The Fashion Insider

Lesa Amoore had multiple Vogue covers. She walked for Armani, Versace and the biggest luxury houses in the world. She worked across Milan, Madrid, Munich, Paris and New York during one of the most iconic eras in fashion history.But Lesa’s story goes far beyond the covers and the catwalks. She speaks openly about her experiences at Elite Paris under Gérald Marie, the unwanted advances she had to fight off alone, and being pressured into a cosmetic procedure she never asked for.She talks about witnessing things on a yacht in Monte Carlo connected to Prince Andrew, and finding herself in the same circles as Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. She also speaks about her advocacy work, her photography career, and everything she has learned from a life spent inside this industry.Lesa came into this conversation as a complete open book. Raw, honest and holding nothing back. She is one of the most intelligent, warm and inspiring women we have ever had on this show and we feel very privileged she trusted us with her story.Read More:2020 — Victims of Gérald Marie come forward (The Guardian)https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/nov/20/plain-sight-more-models-accuse-gerald-marie-sexual-assault-elite2021 — Models speak out against Gérald Marie (NYT)https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/style/models-harassment-gerald-marie.html2021 — Survivors invited to the French Senate (BBC)https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-585621492025 — The Fashion Workers Act signed into law (Vogue)https://www.vogue.com/article/the-fashion-workers-act-is-finally-law-what-happens-nowFollow LesaWebsite: www.lesaamoore.comInstagram: @lesaamooreThe Fashion InsiderInstagram: @nakullaxEmail: tfipodcast@outlook.com​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Every model needs an agent. That is not up for debate. But the agent sitting across from you could be the person who protects you from the worst this industry has to offer, or the person who quietly delivers you into it. In this episode Nakul goes into the full picture. The good, the bad, and the genuinely sinister. Because understanding both sides is what actually keeps you safe.We go into the scout system. The legendary scouts who changed lives with a single conversation. Kate Moss discovered at JFK Airport at fourteen, Gisele Bundchen spotted at a McDonald’s in São Paulo, Naomi Campbell approached in her school uniform in Covent Garden. And then Daniel Siad, named approximately two thousand times in the declassified Epstein files as a scout and recruiter of young women for Jeffrey Epstein’s network, who was sending girls from small villages in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Latvia directly into Epstein’s orbit. We also go into the promoter system. The nightclub circuit operating at the edges of fashion week in New York, Milan, Paris and London, how it works, who is behind it, and why it remains one of the primary access points for exploitation in the industry today.And we go into agents. The extraordinary ones who fight for you, educate you, and stand by you when things go wrong. And the ones who leave you out to dry the moment it costs them something. Nakul shares his own stories from both ends of that experience, plus the red flags and green flags every model needs to know before signing anything. Raw, honest, and from someone still inside the industry.Follow Nakul on Instagram @nakullaxwww.instagram.com/nakullaxEmail us at: TFIPodcast@outlook.com

The co-founder of Next Model Management had a 40 year relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Her name appears over 5,000 times in the DOJ files. She was sending him lists of models after his conviction. She was exchanging model photographs and physical measurements with a convicted predator. She accepted a secret multi-million dollar loan from him while concealing his involvement from the people she was negotiating with. She stepped down at the back end of 2025. Next Management cut all ties and said they knew nothing.Her co-founder was Jean-Luc Brunel. Exposed on national television in 1988 for drugging and attacking models in Paris. She went into business with him the following year. He later launched MC2 Model Management with one million dollars of Epstein’s money. A former bookkeeper testified that models were loaned to wealthy clients for up to $100,000 a night and were not paid if refused.This episode is the full story. The agents. The agencies. The network. The playbook they used on the models inside it. And why it is still happening today.Follow on Instagram: @nakullaxwww.instagram.com/nakullax Email: tfipodcast@outlook.com

