Fashion People Podcast — The 2026 Fashion Discourse So Far
Host: Lauren Sherman with guest Marissa Meltzer
Release Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

Lauren Sherman (Puck's fashion and beauty correspondent) welcomes back writer Marissa Meltzer for the year's first in-depth conversation. They unpack the latest buzz behind the scenes, from the evolving state of department stores to the debut of Jonathan Anderson’s Dior, fur’s renewed presence, celebrity style, plastic surgery in 2026, jewelry trends, and the ever-changing mood of the industry. The episode is a blend of industry analysis, personal anecdotes, style predictions, and candid takes on nuance and privilege within fashion debates.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Style, Wardrobe Management, and Selling Secondhand

• Selling Clothes Online (03:56–05:47)

  • Marissa shares her experience decluttering, selling on Instagram, and her preference for local pickup in her doorman building.
  • Frustration with eBay ("People are always trying to get refunds or they buy and don't pay") and The RealReal ("You get so little money...").
  • Both panelists reflect on emotional attachment to clothes and the constant process of wardrobe refinement.

  "I like, I have a huge wardrobe, but I also like, I wear all of it, so I keep it to stuff that I... that's in the rotation."
  — Marissa Meltzer (05:34)

• Shopping Habits and Planning for 2026 (06:07–09:39)

  • Discussion of limiting purchases, prioritizing quality, buying in Europe for value.
  • Marissa predicts Lauren will acquire a standout piece from Mathieu Blazy's new direction at Chanel.
  • Reflection on how being a "shopaholic" means something different among people who know their own style.

  "I really am. Like, don't buy that many things and just buy a couple a year..."
  — Lauren Sherman (08:40)

2. Dior Under Jonathan Anderson: The Launch & First Impressions

• Rollout Reactions (10:02–18:10)

  • Both note January’s major product drop on Dior.com as a statement moment.
  • Marissa’s take: Anderson is a "good product designer," but logo-heavy accessories feel more suited to a “Valentino Rockstud” audience.

  “I personally can only foresee the corniest kind of person wearing [the belts] in the manner of the Hermes H belt...”
  — Marissa Meltzer (12:54)

  • Lauren discusses noticeable line sheet-to-retail price drops, possibly from fabric changes or strategic repositioning.

  • Bags ("bow bag") and shoes are called out as stars—priced competitively yet aspirational (bow bag at $4,300, shoes at $1,000—$1,500).

  • Discussion about demographic shifts: Will Dior, historically appealing even to older clients, retain them under Anderson's youthful touch?

  • Jewelry, especially costume pieces, predicted to do well.

  “The only thing I really want is the lady. The, the costume is 500 bucks for all that daisy stuff. I think it's super cute.”
  — Lauren Sherman (17:52)

3. Jewelry Trends for 2026

• Personal Picks & Diamond Discourse (18:42–21:01)

  • Lauren plans to embrace silver and finally buy diamonds, open to estate/vintage but wary of lab-grown.
  • Marissa is similarly focused on silver, and prefers the authenticity of estate stones.

  “This is controversial but I don’t do lab grown diamonds. Get the...No, I'm not. Look, look. I get estate.”
  — Marissa Meltzer (19:33)

  • Lighthearted banter over the difference between wanting "nothing crazy" and actually craving luxury pieces like a Riviera necklace.

4. The Return of Fur — Nuance, Culture, and Cycles

• Changing Attitudes and Cultural Significance (22:08–25:11)

  • Marissa is unapologetically pro-fur ("I'm a big fur person"); Lauren is more agnostic, focusing on nuance and personal ethics.
  • Aurora James’ recent writing is quoted, highlighting fur’s role as a historic signifier of success in Black culture.

  "There is a very real history of fur being one of the earliest ways black women we're able to acquire and signal wealth."
  — Aurora James, quoted by Lauren Sherman (24:09)

  • Discussion on shifting and cyclical trends: “no fur/fur/no fur/fur,” and how this year seems poised to embrace gray areas over polarized stances.

5. Style & Public Life: New York’s New First Lady

• Rama Duaji and Political Fashion Influence (25:53–30:24)

  • Examination of Rama Duaji’s style (boots everywhere, indie European brands like Renaissance) and her resonance as a young, confident presence in NYC politics.
  • Panelists debate personal taste and the implications of being a public female figure whose every sartorial move is scrutinized.

