Fashion People Podcast Summary

Episode: Fashion in Pop Culture: Venice Film Festival, U.S. Open, Oasis in Pasadena Edition
Date: September 9, 2025
Host: Lauren Sherman
Guest: Amanda Dobbins

Episode Overview

Lauren Sherman is joined by Amanda Dobbins to dissect the always-buzzy intersections of fashion, pop culture, and media. The episode takes listeners behind the scenes at the Venice Film Festival, to the courts and bleachers of the U.S. Open, and into the crowd at Oasis in Pasadena. The pair reflects on what’s captivating the fashion insiders right now: stadium concert style nostalgia, the tennis-court-as-fashion-runway phenomenon, and the critical eye on red carpet dressing—plus a dash of commentary on generational shifts in pop culture consumption.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Oasis in Pasadena: Nostalgia and Concert Style

[05:00-14:34]

• Lauren and Amanda recount their experience at the Oasis concert at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl, positioning it as a "generational Disneyland moment."
• Concert Atmosphere: Both were struck by the communal energy, noting, "It felt like a scrapbook of our lives for the past 30 years." (Lauren, 06:02)
• Liam Gallagher’s Look: Amanda praised Liam’s distinctive jacket—identified as YMC, not Stone Island or CP Company—and his effortless cool factor:

  “No one is cooler than Liam Gallagher to me, and no one has been cooler than Liam Gallagher for what, 40 years now.” (Amanda, 10:02)

• Fashion Details: From "leather-covered maracas" (Lauren, 08:15) to bucket hats and oversized windbreakers, Gallagher’s style generated as much discussion as the music.
• Concert Style Reflection: Lauren and Amanda differ from the floor-seat crowd:

  “We were there for the vibe…That’s fine to know about ourselves.” (Amanda, 06:43)

The U.S. Open: Tennis as Fashion Epicenter

[15:01-27:00]

• Tennis’ Pop Culture Moment: Lauren discusses how even non-tennis fans now see the U.S. Open as a fashion and celebrity hub.

  “Tennis has become such a big part of pop culture, of what's left of pop culture.” (Lauren, 15:25)

• On-Court Fashion:
  • Venus Williams in Custom Luar: “She is a living legend and looks amazing.” (Amanda, 19:10)
  • Nike’s gear is met with a lukewarm response, with Naomi Osaka’s purple outfit being divisive.
  • Lorenzo Musetti in Bottega and Jannik Sinner in Gucci: “Congrats to Bottega. Good job, Jenny Kim.” (Lauren, 20:32)
  • Irina Sabalenka’s “silver jacket” lauded for its flair and her personal style leanings.
  • Ralph Lauren’s ball kid uniforms receive their own segment of praise (20:36-21:31). Amanda calls for Ralph Lauren to make kids’ versions:

    “Please release children’s sizes of your ball boy clothes…My 3-year-old now plays ball boy and is like ‘I want to wear that!’” (Amanda, 20:36)

• Off-Court Star Power:
  • Celebrity presence escalates: “Celebrities are asking for more tickets…creating a different dynamic of who gets to go.” (Lauren, 18:44)
  • Power duos and box sightings: Mary-Kate Olsen with W Editor-in-Chief Sarah Moonves, Emma Roberts with Jeremy Allen White and Eben Moss-Bachrach.
  • Fashion Takeaways: Jeremy Allen White’s “award season” fashion prep begins early; Venus Williams’ stylist, Ronald Burton III, “really gets it.”

Venice Film Festival: Red Carpet, Practicalities, and Festival Cinema

[28:28-45:16]

• Festival Vibes: Amanda offers a behind-the-scenes look at attending the festival as press—navigating “vaporettos, rain, and long movie lines.”

