Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Back Row with Amy Odell
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Back Row with Amy Odell
Back Row with Amy Odell episodes
- The Recession of Size Inclusion in Fashion (with Lauren Chan)
Amy Odell talks with model and writer Lauren Chan about what she calls a "recession of size inclusion" in fashion. After years of progress, brands are reverting back to casting “straight size” models by default —and the consequences go far beyond aesthetics.
Lauren shares a fashion week story that captures the problem perfectly: a major entertainment cover shoot featuring a size-12/14 talent had no designer samples available, Amy and Lauren discuss why it matters when the fashion industry ignores bigger bodies; how AI will affect body diversity in fashion; the impact of GLP-1s; and more.
Follow Lauren Chan on Instagram.
Follow Amy Odell on Instagram.
Subscribe to the Back Row newsletter.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
36 min - Emily in Paris vs. Real French Style
FOR PART TWO OF THIS PODCAST, sign up for Back Row Premium in Apple
or Spotify. In part two, Amy gets Dana Thomas's thoughts on Emily in Paris after watching it for the first time; how French attitudes toward plastic surgery compare to those in America; and how the French feel about the Bezos billionaire lifestyle.In this episode of the Back Row podcast, veteran fashion journalist Dana Thomas joins Amy Odell to talk about Emily in Paris! She reveals what it was really like to actually live the fantasy of moving to Paris at 18 years old to work in fashion, how it influenced her style, and how actual French fashion is so different from the show.CHAPTERS00:00 Why Emily in Paris works as fantasy01:30 Dana Thomas’s real “Emily in Paris” story03:40 Modeling and learning French beauty and style rules06:40 French chic vs. American cool09:50 Life as a teenage model in the 1980s12:00 Falling in love and moving to Paris14:00 How French women actually dress17:20 Scarves are very important22:30 The French style formula, explained26:20 Handbags, pockets, and why French women don’t carry much29:00 Men’s style in Paris vs. the "Emily in Paris" fantasyLinks & Resources:Back Row newsletterAmy Odell - InstagramDana ThomasInstagramDeluxe (book)Gods & Kings (book)Fashionopolis (book)Style Files (newsletter)This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Amy Odell and Jonathan Voytko.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
33 min - How Gwyneth Paltrow's Extreme Diet Sparked a 'Detox' Craze
Gwyneth Paltrow has long been known for promoting various wellness fads that drive experts crazy. Long before she was publicly singing the praises of raw dairy products, she would publish "detox" diets each January. These were the foundation of Goop's wellness business. In this excerpt from Amy's latest book Gwyneth: The Biography, hear about how Goop began, how its viral diet advice generated great controversy (along with invaluable notoriety) in its early days, and how health and medical experts felt about it all.
Get the full Gwyneth audiobook here.
Get Gwyneth: The Biography in hardcover or ebook here.
Audio excerpt courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio from Gwyneth by Amy Odell, read by Chante McCormick. Copyright © 2025 by Amy Odell. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30 min - Anna Wintour, the Bezos Met Gala, and the Politics of Condé Nast (with Good Noticings)
What can we glean about Condé Nast's politics from recent current events? Teen Vogue has been shuttered, but Vanity Fair's Trump 2.0 package was a journalistic achievement of the sort rarely seen these days. Anna Wintour is a known Democratic supporter and fundraiser, yet she's been cozying up to the Trump-supporting Bezoses for Met Gala money. Amy Odell is joined by comedians and cultural critics Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton, who host the highly addictive and excellent Good Noticings podcast, to figure out what this all says about Condé Nast right now. Plus, Melania Trump’s $40 million documentary, and how it ties back to all of this.
