The Steff Yotka Interview with Throwing Fits

Summary

Podcast Summary: Throwing Fits – Episode: The Steff Yotka Interview with Throwing Fits

Release Date: April 16, 2025

In this engaging episode of "Throwing Fits," hosts James Harris and Lawrence Schlossman delve into a comprehensive conversation with Steph Yotka, the Global Editorial Director of ID Magazine. The discussion navigates through Steph's extensive career in fashion media, her distinctive personal style, memorable experiences at major fashion events, and her insightful perspectives on the evolving dynamics of the fashion industry.

---

1. Introduction to Steph Yotka

[01:03] James Harris: The episode kicks off with an improvised rap celebrating Steph's professional achievements, setting a lively and creative tone for the interview.

[01:48] Steph Yotka: Steph appreciates the hosts' creativity, especially their mention of "babka," her favorite food, highlighting her personable nature.

---

2. Fashion and Personal Style

[02:16] Steph Yotka: Steph discusses her love for layering garments, typically wearing at least two shirts, blazers, and sometimes skirts over pants. Her wardrobe is a testament to her passion for fashion, showcasing high-end brands and a penchant for overlayering.

Quote:

“[02:53] Steph Yotka: Usually I have like, at least like minimum two shirts on. Like a T shirt and a flannel.”

[03:14] Steph Yotka: She elaborates on her extensive collection, mentioning owning over 6,397 pants from the News showroom and a variety of vintage accessories. Her dedication to fashion is evident in her meticulous style choices and brand loyalty.

---

3. Experiences at the Supreme Store Opening

[07:30] Steph Yotka: Steph recounts attending the Supreme Store opening in Miami, describing it as a unique and vibrant event different from previous Supreme gatherings. The atmosphere was filled with skaters, artists, and friends, fostering a sense of community and creativity.

Quote:

“[07:43] Steph Yotka: It was so fun. I'd never really been to Miami before… very different vibe to Supreme. Different energies.”

She highlights the screening of a new skate film by Bill Strobe and the friendly interactions with young skaters and creatives, emphasizing the event's collaborative spirit.

---

4. Role as Global Editorial Director at ID Magazine

[13:01] Steph Yotka: Steph outlines her responsibilities at ID Magazine, overseeing the editorial tone, vision, and managing a global team across London and New York. Her role involves both strategic oversight and hands-on involvement in content creation.

Quote:

“[13:03] Steph Yotka: I'm sort of responsible for all of like, the editorial tone and vision of id.”

She emphasizes the balance between leadership and autonomy, ensuring that her team maintains a cohesive brand identity while encouraging creative freedom.

---

5. The ID Magazine Relaunch and Print Media

[15:01] Steph Yotka: Discussing the relaunch of ID Magazine, Steph emphasizes the strategic integration of digital and print media. She draws inspiration from ID's earlier editions, focusing on creating content that is both visually appealing and information-rich.

Quote:

“[22:53] Steph Yotka: We spent a lot of time looking at Terry's ID from the 80s and 90s… how some of the earliest versions of the magazine were like, they were just so, so much information.”

Steph advocates for print media's enduring value, ensuring that each issue is filled with curated content that remains relevant over time, unlike the fleeting nature of digital media.

---

6. Favorite Stories and Interviews

[25:30] Steph Yotka: She reflects on her favorite aspects of the ID relaunch, particularly the process of selecting the cover girl. Collaborating with casting director Jen Vendetti, Steph shares how they received over 800 submissions and ultimately chose Enza from Ohio, commending the young contestants' optimism and drive.

Quote:

“[25:55] Steph Yotka: The coolest part of this relaunch for me was, like, the concept of how we found our cover girl…”

This segment underscores Steph's commitment to discovering and promoting new talent within the fashion industry.

---

7. Career Advice and Insights

[63:52] Steph Yotka: Offering guidance to aspiring writers and fashion media professionals, Steph emphasizes self-education, relationship-building, and maintaining passion. She advocates for versatility, encouraging individuals to develop skills across various content platforms rather than confining themselves to a single specialization.

Quote:

“[64:19] Steph Yotka: I think you have to teach yourself how to be an expert… fashion is a human industry. You need to, like, know the people, understand the dynamics, be personable.”

Her advice highlights the multifaceted nature of the fashion media industry and the importance of adaptability.

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8. Personal Life and Work-Life Balance

[44:45] Steph Yotka: Steph shares her approach to balancing a demanding career with personal life. Despite the exhausting nature of constant travel, she finds solace in hobbies like macramé and spending quality time with her dog. Her strong support network of friends and colleagues further aids in maintaining this balance.

Quote:

“[44:35] Steph Yotka: Like when I'm not doing it, I just, like, peacefully in my little… just chilling transition into.”

She underscores the significance of having a supportive community to navigate the high-pressure environment of fashion media.

---

9. Fashion Industry Insights

[83:16] Steph Yotka: Steph offers a critical analysis of current trends in fashion media, pointing out the overemphasis on creative director changes and the dominance of mega brands in shaping industry conversations. She champions the need for more coverage of independent designers and emerging brands that bring unique aesthetics and innovation.

Quote:

“[81:50] Steph Yotka: … there are always a story. … but what about all of these people who have built these, like, amazing businesses…”

She advocates for a more inclusive and diverse representation in fashion media, moving beyond the high-profile narratives to spotlight the grassroots and emerging talents.

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10. Fun Chats and Light Moments

Throughout the interview, hosts and Steph engage in playful banter, discussing fashion shopping habits, personal anecdotes, and humorous interactions. These moments add a relatable and entertaining layer to the conversation, showcasing Steph's down-to-earth personality despite her high-profile role.

Example Quotes:

“[73:26] Steph Yotka: I was like, here's where things went wrong and here's what we're going to do in the future.”
“[102:42] Steph Yotka: It was, like, we sent him on a little trip, and he came back wearing the chipova loena fleece.”

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11. Conclusion

As the podcast concludes, Steph commends the hosts for their thoughtful and well-researched questions. She encourages listeners to follow her on social media and subscribe to the ID Magazine newsletter to stay updated with her work and the latest trends in fashion media.

Final Quote:

“[128:52] Steph Yotka: I think you’ve done good research. Points for that research.”

---

Overall Summary: This episode of "Throwing Fits" offers an in-depth exploration of Steph Yotka's illustrious career in fashion media, her distinctive personal style, and her strategic vision for ID Magazine's future. Through candid discussions and insightful revelations, listeners gain valuable perspectives on navigating the fashion industry, balancing a high-pressure career with personal life, and the ongoing evolution of media consumption in the digital age. Steph's enthusiasm for discovering new talent and her critical stance on industry trends make this interview a compelling listen for fashion enthusiasts and aspiring media professionals alike.

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Notable Quotes:

• Steph Yotka on Print Media:

  “[22:53] Steph Yotka: We spent a lot of time looking at Terry's ID from the 80s and 90s… how some of the earliest versions of the magazine were like, they were just so, so much information.”

• Steph Yotka on Career Advice:

  “[64:19] Steph Yotka: I think you have to teach yourself how to be an expert… fashion is a human industry. You need to, like, know the people, understand the dynamics, be personable.”

• Steph Yotka on Work-Life Balance:

  “[44:35] Steph Yotka: Like when I'm not doing it, I just, like, peacefully in my little… just chilling transition into.”

• Steph Yotka on Fashion Industry Trends:

  “[81:50] Steph Yotka: … there are always a story. … but what about all of these people who have built these, like, amazing businesses…”

---

This structured and detailed summary encapsulates the essence of the podcast episode, providing a comprehensive overview of the key discussions, insights, and memorable moments shared by Steph Yotka and the hosts.

Transcript

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Throw gang. It would appear as if one of the best collabs of the year just splashed down on our desk. From the number one name in grooming, Blind Barber and the number one name in doing the Dew, Mountain Dew comes to bold body sprays unlike anything the fragrance world has ever seen. Introducing the Beach Bound, a body spray set. These might actually explode. Jeremy fragrance is greasy dome. Once he gets a whiff. Fingers crossed.

[James Harris]

Inspired by the iconic flavors of Baja Blast and Baja Cabo Citrus, this once in a lifetime olfactory experience unites Blind Barbers signature sensemanship with the iconic tropical essence you know and love. Expanding the Baja verse into a new uncharted realm once unknown to space and time. Where grooming meets flavor and spring break meets your nostrils.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's like cracking a can of delicious soda open on your skin. The exclusive beachbound bundles being sold Wednesday, April 16th at 12pm ET and features the Mountain Dew and Mountain dew Baja Blast 12 ounce 18 pack variety pack along with the beachbound body spray set exclusively on the Mountain Dew TikTok shop.

[James Harris]

Steph, you ready?

[Steph Yatka]

I'm ready.

[James Harris]

Okay, throw gang. We are joined by the byline boss bitch, the copy queen, the magazine mother she puts the tour in editorial she's penning these bars so the kids need ID must be a Mexican maestro how she's composing these essays the CDG MVP the fit is all black but color bonnie blue how she's covered in comb your schlong forlorn and micro her long form goes psycho your takes clickbait her rick intake slakes you thirsty? Trick fakes oh, you're not with I.D. how about you? I deep throat these nuts don't get it twisted. With her bread babka she's getting dough and cheese with her sauce pasta she's frying potatoes and got him sour batter cream lat cup she's burning through that kushner green rasta every article she drops his flames Waka flocka. Stop drinking martinis with weenies and drink vodka with a yachka. Global editorial director of ID Magazine. Steph. Yaka. Steph, how the hell are you?

[Steph Yatka]

I'm so glad you got babka in there. Oh, yeah.

[James Harris]

God damn.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. That was great.

[James Harris]

Thanks.

[Steph Yatka]

How far in advance you start writing those?

[James Harris]

When did I write this? Wednesday.

[Steph Yatka]

Okay.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Coming in close to the deadline, I was gonna say.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that sufficient for this? What your editor asked.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Any. Any notes from the editor?

[Steph Yatka]

No, I loved it. You mentioned all my favorite foods. Babka, pasta, vodka.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Vodkas, yeah.

[James Harris]

Steph, thank you for coming on the only podcast that matters.

[Steph Yatka]

Thanks for having me.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Of course. Great to see you, Steph. Real quick, before we dive in, let's get through a fit check. You're wearing a lot of garments. I want to give us sufficient time up top. Okay, where to begin?

[Steph Yatka]

I have so much clothes on.

[James Harris]

What? How many?

[Steph Yatka]

Chronic problem for me because I just love stuff. So I just keep layering and layering, but it doesn't take me long to get dressed. But I'm just like, oh, a little pin, a little.

[James Harris]

How many articles of clothing are you wearing on any average day? Like not a hot day, not a cold day, just like a regular day. Like today it's 45 degrees. Triple digits, maybe at least double.

[Steph Yatka]

Usually I have like, at least like minimum two shirts on. Like a T shirt and a flat.

[James Harris]

Two shirts, seat band in Mode.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, totally Muse. Or like a long sleeve shirt under a T shirt.

[James Harris]

Okay.

[Steph Yatka]

Or blazer.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, nice little mall rat look. Yeah, we'll get into it.

[Steph Yatka]

I love a skirt over pant. That's what I've got going on today. Well, yeah.

[James Harris]

Tell us the brand.

[Steph Yatka]

Okay, I've got Louis Vuitton shoes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Fancy.

[Steph Yatka]

Copped them on the real real. Thank you. The real real.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Why did you thank them? You had to pay for them.

[Steph Yatka]

I know, but I thank them because I'm addicted to it. Like if it didn't exist, I would have so much time to do other things does.

[James Harris]

So I've only perused menswear in the real real. On the women's wear side, which I'm sure is like 10x the menswear side. Is there just a single mannequin that is just the hardest working inanimate object in fashion?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Oh, they don't.

[Steph Yatka]

They don't really have heads unless you're looking at sunglasses or like jewelry.

[James Harris]

But jewelry is all AI though.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, exactly.

[James Harris]

Jewelry is just copied and like photoshopped onto a wrist.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. So no, there's probably one mannequin form that's like just ran through. Damn.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Shout out Ken.

[James Harris]

Dude, the real.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Okay, what about the socks?

[Steph Yatka]

Like Dwayne Reed.

[James Harris]

Nice.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Wait, really?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that like a little hack buying your undergarments that, Dwayne? Because I know they have that stuff.

[Steph Yatka]

Like just the socks. I just. I'm like, the amount of times I lose a sock and then have one that doesn't have the pair, it's just not like I'm like, I need like a low cost solution.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, gotcha. Gotcha to socks.

[James Harris]

What about the pants?

[Steph Yatka]

6,397 pants. What it's like fetty waps new area code.

[James Harris]

That's so many pants.

[Steph Yatka]

It's a brand owned by the News, which is like a showroom that wrapped like Noah and a lot of other brands. And so it's like their in house brand. Stella Ishii, the founder was like the salesperson for Margiela and Comme des Garcon. So it's like. But like pretty classic. Like a lot of barn jackets and flannels. Simple.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The News used to rep, I believe, common projects, which is. Which is how I know them when that shit was hot in the streets.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, for sure. At the sample sale, it was like the Common project section was like half of it. Then it was like. And all the other brands catnip for dudes, you know?

[James Harris]

For sure. Continuing on Chipovo.

[Steph Yatka]

And a skirt.

[James Harris]

How many skirts are you wearing right now?

[Steph Yatka]

Just one. Oh, it's a.

[James Harris]

It looks like three or four.

[Steph Yatka]

It's multiple fabrics, layered.

[James Harris]

Oh. So it's actually. It's one skirt, but it's really four skirts basically.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Then this vintage belt. A vintage.

[James Harris]

That's a crazy skirt.

[Steph Yatka]

And vintage. Yeah, it's looks like a shower curtain.

[James Harris]

It's got carabiners, like.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, it's. This is like a vintage textile from Bulgaria. And then there's like rip stop here and all these carabiners, which is great if you're going out because you can just hook your keys over.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Totally.

[Steph Yatka]

And then you shove the phone in the waistband and you don't need a purse.

[James Harris]

Easy.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Look at that. She's going mobile.

[Steph Yatka]

Dude, I'm problem solving with all these layers. There's a reason that they exist. Okay. Yeah. Vintage shirt, vintage flannel vacara jacket.

[James Harris]

The tee.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, vintage tee.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, are you a Packers fan or.

[Steph Yatka]

I am.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, really?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Okay. I do.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Really?

[Steph Yatka]

An owner.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. That's crazy.

[Steph Yatka]

And they send you a little ballot every summer to vote for things to like have. It's always like, what hot dog should we sell the thing? Or like, should we add like better cushions to like section 312.

[James Harris]

Power to the people.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. It's all the cheeseheads have to live for, right?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Just voting on hot dogs that they're.

[Steph Yatka]

Going to and losing in the playoffs. Yeah. What about your accessories over Louisville bag?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Nice.

[Steph Yatka]

Capital scarf Capital. Yeah. And then just a bunch of jewelry.

[James Harris]

Is there like one jewelry brand that you really lean towards or is it just a little bit of everything because you got a lot of shit.

[Steph Yatka]

I have a lot on. A lot of my jewelry is like vintage like, almost all of it are, like, things that my mom gave me, things that friends have given me. I think I purchase a lot of Kiko Kostadinov jewelry because it's very, like, geometric and it matches with these vintage earrings, so.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So that's how you pronounce it? His last name?

[Steph Yatka]

That's how I pronounce.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I just say Kiko because I don't want to embarrass myself. Kostadin off.

[Steph Yatka]

Okay. What's the alternative?

[James Harris]

I don't know. Kiko.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Kiko. Just saying Kiko. Right. Because there's not. Is there any other Kiko, you know.

[James Harris]

You'Re definitely wearing, I would venture to guess double digits. Pieces of clothing and accessories. Oh, bra, pant.

[Steph Yatka]

The show skims.

[James Harris]

Skim.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hell, we love skims on this show.

[Steph Yatka]

Same.

[James Harris]

And you're sipping on a topo Chico. Okay, Steph, thank you for coming onto the podcast. Let's get into the meat and potatoes. You were just in Miami, right? Yeah, last night. Last night for the opening of the Supreme Store. Give us the scene report real quick.

[Steph Yatka]

It was so fun. I'd never really been to Miami before. I went in 2014 when LouisV opened the store. It was like the first press thing that, like, Jonathan Anderson did as creative director, and we went to Miami. Very different vibe to Supreme. Different energies.

[James Harris]

Yeah, for sure.

[Steph Yatka]

It was great.

[James Harris]

No one kicked a dog at the Supreme.

[Steph Yatka]

No comment.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Correct answer.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm, like, too stunned to speak.

[James Harris]

Rewearing 10 articles of clothing by me.

[Steph Yatka]

So this is, like, the problem is, like, hot weather. Even though I love the summer, I love going to the beach. And the style, like, don't really match.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The layering doesn't jive.

[Steph Yatka]

The layering doesn't jive. I was still wearing, like, multiple layers. But you have to be, like, really strategic with, like, that's a business trip.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're not on vacation, you know.

[Steph Yatka]

Right. Like, I dress different on vacation.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, I don't know.

[Steph Yatka]

Do you?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I guess not.

[Steph Yatka]

Not really. I still had, like, T shirt under spaghetti strap dress, you know?

[James Harris]

Like, were you dying in the humidity and heat?

[Steph Yatka]

Kind of. But it wasn't that hot the past couple of days. And, you know, you have to, like, look cool at the Supreme Store.

[James Harris]

I do. How? But so was everyone just out there looking really cool?

[Steph Yatka]

People were dressed really cool, like, all throughout. They hosted a screening of, like, a new skate film.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Headbanger.

