Is Skims more relevant than Kim?

Summary

Style-ish Podcast Summary: "Is Skims More Relevant Than Kim?" Hosted by Shameless Media Release Date: February 25, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Style-ish, hosts Madison Sullivan Thorpe, Annika Joshi Smith, and Joanna Fleming delve into the dynamic relationship between Kim Kardashian and her brand, Skims, exploring whether Skims has outpaced Kim's personal relevance in the fashion and beauty industry. Alongside this primary discussion, the hosts touch upon emerging trends in fast homewares and analyze a controversial PR stunt by the beverage brand Poppy.

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Nike and Skims Collaboration: A Strategic Move

Time Stamp: 05:10 - 17:55

The episode kicks off with exciting news about Nike's latest venture—a collaborative sub-brand with Skims, aptly named Nike Skin Skims. Annika Joshi Smith elaborates on the anticipated launch, highlighting that the collection will focus on activewear tailored for fitness and sports enthusiasts, with the first drop slated for spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Notable Quotes:

• Madison Sullivan Thorpe [06:00]: "Nike's attempt to tap into the $400 billion athleisure market is strategic, considering women make up 60% of this segment."
• Annika Joshi Smith [03:29]: "The fusion of shapewear and performance clothing is where Skims shines, especially with their inclusive sizing and versatile color palettes."

The hosts discuss the mixed online reactions juxtaposed with Nike's stock surge following the announcement. While Vogue reports optimism about the collaboration, concerns arise regarding Kim Kardashian's diminishing star power. Despite Kim's influence waning, Skims remains financially robust, recently raising $270 million and valuing the brand at $4 billion.

Analysis:

• Joanna Fleming [10:23]: "Skims has been strategically positioning itself in the sports arena for years, collaborating with the NBA and dressing the USA Olympic team."
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe [13:10]: "Nike has traditionally focused on performance, possibly overlooking the burgeoning athleisure trend that brands like Lululemon have capitalized on."

The conversation underscores the mutual benefits for Nike and Skims—the former leveraging Skims' brand equity to rejuvenate its appeal among younger generations, and the latter stepping deeper into the athletic apparel market. The hosts agree that for Nike Skin Skims to succeed, pricing strategy and genuine community engagement will be pivotal.

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The Rise of Fast Homewares: Affordable and Stylish

Time Stamp: 19:02 - 28:12

Transitioning from fashion, the hosts explore the fast homewares trend, drawing parallels to fast fashion. Citing an article from The Guardian by Siam Gore, they discuss how supermarket chains in the UK and Australia have capitalized on offering trendy homeware products at affordable prices. Brands like Kmart's Anko and Target's expanding range exemplify this shift, making stylish home decor accessible to the masses.

Notable Quotes:

• Annika Joshi Smith [21:00]: "Fast homewares provide that dopamine hit similar to fast fashion, enabling people to refresh their spaces without significant financial strain."
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe [22:11]: "In the current economic climate, affordable homewares like an $8 cushion or a $12 tray are perfect for those looking to update their homes without breaking the bank."

The hosts candidly discuss their own shopping habits, acknowledging the ethical concerns surrounding fast homewares' production while balancing the desire for affordable and stylish home items. They highlight the emotional satisfaction of quick, affordable purchases but also express a need for more conscious consumerism.

Analysis:

• Joanna Fleming [24:00]: "While fast homewares democratize style, it's essential to remember the human cost behind these products."
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe [26:54]: "IKEA pioneered fast furniture, and now new players are joining the game, offering affordable options that cater to a wide audience."

The segment concludes with practical tips for integrating unique homeware pieces through thrift shopping or supporting local artisans, emphasizing the importance of balancing affordability with ethical considerations.

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Poppy's Super Bowl PR Stunt: A Lesson in Creator Marketing

Time Stamp: 28:12 - 43:20

The discussion shifts to a critical analysis of Poppy, a prebiotic soda brand, and its recent PR stunt during the Super Bowl. Poppy's strategy involved sending branded vending machines to 32 high-profile influencers, aiming for widespread exposure. However, the stunt backfired, attracting significant backlash on platforms like TikTok.

Notable Quotes:

• Joanna Fleming [37:15]: "This reminds me of the Bi Bambi drama at Coachella, where genuine brand advocates were overlooked in favor of major influencers."
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe [39:20]: "Brands today struggle to balance ROI-driven traditional marketing with authentic community engagement."

Critics argued that Poppy's approach favored high-profile influencers over smaller creators who had been loyal brand advocates. The backlash centered on the perceived neglect of genuine community connections in favor of fleeting star power. This scenario underscores a broader shift in the influencer marketing landscape, where authenticity and community engagement are becoming paramount.

Analysis:

• Annika Joshi Smith [38:14]: "Brands often prioritize reach and investment, sometimes at the expense of nurturing their foundational community."
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe [40:04]: "While large-scale influencer campaigns can amplify reach, they risk alienating micro-influencers who form the brand's authentic base."

The hosts reflect on the importance of fostering genuine relationships with both large and small creators, emphasizing that long-term brand success hinges on balancing exposure with authentic engagement. They also discuss competitor reactions, such as Olipop’s swift response to Poppy's controversy, highlighting the competitive nature of brand reputation management.

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with the hosts reiterating the importance of strategic collaborations, whether in fashion with Nike Skin Skims or in marketing with influencer partnerships. They advocate for a balanced approach that honors both expansive reach and deep-rooted community connections.

Final Thoughts:

• Joanna Fleming [43:11]: "For brands, the key to long-term success lies in fostering genuine relationships, not just chasing reach."
• Madison Sullivan Thorpe [43:20]: "Authenticity in marketing strategies ensures that brands remain relatable and trustworthy in the eyes of consumers."

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Key Takeaways

• Strategic Collaborations: Nike's partnership with Skims exemplifies how established brands can rejuvenate their market presence by leveraging complementary partnerships.
• Ethical Consumerism: The rise of fast homewares presents a double-edged sword of affordability and ethical challenges, urging consumers to balance desire with responsibility.
• Authentic Marketing: Poppy's failed PR stunt serves as a cautionary tale for brands to prioritize genuine community engagement over sheer reach in influencer marketing.

