that brought me there? I think in a sense and in a way, like today I have a few songs, you guys are music lovers, I have a few songs out that really talk about my disability pride. I think that a lot of the times as we navigate the world, masking our disability, masking our chronic condition, our difference or whatever, we end up overcompensating. We end up building up this really, really thick problem solving muscle or this really, really thick how to get around things muscle and we overcompensate. When we’re finally accommodated, when we finally get to a place where we’re accommodated or we have the tools we need, we’re coming in like bulk as hell. We’re coming in with problem solving muscles. We’re coming in with all of these things that we had to build up because of navigating the world differently, because of every day working through this very difficult maze that is living a life unaccommodated, then when we finally are accommodated, then we are killing it and crushing it. And how could you not be proud of that? How can that not give you a sense of pride? So the songs that I would love for you guys to check out that are mine is I have a song called Life on Hard, which has gone viral several times on Instagram. I’m known as an Instagram rapper, which is like, what? Hello, I do disability advocacy. Look at that stuff. But anyway, so I have a song called Life on Hard, which is essentially about just winning the game of life, playing it on the hardest setting out here while people are still trying to consult the manual. I have another song called Professional, which is oftentimes when I walk on the stage, people see the cane and they’re like, “Aw, she’s going to do a song for us. Is this from Make a Wish Foundation?” And then I bust out these raps or I hop on the piano and I go ape on this piano and then they’re like, “Oh, snap. What? Okay.” And I’m like, “Bro, I’m a professional artist. I’m not object for pity to make you feel good because you felt weird on a Monday and you didn’t feel like getting up for work, but it’s like, she could do it. So can I.” I’m like, “No, I can do it. You most likely probably just can’t.” So that’s what that song’s about. And then there’s The Bag, and The Bag is just essentially like, I’ve been told no so much like, “No, you can’t. No, you’re not good enough. No, we don’t want you.” And I’m like, “You know what? Yes, I am good enough and I deserve everything. So I’m going to throw everything I deserve in the bag, which is everything.” I don’t know. I would not be the person I am if I didn’t love all parts of myself. And that includes my disabilities, that includes my neurodivergences and all of the other wacky, weird body jazz that I bring with me everywhere I go. Michelle Bishop: Lachi, can we maybe, do you and I just FaceTime each other every morning and hype each other up? Stephanie Flynt McEben: I was literally about to say the same thing. I would like in on a true call. Michelle Bishop: I don’t know if you know. Actually, I want to say quickly, I know some of those songs actually from social media, but they’re real. They’re so real. So people haven’t heard music, go check it out. I don’t know if you know one of our co-hosts, Stephanie is blind. You’re speaking directly to her soul right now. Stephanie Flynt McEben: I literally just texted them in our podcast group text and I was like, she’s totally speaking to my soul RN, but of course I don’t want to interrupt anything. Michelle Bishop: No, I know you’re dying to talk to her about the book, Stephanie, and take it away. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yeah, no, absolutely, for sure. And as somebody who is blind and who also identifies as a blind person and definitely does not identify with the medical model of disability, clearly gotten to more of a social model. But yeah, in terms of going through that journey of accepting all of who you are and everything about yourself, for me, I mean, it took a minute, especially when you’re talking about your experiences as a child and I totally feel that. I was that girl playing the harmonica on the jungle gym by herself. Anyway, this is about you. This is not about me, but I’m just saying that I totally relate to you on a spiritual level. And given that, I would love to know, were there any particular moments when it came to writing the book that were particularly hard or healing? Because I mean, I think that we all know that it’s not always a linear journey. Some days are going to be harder than others. And so would love to get your perspective on that. And I think that our listeners would be interested. Lachi: Yeah, absolutely. The journey for me has been one of constantly unwrapping this amazing gift. I always try to use that as the visual, if you will, of you have this big present and you get to unwrap it and then you just keep getting something cooler inside and then you get to unwrap that and you get something cooler inside and you just keep unwrapping this beautiful gift that is yourself. But you don’t realize that when you first get the box, the amazing stuff that’s going on inside, and it takes time to get to it. So a lot of times growing up, I would kick myself in the butt of, I wish I had come to this when I was so much younger. I wish there were people out there when I was younger, role models that I could look up to when I was eight years old and pointing on the TV and saying like, “Okay, well, I mean, I understand that Ray Charles existed, but that’s not going to…” Stephanie Flynt McEben: Stevie Wonder is here, Ray Charles is here, but we need more of us. Hello. Lachi: We need more of us. Hello. Exactly. And so this time and place where I am right now is where I needed to be for this to work. So I can’t really kick myself in the butt of like, “I wish I had this. I wish I knew this so much earlier. I would’ve been so much further.” That kind of thing. You have to be where you got to be where you need to be. Even right now, this conversation we’re having right now is going to have been necessary for the next thing that is happening in our lives. And just the other day, I was hanging out with Queen Herby, who’s been one of my favorite more modern rappers. I just did a thing with Apl.de.ap. I have done some stuff with Black Caviar. Folks that I’ve looked up to, I’m having the opportunity to Snoop Dogg. I’m having the opportunity to work with these days because of the fact that I am here at the right time now. So when I was writing my book, we were peeling back all the layers. I’m a generally very positive and energetic, social butterfly type of person today. But it’s interesting, I wasn’t always this person and I had to unpack all the layers to get there. One of the biggest things that happens to me, so I’ve always been low vision. So I was born with relatively low vision and it stayed the same throughout my teens and early 20s. But one day I woke up and my sight was just gone. Boom. So the interesting thing is anybody listening would be like, “Oh my God, if I woke up and my sight was gone, I would just die or I would not know what to do. My life would be over.” Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yep. Heard that a million times. Yes. Lachi: But for me, it was weird because I was already low vision, so I was going from level one to the underwater level or whatever. So it wasn’t like that life changing of a thing. I was already using screen readers or Zoom text. I was already doing stuff of that nature. So I wake up blind and I’m just like, “Okay, I guess this is it. This is the day that they told me was coming.” What had ended up happening was my corneas had erupted. And so I went to the doctor and he was like, “You’re going to become completely blind. You’re going to go from this much worse vision than you’ve had to complete blindness over the course of time.” So here you go, here’s a coupon. Bye.” or whatever. So I’m like, all right. So I had decided at that moment that I wanted to start a bucket list. So I was like, okay, what are all the things I’ve always wanted to do before completely going completely blind? So I was like, let me go skydiving, let me go spolunking, let me go meet with people, meet with celebrities and just do all of the things I’ve always wanted to do before I lose my vision. So I went out and I did it. This is still me doing it. This is still me doing it. And so I say that because to people who say if I ever went blind, I would just die. Well, when I went blind, it made me want to live. And that’s what opened me up into being this person that I am today. Stephanie Flynt McEben: That is amazing. I genuinely love that. Lachi: We talk about charity model and propping disabled folks up as tools of pity. We talk about medical model, which is really just waiting around for cure, making the cure the hero. We talk about social model, which is a really good place to live in the sense of things are impairing if they’re not accessible. Society is impairing if it’s not inclusive. But honestly, if I have all of the things, like if I have all my tools, if I have all that I need and if folks are inclusive, then I’m still blind, but I’m not impaired. But I like to go a little step further into what is the cultural model. And so the cultural model is it’s not just a discussion of what society should and shouldn’t do. It’s actually a celebration of what you gain as a person who identifies with their disability or their neurodivergence, the things they need to overcompensate because they’re navigating the world a little differently, leaning into that. So let’s say for instance, deaf culture, sign language, and the fact that folks can have complete discussions outside of what we’re talking about, there is so much deaf pride out in these streets, that is a celebration of culture that comes out of disability. And for me, let’s say for instance, I have ADHD and it powers my one million and counting ideas. I have diagnosed OCD, which helps me carry out all those one million and counting ideas. I have diagnosed general anxiety disorder, which gives me my empathy and my excitement. And then I am blind, which when I have the tools I need, it gives me drive. It keeps me determined, it keeps me focused, and it gives me my dope ass glam canes. There was a girl and her mom, and she came up to me after a show and she was like, “Oh my God, your music was great.” I was like, thank you. She’s like, “Mommy, can I get one of those canes?” And then her mom was like, “Ugh, well, you have to be blind.” And I’m like, “Yeah, girl, you better want to be me.” Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yeah. We drive sticks. Anyway, sorry. Lachi: Yes. You know what? I speak softly and I carry a big old stick. Thank you. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yes. Amen to that. Exactly. As somebody who considers themself a lifelong disability advocate, I never really thought about it in the sense of going beyond the social into the cultural. So thank you so, so much. We all learn something new every single day on this podcast, but I’d love to know a little bit more about, obviously you were very, very, very good at talking through these experiences in such a way that they are very relatable and easy to understand and that thing. So I’d love to pick your brain about the intended audience of your book. Who did you write it for? Other blind folks? Did you write it for, was it written for multiple audiences? Lachi: Yeah, honestly, I wrote it for the person who is masking. I wrote it for anyone who is tired of… Listen, let me put it like this. Let’s face it, disability is boring, a lot of the time it’s sad and it’s compliancy. We have to go the extra mile to make it fun because the actual truth of it is that the only reason it’s boring, sad, and compliancy is because society has kept it that way through its collective internalized ableism. And so my book is actually a humor book. It’s a pop culture book. It’s a comedy book. In fact, when we were talking to the publisher, it’s like, we should be putting this up against other comedic books, not necessarily disability books because it’s a book. I got so many jokes. I have dad jokes, they’re corny jokes, I have rap bars. I rap in a lot of the book just because I was like, “Hey, this rhymes.” I’m going to say it like a rap. We’re doing the audiobook right now, so I actually get to wrap it, which is really fun. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Oh, that is so cool. Oh my gosh. Lachi: Which is really, really fun. But really, honestly, what the book is what everything I do is it is using joy, soul, pop culture, jokes, humor, fashion, and just a really good time to celebrate disability, as well as community. So what you’ll find in this book is my story through my story, through historical deep dives, through interviews with some really, really cool popular figures and a really big deep dose of disability joy. And so a lot of folks who have disabilities, they will read this book and they’ll be energized. It’ll be like, “This is really great. I’m glad that I finally get to read a book that talks about disability in a positive way.” For blind specific folks, they might relate to a few of my stories because I talk about the day I woke up blind, I talk about when I went skydiving blind, I talk about just some of my interesting blind moments. But then I also talk about how I would go to red carpets and not know how to talk to anybody. So I’m in this amazing room with all these celebrities I can’t see and I’m just sitting on the wall. So I talk about some of the hard times too as well. But at the end of the day, really what the book is is an invitation in for somebody who feels a little different, a little awkward, has to mask, and just needed that invite in to talk about disability in a fun, joyful, celebratory way, to recognize that yes, that thing in you that’s different, that thing in you that society has told you you should view as a weakness and hide, you should be proud of. And I say this to people all the time. I say it in the industry, I say it to all my friends, I say it to anyone who will listen. I say it to my local barista and they come back and they say things like, “Oh my God, I’m so glad you said it that way. It turns out I have a titanium hip and I’ve never told anybody about that.” And that’s the vibe. The vibe is someone who was like, “I really needed this to be said to me this way, and now I am able to step all the way into my disability identity.” Alden Blevins: I love, especially what you said about joy. I feel like for me as an autistic person, my experience in the arts is that it is really a space where people who maybe don’t belong in other spaces or don’t feel like they belong in other spaces or are made to feel like they don’t belong in other spaces. I think that a lot of them really do find a safe space in music, in the arts, in theater. And I just wanted to ask, why do you think the music space is such a special one for you and why do you think it’s a place where other people with disabilities seem to flock together as well? Lachi: I mean, you hit the nail on the head. Counterculture, I mean, music often rewards counterculture. And then it eventually becomes mainstream and then we got to rebel against that. So music is a place where your soul can speak. And I think a lot of the times with disabilities, especially autism for me, I’m ADHD, OCD, a different neurodivergence situation, but a lot of the issue is communication. We don’t know how to say exactly what we need or whoever we’re talking to just doesn’t know how to hear what we’re saying. And so I think that what music does is it allows a soul to speak to a soul. A lot of the times music does this thing where you’ll be listening to a song and you’ll just be like, “That, that right there. That’s what I it me. That’s the thing I’m feeling.” type deal. Music has the ability to do that. And so for me, right now, this children’s album that I’m working on, the kids’ album, which is an album that is essentially R&B, pop, electronic, sort of the genres that I dance in for kids centered on disability and neurodivergence. Because what I want to do is be able to say, “Hey, I want you to point at that and say, that’s me.” And I think the easiest and quickest way to point at something and say, “That’s me also.” has been music. And so it’s why it’s been my strongest medium. Again, it’s not my only medium. I’m talking to folks through the book, I’m talking to folks through fashion, et cetera, et cetera. But again, music has been just the quickest, easiest point A to point B conversation easer, if you will, about disability. Another thing I also love to use is humor and comedy. So I make jokes all the time. They’re all bad. They’re all very not good jokes. I need to probably get a joke writer, but the fact that I’m having such a good time telling the jokes, I think I think is all that really matters. So I think both music and humor are just really, really great spaces for two people to get to relate to something that may be difficult to talk about. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Yo, if you need a joke writer, I’m your girl. I actually do a joke every single episode of this podcast. Michelle Bishop: Her jokes are not better than yours, Lachi. Don’t hire her. Stephanie Flynt McEben: My jokes are pretty bad. They’re worse than dad’s jokes. They’re like granddad jokes. Alden Blevins: Yeah. Stephanie is the queen of the jokes on our podcast. She always brings one through. Didn’t know that you were working on a children’s music album, and I think that’s really interesting. I actually used to be a teacher, so children’s music is something that’s near and dear to my heart. So I just wanted to ask, what would you want to tell to younger people with disabilities, younger disabled creatives about claiming space and being able to tell their own stories? Lachi: Well, one thing that I heard from someone else, I don’t remember who it was. I think it was- Michelle Bishop: Jordan? Lachi: Yes, Jordan. He’s the one that said this. Michelle Bishop: I love him. Lachi: Yeah, he’s so funny. I met him at a… What did I meet him at? The Webby Awards or something. But anyway, no one can ever defeat someone who hasn’t given up. And for some reason that hit me, and I don’t even think he was trying to say it that deep. He was just saying a joke or something. But I took that and it was like, no one can ever defeat someone who hasn’t given up. So at the end of the day, you are really the only one who can end whatever you’re trying to get. Because as long as you are still going for it, it is still still there. It’s like a Schrodinger’s cat. It’s like as long as you’re still running for it, that opportunity is still there for you to have. The opportunity is never lost as long as you’re still going for it. And people can tell you, people can take your shoulders and tell you to go right. People can take your shoulders and tell you to go left. But until you take your own shoulders and go in the direction that your heart, your soul, your passion, your fire, desires, that is when you truly begin to live. And so I say personally, lean into that. I hear from a lot of younger, especially creators with disabilities. I mentor a lot of folks, tons and tons of folks. It’s one of the things I love to do the most. But what I love to tell folks is you are going to be the best you. And that you is going to include all of the different parts of who you are, but it is especially going to include you leaning in to the things that make you different and unique as unique selling points. Earlier I talked about how people try so hard to be the “definition of beauty”, definition of success, definition of whatever. Everyone’s trying to be this reference man. Everyone’s trying to be as close as they can to the reference man. And if I’m as close as I can to the reference man, then I’ll be successful or then I’ll get this job or then I’ll get this gig. But the truth of the matter is when we look at all of the people that are doing all of the big things, they’re “eccentric”. They’re “weird”. They did some big different idea that no one was thinking about and everybody fell into their trend. The further away you are from the reference man, that is when you start to win. That is when you’ll start to see success. That is when you’ll start to feel much better about yourself. That is when you can wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say, “I am fine.” When you are able to accept all of those different freckles of yourself that are as far away from the reference man as possible, because guess what? There is room outside of the barrel for everyone to win if they are all being their unique self and running their unique purpose. That’s what I would tell to young disabled creators. Michelle Bishop: That’s amazing. Almost feel like we should stop there, but I have so many follow-up questions. Lachi: Listen, I’m here to drop as many mics as they will let me keep breaking. Michelle Bishop: I was wondering how you see the conversation around disability and inclusion and evolving these days. And a lot of our listeners are people with disabilities or people who have other even multiple intersecting identities in which they experience barriers as well. What does allyship look like to you? Lachi: This is one of my favorite questions. So yes, we have folks with disabilities and we have folks who want to work with people with disabilities, want to help a friend with a disability, want to make sure they don’t say the wrong thing to a person with a disability, neurodivergence, chronic condition, mental health condition. That’s not an ally. Wanting to help a person with a disability is not an ally. To me, wanting to support someone with a disability, that’s an ally in the very basic definition of allyship. Here’s what I think an ally is. To answer the question, I got to do two things. One, talk about the disability umbrella. So the disability umbrella encompasses so many forms of disability. It is neurodivergence, which is ADHD, dyslexia, OCD. It is mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, bipolar. It is someone who learns a little differently. It is someone who has explosive situations like anger management. It is someone who has substance abuse disorder, maybe somebody who drinks too much or uses different substances. It is chronic back pain. You know what I’m saying? It is asthma. It is EDS. It’s POTS. It is long COVID. It is different complications that you gain after pregnancy. It is different complications that you gain as you age. It is different complications you gain through menopause. It is temporary. It is breaking your arm and wearing a cast. It is seasonal depression. There is nobody on this earth that is not within the disability umbrella. And I don’t mean that you’re going to grow into it. I don’t mean in the future. I mean right now. Whether you identify as a person with a disability or not, you have disability identity because you have experience in your body disability. And when you figure that out, then you’re an ally. Allyship is seeing yourself through the other person because you can’t look through someone else’s eyes unless you can see yourself in them. And you can’t see yourself in disability until you recognize the disability identity within yourself. All of a sudden, and I say this and people are like, “What? I say this, but I’ve seen this. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve seen people who did not associate themselves with any form of disability or anything and they’re just like, Oh, them. Oh, I’ll help them. We have a conversation and then we have a follow-up conversation and then we’re drinking and then all of a sudden they’re telling me all their disabilities and then they’re walking a little different when they encounter disability. It’s no longer a them thing. And so that’s what an ally is. People with disabilities are also allies. I am an ally to the deaf community because I recognize though I’m not deaf, I see the having to navigate the world differently in you of myself. So that’s how I define an ally. An ally is someone who understands their own disability identity and can see it in others. Michelle Bishop: Don’t mind me over here just taking notes. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Literally. Oh my gosh. Lachi, thank you so, so, so much for being with us and taking time. I know that your website, lachimusic.com is one of the places where folks can stay up to date on all of the latest and greatest things that you’re up to. Is there anything else in particular you would like to plug for our listeners? Lachi: Like you said, LACHI, L-A-C-H-I M-U-S-I-C. I’m on the internets everywhere. Instagram, Spotify, check out the old music. If you’re a creator, a music creator or professional with a disability, check us out at RAMPD, R-A-M-P-D.org. Or if you want to donate or if you want to partner with us over at RAMPD, please do. If you are a cane user, whether you’re a blind cane user or you use Mobility Cane, check out glamcanes.com, get your canes bejeweled. I Identify as Blind, our book is out on Penguin Random House, imprint called Tiny Reparations by Phoebe Robinson, who is also a comedian. So we’re out here all writing very funny books. So please check it out. And lastly, listen, try to find moments in your day of disability joy. And when you find that moment, take a picture of it or write it down so that you can go back to it and live for those moments. So thank you guys so much for having me on this podcast. It’s really been a blast getting to talk at you about all things I identify as blind. Alden Blevins: I love it. I was over here taking notes too because I just found so much of myself in what you were saying and so many things were poignant and empowering. I, as an autistic person, try to be an ally to other parts of the disability community myself. And that’s something where I’m always trying to put myself in the shoes of another person and what they might experience. So I think that’s really powerful. We were so grateful to be able to connect and learn more about you, Lachi. Lachi: Yes, yes, yes. So honored to be here, guys. Michelle Bishop: Before you head out, Lachi, do you want to hear one of Stephanie’s grandpa jokes? Lachi: I was going to say, I was like, “Let’s hear one of these granddad jokes.” Let me see. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Okay. This might be- Michelle Bishop: Okay, do it. Stephanie Flynt McEben: … a granddad joke. Okay. Where do spiders like to get their information? Lachi: The web? Michelle Bishop: That would be something to do with web. Stephanie Flynt McEben: But what kind of web? Lachi: Wow. Really? You are fired from being my comedy writer. You are fired to be my comedy writer. I was rooting for you too. I was like, let’s just… Please. Stephanie Flynt McEben: I wouldn’t even get to the punchline yet. Michelle Bishop: Worldwide web? Stephanie Flynt McEben: It is the worldwide web. Michelle Bishop: Oh. Stephanie Flynt McEben: It’s fine. It’s fine. My wife warned me not to tell that joke this month and I didn’t lose it. Michelle Bishop: Oh my gosh. I’m so glad you stuck around for that part. Lachi: As I live and breathe. Thank you guys so, so much. This has been so much fun and I will see who else I can tell that joke to. And go ahead and just to help you out, Stephanie, I’ll go ahead and embarrass myself by telling that joke to others. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Not my best work, but that is allyship. Yes. Michelle Bishop: Oh my gosh, Lachi, thank you so much. And everyone, please lachimusic.com. Check it out. Listen to the music, read the book. Alden Blevins: Speaking of the worldwide web, this has been National Disability Radio. We celebrate stories, leadership, and talent of people with disabilities. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, share, and continue the conversation with us on that worldwide web at ndrn.org or anywhere you get your favorite podcasts. Thanks for listening and until next time. Stephanie Flynt McEben: Bye.