[Steph Yatka]

By Bill Strobe. By Bill Strobek. Exactly. Starring Zion F. At a drive in, which was amazing because it was like sitting in a parking lot with all your friends who would, like, keep going to the bodega and buying some more beer. I had a buzz ball, which I haven't had in, like, five years.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's fun.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Have you seen the giant one? The giant one by Lavar. By the ball family.

[Steph Yatka]

That one could kill you.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Instant diabetes. That's how he lost his foot.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't really know who we're talking about. No. But I'm like, okay.

[James Harris]

Who is, like, the supreme fanboy in 2025? Because obviously, supreme hit. It's like Hypebeast Peak, let's call it 10 years ago. Five. 10 years ago. We kind of believe that supreme is so back, mainly because the losers have moved on. But, like, who was down there just standing out besides all the friends and family, the brand, the crew?

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, it really is. Other skaters, like, respect supreme. And it's like, that was, like, who I met. There was, like, skaters and their girlfriends, photographers, artists.

[James Harris]

Like, not a bed frame in sight.

[Steph Yatka]

Phone charging on a cinder block.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. It was honestly, like, such a nice environment of chill, cool, nice, fun people. So I had, like, a great time. I. People kept telling this story about when I broke my elbow skateboarding, which is really embarrassing. I'm not gonna tell on this podcast, but I was like, you can't. It's like, bring. You know, like, they're all so good.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

And I'm so bad. And I have given up skateboarding since. So it's like, when were you skating? Please don't tell. Like, in, like, the 2010s. And it was literally. It was not for a long. Yeah. I was too old to be, like, learning how to skateboard. And then I was too old to be getting injured. Skateboarding.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Got it.

[James Harris]

You broke your elbow.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's crazy.

[James Harris]

You were wearing. You weren't padded up, looking like a.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Loser or wrist guards.

[Steph Yatka]

No. And, like, a little helmet.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No.

[Steph Yatka]

I just thought, like, I wanted to seem cool. Like, everybody who seemed. Start skateboarding. You want to seem cool?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, you. God punish you for being a poser.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, exactly.

[James Harris]

It's happened to us all.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And so now I respect it from afar, you know?

[James Harris]

Yeah. The sport and culture can have fans.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

You know, not everyone has to get. Has to jump into the arena.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, exactly. But it was really cool to me.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Coaches don't play, you know?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Who's like, 16, and his younger brother was there, too. Younger brother is, like, 10, and he's so amazing. And people were giving him money as he was skating the. And he was walking around with like $200 spread up his arm.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Money spread, dude.

[Steph Yatka]

I was like, good for you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's a talented family and a good looking family.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, exactly.

[James Harris]

Get your hands on a Max B T shirt.

[Steph Yatka]

No.

[James Harris]

Oh, do you?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Were you like, you weren't shopping?

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, there was cool stuff in the store. It wasn't open for shopping when they had like the welcome sort of.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Because is there like, they release a new box logo with every store?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, I got that one. Yes. At the party, which is kids are going to college. Exactly. At Space, which is like this big club in Miami. They. I was standing outside waiting to get in the car to go back to my hotel and I was holding the bag, the supreme bag, and a guy pulled up in like a murdered out Honda and was like, how much for the T shirt? And I was like, what?

[James Harris]

Well, they're only going on a XXL is going for 250 on StockX. It's pretty cheap. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Maybe supreme is not back. Well, supreme is cool.

[Steph Yatka]

I love supreme shoppers.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, but that's usually when it would be like, fiending, I need it now. But that's cool.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm gonna hold on to.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You should.

[James Harris]

And you didn't sell to the guy who pulled up.

[Steph Yatka]

I was like, at least to make it back to New York.

[James Harris]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

With the T shirt before I.

[James Harris]

All right, Steph, global editorial director, super fancy sounding job. What do you actually do besides just go hang out with skater boys?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Yeah. So I'm sort of responsible for all of like the editorial tone and vision of id. So like anywhere you see text that filters up to me, anywhere you see pictures, like, it's all sort of part of my purview. And obviously I have a great team of people who are like, pitching and editing and photographing and, you know, making video content and working on the newsletter. But I'm sort of like the deputy boss under Tom, who's the eic.

[James Harris]

How's that possible? How do you have the time? Like, how in the weeds are you? Or is it just kind of broad vibes?

[Steph Yatka]

You have to do both. I think like a good editor and a good leader is both granular and like reading all the Instagram captions, making sure all the apostrophes are curly. Like, that was like a real sticking point when I was at Vogue was like the difference between the straight apostrophe and the curly or the quote marks.

[James Harris]

How do you. Okay.

[Steph Yatka]

It's just like now I can't not see it.

[James Harris]

Oxford comma, yes or no?

[Steph Yatka]

Yes.

[James Harris]

Thank you.

[Steph Yatka]

Yes. Oxford, comma, always.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I'm Team Vampire Weekend. Who gives a about Jay?

[James Harris]

Okay. Apostrophe s on a word that ends with an S. Like James's. James.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, yeah, this is a good one.

[Steph Yatka]

I like just apostrophe. Thank you.

[James Harris]

It's cleaner. It's cleaner, but cleaner. But I like the S. Why can't I.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's so superfluous. Why can't I have this?

[James Harris]

I want the extra.

[Steph Yatka]

Your name just. You never. You're never getting it. James Harris.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, I want it. Yeah, you're. You're. You're approaching this too personally. You got to. It's. It's not personal. It's business.

[James Harris]

That's why I'll never make it as a global editorial director, which.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So are you micromanaging low key?

[Steph Yatka]

I don't want to micromanage. I think, like, the best thing you can do is kind of, like, set the vibe for your team, explain the vision. You know, create kind of, like a candyland roadmap as to how they can move about ideas and work with each other and cut across different places and then kind of get out of the way.

[James Harris]

Okay.

[Steph Yatka]

And keep, like, a watchful eye over what kind of stuff is happening. We check in, like, because our team is global, like, half of the team is in London, and half of the team is in New York. We're checking in with each other constantly. So, like, the slack is, like, verdant.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Nice word.

[Steph Yatka]

But I try not to, like, get in people's business. I want to help set you on the right path.

[James Harris]

So not lead by example, but, like.

[Steph Yatka]

Well, I'm also, like, writing my own stories or editing my.

[James Harris]

Undercover Girl bossing.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, Undercover Girl bossing. Making the website and the magazine and the Instagram. So, like, you know, I think any good journalist, reporter, editor, writer, photographer, social media person, like, you should be looking at what your peers are doing, but also at what, like, your leaders are doing, you know? Like, I look at what other editorial directors do. I look at what EICs do. I look at how Tom writes a story, and I'll be like, okay, these are the things that seem important to him. And he's never said it to me. Like, you need to have da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da. But, you know, you're trying to, like, osmosis. Yeah. Sponge in, sponge up all of the, like, the spirit of the brand, you know? And, like, we talk about the brand, and I'm sure everyone who has a brand talks about a brand, but it's like writing down on a Piece of paper, what the brand is always sounds.

[James Harris]

So what's the ID brand?

[Steph Yatka]

It's so, like, ineffable. Like, I'm like. It's kind of about having the right people in the room and cultivating the right spirit, you know, like ideas.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's fun.

[Steph Yatka]

Youth Culture magazine. It's about style, but it's also about, like, the world. We, I think for this issue we have these little taglines on the COVID and one of them is like, chic and based since 1980. I think we're kind of, you know, it's like you have to be both poles of something.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, is that chic and based?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that the spectrum?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, it's like high brow, low brow, headless, refined, and kind of find. Yeah, High, low, and find, like a nice middle ground where you can dance in between those things with global vibe, local. Yeah, exactly. That'll be our next cover line. Yeah.

[James Harris]

Well, this POD episode has taken a minute to nail down, schedule wise, because you're busy traipsing through Europe for a fucking month, attending fashion shows, partying with the glitterati, wearing fab outfits. Do you not realize we're in a reception?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's wrong with you?

[James Harris]

Yeah, is your job hard? I guess is.

[Steph Yatka]

Is my job hard?

[James Harris]

Because it looks fab, right?

[Steph Yatka]

It's both fab and hard. It's just.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's chic and based.

[Steph Yatka]

It's bad and hard. I think it's like, I love doing it. So if you love doing something, even when it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You never work, a day in your life sucks.

[Steph Yatka]

No, even when it sucks, it doesn't feel hard. You know, like traveling for a month for work is.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, that's okay.

[Steph Yatka]

I will say. I will say by the end of like 31 days, I was in London when there was like that explosion around Heathrow. So my flight got moved to the next day. So there's like one more day. Oh, and that. I mean, I was.

[James Harris]

Damn it. I packed my underwear perfectly.

[Steph Yatka]

No, literally, like, I'm gonna set off.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The next bomb if I don't get out of this country.

[Steph Yatka]

But by the end, I was sort of like, ragged. Like, 31 days is too long on a work trip.

[James Harris]

Why would you.

[Steph Yatka]

I think.

[James Harris]

Is that normal for you?

[Steph Yatka]

No. We hosted a party at the Standard, like a week after Paris Fashion Week ended. So it was like a two for, like, we could go to London, hang out with the team there, go to dinner, go to the office, like, meet all the PR people and, you know, agents and whoever in London that we never get to see. And then we'll just be there for the party, and then we'll come home 31 days later. Yeah.

[James Harris]

Jesus. What was the first thing you did when you got home 31 days later?

[Steph Yatka]

Went to bed. Yeah. Yeah, I think I slept for, like, 30 hours.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You earned it. You know what, Steph? You earned it.

[Steph Yatka]

I came back on a Saturday night, and I, like, woke up on a Monday morning. I was, like, ready to go.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Comatose. Wait, so. And I know this is like, I don't think this has been broached a little bit, but do you think that there's still people that, like, look at what you do on social media and think it is all fudgeing fun and games? You think there's people that don't know how much work it goes into being a fashion editor?

[Steph Yatka]

I don't. I don't know. I mean, I. I don't think so, because I think there's, you know, most people who are into fashion or who maybe like, follow ID or follow fashion accounts are also like, creators. And so if you're making it for yourself, you know how much work it takes to make it. Yeah, but. Yeah, I don't. I hope. I mean, it's also like, who cares if they think it's hard or easy? Like, if people are looking at it and thinking, you watched this story. Yeah, but also, like, I like what they're doing. It's like, you know, you don't need to care if I've, like, haven't had a sip of water in five hours or whatever.

[James Harris]

God damn.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Get this girl some water.

[James Harris]

Hmm. Did you have to okay with the ID relaunch? We like, you know what personal brand relaunch time that go through your head at all? No, I'm not like, your fashion and your style because that's remained consistent for many, many, many years, as long as I've known you. But like, I don't know, the way you fudgeing self present on social media, as I'm not saying you have. I'm just wondering if maybe, you know.

[Steph Yatka]

It'S a big job, it's a relaunch of a brand. I like the responsibility isn't lost on me. And I think, like, I want to do a good job. I want to be a good representative, I want to be a good leader, and I want to be a good team player. So, like, that kind of stuff is always, like, running in the background of my mind. But I wasn't like, hard pivot.

[James Harris]

You know what? I need to put on a black turtleneck and get a headshot, like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Do you think he's milk. Do you think Tom has milked that headshot to the point where we can.

[Steph Yatka]

Get another one so good?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I think that's why I've seen it 100,000 times.

[James Harris]

The fifth Beatle.

[Steph Yatka]

If I looked that good in a black, black turtleneck with, like, a little.

[James Harris]

Everyone looks good, who's to say you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Don'T know the tactical turtleneck?

[Steph Yatka]

I'm really bad at having a head shot taken. And every time I try to do it, it just, like, never works out.

[James Harris]

No.

[Steph Yatka]

So it's like a. It's a loss.

[James Harris]

So if you have a good one, you use.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. You just gotta run it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hence why Tom is running this one to the ground.

[James Harris]

Guy has ID with the relaunch with the biannual magazine. Officially saved print media.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Congratulations, by the way.

[Steph Yatka]

Thank you. I don't know. Was print. Print media in peril? Like.

[James Harris]

Yes.

[Steph Yatka]

Yes. Okay. So true.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Are you kidding me?

[Steph Yatka]

So true.

[James Harris]

How many years were you to Vogue?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, I think.

[James Harris]

Sorry, I just triggered something deep, deep within you. We're gonna get to Vogue.

[Steph Yatka]

I think, like, this is so maybe cheesy to say, but I think, like, craving good storytelling is like a base, basic human instinct. And so whether you're watching it on YouTube or you're reading it in a print magazine, or you're reading it on a website, or you're, like, reading screenshots that a friend sent you of a newsletter, like, you just want to know where.

[James Harris]

No, subscribe to the substack, please.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, you just want to know what's up and be in the right conversations and have the right information. So I think, like, it was interesting for me because it's the first time that I've really worked on a print magazine. Like, when I was at Conde NASA, I was really doing, like, a lot of digital stuff. And then at Essence, we would do kind of, like, little printed projects, but we never did a full magazine. And so interesting to think about, like, okay, you're making this tome that's going to sit with people for six months, because our next issue is six months from now or five months from now. So you really want it to be filled with a lot of good stuff that people care about that they go back to, not just, like, Vibes. Like, you can't make a print magazine that is Vibes. Right.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

A lot of people are trying.

[Steph Yatka]

You have to make a print magazine that is information based that, like, carries its weight over the days or weeks or months that it lives with people you know, and I think we spent a lot of time looking at Terry's ID from the 80s and 90s, which, even though they were like thinner, kind of like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

How sticky were those pages?

[Steph Yatka]

Style magazines, they were still like cracking it half, dude. They were like, like flooded with intel. Like every section of the page had a little fact on it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So that's inspiring then. And you're like, this is the essence of what print should be. Not even just id, but print.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, well, I think it's definitely the essence of id. Like there are beautiful print magazines that are more like image based or like simple text. But I think for us, we were like really invigorated to see how some of like the earliest versions of the magazine were like, they were just so, so much information. So it's a dense, it's a density, It's a density.

[James Harris]

But at the same time, having spent so much time in digital where it's like you have to cover everything right versus a magazine, there are obviously constraints into what you can put in there. Do you appreciate that? Now there actually is like an editorial pro or an editing down process. Like we can only put so much of the magazine that will stand the test of time, that will stand the test of six months, six decades, whatever, versus digital. We're just like, this happened, this happened, this happened, this happened.

[Steph Yatka]

I think even with our digital, we're trying to like be more strategic. Like to me, the age of the Internet where you just cover everything all the time is over really, thank God.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Or that's what just it's now just on. So like that's what social media is for.

[Steph Yatka]

It's just on social media and people are doing this kind of like, buy the second update of everything for free. So if you're a.

[James Harris]

Why am I learning about a helicopter crash on a mood board page?

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, it's like everyone learns about everything on Pop Crave, you know, like.

[James Harris]

I learned the results of the crave.

[Steph Yatka]

And they're getting harder to differentiate with every passing day.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's the point, I think.

[Steph Yatka]

But yeah, people are talking on the Internet all the time for free. And so I think if you are having a magazine or brand or a publisher, you need to be like synthesizing and being really strategic about where you show up and what stories you tell. So in a way it's like we're finessing what we cover on the website and on Instagram and on TikTok and wherever in the same way that we're like finessing what goes in the Maxine.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So it's different real estate for different things.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[James Harris]

What was your favorite story in the most recent. The. The launch issue? The relaunch issue of id. What was your favorite story?

[Steph Yatka]

All of them. No, come on. No, I will.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I know there were some stinkers up in that bit.

[Steph Yatka]

I will say. I will say, like, the. The coolest part of this relaunch for me was, like, the concept of how we found our cover girl.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hell, yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

And just like, being a part of that process was something that I'll remember forever. Like, we decided. Tom called me and was like, I have a crazy idea. I went, if Tom calls you and is like, I have a crazy idea. That's when you know something amazing is about strapping. Yeah. I was like, okay, let's go.

[James Harris]

Get your turtleneck on.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, you're a tactical turtle. He was like, what if we put a totally unknown person on the COVID And ID did that in the 80s and 90s. Like, they were just street cast kids outside of clubs. And that's how FK Twigs ended up being on the COVID I learned that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

In her interview with Playboi Carti.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The journalist. Playboi Carti.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

He was so cute. I wasn't really familiar with the charm of Playboi Carti until.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Gotta catch him on the right day. In my experience.

[Steph Yatka]

It was. I was like, oh, what a cutie. And they were obviously best friends for.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That was really. That was actually a really cool conversation.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I was grateful to be, like, eavesdropping on the zoom call. I was like, this rocks. But anyway, so we were. We went on this mission to find an unknown person to put on the COVID And we got really lucky because Jen Vendetti, the casting director who did, like, Euphoria and the Safdie movies and is working on, like, the Charlie XCX movie, had time or agreed to work with us to do this casting. And she's like. Like a savant of casting. It was really amazing to see how she was analyzing all the submissions. We got, like, over 800 submissions of girls across the United States. Her.

[James Harris]

And no boys, huh?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Sexist.

[Steph Yatka]

Sorry, boys. Next time.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Next time, I'll put my name in.

[Steph Yatka]

Dude, you guys could be on the COVID Yeah, you have to wink with the right eye. That's the thing which a lot of people. It's easier to wink with your left eye. I don't know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, yeah, assuming you haven't had a stroke.

[James Harris]

You ever had a. You've had anyone that can't wink? Because those people exist.

[Steph Yatka]

This is what I learned is a lot of people actually can't wink, which is why some of like sometimes you do the hand or you put a thing or.

