Fashion Nerds

About Fashion Nerds

Fashion Nerds is where style meets curiosity. Join us as we unpack the ideas, people, technology, and cultural shifts shaping what we wear and why. From emerging designers and iconic trends to sustainability, innovation, and the business behind the runway, this is fashion for people who love looking beneath the surface. Whether you’re an industry insider or simply obsessed with great design, come nerd out with us.

Publisher

Yana Welinder

Category

arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Sept 2026

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

7 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   The History of Bras

   Who invented the bra? The story is way messier, and more fascinating, than two handkerchiefs and a pink ribbon. Yana and Shauna trace the history of bras through medieval discoveries, early patents, the battle over the “ideal” silhouette, and the engineering behind cup sizes, underwires, bullet bras, and sports bras. Along the way: the lingerie workers who helped put astronauts on the moon, the bra-burning myth, Madonna’s cone bra, and why fitting real bodies is still a design challenge. Subscribe to Fashion Nerds for the ideas, people, and forces that shape what we wear. This is a Timeback Productions pod. Enjoy! Music: A Case Of The Boos, via Riverside. Music clearance code: JO2DHRRXROEG5XVY #HistoryOfBras #FashionHistory #FashionNerds #VSFashionShow #BraHistory #LingerieHistory #FashionPodcast #WomensHistory #FashionDesign #TextileHistory #SportsBra #Madonna #JeanPaulGaultier #BodyImage #DesignHistory

2. 

   7 Oct 2026

   The Controversial History of Jeans

   Why can one jeans ad still set off a culture war? This week on Fashion Nerds, Yana and Shauna start with Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle campaign, then pull at the threads of denim's much messier history. From Jacob Davis's cotton duck trousers and the Levi Strauss rivet patent to indigo, slavery, exclusionary labor politics and the women who made workwear, we unpack what the cowboy origin story leaves out. We follow denim through overalls protests, dude ranches, Hollywood rebellion, civil rights and queer style before designer jeans turn an everyday garment into a status symbol. Gloria Vanderbilt, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme enter the story alongside hip-hop's roomier silhouettes, skinny jeans and Denim Day. We also visit Soviet hippies, Japanese weaving and Daniel Miller's ethnography, look at the human cost of distressed denim, and ask why even our digital avatars need jeans that look worn. Who gets to choose what our clothes mean? Takeaways • The rivet patent and the blue-jeans origin story are different things. • Workwear carries histories of labor, race, gender and class. • Denim can signal rebellion, solidarity, status or belonging, depending on who wears it. • The authentic-looking wear we buy can come at a real human cost. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Fashion Nerds 00:19 Sydney Sweeney and the American Eagle controversy 01:22 Jacob Davis, cotton duck and the rivet patent 04:02 Indigo, denim and old trade routes 05:07 Slavery, exclusion and the women behind workwear 07:07 Overalls protests, dude ranches and Lady Levi's 08:27 Hollywood rebellion and civil rights denim 10:06 Customization, queer style and designer jeans 11:30 Tight jeans, consent and Denim Day 12:15 Soviet hippies, Japanese denim and Kerala 13:09 The human cost of distressed denim 13:45 Everyday identity and denim in the digital world Subscribe to Fashion Nerds for more conversations about the ideas, people, and forces that shape what we wear. This is a Timeback Productions pod. Enjoy! Music: A Case Of The Boos, via Riverside. Music clearance code: 5653MLHSOPG2WZMO #FashionNerds #DenimHistory #FashionHistory #SydneySweeney #AmericanEagle #JacobDavis #LeviStrauss #Levis #LadyLevis #DugMiles #GloriaVanderbilt #CalvinKlein #BrookeShields #TommyHilfiger #HediSlimane #DiorHomme #JamesDean #RebelWithoutACause #HarrietAtwood #DebbieAmisBell #SNCC #DenimCouncil #FelixVinogradov #DanielMiller #Workwear #CottonDuck #Rivets #Indigo #TextileHistory #TradeRoutes #Slavery #ChineseExclusionAct #WomensLabor #Overalls #DudeRanches #WorldWarII #Rebellion #ClassAndFashion #CivilRights #RespectabilityPolitics #DenimCustomization #QueerFashion #DesignerDenim #HipHopFashion #SkinnyJeans #DenimDay #Consent #SovietHippies #JapaneseDenim #ShuttleLooms #Globalization #DistressedDenim #Sandblasting #Silicosis #FashionEthnography #Migration #Identity #Authenticity #DigitalFashion #VirtualReality

3. 

   29 Sept 2026

   Pockets episode

   Why do men get deep pockets while women get tiny ones, fake ones, or none at all? This week on Fashion Nerds, we unpack the pocket problem.

4. 

   25 Sept 2026

   Style in Silicon Valley.