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Stay Connected: For more insights on fashion, brands, business, and beauty, listen to Style-ish every Wednesday. Contact the hosts at [e-mail] or via their Instagram @StylishAU.

Transcript

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Foreign.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

This episode of Stylish is brought to you by Lancome Genifique Ultimate Serum. It's the advanced serum you know and love. Now with a revolutionary new ingredient to visibly repair skin. This is Stylish, the podcast for all things fashion, brand, business and beauty. My name is Madison Sullivan Thorpe and today I am joined by my co host, Annika Joshi Smith. Welcome back.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Hi, guys.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And as always, Joanna Fleming.

[Joanna Fleming]

Boring.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Hear it for the girls.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Welcome home.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Thank you, guys.

[Joanna Fleming]

We're so happy to have you back.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I just got like a little croak in my throat.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You forgot how to do it.

[Joanna Fleming]

I was like, how do I do it?

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Tap, tap.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Is the mic on? I know how to fuck.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I had the best time. New York was just such a treat. And as always, it's just. Just so magnetic. There's so much going on. We have so much fun work wise. And a little play, of course. I've got a few little tidbits to share with you guys today, so, yeah, I'm excited.

[Joanna Fleming]

Can't wait. We were raving about your outfits that you were sharing and loving that you were fully in your TikTok era. I tried for it. It was great.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

It's actually hard work. It is hard work. How do people do this, like, constantly?

[Joanna Fleming]

I don't know how those people do everyday vlogs.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Wow.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I honestly, I tried, like, every morning I was like, I am going to do this. And I would serve a fluffy look every day and I'm still wearing fluffy shoes today. Like, I just can't give up the fluff.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You just looked incredible.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Thank you.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I was laughing when we saw Annika outside of the studio when we all arrived, because I was like, should you get stopped by those tiktokers that are like, ma'am, you look so confident. Like, who are you wearing today? She was like, no, I would have run away. I'm shy. I'm like, you're not shy.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

No one wearing shiniest person ever, big.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Fluffy scarves and gorgeous coats and serving absolute looks like, that is shy. I refuse.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

She tried. The only place to be.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Extraordinary.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Extra.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. All right.

[Joanna Fleming]

Well, today we're chatting about Nike skims. I'm really looking forward to this discussion about this new brand that's come about how fast fashion homewares have become the new fast fashion. What your wardrobes, workhorses and show ponies are, and why beverage brand Poppy's Super Bowl PR stunt went so awry. But first, we're doing a swap to start with. Annika, do you want to start Because I feel like you might have some things from New York.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I will. So we saw all of those super cool collections coming out there. So in America they call it fall winter, but here it's our spring summer. So a lot of the biggest trends that we saw coming through were cinched waist. So anything with a beautiful kind of oversized shoulder and then like a really beautiful cinched in waist, kind of like that really beautiful hourglass sculptural silhouette was huge. And then that continued into skirts as well. So soft peplums, anything with like a bit more kind of structure and then a soft flute very much all over the catwalks and also in a lot of our collections. And mocamous is our colour of the year. But we also saw so many complimentary colours. So brands doing a lot of slate grays, anything in that really beautiful petrol tone, a lot of plums, burgundies, emeralds, anything quite complimentary was very much in vogue.

[Joanna Fleming]

Great.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

So, yeah, I'm loving a bit of.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

A petrol blue at the moment. So I'm glad to hear that I won't be like the black sheep of the world over there in her petrol.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Totally. And it's actually very easy to wear. Like, I stole quite a few of the samples when we had flying dinners and nights out. Borrow. No, they'll be in the water. But. But honestly.

[Joanna Fleming]

She said what she said, Matt.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

But honestly, such a very easy, versatile color to wear. And I know you love your brown still very much, but it sits so nicely next to brown. So I think, yeah, I reckon you'll get amongst the two.

[Joanna Fleming]

I can dabble in those tones for sure. I think they'll.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

We're the same for the palette, remember? Yeah, we look exactly the same.

[Joanna Fleming]

If they look good on you, they're gonna look good on me.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm like, bring the book out. Come on. Cross reference it.

[Joanna Fleming]

Don't make me Madison. All right, what's your swap, Mads?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Okay, so mine is like a bit of an a left of field one, but recently I wanted to get a new candle and I was like, I mean, I'm going to ask the robot. But I thought it was a clever idea. I was like, I wonder if I have chatgpt, put in all my favorite candles and then have it spit out some recommendations based on brands that I want to shop. It was bang on. I went to Mecca the next day, smelt the three candles it recommended, loved all three and then was so enamored by it that I decided to do the same with fragrances and then was like, can you pick up the ingredients that are. Or the scents, I should say, or fragrance notes that are coming through as the most common thread with, like, these five fragrances that I love.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Wow.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Again, gave me some records. Anyway, I just think if you're feeling a bit lost or uninspired at the moment and don't want to go and hang out in a store for a long time, I ask the robot.

[Joanna Fleming]

And also, it can be hard when you're in a store testing fragrance because your nose just gets so fatigued from fragrance.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Oh, my gosh.

[Joanna Fleming]

What everything smelled like.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yeah, it's a lot.

[Joanna Fleming]

So it might be easier having, like, three options. You go in there, you smell those three, and you pick one.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

100%. Anyway, I ended up buying a new fragrance. A new candle, I should say. But I've definitely got some fragrances on my wish list now, too.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Love that.

[Joanna Fleming]

I also saw that you bought a new mop on the weekend, Maddie, and you promised me a review in today's episode when I spoke to you privately. So this is also a cleaning podcast, and I'd to know how the new Dyson mop is, please.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So you guys know that I swore black and blue that I would never come with a cleaning.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Did she ever?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I text about eight people today to be like, you guys, this mop is incredible.