[James Harris]

So Tom called you up with this idea. How nervous were you to put an unknown teen on the COVID And did you had. You guys had your bets by also getting Naomi Campbell. And just in case it doesn't work out, God forbid, we got two queens.

[Steph Yatka]

I was all in. Because I just think also, like, if you're gonna do it, you gotta do it. You can't like sort of go halfsies on a.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No half stepping.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, no half stepping. And so, yeah, we like watched all these casting videos. We met all these teenagers. We got. They did a second round of submissions. We talked with some on Zoom and it was just so inspiring. We ended up writing another story with like the top eight other girls because.

[James Harris]

You know, like, also rans.

[Steph Yatka]

The world kind of is bad.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, you know what I'm saying?

[James Harris]

In speaking with all these young people, like, did it fill you with any hope? Like, how are the kids doing right now?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, they're also optimistic about their futures. And so, I mean, get real kids. What the.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Hope you know how to swim, you have fire insurance.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So they were naive. So they're not. They're naive.

[James Harris]

Shoulders hadn't been crushed yet, by the way. To the world.

[Steph Yatka]

Their shoulders hadn't been crushed yet. But I just think, like, it speaks to a spirit that you, as a human, no matter how old you are, hope to carry inside of you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Which is like childlike wonder.

[Steph Yatka]

No, but like a slight sort of optimism and drive for the future, you know, like, even if, like they're so aware that the situation is bad, but still so driven to find a way to make it work. And so that was really inspiring to meet everyone. And then we chose Enza, who's from Ohio and was on the COVID and everyone went to Ohio to shoot the COVID And then she came to Paris for the magazine launch. And it was just so cool to spend time in Paris with an 18 year old, her first time in Europe and like do all this stuff for the first time again. Like, I was like, wow, this is so I can drink. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Finally.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't think she had a drink because she's like, very mature and responsible.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But the kids don't drink anyway. That's a well established.

[James Harris]

They're not drinking. They're not fudgeing.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Nope.

[James Harris]

Is she. Has she gotten like opportunities from this? Like, incredible once in a lifetime.

[Steph Yatka]

She's like, she's coming to New York next Week maybe. And meeting with like other agents and agencies. So it's been really exciting. And she's so, like, cool.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Who is Steph Yatka's dream cover star?

[Steph Yatka]

Wow. I don't know if I should say because, like, a lot of them are coming true.

[James Harris]

Oh.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Or in reach, Right?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, in reach.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Okay, maybe. Then let's do. How about maybe someone who's dead? Right. Let's do that.

[Steph Yatka]

Okay. I mean, I think it would be six foot prints on the COVID of id. I think he really represents what ID is all about. Like being your own weirdo.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Goat Fentanyl.

[James Harris]

Color purple. I love. He's my mouth.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. I mean, he's.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, facts are facts, but. And he's awesome either way.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Decided he's the man.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Who is your dream person in fashion to interview? Because you've interviewed a lot of the goats and we're going to ask you about raccoons after this. But someone you haven't yet. Maybe they're in reach. Let's manifest right now. Who is it?

[Steph Yatka]

Great question.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

They're probably listening. Yeah. Let's be real. She loves throwing fits.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Is it Kawakubo san?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Is it? Right, I spoke. I spoke to Rei Kawakuba for like a minute. And that will sustain me for the rest of my life. That go it would she. She answered some questions for me over email the day before, and then I saw her at this event and.

[James Harris]

Were you wearing Calm?

[Steph Yatka]

Ooh. Oh, I think I was wearing Junior.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[Steph Yatka]

Which is, you know, it's like related part of the family.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

Showing your support and she kind of.

[James Harris]

As long as you are in Gosha.

[Steph Yatka]

She was with Adrian and she like turned to greet me and then when, you know, she's only speaks Japanese and.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Kind of don't do the voice. Don't do the voice.

[Steph Yatka]

No, I wasn't gonna do a voice, but she just. English went like this with her hand. She was talking. She was like this. And then a loser. Yeah. She was like, you're a loser.

[James Harris]

She gave you the. Too small.

[Steph Yatka]

No, but Adrian was like. She said she knew. She knows you wanted really long answers from her, but she just gave you a sentence. And then she kind of like, you.

[James Harris]

Should have hit her with the giggle heart.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

This was before then. This was like in 20k pop. Yeah. Before we were doing the.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So she like pantomimed editing to you.

[Steph Yatka]

She was like, I self edited from the graph to the sentence.

[James Harris]

That's classic Ray.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. But no, I think I Guess.

[James Harris]

Like, classic Ray Tron.

[Steph Yatka]

Amazing to interview M in, like, a longer setting or like, I think.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Let's talk about.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Gotta get her in Donatella.

[Steph Yatka]

I know. I mean, that would be my dream.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Interview each other.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. With me there. Sort of the Twigs and Playboi Cardi.

[James Harris]

Two Italian yappers.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She did that with. She's done that with Raph, obviously. They hired Raft. I mean, who knows? Maybe we'll get that coming.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. That would be amazing. Huge for me as like, a Prada girl and someone from New Jersey as.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

A proud Italian American.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Are you a Mew Mew mama?

[Steph Yatka]

I think I'm more of a Prada person.

[James Harris]

Prada princess.

[Steph Yatka]

Prada princess, for sure.

[James Harris]

Got it. What was it like hanging out with Rick Owens?

[Steph Yatka]

The best. I wish. If I could, like, bottle the energy and sell it, I would be a billionaire.

[James Harris]

Describe yet? Describe his energy.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So you'd be Rick Owens, because that's what the brand.

[Steph Yatka]

No, literally. He's so open and generous with everything. Like, just such a kind man.

[James Harris]

Now with podcast appearances.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We've tried. We're trying.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't think he really likes coming to New York, which means.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No, I don't think he likes the States.

[Steph Yatka]

Deal breaker. Yeah. He hadn't been back to California in, like, 20 years or something.

[James Harris]

Good for him.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

He was early on that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Blame him. Right?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, I get it, you know, but.

[James Harris]

Okay, so hanging out with him, he was just the kindest, most generous, open man.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And he'll tell you any. Like, he. He'll answer any question which I really admire in a designer or a famous person in, like, today's world, like, people are so afraid to say anything sometimes that you could interview someone who you've, like, always dreamed about interviewing. And even if it's kind of like a puff piece, people veer away from making any definitive statements because you just never know how things are going to be interpreted on the Internet. And totally, Rick is just kind of, like, really open and he knows who he is, so he can just express his opinion. Like, he's not shy about himself, just a Jack.

[James Harris]

Bisexual.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And he's his own boss. Right. Like, that's the thing, too. I think, you know, that a lot of designers, they don't have. Even if they give a great quote, they don't have the ability where it's like, I'm not gonna. Like, if you're. He's losing his own money, if that's gonna happen.

[Steph Yatka]

Right.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

If he says something crazy and that's a. There's power in that.

[James Harris]

What do you smell like?

[Steph Yatka]

The. He lit some Diptyque candles.

[James Harris]

Oh.

[Steph Yatka]

When?

[James Harris]

What a basic. Bitch.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I didn't want to say it, but he.

[Steph Yatka]

He. There's a lot of, like, Aesop products.

[James Harris]

What a basic.

[Steph Yatka]

Really home.

[James Harris]

Rick, get your fucking grooming game. Well, not like that, but you know what I mean.

[Steph Yatka]

He. I think it's just about the pat. Like a simple package. Packaging, you know?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right. Interesting.

[Steph Yatka]

They did a collab with Aesop on, like, a candle and a fragrance, and it's really great. All right.

[James Harris]

I guess. Did anything about him surprise you?

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, he just had a lot of great stories that. Some of which made it into the interview that is in the magazine, some of which kind of got cut. He talks about, like, meeting Michelle and, like, being in LA in the 80s and 90s, which just sounds like the craziest.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Most fun place. If you were, like, kind of a weirdo.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Sure.

[Steph Yatka]

He talks about, like, his really radical days. He told a story about someone picking a beer bottle up with their asshole.

[James Harris]

Hell, yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Who?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, I don't know how.

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, good party.

[James Harris]

Party trick.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, a good party trick. But, yeah, he showed me his birth chart. Like, he's just really open.

[James Harris]

What's his sign?

[Steph Yatka]

Scorpio.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That tracks.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. November, I think. But, yeah, it's just, like, a fun hang. It's also, like, the longer you do this and the more you interview people at all stages of their career and of their business, it's, like, so fun and freeing, like you said, to be with someone who's at the top of their game, who's their own boss.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Because you're like, there's no guardrails here. Like, we can level with each other and you know what you're doing and you're gonna say it to me. Whereas, like, sometimes you show up for an interview, and you've already cleared, like, 19 PR hurdles, and now you're going to clear, like, 10 more over the process of doing it.

[James Harris]

But you've been. You've been working fashion for how many? Like, 10, 15 years now?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, like 15. I got my first paycheck for writing a fashion article in 2009.

[James Harris]

Wow. What was the article?

[Steph Yatka]

I wrote something for Fashionista. I got paid 25, and I was huge. I'm a millionaire.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Holy fuck.

[James Harris]

That's $10,000.

[Steph Yatka]

I made it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

In 2025. What was the story on. Do you remember? Was like.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't remember. I started these V neck.

[James Harris]

The top 10V necks.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Ever heard of this little brand Supreme. They're about to blow up.

[Steph Yatka]

I started as like an intern at Fashionista in 2009, and I think.

[James Harris]

Was it that little. The. The top floor and that Crate and Barrel?

[Steph Yatka]

No, it was even before that. It was in the basement of an apartment building on Mott street. And it was kind of a situation like this. Like, it was sort of like a big office that was shared.

[James Harris]

I'm not.

[Steph Yatka]

This is positive parentheses, complimentary.

[James Harris]

Working out of your going places.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

This. The.

[James Harris]

The story was like, no. What were you writing about 2009?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's because you don't remember.

[James Harris]

It's your first 15 years ago.

[Steph Yatka]

I definitely wrote about, like, Kate Moss for sure. There was like some Pete. Kate Moss looks. I think I was writing about, like Mark by Marc Jacobs, skinny scarves, fashion night out. I did a lot of fashions night out.

[James Harris]

Hell yeah. I missed. Who missed. Who doesn't miss riding in Soho?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Yeah, baby.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

McQueen. Skull scarves.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. All the good stuff. You remember from 2009. New York fashion Week at Bryant Park.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The time capsule Shit. Yeah. We love the tents here, people.

[James Harris]

So you oversee the digital as well, right? Look, we always love writing what we want to write about, but we got to pay attention to the numbers and the metrics. What story on ID digital always goes super crazy in terms of like, clicks, page views, eyeballs, whatever. What's like the topic that really gets people going?

[Steph Yatka]

This is. We just came from a data meeting, so I'm like, actually know this.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Let's go share some insights.

[Steph Yatka]

New talent.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, introducing our audience to new people is like always a banger on id, which is a really fun situation to be in because it just means you get to keep discovering, like, you get to keep meeting new people and keep.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Putting them on our website and putting on the listeners.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Turning everybody else on to someone who's.

[James Harris]

Cool, who's talented in acting, film and entertainment and music and fashion across the.

[Steph Yatka]

Board, kind of sports.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Next up, sports.

[Steph Yatka]

We haven't. We haven't done sports yet.

[James Harris]

But you guys got a gaming vertical.

[Steph Yatka]

We have a game. We have a streamer in the issue who's coming out as a digital cover. But we are. We're into gaming.

[James Harris]

Oh, yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

So, yeah.

[James Harris]

What tends to brick numbers wise, but you feel is important to cover anyway?

[Steph Yatka]

I'm like, no bricks.

[James Harris]

Old talent.

[Steph Yatka]

You have to. Tom always says you have to keep the mid out of the streets.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Wow.

[Steph Yatka]

And I'm like, if we feel, you know, when you're writing, you know, if you don't believe in what you're writing. If you don't have conviction, you can feel it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Unless someone paying is paying you right there. Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

It's like, that rocks. So I'm like, even there are things that people say, and I send it back and I'm like, I don't think this is right. Like, workshop it. Like, put a little more POV in there.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Do not pass go. Do not collect 200.

[James Harris]

What do you look for in a pitch that, like, catches your eye?

[Steph Yatka]

I'm interested in things that I don't know about. Like, I always find it interesting when people are pitching me, like, things that I am obsessed with. I'm like, you did the research too well. And in a way, you're, like, screwing yourself. You know, they'd be like, oh, a lot of people are wearing crazy skirts. And I'm like, yeah, don't worry. There's literally.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. No.

[Steph Yatka]

Whereas if someone has discovered, like, a new designer or has a opinion or, like, a point of view on a trend or a music trend or even just, like, a city that is thriving culturally, like, that kind of stuff to me is so interesting. Rather than, like, I looked at all the fashion week runways and have deduced that, like, bows are trending. I'm like, yeah, like, bows I get. I mean, that was very. Two years ago. Like, everything had a little bow on it.

[James Harris]

You heard about this new city that's popping called Mexico City?

[Steph Yatka]

Yes. I've never been.

[James Harris]

Oh. Oh, it's. It's still great. Even though it's, like, past.

[Steph Yatka]

Maybe it's Williamsburg now.

[James Harris]

Certain neighborhoods are Williamsburg, namely two. But it's a pretty bustling, thriving city. How can do you take pitches from writers?

[Steph Yatka]

Shut the fuck up. I'm like, great. Should we all go?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're putting. You're putting her on right now. This is great shit.

[James Harris]

How can aspiring Richards. How can aspiring writers pitch you?

[Steph Yatka]

You can email us. I'm a big fan of an email pitch. You could.

[James Harris]

What percentage of. What percentage of pitches are. That you get are fucking garbage.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Straight to trash.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, read them all.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, for real.

[Steph Yatka]

No, I really, like. I'm pretty good. It's a tremendous responding to emails, but I do, like, do a cursory sort of skim. And, you know, I'm not the only editor of our website, so there's other people you could pitch. And we talk about.

[James Harris]

We'll give you Robbie's number if you ask.

[Steph Yatka]

Precisely. We talk about all the pitches.

[James Harris]

So what's the worst pitch you've ever gotten in recent memory? Yo, you heard this Brick Owens guy's?

[Steph Yatka]

Next door.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, this Mexico City one was pretty shitty.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't know. I mean, there's like, they're not so much today, but there are certainly times, like when I was at Conde Nassau, you're just getting mass pitches from like PR companies that are doing like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We get that too. It's like, what are you doing, guys?

[Steph Yatka]

And they're so. I'm like, I don't even cover the thing that you're pitching. And it's so random and out of my league, you know?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, it's kind of offensive because it's like you don't even understand, like the product that you're that or the thing that we're like, whether it's ID or throw. If it's like. So I'm offended that you even like threw me on this listener, sending me this.

[James Harris]

The best. Is that Lawrence's name on social media, which is really cool, is John Legend. Like, awn. And so people say, hey, James and John. Yeah, it's like, that is.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

They don't call you Dr. Taco. Taco and John.

[James Harris]

My real name is in my bi. I think. I don't know. But yeah. Hey, John. Hey, Start Corally.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's a good way to filter out people that I'm like, they don't even know what is remotely happening.

[Steph Yatka]

Right, right, right, right, right.

[James Harris]

Where do you think there's room for improvement at id?

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, you gotta keep improving. Like, obviously I. I think like, we are all so proud of our first issue and everything that we're doing, but it's also like, you got to iterate and keep going. We just. I just wish we were in more places talking to more people, finding more talent. You know, you always are striving to like be more connected, be better.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So you want more work? You want to do more work?

[Steph Yatka]

I do.

[James Harris]

Really?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I love working. I was like talking to my boyfriend this morning. He was like, what do you. Sorry, my fiance. I hate saying that though. This morning. And he was like, what are you going to talk about on this podcast? And I was like, fashion? And he was like, oh, your job. And I was like, yeah. And then he's like, are you going to talk about other things? I was like, like, what do you.

[James Harris]

Like to work seven days a week?

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, no, I'm really good at taking time away. Good.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

31 days for them, 31 days for me.

[Steph Yatka]

But like, I will like on the weekend, like take my dog for like a five hour walk, you know, and like, not really look at my phone. But I do, like, really like doing this, and it's like a blessing and a curse when you turn your hobby or your passion or your interest into your job, because it's like, look at us. It's fun for me to interview people, write about fashion, edit stories, think about social media. And so, like, I'm always kind of.

[James Harris]

Like, what's your screen time?

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, I don't. I don't look.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, probably.

[James Harris]

That's bad.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So, wait, so you feel like you have a good handle on work life balance? Because I think that is something that a lot of people in the industry do struggle with.

[Steph Yatka]

Not us, but clearly not.

[James Harris]

Well, we struggle with it just in the opposite way that most people.

[Steph Yatka]

You're doing too much life.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So much life. Because you know why? So you got to live it. You know, you got to live it.

[James Harris]

We're just balancing so hard.

[Steph Yatka]

I think I have an okay relationship to it. I think, like, I could be a little bit more. Like, I'm putting my phone down and I'm having me time, but I'm like, you know, you're always one Instagram click away from, like, finding a cool new person, and it is like, you're like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The gambling addict meme with looking for the gems.

[Steph Yatka]

And I will say, like, clicking, like, looking on the real real.

[James Harris]

Oh, no.

[Steph Yatka]

Is really. That's.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's.

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, that's.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're not shopping. You're working on the real real.

[Steph Yatka]

Sure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that what you tell your fiance?

[Steph Yatka]

That's what I tell myself. I'm like, this is research.

