Nicole is still rooting for everyone Black and she's not apologizing for it. In this episode she breaks down why the Law Roach and Zendaya era is a gift to everyone, the intentional genius of the Willi Smith Spider-Man homage, and why that Schiaparelli moment had no business hitting that hard. Then she slows it down for something sweeter, the Ralph Lauren x Gee's Bend collaboration, the four and fifth generation quilters behind it, the enslaved women who started it all out of necessity, and how you can support the community directly beyond the collab. Fashion as resistance, legacy, and art all in one episode.

Yes, it's late, but the looks that actually stay with you deserve more than a hot take. Nicole breaks down the 2026 Met Gala's "Fashion Is Art" theme with her signature unhurried eye: from Lauren Wasser's gold prosthetics to Anok Yai's Black Madonna moment, the sea of belly buttons, Paloma Elsesser's 100-vintage-dress patchwork gown, and Hailey Bieber's long-overdue redemption arc. Plus, Beyoncé channeling a Creole memento mori, Rihanna arriving as a medieval Belgian cathedral, and why the real conversation isn't about who sponsored the Gala, but what we've lost in our relationship with clothes.

Ilka Perkins was arrested at 15, sentenced to 15-to-life, and spent nearly 28 years incarcerated before her release in 2019, the same year she co-founded People's Pottery Project. PPP became a full abolitionist ceramics studio in Historic Filipinotown, L.A. employing formerly incarcerated women, trans, and nonbinary individuals. In this conversation, Ilka talks about running a business inside prison as a survival economy, why clay became an unexpected tool for trauma healing, and what it means to build something beautiful with hands the entire world wrote off.

Nicole Briggs returns after a 6-month hiatus with multidisciplinary artist ⁠Sadie Woods⁠ for a powerful conversation on art, sound, public space, & cultural memory. From global residencies and vinyl releases to public monuments & food politics, Sadie shares how creativity, lineage, & resistance shape her work & why artists must protect their voice and their time.

⁠Attend We Still Here⁠  Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 3200 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL.

Nicole Briggs returns after a 6-month hiatus with multidisciplinary artist Sadie Woods for a powerful conversation on art, sound, public space, & cultural memory. From global residencies and vinyl releases to public monuments & food politics, Sadie shares how creativity, lineage, & resistance shape her work & why artists must protect their voice and their time.

Attend We Still Here  Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 3200 N Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL.

In this episode of You Have to Wear Something, we dive into how Black creativity thrives even in America’s most turbulent times. From Motown in the civil rights era to Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour and Kendrick Lamar’s intentional casting choices, Black artists continue to reclaim the spaces and genres they built. We unpack the revival of rap with the Clipse, the overdue celebration of dark-skinned beauty in culture and fashion, and the importance of authentic representation on screen—from The Gilded Age to British Vogue covers. It’s a celebration of resilience, artistry, and the ongoing fight against erasure.

In this episode of You Have to Wear Something, we unpack the bittersweet closure of beloved Black-owned beauty brand Ami Colé, and what it reveals about the barriers Black women entrepreneurs still face. Then, we get into Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad and its tone-deaf “great genes” message — because let’s be real, eugenics wrapped in denim isn’t the flex they think it is. Plus, we spotlight Ralph Lauren’s Oak Bluffs collection, a rare nod to Black wealth, legacy, and leisure that has us asking: is this celebration or just another sanitized version of our truth? From mitochondrial DNA to the Black origins of jeans, we cover the culture — and who gets to profit from it.

On this episode of You Have to Wear Something, Nicole sits down with John Nichols—aka LaJethroJenkins—host of the long-running Jenkins & Jonez podcast and founder of 12 on Mondays, a brand reclaiming space for Black golfers through culture, community, and unapologetic style. From his St. Louis roots to Forest Park history, John unpacks the legacy of Black golf pioneers, how fashion disrupts elitism in the sport, and why the best rounds aren’t measured by scorecards—but by vibes.

This week, Nicole chats with Christine Lindebak, the creative force behind Sewing and the City. From falling in love with sewing at age six to working the front of house at iconic fashion houses like Pucci, Christine shares her journey of pivoting from high fashion to handmade. Tune in as she talks about empowering people to reconnect with their wardrobes, embrace imperfection, and stitch their way to a more sustainable (and stylish) future.

Join Christine's 16k plus community

Nicole dives into Cannes' controversial fashion bans, the power of resisting through style, and why Black women are still fighting for space—in fashion, politics, and the workplace. From Meghan Markle’s joyful defiance to the BET Awards' "Black Tie, Black Designed" statement, this episode unpacks cultural erasure by brands like Aime Leon Dore, streetwear appropriation, and why putting that shit on is more radical than ever.