[Joanna Fleming]

Now you see me.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I don't even know what it's called. I think it's called the G1 or the G Wash. The G1. Look, I'll literally type it for you now.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

We've literally converted her.

[Joanna Fleming]

I know.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It is called the. It is the wash G1. God, so close. So many different versions.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Perfect things.

[Joanna Fleming]

What are your initial thoughts?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I don't know how I'm gonna ever have a lunch break again. I mean, I work for myself now, so I can decide that. Lunch break. But I don't see me cooking lunch anymore. I see me mopping.

[Joanna Fleming]

Really?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And going and getting takeout to minimise time. I love it so much.

[Joanna Fleming]

I'm gonna have to buy one. Oh, no.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I really started pissing rain when I was in the city buying it. So I was walking through the CBD with this mop. I bought new pillows so they were, like, hanging over the back. Would have honestly think I'd been kicked out of my boyfriend's house and was, like, trudging through and it was just, like, raining, and I was like, this feels like bad scene in, like, Bridget Jones or, like, a rom com where it's like she's just down and out on her lap. But I had a much better day today with my well rested eight hours on my new pillow and using my new mop.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, I'm glad we converted you to some cleaning content.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

I actually also have a Dyson swap for everybody. This was just completely coincidental that we both had Dyson swaps, but my Dyson swap is actually in the hair category because I've influenced two of my very good friends to also buy this. It is the Air Straight. Okay, now I need to preface that I have naturally straight hair, but I hate washing my hair because of how long it takes. Yeah, my hair just takes ages to dry and then I can't be bothered styling it and it doesn't look really good when I just dry it off. And I can't let my hair air dry because I just get an oily patch at the back of my head. So it's just not an option.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It has really what you're after.

[Joanna Fleming]

No. So anyway, I got the Air Straight and full transparency. It was gifted to me to try. I tried it on myself. I was like, okay, this is incredible. It dries your hair so quickly. I then tried it on my mum's hair. She's got curly hair again. Like cut the time in half of washing and drying her hair because it straightens your hair at the same time that it dries it. And it's not like the old two in ones that we had back in the 90s that were not effective and burnt your hair to a crisp and all you can smell is burnt hair. It's not like that. But then two of my good friends that have curly hair saw me rave about it because I was sending them Snapchats. Like, personally, this wasn't even just on my socials. I was Snapchatting them being like this tool. You guys need it like this. I'm obsessed with it. It's so good. I've used it every single time. Wash my hair since I got it. Anyway, they both bought it and they've both said it's one of the best investments they've ever made. And they both own houses.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

So you're literally speaking to my soul because I have baby my hair.

[Joanna Fleming]

You would love, I reckon.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Okay.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm in a deep, committed relationship with my Air Straight. So, I mean, I'm willing to try anything you mean.

[Joanna Fleming]

I say you can be within an Airstream.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I mean, maybe I will be. I'm in a deep, committed relationship with my wash day as well. Let's make it a Dyson trifecta.

[Joanna Fleming]

This is not sponsored by Dyson okay.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So let's get into the headlines, guys. As much as I would love to keep chatting cleaning products and hair care, but in mammoth news last week, Nike has recruited Kim Kardashian and her brand Skims in an attempt to appeal to women. Last week, on February 18th it was announced that they're launching a collaborative sub brand called Nike Skin Skims. And the Internet I feel like went wild. I think every fashion related account was posting a version of this and it's pretty massive news. And according to Vogue, the brand will offer activewear style apparel geared towards fitness and sport. So the first collection will be dropping in spring and that's the northern hemisphere spring. So our autumn and it's going to be followed by an international push in 2026 where the brand will expand to new markets and retail locations. A November 2024 study estimated that the athleisure industry is worth nearly $400 billion. Women make up 60% of the athleisure market consumer. So Nike Skims, I guess, is really Nike's attempt to tap into this. And I'm really excited for us to dive into this because I've like fully geeked out on this week. Like I think this is quite clever. But after the announcement, Nike's shares rose by 6.2% and the online reaction though was really interesting. It was quite mixed. So versus those results, it was interesting to see that the public perception was perhaps not as positive as the share price was indicating. Kim Kardashian star power and influence has definitely been waning. Recently it's brought this multi billion dollar question as to whether this is going to pay off for Nike in the way that they want it to. And to be clear, financially, Skims is in a really, really good spot. They have recently raised 270 million USD in a new funding round that values SKIMS at $4 billion.

[Joanna Fleming]

Huge.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It seems like nobody wants to work these days. Experts are mainly in agreement that the collaboration is mutually beneficial for both Skims and for Nike. And Krista Corrigan, a retail analyst at edited, told Vogue, while Nike has an opportunity to leverage Skims brand equity and cult following, the move also allows Skims to enter the realm of sport in a more serious way. What were your thoughts when you first saw this announcement? Because I know our Slack channel went off the minute it was announced, I.

[Joanna Fleming]

Was very excited to see it. But just on that last comment there, I think Skims was already doing a lot in the serious sports space. We've seen them do major sponsorships of sporting events previously. They Dressed the USA team for the Olympics. I don't know how much more serious you can get in sport. I don't know that they needed Nike. I think Nike needed skims because it would have taken them so much longer to solidify their space in that athleisure, Nunu's Pilates girly kind of space when they've traditionally been very sports led now to say that Pilates isn't. Is parties considered a sport? I don't know.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Absolutely.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I would like to think so.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Snap, baby.

