Back Row with Amy Odell
Fashion, style, celebrity and culture. Insider knowledge. Outsider honesty. Humor included.
Episodes
The Trend Forecaster Who Coined "Vibe Shift" on What Comes Next (with Sean Monahan)
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Trend forecaster Sean Monahan coined the "vibe shift" five years ago to describe the unease millennials felt coming out of the pandemic. Of all the terms Monahan has coined — from "normcore" to the "boom boom aesthetic" — the vibe shift
How the Very Rich Really Live, From Billionaires' Row to Lauren Sánchez Bezos
Amy Chozick has spent her career writing about polarizing women — she covered Hillary Clinton for The New York Times, profiled Elizabeth Holmes right before prison, followed Stormy Daniels for Vogue, and wrote the widely dissected profile of Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
Her new novel, With Friends Like You (https://amzn.to/4yjRlvI), follows Emily, a broke new mom in Manhattan, who goes looking for the
The Met Cancels the John Galliano Retrospective (with Dana Thomas) [TEASER]
This is a teaser of a paywalled episode. To listen in full, become a paid subscriber of Back Row at: https://www.backrow.net/subscribe. Or sign up in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
In a stunning move, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has cancelled "John Galliano: Horizons," the Costume Institute retrospective planned for May 2027.
Galliano's biographer and fashion journalist Dana Thomas joined Amy ho
'The September Issue' Rewatch: Anna Wintour, Grace Coddington, and the Sienna Miller Hair Crisis (with Kate Casey)
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The September Issue is R.J. Cutler's 2009 documentary about the biggest issue of Vogue ever made up to that point — 843 pages, 13 million copies sold.
Amy is joined by Kate
How Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Built Two Billion-Dollar Empires (Part 1)
Back Row is on vacation this week, so we're revisiting one of the most popular episodes of the year: a two-parter on Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, in honor of The Row's 20th anniversary.
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were on television before they could talk and millionaires before they could read. Former Us Weekly editor-in-chief Dan Wakeford, author of the new Celebrity Intelligence newsletter, jo
'Matcha, Pilates, Alo' Enters Its Flop Era: Inside the Influencer Recession
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Is everything on social media — even lifestyle content — just rage bait now? New York Magazine features writer Rebecca Jennings joins Amy to unpack her hit Vulture piece on the "influencer recession," when aspirational content no longer w
Is Fashion in Total Creative Collapse?
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Is fashion in the throes of a total creative collapse? Critic Eugene Rabkin — founder of StyleZeitgeist and author of the new book Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism — joins Amy to make the case. He argues luxury has "devolved into a consu
John Galliano Is Finally Getting a Met Gala. Should He? (Teaser)
John Galliano is the subject of the Costume Institute's 2027 exhibition and will be celebrated with his very own Met Gala. Galliano's biographer Dana Thomas — author of Gods and Kings, a dual biography about Galliano and Alexander McQueen — joins the show to talk about what this means. Amy and Dana recap Galliano's fall from grace and image rehabilitation — thanks to Anna Wintour.
This is a fre
The Louvre Heist and Shady Billionaire Art Owners
"Parisian Heist" author Jo Piazza joins Amy to break down the October 2025 Louvre robbery — the suspects, the mysterious "sponsor," and why authorities aren't sure the suspects are telling the truth.
Plus: why museum security is so basic, how art gets used to launder money and fund violent crime, the billionaire families who quietly run the art market, and what a $181 million Jackson Pollock sa
How Meta Turned Smart Glasses Into 'Hot Surveillance Summer' (with Taylor Lorenz)
In this special episode in collaboration with the Power User podcast Amy Odell joins tech journalist Taylor Lorenz to trace the arc of wearable tech — from the abomination that was Google Glass to Snapchat's vending-machine Spectacles and the company's recent $2,000 flop. Also, why Meta's rollout of it's new $299 fashion-first AI glasses, odious as many find them, may end up being a smash hit.
F
The Kennedys and British Royals: Diana's Death, Meghan Markle's Muse, and JFK Jr.'s Ego
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Town & Country editor Caroline Hallemann's new book is The Kennedys and the Windsors: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made. She joins Amy to discuss the eerie parallels between these two dynasties.