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠⁠Join The Normandy For Ad-Free NME, Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here:⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠⁠The Notorious Mass Effect segment delivers a detailed breakdown of Bruno Mars' long-awaited solo return with The Romantic, released February 27, 2026, via Atlantic Records. Hosted by Analytic Dreamz, this analysis covers the 9-track, 31-minute album—his first solo project in nearly a decade since 24K Magic (2016)—blending retro-soul, disco-pop, funk, 1970s influences (Curtis Mayfield, Philly soul), and Latin elements like bolero, cha-cha, and mariachi for a crooner-forward, romantic vibe timed near Valentine's.Lead single “I Just Might” (January 9, 2026) debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with retro-funk/disco energy and a Leo Sayer interpolation. Follow-up “Risk It All” dropped with the album, featuring mariachi-styled visuals and wedding-themed romance. Early streaming shows strong momentum on Spotify and Apple Music, boosted by billions from recent hits “Die With a Smile” (with Lady Gaga, 2025 Grammy winner) and “APT.” (with Rosé, Grammy-nominated).Critical reception is mixed: praise for vocal polish, production, and crowd-pleasing retro-soul (Rolling Stone: positive crowd-pleaser; NME: 4/5 mature persona), but some critique homage-heavy predictability and sentimentality (Paste: D+ overly sentimental). Physical editions include translucent red and gold vinyl for collectors.Analytic Dreamz highlights strategic insights: short runtime for high completion/replay rates, playlist-friendly nostalgia, Latin market expansion, wedding/event utility for long-tail streams, catalog halo from legacy smashes (“Just the Way You Are,” “Versace on the Floor”), and steady streaming over viral spikes.The Romantic Tour kicks off early April 2026 in Las Vegas (Allegiant Stadium), spanning North America through late May, Europe (Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Milan, London) late June–mid July, and back to U.S./Vancouver by mid-October. Features Anderson .Paak as DJ Pee .Wee, plus select supports like Leon Thomas, Raye, Victoria Monet.This polished, formula-consistent revival reinforces Bruno's retro-romantic brand, leveraging hiatus demand and prior collaborations for sustained commercial longevity.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/exclusive-contentPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Love might not cost a thing, but this one came with a lot of receipts. When Jennifer Lopez (back once again!) fell for Sean Combs in 1999, it felt like pop had engineered its own super-couple. She was shimmering on the brink of full-blown world domination; he was the Svengali of west coast rap. Tracksuits, champagne, Versace dresses and so much white clothing.Then came the nightclub shooting, the arrest and the cheating. This week, Chantal and Gráinne are joined by stand-up comedian Esther Manito to unpick J.Lo's first tabloid romance and ask why couldn't these two lovebirds make it work?To get episodes ad free and early, join us our Patreon: ⁠⁠patreon.com/TheWayTheyWere⁠⁠ You can also access our exclusive bonus episodes every other week and take part in The Gossip our exclusive Patreon group chat! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Es ist Freitag Morgen. Tim setzt sich ins Studio. Ganz nebenbei stellt er eine dunkle Ledertasche neben sich. Darauf steht groß: Versace. Tim legt die Sonnenbrille ab und zieht seine Jacke aus. Auf seinem T-Shirt wird ein weiterer Aufdruck enthüllt: I LOVE DUBAI. Die anschließende Aufzeichnung verläuft entsprechend emiratisch. Der braungebrannte Crypto Bro schwärmt in den höchsten Tönen vom Ölstaat - doch Julius entlockt ihm dennoch ein schockierendes Geheimnis. Außerdem gibt's die Schätzkekse.