[Joanna Fleming]

But I think that would have taken them a long time to solidify their space there.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

And skims is already there, so they've leveraged off that. But I don't know that skims really needed Nike. I think they've got enough of their own profile.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I know what you mean. I think as well, skims have literally been kind of drip feeding us some little crumbs. There have been clear signs that this has been a strategic move in the pipeline for a little while. So they did definitely collab with the NBA. There was also collabs with North Face. So there's been definitely little things in the sports arena. But now I think they're going to be taken even more seriously because they're showing that up against the Alos at Anolas, all of those kind of really cool en vogue kind of like sports brands now. And I think obviously these two brands do have such credibility. But Nike has definitely. I mean, I'm a millennial, so I've been wearing Nike since 1991. But I definitely don't think it appeals to that many generations or new generations in this day and age. And so I definitely think it will be on the come up now just leveraging off that skims kind of brand name and equity.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. I think Nike did a real disservice to the female customer in the last 10. And I think we saw, as you mentioned, Alo and Adenola, I think Lululemon, I mean we cannot forget.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And I think Nike have always done an amazing job at profiling and supporting female athletes. When I think Nike, I mean, I think Serena Williams is one of the first three athletes that I think of. But for me they focus so heavily on performance that I think they kind of miss this athleisure boat that was, you know, people going to Pilates and then going for coffee or for brunch or hot girl walk culture and those sorts of things.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

And I think Nike have paid dearly both in their share price and their value for missing out on this customer, and I think they've let brands like Lululemon absolutely wipe the floor. Yeah, yeah, I agree. I think Nike needed Skims, but I also don't think skims were an authority in active athleisure wear. I think Nunu's sure like loungewear. Absolutely. But I think in terms of, like, performance, I think this is an opportunity for them to carve out that middle ground.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

I thought it was interesting that the tagline is designed to sculpt and engineered to perform. Is this, like, a hybrid of shapewear and then performance clothing? Like, I fucking hope so.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I want to make sure it's like, you know, that's the sound effect I want in the change room.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I actually went into the skim store when I was in New York, and honestly, I had a field day in there. But even just the underwear in itself is so supportive and comfortable. So I actually think they're nailing that market. I mean, I don't buy Spanx, but I buy skims. So I feel like the fusion of these two kind of concepts is really going to pay off for them. And I think the inclusivity of what skims does as well is really important because the size ranges on offer are vast. And also, we just already know the palette is going to be chef's kiss. Like, we're very excited about that. But I think there's definitely that market that they missed. The athleisure wear market, it was booming, and I think now it's some people's lifestyle and, like, walking wardrobe of choice. And so I think actually, Nike being able to tap into that space with skins, I'm excited to see what's gonna happen.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. What do you think they need to do for this to be successful?

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I honestly think they need to disrupt being up to date with what the next gen want. That's what I'm really intrigued by. And I feel like probably doing more things on social media being really relevant, immersing the community, community events. I think that's gonna be important. What do you guys think?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I think price is going to be really important.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Oh, yes.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

A brand like Lululemon, I think Adenola and Aloe are great examples who have kind of come up from behind Lululemon and are doing a great job. I think Adenola is doing superbly at the moment. I mean, love. I don't know the irony that they're partnering with Kendall Jenner, Kim's sister. While this has been obviously worked on, this would have been worked on for years now, by the way. Like, this Isn't like, they came up with this idea four months ago and they're like, all right, we'll start producing soon.

[Joanna Fleming]

Also, did you see that Chris posted an aloe ad the day that this. She literally was on a staircase. Alo and Kim commented on me, like, could this have not been on another day?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Devil works hard. Kris Jenner works harder. She's like, I just got to cut my check, girl.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Give me my 10%.

[Joanna Fleming]

Your announcement. I've got a partnership to post.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Mommy's got bills to pay. I think price is going to be really important. So I think for me, I can't see them being more expensive than Lululemon. I think they would be smart to kind of price themselves at 10 to 15% less.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

So that it kind of is that competitive advantage to price being a barrier. And I think that, interestingly, to talk about Kim's sort of popularity waning, I think they probably need to bring in that skims model, which is to leverage Zeitgeist and other celebrity power in sort of adjacent categories or functions and things like that. I mean, she's worked with Tate McCrae and Sabrina Carpenter, and she worked with the Women's Gymnastics Olympic team. Like, I think they're gonna need to do that same sort of blend of pop culture and bring in more sort of sport community as well.

[Joanna Fleming]

I wouldn't be surprised if every current athlete partnership now becomes a Nike skims partnership.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Wow, that would be amazing.

[Joanna Fleming]

I wouldn't be surprised if they've managed to get that somewhere in the contract. But speaking to you guys mentioning how Kim's popularity was waning, I actually also was like, really? I don't know. I feel like she's still kind of relevant. But then I went and looked on Google trends and searches for her name have steadily declined since 2022. But searches for skims have steadily increased since then a lot. So there's definitely interest in the brand and maybe that's strategic from them to have more interest in their brands than them personally, so they don't have to keep doing the Kardashians show. I don't know. But she's definitely not as searched as she once was. Skims is obviously at the height of its popularity at the moment.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I love that as a start. And I would foresee that most business people would want their business to eclipse their own personal popularity. I don't think Kim wants Skims to be a brand that's five years and she's kind of relevant or her relevance depends on the success of Skims. But I love that start go off skims $4 billion. You're doing just fine.

[Joanna Fleming]

I'm really looking forward to seeing the first drop. I can't wait.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

It'll honestly be like, I reckon any day now because it's spring in the States technically. Even though it's bloody freezing. Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

So it's like any day now could come out imminent. Okay.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

For sure. Drop shipping that to myself.

[Joanna Fleming]

Right.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

U.S. post forwarding 100%.

[Joanna Fleming]

Can we on an order together?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. Yeah, let's do it. We'll do a stylish try on. When it comes to skin care, so many of us share the same concerns. Redness, pores and fine lines.