  “There's the festival you see on Instagram...then there is the experience of being a journalist. That's getting rained on and begging for tickets.” (Amanda, 29:58)

• Red Carpet Fashion Analysis:
  • Greta Lee’s Dior Looks: A "big bow" dress at the House of Dynamite premiere wows both on the carpet and social media (“She looked very beautiful, but I was...concerned for how much tape she had on,” Amanda, 32:51). Her Dior “New Look” suit at the press call is described as “pitch perfect.”
  • Jonathan Anderson’s Range: The Loewe/Dior designer’s red carpet hits and misses discussed in detail (35:10-36:45).
  • Chloë Sevigny in archival YSL: “She looked dynamite. I was like, ‘You're the best in the world.’” (Lauren, 38:42)
  • Kathryn Bigelow’s Ageless Cool: At the House of Dynamite premiere, the director stuns in a “double-breasted, sleeveless suit dress—looked so cool...Googled her age...73!” (Amanda, 39:59)
  • The Challenge of Humidity: Many gowns “looked wrinkled,” a detail attributed to weather realities.
• After the Hunt (Luca Guadagnino’s Film):
  • Amanda confesses she didn’t see the ending due to festival chaos, but describes Julia Roberts’ wardrobe as “a personal attack on me and the way that I dress every day...wide leg, high cut jeans, oxford button downs, oversized blazers, loafers, and a boat tote.” (Amanda, 41:33)
  • The film’s wardrobe leads to broader reflections about "feeling seen" (or attacked) in cinematic costume choices.
  • Lauren: “Luca, out of all directors…understands clothes and the power of clothes.” (Lauren, 43:56)
  • They discuss "Tar" and the creative power of real-world, relatable style in modern cinema.

Film, Aesthetics, and Generational Attention Span

[45:16-49:10]

• The hosts discuss the current wave of “coldly stylish” films, with high aesthetic value but nuanced, morally complex storytelling that doesn’t spell things out.
• Amanda on Gen Z/Alpha’s expectations:

  “Many people aren’t willing to sit through the work without the moral being handed to them.” (Amanda, 46:22)

• Lauren links this back to TikTok culture’s overt captioning and immediate context.

Quick Hits & Notable Product Mentions

[49:17-56:31]

• Sofia Coppola’s "Mark by Sophia": Red carpet and film documentary thoughts. “If the words Marc by Sophia mean anything to you…then you will very much like it.” (Amanda, 50:50)
• Coppola Documentaries: Amanda highlights seeing both the Marc Jacobs film and a compelling documentary on Francis Ford Coppola and Megalopolis, emphasizing generational legacy and creative risk.
• Cameo: Meghan Markle’s Jam: Amanda teases an "unboxing and taste-test" of Markle’s jam brand for her other podcast, Jam Session.

  “I was trying to…cover Meghan for many years. Not in a serious reporting way, but as a cultural observer.” (Amanda, 55:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Oasis Concert:
  Lauren: “It felt like a scrapbook of our lives for the past 30 years.” (06:02)
  Amanda: “No one is cooler than Liam Gallagher to me…for 40 years now.” (10:02)

• On Tennis’ Pop Culture Moment:
  Lauren: “Tennis has become such a big part of pop culture, of what's left of pop culture.” (15:25)

• On US Open Fashion:
  Amanda on Venus Williams: “She is a living legend and looks amazing.” (19:10)
  Amanda on Ralph Lauren’s ball boy outfits: “Please release children’s sizes...my 3-year-old now plays ball boy.” (20:36)

• On Festival Style:
  Amanda on Greta Lee: “In person, she looked very beautiful, but I was...primarily concerned for how much tape she had on.” (32:51)
  Lauren on Chloë Sevigny: “She looked dynamite...nobody does it better.” (38:42)
  Amanda on Julia Roberts in "After the Hunt": “Her clothes were a personal attack on me and the way that I dress every day.” (41:33)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:00 | Oasis in Pasadena—concert fashion, nostalgia | | 15:01 | US Open—tennis fashion, pop culture, celebrity presence | | 28:28 | Venice Film Festival—festival logistics, red carpet looks | | 41:08 | "After the Hunt"—film fashion, Luca Guadagnino’s costume details | | 45:16 | Stylish cinema and shifting generational attention spans | | 49:17 | Sofia Coppola’s documentaries; Marc by Sophia; Megalopolis doc | | 53:19 | Meghan Markle’s jam package, Jam Session preview |

Final Thoughts

This episode delivers a lively, detail-rich look at fashion’s omnipresence: on stage, on court, and onscreen. Lauren and Amanda approach celebrity dressing with humor and candor, blending industry-insider insight with clear affection for the pop-cultural events that bring these worlds together. Whether they’re musing on bucket hats at Oasis or the subtexts of red-carpet couture, their conversation highlights fashion’s evolving synergy with the entertainment world—and the growing cultural appetite to analyze and participate in these moments, both online and IRL.