The New Garde with Alyssa Vingan

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thenewgarde.substack.comOne day, you’re just a girl moving to New York from Canada with a visa and a dream, and a few years down the line, you’re an in-demand industry success story. Such is the case with this week’s guest. Alyssa sits down with Ariella Starkman, founder and executive producer of the full-service creative production company Starkman & Associates, as well as the managing director at HommeGirls, to learn all about the wild world of production. You’ve likely seen one (or several) of Ariella’s events come across your Instagram or TikTok feed, as she and her team have built out experiences for some of the coolest, most sought-after brands on the scene, including Anna Sui, Dazed, Kim Shui, Luar, Nike, Sky High Farm, Stussy, Telfar, Vans, and Warby Parker. At a time when everyone is getting into the IRL activations game, Ariella operates under the philosophy that chic events are a dime a dozen, and making people feel like their time has been considered when they show up for something is crucial. Tune in to hear how Bravo’s “Gallery Girls” inspired Ariella to start a career in the art world and led her to produce her first event in her early 20s, a warehouse art show in Toronto; how time is our most valuable resource and making experiences worthwhile through the details is her company’s guiding principle; navigating the attention economy as a creative and a business owner; the importance of never phoning anything in; the dangers of “compare and despair;” why being the first person to do something is a double-edged sword, but while people may copy you, the sauce is not replicable; how to create a sense of curiosity by finding new, unexpected event spaces; why building a tight-knit professional community is key to finding meaning in your work; why at the end of the day, it’s just not that serious, and much more.This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

Amanda Mull, a senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek and expert on consumer culture, dives deep into the rising costs of fashion. She discusses how wealthy boredom during the pandemic fueled luxury price hikes and why younger consumers struggle to enter the luxury market. Amanda explores the shift from craftsmanship to merchandising among brands and the intriguing success of the Marc Jacobs Tote Bag. The conversation also highlights the emergence of dupe culture as a response to high prices and the evolving landscape of social media and its impact on fashion.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thenewgarde.substack.comWhen asked the question “What is it that you do?” sometimes the answer isn’t so simple, and it’s best to let the work speak for itself. Such has been the case for Kristen Naiman, the chief creative officer at The RealReal, who’s worn many hats over the course of her career, from writer to editor to stylist to fashion executive. In this week’s episode, Kristen unpacks her fascinating journey, from her first industry gigs that had her styling at a short-lived Condé Nast title in its heyday (who remembers Condé Nast Sports for Women?), as well as for Hanson, who brought her along to style and creative direct them on a world tour when she was in her early 20s. Tune in to hear more of Kristen’s incredible lore, as well as what it was like learning the fashion and media ropes in the thriving community of creative people in downtown New York and through her friends at PAPER; how a DIY jean jacket she embroidered for Taylor Hanson got the attention of the Gap, and helped her get a job in its concept department in the peak Mickey Drexler days; why the ability to take the cultural temperature is the key to a brand’s success; how she wound up working with Isaac Mizrahi for a decade as a fashion director, and how he taught her the importance of being unapologetically yourself; lessons from her subsequent decade-long stint at Kate Spade at the dawn of the digital era; why working in fashion requires a spidey sense and gut instinct that data can’t fully replace; why brands are dipping into long form content and why The RealReal just launched a Substack; how a cold DM helped her get her job at The RealReal; how she hopes to change the relationship with how we consume fashion; what it was like editing Kim Hastreiter’s forthcoming book, Stuff: A New York Life of Cultural Chaos, and much more.This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thenewgarde.substack.comLife comes at you fast: One day, you’re moving to Los Angeles from Dayton, Ohio, building a YouTube channel from the ground up while working at a tanning salon, and the next, you’re regularly going viral with millions of views on TikTok, pioneering the “thriftfluencer” space. Such was the case for Macy Eleni, a content creator, secondhand shopping expert, and author of the book Second Chances: The Ultimate Guide to Thrifting, Sustainable Style, and Expressing Your Most Authentic Self. Growing up, Macy couldn’t afford to buy things that were “cool” or new, so she found her personal style and learned about fashion through thrifting — a skill she was able to turn into a flourishing career and a thriving community, both on and offline. Tune in to hear Macy’s inspiring story, as well as her insights on what it was like to start vlogging in high school; the impact that early 2000s paparazzi photos and fashion reality TV had on her personal style; overcoming ridicule as a teen for wearing thrifted clothes; getting in on the ground floor of the secondhand shopping boom and watching the world catch up to your passion; building a diverse and inclusive community via YouTube and TikTok; the wild world of brand deals and monetization; getting a book deal via a cold email; playing the long game in the influencer world in order to stay authentic and build trust with her audience; how to handle the constant pressure to churn out content every day; how creators can help push brands into the future; her foray into unscripted fashion television, and much more. This episode was recorded in the podcast studio at The SQ @ 205 Hudson.

