The Cut

Tracy Reese, fashion designer with over five decades of experience, discusses the evolution of the fashion industry, starting a business against all odds, the burden and optimism of the current situation, navigating the industry as a black female designer, and promoting sustainability in fashion.

At the end of Britney Spears’s conservatorship in November of 2021, most of her fans rejoiced. But conspiracy theories have a subset of #FreeBritney fans convinced she’s still not really free. They focus on what they see as oddities or glitches in some of her Instagram posts. Vox reporter Rebecca Jennings says there are even theories that Britney has been replaced with AI or a body double. Rebecca and Sam talk about her current piece for New York Magazine and get into the TikTok sleuthing of this extreme set of Britney fans, how the conspiracy theories mirror QAnon, and what Britney herself thinks about her fans’ actions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tracy Margolies, Chief Merchandising Officer at Saks Fifth Avenue, discusses her career in fashion, innovative contributions, challenges of being a single mom. She also shares her journey from psychology to fashion, challenges faced as a single mother, and the importance of seeking joy and pleasure in life.

Kenya Moore sits on the Mount Rushmore of Real Housewives legends but she’s been Gone With the Wind fabulous since before the show. The forever beauty queen has given us quality content since she joined the franchise in 2012. On This episode from January, Kenya talks about her career, her journey through motherhood and what it was like going through those grueling challenges when she starred in the Reality TV show, Special Forces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Katori Hall has a way of making the most dynamic, interesting characters come to life and there’s been no better display of that than the world she’s created on the show P-Valley. On this episode, Katori talks about her career, her writing process and what's next in her journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bevy Smith knows how to command a room and she’s had our attention for over two decades. Her Ted Talk was one of the most viewed of 2022 and her book, Bevelations: Lessons From a Mutha, Auntie Bestie serves as the ultimate guide in reinventing yourself. On this episode, Lindsay and Bevy get a chance to catch up and talk about why it gets greater later. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2016, Maggie Smith experienced what it was like to go viral. Her poem, Good Bones was shared all over the internet. Celebrities shared it. Mothers who could relate shared it. Even Meryl Streep read at an award show. After that moment, her life changed. In her memoir, You Could Make This Place Beautiful, She details for us exactly how her life changed in the most painful but necessary ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christy Carlson Romano was ubiquitous on the Disney Channel in the early 2000s, starring in ‘Even Stevens,’ ‘Kim Possible,’ and ‘Cadet Kelly.’  But after the roles stopped and the checks dried up, she lost money to psychics, struggled with family relationships, and grappled with addiction. Now she processes those experiences on her popular YouTube channel, with videos like “Why I Don't Talk to Shia LaBeouf.” She talks with Sam about overcoming her past, tapping into nostalgia to find new audiences, and advocating for changes in the entertainment industry for child actors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Debra Lee is truly in a league of her own. With over 30 years of experience in the entertainment business, she was often one of the first and only women in the room. As the former CEO of BET, she was at the forefront of curating Black culture with fidelity. Now she finally gets a chance to tell her story. On this episode, she talks about her new memoir, I am Debra Lee, which details her rise to the top and the struggles along the way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Atsuko Okatsuka is the comedian whose video you’ve probably shared with one of your friends. She has this adorable innocence and instant relatability that makes her so charming and convincing on stage. On this episode, she talks about how she got into comedy, Asian American representation in media and what it’s like going viral. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices