This week on Nymphet Alumni, Biz is joined by journalist and author Marisa Meltzer to talk about her new book It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin — the first comprehensive biography of the actress, singer and myth-muse. The two get into the making of Birkin’s image and the unseen real life behind it, plus how aging, style and selfhood intersect. Also discussed: the horrors of Serge Gainsbourg’s man-cave, Timothee Chalamet as inheritor of the Jane B legacy, and why swag might just come from getting older.

Links:

It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin by Marisa Meltzer (Out now!)

Soft Power by Marisa Meltzer

Marisa Meltzer

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In this episode, Alexi is joined by writer, editor, and dear friend Olivia Kan-Sperling to discuss the aesthetic universe of her brand new novel, Little Pink Book, a lyrical and decadent romantic tragedy set in Shanghai. In unpacking her wide range of influences, we explore shabby chic Orientalism, avant garde florists, Chinese romantasy web novels, baroque bespoke beverages, the emerging field of Wasian studies, the triggering qualities of Clairo’s “Pretty Girl” music video, the possibility of Labubu as a literary format, and much more.

Links:

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Little Pink Book by Olivia Kan-Sperling from Simon and Schuster

Olivia’s website

Olivia on Instagram @dianadiagram

Alexi’s interview with Olivia in Interview magazine

Diane Severin Nguyen: In Her Time (Iris’s Version)

Empire of Signs by Roland Barthes

Molly Tea’s domineering CEO romance receipt promo via Dr. Candise Lin

The Architecture of Taste by Pierre Hermé - Lecture to the Harvard Graduate School of Design (2013)

Julian Castronovo review of Little Pink Book in BOMB magazine

Shanzhai: Deconstruction in Chinese by Byung-Chul Han

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In this episode, we welcome back none other than the “Freud of Fashion” herself, Dr. Valerie Steele, to discuss the Museum at FIT’s latest exhibition, Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis. Dr. Steele walks us through central theories on mirrors, masquerade, and eroticism, exploring the deep-seated fears and fantasies that drive what we wear. We dissect how the theories of Lacan and Freud play out on the bodies dressed by Schiaparelli, McQueen, Versace, and many more fashion history greats. Links: Visit Dress, Dreams, and Desire: Fashion and Psychoanalysis at the Museum at FIT (up until January 4, 2026)!

Register for the Fashion and Psychoanalysis Symposium at the Museum at FIT, Friday November 14th!

Audio Analysis for Dress, Dreams, and Desire (four items)

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In this emergency roundtable report, we discuss how clownery has become a dominant mode of aesthetic and ideological expression, perhaps symbolizing the defeat of authenticity. Recent carnivalesque incidents include the chaotic spectacle of this year’s VMAs, the meteoric rise of the Savannah Bananas, Jay Guapo’s Italian Brainrot Block Party, the political role reversal of the troll and the triggered, Audrey Hobert’s debut album Who’s the Clown, and more.

Links:

Top Clown Town outfits at the VMAs: Conan Gray in Erik Charlotte, Megan Stalter as hot dog vendor, Doja Cat in Balmain, Ariana Grande’s outfit changes, Sabrina Carpenter in Valentino

Sabrina Carpenter Performs “Tears” | 2025 Video Music Awards

“I need to see you spin first, sista” from Sex and the City S4 E18

Chappell Roan Performs “Pink Pony Club” (Live From The 67th Grammy Awards)

“Chappell Roan on the Queer Origins of her Signature Makeup Look” – Gay Times

Flash Mob! The Savannah Bananas Crash The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

“As Savannah Bananas ursue ‘a billion fans,’ are they real competition for MLB?” – The New York Times

Jay Guapo’s Brainrot Block Party

Tyler Robinson’s bullet casing inscription breakdown – PBS News Hour

The story behind FBI Director Kash Patel’s seemingly random ‘Valhalla’ reference

Trump’s presidential portraits from 2017 to 2025

“What Is ‘Dark Woke’?” – The New York Times

“Why has Gavin Newsom gone ‘dark woke’?” – BBC

Mexican influencer Marian Izaguerre dies after posting goodbye video in clown makeup

Audrey Hobert Who’s the Clown interview in Teen Vogue

“The Clown at Midnight: Coulrophobia, Counterculture, and the Decadent Pierrot Mask” by Samuel Love – Sequitur

Passages from Mikhail Bakhtin on the grotesque body and the carnivalesque sense of the world

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This week, we discuss the glamorous world of the Magazine Girl, dissecting the real and fictional lives of women who worked at glossy magazines during their heyday. Through profiles of icons including Diana Vreeland, Anna Wintour, Franca Sozzani, Carine Roitfeld, and Plum Sykes, we distill the shared qualities that made these women so foundational to high fashion media. Inspired by Anna Wintour’s recent resignation and the buzz around The Devil Wears Prada sequel, we also ponder who, if anyone, carries on the Magazine Girl legacy today.