En este episodio analizamos el futuro de Versace: la etapa de Dario Vitale en la casa —su única colección y campaña— y el reciente anuncio de Pieter Mulier como nuevo director creativo.

プロダクトの終わりをどう設計するか、朽ちても尚魅力が発露するようなデザインとは？振り返ると現在は活動していないですがBEAUGANは真摯にその課題へ向き合っていたと思います。ALAIAのPieter MulierがVERSACEへ / VERSACEのデザインコード / Miuccia PradaとRaf Simonsの思惑を読む / ALAIAの後任 / デザイナーの交代における契約の弊害 / CELINEの現状やショーでのスタイリングの問題 / ビッグサイズのバッグの抱え方に見るリアリティの欠如 / BALENCIAGAのBAGの扱い / Jonathan AndersonのデザインアプローチとBAGやSHOESとの好相性 / 物としての服・着て動く服 / 他のブランドのアイテムとミックスできるか / J.Wのマーケットをファッションの外まで広げるデザイン / ISSEY MIYAKEとの共通性 / 静止画で見る服のデザイン論・着て動く服のデザイン論 / ショーのルックが街で着られる姿を想定しているか / ファッション史の文脈に乗せられるか / ルックの完成度はキャラクター造形の深さ / キャスティングや見せ方におけるMargielaの系譜 / Yohji Garçonsに対する評価 / ルブタンのウェアがどうなるか / substance・プラダを着た悪魔2 / デザイナーの自己批判 / ブランドのショーの観客の変化・インフルエンサー招致の弊害 / 着れるものを作り続けるミウッチャとラフ / PRADAの継承者

Die Themen: Taschentuch von französischem Filmstar, Zahl der Eheschließungen auf dem Tiefstand, Kündigungen bei der "Washington Post", Filmförderung, Germany's Far Right, Social-Media-Verbot, Epstein-Files, Vorwürfe gegen The Female Company, Neuer Chief Creative Officer bei Versace und ein Flaschenfund in Utah Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte: https://linktr.ee/ApokalypseundFilterkaffee Du möchtest Werbung in diesem Podcast schalten? Dann erfahre hier mehr über die Werbemöglichkeiten bei Seven.One Audio: https://www.seven.one/portfolio/sevenone-audio

