Podcasts have made a comeback. With retro roots dating back to the 1980s, the gift of the gab is more modish than ever. Naturally, the fashion industry has caught on.
Nowadays the go-to pastime on dreary commutes, we’ve devised a list of our top podcasts in fashion about fashion.
Whether you’re in need of some light-hearted celebrity banter, or more in-depth takes on industry issues, the medium is an easy way of wrapping your head around the chaos of the fashion industry.
Covering the frivolous to the contentious, these broadcasters know a thing or two about clothes. From brutally honest red-carpet dissections to telling revelations on how our clothes are made, these easy-listening interviews will satisfy any mood.
In this case, substance over style prevails, which is a fashion-first.
The High Low
Tune in with journalists Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes as they dare to deconstruct the most controversial topics in current culture, both high and low-brow (hence the title). With a cult following - snatching a #1 spot on Itunes, the Pan-Dolly combo is a winning one, covering topics from the Met Gala to Theresa May’s leather trousers. With a very newsy focus, we recommend starting with their most recent episode. If you like what you hear, backtracking through their archive makes for an enjoyable pastime full of heated nostalgia. You'll tune out feeling more cultured on Kanye's latest tweet to feminist attitudes on #MeToo.
Check out the High Low on Itunes
Business of Fashion
Heralded as the fashion bible, this podcast from Business of Fashion will appeal to an industry audience. Meticulously detailed in content, listen to BOF journalists and CEO Imran Ahmed aka. fashion oracle interview the industry’s biggest innovators. Covering topics from biofabrications to conversational commerce, it's not for the faint-hearted, nevertheless it offers a fascinating examination into how the industry is rapidly evolving. Listen to episode 40: The Great Fur Debate. The name says it all.
Check out the Business of Fashion podcast on Itunes
Fashion No Filter
Influencer Camille Charriere and journalist pal Monica Ainley break the superficial taboo associated with fashion, with intimate cafe-style interviews with interesting industry figures. From the Instagram generation for the Instagram generation, the duo give a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the fashion industry operates, while still being an accessible pleasure to listen to. An archive with timeless relevance, look to episodes What Men Really Think of Fashion, and Eco Warriors.
Check out the Fashion No Filter podcast on Itunes
Ted Talks
While not strictly reserved to fashion, sifting through the Ted Talks archive conjures up a select number of fashion-related episodes. Averaging on quick 15-minute insights into some forward-thinking ideas, consider it a fashion-quickie - no doubt you'll learn something. Noteworthy episodes include a celebration of natural hair with Cheyenne Cochrane, and 3 creative ways to fix fashion's waste problem with Amit Kalra.
Check out Ted Talks Podcasts on Itunes
Girlboss Radio
From the founder of vintage clothing label NastyGal, Sophia Amoruso interviews career women about what success means to them. Her humble sense of humour accents an overriding theme celebrating female empowerment - one that's difficult to fault. Listen to her interviews with plus-size model Tess Holiday and Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker.
Check out the Girlboss Radio podcast on Itunes
Oh Boy
This podcast from Man Repeller is all about women of style, meeting a broad definition from the fashionable to the inspiring. If that doesn't grab you, the custom artwork for each episode surely will. Following the female empowerment theme, listen to episode 35 with famous journalist Gloria Steinem talk about social justice, writing, Donald Trump, modern politics, and how she was the first woman at New York Magazine. What a woman.
Check out the Oh Boy Podcast on Itunes
Fashion hags
From obsessive red carpet dissections to criticisms over relevant industry issues, Vancouver trio Abby, Evan and Katie's down-to-earth commentary will guarantee a few laughs. Occasional swearing, strong opinions and shade-throwing make for an entertaining hour. As self-confessed non-industry experts, their obvious passion for fashion fuels far more accessible conversations - ideal if you enjoy tuning into a podcast cocktail in hand. Check out episodes 56: The Demise of the Fashion Magazine, and 37: How Dat T-Shirt Get Made?
Check out the Fashion Hags podcast on Itunes
Sheerluxe
Those wanting an up-to-date summary on the latest happenings in fashion, beauty and culture will find the SheerLuxe Highlights a handy companion each fortnight. Although with a very newsy focus, their Success Stories series has a more timeless archive featuring interviews with some of Britain's most inspiring female entrepreneurs.
Check out the Sheerluxe Highlights podcast on Itunes
The Vogue Podcast
If the sassy demeanour of Andre Leon Talley doesn't sell it to you, maybe the fact that it's Vogue will. From a position of undoubted authority in fashion, a scroll through their archive offers interesting interviews with some of the top names in the business. Their recent royal wedding episode Why Does Everyone Keep Pitting Meghan and Kate Against Each Other? makes for a telling debate, while their new Vogue Love Stories series hears the team share their most intimate personal stories on the universal theme.
Check out the Vogue podcast on Itunes
You Must Remember This
While it's not strictly related to fashion, all fashion lovers will be captivated by this podcast. Mini-series portraits shed light on some of the famous scandals and behind-the-scenes gossip surrounding Hollywood's biggest 20th century stars. Anyone who romanticises in pop-culture of the past will indulge in the intimate revelations of Hollywood's Golden Age elite. Particularly controversial series look at Madonna: From Guy Pierce to Warren Beatty, and Dead Blondes including conspiracies surrounding Marilyn Monroe's death.
Check out the You Must Remember This podcast on Itunes
Articles of Interest
Whoever thought fashion and philosophy made an unlikely match, Avery Trufelman begs to differ on her new podcast Articles of Interest. A spin-off series from the design podcast hit 99% Invisible, Trufelman takes us on a thought-provoking fashion quest examining the real meaning behind certain trends and how they inform what we wear. If you’ve ever wondered why women’s clothes have tiny pockets or how your denim collection is impacting the environment, this podcast should be on your radar.
Check out Articles of Interest podcast on Itunes
Fashion Fix
The fashion industry's reputation for putting profit before people and planet is problematic to say the least. As consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally and socially aware, a new BBC podcast, Fashion Fix, is entirely on-the-pulse in sentiment. Hosted by model and activist Charli Howard, it features interviews with industry game-changers in an attempt to unpick complex issues from body image, sustainability, #MeToo, diversity and self-care. It's your one-stop-stream to joining the fashion revolution.
- Fashion Fix will launch on BBC Sounds on Friday 20th September.