[Joanna Fleming]

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[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

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[Joanna Fleming]

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[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

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[Joanna Fleming]

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[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Longcom for making this episode of Stylish possible.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay, now to homewares and how they've become the new fast fashion. A recent feature in the Guardian written by Siam Gore, which explored how fast homewares have become the new fast fashion. Siam writes, Walk into any big UK supermarket and somewhere between the pasta and the pet food, you'll find an aisle stacked with seductively stylish yet affordable homeware. From tableware to throws, cushions to coasters, orb Jada to duvet covers, the shelves will be teeming with everything you could possibly need to furnish your home. All in the latest shades and styles, and most costing less than the price of takeaway. Overseas and closer to home in Australia, many big name supermarket chains have launched their own brand homewares ranges in the past decade, to the point where purchasing homewares while going grocery shopping has become commonplace. I'm sure that you guys have done that yourselves. Kmart's own brand Anko, has a wildly popular homewares range too. Anko has experienced astronomical success and is one of the biggest brands in the country, bought by 88% of Australian households each year, which is enormous. While an increasing number of people have become more critical of fast fashion and more conscious of their shopping habits, Siam writes that the ever growing fast homewares industry has slipped under the radar. Helen Gordon, an interior designer who worked as a retail buyer for high street homeware brands in the early 2000s, tells SIAM that she's seen the similarities between fast fashion and homewares firsthand. She became deeply uncomfortable with the human cost of fast homewares, telling Siam, you're going to China and in the factories you're seeing people who only see their families for two weeks a year when it's Chinese New Year and when they're in dormitory, lights go out at 9 o'clock, there's no electricity after that. That's their life. It's all ethical, quality standard big companies I was working with. But it really hits you when you go there and see it. I feel like that's a really stark reminder of what consumers don't see, especially fast fashion. But I don't know that I've really given fast homewares that much more thought. And I think as a consumer a lot of people don't think about that behind the scenes that goes into the production.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Of these products. What are your thoughts on fast homewares? Do you guys dabble in fast homewares? Are you more likely to be a little bit more considered with your shopping?

[Annika Joshi Smith]

It's interesting because when I was single, girly, paying my rent, living solo, I could not afford to splash out on my decor. And so I think I was so guilty back then. And to be honest, now that I have a mortgage and my circumstances have slightly changed, I do like to try and invest because I'm very much in my dinner party era as well. But sometimes it's so hard because I'm not going to lie, the products that Kmart, those anchor really beautiful kind of ceramic plates and everything stunning and very affordable doesn't mean that ethical. But it also like you kind of get that same dopamine hit, right. Like I used to invest in furniture but now that might be like a one off purchase versus now home furnishings I can understand are a lot more affordable and palatable. But still you do forget what goes on behind the scenes. And there are so many similarities between fast fashion which for me working in the industry, it's like you'd think I would have that stark reminder, but sometimes I find it's quite an emotive, easy purchase, so I sometimes don't think twice. So I'm definitely guilty of purchasing fast homewares.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm the exact same. I'm not going to be a hypocrite and sit here that I'm not. Like, if I need a carrot peeler, I'm going to Kmart to buy it. Like, I'm not ordering it online, but I think there's people in my life that have sort of come up in recent years that I think now I think differently about it. So I know Elise Tran, who has in the Roundhouse, a friend's family owns Salt and Pepper, and they've had that business for years and years, multi generational. I've got a friend who is a potter and does beautiful homemade ceramic pieces. And I think even just as I shop and I go to stores like Mud or Dinosaur Design, and you look at these brilliant brands that they've built, I think for me, the discomfort comes in the duping culture of seeing LD do in the roundhouse Dupes or Kmart having kind of dinosaur design dupes and things like that. And I'm not going to sit in an ivory tower, because when I first moved out and I was 21, you better believe I went to Kmart and Ikea exclusively.

[Joanna Fleming]

Absolutely.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I think I bought my couch from somewhere fancy and that was about it. And when I say fancy, I mean basically anywhere that wasn't Kmart or Ikea. But I think that it enables people to kind of refresh their space and make it feel fresh and new. And I think people want to feel really lovely at home, and particularly in the current economic climate, I think people want to refresh their space because we are all spending more time at home. You know, it's a rising cost of living and things are expensive. So being able to go and buy like an $8 scatter cushion or being able to buy a beautiful ceramic tray at Kmart for $12, like, absolutely hits the spot versus going and spending $150 on one at a department store or like a boutique, you know, Mum and dad store.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah. I was really surprised recently to see that the homewares brand, Gigi and Tom, was huge online. Did you ever shop from Gigi and Tom?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I did.

[Joanna Fleming]

I used to buy gifts on there all the time because it was like affordable stuff, but very cool and cute and not exactly Kmart, but it was more than buying from Dinosaur Designs, for example, and they closed down recently. And I thought that's really interesting because I Thought they would have been killing it. But there must be brands out there that aren't. And maybe that is the Kmart effect, I don't know. But have you seen people cracking their shits online about the Target homewares becoming Anko? Because apparently the Target homewares were better than the Anchor and now they're being replaced. Oh, yeah, A lot of conversation about that online.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I have not seen that. But they're owned by the same parent group and I know that the guy who was in charge of Kmart at one point was taken over to Target to kind of like, like refresh it. And a lot of Target slipped to Kmart. And so, like, they're obviously going, well, if 88% of Australia is shopping and go, then guess what, you're getting Anko.

[Joanna Fleming]

And there's also the option to thrift shop as well. I know that we can't just be like, oh, well, you know, everyone should be buying the best of the best when they move out of home. That's not realistic. Let's be honest.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I'm not buying a $25 cheese grater.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, exactly.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I've got to cut costs somewhere and.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

It won't be on the market.