  "I don't like her aesthetic...it's a little cliche Brooklyn girl to me. But...she seems very confident and happy..."
  — Marissa Meltzer (28:23)

  • Potential for her to boost emerging and indie designers’ visibility.

6. Red Carpet & Film Fashion

• Palm Springs & Critics Choice Awards (30:39–37:51)

  • Praise for Danielle Goldberg’s styling of Jessie Buckley.

  • Analysis of Timothée Chalamet’s Givenchy look (“double-breasted, Dick Tracy costume”–adjacent), and desire to see Kylie Jenner embrace more elegant, avant-garde designers.

  • Renata Reinsve (star of “Sentimental Value”) lauded for her Givenchy white dress—though Lauren notes it should have been lined.

  • Rose Byrne’s consistent excellence in Celine by stylist Kate Young.

• Fashion in Recent Films (38:59–44:51)

  • “Marty Supreme” and “Sentimental Value” are dissected for their wardrobe choices: Gwyneth Paltrow’s yellow organza shirt, Nomi Fry’s “1950s office lady” red lip, Elle Fanning in custom Saint Laurent.
  • Commentary on how smart, era-evocative styling (especially in “Song Sung Blue”) can make even small movies culturally resonant.

  "It kind of looked like how people dressed. And I appreciated that because I think there is maybe a temptation to make it too over. It was like, just bongo enough.”
  — Marissa Meltzer (50:09)

7. Department Store Drama: Saks, Bergdorf, Neiman Marcus

• Industry Analysis & The Future of Shopping (50:38–54:50)
  • Deep dive into M&A speculation, bankruptcies, and the need for a "Bon Marche"-type experience in the US.

  “That's why Bernard Arnault needs to buy Bergdorf.”
  — Lauren Sherman (51:43)

  • Both mourn the lack of inspiring food halls ("Food halls don't work in America"), and the need for fewer, better stores, focused on curation/discovery.
  • Lauren advocates for the independent specialty store model (e.g., Hirschleifers, Armory) as the future, warning against over-expansion.

  “When you start to have, like, 15 The Webster 7 stores, it never works out. It never works out. So don't try to expand beyond...”
  — Lauren Sherman (55:22)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Industry Cycles:

  "It's just so interesting to me, the cycle of no fur, fur, no fur, fur. And it goes in and out, in and out, in and out...I think we're all trying to live a little more in the gray area."
  — Lauren Sherman (24:09)

• On the New York First Lady’s Style:

  "I would literally everyone. I'd be like, what about a collarless black Chanel jacket?"
  — Marissa Meltzer (30:39)

• On American vs. European Department Stores:

  "I want a shopping experience that's like Bon Marche in Paris or something."
  — Marissa Meltzer (51:23)

• On Movies as Fashion Moodboards:

  "I, I mean, I love Miyako. I love the fashion in, in this one."
  — Lauren Sherman (41:14)

• On Designer Rollouts:

  "Is this going to be wildly successful? I really do not know. It's a matter of taste and it's a matter of market reaction."
  — Lauren Sherman (16:23)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:56 | Selling and decluttering wardrobes; The RealReal gripes | | 06:07 | 2026 wardrobe plans, Chanel and shopping philosophy | | 10:02 | Dior under Jonathan Anderson — product, pricing & appeal | | 18:42 | Jewelry picks for 2026: silver, diamonds, and lab-grown debate | | 22:08 | Fur returns; culture and ethics in fashion | | 25:53 | NYC's First Lady and fashion as political signal | | 30:39 | Red carpet review: Buckley, Chalamet, Renisve, Byrne | | 38:59 | Movie style: Marty Supreme, Sentimental Value, Song Sung Blue | | 50:38 | Department store shakeout: Saks, Bergdorf, NM; retail future |

Tone & Style

This episode balances brisk analysis with wit and warmth. Lauren and Marissa’s banter is relatable yet brimming with expertise, delivering juicy industry details while grounding their takes in the realities of those who love fashion (and often, shop more than they’d like to admit). There’s candor about privilege and a call for greater industry nuance—a thread especially strong in their discussion of fur and the realities of consumption.

Summary

If you want to understand what matters to “fashion people” right now—the post-pandemic recalibration of personal style, the wave of designer reshuffles, the high-stakes drama behind department store doors, and the subtler ways cultural discourse shapes what’s in and what’s out—this discussion is a fresh, unvarnished window into 2026’s fashion psyche. You’ll walk away craving a trip to Paris, ready to debate fur on a new level, and with at least three new movies on your watchlist for the clothes alone.