Links:

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“The Divine Mrs. V” by Eleanor Dwight for New York

“Who is Plum Sykes?” by Taylore Scarabelli for Interview

“The Plum and Lucy Show” by Bob Morris for The New York Times

The Price of Illusion: A Memoir by Joan Juliet Buck

Assorted costumes from The Devil Wear Prada 2 in Dazed

“Anna Wintour: Behind the Shades” interview for CBS

Controversial Plum Sykes clip

Carine Roitfeld interview for The Guardian

“Could You Have Landed a Job at Vogue in the ‘90s?” Quiz in The New York Times

Anna: The Biography by Amy Odell

Interview with Anna Wintour biographer Amy Odell in Hunger

A Dash of Daring: Carmel Snow and Her Life In Fashion, Art, and Letters by Penelope Rowlands

Excerpts from Diana Vreeland’s Why Don’t You column in British Vogue

Franca Sozzani obituary in Vogue

“The Condé Empire Was One Big Beautiful Grift” by Emilia Petrarca on Substack

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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 Eagle

Brooke 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 Lesser

There You Are: Brad Pitt for Chanel No. 5 Commercial

Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson editorial for You magazine

Liam Neeson racism backlash

“Sex After 60 in Sag Harbor” by Candace Bushnell for New York magazine

A24’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 story

Ryan Murphy Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy styling backlash

“Golden” from K-Pop Demon Hunters hits No. 1 on Billboard

PinkPantheress: Illegal/Girl Like Me/Tonight Medley on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Rhythm Heaven music edits by @therealstoinkle

Jessie Murph: 1965 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Chappell Roan - The Subway (Official Music Video)

Sabrina Carpenter brings out Earth, Wind & Fire at Lollapalooza

Manon and Lara of KATSEYE lez out on stage at Lollapalooza

Rachel Zegler’s gratitude surge at Evita curtain call

RFK Jr. launches federal crackdown on 7-OH

Lola Young - One Thing (Official Music Video)

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This 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.

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:

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r/playboicarti on Reddit

Opium (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 Times

Is 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 Stone

NEVEREVER by Ken Carson kitten videos on TikTok

“The History of Playboi Carti’s Baby Voice” by Greg Gaffney – Complex

Ranking 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 Magazine

Biz on 2hollis

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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 YouTube

Cierra Ortega apology video on YouTube

@loveislandusastyle on Instagram

“Cierra & Vanna & Ethics & Vanity” – The Review of Beauty by Jessica DeFino

Bad tattoos on Love Island USA

The New York Times on the Sean “Diddy” Combs Verdict

Tiny Harris reacts to the Diddy verdict on Instagram

Dior Homme Spring 2026 Menswear (J. W. Anderson debut) – Vogue Runway

Celine Spring 2026 Ready-to-Wear (Michael Rider debut) – Vogue Runway

Marc Jacobs Fall 2025 Ready-to-Wear – Vogue Runway

“Materialists Costume Designer Talks About Style Symbolism” – The Zoe Report

Cate Blanchett cameo in Squid Game finale on YouTube

KATSEYE (캣츠아이) "Gabriela" Official MV on YouTube

The Daytona Wind Acting Challenge from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14 on YouTube

Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos Wedding Exclusive – Vogue

Addison Rae opens for Lana del Rey at Wembley

NewJeans / HYBE / ADOR / Min Hee-Jin Megathread on Reddit

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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 <3

Links:

“How Sabrina Carpenter Dream-Come-True'd Her Whole Life” – Rolling Stone

Sabrina Carpenter Man’s Best Friend album cover

J. G. Ballard on Helmut Newton in The Art Newspaper, 1999

Sabrina Carpenter - Manchild (Official Video)

Sports betting based on period cycles

Recent PCOS/PMDD celebrity press: Lorde, Bella Hadid, Miley Cyrus

Nadya Okamoto/August on TikTok

Addison Rae – Addison Pitchfork Review (8.0)

Addison Rae Interview: From $20 TikToks to Pop’s Most Promising Prospect – Popcast

Addison Rae with superstar vocal coach Eric Vetro

Addison 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 Fair

Martin Lawrence on The Jennifer Hudson Show (interview flop)

Sydney’s Bathwater Bliss by Dr. Squatch

Sydney Sweeney W Magazine cover story

Belle 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