[Joanna Fleming]

One of my really good friends has a sickening amount of homewares. Basically, her whole TikTok is her hosting dinner parties. Oh, I love her already themed. Oh, my God, it's amazing. I'm so lucky to be her friend and get invited to these things. She's also an amazing cook. She hosts these dinner parties and she started doing some really themed ones. Like, she's got a Nancy Myers one coming up that she's doing, and she's done a lot of thrift shopping for those things because she's like, I can pick up unique pieces, I can then style them with things I've already got. So that might be a way to add those fresher pieces. Or if you are hosting a dinner party and you're very tempted to buy brand new, maybe you could just pop into your local Vinnies and see that they've got. Because they do have a heap of stuff there.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, a hot tip on this, too. I was in Regional Victoria over the summer break and one of my girlfriends, she has the best interior eye. And you walk into her home and would assume that everything had, like, you know, when you go on Open table and it does the dollar signs. Yeah, she's the $3 sign. But she'll be like, I got this little glass dish for $2. So we were in Echuca, which Victoria, outside of Metro Melbourne, about three hours away. We were buying all these little glass dishes and things. And she's amazing at it. She has such a great eye. She'll do it for glasses, little like glass dishes or salad bowls and things like that. And whenever I go to a house for dinner, it looks so elevated and beautiful and people are always like, where did you get that? Where can I buy that? She's bought me a couple of pieces and I love it because no one can ever get it. So it's kind of like, oh, it's just a little one off something that I've got. And she's like, like paid $2 at the op shop on the main street of a country town. I think much like fast fashion, it's knowing where to invest and to try and think about what you do want to buy and what you do want to last. And I think also not yucking anyone's yum. There are people who Kmart has enabled them to feel like they can have really beautiful things at an accessible price. And I think the same way that if someone buys Kmart jeans, I just think, let's not shit on it if that's what you can afford to buy.

[Joanna Fleming]

I was the biggest advocate.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Right now you are literally Target's number one fan. So are you also angry about that and coming?

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, it was me. It was me having those conversations.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

But I feel like IKEA invented fast furniture and this isn't a new conversation. We've just got new players in the game.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes. What was once a really inaccessible category, furniture. It was huge to invest in a new couch, and now you can afford to buy a new couch and not have to spend three months of your wage on it.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

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[Joanna Fleming]

All right, our next headline is what's the show? Ponies and Workhorses. Theory and can it make getting dressed easier? A recent Mamma Mia. Article written by Tamara Holland introduced us to the show ponies and workhorses theory, which I absolutely love. This was created by New York based fashion editor Becky Malinsky, who first outlined the concept in her newsletter, five things you should buy now. Workhorses are the items you wear regularly that form the backbone of your day to day style. And then the show ponies are the more playful pieces that inject personality into your outfit. So Malinski thinks that too many of us end up with a wardrobe of workhorses, you know, your reliable, versatile items in neutral colors. I feel seen because we're scared of putting money towards show ponies, which I think is really true. And that's very true to me as well, because I don't want to invest in colorful clothing that I know I'm not going to wear or that I don't get a chance to wear very often. But she says without a little bit of flavor in the closet, we run the risk of becoming walking beige Pinterest boards. It's true. Yep. Physically and emotionally attacked, she encourages people to find ways to incorporate their show ponies into their regular outfits, but also invest in pieces that are a fusion of the two aesthetics. So, for example, a brightly colored skirt or a shaggy coat with your, you know your basics. And I don't think there's anything wrong with being a basic bitch. I need to put that out there. If you want to be a basic.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Bitch, do it 100%. Preach ancestor.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah. There's such negative sentiment online now about like, everyone being two same. And I feel like we say a bit on this podcast, designers are doing same same. It's also fine if you want to dress the same because you like how that looks. Live your life.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Totally. I honestly, I had a little giggle when I was reading about this one because I actually had not heard of this theory before and it only kind of came to mind about, about show ponies in the workplace. You know, the people who prance around and like, maybe aren't doing as much work as the people who are actually rolling their sleeves up and getting dirty. I actually, when I kind of thought about it a bit more, I was like, this makes so much sense. I've never thought of myself as truly a practical dresser, but I am a denim and top girl through and through. And even today it's like I'm wearing my denim, which is my work hills. I've got a bodysuit on and then I've got some fluffy little kitten Heels on. So there's my shorts.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, but your whole outfit is interesting in different ways as well.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I am a basic bitch.

[Joanna Fleming]

Not call that.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

They're not the words I would ever use for you guys.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I'm trying to be relatable.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I like this theory, though, because I was even saying when I walked in the office today, I'm just super uninspired getting dressed at the moment. I don't know if it's like, this season change or like. Yeah, yeah, I know. Say less. I'd like to borrow the fluffy collar. It really spoke to me. But I like this idea that there is everything having a clear role. But devil's advocate drove. I'm like, we all look the same all the time. It's like, God, we're all walking around and I'm seeing, like, 52 variations. And I'm like, it feels like we're all doing the same thing, wearing the same thing. And I do miss little pops. And whether the show pony is a red lip or a fun sneaker, I think about when sambas were, like, really having their moment, and then the gazelles and everyone was getting, like, a little fun poppy color. Like, it was just that. It's like that 10% quirky or different piece. I just miss a little bit of that in getting dressed at the moment. And it really made me look at my own wardrobe and go, aside from the red knit that was basically stapled on my shoulders all last year and a couple of pairs of fun sneakers, I don't really know that I have enough show ponies. And I think I've got a lot of mainstayers, but I need to have a little bit more show pony and a little less work.

[Joanna Fleming]

But I think to your point, a show pony doesn't need to be a whole bright dress that you're only ever gonna wear three times, because then you get sick of it. It can be a red lip, it can be a detailed bag. It can be a poppy shoe.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

And I think that's the important thing to remember with this concept, and that's why I like it. As someone that typically dresses like a basic bitch, I like that I can little bits of things that maybe I'm not feeling like I'm wasting my money on, because if I bought a bright yellow blazer, I'm not going to get as much wear out of that as I am from a neutral brown tone that I'm going to wear every second day, let's be honest. But if I invest in something like my whimsy bag, I spoke about the other day, little beaded bag. I can add that to an outfit, and it just elevates the entire thing. And that doesn't make me feel like I'm stepping too far out of my comfort zone with my own personal style either.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Totally.