Bár nyilván történtek a világban fontosabb események is szép számmal, hétfő óta le vagyunk ragadva a Grammy-díjátadón, illetve hát nem is azon, hanem Chappell Roan ruháján. Ki kell-e tenni a cicit vörös szőnyegen vagy sem? Kinek jó ez? Segít a nők helyzetén, ha valaki privilegizált helyzetben villant? Kicsaptuk a véleményünket az asztalra. De mielőtt belevágunk: gyertek velünk filmet nézni (megint), a részletek ide kattintva olvashatóak. Bővebben: 1:20 - Egy nehéz hétfő reggeli ügyelet dilemmái. 5:00 - Amúgy miért kell félpucéran vonulni? 7:30 - Mindig van egy ruha, amire mindenki felkapja a fejét. 9:40 - Chappell Roan menőnek és különlegesnek tartja az ominózus ruhát. 12:30 - Az is szexualizáció, ha egy nő önmagát pakolja ki félmeztelenül a vörös szőnyegre? Jobban érezzük magunkat ettől? 15:00 - Pár szó Heidi Klum borsóhéjáról… 20:50 - Na és vajon kik írják ezeket a kritizáló kommenteket? 28:30 - Lehet olyankor shamingelni nőket, ha ezzel a többieknek akarsz jót? 30:50 - Óda az anyákhoz! 36:20 - Visszatérve a ruhához, szerintünk ez az egész egy önbecsapás. 37:50 - Az ikonikus zöld Versace ruha. 41:10 - Meg kell említenünk még Cher fellépőruháit is, amelyek ugyanígy kizsákmányolók voltak, mint a vörös szőnyegen bemutatott szettek. 42:20 - Érdemes említést tennünk a tavalyi Grammyn történtekről is. 45:54 - Bárhogy is magyarázzák, a meztelen tesztekkel kiárulják a női testeket. 47:20 - Rose McGowan statement-je, ami csak utólag kapott kontextust. 52:00 - Öregek vagyunk, de a világ változott amúgy? 57:20 - Segítenek az ilyen vörös szőnyeges megnyilvánulások a nők helyzetén? 59:20 - Gyertek a jövő héten beszélgetni velünk! Na és ti villantanátok? Olvasni és néznivalók, jelen esetben főként ruhaszekció: Így trendingel Chappell Roan - csak a kontextus kedvéért. És maga a ruha, ahogy megérkezik a vörös szőnyegre. A Ruha, aminek a Google képkeresőjét köszönhetjük. Igen, ugyanez a ruha Geri Halliwellnek is jól állt (meg másoknak is). Toni Braxton 2001-es Grammy-ruhája, amiben csodásan festett. Rose McGowan elmeséli a VMA-ruha sztoriját. Az IKONIKUS vörös nadrág. Heidi Klum és a műanyag borsóhéjruha. Nagyon jó cikk Bianca Censori és Kanye West "performanszáról". Emily Ratajkowski vs. Celeste Barber. Podcastunk kéthetente jelentkezik új adással, meghallgatható a 444 Spotify- és Apple-csatornáján is. Korábbi adásaink itt találhatók. Javaslataid, ötleteid, meglátásaid a tyukol@444.hu címre várjuk. (Illusztráció: Kiss Bence/444)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legal scholar Elizabeth Chamblee Burch focuses on three women with mesh implants who were targeted, manipulated, and violated—at their own expense. Through the searing stories of Sharon Gore, Barbara Shepard, and Jerri Plummer—middle-aged women separated by geography, education, and socioeconomic factors—Burch sheds light on not only the injustices of mass torts, which she describes as “personal-injury litigation on steroids,” but also the indignities endemic in women's healthcare.  Drawing on more than 150 interviews conducted over two years, backed by 209,000 pages of documentation, THE PAIN BROKERS is at once a critical work of public service journalism and a real-life thriller. As Burch unfolds each level of the scheme, readers meet: Vincent Chhabra, a Versace-clad entrepreneur and architect of Alpha Law, LLC—which, despite its name and partnerships with some actual lawyers, was a call center. Headquartered at 1000 Corporate Drive in south Florida, Alpha Law employed nearly two hundred operators in headsets who capitalized on patients' private medical records, obtained through a data breach in India, to make unsolicited calls to vulnerable women with mesh implants, including Sharon, Barbara, and Jerri.      Blake Barber, a hulking ex-paralegal with a flamingo pink goatee who turned women's medical fears into cash for third-party funders by orchestrating a ruthless “concierge service” that flew terrified patients to Florida chop shops to have their mesh removed. Dr. Christopher Walker, a Jamaican-born urogynecologist known by his Instagram handle @Dr.Downtown who, after losing his savings in a Ponzi scheme, went from inserting mesh to extracting it at breakneck speed for seven times his normal fee—a feat made possible by refusing to accept women's insurance and forcing them to sign liens against their future settlement proceeds.  J.R. Baxter, a newly minted small-town Arkansas lawyer and passionate crusader for justice who, against daunting odds, represented Sharon, Barbara, and Jerri, as well as 180 other women.And finally, J.R. 's unlikely ally, Barbara Binis, a seasoned Philadelphia defense attorney hired to do financial damage control for a mesh manufacturer who devoted nearly four years to uncovering the mass-tort scheme.           Centered on three women who went through the mesh mill, THE PAIN BROKERS exposes the profit-hungry scammers and unscrupulous doctors whom they trusted.           Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-like-it-s-live--4113802/support.

This week, we're rolling out the red carpet and diving headfirst into our favorite Drew Barrymore fashion moments. From the instantly iconic (yes, we're talking about the Ever After Florence gala Ferragamo scarf dress and that barely-there nude Versace gown from the 2010 Golden Globes) to the more unexpected choices that are forever in our hearts, we're ranking our personal favorite Drew event looks. Join us as we debate, swoon, and lovingly overanalyze all the outfits that give us heart eyes. We cannot wait to hear if you agree and which Drew looks are on your best-dressed list.Join our ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit us on the web:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@howdoyoudrewpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠howdoyoudrew.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@drewseum⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠thedrewseum.com⁠⁠

Matt, Adrian and Sam talk all the key EFL action from the weekend, including:Stockport's incredible OGGrant abolished from Huddersfield Coventry back on songBoro leave it lateSheff U see red….twice Cardiff win the big one in League OneThe impressive Dom BallardLate drama at PriestfieldThe Swindon lot Predictions Tweet of the Week Our partners Quinn Bet have an offer: you can get 50% back up to £25.  If your account has Sportsbook losses at the end of your first day's betting, QuinnBet will refund 50% of your losses as a Free Bet up to £25 (min 3 bets). Even if your account is up, you're guaranteed a £5 Free Bet provided you place at least 1 bet of £10 or greater at the minimum odds. T&Cs apply | 18+ New UK Customers Only | GambleAware.org | Gamble Responsibly” https://quinnbet.click/o/L5trHE?lpage=T4KU20

Artisten Robyn har uppmärksammats, inte bara för sin nya musik utan också för sin klädstil signerad modehuset Versace. Även popstjärnan Madonna har i veckan släppt ett samarbete med ett italienskt modehus är italiensk kitsch inne igen? Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radios app.

