Fashion People

Lauren’s guest is Nick Axelrod-Welk, founder of medi spa-meets-beauty brand Contrapposto. Nick is a former journalist and co-founder of Glossier, Nécessaire, and Homecourt, They discuss the death of legacy media, the rise of D.T.C. brands, the fashionization of the beauty business, how he learned to raise money, and plenty more.

Lauren’s guest is Mel Ottenberg, editor-in-chief of Interview magazine. They talk about their favorite shows of the season, starting with Eckhaus Latta and going all the way to Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel and Tom Ford. Mel also grills Lauren on how she gets her scoops and what it’s like to stay in an Airbnb during Fashion Month.

Lauren’s guest is Ruthie Rogers, chef and owner of the River Cafe and host of Ruthie’s Table 4. Ahead of the restaurant’s 40th anniversary, they discuss its humble beginnings, how people dress for dinner today, and her favorite restaurant in Paris. Plus, Lauren checks in from Paris Fashion Week.

Lauren’s guest is designer J.J. Martin, who showed her spring collection for La DoubleJ on Thursday. They discuss how she went from being a freelance writer to fashion entrepreneur, whether Italians are more sexist than Americans, how to incorporate woo-woo into your business plan, and plenty more.

Lauren’s guest is GQ global editorial director Adam Baidawi, fresh off his first Tom Cruise magazine interview in 20 years. They talk through that shirtless cover, why he steered clear of the Scientology questions, his path from Melbourne freelancer to British GQ to succeeding Will Welch, and his plan to widen GQ’s aperture without losing its edge. Plus, why he thinks these legacy fashion brands should actually be making real money.

Lauren’s guest is Irish-born, New York-based designer Maria McManus. They chat about her scrappy path through EDUN, Club Monaco, and three years working alongside Tory Burch before launching her own label right as the pandemic hit. They also discuss why she still swears by wholesale even as direct-to-consumer becomes non-negotiable, and the French lace, Lower East Side artisans, and Irish craft details behind her "no BS" collections.

Lauren is joined by The New York Times’ Michael Grynbaum, author of ‘Empire of the Elite,’ to mark the book’s paperback release—which arrives with a fresh 5,000-word afterword on everything that’s unfolded at Condé Nast in the year since it first published. They dig into the closure of Self, the decline of Glamour, and the challenges facing Vogue under Chloe Malle. They also check in on how Hearst's Esquire and Harper's Bazaar are faring.

Lauren’s guests are Contra Sports Club founders Amy Schultz and Jessika Alexander. Contra is a training club in Los Angeles designed for professional athletes and creative-types alike. (It also happens to be in the middle of Melrose Hill, an incredible retail story that reminds us that everything comes down to real estate.) Amy and Jessika are building a lifestyle brand, but, most importantly, a personal training gym that doesn’t smell bad. They discuss the business of being in shape in 2026, peptides, and plenty more.