Among the surprising stories in Hallemann's book: how Jack
A Stylist to Billionaires on How the .01 Percent Really Shop
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Joy Cioci has been in fashion for 23 years — first with her own ready-to-wear and bridal brand, and for the past six years, as a private stylist to some of the wealthiest families in the country.
She joins Amy to talk about what that
Phia's Latest Scandal: Is Phoebe Gates's Startup in Trouble?
Lawyer and The Fashion Law founder Julie Zerbo makes her Back Row pod debut to discuss the latest Phia scandal. The startup, founded by Bill Gates's daughter Phoebe Gates and her Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni, was just found to be taking credit for affiliate sales it did not drive. People are calling it "fraud" but is it, really? Can the Gates name and a slew of celeb founders help them sail thr
Fall 2026 Couture Awards: Dangerous Shoes, Hat Wars, and Wedding Dresses
Veteran fashion journalist Dana Thomas returns for Fall 2026 couture awards! We talk about the hat wars at Dior, the wildest shoes, and the Chanel chicken bag that seems like it can't carry more than a pill or two.
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13 Biggest Questions About Taylor Swift's Wedding
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Taylor Swift married Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden — and nobody's seen the photos yet. Will Vogue get them? Will anyone? Amy Odell is joined by veteran celebrity journalist Justin Ravitz (former Executive Editor at Us Weekly and Rolling
What 'Love Story' Got Wrong About Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and JFK Jr.'s Final Days
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RoseMarie Terenzio and Liz McNeil — authors of JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography — return to the Back Row podcast in honor of Love Story's likely Emmy nominations. Terenzio assisted JFK Jr. at
From Purses to... Pot?!
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Get 15 percent off Edie Parker with the code AMY15: https://edie-parker.com/
Brett Heyman launched Edie Parker as a luxury handbag business. Her acrylic clutches became
How Plastic Surgery Went Off the Rails [TEASER]
***This is a TEASER of a paywalled episode. Sign up for a Premium subscription at Back Row (https://www.backrow.net/subscribe) for access to the Back Row newsletter and all paywalled podcasts. (Audio only subs available in Apple and Spotify.)***
As the founding editor of beauty magazine Allure, Linda Wells has seen it all, from the dawn of La Mer to the current age of plastic surgery overload.
Emergency Gwyneth Paltrow Pod!
It started with turkey meatballs and ended with an endorsement deal that led the internet to call her "Gwynicide." Gwyneth Paltrow has had quite a slew of viral moments this month.
I sat down with branding expert and sociologist Ana Andjelic — CMO, author of the Sociology of Business newsletter, and host of the Hitmakers podcast — to talk about what this means (if anything) for Brand Gwyneth.
Your Clothes Are Full of Chemicals. Here's What You Need to Know.
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Frances Solá-Santiago is a reporter for The New York Times's Wirecutter product review site, where her whole job is to test clothing and interview experts about how to fi
Inside 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Press Tour with Meryl Streep's Stylist
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Celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger joined me on the Back Row podcast to talk about dressing Meryl Streep for The Devil Wears Prada 2 press tour. Just as that winds down,
What Everlane's Sale to Shein Means for 'Sustainable' Fashion
Sustainable fashion darling Everlane just sold to Shein, the industry's least sustainable company. What does this shocking deal say about both companies, along with the state of "sustainable" fashion?
I spoke with Ken Pucker, former Timberland COO and professor at Tufts University, one of my favorite experts on this topic. He explains why Everlane was never all that "sustainable," why Shein woul
Stylist to Billionaires Reveals How the Ultra-Rich Really Shop — and How Much They Spend
I sat down with Mary Gonsalves Kinney, founder of MGK Style and personal stylist to tech billionaires, politicians, and athletes, to go inside the world of how the ultra-wealthy really shop.
Mary reveals what billionaires' closets actually look like, how much her clients spend per session, and what the fashion industry's pivot to the 1% means for everyone else.
This is part of a paywalled episo
The Met Gala Then vs. Now: How ‘The First Monday in May’ Holds Up 10 Years Later [TEASER]
I took off for the holiday this week, so I'm unlocking half of a previously paywalled episode in which podcaster and reality television/documentary expert Kate Casey and I rewatch The First Monday in May, the documentary about the planning of the 2015 Met Gala. Featuring Anna Wintour hob-knobbing with canceled celebs, bandying her venti Starbucks around the Met, and more!