[James Harris]

Have you ever felt any sort of burnout?

[Steph Yatka]

I think, like, the pandemic was, like, a hard time to work in anywhere.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That was life burnout. You're like, I need some work. I need a chat, dude.

[Steph Yatka]

But it was a hard time to work in fashion because nothing was really happening. Yeah. And there was a lot of just, like, things. Things literally ground to a halt. And, you know, I think it wasn't so much burnout as, like, really made me. And I think sort of everyone, like, rethink what they wanted to be doing. And so, yeah, this is.

[James Harris]

This is it. My dog, my boyfriend that I'm engaged to.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And fashion and shoes.

[James Harris]

What do you. Do you have interest outside of fashion?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The Packers.

[Steph Yatka]

Packers. No sports. I mean, I'm like, a pretty. Like, I'd give myself, like, a B minus as a Packers fan. Okay. Which isn't bad. I'm not failing. True. But it's just the season conflicting with the start of Fashion Month is always, like, a big problem. In Milan.

[James Harris]

And then Super Bowl Fashion Week in two.

[Steph Yatka]

January ago when the packers were in the playoffs. Still in January. Rare. I like FaceTime. My mom from my hotel room at Paris. Fast. We get 2am and was like, watching, wearing this T shirt, like, come on, guys. They lost. So then it was like, even worse.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Sure.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't know. I do a lot of, like, chilling.

[James Harris]

Hell yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, outside of working, I just want to, like, read a book, do a little arts and crafts. I do a lot of, like, macrame. It makes me sound like I'm a senior citizen in a hobby.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You like to relax and hang out.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Give her DIY your shit sometimes. Like, right during the pandemic, I got really into macrame. I was like, making these macrame purses that I was like, carrying around all the time. But you, yeah, just.

[James Harris]

Hey, I just discovered a new designer. Steph Yaka.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

Someone was like, you should sell these. It takes me like three weeks to make.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So just charge more.

[James Harris]

Just $10,000 per bag.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

That's domestic production. Right.

[Steph Yatka]

Watching movies, hanging out with my friends. I like, you know, I try to not. I like, like, when I'm not working, I go so low vibrational.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Nice.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, because doing this job is like, you're traveling so much, you're meeting people and, you know, ID is a culture magazine. So, like, Fashion Week is the big story. But it's like everything around. We've got someone at Coachella. We're going to go to music festivals, we're going to go to the film festival. Like, there's all kinds of stuff that you' so for me, you said your.

[James Harris]

Least favorite writer to Coachella.

[Steph Yatka]

No.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

As punishment.

[Steph Yatka]

No. It's funny. I sent Nikolai is at Coachella. She's never been before. And she was like, I have to go experience fresh set eyes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

That's cool. So we'll see.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Really excited to hear about the Cactus Jack experience. Yeah, it's gonna be.

[James Harris]

Sick of all your bosses that you've had while working in your 15, 16 years in media. How do you rate Thom Bettridge?

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, love.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Number one.

[Steph Yatka]

Love. He's definitely, I would say. No. I mean, I don't think I've ever had a bad boss. I think I'm really in fashion. No, I'm being like, let's run through them.

[James Harris]

Tom.

[Steph Yatka]

Tom. And then Tom again.

[James Harris]

No, Johnson.

[Steph Yatka]

Noah Johnson at [e-mail]. and then also, like, Nicole Phelps. Style.com legend. Runway legend. The most nervous I've ever been to go to a meeting was when I interviewed for my [e-mail] with Nicole, I was like, I couldn't.

[James Harris]

You're shaking, right?

[Steph Yatka]

I was shaking, yeah.

[James Harris]

Who's your boss at Vogue?

[Steph Yatka]

Nicole.

[James Harris]

Okay.

[Steph Yatka]

And then. But you also.

[James Harris]

The whole time.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, Right up until the end when I really took on social media. But you have, like, Halo bosses. Like, Sally Singer.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Sure.

[Steph Yatka]

Was, like, legend. All legends.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, absolute legend.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's cool that we got that Noah snuck into this group of legends. That's cool.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. But Noah slid right in. Noah was such a great boss. Because I do think what's important is to have someone who's kind of like, the opposite of you as your boss in a way.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Someone good at skateboarding.

[Steph Yatka]

Someone good at skateboarding and who loves wearing pants. No. And not.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Because you want to kind of, like, fill in each other's gaps.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yin and yang kind of.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, kind of.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

I also think, like, I was thinking about this as I knew we were going to be talking about career on the only podcast that matters and book it. You know, you gotta go with people that you like and people that you believe in and believe in you. Like, you have to prioritize your colleagues and your boss and whoever more than the job. Absolutely.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's a bar.

[James Harris]

Absolutely. You have to work with people you like. You like.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

You're spending your whole day with them.

[Steph Yatka]

It's like. I mean, when I worked at Vogue, Nicole and I talked for, like, 12 hours a day, and, you know, I still text her all the time. And, like, Tom and I are talking all the time, whether we're sending each other memes or talking about work. Like, you have to feel like the people around you are, like, buoying you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

To the place you want to be. There's. You have to have so much trust.

[James Harris]

How can Tom improve?

[Steph Yatka]

He can't, really.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Come on.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't. I mean.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

New headshot.

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, he's just so tall.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

He is a mountain of a man.

[Steph Yatka]

I think he's a foot. At least a foot taller than I am. Which is just funny because then we'll go places together, and I'm kind of like, hi.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Makes for an interesting dynamic, though, like, visually, like twins devito and Schwarzenegger.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, exactly.

[James Harris]

You have to. You have to order. You have to order an Uber XL with him. That sucks, because there aren't that many. So the wait time's longer.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, totally. No, he's just waiting for Ubers. But I think it's also. If I was, I would love to be tall.

[James Harris]

Really? How tall are you?

[Steph Yatka]

I'm like, like let's say 5. 5 on a good day.

[James Harris]

How tall do you. Do you want to be?

[Steph Yatka]

Five, nine.

[James Harris]

Oh, really?

[Steph Yatka]

How tall are you guys? How tall do you tell people you are?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Five eleven.

[James Harris]

Do you say five, ten and a half. And I say which is the truth. Which I say 5, 9, which is also the truth.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, yeah. Those are the true platform shoes. You know, a shoe with a casual built in platform.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We love a heel on this show.

[James Harris]

Do you like men in heels? Yeah, like with a stacked.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, nice, nice. I mean, I did like we talked about Prince before, but I grew up idolizing Prince. Like my parents let me listen to music. You like shouldn't let children listen to like the two biggest plays in our house was Rolling Stones and Prince. And I didn't know what any of the songs were about, but I, I was like, yeah, well now I know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Little brown sugar at home.

[Steph Yatka]

But.

[James Harris]

So, yeah, Prince, girl, you got an ass.

[Steph Yatka]

I painted my bedroom purple. Like that's how much I like Prince.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. So I think a man in a heel is very.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, it's confident.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, it's very confident.

[James Harris]

So, Tom Goated, is Robbie your favorite son?

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. You're welcome.

[Steph Yatka]

My only son, really. I mean my longest son.

[James Harris]

Have you. Your longest son?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

He is, he's, he's long.

[James Harris]

He's a lanky mother.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm edit this part out.

[James Harris]

Have you ever had to chew him out?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, no, I don't. I'm not like a big fan of chewing people out, period.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

How do you manage when someone up, like, let's role play. We up.

[Steph Yatka]

You guys. Never.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, I know. So again, role playing. Just like, how would you. How do you like.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

How do you choose someone out if you're so kind?

[Steph Yatka]

Well, yeah, I don't think you should choose someone out. I think you just need to be like, here's where things went wrong and here's what we're going to do in the future. And also, like, I think a lot of people are scared to ask questions sometimes. You know, I'm always like, I'm always around if you're in the middle of doing something and you're like choosing there's a fork in the road and you know which way to go.

[James Harris]

It's always better to over communicate.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, totally.

[James Harris]

What's been your proudest journalistic moment in your long, storied career? Long and storied. Like, Robbie.

[Steph Yatka]

It's hard. It's hard. I will say, like, it is hard to remember them all, like, sometimes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So many wins.

[Steph Yatka]

So many wins.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She's like, the Packers. So many. So many chips, dude. I can't even.

[James Harris]

They call it the yacht trophy.

[Steph Yatka]

Not that they're all wins. It just like when you've been doing it for so long and, you know, like, there were times when I was working at. I mean, Fashionista, I worked at Nylon magazine, like, at Vogue, where you're writing, like, three or four things a day or that's too much. During fashion Week, you could do six reviews a day that you're just like, I don't know. I have, like, memory loss about it. And sometimes I'll be researching something for a story I'm doing now and be like, oh, this was a good article. They'd be like, I wrote it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Damn. Oh, byline ception.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Wait, literally, you had Dries? His last interview, I had. As brand director.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I had the first interview with Julian Klausner, who's the new creative director with Dries. Do you believe.

[James Harris]

Do you believe in Julian?

[Steph Yatka]

I really like him.

[James Harris]

You looked him in the eyes and you said, yeah, he's got it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You vetted his ass.

[Steph Yatka]

Old soul, which I think is, like, integral to the Dries brand. It's, like, not a hype brand.

[James Harris]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

It's, like, about beauty and elegance.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Gardening at your chateau.

[Steph Yatka]

Does he garden at your chateau? He does not garden, and I don't think that is better. Hoe made it into the story, but he loves. He was like, I love cooking. And so, you know, you got to have like, a sort of.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Dries can cook.

[Steph Yatka]

I've seen the Korean pursuit.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, yeah. Lifestyle.

[Steph Yatka]

It's a lifestyle.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Drew's been known as a lifestyle brand.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. But I think about that garden all the time.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, it's in his house.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, that's the work. Life balance I want to have is like, I have this job where I'm grinding all the time. I'm putting on these fashion shows. I mean, I don't want to be a designer, but, like, I'm doing stuff. People love it.

[James Harris]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

And then when I'm not doing it, I'm just, like, peacefully in my little.

[James Harris]

You have a snake plant in your Brooklyn apartment?

[Steph Yatka]

I do. And I was away for 31 days, and guess who didn't water it?

[James Harris]

Your boyfriend.

[Steph Yatka]

And then he was like, the wedding's off. You don't need to water it so much. And I was like, what, a whole month?

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's like, a nice metaphor for parenting that will happen in the future.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Please water the plants. So now I've, like, drowned them in water since I've been trying to resuscitate them.

[James Harris]

What's flex a little bit, though? You've interviewed Rick, you've interviewed Dries, you've interviewed Julie. Now also, like, what are the other.

[Steph Yatka]

Big names that you've a lot of really cool stories. I think you can go through your career just interviewing creative directors and, like, that rocks. And I certainly have a Mount Rushmore of people that I'd love to interview or that I'd love to talk to or, you know, like, Matthew Blasey is at Chanel. Would love to talk to him. I love talking to Jonathan Anderson. He's like another, like, amazing interview because he's really thinking about everything.

[James Harris]

You're an art history major, right? Do you guys ever talk about art?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, But I feel a little bit out of my depth with how well versed he is in contemporary art and collecting. But then I also just think, okay, if you report a good story, even if no one reads it, like, it's. I'm so fulfilled by that, where it's like, I've talked to 20 people and I've synthesized this into something that has meaning, you know, you can't just.

[James Harris]

Like cooking.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. It's like cooking. You don't want to just be a fashion writer that does interviews.

[James Harris]

No.

[Steph Yatka]

You know, you gotta, like, that's what we hit them with. Some thoughts. What are you guys most proud of.

[James Harris]

This interview right now? Really hard, you know, honestly, Harder ones to nail you down.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Booking you for sure. Number one by a mile.

[James Harris]

Real tough.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I know.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm leaving.

[James Harris]

What about just writers? Not just at ID right now. Writers in fashion. Who are your favorites right now?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Peers and colleagues.

[Steph Yatka]

I could go on forever. I mean, I feel blessed that Rachel is one of my best friends and one of the best writers. It's like watching Martin Scorsese direct a movie. Like Glazing? No, but it's like, Marty's great.

[James Harris]

I want to see Marty wear some of Rachel's hats.

[Steph Yatka]

Yes. He would look amazing in them. I love Rachel. I love Emelia. I love Liana.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

All friends of the show.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. All friends of the show. I love what Lynette and Brooke do at Harper's Bazaar. I love Jose and Lia and Nicole at Vogue. I love reading Sam stuff at gq. Jacobs at the Times. I mean, if I spoke French, I would read more of Matthew's work.

[James Harris]

All the homies Google Translate that.

[Steph Yatka]

You know, honestly, though, I'm not just saying this, like, Right. Noah has been.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Jay.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Noah Johnson has been, like, one of my favorite editors because he not only shapes your narrative, but he questions the way that you're thinking. But also, he is one of my favorite fashion writers to read.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

He's got bars, especially when he's mad about something.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, but, like, the story he wrote about, like, the other fashion week, like, the slow fashion designers or, like, the Yoji interview. Like, I revisit that stuff a lot. Cause I'm like, you're really telling the story in a great way.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that the only way? I just want to go back to that 31 day, like, those marathons, like, is to be around peers and colleagues who, like, are also friends first. It's like, is it, like, emotional support? Is it, like, motivation to be better? Like, is it all that stuff?

[Steph Yatka]

It's all of the above. Like, I'm a big believer that all boats rise with the tide. And I think, like, it's just so uncool to be competitive with people or, like, like, jealous if someone gets a story and you don't. Like, I'm so excited if one of my friends gets a scoop, because I'm like, wow, now I get to read, you know, whoever on this, you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Or is that the industry changing or a new generation? Generation.

[Steph Yatka]

I think it's a generational thing, because everyone that I mentioned, and I know I'm forgetting people, and I'm gonna call you, like, in two hours and be like, but everyone just wants to see each other win.

[James Harris]

Is the people. Is that your favorite thing about working in fashion media?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

What's your least favorite thing?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who's your least favorite person?

[James Harris]

It's the writer you sent to Coachella.

[Steph Yatka]

My least favorite thing? I don't know.

[James Harris]

Is it the grind? Is it the fact that it just doesn't stop?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, Forever.

[James Harris]

No break, right?

[Steph Yatka]

There's no break. But I think if there was a break, I. You'd be bored.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

A break would be nice to sell some bags.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I could. I could make. I could do some macrame and start an Instagram.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Keep your plants alive.

[Steph Yatka]

You know, my plants would be watered.

[James Harris]

But going back to early in your career, is working at Conde Nast, specifically Vogue, the best training that a young person aspiring to be a fashion media star like Stefi herself can put themselves through?

[Steph Yatka]

I think so. I mean, I thought it was. It was certainly the best training for me, and I worked with the best people at, like, a really exciting time in fashion media where it was, like, you know, the 20s, the late mid, early, mid, late 2000, and tens. Where it was like people like Virgil were just becoming popular. Alessandro. I remember, like the first Alessandro Michele Gucci show. And it was like, I think we were [e-mail]. shit.

[James Harris]

He put snakes on the jeans.

[Steph Yatka]

No, but literally, like the team. And we were such a small [e-mail] and it was like the people in Europe and those of us in the office were in constant communication and everyone, like, in our emails was like, freaking out about this, like, really amazing pivot. And then it was like Balenciaga and Demna got there. Vetmont, like, it was such a lot happening time.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. To be an active time.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, an active time to be writing about fashion and menswear was becoming more of a thing.

[James Harris]

What a time to be blogging.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. It really was like there was. There were no boring days on the Internet. Exciting stuff in the 2010s and, and.

[James Harris]

Being at Vogue and Conde, the beating heart of the whole thing, it opens.

[Steph Yatka]

A lot of doors. A lot of people want to say yes to an interview. I remember, like, the first week we were merged from Style.com to Vogue. We had to, you know, we were working on our pitches for that week and Vetmont had like, just come out with the jeans, like the sort of patchwork together jeans. And I was like, well, we should interview Demna about the jeans. And Nicole was like, okay, cool. And they just, like, someone just gave me Demna's phone number.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Sick.

[Steph Yatka]

And I was like, 24, I think so. But they were like, yeah, you can just text him and he'll, you know, call you. And we talked on the phone and it's like that you just have access to everything when you work at Vogue Throw Gang.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Longtime listeners of the show will know that the only podcast that matters stays repping skims. And we couldn't be more thankful and more appreciative to be an official partner of skims underwear.

[James Harris]

That's right, Lawrence. I've been absolutely sauna pilled. And let me tell you, I know it's not proper etiquette to be looking around at what the other fellows are wearing in the locker room. In fact, it might even be a crime. But I know for a fact that in my cotton 5 inch boxer briefs, everyone else is in their ratty, tore up, nasty looking draws. And your man's over here is in the skims, keeping it high and tight. And honestly, best dressed guy in the.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Locker room, hands down, shout out to all the best dressed guys in the sauna in the locker room. We see you. You know what? Honestly, you're so, right, you got to get your raggedy draws out of the rotation. It's about to be spring, summer, you got shorts on. Everyone maybe is going to see your boxers. You want to hit them with some high end skims underwear like me and James. I personally Love my stretch 3 inch boxer briefs. Keeps me high and tight and all there. Shop skims men's and [e-mail] and if you're in New York, check out the Skims New York flagship on 5th Ave. Let them know that we send you after your place. Your order, select podcast in the survey and select our show throwing fits in the drop down menu that falls Skims is the official underwear partner of the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball.

[James Harris]

Did you ever get Gurham's number?

[Steph Yatka]

I think so, yeah.

[James Harris]

Would you rather hang out with Demna or Gurm?