Fresh off a flight from LA, Vogue's cover star, Amanda Seyfried is back in New York and on The Run Through to talk about award season!“I will say my favorite part … was being at the A24 party at the Chateau,” says Seyfried reflecting on the Golden Globes that happened Sunday evening.  “I was just on the couch with a bunch of people that I like and don't ever see except at award shows.” Seyfried says she was surprised when a conversation in the Golden Globes ballroom with Jennifer Lawrence was picked up by cameras. “There are still moments when I forget that people are watching it,” says Seyfried. “It was a little bit unnerving when I saw that because I just believed, I guess, stupidly that it was a private conversation.” Seyfried was a two-time nominee at the ceremony for her roles in the Testament on Ann Lee and the television series Long Bright River. With award season in full swing, she's been working closely with her stylist Elizabeth Stewart to make sure she is red carpet ready. “We've been wearing a lot of Prada and we decided to wear a Versace [to the Golden Globes], which is always trusted and beautiful and classic as well. Away from Hollywood, Seyfried's wardrobe is much more casual as she cares for 52 animals on her farm upstate. “I'll wear the big tall muck boots,” says Seyfried. “The ones you can't drive a car in 'cause your foot can't reach the pedal.” Her animals include peacocks, chickens, goats, horses, donkeys and a new rescue rabbit named Bugsy that is a bit stand-offish. “He could be 37 years-old.” says Seyfried. “ I have absolutely no idea. He's got a droopy wet eye. But he's very nice it seems.”  In The Testament of Ann Lee directed by Mona Fastvold, Seyfried plays the titular character who is credited with creating the Shaker religious community in the mid-18th century. “The Shakers worshiped through song and dance,” says Seyfried on the challenge of undertaking the role as their leader.“The singing had to be second nature.” says Seyfried on her performance. “But with singing, I've always been judging myself as I've been doing it. Even in Les Mis, I wasn't present the way I was. So I had to let go of that very early on. And the key to that was she's human and I need to feel it. It's not about how it sounds. It's about how it feels. And I need the audience to become a Shaker for two and a half hours.”While promoting the film, Seyfried's 8 year-old daughter Nina was introduced to one of her mother's earlier roles in the cult classic Mean Girls. “She said that she didn't think it was that funny,” recalls Seyfried. “but she really loved my role. That was Nina's critique of Mean Girls at age eight.”The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Fresh from the Australian jungle, Kelly Brook joins Alan Carr to talk I'm a Celebrity - from eating trials and lost kilos to having her phone confiscated on arrival and how she bonded with Ruby Wax swapping embarrassing Madonna stories.  There's also chat about getting papped abroad, childhood holidays, her Italian olive farm life with husband Jeremy, and news of her new swimsuit range.  00:00 Intro  00:37 Australia: deadly creatures everywhere  01:34 Losing weight, facing fears & saying yes to the jungle  03:08 The food Kelly dreamed about  04:04 Ruby Wax, Madonna… and that fart  05:52 Kelly's Traitors-style jungle moment  07:30 Alan's koala + chlamydia fact bomb  08:30 The hotel that used to be the Versace hotel  09:50 Buddy the dog steals the show  10:13 Jeremy, Italian life & the family olive farm  12:52 Cornwall, Ayia Napa & childhood holidays  14:26 Risky holidays of the past & food poisoning  16:34 Active vs horizontal holidaying  17:29 Alan tries to calm Amanda Holden on their travels  18:10 Landing in Oz & having the phone taken away  19:14 Alan wishes he'd smuggled in a burner on Traitors  21:49 Hotel pet peeves: the “glimpse" view  22:15 Getting papped in Brazil  23:46 Tits for Taps  24:44 Jungle parasites (yes, really)  26:06 Spotting Claudia Winkleman en route to Madonna's wedding  26:45 A Sardinian hidden gem  28:00 Kelly's new swimsuit range  28:55 Cape Town shoot & Ruby Wax will be there  29:30 Descent & quickfire round  #LifesABeach #KellyBrook #ImACelebrity #AlanCarr #JungleStories #CelebrityTravel #MadonnaMoments #RealityTV #HolidayChats #PodcastClips #BehindTheScenes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/Analytic⁠Join The Normandy For Additional Bonus Audio And Visual Content For All Things Nme+! Join Here: ⁠https://ow.ly/msoH50WCu0K⁠ In this segment of Notorious Mass Effect, Analytic Dreamz dives deep into Bruno Mars' highly anticipated album announcement for The Romantic, his fourth solo studio album arriving February 27, 2026—his first since the Grammy-sweeping 24K Magic in 2016 after nearly a decade-long hiatus.Analytic Dreamz breaks down the key facts: the lead single drops January 10, 2026, with pre-orders now live at BrunoMars.com. Following massive 2025 chart dominance via collaborations like the record-breaking "Die With a Smile" with Lady Gaga (#1 on Billboard Year-End Hot 100, fastest to 1 billion Spotify streams) and "APT." with Rosé (peaking at #5, earning multiple 2026 Grammy nods), this release capitalizes on post-Grammy momentum.Expect a shift toward romantic ballads and emotional storytelling, influenced by hits like "When I Was Your Man" and "Versace on the Floor," blending R&B, pop, and soul—positioning The Romantic for a potential first #1 Billboard 200 debut amid overwhelming fan excitement.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We jet-set from Beverly Hills to Palm Beach with special guest Taja Abitbol—entrepreneur, wellness visionary, and star of Netflix's hot new reality series Members Only: Palm Beach. Taja, known for her luxury wellness brand Taja Drip, shares her journey from her hippie-named, Moroccan-Tunisian roots to pioneering anti-aging treatments in Miami's Faena Hotel. No booze, no Tylenol, just peptides, NAD, glutathione, and a glowy lifestyle that keeps people guessing her age (she looks 28, but that's not the number!). Taja breaks down how NAD slows aging, and teases her soon-to-launch ingestible wellness line—no gummies, just potent, high-dose liquid formulas. We share hilarious IV therapy memories from OC Fashion Week, complete with cleavage-forward nurses and jokes about IV swapping gone wild, as we bond over clean living, hot hair (shoutout to Paris in Beverly Hills), and spiritual connection, before diving into the real secret to longevity: love, joy, and meaningful relationships. The conversation turns intimate as we all reflect on our long-term relationships (Taja's been with her Capricorn partner for 15 years!), the sacredness of loyalty, and not forgiving people who knew exactly what they were doing. Patrik drops wisdom about dialing numbers with intention and calling people spiritually, while Pol' brings his signature warmth and Saint Peter Paul origin story full of Armenian heritage and holiday birthday charm. She spills the tea on the show's glam cast, wild country club culture, and behind-the-scenes drama—think Palm Royale meets Housewives with fashion, philanthropy, and the occasional pineapple-shaped clue about swingers. The show's origin story? Manifested by Taja herself, passed on by a hairdresser, and guided by a psychic who predicted a producer switch. Fate works fast when you're fabulous.

Most founders are building a business their body can't carry. Certified Health Nut Troy Casey joins me to talk about becoming hard to kill so your life and work don't collapse on you.   In this episode, I sit down with Troy Casey, the Certified Health Nut, to talk about health in a way most founders and executives never hear it. We get into his "nine pillars" of health, why your body and your word are the only two things you really own, and how to build a life that's hard to kill so your business and your family aren't gambling on a burnt-out version of you. Troy shares: How he went from Versace model to medicine hunter in the Amazon and the birth of Certified Health Nut The gym routine he uses for mental health and longevity instead of ego lifting Why he focuses on sleep, sunlight, movement and real food before gadgets and gimmicks What "health and your word" actually mean for integrity, posture and parenting How meditation, nature and community changed the way he leads and raises his kids Disclaimer: Troy shares his personal experiences and opinions about health, training, and different practices. Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a qualified professional before making big changes to your health routine. __ Guest: Troy Casey Certified Health Nut on all platforms Book: Ripped At 50: A Journey To Self Love __ ► Free resource: 90 Day ROI Playbook — Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook     Music Licensing by Audiio License #: 0981896904 #health #longevity #leadership

This week, we herald the coming of the Pastel Grunge Revival, a new wave of candy-colored femininity characterized by an eclectic and deliberately unsettling fusion of childlike innocence and overt sensuality. We discuss the style's influences— soft grunge Tumblr imagery, cartoon nostalgia, Harajuku fashion, sex worker style, and more— and unpack the social functions of age regression, self-objectification, and homosocial fantasy that resonate with young women online. We also provide a brief overview of pastels in visual culture from the 1950s to present, and we explore the myriad reasons why this aesthetic emerged from Los Angeles in particular. Special thank you to Monica @finalformfemale for this episode idea!!Links:Image boardAshley Williams – Vogue Runwayf5ve – I Choose You (Official MV)PGR It Girls and Creative Forces Masterlist: Mazzy Joya, Savannah Hudson, Miss Madeline and Chase Icon, Cannelle, ADÉLA, Manon Macasaet, Lexi Kingery, Kennedy Dechet, Natasha Somerville, Aerin Morenoshopbluedream.us and follow @shopbluedream on instagram for an inspired selection PGR clothingMisc. PGR brands: Lovett, OGBFF, OMIGHTY, Poster Girl, I.AM.GIA, Poison Candy Apple, WeedSlutTikToks of girls posting their younger selves to sad songs Accidentally getting a job as a stripper in Japan TikTok storytimefakemink - Easter Pink (Prod Suzy Sheer) (Official MV)Rhode remakes Richard Avedon's iconic Versace 1994 campaignOG Soft Grunge It Girls: Joanna Kuchta, Shelby Hamilton aka meowshelbs, Erika Kamano fka Erika BowesGwen Stefani and the Harajuku Girls (2005)Nicki Minaj explains Harajuku Barbie (2009) (+ Nicki's iconic pastel necklaces by ONCH)Rapper CeeChynaa shows off her vintage doll collection This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe

Lauren is joined by listener favorites Jacob Gallagher (The New York Times) and Becky Malinsky (5 Things You Should Buy) for a supersized episode covering the biggest stores of 2025, from all the designer changes (Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Celine and more) to the trends (resale, potato shoes), to the shakeups (Versace) and goodbyes (Giorgio Armani). To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Idag ska vi bege oss in i filmens och sagornas värld för att titta närmare på hur man klär sagofigurer för bästa effekt. Inte minst de häxlika. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radios app. I fantasyfilmmusikalen ”Wicked”, och uppföljaren, ”Wicked: For Good” har man inte sparat på krutet, utan tittarna bombarderas med den ena extravaganta och färgsprakande utstyrseln efter den andra.Även de som inte sett filmerna har antagligen inte kunnat undgå att se de två huvudrollsinnehavarna, Ariana Grande och Cynthia Erivo, posera på bilder under olika PR-evenemang för filmerna. För de har varit spektakulärt klädda, eller utklädda. Alltid i plagg som anspelar på deras karaktärer i filmerna, så kallad ”method dressing”.Och den konsekventa stilen har gett resultat. Inte minst i form av ökat intresse för de modehus som står bakom deras olika klänningar – som Schiaparelli, Thom Browne, Ralph Lauren, Versace, Prada och Givenchy.Häxans stil är en look som formats, förändrats och återskapats sedan skrockens begynnelse. Sanna Nyström har arbetat som kostymdesigner i 20 år och har bra koll på karaktärsbyggande genom kläder.Den moderna häxan hör inte bara hemma i populärkulturen och fiktionens värld. Hella Nathorst-Böös är författare och fotograf – och häxa. Hon håller bland annat kurser, leder stadsvandringar och ceremonier, med en tydlig mission: att sprida kunskap och inspiration om magi, häxhistoria och läkeväxter.Häxan Elphaba i Wicked kan kännas igen på sina långa och häxlika naglar, även skådespelaren bakom rollen, Cynthia Erivo, har uppmärksammats i intervjuer, och på röda mattan, för sina –om ännu mer – spektakulära nagelkreationer. Vi pratar med nagelkonstnären Danielle Lundgren om de långa naglarnas status i samtiden.