   What does a pair of camouflage Crocs tell us about power in Silicon Valley? In this episode of Fashion Nerds, Yana and Shauna decode Alexandr Wang's style evolution, from unobtrusive business casual and bright orange spiked sneakers to workwear, black tie, and the deer T-shirt that set the internet talking. We explore how the Scale AI founder uses clothes, hair, and a refusal to look predictable to build a public identity. Is this fashion chaos, or a calculated power move? We look at what his wardrobe says about credibility, belonging, and the freedom to break the rules once you have made it. Takeaways • Personal style can communicate authority before you say a word. • Dressing for the room and keeping your own visual signature can work together. • Low logo and quiet luxury are different ideas. • In a world of interchangeable tech uniforms, a distinctive look can become a powerful branding tool. Chapters 00:00 The viral outfit and the meeting of tech and fashion 03:41 Founder credibility and the 2019 baseline 05:38 Statement sneakers and personal expression 07:37 Workwear, tailoring, and dress codes 12:11 How personal style works on camera 14:47 The price reveal and media attention 17:49 Low logo versus quiet luxury 19:13 A masterclass in personal branding Subscribe to Fashion Nerds for more conversations about the ideas, people, and forces that shape what we wear. This is a Timeback Productions pod. Enjoy! Music: A Case Of The Boos, via Riverside. Music clearance code: UJJ9NQAEVNCRTJ98 Photo credits: Steve Jobs photograph by Matthew Yohe, cropped, CC BY-SA 3.0. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steve_Jobs_Headshot_2010.JPG (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steve_Jobs_Headshot_2010.JPG) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) TED photograph by Ryan Lash / TED, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. https://www.ted.com/talks/alexandr_wang_war_ai_and_the_new_global_arms_race (https://www.ted.com/talks/alexandr_wang_war_ai_and_the_new_global_arms_race) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) #FashionNerds #AlexandrWang #SiliconValley #FashionHistory #LuxuryFashion #FashionDesign #PersonalStyle #PersonalBranding #Prada #Gucci #Balenciaga #Crocs #BassProShops #CalvinKlein #LoroPiana #BrunelloCucinelli #Meta #OpenAI #ScaleAI #Nintendo #Zoom #Vogue #Forbes #EntrepreneurMagazine #IndexVentures #TED #YCombinator #MetaConnect #VogueWorld #MetGala #BreakthroughPrize #Muse

5. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Wintour Is Coming: The Rise of Vogue World

   Vogue World has redefined fashion events, leveraging a complex business engine to generate revenue and philanthropy. Its global expansion has raised questions about cultural impact and the role of local communities. The future of Vogue World in Milan and San Francisco raises critical civic and existential questions for the brand. Takeaways Vogue World's impact on fashion events The complex business engine behind Vogue World Chapters 00:00 The Concept of Vogue World 03:04 The Business Engine Behind Vogue World 12:36 Vogue World's Global Expansion 26:58 Milan and the Future of Vogue World #Vogue #VogueWorld #Gucci #Balenciaga #Bode #ChristopherJohnRogers #Fendi #MichaelKors #ChristianLacroix #Guess #MaisonMargiela #Chanel #Balmain #Kamperett #AnnaChiu #CatherineMartin #AngusStrathie #MichaelSchmidt #NormaMoriceau #FashionsNightOut #CondeNast #KatzsDeli #Snap #Ford #AgenceFrancePresse #LeMonde #ParamountPictures #Meta #OpenAI #eBay #Puck

6. 

   15 Sept 2026

   The Simple Products That Built Fashion Empires

   The conversation explores the power of simplicity in fashion, highlighting the impact of basic t-shirts and their cultural significance. We talk about the paradox of serving the simplest thing on the menu as a genius designer's move, challenging traditional creative ambition. We also dive into the emotional science of why people love certain clothes, and the cultural significance of t-shirts as a blank billboard for a movement. Takeaways Simplicity Sells Cultural Impact of T-Shirts T-shirt as a Cultural Medium The Expansion Algorithm Chapters 00:00 The Power of Simplicity 05:17 Cultural Impact of T-Shirts 25:19 The T-Shirt as a Cultural Medium 28:00 The Evolution of Fashion Brands 44:45 The Hidden Rules of Garment Expansion This is a Timeback Productions pod. Enjoy!

7. 

   1 Sept 2026

   The Outsiders Who Built the Modern Wardrobe

   What if the modern luxury wardrobe wasn’t invented by traditional fashion designers, but by lawyers, civil engineers, Olympic athletes, blacksmiths, and schoolteachers? In this episode of Fashion Nerds, Yana and Shauna explore how outsiders used their unconventional backgrounds to challenge fashion’s traditions and engineer the modern wardrobe. Drawing on research into 71 luxury houses founded since 1950, they trace how outsiders transformed fashion by solving the practical and cultural problems of their time: from Max Mara’s ready-to-wear camel coat and Chloé’s fluid silks to Moncler’s alpine down jackets, Missoni’s engineered knits, Paco Rabanne’s metal dresses, Issey Miyake’s permanent pleats, and Vivienne Westwood’s weaponized corsetry. They also examine how Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto challenged Western ideas of beauty, symmetry, and the body. Because the first garment a brand creates is rarely an accident. Its seams hold the history of the person who engineered it. Topics include: Why luxury ready-to-wear emerged after World War II How a founder’s background shapes a brand’s design DNA The engineering behind coats, knits, puffers, and permanent pleats How survival gear became a luxury status symbol Fashion as cultural rebellion and social critique Subscribe to Fashion Nerds for more conversations about the ideas, people, and forces that shape what we wear. #FashionHistory #LuxuryFashion #FashionDesign #FashionNerds #IsseyMiyake #VivienneWestwood #CommeDesGarcons #MaxMara #Moncler #Missoni

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Apple Podcasts (US)

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