[Steph Yatka]

Both together. Another goated interview. Whoever gets Demna and Gurham together, I.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Don'T think it'll ever happen. Right? Like, no chance.

[Steph Yatka]

No.

[James Harris]

What are we gonna get first? Peace between these brothers or peace in the Middle East?

[Steph Yatka]

Jury's out.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Honestly, that's a. It's a. It's a toss up.

[James Harris]

Well, well, okay. So that was a very specific time where, like, a lot was happening. It was kind of like, you know, disruption in. In fashion and the media and. And just like how people consume stuff, social media, etc. In 2025 for should young people aspire to work in fashion, media and like, what is your advice to them to break into the industry?

[Steph Yatka]

I think you have to teach yourself how to be an expert. There's obviously like, fashion schools, amazing fashion schools and fashion programs. But I also think, like, fashion is a human industry. You need to, like, know the people, understand the dynamics, be personable, like, go to things. You know, there's a lot of factors that go into being successful. I sound like a career coach, but, like, that's.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We're in the corner of throwing fits where you give career advice.

[Steph Yatka]

Okay.

[James Harris]

Yeah. So be chill.

[Steph Yatka]

Be chill. But also, like, go with it. Like, I never said no to a story and there are stories that I'm like, that was so stupid. Like, why did I go to, like, Coachella? I've never been to Coachella.

[James Harris]

Don't.

[Steph Yatka]

I think I could go. Don't go just to see it. I. The thing about me, which makes this job so fun for me, but is also, like, maybe my, like, character flaw is I. I'll kind of do anything once, you know, like that Pierre Moss show that was in the, like, torrential rain.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Everyone was having a bad time, and I was like, this is cool, you know, like.

[James Harris]

Yeah, because you were wearing a lot of clothing. Everyone else was col.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Shed a layer. You'll dry.

[Steph Yatka]

True, true. Partially true. But, like, I love seeing how the sausage gets made. And even if you go to a shower, you go on a trip. A what? Never mind.

[James Harris]

Sexual.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

They do feel sausage.

[James Harris]

Oh, yeah. Young, young, young bulls.

[Steph Yatka]

Okay, these are flying right over my head here.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You know, ghost is a sex predator. Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Thanks for spelling it out for me.

[James Harris]

So, like, Gosha, say yes to everything.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, one of Gosh's models.

[James Harris]

Just go with it.

[Steph Yatka]

No, no, no, no, no. But, like, onset.

[James Harris]

Go Alexander. Go Wang mode. But okay, like, try everything.

[Steph Yatka]

You got to be down for the adventure, you know?

[James Harris]

Like, and you got to realize that you're not a fudgeing expert.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And you have to kind of like. Like, there's always a story if. Even if everything is going wrong, you know, that's the story, people. Yeah, that's. It's like, the interview is late. The person doesn't have. Doesn't know what they're talking about. Like, there was a mishap. You're in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's raining, like, whatever. Like, that is all information that enriches your experience. And rather than, like, hating it, you need to, like, do kind of, like a psychological switch where you're like, okay, I'm paying attention to everything.

[James Harris]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

And no matter how good this fashion show is or how cool this store opening is or how exciting this, like, interview is, I am telling a story that I want to tell.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

How have you avoided becoming jaded like so many other people in fashion? Is it just, like, a mindset?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, actually, like, one of the earliest times I interviewed Rick Owens, he said something to me. I think I asked him this question, and it didn't make it into the final interview. And he was like, you can't let this industry make you hard. You have to stay soft. Like, you have to stay open.

[James Harris]

Don't tell that to go show.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, it was right there. So it's a mindset.

[Steph Yatka]

It's a mindset. And I also just think, like, I love an adventure. I love doing a little scheme. And in a way, like, going on all these trip, you know, going away for 31 days is like, it's a slog. How do you pack for that mess? It's a slog. But it's also, like, I don't know. To me, it's like a fun little challenge.

[James Harris]

You're very lucky that, like, no, not a lot of people in this world get that opportunity.

[Steph Yatka]

Exactly. Not a lot of people get to do this. Not a lot of people. And, you know, I also am very grateful to now have been doing it for so long that you, like, have friends and places and spaces in these fashion cities where you're like, I'm having the worst day of my. You know, like, it's raining, A PR person yelled at me, an interview got canceled, and I've tripped and fell.

[James Harris]

That you're, like, yelled at you. I know, let's blacklist them forever.

[Steph Yatka]

But you're like, I know who to call or I know where to go to just, like, sit on someone's couch and like, like, put myself back together. So I think that's also a big part of it is like, you can't be.

[James Harris]

You got weed in Paris.

[Steph Yatka]

So addicted.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Your network is your net worth.

[Steph Yatka]

As you said, ye network is your network. You can't be so addicted to the grind that you, like, don't have friends or don't take time to enjoy it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So would you ever catch yourself ever where it's like, maybe you got a bad seat at a fashion show where you, like, you catch yourself getting a little, like, whether it's jaded or like, you know, entitled?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, there are. Yeah, there are moments where you find yourself getting a little, like, grizzled by it all. And that's when you have to be like, Like, I don't know. I just try to, like, astral project to all the moments that I was so excited and desperate to have.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I'll sit third. Like, third row. I don't care.

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, I really don't care where I see sit.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's not a trigger for you or do you have any little triggers in, like, you know, people are late or, like, getting, getting.

[James Harris]

Getting an interview. Cancel on that.

[Steph Yatka]

That's getting an interview. Cancel can suck. Sometimes you're like, thank God.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, yeah, I wasn't prepared.

[Steph Yatka]

But an interview that cancels sucks. I just think the thing that always kind of makes me feel like, ugh, having a bad day is when, you know, I'm a classic, like, over scheduler. Like, I'll be like, I'll go to every show. I want to meet every designer, because I also think it's part of the job. Like, you can't just go to, like, the. The big brand shows and not meet the young designers. But it's like you're running around the city the whole day getting the steps in, like, you know, Eating weird little granola snacks that they give you backstage or whatever. And then it's just like, something totally random goes wrong somewhere else. And it's like, oh, no, we have a fire. Because, like, there was a typo in the newsletter or, you know, like, something totally unrelated. That can be the thing where you're just like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like the straw that breaks the camera. Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

The straw that breaks the camel's back. And I'm always like, try to be remind myself, like, just stay the course. And I also think, like, shout out to Tom. Tom is really good at never getting.

[James Harris]

Worked up, never getting ruffled.

[Steph Yatka]

He's really cool. And he almost, like, thrives in mess in a way that's very tactical.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hence the turtlenecks.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And so, you know, it's like, you've got to be able to, like, pull yourself out of it.

[James Harris]

Right, Right.

[Steph Yatka]

And not just stay in fashion mode 24 7. I mean, I just think the thing that's so. Even though this is my job and it's my life and I love doing it, and I love, like, all my friends that do it, and I love going to Fashion Week. You have to have some, like, you have to have a rich life outside of this, you know, Like, I don't think my seat at the, like, Thom Brown show defines me.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

There's some people that. It does, though.

[James Harris]

It does in our eyes. Stay.

[Steph Yatka]

Or, like, where B2.

[James Harris]

I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, I just think I'm so excited to be there and to see the show. I'm just a fan, but, like, again, even if you're in row, like, 90, that's a great place to be. I sat at this Dior show this season in row five or six or seven. But it's great because then you're kind of with, like, the fans and the clients, and to me, the real ones. Yeah.

[James Harris]

That's Bleacher Creatures.

[Steph Yatka]

That's a great story. You know? Know, it's like, everything.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

If you're just like, I just need to get to the top and interview the creative director, you're missing out on all the other fun stuff that's happening in all the other, like, you just.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Zoom in on Instagram stories and no one can tell.

[James Harris]

Exactly.

[Steph Yatka]

You're like 9x.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Avoiding heads.

[James Harris]

You know, it is for me, it's the thing that'll just really piss me off no matter what. Celebrities showing up late.

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, so selfish.

[James Harris]

To shows specifically where it's like, hey, we all have to, like, sit around and wait for you. You knew starting at 2. Why are you showing up at 2:30?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We're getting glammed up.

[Steph Yatka]

I will say the thing that, like, really can send me is if I have. If I'm dehydrated. That's unlike. Hydration is key. Like, and I want you firmly believe that fashion shows. This is like my platform.

[James Harris]

Let's go.

[Steph Yatka]

Should have. Should serve you water and have accessible bathrooms.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Okay.

[Steph Yatka]

Because if you're running your platform. Yeah. That's like the number one thing I believe you could have the worst fashion show time. But if you're giving people, like, a little food, a little beverage, a little.

[James Harris]

Hey, that's the thing now, right? Like, the row is heading up.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, the row is a great example. Like, I mean, the show is fab, but then afterwards you get a little snack.

[James Harris]

No phones.

[Steph Yatka]

No phones. Which makes it take my phone, give.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Me a slider all day.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Or like a cool tea or something. They have food that I don't even know about. You know, it's like, it's hard to.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The old things have invented new food.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Like, I was like, what is this? They're like, just take it.

[James Harris]

It's a ronut.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

But I'm.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, got him.

[James Harris]

Let's be for real for a second. Social media, what's up with that? No, I'm kidding. But real talk.

[Steph Yatka]

Spit out my water.

[James Harris]

As you're, like, assigning stories, as you're editing stuff, there is always, I'm sure, in the back of your mind, like, how does this get formatted or play or messaged on socials? Which. Whether that's part of the problem or not, of just fashion media in general? If social media was completely out of the equation, how do you think your job as an editor would be different?

[Steph Yatka]

How would I tell people about the articles?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right. So it's about.

[Steph Yatka]

I'd be like, standing on a street corner being like, you'd be on this podcast, cool story about Extra, extra. I'd be. Dude, with this.

[James Harris]

Ray Kawakubo gives us five sentences.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, I think. I mean, to me, it's important as a editor, as a journalist, whatever you want to call it, to, like, tell a story in an engaging way, period. If it's 10,000 words or if it's 10 words, it has to be interesting to somebody. And so, like, you know, throughout my career, there's been this real friction between social and editorial or video social and editorial. Like, they're three different things. And, you know, they. Sometimes companies are structured to have, like, three totally independent teams. And I'm like, but that just doesn't make any. Like, when I go home, I watch a TikTok, I read a tweet, and I write an email or, like, send a newsletter. So, like, why are we siloing people into these buckets that are so unrealistic about how people consume content? Like, yes, you need experts, but I think to work in this industry, you have to have a fluency across the board.

[James Harris]

Like a Swiss army knife.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

And it's like, which goes against what Noah Johnson very tweeted. Like, I don't want to multi hyphenate. I want an expert. It's like, relax.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

An assassin.

[James Harris]

Relax.

[Steph Yatka]

This happens a lot is you get stuck on the carabiner, you can't sit up straight. No, I agree with what I interpreted that tweet as saying, which is like, I don't think there's room for generalists that much anymore. Like, you have to have a vibe or you have to have something. Like, I'm not a music expert, I'm not a film expert. That's why we have someone who writes about film, you know, but it's like, you should be able to, if you. To tell your story across different channels or to explain to people who are experts how it could work. You know, Like, I just don't think there's a. I just don't think it's interesting to me to like, write this Rick Owens profile, turn it in and walk away. Like, I'm like, it matters to me how it's posted on Instagram. It matters to me. Like the videos from the dinner at his house. It matters to me because I care about this story so much. And so I should be able to collab with our social team or our video team or whoever to be like, okay, this is what I was thinking. This is the quote that would be good as a quote card. This is what I think is the craziest picture. And also, like, it. It sharpens your eye for stories.

[James Harris]

When you're assigning and identifying stories, are you already thinking about how to it plays on socials, like in the inception of the story, or does that come later?

[Steph Yatka]

No, I think it has to be there at the start and in an interesting way, like working at essence, the social was the first thing that we, like, remodeled and it was like the tail wagging the dog. Like, everything by starting with social and creating a new vibe there, that can be the trickle down across a brand. That's like, you know, it can change the dynamic. And in a weird way, like, like, not that our magazine Looks like an Instagram, because it doesn't. But, like, we have all these cover lines that I think is very inspired by the way you, like, look at a feed and information, like, crashes up against each other is like, your mind is just wired to see all of these juxtapositions. And so, you know, it makes it interesting graphically to keep that language.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So it's not a necess. So social is not a necessarily necessary evil in your eyes. It's just.

[Steph Yatka]

No, I think it should be fun. Also, like, the best social media accounts are run by people, like, individual people. And I think, like, brand accounts can be so, like, silence brand. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You know, yo, Doritos here.

[James Harris]

I'm crashing out.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Yo, it's Burger King. What up, Wendy wanna. You know, like. That is weird, dude.

[James Harris]

Yeah, is Wendy's chopped? What's your. What's your tick tock for you page look like?

[Steph Yatka]

You know, I. I spent months training it to just be videos of dogs.

[James Harris]

Okay, Nice.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And then it's like, I'll go on the ID Tick tock to look at fashion or, like, cool stuff. And also, like, everyone's sending me the, like, relevant fashion tick tocks and whatever.

[James Harris]

Fashion Twitter is a thing. Fashion X is high fashion. Is high fashion tick tock a thing?

[Steph Yatka]

Definitely.

[James Harris]

Really?

[Steph Yatka]

Definitely.

[James Harris]

I feel it to the same extent of, like, authority that Twitter has.

[Steph Yatka]

Yes. More. I think.

[James Harris]

Wow.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's well researched.

[Steph Yatka]

And not just like, it's well researched. And it's also a bubble, dude.

[James Harris]

Yeah. That's not exist.

[Steph Yatka]

You're just realizing this now because the.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Menswear bubble is like, no, Research is just like, yo, buy this, bro. It's sick. Well, which is so annoying and frustrating.

[James Harris]

Well, it's like, yo, look at this lookbook.

[Steph Yatka]

So interesting. Like, maybe between menswear and womenswear customers.

[James Harris]

Let's go.

[Steph Yatka]

There is. There's this sensitively, like, menswear shot. Like, the menswear community that you guys are a part of is really about buying and acquiring. Whereas I do think, like, a lot of the women's wear fans are about, like, standom appreciation. Include myself in that. Like, there are brands that I love where I don't want to wear the clothes, but I'm like, I like, like, I want to be an expert. I want to know about it, but, like, I'm not necessarily buying Yoji, even though I think he's, like, one of the greatest designers ever.

[James Harris]

You and Noah Johnson.

[Steph Yatka]

It could work for me. It's like, very in line with dress. You're not Weird that I don't own any Yoji, but it's also like, I went to my first Armani show this season, which is. No, Truly the Goat.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No one's arguing that.

[Steph Yatka]

He answered some DMS in the new issue of ig.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Gotta pick it up.

[Steph Yatka]

Great.

[James Harris]

Giorgio knows how to.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Well, I think someone, like, showed them to him.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

They printed out the dms.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't know. I don't know that they faxed it to him.

[James Harris]

My theory, Georgio Armani not alive.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

No.

[James Harris]

Is a Weaken at Bernie situation.

[Steph Yatka]

I saw him with my own eyes.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Was it about. Did he. Did he see the fishing lines that were.

[Steph Yatka]

He honestly looked great.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I was like, he does look good as.

[Steph Yatka]

He looks better than I look.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

He's just tan.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Italian.

[Steph Yatka]

Italian life.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

But, like, I was, like, blown away by the Armani show. I was like, I need to change my whole life and be wearing, like, little bejeweled pants underneath, like, like beige tunics or whatever. But then it's like, I'm never gonna dress like that. But I have a level of sort of respect for it. But I feel like in menswear, it's like, if you like it, you have to put it on.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It's consumption versus just, I think, like a general enthusiasm or appreciation and then the learning. Learning that comes with the standom, I think, is how you phrase it. Right.

[James Harris]

So Marissa Meltzer put it really well, I think that I've repeated often, is that a lot of guys, not all guys, but a lot of guys that maybe recently discovered that fashion is an interest or a hobby of theirs. They treat it like sports.

[Steph Yatka]

Right.

[James Harris]

And then I was talking with my boy, Nathan Pemberton. He's like, you know, the. The personal style development period has shrunk in the age of Instagram and the Internet, where it's like, you don't have to experiment. Experiment and fuck up. You just like this. I want that buy now.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Gimme.

[James Harris]

Add to cart. So a lot of it is just like, acquisition.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Not self expression, per se.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And maybe like, when we were coming up, it was harder to get stuff anyway.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

So you had to be more of, like, a fan than a consumer. One, things are still crazy expensive. But two, like the resale market and vintage stores and everything. Like, like, wasn't then what it is now.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

There's also a bar of entry. Right. Like, yeah.

[James Harris]

So, okay, so social media, you mentioned how you kind of. That's what you used, like, sell what you guys are doing. Right?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. It's also its Own.

[James Harris]

Whether it is, like, a small.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Whether it's a big story or a small story. What, in your opinion, is the most exciting thing happening in fashion right now that you don't think enough people are paying enough attention to?

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, what a good question.

[James Harris]

Is it that Giorgio Moni is actually dead?

[Steph Yatka]

I think fashion right now, and rightfully so, is very consumed with this kind of, like, creative director shuffle that is happening. Everybody is going to a different coaching car. Yeah. It's like every day they're like, it's so high school. The new this, which is like, everyone loves hot goss. It's hot goss. It reflects, like, something about the industry that's, like, It's a little unstable. We're in a recession. Everyone's trying to figure out how to make money when maybe there's, like, you know, the, like, gold rush is over. And so I think, like, being obsessed with it is very valid, but I think, in a way, like, it's all happening over here and over here, like, so many thriving independent brands who have cool ideas about dress, getting dressed or new styles that I'm like, we're all talking so much about, like. Like, Louisville or whatever, you know, like, whatever brand is changing creative directors on this certain day, and it consumes so much coverage. I'm like, but what about all of these people who have built these, like, amazing businesses who have devoted customers, and you have, like, something really to say aesthetically, Like, I just don't want the clothes to be the afterthought to sort of, like, the castle politics.