Chapters:0:00 – Welcoming the Good Noticings podcast0:37 – Vanity Fair’s major Trump 2.0 article and what it says about Condé Nast4:42 – Anna Wintour is leaning into controversy6:30 – Why did the Trump team do the Vanity Fair story?7:15 – Christopher Anderson’s photo spread8:53 – The discourse around Karoline Leavitt’s lip filler15:16 – Reacting to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos sponsoring the Met Gala25:34 – The fashion relevancy of Melania Trump’s $40 million documentary29:26 – Would Vogue put Melania on the cover? Speculation!33:06 – How will controversy affect the Met Gala’s future?Links & Resources:Good Noticings PodcastApple
Spotify
TikTok: @goodnoticingspodInstagram: @goodnoticingspodThe Olivia Nuzzi Good Noticings episodeClaire Parker Instagram: @clairethescareAshley Hamilton Instagram: @ashleyhammmBack Row Newsletter
YouTube
Amy Odell Instagram
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
38 min - Gwyneth Paltrow's Strategic 'Marty Supreme' Fashion Game
Can a 2.5-hour artsy, originally scripted film open at the box office? The Marty Supreme cast is so determined to get us to the theater for this movie that they're wearing full monochromatic orange for promotional appearances. Gwyneth Paltrow is being strategic with her fashion choices in other ways, and helping daughter Apple's prospects in the process.
This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published Thursday, December 18, 2025.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
7 min - Rachel Zoe's 'Real Housewives' Debut (with Brian Moylan)
World-renowned Real Housewives expert Dame Brian Moylan joins Amy Odell on the Back Row podcast to talk about Rachel Zoe's debut on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills! They analyze what Rachel and Bravo gain from her joining the cast and why fashion people are so eager to get on this show. Then they recap all of Rachel's scenes in the first two episodes of season 15, and do some investigative journalism on Mauricio "Mo" Umansky's disturbing Chanel couch.
Chapters:00:00 - Intro to Dame Brian Moylan02:41 - Why did Rachel join the cast?07:26 - Why fashion people are joining Real Housewives11:09 - Recapping Rachel's scenes in episode 112:38 - DOES MAURICIO HAVE A CHANEL COUCH?13:28 - Why are all the Birkins unclasped?27:11 - Rachel and Roger's shocking split33:22 - Rachel cooks bacon and eggs36:00 - What is Rachel implying about Roger's girlfriend?!FOR PART TWO OF THIS PODCAST, sign up for Back Row Premium in Apple or Spotify. In part two, Brian and Amy recap RHOBH season 15 episode 2 and play the game "Cast or Pass," in which Amy gives Brian a fashion person and he decides whether or not to fantasy cast them as Real Housewives.
Links & Resources:Back Row newsletterFollow Amy on InstagramBrian MoylanInstagramRHOBH Vulture recapsThe Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real HousewivesLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
46 min - Versace's Second Shocker and Fashion's Great Unsettling
This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published December 9, 2025.
0:16 - Fashion enters its "great unsettling"
1:47 - Prada Group acquires Versace
2:24 - Broader instability across the fashion industry
4:00 - Loose Threads news roundup
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
6 min - How Social Media Broke Fashion (and Everything Else) with Taylor Lorenz
Tech journalist and creator @TaylorLorenz joins Amy Odell on the Back Row podcast to explain how social media has completely reshaped fashion. From the backlash against fashion creators to why facts barely matter online, they dive into Vogue World, The Row's viral sample sale, and more.
Taylor, formerly at The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, now runs her own newsletter, podcast, and YouTube channel covering the creator economy.Chapters:00:00 – Intro: Amy Odell welcomes Taylor Lorenz00:53 – Why fashion people are frustrated with social media01:49 – Why audiences trust creators more than experts02:42 – How algorithms reward outrage03:36 – Why being first beats being accurate04:25 – “Facts don’t matter”: the validation economy05:55 – Platforms secretly boost and suppress creators06:41 – Why follower count no longer matters07:29 – The death of critics (and why creators can’t be honest)08:15 – Will AI actually help creators?11:40 – How creators really make money in 202512:38 – Advent calendars, meme marketing, and virality14:23 – The Row sample sale goes viral16:55 – Can fashion brands control their image? (No.)18:36 – The famous "Open letter to The Row"19:32 – Brands vs creators: a toxic relationship20:20 – Why brands can’t stop creators from posting22:05 – Why chasing access will break your heart22:49 – Anna Wintour’s decline and cultural relevance25:08 – Vogue World and the struggle for relevance26:41 – The Met Gala red carpet isn’t what it used to be29:46 – The Devil Wears Prada prequel problem30:38 – What it takes to survive online long-term32:13 – Why Becca Bloom fascinates people33:15 – The obsession with “capitalism slop”34:07 – Hustle culture and the fantasy of successLinks & Resources:Back Row newsletterhttps://amyodell.substack.comAmy Odell Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/Taylor LorenzYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenzUser Mag (Newsletter): https://www.usermag.co/Power User (Podcast): https://open.spotify.com/show/5iganPXXEoTDB9lIQzY7Fhhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/taylor-lorenzs-power-user/id1733535260Creators / links mentioned"Open Letter to The Row" (Neelam Noted): https://neelamahooja.substack.com/p/open-letter-to-the-row-we-need-toLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
36 min - What Fashion's Wealthy 'Very Important Clients' Want and Gift for the Holidays
"Hermès playing cards are my go-to."