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How Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Built Two Billion-Dollar Empires (Part 1)
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were on television before they could talk and millionaires before they could read. Former Us Weekly editor-in-chief Dan Wakeford, author of the new Celebrity Intelligence newsletter, joins Back Row to break down the Full House casting story, the Dual Star empire, the billion-dollar licensing machine, and the NYU years that changed everything.
Part Two — revealing the se
How Kim Kardashian Broke the Met Gala
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Kim Kardashian spent 10 years being the most reviled woman at the Met Gala. Then she became the blueprint.
Cultural critic and psychoanalytic psychotherapist MJ Corey, author of Dekonstructing the Kardashians, joins Back Row to explain how Kim paved the
Why 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Is More Accurate Than You Think, with Rachel Tashjian [TEASER]
The full episode is for paid Back Row subscribers: backrow.net/subscribe
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This episode contains spoilers.
We've waited 20 years for The Devil We
Met Gala 2026 Recap: Beyoncé, the Bezos Backlash, Kim Kardashian, and Vogue's Silence
This episode is sponsored by Margaux. First time shoppers get 10 percent off with the code BACKROW. A few of my favorite styles:
Wrap sandals
Phoebe flats
Downtown boot
The 2026 Met Gala was the most controversial in memory — and Back Row is telling you what the fashion press won't. Amy Odell and Heather Cocks of Go Fug Yourself and Drinks With Broads break down the biggest narrative
'The Devil Wears Prada 2' Filmmakers on How They Nailed the Fall of Fashion Magazines
WARNING: This episode contains SPOILERS for 'The Devil Wears Prada 2.'
This is my full interview with 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna. After talking to them both when I was writing 'Anna: The Biography,' I couldn't wait to hear about how they put this movie together after TWENTY YEARS. Who and what were they skewering? Did the film get too cl
There Is No More Cerulean
I went on Sam Sanders's show on KCRW to talk all things Met Gala 2026!
We get into the Bezos Met Gala sponsorship, fashion's new Gilded Age, and The Devil Wears Prada 2. We also talked about why tech money is taking over fashion, what happened to the aspirational consumer, and whether the Cerulean monologue could even exist in 2026. Sam is one of the best interviewers around — this was a really f
The Fraught History of Naming Celebrities 'World's Most Beautiful'
People magazine's "World's Most Beautiful" editor Andrea Lavinthal joins Back Row to go behind the scenes of the most coveted — and complicated — cover in celebrity journalism. Anne Hathaway talked to People about The Devil Wears Prada 2, her husband, and her haters. But handing out this prize isn't as easy as it might seem.
Andrea breaks down how the "World's Most Beautiful" franchise has evolve
Met Gala 2026: The Bezos Backlash, Devil Wears Prada 2, and What It All Means for Anna Wintour
The 2026 Met Gala has three storylines running at once: Jeff and Lauren Bezos as lead sponsors, The Devil Wears Prada 2 opening the Friday before, and Anna Wintour doing more press than she has in years. Amy sits down with Chantal Fernandez of The Cut to break down all of it — plus predictions for the night.
0:00 Intro — Why This Met Gala Is Different
1:14 - Meet Chantal Fernandez
5:42 The Th
12 Ultra-Rich People Opened Up About What Money Did to Them
What does extreme wealth actually do to a person? Their psychology, their relationships, their behavior?
New York Magazine features writer Lane Brown set out to answer that question by interviewing a dozen ultra-high net worth individuals, people worth $30 million or more. (Read his full story here.) Almost no one wanted to talk. The ones who did had never spoken about this before.
Lane and Amy
Why Anna Wintour Did the 'Vogue' Cover
This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published April 7, 2022.
What on earth is Anna Wintour doing on the cover of Vogue?! A theory as to why she's leaning so hard into The Devil Wears Prada 2 promo — and what it all says about her legacy.
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'The Devil Wears Prada' Rewatch: Was 'Vogue' Really Like That?
How much was Vogue really like The Devil Wears Prada? Amy Odell sits down with former Vanity Fair critic and the author of the Premiere Party newsletter, Richard Lawson, to rewatch The Devil Wears Prada before the sequel drops.