[James Harris]

Right, Right. Is the fact, though, that it's just like, hey, these guys are doing great things, consistently happen to, like, there's no new story there, per se. I mean, which is not a bad thing, probably.

[Steph Yatka]

But I also think it's like, there's always a story. You know what I mean? Yeah. I think you just have to go and, like, stories.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

There's no story.

[Steph Yatka]

Pick a little bit. Pick some of the layers off the onion. You know what I mean?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, are we missing the forest for the trees then?

[Steph Yatka]

Kind of.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

If we're so, so focused on the shuffle? I think they were missing personal style.

[Steph Yatka]

And a little bit, like, you know, so many of the brands that we like that, like, menswear people like that millennial women, like, just, like, don't get that much mainstream fashion.

[James Harris]

Shadow reformation. For real?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Bernie Melville, fly me out to Coachella reformation for that 500 gift card you offered.

[Steph Yatka]

But, you know, like, I always think about how, like, you got that email. Wait for a 500 gift card.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I could have got a coachella for a 500 gift card for Reformation. Are you kidding me?

[James Harris]

But I think you got. You had to post, like, six reels.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Or something that pays for itself.

[James Harris]

But two years ago, there's the Reformation House disaster, where, like, all these influencers got stranded in the desert. Yeah, some. And they all, like, got. I don't know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, it was like the flood or whatever. Or, like.

[James Harris]

No, they're all stranded.

[Steph Yatka]

Neon Carnival, Burning Man.

[James Harris]

No, no, no. They all got stranded. They all got the flows at Burning Man. They all got stranded at Neon Carnival because they didn't understand, like, the. The shittiness of.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Once again, I wish they all could die.

[Steph Yatka]

Rude.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I kid.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, there's just, like, a lot of cool stuff happening in fashion and a lot of cool designers and, you know, it's like you could walk through Dover Street Market, Paris, and discover, like, a hundred cool things that nobody is writing about, except for, like, our favorite newsletters or, like, really independent magazines. Because it's like, you know, there's just a lot. Yeah, there's a lot. And these mega brands dominate a lot of the conversation. And it's like, I'm not trying to shit on the huge brands because, like, me at the Prada show is like me at Disneyland. Like, I'm having the time of my life. I'm, like, picking up every. I'm like, what does the room smell like? What are they serving in the after show? How's Miuccia's hair? What jewelry does she have on? Where?

[James Harris]

The bathroom?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, where the. There's always a bathroom. They have bar Luce. You get water before the show. You get a little sandwich. I'm. I know that you go downstairs. The bathroom is over there.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Because they have their own venue.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm like, I know. Yeah, you got the little Caprese Panino.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that because it's their own venue?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Versus, like, you know, I'm renting out a, you know, a palazzo that's. However old and.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, but there's.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

There is no plumbing here.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Here's a protest for all of, like, the people who are trying to get into fashion show up to the show a little early. Not too early, because then it's suspicious.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, got nothing better.

[Steph Yatka]

I really have to go to the bathroom. Please can I go to the bathroom? Because I'll take you there, then I'll leave you there. And then half of the time, the bathroom is in the backstage. So you do a little chatting, doing a little scheme. Always. People are always like, you have to go to the bathroom a lot.

[James Harris]

What? Models are maybe getting a little sniffy in the handicap stall.

[Steph Yatka]

It's. It's not really that. It's more just like, you can see, like, the thing that I'm always kind of, like, surprised by at a fashion show is you sit in your seat, you watch the Runway show go by, you run backstage, you're smushed into this scrum of all the other reporters. Like, your arm is numb because you're holding your recorder like this for 20 minutes, zooming, and then you've never touched a garment.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right, Right.

[Steph Yatka]

And, like, yeah, really fucked with me during COVID when we would do all these zoom reviews. And if the designers, like, weren't even with the clothes, like, they didn't have a rail of clothes in the room. They'd just be showing you, like, share screen a picture. And I'd be like, listen, I'm no expert, but, like, I know Photoshop exists, and obviously, like, you know, the whole industry is like, a little bit smoke and mirrors. Like, you're accustomed to maybe the sample not being the same production as what goes into stores. But I was just like, this is crazy to review clothes from a picture and not even, like, okay, they have a model, someone's putting it on, and you're kind of, like, leaning into the screen to be like, okay, no, really nice eyelet you've got there. So, yeah, I think, like, if you really want to get the scoop, you have to try to sneak backstage, touch the clothes. And then I always ask the models, I'm like, do you like your outfit? Are you comfortable? How are the shoes? Are you walking okay?

[James Harris]

Are they feeding you?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Like, what was the snack before? How long?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Twice.

[Steph Yatka]

If you're being held hostage, how is your hair? Like, you know, you just need to kind of, like, understand the scene. And I guess that some brands really work hard to, like, oh, keep everybody in their lane, which I totally respect. You know, like, fashion people are always trying to break into the shows, but, like, I just want to know all the little details. I want all that.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The devil is in there.

[James Harris]

This is why.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

For a reason.

[James Harris]

This is why you are at where you're at.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, true. That's why you're good at your job.

[James Harris]

Can we ask you if there's anything happening in menswear that's exciting you?

[Steph Yatka]

Specifically, I want. I actually wanted to ask you something about menswear, which is, everybody has a barn jacket. And what's that about?

[James Harris]

Workwear? Cosplay.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, but it's an extension of the workwear cosplay. Sort of like the peak. Like Williamsburg. Carhartt, man. Like, is he still around?

[James Harris]

No, he moved upstate right now. You move to Greenpoint right now. The trend in menswear is workwear items and women, too. You work wear items made out of, like, very luxurious material.

[Steph Yatka]

Yes.

[James Harris]

So, for example, that orally.

[Steph Yatka]

It was the orally jacket.

[James Harris]

It's the orally jacket.

[Steph Yatka]

So nice, though.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Yeah. It's not even the right time to wear it because it's 40 degrees out, so your boy had to layer up.

[Steph Yatka]

It's a beautiful.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thank you for your service.

[James Harris]

Barn coats. I don't know. I think it's just, like, because Noah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

John said chore coats were dead, so now we're on.

[Steph Yatka]

True.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Everybody moved on.

[James Harris]

Thanks, Noah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No, it's just. I think it's an exciting extension of. Yeah. That workwear, which is all coming from, like, normcore had that great moment, and it is, like.

[James Harris]

Yeah, it's a bit gorpy where it's, like, outdoorsy but not, like, technical. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're not gonna wear it in a shower for a tick tock.

[Steph Yatka]

Do you guys think tailoring, like, what's happening in tailoring you had there from husbands on?

[James Harris]

Oh, sure.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, there's a lot. I think there's a lot of great. Whether it's husbands or Samana Mall, like, there's a lot of cool, like, defining, like, a new, new look. And ever for tailoring, that's not, you know, this isn't your grandfather. It's not Savile Row. It's not all the Neapol. The Neapolitan tailors and brands. Yeah. It's not your. It's not. It's not your dad's suit.

[Steph Yatka]

Right, Totally.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's exciting.

[Steph Yatka]

To go back to my point from before. It's like, you know, nobody would have found out about husbands if, like, you and Sam Hein weren't really putting them on.

[James Harris]

That's. That's not true.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't know. I mean, that's certainly.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You said it.

[Steph Yatka]

I found out about it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, yeah, but you're. Are you.

[Steph Yatka]

But I'm a fashion person who's like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, they're not. It's not.

[Steph Yatka]

They're not a clothing brand. Sure. It's a tailoring brand. And I think, you know, there's just lots of other things that you can discover if you're not at fashion week.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, for sure.

[Steph Yatka]

At a fashion show. And that's, like, part of this industry. I mean, I have curious by half.

[James Harris]

The People at Paris Fashion Week are not. More than half are not going to shows. And that is. We do appreciate that the. The other Fashion Week is no coined. It does exist. Where it's like show showrooms.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Like sales appointments and sales guys, NPR guys that are like willing to actually like open up their doors to non buyers. Right. It's not just B2B anymore.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right. But it is where the business is getting done, which is also exciting because it's real tangible shit.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. It's cool.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You can circumstance, you know.

[Steph Yatka]

Lot. Like two weeks ago, I went to the 6397 shout out my Pants showroom and I ran into Rachel and Amelia. We all went independently. We're just trying on clothes. Like. That's amazing. That looks great. Oh my God. This jacket, you know, and it's like, like fashion is also about like community and commonality. And it's like those things to me are kind of more fun.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

For going to a big fashion show where there's like the drama, you know. I love it a little.

[James Harris]

It's a spectacle, but it's also spectral. The last 10 minutes.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. But I do love like, the Vic's are coming. You're waiting for the celebrity. The music is weird.

[James Harris]

Oh, the Vic's are probably the most interesting part of fashion right now because they're all these crazy weirdos.

[Steph Yatka]

The Vic is.

[James Harris]

We were at the Louis show last summer and the Vic's were like. Those are the. The.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

There's a line for the Vic's for their own step and repeat. And that's like so cool. The cuz. It's the best outfits.

[Steph Yatka]

Well, it's the most interesting outfits. Like it's.

[James Harris]

They're wearing Lou.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You can't look away.

[James Harris]

They're wearing Lou in a way that the influencers and celebrity ambassadors are not.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Not how the brand is dressing.

[Steph Yatka]

If you're the Vic, you get to style it yourself.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And that's two different shoes. That's what I learned to show that you have. Have two pairs of LV, AF, 1s, two different shoes. Someone. Some people.

[Steph Yatka]

That's.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So you can show you have more than one pair.

[James Harris]

One of my favorite fashion stores.

[Steph Yatka]

What do you got? What are you guys wearing? Different shoes. No, no.

[James Harris]

One of my. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Broke ass. I got.

[James Harris]

She got four skirts on.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

One of my favorite fashion stories of the last like five years. I was in the New Yorker where I. I don't know the writer, but they went to the Dolce and Gabbana, like couture Vic destination thing, which it's all just like oligarchs, and they're so significant others. And. And it's just like the most hedonistic bacchanal list. Orgiastic, gaudy orgy. Like, it's in insane.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

And it is just like, this is where the money is. If you get like. Oh, like, you know, brand cachet and social media, it's like, it is a. The wife of a man that now runs like Gazpom in Russia. War criminal murdered who knows how many, you know, ethnic minorities in the Gulags. That is now, like, splashing out a million dollars and just spending a week in Capri with all her contemporaries. And this is what they do. This is the world that, like, we don't know about her or see, because, like, it's just over there or up there.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

War criminal wags the most interesting customer. Like, true. But that's why Core.

[James Harris]

Yeah. More criminal core.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I want to go. I would throwing fits. Would love to go to any of.

[James Harris]

These.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Wife and girlfriend vic trips.

[James Harris]

Stefano. I know I'm Asian, but bang, my line. They're the ones that. Right.

[Steph Yatka]

I remember. Yeah. Yeah.

[James Harris]

That was crazy.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I will say, like, a Destination show is the most immersive brand experience. Yeah.

[James Harris]

What was the last Destination show you went to?

[Steph Yatka]

H. Great question. I went to the Balenciaga show in la, which isn't going to LA is.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like the Erewhon show.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Which for me is like. That's like, I'm on a cultural safari because I never go to la.

[James Harris]

And I don't know, Morocco with Saint Laurent sounds slightly more sick.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I went to if only had a newsletter.

[Steph Yatka]

Japan with Dior Men.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That was pretty fire.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

That was amazing. I went to Shanghai with Prada and Chloe. You just, like. You know, you're really in it. Like, there's no other. You're on, like, an agenda. You're doing the thing. You're seeing the people.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're being held captive, you know, in a luxurious way.

[Steph Yatka]

I've gone to a lot of the Jacques Moose destination shows as well, which are really, like, the vibe, the sightseeing, the whole experience, the set, you know, pristine vibes. It's a real. Sometimes you're like, I feel like I'm in a movie. But that, interestingly, is that the point is that you feel like fantasy. Yeah. But I like to see where there's a little crack, you know? I'm like, is it all.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're scheming for cracks? She's scheming for crack in Shanghai.

[James Harris]

She's feeding for crack.

[Steph Yatka]

You know, there's always like a little something that little behind the scenes.

[James Harris]

Oh, for sure. Like the paint, little, you know, Potemkin Village vibes.

[Steph Yatka]

How'd they get everyone here? You know?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Money.

[James Harris]

They paid for them.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, I know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Money, honey.

[James Harris]

What?

[Steph Yatka]

No, I'm just like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I mean, you're. You didn't pay for your own travel and accommodation.

[Steph Yatka]

No, no, no, I know, but it's just. It's like a behemoth. It's better. It's. It just gives you a different view of what the brand wants to say than you could ever get at Fashion Week because they have to be on the calendar with everybody else.

[James Harris]

So when they are in complete control of the world building.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, that's why they do it.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, no, that's totally why they do it.

[James Harris]

They flew economy poor.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is that the future? All these, like, specific. I feel like I'm seeing it a.

[Steph Yatka]

Lot more in the recession, like, not in the world that we're about to live in or the luxury survives, you know, now. But I do think it became. When you can control the whole narrative. Like, brands love it, you know?

[James Harris]

Who do you think does that? The best.

[Steph Yatka]

I haven't been on one of these, but I would say Brunello.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, shout out friends at Brunello.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, Like Sam Coochie Gang. Sam Hein went on one and was like, regaling me with the stories, and I was like, this is nicer than anything I've ever seen. Yeah, it was. I think it was for his birthday.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What, Brunello's birthday?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, he had a birthday, but it wasn't even a bachelor show. It was just like. It was. But, you know, it's just like the level of. I mean, he literally owns the town.

[James Harris]

Yes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Well, he's. He's the mayor.

[James Harris]

It's a company town.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

There's a soccer team. There's a olive oil. Yeah, there's. There's.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, there's like the pasta even.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Just like the dinner, like, we went when we were at Pity, like, you know, their private dinner, which is like, again, off. Off campus. It's not like some, you know, apps and champagne in the fortress. It's. It's like. It's a. It's La Dolce Vita. It's a movie. Dude. Shout out Coochie. We love. We love coochie gang.

[James Harris]

So when you're traipsing around the world, just floring your way as a lugging.

[Steph Yatka]

My overweight suitcase between skirts as a.

[James Harris]

Fashion gat about with the joie de vivre you bring while feeding for the crack. Who's the most fun fashion homie to party with? Who are you hitting up for a good time? I like that.

[Steph Yatka]

That's so hard to answer. The most fun fashion homie. Yeah.

[James Harris]

Not just your best homie, but, like.

[Steph Yatka]

No, I know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, there's a diff. You know, maybe someone just. You need in a small doses. But they're fun.

[James Harris]

Bump into them.

[Steph Yatka]

I like the GQ parties. I'll say. I.

[James Harris]

What did. No.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, you're not.

[James Harris]

Well, you like the GQ parties, but.

[Steph Yatka]

The ones Men's Fashion Week, it's like everybody goes. Like, I'd like to be at a party where everybody's there and it's crowded and it's kind of chaotic and like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, it must be nice.

[Steph Yatka]

But then you can. Not everybody goes. Or everyone but everyone but my two best friends on the only podcast that matters.

[James Harris]

Yo, what's up with the ID part? Parties. Where are invites?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, honestly, we were complaining about this.

[Steph Yatka]

One of us was complaining the fact.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That, like, we are seeing Robbie at raps and we didn't even get invited and you come on the.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm sorry, it's all some artichokes T shirts.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thank you. So then they're. And that was an awesome gift and I will be wearing that to look cool. But like, who.

[James Harris]

Who?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, who's the PR company?

[Steph Yatka]

It was just a very small dinner.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, don't give me that.

[Steph Yatka]

All right. I didn't even get to ring my fiance, so.

[James Harris]

Yeah, no.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Because he's on a podcast.

[James Harris]

No plus ones. Because you want people to get fucked up and party.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Well, okay. Next party in New York. You guys are there.

[James Harris]

Thank you. But who is the most fun fashion party with? It will be us when we do get to hang out.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I don't know. I do really, like, hang out with Sam because Sam goes to everything, so you can kind of just go, right?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Plus one.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Be his plus one. Ride his coattails a little bit.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

To all the husband's coattails.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. To all the little fun parties. And it's like, also, like, when I started doing, like, the circuit, I was working at Vogue and I was doing so many reviews every day that I never went to a fashion party. Like, I was just. I would get home from the last show, sit in my hotel room, and write for three to six hours. That's so, like, not fun. I mean, it was. I thought it was fun. I never really was out and about, so I missed, like, what probably were my best best partying years.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Your prime.

[Steph Yatka]

My prime.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So now you're sitting on the bench like Jordan Love.

[Steph Yatka]

Bopping around to a little bit of everything and be like in bed by midnight.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Little sample. Sample.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Just.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, that's a mature way to party.

[James Harris]

The poo platter.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

One drink at each.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. One drink at each. And then you're done and you hit 12 functions.

[James Harris]

Yeah. You know, a baker's home, a baker's dozen of functions.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

And then you're good. Steph, what's your media diet? What do you like to read and consume and look at?

[Steph Yatka]

I'm very like my media diet, despite the fact that I'm still like TikTok, Instagram, whatever. Like, I still like, wake up is like New York Times, BBC, BoF, WWD. Like I need to like, read all the trades before I can.