[Joanna Fleming]

So I don't think you have to change your personal style to do the show pony and workhorse. I think you can absolutely lean into your own style and use it to just elevate your outfits. But also, not everyone has time to add a show pony in the morning. Okay, forget it. Everyone's going to office jobs, and they can't be bothered with that in the morning.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

It honestly, it made me think as well about the backbones of my wardrobe. And then I kind of looked at it, and I was like, wow. I actually am very repetitive in my dress sense. My workhorses are almost like cowards. Like, I feel like my lazy Girl Guide is where a matching set. Whenever I put more effort into an outfit, it's when I'm wearing separates, which is kind of crazy, but. But it's kind of like, okay, if I want to add pizazz to my outfit, then those would be my show ponies. And I think for me, that's been more accessories because I always wear black. It's very rare that you'll see me in color. But then maybe having a little pop of color in my wardrobe is also my show pony, too.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Even a dress. Who would have thought a dress is a show pony? For me, it is.

[Joanna Fleming]

Mads, what are your workhorses and show ponies?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I think my workhorses for sure are like, great crisp white tea. I mean, we had Elliot do the Face to Face series, and he gave an amazing, like, formulaic way of dressing, and I think I'm very much that, like, trench coat. It's black blazers, it's jeans, it's a crisp white tee. But I think my show ponies, it's, like, not always a bright pop of color. For me, it's a fabricated belt. Or it might be, like, a croc embossed belt that, like, it's just a little bit different than going, like, okay, I'm gonna wear the plain black one. She says, sitting in the plain black one. But do you know what I mean? Like, I think it's more those pieces. But I think for me, when I think of my workhorses, I think Cos and Henny are kind of like, where I go to be the bare essentials. But I also don't want to wear, like, a head to toe henny outfit that looks like I've just picked it up from their website. I'm like, okay, what can I add to this? What cool belt or what fun lip or what's like a cool sweater that I can throw over from another brand rather than it just being like little bits.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I think Lavan is a good example of show pony little bits that just have that little something interesting going on.

[Joanna Fleming]

Like a fun top.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

That has a few more details on it than just a plain tee. I'd say my workhorses are long sleeve tops, especially in winter. Love a fit of long sleeve tops top.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You look great in them too.

[Joanna Fleming]

Thank you. And also a tank. I love a tank and I wear tanks daily because I don't really dress up to just work at home. So, yeah, usually like tracksuit pants and then a tank top.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Look out. Nike skims.

[Joanna Fleming]

Watch out, it's gonna be a big order. My show ponies that I was trying to think of, I would say my chocolate leather trench from Annapoli.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, that's quite.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, it gives matrix a little bit, but.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

And we love that.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah. And then probably my little beaded Zara bag, the silver one. Everybody always asks about that anywhere I.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Take it, but I think that that's where the coat is your color. But it's got that 10% factor of something. Do you know what I mean? It doesn't have to be like a bright blue trench.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yes, exactly. Yeah. So I do really love this concept and I think it can be brought to a lot of people's wardrobes.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yeah, definitely.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

It's a good way just to like zoom out and assess.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah. And I liked your point about just 10% show pony, 90% workhorse.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. So last week we spoke about the Duolingo owl. And I know that a lot of our listeners were loving us talking brand. And. And there was a very interesting headline in the week that was. Which was hoppy. And for those of you who might not be familiar, there is a prebiotic soda brand called Poppy which found itself in rather hot water as part of a PR stunt they had that aligned to the Super Bowl. And by no means was it well received. While the super bowl was a few weeks ago now, the controversy seems to have been slowly budding away and building over the last few weeks. Weeks. So for some context here, ahead of the Super Bowl, Poppy sent branded vending machines to 32 content creators in the U.S. the stunt racked up millions of views online, but the mass exposure brought with it pretty bad press and backlash. Particularly on TikTok, where I feel like all bad press goes to live online, people were very much criticizing the brand for gifting the machines to high profile influencers instead of donating the sodas to people or organizations in much more need. Small creators were also very quick to point out that they'd originally supported the brand and helped drive its early growth. They criticized the brand, saying they felt overlooked in favor of high profile content creators who weren't genuinely connected to the brand. In an article for the Drum, Jamie Ray writes that the poppy saga is symptomatic of the shift in the creator marketing space space. It's this shift that affects how audiences want brands to interact with them. A return from celebrity driven reach back to the power of community led engagement. At the core of this lies the challenge of balancing these two key aspects of creator marketing. Leveraging the big names for exposure and nurturing your loyal community of brand fans. What do we make of this? And do you think that it's valid for small creators to have been this outraged by the engagement of large scale creators?

[Joanna Fleming]

This reminds me so much of that bi Bambi drama that happened at Coachella last year where the brand invited these other influencers to go with them to Coachella and hosted them and it was like this amazing extravaganza. But they didn't invite this one creator. I think her name's Yasmin. They didn't invite her. And she'd been a huge brand advocate for them. She'd done all of this contra work for them. Unpaid. She was gifted clothing. But typically in this space you get paid for that kind of stuff. And people online, it wasn't even her saying it. It was people on TikTok being like, what the? Why isn't she there? She's done all of this work for you. She's basically built your brand and it really like, oh, they were in hot water for ages. This really reminds me of that exact scenario because it sees creators that maybe have this genuine connection and love of the brand and have organically talked about them and maybe just have a smaller audience. I can understand why they'd get their noses out of joint, but it's business, baby.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, business with a B. Yeah.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

I'm so with you on this one. I think obviously you don't want to forget your roots and like, where the brand came from and how the brand got to where it is today. Those foundations are super important, but at the end of the day, an $800,000 investment, okay, you're going to want to see cutthroat you're going to want to see some reach. And, and I'm also just not surprised at the magnitude of investment from Poppy because like the Super Bowl, I was in the US for the super bowl, it was going off. Everything in America is super sized and I just feel like this was another way for them to make some hype really gain momentum on such a huge event. But unfortunately sometimes those micros can't get that same cut through that like you know, these big names are getting, they're getting millions and millions of views and they're gonna wanna see that return on investment. So it's like how do you please both? Maybe they give back and they could actually then now those vending machines, I can't imagine they're fucking huge. They're literally like, I can't imagine honestly.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Looks like the kind you see at like a major airport or train station.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Maybe they can go and be donated to the universities or people in la, like I don't know, the firefighters, like do something and give back with those machines.