Fashion Month is upon us once again! To help kick off the Fall/Winter 2025 season, The Standard kindly invited TNG to host an intimate conversation about the fashion week machine, from how it’s covered and how people prepare, to why it still matters, to what’s working and what’s not — as well as potential ways it can evolve for the future. Alyssa is joined by an esteemed panel that includes Emilia Petrarca of Shop Rat, Rachel Tashjian of The Washington Post and Opulent Tips, and Nikki Ogunnaike of Marie Claire. Each guest has over a decade of experience covering fashion month in several capacities, so tune in for a lively conversation filled with nostalgia, wisdom, gossip (!!!), tips passed down from fashion legends, criticism, and laughter. Enjoy!Thanks for reading The New Garde with Alyssa Vingan! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com/subscribe

Alyssa Vingan chats with Ana Andjelic, a global brand executive and author of 'Hitmakers: How Brands Influence Culture.' They delve into the art of creating cohesive brand strategies, the tension between mass and niche cultures, and the dangers of rushing growth. Ana critiques the use of 'authenticity' as a shortcut in marketing and discusses the pivotal role of community in brand building. With insights into standout brands like Telfar and Skims, she emphasizes the importance of flexibility and genuine engagement in today's fast-evolving market.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thenewgarde.substack.comThe stateside skincare industry is more saturated than ever, but there are some key players who got in on the ground floor and aren’t simply riding out the trend. Sofie Pavitt, founder of Sofie Pavitt Face and owner of the results-driven Sofie Pavitt Skincare Studio in Chinatown, is one of these people. After building a promising career in accessories design working for brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap, Tory Burch, and Michael Kors, she pivoted in her 30s to pursue her love of skincare, enrolling in school and training to be an aesthetician while keeping a full-time fashion job. Fast-forward to today, and she’s developed a tightly edited line of skincare products that recently launched in Sephora, positioning her among the beauty industry big dogs.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thenewgarde.substack.comFor the final episode of the year, Alyssa answers your burning questions about life, work, fashion, media, divorce, dating, the future of The New Garde, and much more. See y'all in 2025!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit thenewgarde.substack.comAs we approach the end of what feels like the longest year on record, Alyssa sits down with fashion writer Alexandra Hildreth to discuss the many highs and lows of the past 12 months in fashion. Topics include, but are not limited to: trad wives, bag charms, mall brands, SKIMS, cowboys, the TikTok ban, designer musical chairs, boho chic, the Galliano comeback, the death of personal style, the Chanel job, brat, print magazines, man-on-the-street style interviews, underconsumption-core, and blogger discourse déjà vu. Enjoy!

Holiday shopping season is in full swing! Ahead of the onslaught of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Alyssa sat down with Nicola Fumo, host of the Attention Recession podcast and a senior commerce editor at People, for a conversation on the state of commerce content, from gift guides to Amazon Live. Tune in for an entertaining explainer on all things affiliate, as well as Nicola’s insights on why data-driven gift guides have replaced vibes-based ones; the pressure publishers are under to hit their story and revenue quotas during the holiday season; the disclosure conundrum when it comes to affiliate revenue; the evolution of the market editor as a career; how culture has arrived back at QVC and we’re all infomercial stars now; dealing with choice paralysis and why being a smart consumer is crucial; the experience of shopping on TikTok vs. on Instagram; how Amazon Live has become an additional platform for Bravolebrity drama and red carpets; the “holiday sale haul” content genre and the SSENSE sale becoming a meme; what makes a gift guide stand out in a crowd of clickbait; gift guides as voyeurism; and why personal recommendation content is having a breakthrough moment as an escape from the algorithm-based internet. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com/subscribe