[James Harris]

Acronyms.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Bad letters.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Your trade.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. New York Magazine. I love. I check New York Magazine like the most. I think.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Think the cut specific.

[Steph Yatka]

The cut Vulture. I love like the whole thing because I also just like, you know, the more. This is so emo, but I'm like, the more you are traveling around the rest of the world, the more I miss New York. I'll be like, wow, what's going on? You know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Damn, dude.

[James Harris]

What's on eater's heat map?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I'm like, what's everybody eating in New York? Like? What? Martini is good?

[James Harris]

Are we still doing filthy?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, exactly.

[James Harris]

Let's fucking stop with that. By the way, what's your martini order?

[Steph Yatka]

Filthy.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Filthy.

[James Harris]

Really dirty. Little slutty.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, I thought. Isn't vodka the standard for dirty? No.

[Steph Yatka]

I don't know. I don't know what people are doing. I love Filthy Vulture olives. Like briny, like blue cheese olives.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thank you.

[James Harris]

Shrimp cocktail. Garnish.

[Steph Yatka]

No, no, no. I don't like too much. I still wanted to have this sort of like chicken wing foundational. Still be the point of ordering a martini is you want to feel a little chic than you are. So you can't be putting in aspirational like a blue cheese or a cocktail. That's for your Bloody Mary.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's for poor people.

[James Harris]

That's for like too many martinis the night prior.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Your drink shouldn't be a meal unless you're at Dallas BBQ having like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

With a fucking upside down, upside down.

[Steph Yatka]

Frozen pina colada and a bunch of snacks.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Corona Bulldog Dog.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, I love. I had a birthday party there.

[James Harris]

Oh, the best.

[Steph Yatka]

There was no food it was just.

[James Harris]

Everybody got these on 23rd street or the one on 2nd. The last big rip.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Did you learn that from Rachel? Because she had a birthday party there, which was the only. The most recent time. This is many years ago. But she's also. Because. Or she held something there that was.

[Steph Yatka]

I did, but I'm just a fan of, like, a. A fun restaurant.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, sure.

[Steph Yatka]

You know.

[James Harris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, I love the Cheesecake Factory.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Who doesn't?

[James Harris]

What's your order? There's.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Where to begin. Huge.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I mean, it takes 40 minutes to go through the menu. I like the cheesecake with the cookie dough in it. Huh. It's really good.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

But you can only eat it, like, once a year because, like, sugar.

[James Harris]

Yeah. To compliment the cheeseburger. Egg rolls.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

There are avocado egg rolls actually at the Cheesecake Factory.

[Steph Yatka]

I haven't been in a while.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No, they don't.

[James Harris]

I think they do.

[Steph Yatka]

Not to make it about us, but the Cheesecake Factory at the Riverside Square Mall moved. It used to be, like, in the front of the mall, and it was, like, crazier and fabulous, and now it's in the back of the mall.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is there one at Palisades, too? Do they have a Cheesecake Factory at Palisades?

[Steph Yatka]

I don't know, because they had, like, everyone. They had Rainforest Cafe where I had a lot of. Yes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

They had the rain, everything. I think the one.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Maybe it's the standalone one now in Korean.

[James Harris]

James knows his Jersey Cheesecake Factory egg roll sampler. You got. Got avocado egg rolls, Tex Mex egg rolls, cheeseburger spring rolls, and chicken.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, see? Ah, technicality.

[Steph Yatka]

Like a tuna tartar one.

[James Harris]

I bet they have spicy tuna.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, like, they're definitely, like, crispy rice. Yeah.

[James Harris]

Okay. So your palate was molded in New.

[Steph Yatka]

Jersey mall finest restaurants.

[James Harris]

Was your fashion sense. Kind of was your gestation period. Did that happen in Jersey mall culture?

[Steph Yatka]

What.

[James Harris]

What type of mall rat were you?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You.

[Steph Yatka]

I.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hot Topic for sure.

[Steph Yatka]

Well, this is the thing was, like, at the time, I was like, I'm not cool enough to be in Hot Topic. I love. No.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So you don't understand. Can I just say, to your point, James, and to step point, there is. It's weird. In New Jersey Hot Topic. It's like the final boss.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Because it's like some mean person who, like, will judge you based on the banty. Even though, like, we're all in the mall. Dog.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You know, like, there's a Panda Express.

[Steph Yatka]

Kind of like, kiosk Mean kids who worked at the movie theater were hot topics, and they were a little intimidating to me.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She is so correct.

[Steph Yatka]

I was more. I really think, like, the whole staff. Yodka ism was, like, forged in a limited, too. What is it?

[James Harris]

What is that?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Accessible.

[Steph Yatka]

It's a girly story, a girly store. It was very, like, how Lizzie McGuire dressed, which is like how I dress today. But then I would still go to, like, Abercrombie Hollister, did you think you.

[James Harris]

Ever crossed paths with my man over here?

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, we must have, I'm sure, floor. I was in that Hollister all the time because a friend, one of my friend's older brothers, worked in that Hollister.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And I sold. I mainly sold women's. I was selling, like, leggings with my beat.

[Steph Yatka]

Kane.

[James Harris]

Remember Kane?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No. I don't know.

[Steph Yatka]

I think he's, like, way older than us.

[James Harris]

Oh, damn. Did he beat your ass?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No. Honestly, everyone's cool. I was. I got invited to a lot of.

[Steph Yatka]

Parties, but, yeah, malls were where it was at in the 90s.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

And I think all of those.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Did you work in the mall?

[Steph Yatka]

I didn't work in the Mali. Let's try that one again. I worked at a vintage store in Englewood.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, that's cool. That's actually cool.

[James Harris]

Really? That's cooler.

[Steph Yatka]

But it had no foot traffic.

[James Harris]

Was it, like, cool vintage or was it, like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Like, Mom Goodwill Mom.

[Steph Yatka]

It was like the fancy ladies of, like, Inglewood class Alpine would kind of, like, send their old stuff dumping ground. Yeah, like, designer. It. There was. Was lots of nice designer stuff in there. Like, I remember there were Chanel bags, there were fur coats. But then there was also just, like, weird, you know? What?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Did you ever come up on anything crazy? Did you even know, like, at the time that you were surrounded by greatness?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, I knew it was cool, but I also knew we were, like, never gonna sell any of it. And so, like. And also, like, back then in the 2000s, like, vintage wasn't really cool. Like, everyone wanted to dress.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

You know, or, like, Juicy or, like. There was another store wearing used clothing, bro. Yeah, it was very uncomfortable. I had, like. I would, like, buy little vintage slips or whatever from this vintage store, but I never wore them to school. I wore them, like, on the weekend or if we were coming to the city, I'd wear, like, my cute little.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Outfit, you know, you'd be judged at school, like, in, like, being dusty or something.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, totally.

[James Harris]

I get it. You ever come up with any Comme des Garcon?

[Steph Yatka]

No. No, no, not in New Jersey. In, like, 2003.

[James Harris]

When did. I'm always curious with, like, like, calm queens. When did you fall in love with the brand?

[Steph Yatka]

A lot more recently than maybe people expect.

[James Harris]

Okay.

[Steph Yatka]

I really was raised on a fashion diet of, like, Lizzie McGuire. I was, like, so into, like, Avril Lavigne. Oh, like, I wore a tie. Yeah. I was wearing a tie to middle school. Yeah. With. I had a knockoff, which I only realize now was like, a knockoff of a Phoebe Philo Chloe T shirt with a pineapple on it. But they were selling it at Limited, too. But, like, there was one on the Runway in, like, 2004 that I would wear with the tie.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Wow.

[James Harris]

Will it Bennett stole your whole swag?

[Steph Yatka]

No, but this is the thing is, like, now I'm like, oh, I want to wear the tie again. But now I'm stealing her swag. So you can't, you know, you have to wear it sometimes.

[James Harris]

Very, very in right now.

[Steph Yatka]

Very in. But, like, so, yeah, I was like, that kind of stuff. Music videos you would see on mtv. Sure. They love Missy Elliott. The whole ethos of, like, a Missy Elliott music video where there's, like, different clicks and they all have different style. And, like, she's so cool.

[James Harris]

Alien ant farm.

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, I do criminal. I do love Blink182.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, my. Guys, like, what was your screen name?

[Steph Yatka]

Bashedly.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What was your screen name?

[Steph Yatka]

I never had, like, a cool screen name. My screen name was just like, none.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Of them are cool.

[Steph Yatka]

No, but it was like. Like, people have ones. X, asterisk, whatever. It was like, super Ceph 22.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What's the 22 for?

[Steph Yatka]

That's my birthday.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay.

[Steph Yatka]

The 22nd.

[James Harris]

February 2nd.

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, no. July 22nd.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I was.

[James Harris]

Oh, a Leo.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What was yours?

[James Harris]

I'm a cancer. Oh, July 4th.

[Steph Yatka]

Happy birthday. Let's have a joint birthday party.

[James Harris]

I'm down. Yes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, yours was blind.

[James Harris]

Like, blind jaw 320.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Wow. Dude.

[James Harris]

I was. Yeah, I was. I had a. Actually, back to skating. I had. I rode blind.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You rode for blind.

[James Harris]

I had a blind board. I thought the little death guy was cool.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That was sick.

[James Harris]

Blind board was like. He just, like, cut a. A giant safe that landed on a guy in the street who was, like, bleeding out.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That was my board.

[Steph Yatka]

Hell, yeah.

[James Harris]

Yeah. What was yours?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

L182s. Because of Blink 182.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

[James Harris]

What swag did you steal from Blink182?

[Steph Yatka]

Just, like.

[James Harris]

Like, leather cuffs with spikes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And that wasn't. See, that's not. That's not blink.

[Steph Yatka]

No, dude, that's not blink.

[James Harris]

That's not yet.

[Steph Yatka]

I had studied. Here's the thing. Even though I was too scared to go into the Hot Topic, I had the studded belts in every color.

[James Harris]

And you still kind of do.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, they still kind of do, but also, like, so, like, concurrent with all of this kind of, like, emo, alt pop punk, MTV music video stuff that was happening in New Jersey at the time, as Lawrence can attest. I also was obsessed with fashion in a way that it was like, really the era of, like. Like, Mark by Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Betsy Johnson. Like, I was a huge Betsy Johnson head. Like, we would drive to the city to go to the sample sales. I would make my mom take Nano Girls, the Ana Sui store, like, they had. It was also a great era for stuff. Like, all of these stores, even though they were highbrow designer stores, had kind of these displays by the entrance where they'd have, like, keychains and hair clips and scrunchies and pens, which is like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

The bag is from Mark by Marc Jacobs store in 2004 that still has my keys on it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Why? Why did things get so exclusionary then?

[Steph Yatka]

And it was fun. And I will say that Mark by Marc Jacobs store on Bleecker Street. I would go, like, once a month at least, and I was there hanging out so much as a teenager, buying, like, all the little bits that one of the sales guys asked me on a date, and I just found his phone number still saved in my phone.

[James Harris]

Did you go on a date?

[Steph Yatka]

No, because it was like. Like, wait, he was my parents? Yeah. That's like the biggest plot twin of Twitter now.

[James Harris]

Yo, yo, how's it, like, my parents.

[Steph Yatka]

Would walk down Bleecker street and get, like, Italian pastries or whatever, and they would just leave me in the store because they're like, what's she gonna do in here?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, free, baby.

[James Harris]

I get hit on by the sales.

[Steph Yatka]

Associate, by some gay guy.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Literally hit on by some in the closet gay guy.

[James Harris]

His screen name.

[Steph Yatka]

And later that night, he was like, what are you up to now? I'm in Brooklyn. And I was like, I'm in New Jersey, where I live, yo.

[James Harris]

I'm at this vice party.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, it was really bad.

[James Harris]

I'm on north fourth Street.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Damn. He might have been. I mean, if he was in Brooklyn back then. He's fucking cool partier dude.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

I mean, it was Shane Smith.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It was Gavin McGinnis.

[James Harris]

You were almost a proud girl.

[Steph Yatka]

But so, yeah, I was really into. Like, there were so Many fashion brands that were kind of like accessible to teenagers or changers with teenagers started wanting to dress like adults. Which was interesting because I remember like interviewing the costume designer for Mean Girls at one point. And you know, you can kind of see like a market shift between. There was a time where like in the late 90s, the coolest person you could look like was a skateboarder or like someone related to a skateboarder or like a girl who would wear like a lot of clothes and patterns and like, like had a lot of crap. And then all of a sudden there was like an early 2000s clean girl aesthetic where it was like, you just want to look like a little grown up. That's what the costume designer of Mean Girls was saying was like. We noticed that teenagers just want to look like little adults. Like they're wearing peep toe shoes. They have like the Louis Vuitton Murakami bag. They have like the hair like blow dried in a way that, you know, it wasn't cool to be a kid anymore. And I think that still like really holds true today with like day the music died. Yeah. Still see it today. Like so many brands that are marketed to young people are like adult clothes. And then there's this whole like beauty boom with Sephora and now it's all like overrun by teens who are using like anti aging serums and they're like 12. And so, you know, I.

[James Harris]

Too early.

[Steph Yatka]

It's cool.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Getting all zempic now.

[Steph Yatka]

Girls, it's cool to be young. It's cool to be like a weird.

[James Harris]

Right?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You should embrace the. Don't you have your whole life, your.

[Steph Yatka]

Whole life to be adult?

[James Harris]

Murder 500 teenagers to be one again? No, but like, crazy.

[Steph Yatka]

It's the best being young and having no responsibility. But you think it sucks.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Rose colored lenses. Looking back, you don't know what you got till it's gone. Paradise. And they put up a mall.

[James Harris]

I know.

[Steph Yatka]

And we were hanging out in it. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And we're having the best.

[James Harris]

Well, while you were hanging out at Marc Jacobs and your parents were walking down Bleecker street on their section the city tour. Whatever. I want to ask about your dad.

[Steph Yatka]

Dad, right. Style icon.

[James Harris]

What's his name?

[Steph Yatka]

Walt.

[James Harris]

How did Walt, your father become a fashion Runway sensation who's giving Alex Konsani a run for her money? And does he also speak with a black sense?

[Steph Yatka]

After my dad walked in this fashion show, I swear to God, like less than 12 hours later, he was walking around in the hotel and being like, I could be with Gigi I could.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Be with hell a man after my own heart, dude. And I was like okay than his stomach.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

He my dad, he's got a walk.

[Steph Yatka]

He's got a walk. He's got an aura.

[James Harris]

You can say he walks very still.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You could put a he's or a farm.

[James Harris]

Put a martini martini on his head and wouldn't spill.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. My dad's always been stylish and I remember being a kid and I was like obsessed with the Spice Girls and he would always be like the chicest outfit you can wear is a Gap button down and pants like Sharon Stone. And I was like, yeah. And he was like, this is is chic.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Explain like an adult. Don't have fun.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, explain this to me. Wear some affordable fast fashion Steve Madden platforms and zebra pants.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right.

[James Harris]

You know was are sure he was just trying to like steer you towards like the more affordable options.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

More mod or more modest.

[Steph Yatka]

No, I think he was just like cover up. No, he was like very like chic classics, you know. Like my dad's always been like an Armani guy. You like very simple, elegant, the best, you know, and so off duty model dressing.

[James Harris]

How many runways has he walked?

[Steph Yatka]

Just the one. Well, he walked okay. He walked the Chapova Loana show at London Fashion Week last September.

[James Harris]

Did he get flown into London for that?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, I mean we went. We made it into a family vacation. I wasn't like sponsor Walt's trip, right. Because my parents had never been to England or France. So then they went to London, they went to this show, they took the Eurostar, they went to Paris. I was so worried that they were going to be in Paris and get like totally lost or mugged because you know how your parents, they're just like, they don't know how to use Google maps. Like what's going to happen to them? They had the best time that only.

[James Harris]

Knows one direction down the Runway.

[Steph Yatka]

Walk right back. So you know, the Chipova Luana designers are my friends and we had always.

[James Harris]

Like, oh, he's a Nepo.

[Steph Yatka]

Nepo parent. He's a Nepo dad.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Jesus, you hate to see it.

[James Harris]

And so I think cops mother Nepo babies.

[Steph Yatka]

He met them like we were FaceTiming over the holidays once and you know, I was like, say hi to my parents. They're like, oh, your dad because he has white hair, white beard, great head of hair. Great head of hair.

[James Harris]

What the hell?

[Steph Yatka]

And you know, very into clothes routine once. I mean just like a regular shampoo. Oh, I know he's born with it.

[James Harris]

Yeah, maybe it's Maybelline.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. No, but I don't know. What was I saying? So he. You're FaceTiming the designers, timing the designers. They were like, whoa, your dad has such, like, a vibe. And I will say, like, so much aura. I'm very lucky to have always had parents that were, like, supportive of my interests, you know, like, they knew I was into fashion. My mom got a WWD subscription in, like, 2000.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Damn.

[James Harris]

Shout out white liberal parents.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, they would drive me to the city. My parents would let me, like, skip school if I wanted to go to the Met. Like, I'd be like, I want to go see the Costume Institute. And they'd be like, we'll drive you. Or like, I want to go to this store. You know? Like, they were very supportive. So as I actually, like, skipping school. Yeah, no, seriously. Because they were like, you can't learn everything in a book, you know? Nope.

[James Harris]

You got books. Listen to podcasts.

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, I also just want to caveat this with, like, I was a real nerd.

[James Harris]

Oh, okay.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

So you're doing well in school. So they're like.