Amy interviewed more than 250 people to write Anna: The Biography, including Anna Wintour's closest friends and collaborators. Richard worked at Condé Nast for a dozen ye
Are We Living Through a New Gilded Age?
Will Kris Jenner's birthday party be immortalized on an HBO show in a hundred years?
Maybe.
The Gilded Age was America’s first era of extreme wealth, inequality, and loud luxury, spanning 1870 to 1900. On this episode of the Back Row podcast, which explains how fashion and culture really work, Amy talks to Gilded Age historian and author Elizabeth Block about how shockingly closely society and
Why Tech Billionaires Are Becoming Fashion’s New Kardashians
Are tech billionaires the next Kardashians?
From Mark Zuckerberg sitting front row at Prada to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s Met Gala sponsorship, tech billionaires are increasingly present in the fashion world in 2026. Why is this happening?
Amy invites tech journalist Taylor Lorenz back on the pod to discuss this controversial relationship between fashion and big tech. They dive into Bezos f
Inside JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette’s Life on Cape Cod
What did Love Story get wrong about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette?
Amy Odell sits down with Kate Storey, author of White House by the Sea, to break down what really happened inside the Kennedy compound — and how the show fictionalizes their lives, relationship, and famous Cape Cod summers. And she answers the urgent question: was there really a breakfast board?!
Kate spent years reporting on the
Joh Galliano for... Zara?!
This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published Tuesday, March 17.
After waiting two years for John Galliano's next move, we finally know he's going to Zara. In this analysis, Amy talks about why fashion people have forgiven him for his antisemitic and racist tirades that became public in 2011 and led to him losing his job at Dior — and why this move is a risk for Zara. Amy finis
The Oscars’ Biggest Fashion Stories: Anna Wintour, the Timothée Backlash, & Is Chanel Good Again?
Amy Odell is joined by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan of Go Fug Yourself and the Drinks With Broads
newsletter to break down the biggest fashion stories from Oscars night—and what they reveal about Hollywood right now.
They discuss Anna Wintour’s surprise appearance (and why she’s leaning into The Devil Wears Prada 2), the backlash against Timothée Chalamet and what it says about celebrity
Fashion Month Awards Part One: Chanel’s New Era & Tech Billionaires in the Front Row (with Dana Thomas)
Paris Fashion Week wrapped up the Fall 2026 shows, so Amy Odell and New York Times bestselling author Dana Thomas are handing out the Fashion Month Awards.
Together they break down the biggest moments from New York, Milan, and Paris Fashion Week, including:
• Prada’s viral runway stunt
• Marc Jacobs’ comeback in New York
• The rise of fashion watch parties bringing fans into the shows
• Why tech
The Real Story: JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette
Amy Odell sits down with Liz McNeil and RoseMarie Terenzio, authors of JFK Jr.: An Intimate Oral Biography, to discuss the real romance between Carolyn Bessette and JFK Jr. that inspired the FX show Love Story, executive-produced by Ryan Murphy.
Terenzio assisted JFK Jr. in the 90s at George magazine, and McNeil covered him as an editor for People. For their book, they interviewed more than 150
Dior Review: Can Jonathan Anderson Cure the 'Luxury Ick'?
Paris Fashion Week is off and running. Jonathan Anderson's fall 2026 Dior show kicked off the week — and Amy liked it a lot more than she expected! She reads her review of the show from the Back Row newsletter, which discusses how fashion has become mass culture and why designers like Anderson need to reach aspirational shoppers. She ends with the "Loose Threads" news roundup, featuring Condé Nast
The Secret Rules of the Hermès Game: Who Actually Gets a Birkin?
Amy sits down with Noëmie Leclercq of luxury news outlet Glitz Paris to debate the "Hermès game" (aka everything customers allegedly have to do in order for boutiques to offer them the chance to purchase a Birkin or Kelly bag). They discuss pre-spends, background checks, and Hermès’ apparent alliance with Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Noëmie also talks about why superfakes have become a big problem; how t
Marina Larroudé on Anna Wintour, Barneys, and Building a Multi-Million Dollar Brand
Amy Odell talks with fashion director-turned-entrepreneur Marina Larroudé about why she left Teen Vogue for Barneys -- and then started her own brand. Marina recalls Style.com's earliest days; how top brands really weren't on board with the internet; what it was really like to work for Anna Wintour; and what she saw from inside the industry that convinced her there was a big business opportunity i
Why Big Fashion Doesn’t Dress Olympic Figure Skaters
This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published February 17, 2026.