Chapters:
01:35 - VIC no. 1: The Expat Living in Dubai
03:10 - VIC no. 2: The Personal Shopper for Upper East Siders
03:32 - VIC no. 3: The expat living in Hong Kong
05:31 - VIC no. 4: The New Yorker who's feeling uninspired
06:42 - VIC no. 5: The Personal Stylist to Upper East Side Billionaires and Centi-Millionaires
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10 min - Is Vogue Still Relevant? Rachel Tashjian on Fashion’s Power Shift
Fashion critic Rachel Tashjian joins Amy Odell to unpack the biggest shifts happening right now in fashion media. From Vogue’s future to the creator vs. critic debate, AI-generated fashion models, $26,000 Versace dresses, and why fashion discourse seems to be getting meaner.
Rachel, formerly the Fashion Critic at the Washington Post and now Senior Style Reporter for CNN, breaks down:Chapters:00:00 – Intro: Amy Odell welcomes Rachel Tashjian00:21 – Rachel’s new role at CNN02:34 – Why video matters in fashion journalism03:54 – Are people still reading? Changing media habits04:22 – Amy on books, audiobooks, and audience shifts05:49 – The rising tension in fashion discourse online07:16 – When commentary overshadows the clothes08:22 – Algorithms flatten expertise in fashion09:29 – Creators vs. traditional editors: a 15-year evolution10:43 – Substack, TikTok, and where fashion criticism lives now11:35 – Access, honesty, and the cost of true criticism12:46 – Do creators need editors? The “no safety net” problem13:19 – Dior controversy: when brands exclude influencers14:31 – Should influencers follow critic standards?15:35 – Does Vogue still matter in 2025?17:06 – Why Vogue covers still trigger huge reactions18:33 – Anna Wintour’s influence across culture19:32 – How AI is about to transform fashion media20:55 – Performative fashion vs. post-Instagram design22:33 – Can AI replace fashion creators?23:54 – AI’s role in fashion advertising and image-making24:43 – Will AI replace human fashion voices?25:31 – The future: will Vogue become just covers?27:14 – The price conundrum: $26,000 dresses and who they’re for28:55 – What fashion brands really want from the public30:49 – TikTok’s misinformation problem in fashion31:49 – The Vogue rumor and how fake fashion news spreads31:57 – Three fashion creators Rachel loves33:29 – Three fashion creators Amy lovesLinks & resources:Back Row newsletterhttps://amyodell.substack.comAmy Odell Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/instamyodell/Rachel TashjianCNN announcement: https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/10/07/rachel-tashjian-joins-cnn-as-senior-style-reporter/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprophetpizza/Creators mentionedKim Russell @TheKimbino: https://www.instagram.com/thekimbino/Jay Tibbits: https://www.instagram.com/jaytibbitts/Rashida Renée @:howtobeafuckinglady: https://www.instagram.com/howtobeafuckinglady/Mandy Lee @OldLoserinBrooklyn: https://www.instagram.com/oldloserinbrooklyn/Timothy Chernyaev @relaxitsonlyfashion on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@relaxitsonlyfashion?lang=enFashion Roadman: https://www.youtube.com/@FashionRoadman/videosLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
36 min
About Back Row with Amy Odell
From the publisher's feed
Fashion, style, celebrity and culture. Insider knowledge. Outsider honesty. Humor included.
Best of Back Row with Amy Odell
Ranked by our users in the last 21 days