INTRO (00:24): Kathleen opens the show drinking a Hazy Holiday IPA from Silver Bluff Brewing Company in Brunswick, GA. She reviews her weekend in Ponte Vedra and then LA and Vegas, discussing Fantasy Football at Good Morning Footballand seeing The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere in Vegas.   TOUR NEWS: See Kathleen live on her “Day Drinking Tour.”   COURT NEWS (25:50): Kathleen shares news announcing thatChappell Roan becomes a global brand ambassador for MAC cosmetics, Cher is set to marry her 39-year-old boyfriend, and Taylor Swift gifted millions of dollars in bonuses to her ERAs Tour crew.     TASTING MENU (2:38): Kathleen samples a Madigan Family Midwest Cheeseball, Reese's Holiday Caramel Cups, and Hadley Orchards Gourmet Dill Cheese Puffs.   UPDATES (32:14): Kathleen shares updates on the search for MH370, Zuckerberg is moving on from the metaverse, Australian children just lost access to social media, the Louvre has even more security issues, Andrew and Fergie are finally being evicted, a Waymo encounters a standoff with police, and Faberge's Winter Egg fetches millions at auction.   FRONT PAGE PUB NEWS (1:04:36): Kathleen sharesarticles on Prada purchasing Versace, a cruise ship passenger dies after being served 33 drinks, the Super Bowl pregame performers are announced, air travelers without a REAL ID will pay a fee in 2026, iHeartRadio bans AI music and hosts,protesters vandalize the Crown Jewels, Norway has unveiled a Northern Lights train, and BINGO returns to Vegas.   HOLY SHIT THEY FOUND IT (1:02:26): Kathleen reads about a lost Renaissance painting found in a garage in the UK.   SAINT OF THE WEEK (1:30:40): Kathleen reads about St. Nicholas, patron saint of sailors, merchants, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, toymakers, unmarried people, and students.   WHAT ARE WE WATCHING (30:40): Kathleen recommends watching the Wizard of Oz on HBO Max.   FEEL GOOD STORY (1:23:56): Kathleen shares a story aboutIceland's Yule Cat, and Sweden rolls out edible road salt to save birds.  

Lauren is joined by Tallulah Harlech, fashion director, stylist, and founder of Sylva. They discuss the future of Versace and Alaïa, Jonathan Anderson's new curiosities store on Pimlico Road, what it means to be vulgar, why Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner are wearing Chrome Hearts and driving us crazy, and plenty more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Jason and Tehran dive into a wide-ranging, no-filter comedy podcast conversation that blends humor, culture, politics, and personal stories. What starts with Tehran wearing sunglasses indoors and a Versace bathrobe quickly turns into jokes about offense, identity, race, and social commentary purely for laughs. From there, the two revisit old memories, including a mutual crush from years ago, a legendary white party, and Tehran's unique family background with a Black Egyptian Jewish mother and an Iranian father. Tehran also shares his experience as a barred attorney who chose a different path. The conversation jumps from absurd to provocative as they riff on geopolitics, the CIA's role in Iran, Israel-Iran conflict, October 7th, and the idea that nations themselves are constructs, all through a satirical and comedic lens. They also touch on 9/11, conspiracy culture, and the strange details people still debate decades later. Pop culture makes its way into the mix with jokes and commentary on Kanye West, hip hop culture, celebrity controversy, Winnie the Pooh, P. Diddy, Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, and Nick Cannon. Legal chaos is not spared either, with humorous takes on high-profile lawsuits, the Epstein list, the O.J. Simpson trial, and the Alec Baldwin case. The episode wraps with a wild high school story where Tehran fought the school board and won the right to wear his own branded hat and a bathrobe while taking the SATs. Unfiltered, irreverent, and intentionally ridiculous, this is a stand-up comedy style podcast episode filled with satire, dark humor, free speech jokes, and cultural commentary. Nothing is off limits and nothing is taken too seriously.

Angelo Flaccavento has long been one of fashion's most distinctive critical voices — sharp yet empathetic, rigorous yet imaginative, always willing to question his own certainties. In this conversation, he traces his path from a Sicilian childhood spent absorbing magazines in boutique backrooms to becoming a writer whose clarity and candor designers both fear and admire. We discuss the formative power of self-doubt, the responsibility of the critic in an era shaped by branding and algorithms, and why genuine surprise has become fashion's rarest commodity. Angelo reflects on taste as a lifelong education, the tension between fantasy and reality, and the importance of staying fluid rather than defined in a moment obsessed with categorization. “I'm a dreamer, but not an escapist. Fantasy has to somehow crash to the ground in order to become reality.” - Angelo Flaccavento  Episode Highlights: A Sicilian childhood shaped by boutiques and early fashion literacy Angelo grew up in Ragusa surrounded by family-run boutiques at the height of Italy's fashion boom. Magazines, Versace dresses, Guy Bourdin images, and the glamour of the early '80s became his first education in style and visual culture. Discovering i-D and turning Ragusa into his personal London Getting a subscription to i-D as a teenager becomes a defining moment. He reads each issue obsessively, treating it as a window into a world he hasn't yet reached — the foundation of his sharp, culturally attuned eye. From aspiring designer to critic: finding the right medium Though he once dreamed of being a designer, he realized he was more drawn to ideas, imagery, and interpretation. Writing became his path, encouraged by teachers who sensed his voice before he did. A voice that evolves rather than settles Angelo talks about tone and style as living entities — shaped by constraints, sharpened by editors, and never fixed in place. He values clarity, concision, and atmosphere, always pushing himself toward more precision. Doubt as a creative engine He sees doubt not as insecurity but as momentum, calling it “the essence of progress.” Self-questioning keeps him open, curious, and resistant to stagnation. Criticism as decoding, not destruction For Angelo, the critic's role is to cut through PR storytelling and help readers understand what they're actually seeing. He believes in honesty delivered with generosity — critique as illumination, not cruelty. Maintaining integrity in a political, PR-driven industry He speaks openly about the emotional and professional navigation required each season, from access issues to difficult conversations, and why seeing shows live is essential to telling the truth. Fashion's power to surprise Angelo celebrates the rare, electric moments when a show shifts the mood of the entire industry — reminders of why fashion still matters and how a collection can rewire the cultural conversation. Taste as instinct refined over a lifetime For him, taste is a mix of instinct and education — shaped by art history, architecture, vertical lines, trial and error, and everything one has ever seen. Taste is biography turned into perspective. What is contemporary now: resisting definition Angelo concludes that the most contemporary stance is fluidity — refusing to let algorithms, labels, or nostalgia define us, and staying open enough to see the world anew. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Old men's fashion. Let me say that again - this episode we talk about what we should wear. From snakeskin boots to hawaiian shirts with a suit. Wow...do we need help. Also, online shopping requiring a tip? Never!

On the Glossy Podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we take a look at the competition between Warby Parker and Google's soon-to-launch AI-powered smart glasses and the established competitor, Meta and Ray-Ban. The latter has already sold 2 million units. We also discuss the appointment of Rosie Huntington-Whitely as the new fashion director of the Revolve-owned retailer FWRD, and the Italian investigation into the Swatch Company and Citizen over allegations surrounding their pricing practices. Later in the episode, we are joined by editor-in-chief Jill Manoff to dive deep into what's been going on at Versace in the last year. After the Prada deal to acquire Versace was finalized last week, the fashion industry was shocked by the abrupt ousting of creative director Dario Vitale barely nine months after he joined the brand.

Packing for Paris, Timmy and Kylie's matching red carpet moment, Hamnet review and the Oscars predictions, Club Chalamet's founder, and Dario leaving Versace apologies for issy's sniffing!! she didn't realise Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gianni Versace è stato uno degli stilisti più influenti del XX secolo. Nato a Reggio Calabria e diventato simbolo di lusso, audacia e creatività, ha rivoluzionato il mondo della moda con uno stile barocco e sensuale, trasformando le passerelle in spettacoli e rendendo la sua casa di moda un impero globale. Ma la mattina del 15 luglio 1997, davanti alla sua villa a Miami Beach, Versace viene freddato con due colpi di pistola da Andrew Cunanan, giovane serial killer già ricercato dall'FBI. Un delitto che ha scioccato l'opinione pubblica e sollevato interrogativi ancora oggi irrisolti, sul confine tra fama, ossessione e solitudine. Ma chi era davvero Cunanan? Che rapporto c'era tra lui e lo stilista? E perché scelse proprio Versace come sua ultima vittima? Proviamo a scoprirlo insieme a Elena Milanesio: esperta di moda e di cronaca nera, nonché autrice per la pagina Instagram @ele_storieamericane. Iscriviti al gruppo Telegram per interagire con noi e per non perderti nessuna delle novità in anteprima e degli approfondimenti sulle puntate: https://t.me/LucePodcast Se vuoi ascoltarci senza filtri e sostenere il nostro lavoro, da oggi è possibile abbonarsi al nostro canale Patreon e accedere a contenuti bonus esclusivi tramite questo link: patreon.com/LucePodcast

It's been an unprecedented year in fashion. 16 designers rebooted 15 labels in September causing one of the biggest shakeups in fashion history, Labubus took over the world, and Kendrick Lamar's Celine flared jeans stirred up the discourse.Today on the show, we invited Virginia Smith, Vogue's Global Head of Fashion Network, and Laia Garcia-Furtado, Senior Fashion News Editor at Vogue Runway, to break down all the biggest moments from a massive year in fashion.“Awar closing the Chanel show was my fashion moment of the year because it encapsulated so many great things,” Smith said. “It was really something I have not witnessed very many times in my very long career of attending shows.”Another major collection was Dario Vitale's debut at Versace. Vitale was our reader's 3rd favorite designer of the year, after Blazy at Chanel and Jonathan Anderson at Dior. “Immediately I saw the show and thought, “this is how I want to dress.” said Garcia-Furtado. “As soon as the show ended, I went on The RealReal and bought a pair of Versus jeans within minutes.”Plus, tune in to hear what our editors are looking forward to in 2026.The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

‘How Long Gone' co-host Chris Black is back to discuss the launch of Hanover, his line of silhouette-specific basics for (mostly) men, and why on earth he would want start an apparel label in These Times. Lauren and Chris also talk about Matthieu Blazy's Chanel show in an out-of-commission New York City subway station, Dario Vitale's ouster from Versace, and the mania around Justin Bieber's Skylrk Tokyo pop up. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As 2025 comes to a close, our editors had the difficult task of selecting their picks for the best moments of the year in culture. We invited Taylor Antrim, Deputy Editor at Vogue, and Marley Marius, Features Editor at Vogue, to run through the year's best film, television, music, theater, books and plenty of miscellaneous pop culture gems. We also tapped the rest of our Vogue editorial team to share their top culture moments of the year. Big favorites include Sentimental Value (starring The Run-Through alum Renata Reinsve), Marty Supreme, K-Pop Demon Hunters, Rosalia's new album Lux, and so much more!Plus, we get into all the news of the week, including Dario Vitale's exit from Versace less than a year after he was hired in March 2025, and just two days after Prada Group's acquisition of the brand for $1.25 billion. Also top of mind are Matthieu Blazy's Chanel Metiers d'art show right here in New York City, the Gotham Awards, and the British Fashion Awards.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

In this episode of Words With Wista, we're diving into America's latest plot twists: Trump flirting with Australia's retirement system while freezing immigration from 19 countries, billionaires donating to Trump Accounts for kids, Halle Berry snatching Gavin Newsom's presidential dreams after his menopause bill veto, and Sen. Cory Booker rebranding as a married man just in time for 2028. We'll also cover AT&T dropping DEI, Southwest telling plus-size travelers to “double up,” Modelo and Corona caught in the immigration crackdown, Gen Z and millennials BNPL-ing their way through life, Prada buying Versace like it's a Zara sale, NYC raising subway fares to $3, and two wild true-crime cases. And of course—Milano Di Rouge calling out copycats, Travis Kelce accidentally retweeting a twerk video, and Kandi Burruss discovering Todd was talking to other women behind her back. A hot mess from start to finish. IG: itswista Podcast IG: wordswithwista Substack: wordswithwista

On the Glossy Podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we're talking about the CFDA banning the use of fur in shows on its official New York Fashion Week calendar, following similar decisions by fashion weeks in London, Copenhagen and Berlin. We also discuss the U.K. banning ads from brands like Nike, Superdry and Lacoste over misleading sustainability claims. Lastly, we discuss the Prada-Versace deal, which officially closed this week, just a day before creative director Dario Vitale departed the company. Vitale served as Versace's creative director for only nine months. Later in the episode, Zofia is joined by Leanne Elliott Young, CEO of the Institute of Digital Fashion, to discuss the growing use of digital passports in the fashion industry. Digital product passports, or DPPs, embed product data into a scannable code that lets both retailers and customers track an item's provenance. The idea is to make authentication easier and keep a record of the chain of possession of an item, particularly a luxury item, over the course of its life. The E.U. recently passed a regulation requiring all products sold starting in 2027 to have a DPP, forcing brands to start thinking about implementing this feature. The Institute of Digital Fashion is consulting with brands to help prepare for that rollout.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Italian luxury giant Prada buys Versace at a discount Carspreading is on the rise not everyone is happy Warning over cosmetic face fillers as scans reveal new details of risks Ultra Orthodox conscription bill threatens crisis for Israels government Government racks up 100m bill responding to Covid inquiry Higher proportion now contacting GPs in England online, figures show How a village uses fishing creels to create a spectacular Christmas tree Mystery as remains of seven arm deep sea octopus wash up on beach Strangled, beaten and enslaved by my in laws Trump says he doesnt want Somalis in US as ICE plans operation

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv How a village uses fishing creels to create a spectacular Christmas tree Higher proportion now contacting GPs in England online, figures show Strangled, beaten and enslaved by my in laws Carspreading is on the rise not everyone is happy Mystery as remains of seven arm deep sea octopus wash up on beach Trump says he doesnt want Somalis in US as ICE plans operation Warning over cosmetic face fillers as scans reveal new details of risks Italian luxury giant Prada buys Versace at a discount Ultra Orthodox conscription bill threatens crisis for Israels government Government racks up 100m bill responding to Covid inquiry

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Ultra Orthodox conscription bill threatens crisis for Israels government Government racks up 100m bill responding to Covid inquiry Higher proportion now contacting GPs in England online, figures show How a village uses fishing creels to create a spectacular Christmas tree Trump says he doesnt want Somalis in US as ICE plans operation Italian luxury giant Prada buys Versace at a discount Strangled, beaten and enslaved by my in laws Carspreading is on the rise not everyone is happy Warning over cosmetic face fillers as scans reveal new details of risks Mystery as remains of seven arm deep sea octopus wash up on beach

Die Themen: Prada übernimmt Versace; Die Probeabstimmung der Unionsfraktion zum Rentenpaket; US-Außenminister ist nicht beim NATO-Treffen zur Ukraine; Dänische Post wird ab 2026 keine Briefe mehr zustellen und Stromberg ist zurück im Kino Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte: https://linktr.ee/ApokalypseundFilterkaffee

Trump indultó al expresidente hondureño Juan Orlando Hernández, quien estaba condenado por narcotráfico.Ya fueron elegidos los 10 finalistas que buscan ser el nuevo fiscal general de la República.Además… Se movió la fecha para la sentencia de Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, exlíder del Cártel de Sinaloa; P. Diddy busca que Netflix no estrene Sean Combs: The Reckoning; Grupo Prada anunció oficialmente que compró Versace; Sabrina Carpenter le dijo “alto ahí antiderechos” a la administración de Trump; Para Inaugurar el Estadio Banorte, México jugará contra la selección de Portugal; Y Claudia Sheinbaum ya dijo que definitivamente no asistirá a la inauguración del Mundial en este estadio. Y para #ElVasoMedioLleno… ¡La capa de ozono se cerró más rápido este año! Hay esperanza en recuperarlaPara enterarte de más noticias como estas, síguenos en redes sociales. Estamos en todas las plataformas como @telokwento. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Weight loss drugs have once again dominated health headlines.The World Health Organization has endorsed Ozempic-type drugs for long-term obesity treatment, while Australia's TGA has issues new safety alerts - so what's going on here? Plus, we dive into the contentious Oxford Word of the Year, and why it was some people raging... literally. And in headlines today, A suppression order has been lifted allowing reporting on the dark history of Greg Lynn; Disgraced former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann will learn today whether a an appeal to overturn a court ruling he probably raped colleague Brittany Higgins is successful; Palestinian militant group Hamas says it is handing over the remains of one of the two last hostage bodies still in the Gaza Strip; The Prada Group has officially purchased Milan fashion rival Versace in a 1.25 billion euro ($A2.21 billion) deal; Miley Cyrus is engaged to musician Maxx Morando THE END BITS Support independent women's media Check out The Quicky Instagram here GET IN TOUCHShare your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice note or email us at thequicky@mamamia.com.au CREDITS Hosts: Taylah Strano & Claire Murphy Guests: Dr Terri-Lynne South, Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Obesity ManagementMyf Warhurst, cultural commentator & host of The Moment podcast Audio Producer: Lu Hill Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Preparan segunda caravana de migrantes desde Texas al Edomex  Analistas reducen crecimiento económico previsto para 2025  Prada adquiere Versace por 1,500 mdd  Más información en nuestro podcast