Why don't fashion designers view Olympic figure skating the way they do red carpets — as a forum to exploit for brand impressions? The sport is fabulous, glamorous, and awe-inspiring, after all. Amy digs into how figure skating costumes are made and why the world's top ready-to-wear designers generally don't want
Confessions of a Luxury Sale Whisperer (with Madison Avenue Spy)
Part 2 is available to paid subscribers at backrow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
In Part 2, Amy and Lila debate the Saks Fifth Avenue bankruptcy — detailing the brand's fraught relationship with Amazon, the possibility of government intervention, and what it all means for the future of the department store.
On this episode of the Back Row Podca
Are Awards Shows Just Luxury Marketing Now?
Are awards shows still about movies — or are they now luxury fashion marketing disguised as cultural prestige? And who’s actually funding all these celeb red-carpet appearances — the studios, the stars, or the brands?
Amy Odell is joined by Debra Birnbaum, Editor-in-Chief of awards season news outlet Gold Derby, to break down how modern awards campaigns actually work and why the fashion is so imp
How the Bravo Look Took Over Fashion and Beauty (with Watch What Crappens)
Part 2 of this episode is available to paid subscribers at backrow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
After years of quiet luxury, opulence is back in fashion.
In this episode of the Back Row podcast, Amy traces the origins of fashion’s current obsession with excess — all the way back to… Bravo?
Joined by Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam of the wild
Celebrity Brands: What Works, What Doesn’t (Goop, Rhode & More)
In Part 2, Ana Andjelic and Amy Odell break down Meghan Markle’s new brand As Ever, how The Row quietly built one of the most powerful luxury brands in fashion, and what's next for Chiara Ferragni after her acquittal.
Part 2 is available to paid subscribers at backrow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Celebrity brands are everywhere—but what separ
Retail Confessions: Inside Harrods — Demanding Shoppers and the Rules of the Ultra-Rich
On this holiday episode of The Back Row Podcast, Amy Odell shares a special installment of Retail Confessions, featuring an anonymous interview with a former Harrods sales associate.
The interviewee discussed what it was really like working on the shop floor at one of the world’s most famous luxury department stores — from intense sales pressure and demanding clients to the unspoken rules of the
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
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 j
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 gre
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
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 Ro
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 jo
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
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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,
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
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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:
0
The Devil Wears Prada: Anna Wintour and the Assistant Who Started It All
Hype for The Devil Wears Prada 2 (out May 2, 2026) is already off the charts. In this special holiday episode, listen to an excerpt from Amy's book Anna: The Biography about how The Devil Wears Prada book and film came to be — and how Anna Wintour really felt about all of it.
Listen to the Anna audiobook on: Spotify, Apple, or Audible. Or get the book in print here.
Amy's latest book Gwyneth: T
I Tried Victoria Beckham's Gray T-Shirt
And a bunch of other pieces from her clothing line. This is my story. Check out the photos in the Back Row story.
2:16 - Trying the gray T-shirt and jeans
4:23 - Trying the legendary black pants
5:10 - The oversized gray suit
6:13 - The Blair midi dress (one with the rouching)
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Black Friday: How Fashion Brands Use Cult Tactics on You
Brown may be the new black — but brands are the new cults. Amy talks to CUNY professor, author, and ex-marketing executive Dr. Mara Einstein about how brands exploit cult-like marketing tactics to get us to buy, particularly during events like Black Friday. They discuss the real reason brands pushed Christmas shopping before Halloween (!) this year; how brands get us to buy in a world where we're
Kim Kardashian’s Brand Is Blankness; ‘All’s Fair’ Is a Tacky Mess
The Atlantic staff writer and Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves author Sophie Gilbert joins Amy to talk about All's Fair. The new Ryan Murphy show starring Kim Kardashian has received uniformly dire reviews — yet has triumphed in the face of its badness with pretty respectable ratings. Is this the end of competency in culture? Did All's Fair's creators i
Anna Wintour's 10 Most Influential Covers
In honor of Anna Wintour's last Vogue cover as editor-in-chief, featuring Timothée Chalamet, Amy counts down her top 10 most influential covers from over the course of her career. Which ones would you add to the list?