In November 2022, Balenciaga published a Christmas campaign featuring young children holding teddy bear handbags dressed in bondage gear. At the same time, a separate campaign contained a printed excerpt from a US Supreme Court ruling on child pornography laws. The children in the campaign were the children of Balenciaga employees. A committee of dozens of people at Kering approved the images. The $25 million lawsuit Balenciaga filed to blame the production company lasted seven days before being quietly dropped. The creative director said he didn’t see the creepy part.In January 2025, France’s main trade union described Balenciaga’s use of employees’ children as a Machiavellian deceit and filed a formal report alleging the parents had no real ability to refuse. In January 2026, the French Labour Inspectorate opened a formal investigation. In March 2025, the creative director was appointed to run Gucci.This episode is the full story. Every detail. The campaigns, the approval process, the children, the rehabilitation, and what it all says about an industry that has consistently chosen to protect itself over the people who cannot protect themselves.Follow on Instagram: @nakullaxEmail the show: tfipodcast@outlook.com

The front row at a major fashion show looks like culture. It feels like fashion. It is actually a multi-million dollar commercial operation and almost nobody talks about how it really works.In this episode I break down the full economy behind the front row. Who gets paid to be there and how much. Why Rihanna was paid $97,500 to sit at a single show in Paris. Why Beyoncé was commanding $100,000 per appearance at her peak. The full fee matrix that talent agencies use to negotiate these deals. The gifting economy, how brands send $4,000 bags to influencers for a production cost of $400 and book it as PR. The Dior Saddle Bag revival that was a planned operation from start to finish. The FTC disclosure rules that almost nobody follows and why brands rely on that. And my own honest experience of what it actually feels like to sit in those rooms, who surprised me, what made me angry, and what I think has been lost.This is the episode the fashion industry does not want you to hear.You can follow Nakul on Instagram @nakullaxwww.instagram.com/nakullaxYou can email us at tfipodcast@outlook.com

Nakul was in the room at Palazzo delle Scintille on February 27th when Demna made his first full runway debut as creative director of Gucci. And he has thoughts.Before a single model walked, Gucci had already done something that needed to be called out. Flooding social media with AI-generated imagery to promote the most anticipated show of Milan Fashion Week. What does that say about a house built on Italian craftsmanship? And where does AI end and laziness begin?Then the show itself. The marble museum set. The anti-beauty casting imported straight from Balenciaga. The Tom Ford references. Alessandro Michele sitting front row watching his replacement. Kate Moss closing in ten carats of diamonds. And that slow creeping feeling that the ambition of the staging was outrunning the ambition of the clothes.This is an honest take, not a hit piece. Nakul loves fashion precisely because nobody agrees, and if you loved this show he wants to hear from you. But here’s what he actually felt watching every look walk. Brutal, specific, and fair.Come and agree or disagree. That’s what fashion is for.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Follow Nakul on Instagram @nakullaxEmail us at tfipodcast@outlook.comwww.instagram.com/nakullax

Ed Razek allegedly told Bella Hadid to forget the panties during a fitting while he watched. Bridget Malcolm starved herself for three days and was angry she couldn’t make it to five. Les Wexner gave Jeffrey Epstein power of attorney over his fortune, a $77 million mansion, and the private jet that became known as the Lolita Express.Nakul exposes the reality behind Victoria’s Secret.The systematic starvation that left models passing out and using IV drips to survive. The harassment allegations reported to HR that went nowhere. The Chief Marketing Officer who allegedly groped models at fittings and ended careers when they said no. The billionaire owner whose best friend used the brand as a hunting ground.81 percent of models have a BMI in the underweight category. 54 percent skip meals. 25 percent report self induced vomiting. 40 percent use IV drips because they’re not eating enough to function.This is what young girls were taught to idolize.Nakul shares his own experiences from inside the Victoria’s Secret world. The shows he attended. The after parties. The older men who had no business being there. The culture he witnessed first-hand.Contains discussions of eating disorders, sexual harassment, and exploitation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​You can follow Nakul on Instagram @nakullaxEmail us at: tfipodcast@outlook.com

