The New Garde with Alyssa Vingan

On the eve of the season four premiere of “Emily in Paris” — and on the heels of the just wrapped Paris Olympics — Alyssa is joined by writer Marisa Meltzer, whose forthcoming book Non Moi Plus explores the life and times of Jane Birkin, to unpack the enduring mystique (and myth) of French girl style. An unabashed Francophile, Marisa goes long on the international cult of personality of the “French girl,” her firsthand fashion observations from a months-long reporting trip to Paris, why so many icons of Parisian style (including Jane Birkin) are expats, the lore of the Birkin bag, the French connection to indie sleaze, the unmatched magic of the French pharmacy, the deluge of fashion and beauty brands started by French influencers, the idea of the “European Summer” that’s sold to us on social media and its effect on trends, shopping in Paris vs. shopping in New York, French “It” girls through the generations, what she’s looking forward to from the Paris runways during fashion month, and her mission to bring Birkin’s legacy to life beyond Instagram moodboards.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com

Amanda Mull, a senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek and consumer culture expert, dives deep into the Trend Story Industrial Complex. She explores why there are perpetually 8,000 trends, the media's role in shaping consumer demand, and how social media, especially TikTok, influences fast fashion. Amanda discusses the paradox of Gen Z's shopping habits and the effects of affiliate marketing on digital media. The conversation raises important questions about the future of creativity in a rapidly accelerating consumer landscape.

If you’ve felt awash in a sea of Bottega Veneta Andiamo bags and Alaïa mesh ballerina flats, you are not alone. This week, Alyssa is joined by fashion writer Alexandra Hildreth to go deep into the world of dupe culture — on the For You Page and beyond. Alex helps break down the bleak vibes of Dupe TikTok, how we’re increasingly approaching our lives as content (and therefore must constantly feed the beast), the proliferation of contextless, algorithmic aesthetics, dupes vs. counterfeits, the collective mania to participate in a microtrend before the next one comes along, the general lack of concern for individuality and longevity among consumers, the sustainability problem, the natural evolution of the “look for less” recommendation structure, and whether we’ll ever be able to escape the need for instant gratification while shopping. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com

Buckle up, because the girls are yapmaxxing this week! Alyssa sits down with 032c fashion editor, vintage clothing collector, content creator, podcast host, and influencer Brenda Weischer (more commonly known as @brendahashtag) for a wide-ranging conversation covering all corners of the industry. Tune in to get Brenda’s savvy takes on building a following and a community, mastering your platforms, why figuring out exactly what you’re good at is crucial, how haters are just confused fans, why going either really big or super niche are the only options, the distinction between influencers vs. creatives vs. talent, why branding is her Roman Empire, how secondhand fashion helped her conquer imposter syndrome, adopting a “f**k you” attitude, why a strong point of view is your most valuable asset, the importance of uplifting others and reading the room, never being afraid to reach out and make a connection, regretting her past era of being a hater, knowing your worth, trusting that change in the industry is possible, and the slow, steady climb up cringe mountain. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com

Get your sunblock, bikini, and beach reads ready! This week, Alyssa sits down with Sophia June, writer and co-founder of the Language Arts Substack, to go deep on this summer’s biggest fashion-adjacent trend: literature. Sophia breaks down what it was like to be at the center of the recent Literary It Girl discourse on Twitter, how big industry names like Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and Marc Jacobs have turned book selfies into the ultimate signifier of good taste, why digital book clubs (including Kaia Gerber’s stellar Library Science) are such a valuable platform for emerging authors, whether book curators are the newest iteration of stylists, the parallels between BookTok and fashion influencing, the logic behind authors’ partnerships with brands, the pros and cons of Miu Miu’s international Summer Reads activation, and why, in many ways, books are the pinnacle of luxury.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com

In this week’s jam-packed episode, Alyssa is joined by fashion editor turned author Danielle Prescod to discuss how she’s navigated the publishing world, from digital media to writing books. Tune in for a wealth of Danielle’s insights about working her way up the masthead by starting as a “professional intern,” dealing with ego and racism at work, feeling like a fraud while “performing” how great your job is on social media, transitioning from magazines to the tech startup world, boosting your profile with street style (and using that attention as currency to advance your career), making herself a test subject for stories in exchange for expensive treatments that are unaffordable on an editor salary, the realities of losing editorial access when you switch publications, reinforcing collective psychosis by covering questionable topics to get traffic, the dangers of feeding the content beast and attempting to become a “brand,” getting too emotionally invested in your job, burning yourself out to the point of physical exhaustion, switching careers, and maintaining personhood above all else.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com

Log on, let go, and lighten up! This week, Alyssa is joined by writer, editor, and prolific poster Layla Halabian to discuss the highs and lows of brands getting in on a viral moment online, why trust and timing are crucial, how lawless Sylvanian Drama sponcon works so well, why Marc Jacobs and Jonathan Anderson are in a posting league of their own, the power in deeply understanding your customer, the danger in brands being too self-serious instead of embracing whimsy, and what designers can learn from artists like Charli xcx and Lana Del Rey. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com

Alyssa catches up with writer Liana Satenstein, the mastermind behind Neverworns (and her former intern!), to discuss Liana’s first byline that changed everything, carving a niche for herself covering Eastern European fashion, getting weird with it during her time at Vogue, the freedom that comes with accepting what you are and aren’t good at, the rush of finding what you’re obsessed with and building something for yourself, outfit repeating, staying just a little bit delusional, going through the industry’s most legendary closets, and the magic that happens when brands just let her cook. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com

This week, Alyssa is joined by the talented multi-hyphenate Chrissy Rutherford to talk about the golden era of working on the internet, wearing every hat during her years as an editor, pioneering digital covers, fighting for what you want, dealing with mediocre people in positions of power, knowing when it’s time to move on from your dream job, leaning into your passions, pivoting into the influencer space, staying curious, building community, valuing authenticity, and finding the power in vulnerability.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com

The future of media is in great hands! Alyssa is joined by Gutes Guterman, co-founder of The Drunken Canal (RIP) and Byline, to discuss the scrappy newspaper operation that started as a bit, infiltrating the media establishment, figuring things out as you go along, getting wooed by Balenciaga, outgrowing a scene that you're a face of, why working for other people is crucial, what makes a story good, the beauty of collaboration, making branded content exciting, and honing the ability to execute — no matter what.For more The New Garde, head over to patreon.com/TheNewGarde. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenewgarde.substack.com