Il tasso di occupazione sale al 62,7% in ottobre, massimo storico dal 2004: 24,2 milioni gli occupati, +75mila sul mese, con disoccupazione al 6% e inattivi stabili. Su base annua si contano 224mila occupati in più, grazie agli over 50, mentre peggiora il quadro giovanile: tra 15-24 anni il tasso scende di 1,9 punti e cresce l'inattività; tra 25-34 anni il calo è di 0,7 punti. Dati solidi che però non spingono la crescita: secondo l'Ocse, l'economia globale rallenterà al 2,9% nel 2026 e l'Italia proseguirà su ritmi modesti, dallo 0,5% del 2025 fino allo 0,7% nel 2027, frenata da export deboli e consumi fiacchi. Gli investimenti pubblici sosterranno la crescita solo fino al 2026, poi rallenteranno; resta centrale il rigore fiscale con deficit previsto al 2,6% nel 2027, avanzo primario all'1,3% e debito al 137% dopo il conteggio dei crediti del Superbonus.Ne abbiamo parlato con Andrea Garnero, economista del Dipartimento Lavoro e Affari Sociali dell'Ocse.Inviata comunicazione su oro Bankitalia alla BceIl governo ha inviato alla Bce la comunicazione sull'emendamento Malan che propone di qualificare le riserve auree della Banca d'Italia come proprietà diretta dello Stato. Un gesto simbolico ma in contrasto con trattati Ue e regole del SEBC, che tutelano l'indipendenza delle banche centrali e vietano trasferimenti assimilabili a finanziamenti. Parte dell'oro è inoltre custodita alla Federal Reserve di New York: un eventuale rimpatrio - circa mille tonnellate - sarebbe complesso e politicamente delicato. Secondo la lettura geopolitica, il nodo non sarebbe la Bce ma la Fed: con un accordo fra Meloni e Trump, la strada potrebbe aprirsi, come già tentano Germania, Olanda ed Est Europa. Dagli Stati Uniti, negli ultimi mesi, sono state restituite 30 tonnellate ad altri Paesi.Interviene Alessandro Plateroti, direttore editoriale di UCapital.com.La Perla, tutti i dipendenti riassuntiLa vertenza La Perla si chiude con il rientro di tutte le lavoratrici e i lavoratori nella nuova società La Perla Atelier, controllata da Luxury Holding del magnate Peter Kern. Previsti 30 milioni di investimenti entro il 2027 e un rilancio del retail tra Parigi, Milano ed e-commerce. Il ritorno in fabbrica a Bologna chiude oltre due anni di crisi diventati simbolo della difesa del lavoro artigiano italiano. L'azienda, fondata nel 1954 e un tempo oltre 1.500 dipendenti, non era più tornata in utile dopo le gestioni dei fondi internazionali; nel 2024 era stata dichiarata insolvente. Le maestranze hanno reagito con il progetto "Le Perline", producendo capi durante la CIG per mantenere attiva la loro professionalità. Ora si apre una fase nuova per la storica maison della lingerie. Intanto Prada completa l'acquisizione di Versace e LVMH affida la guida a Pietro Beccari, con ricavi oltre 58 miliardi nei primi mesi del 2025. Ne abbiamo parlato con Giulia Crivelli del Sole 24 Ore.

Chris Versace says this week and next week could be make-or-break for the market ending 2025 higher. He sees a “hawkish” rate cut in December from the Fed; “the key for us is to maybe see inflation still at elevated levels but not creep higher,” he says. “Don't make any aggressive moves this week,” he advises investors, because trading volumes are typically low during the holiday week, and “look for the S&P 500 to retest the 100-day moving average.” He says instead to “build your shopping list” of stocks, highlighting Axon (AXON) and Arista Networks (ANET).======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

It's a huge day for the boys as they sit down with the one-and-only VITALIY VERCASE, director of the Disasterpiece classics The Last Vampire on Earth and Born Into Mafia.From trying to understand his filmmaking philosophy to unlocking his mysterious YouTube page, Justin and Steve had a million questions for the Russian director. And their most surprising discovery is… he's a pretty normal and very sweet guy who just loves making movies.The boys also discover that Vitaliy has been involved in dozens of big-budget film productions, and he was more than willing to spill the tea on some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. But like all things Vitaliy touches, the more they found out, the more mysterious he became.A huge thank you to Vitaliy for taking time out of his busy schedule to sit down with us.Check out Vitaliy's YouTube page HEREWatch Born Into Mafia HEREWatch The Last Vampire on Earth HERE Follow us on Instagram to stay updated about our monthly live shows!Check out more from Justin here: justindodd.rocks Check out more from Steve here: stevejhward.comdrinkgenies.com

Comedian James Tom spent years identifying as a lesbian enby, but it took a Fire Island orgy and a twink in a Versace speedo to help him realize he was actually a gay guy. James has been mining his experiences for hilarious stand-up material ever since. In this episode, James stops by to tell Gabe and Chris side-splitting stories of sexual aha moments and misadventures alike. He also offers tons of helpful advice to trans and cis queers who “just wanna fuck” -- including Chris and Gabe! Want to know what cis guys should absolutely NOT say when hooking up with trans guys? This episode’s for you! Follow Sniffies' Cruising Confessions: cruisingconfessions.com Try Sniffies: sniffies.com Follow Sniffies on Social: Instagram: instagram.com/sniffiesapp X: x.com/sniffiesapp TikTik: tiktok.com/@sniffiesapp Follow the hosts: Gabe Gonzalez: instagram.com/gaybonez Chris Patterson-Rosso: instagram.com/cprgivesyoulife Guests featured in this episode: James Tom: https://www.instagram.com/jamestomxo/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For GQ's global fashion correspondent Samuel Hine, clothes have always been more than fabric; they were a form of identity long before they became his career. Growing up as an identical twin in Chicago, he learned early that style could be a language of individuality. That instinct eventually led him to New York, a meeting with Will Welch (through a friend of his grandmother, no less), and what's now a decade-long career shaping how we read and interpret menswear. In this conversation, we talk about the evolution of fashion criticism, the rebirth of men's style, and why GQ's “new new masculinity” reflects more than just trend but a cultural recalibration. Hine shares his thoughts on writing as both love and labor, the designers moving fashion forward with integrity over hype, and what he calls a quiet “masculine renaissance” where men might not all be okay, but at least they're dressing the part. “I never thought of being visible or outward-facing as a strategy. I just always felt that being out in the world—seeing what people are wearing, what they're talking about—is part of the job. It's not just a role you perform, it's a person you become.” - Samuel Hine  Episode Highlights: Finding identity through clothes — Growing up as an identical twin in Chicago's North Shore, Samuel used clothing to differentiate himself, from refusing blue jeans to obsessing over Oxford shirts and shaggy sweaters. From Chinese and history to fashion — A self-described reader before writer, he majored in Chinese and history, then realized fashion could be his intellectual project as much as his personal style. Early media spark — Running his high school radio station and interviewing Liz Phair showed him media could be a passport into worlds far from his suburban life. Studying men's fashion criticism — An independent study traced men's fashion writing from Oscar Wilde to Tumblr, convincing him there was space to take menswear as seriously as he did. The GQ break — A friend of his grandmother connected him to Will Welch; he started as Welch's assistant, then grew with the brand across print, web, social, and events. What the global correspondent does — “Go where the action is.” He covers the men's and co-ed weeks worldwide, files features and fast leads, collaborates with 13 GQ markets, and lives between planes and pages. Show Notes and niche obsession — His GQ newsletter lets him cover the hyper-specific: show reviews, underground designers, and off-runway lore, building a direct pipe to readers beyond SEO. Who's winning now — He praises Ralph Lauren for steady world-building over clout-chasing, and singles out Dario Vitale's Versace debut for feeling genuinely fresh, young, and wearable. Who would matter without hype — Designers who would make clothes regardless of money or press: Eckhaus Latta, Kiko Kostadinov, Telfar. Purpose and compulsion over noise. What's contemporary now — Print. As an antidote to algorithmic brain-rot, magazines channel human taste and help readers develop their own; the medium feels newly vital. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this two-part episode Eugene Rabkin and Philippe Pourhashemi discuss this past season of many debuts, whether the so-called "great reset" was successful, and address two main narratives that are gripping the fashion media, the power and tact (or lack thereof) of the sideline fashion commentariat, and whether designers are out of touch with the needs of modern women.In episode one Eugene and Philippe discuss New York, London, and Milan, the debuts of Demna at Gucci, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, Simone Belotti at Jil Sander, and Dario Vitale at Versace (pronounced, Ver-says) and the democratization of fashion commentary. In episode two they talk about J.W. Anderson's first outing at Dior, Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Duran Lantink at Gaultier, Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela, Miguel Castro Freitas at Mugler, and sophomore efforts by Michael Rider at Celine and Sarah Burton at Givenchy, among other shows. They also discuss the alleged misogyny on part of some designers. It's a lot, hence why we broke up this podcast into two episodes. Substack and Patreon subscribers will have access to both parts early and at once. Consider becoming a paid subscriber; your contribution supports independent fashion journalism, or you can read another article about Kylie Jenner.Support the show

The queens put the SIS in ekphrasis!Please Support Breaking Form!Review the show on Apple Podcasts here.Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series.James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books.Show Notes:The Greek word ekphrasis (ἔκφρασις) is derived from the Greek prefix ek- ("out") and the verb phrazein ("to speak," "to explain," or "to show"). The combination translates to "to speak out," "to speak clearly and completely," or "to show clearly." In the movie Showgirls, Kyle MacLachlan's character, Zack Carey, corrects Nomi Malone (played by Elizabeth Berkley) when she mispronounces "Versace" as "Ver-sayce." Watch the iconic scene here."Faithfully" is a song by American rock band Journey, released in 1983 as the second single from their album Frontiers. Go behind the music with some more info about the song's origin story.The receipts about Karl Lagerfeld's hateful (racist, fat phobic) ass are here.Some of the poems and poets we mention include:Jorie Graham, San SepolcroPaul Tran, Like Judith Slaying Holofernes -- and listen to Tran talk about their inspiration for this poem.Rainer Maria Rilke, "Archaic Torso of Apollo"Tommye Blount, "Karl Lagerfeld's line of beauty"Amy Gerstler, "Dear Boy George"Anne Sexton, "Starry Night" David Trinidad's "Peyton Place: A Haiku Soap Opera" (excerpt)Walta Borawski, "Watching Sting on Saturday Night Live." Check out this review of Borawski's Collected Poems.