[Joanna Fleming]

Well, Jamie also wrote in that article for the Drum. For brands the key to long term success lies in fostering genuine relationships, not just chasing reap. And I totally agree with that. But this is where the problem lies because traditional marketers want to see return on investment and they want to clearly measure success. And influencer marketing just isn't that black and white. And so it is really challenging if you're in a business that is led by traditional marketers. Good luck getting an influencer program over the line without having to have these like strict measurements in place and be working with major, major influencers that are costing a lot of money but also driving a lot of reach because that's all they really care about.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. And I think different horses for different courses though I don't think that the super bowl if you're trying to have cut through is your time to go micro influencer. Oh, of course. The objective is reach. Now if they've got a new flavor launch, sure that's where I'd be looking at a micro community or if there is a content creator in their community or a genuine advocate for the brand who has symptomatic virality based on a piece of content. Content then engage with them or do something reactive with them. But kind of going like why not go to the 5,000 followed brand advocate? Well, because if you think them and Jake Shane or Alex Earl are going to compare, like you're just talking a different ball game. And I know that in this era of authenticity and connection. We do really want to see that. And I'm so with you. And I admire brands as a marketer, seeing them engage with micro community and working with people who genuinely advocated for their brands. But there's star power that still needs to happen to be funneling a brand of this size and to keep growth sustained and include new people into the brand. And maybe in those earlier days, there was more micro following and involvement, but I think as you get bigger, it gets a lot harder. And reach at super bowl time is like, everyone's fighting. It's like advertising week.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah, absolutely. What did you think about the fact that Alexl was in four other ads, including that one? What do you think?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I think.

[Joanna Fleming]

I don't know. If it was me and I was doing the marketing and then I saw that she was also doing ads for thr, I'd be like, hang on a second. I didn't think we would have to do an exclusivity deal here, but it seems we did. It kind of loses its.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah, for sure.

[Joanna Fleming]

Yeah. It loses its spark, I think, when she's in all of these other ads.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah. She's actually an investor in Poppy.

[Joanna Fleming]

Is she?

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

Oh, okay. So that makes sense. I didn't know that.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

The plot thickens. Do you know what really did catch my attention? How their competitor Olipopped just really quickly entered the chat and started reacting to all of, like, the backlash that they were getting.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Oh.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Honestly, I actually did miss all of this controversy, but when I caught up on it, I was just like, this is just. It was honestly quite entertaining. But they really weighed in on the shade video, started throwing out a bit of shade themselves, and I was like, oof.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I think it definitely harnesses debate. And I think. I think wanting brands to commit to community play on, I think asking them to engage more with micro influencers. I'm like, I just think that feels like just like a little violin to me, because I think brands have objectives to meet, and you're not in the boardroom, and you have no idea the objectives they're trying to hit. So I'm like, yes. Should they be donating to community centers and homeless shelters and all these sorts of things that people are mentioning? Sure. But I think, like, every food brand should be doing that.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yeah.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

You know, the food bank equivalent overseas. But I'm like, being angry that they spent that on that. What you're not seeing from a beauty brand is they're sending 1500, probably $150 mailers. Do you know what I mean? Like, yeah, that money can come in a very different format that maybe doesn't look as extravagant. These are 32 vending machines and Poppy did come back and say we didn't spend 25k on these.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay. Well, they set the record straight.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Much less they said. I think they said it was about 60% less.

[Joanna Fleming]

Okay.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Yeah.

[Joanna Fleming]

I didn't expect them to clap back like that. It's interesting.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

Well, maybe because Olipop were going at them so hard, they were like.

[Joanna Fleming]

Receipts. Oh, God.

[Madison Sullivan Thorpe]

I must say though, I am really enjoying that there is so much brand related content for us to chat about at the moment. And I loved how many people are as passionate about the owl as us. Hopefully people are as passionate about pre or probiotic drinks as they are. But that is all for this week's episode of Stylish. Thank you for joining us and of course welcoming back Arnika Joshi Smith. Very happy to have you back in the chair. And Joanna Fleming, a pleasure as absolute. Always remember, you can drop us an email anytime at style-ishameless media.com or you can slide in over in our DMS at Stylish AU, we of course cannot forget to thank our incredible audio engineer, Liam Clayton and the Shameless Media team, head of podcast Lucy Hunt and senior podcast producer Kate Emma. We will be right back with you next Wednesday. See you then.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

Yay.

[Joanna Fleming]

Bye.

[Annika Joshi Smith]

This podcast was recorded on Wurundjeri land. Always was, always will be aboriginal land.

[D]

Hi, it's Ruby here, host of Shameless Media's podcast Inherited. Every week I'm joined by a guest on Inherited who tells me about the rule, religion, recipe and ritual that has shaped who they are. And I'm popping up today to share some special moments that have resonated with me. Here. Britt Hockley speaks about the relationship she shares with her business partner and best friend, Laura Byrne.

[Joanna Fleming]

The best thing that came out of the Bachelor was Laura. Laura Burn. Yeah, by far the best relationship that I got from that series. We are very different people in business. That's why it works. And I think you can't have two people the same in business because you, you clash heads.

[D]

Next you will hear a side of Annabel Lee you may not have heard before.

[E]

I used to be so secretive as a kid when my parents divorced. When they split up, I didn't tell anyone in my life. I think it's because growing up I was kind of told by my parents. And it is also like a Chinese culture thing where you don't tell people the things that, that they might judge you for.

[D]

And here's Caroline Kell, founder of Black Waddle Coaching. This was a really special conversation. Caroline speaks to the work she does with indigenous communities, in particular, women who can reclaim their power.

[E]

For a long part of this history in Australia, Black women, particularly their bodies and minds, have been exploited, enslaved, domesticated. You know, to have the bravery to name, like, how we're feeling and to honour those feelings and to have even that language is a really courageous thing for us to reclaim our sovereignty of ourselves.

[D]

Inherited episodes drop every Tuesday. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts. And you can watch it, too on YouTube. Just search inherited.