

Nymphet Alumni
Nymphet Alumni
Nymphet Alumni is a podcast dedicated to the study of fashion and culture. www.nymphetalumni.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 20, 2025 • 1h 16min
Ep. 130: Magazine Girl
Dive into the captivating world of the Magazine Girl, where aspirational allure and gritty realities collide. Explore the legacies of fashion icons like Diana Vreeland and Anna Wintour while examining the emotional dynamics in the industry. Reflect on the decline of cultural refinement in magazine media and the nostalgia for past glamour. Discover how powerful female figures shaped fashion journalism and the ongoing evolution of style, revealing the complex interplay of identity and social commentary in today's landscape.

Aug 14, 2025 • 1h 4min
Ep. 129: The Jeans of it All | Study Break
In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the suspiciously overblown controversy of Sydney Sweeney’s AE ad spot, our box office takes on Ari Aster’s Black Lives Matter COVID Western and the new Superman, fascinating late night musical debuts from Pinkpantheress and Jessie Murph, the summer of female sexual aggression, our love of senior dating and romance, and more. Links: Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans – American EagleBrooke Shields Calvin Klein Jeans Commercial (1980) Biz on the genes/jeans of it all Sydney Sweeney as Lacanian super predator tweet@default_friend on AE’s busted copy“The Disembodied Body of Marilyn Monroe” by Wendy LesserThere You Are: Brad Pitt for Chanel No. 5 CommercialPamela Anderson and Liam Neeson editorial for You magazine Liam Neeson racism backlash“Sex After 60 in Sag Harbor” by Candace Bushnell for New York magazineA24’s Eddington dir. Ari Aster – Official Trailer “Everyone Wants a Piece of Pedro Pascal” – Vanity Fair cover story“Can David Corenswet Save Superman?” – GQ cover storyRyan Murphy Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy styling backlash“Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters hits No. 1 on BillboardPinkPantheress: Illegal/Girl Like Me/Tonight Medley on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonRhythm Heaven music edits by @therealstoinkle Jessie Murph: 1965 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonChappell Roan - The Subway (Official Music Video)Sabrina Carpenter brings out Earth, Wind & Fire at LollapaloozaManon and Lara of KATSEYE lez out on stage at LollapaloozaRachel Zegler’s gratitude surge at Evita curtain callRFK Jr. launches federal crackdown on 7-OHLola Young - One Thing (Official Music Video) 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

Jul 29, 2025 • 13min
Ep. 128: Hamptons Face w/ Emily Sundberg
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nymphetalumni.comThis week on Nymphet Alumni, Biz interviews New York newsletter phenom and Feed Me founder Emily Sundberg. They discuss the West Village-ification of America, the curious case of Hamptons face and what’s aspirational to young people in New York in 2025. Plus, Emily shares her advice on how to find your voice and how to protect your digital soul.

Jul 24, 2025 • 1h 10min
Ep. 127: Opium
In this week’s episode, we explore the cryptic and chaotic world of Opium, the record label founded by Playboi Carti in 2019 that has since evolved into a full-blown subculture of chronically online and fashionably darksided super-fans. From botched merch capsules and vampire cosplay to early TikTok dances and baby mama drama, we descend the Opium iceberg and trawl the Cartinese dark web in attempt to understand the Chrome-bejeweled and Rick-adorned figures shaping youth culture in their image. Links: Image boardr/playboicarti on RedditOpium (Record Label) on KnowYourMeme“Playboi Carti Against His Own Game” by Nolan Kelly – Spike Art Magazine“Playboi Carti and His Offspring Ponder Life After Rage-Rap” by Jon Caramanica – The New York TimesIs Playboi Carti Rap’s Next—or Last—Rap Superstar? – Popcast “The Rowdy World of Rap’s New Underground” by Jon Caramanica – The New York Times [PHOTOS]Misc. video essays on YouTube: * The Opium Aesthetic Explained* The Rise of Opium: Playboi Carti's Unstoppable Label* The Opium Iceberg Explained“Will Playboi Carti Ever Drop His New Album?” – Rolling StoneNEVEREVER by Ken Carson kitten videos on TikTok“The History of Playboi Carti’s Baby Voice” by Greg Gaffney – ComplexRanking Playboi Carti Ad-Libs“Playboi Carti Emoji Combos“Playboi Carti on His Cut-and-Sew Fashion Line ‘Narcissist’” – Paper Magazine“5 Things You Should Know About VLONE” – NSS MagazineBiz on 2hollis 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