(0:23) Why Timothée's cover was a big surprise
(1:18) What the social media commenters said about the cover
(3:01) The cover countdown begins
(6:08) Countdown halfway point
(9:1
Was Jane Birkin Unfairly Commodified by Hermès?
Amy interviews Marisa Meltzer, author of It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin, about how Birkin became one of the most famous fashion icons of the sixties. Marisa talks about how she became the inspiration and namesake for the Hermès Birkin bag, and whether or not she was ever paid for this distinction. She also reveals how Birkin really felt about the Birkin bag becoming more famous than h
Victoria Beckham's Netflix Show: Infomercial or Documentary? With Ryan Bailey
Amy sits down with Ryan Bailey, host of So Bad It's Good, to analyze Victoria Beckham's Netflix docu-series. They discuss how it compared to David Beckham's docuseries and RJ Cutler's docs about Martha Stewart and Anna Wintour; what makes Victoria so appealing; what the show blatantly left out; and how the Victoria Beckham fashion line is actually performing as a business.
For more, follow So Ba
The Row's Sample Was WILD
The Row's sample sale just wrapped in New York City. The slew of haul vlogs fans of the brand posted after pillaging the sale resulted in some of the best content involving influencers since the Fyre Festival. What do these tell us about the brand and the current state of shopping culture? Amy explores.
This story originally appeared in the Back Row newsletter.
Also discussed in the show:
The
Avery Trufelman on the Origins of Modern Menswear and Gorpcore
Avery Trufelman, the host of the Articles of Interest podcast, talks to Amy about her new season, how the military influenced gorpcore and modern preppy clothing, Greta Lee's new Vogue cover, and more.
This is an extended version of the Back Row newsletter that published on October 21.
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Does Gwyneth Paltrow Wish Me Well?
Amy Odell (author of Gwyneth: The Biography) interviews Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, stars and creators of the hit play with music, Gwyneth Goes Skiing — a send-up of the 2023 trial involving Gwyneth Paltrow and retired optometrist Terry Sanderson.
Amy talks about her interview with Terry Sanderson for her book; Linus and Joseph talk about their research process for the play; props (yes, they v
The Untold Story of Victoria Beckham's Brand
Amy reviews Victoria Beckham's new Netflix documentary, which sheds light on how she went from maligned tabloid star to the founder of her own fashion brand — and how she made over her image to earn the industry's respect. Plus, "Loose Threads" about Anna Wintour, Victoria's Secret, and more.
This episode originally ran in the Back Row newsletter.
Subscribe to Back Row on YouTube for more st
Fashion Month Awards: Spring 2026
Amy is joined by Dana Thomas, fashion journalist and New York Times bestselling author of Deluxe, to pick spring 2026 Fashion Month Awards. Categories include: Most Baffling Success; Best Debut; Most Polarizing Collection; and more.
For more stories like this, subscribe to the Back Row newsletter and Amy's YouTube channel.
Get more from Dana Thomas in her Style Files newsletter.
Books refere
The Verdict on Chanel!
Amy reviews designer Matthieu Blazy's historic debut collection for Chanel.
This podcast is based on this issue of her Back Row newsletter.
Also referenced: this "Retail Confessions" column where a former Chanel sales person talks about what it was really like working in the store selling to some of the world's wealthiest people.
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Jonathan Anderson's Dior Debut: The Response!
Well, it happened. At long last, Jonathan Anderson showed his first Dior women’s collection.
Is everyone happy now? Well, not really.
Read this story in Back Row and see the images discussed.
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Introducing Back Row with Amy Odell
I’m Amy Odell. You may know me from writing New York Times best-selling biographies of Anna Wintour and Gwyneth Paltrow. Or my first book, Tales from the Back Row: An Outsiders View from Inside the Fashion Industry.
I'm turning my popular Back Row newsletter into a podcast, covering everything from what's happening at luxury brands like Dior and Loro Piana, to trends in athleisure, to pop cultu
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