Las Culturistas: "Mind The Gapping" (w/ Adam Selman)
Release Date: October 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively episode of Las Culturistas, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang welcome renowned fashion designer Adam Selman, newly minted executive creative director for the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and Victoria’s Secret. The discussion explores Adam’s journey from quirky beginnings to the fashion big leagues, the emotional resonance of fashion (especially lingerie), the revival and reinvention of the Victoria’s Secret show, and the ever-evolving dynamics of pop-culture, personal style, and "cutie patootie" energy in 2025. The episode is loaded with humor, heartfelt moments, and inside fashion insights—making it engaging for both fashion lovers and pop-culture aficionados alike.

Major Discussion Topics & Key Insights

1. Fashion's Emotional Evolution and Victoria's Secret Show Revival

• Resurrecting the Victoria’s Secret Show: Adam is spearheading a more inclusive, emotionally resonant vision for the VS show, focusing on empowerment and creating safe spaces for models.

  “My job really is to make them look good…loving them and feeling them, I think, is the most powerful part.” – Adam (09:45)

• Lineup Reveal & Performers (28:28):
  • Madison Beer (debuting a new song)
  • Twice (K-pop sensation)
  • Carol G
  • Missy Elliott
    Plus Pink is returning as a segment, with models like Barbie Ferreira highlighted.

  “Twice is performing in Pink. We’re bringing Pink back to the show.” – Adam (29:06)

• Backstage Realness: The true stories, sisterhood, and emotions actually play out backstage—something Adam tries to channel into the show’s vibe.

  “The actual stories probably play out in quieter moments backstage.” – Adam (42:48)

• Resetting the Brand: The new approach moves away from the narrow, once exclusionary definition of ‘sexy’, making room for joy, fun, and diversity.

  “What I keep saying is bringing the best of the past and propelling it into the future and somehow mixing it with the excess of the current culture.” – Adam (11:14)

2. Technical Craft: Bra Innovation & The Myth of Sizing

• Bra Illusion & Innovation: Adam demystifies technical advancements in lingerie and bras, emphasizing that “illusion”—adding or subtracting visually—is a core part of his design philosophy.

  “Working with illusion, right? That’s all it is…with lingerie, right, it’s all about, like, adding or subtracting.” – Adam (17:26)

• Bras: Sizing Myths & Fittings (20:03):
  Adam describes the fascinating, problematic history of sizing standardization and urges for body-positive, fun-fitting experiences.

  “There was like a little gapping…and you can, like, look at, like, the front…That gore.” – Adam (20:11)

3. Career Stories: From Sedaris & Rihanna to VS

• Origins: Amy Sedaris and the Hot Dog Rake (06:33):
  • Adam’s first standout project was putting hot dogs on a rake in an Amy Sedaris video.
  • Costume and book collaborations with Sedaris are revisited with fondness.
• Rihanna, Viral Fashion, and Behind-the-Scenes Reality (22:40):
  • Adam goes in-depth on working with Rihanna, from the game-changing 2014 CFDA “crystal dress” to balancing viral moments with the grind of everyday tailoring.

  “I was so broke when I did it…I was tailoring a Nike job the next morning.” – Adam (23:36)

• Savage x Fenty vs. Victoria’s Secret (66:07):
  Adam expresses admiration for both brands, emphasizing that “there’s room for both,” and that he’s bringing his unique vision to VS.

4. Style, Uniforms, and the Cutie Patootie–Baddie Debate

• Adam’s Uniform Code (31:57):
  He dresses in a formula: jacket, Carhartt-style pants, perfect tee or polo, matching denims—preferring consistency over daily reinvention.
• Fashion Trends for 2026:
  • Big pants are “out”; skinny jeans are making a comeback (33:07)
  • Shorts and capris spark a humorous debate
  • Uniforms vs. experimentation—Adam prefers constructing for others, not himself:

    “I’m more interested in dressing other people than I am myself.” – Adam (34:50)

• I Don’t Think So, Honey: Baddies Are Out, Cutie Patooties In (79:33):
  Adam delivers a playful, sharp monologue about shifting away from "baddie" energy to embracing the “cutie patootie” aesthetic—gentle, soft-sexy, and fun.

  “I don’t think so, honey: Baddies, baddies are out. Cutie patooties in. Cutie patooties are the new future.” – Adam (79:33)

5. Personal & Leadership Philosophy, Kindness vs. Niceness

• Directness & Decisiveness: Adam discusses the distinction between being “nice” and being “kind”—contending that leadership sometimes requires decisiveness over gentleness.