Brooklyn Beckham just detonated Brand Beckham. In a six-page Instagram statement, David and Victoria’s eldest son exposed everything, the performative family photos, the wedding from hell, and the truth behind fashion’s most “perfect” couple.In this Insider Feature, Nakul Lax breaks down every single allegation: Victoria cancelling Nicola’s wedding dress last minute. David and Victoria allegedly trying to bribe Brooklyn into signing away his name. Victoria hijacking the first dance and dancing “inappropriately” on her own son. Brooklyn being told his bride was “not blood” the night before his wedding. And Victoria refusing to help displaced dogs during the LA fires, despite years of showing up to every fashion show for the cameras.But this episode goes deeper. Nakul pulls back the curtain on WHY we worship fake celebrity relationships, why the best relationships you’ll ever see aren’t on red carpets but in your own family, and why couples sometimes stay together not for love, but for the brand.Plus: David Beckham’s leaked emails calling the Honours Committee “unappreciative c***s”, his 13-hour queue for the Queen (performance or genuine?), and Rebecca Loos,David’s former assistant, responding TODAY to back up Brooklyn’s claims.If you’ve ever wondered what’s really happening behind the perfect Instagram photos, this episode is for you.Raw. Unfiltered. The Fashion Insider.

The Birkin bag is one of the most desired objects in fashion and one of the hardest to access. In this Insider Feature, The Fashion Insider breaks down why you can’t simply walk into Hermès and buy one.Hosted by Nakul Lax, this episode unpacks the real structure behind the Birkin: how the system works, why scarcity is intentional, and how access is controlled through waiting, discretion, and unspoken rules. From the myth of the waiting list to boutique politics, UK vs US differences, celebrity treatment, resale markets, and the psychology of exclusivity, this episode reveals what luxury gatekeeping really looks like from the inside.This is not a shopping guide.It’s an explanation of power, desire, and why being told “no” has become the ultimate luxury.

Zara Lamy has already worked with some of the biggest houses in the world, from Valentino, Saint Laurent, and Courrèges to Elie Saab and Louis Vuitton. And yet, her journey is only just beginning.In this conversation, Zara opens up about her childhood, how she first discovered fashion, and the moment her break into the industry finally arrived. She shares the realities behind the runways she’s walked, the lessons she’s learned along the way, and the vision she’s shaping for her future. A grounded, intimate look at a model at the very start of an extraordinary path.You can follow Zara at www.instagram.com/zara.lamyYou can follow Nakul at www.instagram.com/nakullax

Freja McLean joins Nakul Lax in Episode 26 of The Fashion Insider. Freja talks about why she decided to take a break from modelling and turn down significant modelling opportunities. There’s also insight into Freja’s framework and philosophies on life along with hearing about Freja’s experiences working in the fashion industry. Freja also takes about her trip to India and what she gained from the experience of being out in Rishikesh.You can follow Freja at www.instagram.com/frejamcleanYou can follow Nakul at www.instagram.com/nakullax

Nakul is joined my fashion model Eve Nakkachdji in Episode 24 of The Fashion Insider as they talk about all things fashion including body positivity, the highs and lows of being a model and the toxic diets. Eve talks about what it was like shooting for and featuring in elite fashion magazines such as Vogue Magazine, Grazia and L'Officiel. Eve also talks about how she deals with her mental health and what her hobbies and passions are away from being a model.You can follow Eve at www.instagram.com/eve.nakkachdjiYou can follow Nakul at www.instagram.com/nakullaxYou can email us at TFIPodcast@outlook.com

Nakul is joined by fashion model Michelle Ivana in today's episode as they talk about what it's really like being a model. From the model diets to diverse body types in modelling to dealing with difficult agencies, Michelle aka Mishka talks about the highs and lows of life as a model. Mishka also reveals very personal details about her future goals and desires and touches on very important subjects such as relationships and motherhood.You can follow Michelle at www.instagram.com/mishkaivanaYou can follow Nakul at www.instagram.com/nakullaxYou can email us at tfipodcast@outlook.com