Does Fashion Need Fixing?
Summary
Lauren Sherman hosts Eugene Rabkin, author of "Torn: Fashion and Postmodernism," to debate the industry's creative stagnation. They explore how postmodern relativism has eroded design standards, replaced criticism with commerce, and led to an epidemic of unexciting "nice clothes." The discussion covers Virgil Abloh’s legacy, the decline of historicity in design education, and the need for an independent counterculture to restore genuine creativity and critical discourse in fashion.
Topics discussed
Intro, Puck promo, and Paris updates
Granola preferences and book release details
Eugene's background in 2000s fashion forums
Social media limits and degradation of online discourse
Thesis of 'Torn': Postmodernism and fashion's decline
Postmodernism, loss of standards, and historicity
Ad breaks: Macy's and The Lazy Genius Podcast
Virgil Abloh as an emblem of postmodernism
Fashion as design vs. art and the value of creativity
Business models, risk aversion, and managed decline
The 'Nice Clothes' epidemic and lack of innovation
Cultural fragmentation and the loss of subculture depth
Bleak future, consumer over-education, and quality
Seeking beauty in music, film, and fashion
Alternative ecosystems, UBI, and closing thoughts
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