Jul 16, 2025 • 1h 15min
Ep. 126: Mamacitas and Materialists | Study Break
In this edition of Study Break, we discuss the mass psychosis of Love Island USA, major couture debuts at Dior and Celine, the sauceless hypergamy parable of Celine Song’s Materialists, Cate Blanchett’s chilling epilogue cameo in Squid Game, and current Latina affairs from Katseye’s “Gabriela” to the Sanchez-Bezos midlife nuptial extravaganza. We also review Addison’s stadium debut at Wembley and report on courtroom happenings including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Min Hee-jin. Love Island USA Hearts on Fire Challenge – Teaser on YouTubeCierra Ortega apology video on YouTube @loveislandusastyle on Instagram“Cierra & Vanna & Ethics & Vanity” – The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFinoBad tattoos on Love Island USA The New York Times on the Sean “Diddy” Combs VerdictTiny Harris reacts to the Diddy verdict on InstagramDior Homme Spring 2026 Menswear (J. W. Anderson debut) – Vogue RunwayCeline Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear (Michael Rider debut) – Vogue RunwayMarc Jacobs Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear – Vogue Runway“Materialists Costume Designer Talks About Style Symbolism” – The Zoe ReportCate Blanchett cameo in Squid Game finale on YouTubeKATSEYE (캣츠아이) "Gabriela" Official MV on YouTubeThe Daytona Wind Acting Challenge from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 on YouTubeLauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos Wedding Exclusive – VogueAddison Rae opens for Lana del Rey at Wembley NewJeans / HYBE / ADOR / Min Hee-Jin Megathread on Reddit 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

Jun 25, 2025 • 1h 6min
Ep. 125: Manchile (Sam's Birthday Special) | Study Break
In this edition of Study Break, in which we subtly celebrate Sam’s birthday, we discuss a variety of women’s issues: the discourse meltdown brought on by Sabrina Carpenter’s chauvinist comeback and her aesthetic shift from pastels and pin-ups to Helmut Newton and Halston; the mass crisis of female reproductive unwellness; Addison Rae’s kaleidoscopic showgirl debut; and the upsetting regression of Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater hustle. We also discuss some boy issues: Luigi Mangione’s lovably centrist birthday dispatch from prison, putting the Guy Fawkes mask on and embracing Redditism, Trump and Elon’s toxic yaoi best friend breakup, and more.To stay subscribed to exclusive episodes and all the glamour of our premium content, head to https://www.nymphetalumni.com/subscribe and add your payment info <3Links:“How Sabrina Carpenter Dream-Come-True'd Her Whole Life” – Rolling Stone Sabrina Carpenter Man’s Best Friend album coverJ. G. Ballard on Helmut Newton in The Art Newspaper, 1999Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild (Official Video)Sports betting based on period cyclesRecent PCOS/PMDD celebrity press: Lorde, Bella Hadid, Miley CyrusNadya Okamoto/August on TikTokAddison Rae – Addison Pitchfork Review (8.0)Addison Rae Interview: From $20 TikToks to Pop’s Most Promising Prospect – PopcastAddison Rae with superstar vocal coach Eric VetroAddison Rae – Times Like These (Official Video) (feat. Gio the line cook!)Luigi Mangione’s gratitude-pilled birthday letter from MDC Alex Cooper Accuses Her College Soccer Coach of Sexual Harassment – Vanity FairMartin Lawrence on The Jennifer Hudson Show (interview flop)Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss by Dr. SquatchSydney Sweeney W Magazine cover storyBelle Delphine bathwater PayPal controversy – Business Insider 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

Jun 18, 2025 • 12min
Ep. 124: American Scammer
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.nymphetalumni.comIn this episode, we oscillate between antebellum steamboat grifters and prosperity gospel televangelists to unpack the archetype of the American con man: a self-made myth-maker cloaked in charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent. We discuss itinerant preachers, LA hypebeast cyber-apostles, Herman Melville, identity theft, April Fool’s Day, man-on-the-street content creators, jewelry dropshippers, and more, tracing the legacy of scammers through primary sources from 1850s op-eds to influencer snark pages.Links:

Jun 6, 2025 • 2h 8min
Ep. 123: The Miss Course w/ Angel Money
This week on Nymphet Alumni, Alexi interviews Angel Money, New York nightlife darling and visionary of beauty and commerce. Over the course of more than two hours, we discuss her past life as a Tumblr-famous pale grunge blogger, her balance between New Age spirituality and hedonistic abundance, her intimate knowledge of custom Chinese manufacturing, her fashion controversies from cultural appropriation to exotic animal pelts, mad scientist gray market beauty treatments, the implicit influence of trans aesthetics on 21st century femininity, the mental and physical architecture of transsexuality, and much more. Angel also shares her exclusive recipes for a perfect night out—including her precise methodology for a 48-hour glam—and her high-fantasy vision for the ultimate immersive nightlife experience.Links: Listen to Money Talks with Angel MoneyAngel’s Share – Document Journal Angel Money on InstagramAngel Money on Twitter 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

May 28, 2025 • 1h 26min
Ep. 122: Welcome to Chumbo w/ Emily Segal
In this episode, we’re joined by the legendary Emily Segal: writer, artist, cultural clairvoyant, and co-founder of K-HOLE and Nemesis. We talk about her brand-conscious NYC upbringing and art school education-by-osmosis, AI and telepathy, the collapse of unified worldviews, and what it means to be a creative director when every pair of jeans is trending at once. Emily also unearths the lost downtown dream of Chumbo and unpacks for us the group polarization and identity negotiation of contemporary parenting culture. Links: NEMESIS on SubstackK-HOLEEmily Segal on InstagramThe Generational Triennial: Younger Than Jesus at The New MuseumWolff OlinsMatan Even on YouTubeMother Media: Hot and Cool Parenting in the Twentieth Century by Hannah ZeavinIDEO 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

May 20, 2025 • 1h 33min
Ep. 121: Whimsimod
In this episode, we introduce the concept of whimsimod to explain the recent trend of pattern-printed and adorably tailored fashion among sensitive indie starlets and Instagram baddies alike. In the process of unpacking this polished yet playful re-envisioning of femininity, we discuss the aesthetic shift from “kiki” to “bouba” over the past year, the history of girly youth diffusion lines like RED Valentino and Blugirl, the current hemline crisis and the accompanying novelty hosiery movement, seminal lady designers including Carolina Herrera and Kate Spade, and more. We also provide a forensic cultural history of the polka dot throughout the decades. Links: Image board“The Power Of Two Claires: Miss Claire Sullivan Talks Designing Clairo’s Grammys Look” — Nylon“Reflections of Clairo” by Clairo — Bylinebeabadoobee — “Beaches” Jimmy Kimmel Live performance on YouTubebeabadoobee slayful Getty ImagePatternalia: An Unconventional History of Polka Dots, Stripes, Plaid, Camouflage, & Other Graphic Patterns by Jude Stewart“The Polka Dot’s Past Is Weirder Than You Think” by Nancy MacDonell — The Wall Street JournalBlondita, Lauren Perrin, Ben Doctor, Lucila SafdieTJ Maxx psychosis monologue TikTok (?)Miu Miu Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear Collection — Vogue RunwayAddison Rae’s polka dot catsuit by Miss Claire Sullivan at CoachellaAddison Rae Vogue France cover storyDisney Channel’s Former Costume Designer Doesn’t Get the Y2K Resurgence Either — Vogue Paloma Sandoval on Instagram“That’s So ’80s:” Wes Gordon Finds Treasures in a Scrapbook From Herrera’s Past — Interview“Carolina Herrera: Portrait of a Lady” by Anamaria Wilson — Harper’s BazaarLynn Wyatt's Glamorous Life: Celebrities, Couture, and Castles | Paper Trail on YouTube@chloyorkcity’s 80’s Excess series on TikTokSurrey glasses on EyeBuyDirect“The Enduring Legacy of Kate Spade’s Witty, Misunderstood Life” by Rory Satran — The Wall Street JournalVogue’s extremely belated trend report on statement socks and tights at NYFW“1960s-Style Tights Are Back. How to Wear Them in 2022.” by Nancy MacDonell — The Wall Street JournalCero Magazine Issue 9 — Kiko Kostadinov Special Edition featuring our interview with Laura and Deanna Fanning! 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