  “Kind doesn’t mean that you have to be nice. You can be direct…and still be kind about it.” – Adam (60:22)

• Gay Leadership & the “Nice Guy” Stigma (61:01):
  • Navigating perceptions of weakness, decisiveness, and how being gay intersects with leadership expectations.
• Feedback & Public Critique: Adam acknowledges he can’t be everything to everyone—focusing instead on the storytelling and vision only he can bring.

6. Early Culture: Competitive Cheerleading in Texas

• “Culture that Made You” Segment (46:02):
  • Adam credits competitive cheerleading (junior Olympic-level in Waco, TX) for fostering a sense of support, group ambition, and his comfort working with strong women—directly translating to his leadership & collaborative style in fashion.

  "We had this thing called the Spirit Stick...it's not about how good you are, but how much energy you show and prop others up." – Adam (46:52)

• Personal Growth & Soul-Searching:
  • He refers to the Book of Birthdays, noting his “day of the soul searcher” and reflecting on personality strengths/weaknesses—withdrawal, long-suffering, always searching for meaning (35:33).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Let’s own sexy. Let’s, like, be forward thinking…my job, again, is to, like, be a steward of women at the same time.” – Adam (11:25)
• “Do you remember Stargirl? You had a bot, and she’d go shopping…that’s very Stargirl to me.” – Adam, critiquing strange AI fashion ads (78:03)
• “I think big pants are out…skinny jeans are coming back. Sorry, but people want to see body.” – Adam (33:07)
• “I don’t think so, honey: Baddies are out, cutie patooties in...” – Adam (79:33)
• “Competitive cheerleading set me up to be able to be like, oh, I can kind of do anything I want to do…especially in Texas, you know, in the 90s, that was not the thing for a guy to be doing.” – Adam (47:42)
• “It’s never worked for me. Blowing up has never worked for me.” – Adam, on conflict resolution (61:51)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [03:35] — Show begins with banter; Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show tease
• [06:33] — Adam Selman introduced; career highlights and first collaborations
• [08:29] — On maintaining "deorum" among supermodels; emotional moments in fashion
• [10:16] — Gigi Hadid’s emotional fitting; modernizing the VS show
• [17:26] — Lingerie design, bra sizing, and innovations
• [20:03] — The lost art of correct bra fitting & measuring party history
• [22:40] — How costume design led to working with Rihanna
• [23:36] — The day after the “viral dress”: on the grind despite viral fame
• [28:28] — VS Fashion Show performer lineup revealed
• [34:39] — Should people dress like designers, or wear what designers wear?
• [42:48] — Backstage stories and emotional realness
• [46:02] — “What was the culture that made you?” Adam goes deep on cheerleading in Texas
• [60:22] — Leadership: the difference between nice and kind
• [66:07] — Savage x Fenty vs. Victoria’s Secret: embracing different worlds
• [79:33] — “I Don’t Think So, Honey”: Adam’s “cutie patootie” manifesto

The Las Culturistas Touch: Running Themes and Humor

• “Sgusting,” “suspect,” “sis gusting”: New slang and playful lingo for describing suspect things in culture (06:00)
• Running joke: Matt and Bowen referencing their own “uniforms,” last-minute costume energy, and sharing Halloween war stories (50:01)
• Birthdays & Astrology: Extensive, deadpan banter about the Book of Birthdays, identifying as “the day of the soul searcher” (35:33)
• Sex, Food, and Identity: From hot dogs to cowboy boots, the hosts and guest chart how identity expresses itself through fashion, food, and sexual energy

Conclusion / Final Thoughts

This episode offers a wealth of cultural and fashion insight with signature Las Culturistas charm. Adam Selman emerges as a thoughtful innovator passionate about inclusivity, empowerment, and fun, all while being deeply technical and deliberate. The conversation oscillates between industry nerd-outs, confessional moments, comedic riffs, and genuine warmth, providing a multifaceted portrait of both modern fashion culture and the personalities shaping it.

In sum:

• Victoria’s Secret is getting a vibrant overhaul under Adam Selman’s guidance.
• The new standard in both fashion and culture might just be “cutie patootie” over “baddie.”
• Fashion, like culture, is always in conversation with the past, present, and the authentic emotional needs of its people.

For more: Catch the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (with Adam’s creative direction) on Amazon Prime, and expect to be left thinking about your own cutie patootie energy.