[Steph Yatka]

They were like, if you want trip one Friday a month and kind of, like, cut school and go do something, it's okay.

[James Harris]

Yeah. You're allowed Fire Hard Knock University.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

They were investing in your future.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And it paid off, so. But then as I got successful or more in the fashion industry, they, like, cared more about designers and brands and, you know, like, read all my articles. My dad literally, like, prints them out. Like, there's, like, a binder of articles.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That's awesome.

[Steph Yatka]

So he was into the Chipova Loena brand. As I got into it, they met him on a FaceTime, and it kind of became at first what I thought was a joke that they were like, your dad could be in the show. And I was like, that's so.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No, we're asking. We're asking.

[Steph Yatka]

That's so nice. Like, you guys are being really sweet, but, like, like, you don't. You don't have to do that, you know?

[James Harris]

Could you lose 20 pounds?

[Steph Yatka]

He wore a custom look. Oh, I know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Does he still have the.

[Steph Yatka]

No, no. Because they kept it for, like.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay. Archival purposes.

[James Harris]

What is homies at the Pub think of this?

[Steph Yatka]

I.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You never been to England, dude at.

[Steph Yatka]

The local Jersey doesn't have at the Cheesecake Factory.

[James Harris]

At the diner. At the diner.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

At the bar at Houl.

[James Harris]

What is Homies at the Hool? Hands Think.

[Steph Yatka]

I think everybody was kind of like, what? Like, my mom was like, there they.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Don'T understand gay dude.

[Steph Yatka]

They're like. They don't really get that. They don't really get it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thought you were married to a woman.

[Steph Yatka]

He did a great job, and now he's, like, addicted to clout. To, like, Runway modeling. He.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Is he.

[James Harris]

Does he have an agent?

[Steph Yatka]

No. He did call me, like, a couple of months ago and was like, so what do you think? Elite or img? I was like, nobody reach out to you?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I need to book some gigs for the next.

[Steph Yatka]

So he really wants to keep. Keep doing it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Good for him.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

I guess I should be, like, more proactively helping him get gigs. But I also, like, it went right to his head.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

He was like, immediately, like. He did an interview with Vogue about it. He was all on Instagram.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

People were such an EPO parent.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Like, it was like, you know, and he had the best time, and he loved it. And, like, thank you forever, Emma and Laura, for having him in the show. He went to the after party.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Guest of honor, Walt, with so good hair.

[James Harris]

The most fun fashion homie party with is.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Is my dad. Honestly, he loves to party. And so then when Liana was doing this sale, she was like, can your dad do it? And he did. And James was also there, and he loved.

[James Harris]

I learned everything I know from Walt.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You and everyone else.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Apparently taking the industry by storm.

[Steph Yatka]

And now he got, like, a, like, Chipova Loena fleece. Like, payment for the. Wears it. Yeah, he wears it all the time. And he's like, everyone in the neighborhood loves the fleece. And I'm just like, it's so sweet.

[James Harris]

I wore this to pickle ball.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Honestly, wearing this to the bar to watch the Giants game, you know?

[James Harris]

Nice.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Crying into the fleece.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Beautiful.

[James Harris]

James would like this. Speaking of continuing on with family, before you met the love of your life, your boyfriend, you're engaged to. Did you date in the fashion world?

[Steph Yatka]

No.

[James Harris]

Were you, like, church and state? I know. This is gonna be a nightmare. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Actively avoiding the cesspool or were they just, like.

[James Harris]

No. Straight guys.

[Steph Yatka]

Wasn't really meeting dudes at the fashion function. You'll be surprised to hear in the early 2000s, there wasn't a lot of.

[James Harris]

Like, eligible straight guys hadn't discovered. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You hadn't been given our voice and representation in this industry. Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And I went to school in the city, so I just met a lot of other, like, weird dudes.

[James Harris]

Right.

[Steph Yatka]

You know, like, every guy's, like, going to the new school for creative writing or, like, playing. That's like, their band is playing at McKibben Lofts.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

It's like, a lot of that.

[James Harris]

A lot of. Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Sorry, I don't want an sti. But your fiance, he's a butcher.

[Steph Yatka]

Yes.

[James Harris]

How much meat do you guys eat?

[Steph Yatka]

Here's the irony is I'm vegetarian.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Whoa. How does that do? It's like Beauty and the Beast, dude. You would never. You would never think.

[James Harris]

Does he not eat meat? Because he's like, yeah, he would meet it out.

[Steph Yatka]

I think a lot of people are like, isn't he so sad when you go on these long trips? And I'm like, I know for a fact he's having a steak every day. The apartment is just filled.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

With meat product. Because it's like, he come back, there's.

[James Harris]

A film of grease on the walls.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

He's a meat locker, truly.

[Steph Yatka]

He's like, I don't really care. Like, I'm like, you cook whatever you want in our house. I'm not like, no thing in the fridge or whatever. But I just think he's very polite and also, like, all day, you know, you know, butchering or whatever. And so I think he's also like. Sometimes he's like, I just want to have a salad because I've had, like, a pork chop every day for lunch. Well, they make. They make, like, family meal. You know, sometimes if they have stuff they have to use, it's like, right.

[James Harris]

Not only, like, carrots at the butcher shop up.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. It's a. They have a restaurant, and, you know, you could have a carrot if you want. Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

If you're a.

[James Harris]

The other butchers will call you a pussy. It's certainly Walt homies at the hool.

[Steph Yatka]

You come for the meat and you say for the wine. If you're me, I just post up at the bar, and I'm having a glass of wine.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Perfect.

[Steph Yatka]

That.

[James Harris]

You're nice. That your poison of choice? Vino. What grapes you fucking with right now?

[Steph Yatka]

I don't know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Pinot Noir?

[Steph Yatka]

No, I, like. I had a real. I don't remember. I had a really good bottle of wine. Wine. A glass of wine. Last night when I got home from.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

My great intel stuff.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, sorry, this is. This is.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thanks for nothing. It's cool. We're almost wrapping up.

[James Harris]

Red or white?

[Steph Yatka]

White. I like a sprightly, like, fizzy white.

[James Harris]

Ooh. I had a white lamb Brusco the other day. Oh, delicious.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

That sounds really refreshing.

[James Harris]

I'd never had it before.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Steph, how much money did you make?

[Steph Yatka]

Like, good.

[James Harris]

Yeah. Not great. Good.

[Steph Yatka]

I feel like, like, are you making. Not to get to like the emotional part of this, but like, oh, here we go. I'm like, like I made all my money myself and that rocks. You know what I mean? Like I came from a working class family. My. My job dad was a famous model.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay, relax.

[Steph Yatka]

But you know, like, I'm proud. When I started out and I made that 25 on that fashionist article, I was.

[James Harris]

You saw that check framed like I did it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

She cast.

[Steph Yatka]

You know, like I was like, I'm a millionaire.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're self made is what you're saying.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, I'm happy. I, you know, I'm. I could always make more money.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But you come a long way.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And I think if I performs review grinded harder, I could make more money.

[James Harris]

No, you're grinding.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm grinding hard. But it is. I'm really learning.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

40 days abroad.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm really. It's about all the other little things. You know, you do a little spawn, you do a little campaign, you do a little, little.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What are your perks? Like as the global fashion director at id?

[Steph Yatka]

They're pretty good.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You know, free gear.

[Steph Yatka]

It's a little bit of free gear. Mostly I want to be on all the personal order forms. I don't do a lot of shopping. I like to just buy things directly from a designer.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

At wholesale?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, at wholesale or at a sample sale. Like I do a lot of sample sale shopping. A lot of real, real, real. A lot of real real. You got to be a smart shopper.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

But I feel like our audience are not even our. But like this. The fashion fans are like obsessed with like influencers get free. But what they don't realize is that the personal where you are shopping at wholesale for yourself, that's even better. That is.

[Steph Yatka]

That is when you've really made it.

[James Harris]

You want to know how you want. You want to know how I got that barn code?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, yeah. No, it's the personal.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Orally personal orders, baby.

[James Harris]

Do you get a lot of free. That sucks. Sent to you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Really?

[James Harris]

Really? That's great.

[Steph Yatka]

I think like, the longer you do this, the more everybody knows you, the more they're kind of. Well, I don't know. I mean.

[James Harris]

Yeah, but then you get the Dear John email.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, right.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. The biggest champagne problem is just mountains of crap that you're like, I don't.

[Steph Yatka]

There's definitely stuff that I'm like, it's not my aesthetic or like, you know, it's not for me. But I will say like, my mom is like, really? She gets. Oh, she's living it. But then she started really, like, I bought these shoes on the real. Real. And, you know, if your parents live in New Jersey, you just ship everything to New Jersey because there's no sales tax, so all my, like, guiltiest purchases are getting shipped to their house. And then I'm like, oh, do you want me to take you to brunch?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

Like, I'm such a good daughter, and.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I just miss you so much.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. And by the way, can you bring the five boxes that came from the garage? Yeah. And now, like, my mom has, like, you know, all. And honestly, stuff that I would have kept, but I'm also, like, she raised me, so she's got, like, Fendi bags, Ford bags, whatever. And she. These shoes came, and she was like, well, they're my size.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, that's getting greedy.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I was like, influencer mom, model dad.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, there you go. Making the whole family in your image.

[James Harris]

Besides making personal orders on clothing and your dog and your wine and your vegetables, what do you let you spend your money on?

[Steph Yatka]

Vacations.

[James Harris]

Ooh, where are we? What. What was your last best vacation? Last great vacation?

[Steph Yatka]

In October, I went to Mayorca for two weeks, which was amazing. Like, kind of offseason. So you're getting a discount on the Airbnb right on the cliff, like, just in a tiny town that's, like, barely on the map.

[James Harris]

Do you see Rafael at all?

[Steph Yatka]

No, but I kind of, like, we were driving, and I was, like, looking out, you know, the Fiat window to be like, any. Are any of these. The Nadal compound, you know, but so nice. Like, I think if you work hard, you got to play hard. And when I. On vacation, I literally, like, yeah, the phone is off.

[James Harris]

What type of vacationer are you? Are you, like, a re. Read in the sun? Do you party? Do you adventure?

[Steph Yatka]

I was sort of. My fiance and I are sort of too good at active vacationing. Like, our last, when we went on. Yeah, we went to Iceland. We went camping in Iceland. We, like, traveled through Japan. You know, we love a vacation where you do a lot of stuff. But then I was like, we're actually getting too old for that. We need to start going on these vacations where it's like, you rent a nice house, you stay in a nice hotel, and you read in the sun. So that's kind of like what I'm trying to chilling transition into.

[James Harris]

What's your next vacation?

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, well, so planning a wedding, bad.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, right.

[James Harris]

Don't get married. Don't get married.

[Steph Yatka]

But planning a honeymoon.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yes. That's what you. That's the reward.

[Steph Yatka]

That's why you do it.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Where we thinking we're.

[Steph Yatka]

We're debating between, like, Morocco maybe Never been.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Cool.

[Steph Yatka]

Didn't go on that celeron trip.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Right, right.

[Steph Yatka]

Or another kind of like Japan Asia tour. Like, I've never been to Korea.

[James Harris]

Oh, you didn't get the urban invite.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, no, actually we were. At some point you're like, you're invited, but you're like, I need to stay home, right?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

No, totally.

[Steph Yatka]

Even to go to supreme for like two days and it's not that long of a flight. I was kind of like, oh, like, this suitcase comes out. You know, you just kind of like, you get a little crusty and it's like, I miss my house. I miss my coffee shop. Like, I miss just like walking around Brooklyn. But so, yeah, the comforts of home. The comforts of home. So we're debating that and I'm really.

[James Harris]

Excited to like, what if you honeymoon in Brooklyn?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, honestly, it would be nice.

[James Harris]

Rent out the Anora mansion.

[Steph Yatka]

Oh, not a bad idea.

[James Harris]

Honestly, terrible ide.

[Steph Yatka]

Well, I'm just like, ready, you know.

[James Harris]

We honeymoon in Sheepshead Bay.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, it's nice there, I think.

[James Harris]

Sheep's Head Bay or Brighton Beach, I guess.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Just like all of South Brooklyn. During the pandemic, there was really a moment where I was trying to convince Aaron, my fiance. I was like, we should move here because this is nice.

[James Harris]

Right? Let's go to Sunnyside.

[Steph Yatka]

It's the New Jersey of Brooklyn, you know?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, totally.

[James Harris]

It's near the Brooklyn Chinatown. Great food. How much have you spent on clothes in your lifetime?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

The limit does not exist.

[Steph Yatka]

I try to be like a smart shopper. I don't think I've spent seven figures. Cuz I turn. I turn things around a lot, you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Know, one in, one out type deal.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

And yeah, six figs, though.

[James Harris]

Easy, easy, easy.

[Steph Yatka]

In my lifetime.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Of course, the limited two adds up.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. No, it's true.

[James Harris]

Steph, as a fashion star, as everybody, everyone's favorite global editorial director, homie. We would love to know after spending over two hours together just talking. So fun shooting the talking Johns. Last question for you as an editor, we would love to know, do you have any constructive criticism or feedback you would like to give us?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Go off.

[James Harris]

Yeah, get your editing. Put your editing hat on.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah, direct us.

[Steph Yatka]

I mean, I think you came really prepared with the questions. So, like, points for that research. Research.

[James Harris]

Too prepared.

[Steph Yatka]

No, you've done good research. I think the thing that's always hard with a podcast is like, you just want to keep yapping.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You never want it to end.

[Steph Yatka]

You never want it to end.

[James Harris]

What do we. What do we not touch on that? You want to talk about?

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. What do we miss?

[Steph Yatka]

No, we hit a lot of good.

[James Harris]

Yeah, we talked.

[Steph Yatka]

We hit a lot of good points. I'm like, I actually don't know about anything else.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

We have all the questions so that there's never a lull, there's never a downer, like, because we could be riffing and. And. And yapping, but, like, I don't hear more about Walt.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Can Walt come on the show? Is he available?

[Steph Yatka]

He would.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I don't know if he's, like, busy walking.

[Steph Yatka]

So honored to meet you guys. I mean, he was like, loved meeting James.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, I'm sure. Quick friends.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

I asked him. I was like, bro, any tips from a experienced Nepo Dad. Famous model.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. Well, your walk was very unique. Yes.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It was the Balenciaga walk.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah. I believe almost like. Yeah. Getting into the character.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

It was troll, like.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

I would say. Yeah. In a positive way.

[Steph Yatka]

No, I think you guys do a great job. I love listening to the pod.

[James Harris]

Thank you.

[Steph Yatka]

Big fan. I listen to Lori, her Schleifer.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, the best.

[Steph Yatka]

Yes. Queen.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Queen.

[James Harris]

Have you ever met her or have you been to her?

[Steph Yatka]

I've been to the store. I love the store because Aaron's from Long island by there, so it was like, you come to my house, we're going to Garden State or Riverside Square. You go to Aaron's house, we're going to her Schleifers and Americana.

[James Harris]

Clearly, his profession of being a professional meat slinger has not rubbed off on you necessarily, because you're a vegetarian. Has. Have you and your fashion sense rubbed off on him?

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

What does he.

[Steph Yatka]

I get him stuff.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, yeah, yeah. That's fun. He's dress up.

[Steph Yatka]

He's getting into it in a way. But I do think, like, we both have a healthy respect for each other's jobs. It's like, I don't need to get too in the woods, you know, Like, I don't need to know, like, everything. And he's like, I don't need to know. Know all this stuff, which I think is, like, important in a relationship is you kind of need to be able.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

To, like, what brands does he like? Like, if he. If we.

[James Harris]

If we were.

[Steph Yatka]

Well, I mean, as a butcher, he's like, head to toe, car, heart.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, right. Because he actually is working.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

He's working.

[James Harris]

He's a bar coat made from.

[Steph Yatka]

No, but he needs, like, I was like, that's why it's two nights.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah. Can't be cutting up meat in that.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

Does he come home, look, like, splattered in blood and just look of. Look sick. Honest.

[Steph Yatka]

He will change at work before he comes home because how respectful. Yeah, but I think, like, him and all of his colleagues do, because it's like, the situation is bad, but he'll bring the dirty clothes home. And then our dog's kind of like.

[James Harris]

Oh, yeah, Blood core.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm like, right to the laundromat.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Yeah.

[Steph Yatka]

With that.

[James Harris]

That's a tread for you.

[Steph Yatka]

He's got some Dre's. He's into Dre's. He. You know, someone we didn't talk about, but we love angelo Arusha from 4S Designs. We have a lot of 4S Designs. He was wearing it this morning. He loves, like, all of Kiko's, like, pants and shirts and jackets. I think, like, Kiko good style icon. Like, he saw Kiko wearing a Charvet shirt. So then Aaron was like, I'll get a Charvet shirt. You know, nice.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hit ebay.

[James Harris]

That's a good. That's a good guy to look up to.

[Steph Yatka]

Totally Kiko style. I try to take style cues from Kiko, but it's like, I've heard that.

[James Harris]

Kiko listen to the pod.

[Steph Yatka]

I'm not that cool. Hey, Kiko.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hey.

[James Harris]

What's up, Steph? Where can the kids follow you? What? Would you like to plug the floor? Floor is yours.

[Steph Yatka]

Follow. I underscore D IG magazine. I met Sef Yatka. I'm hanging out in the city.

[James Harris]

Both must follows.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Hanging out in the city. What do you like? You want people to approach you?

[Steph Yatka]

I don't know.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Okay, you said it.

[Steph Yatka]

No, I do think it's nice. Like, if you see me at a fashion thing, come say hi.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Oh, yeah, for sure.

[Steph Yatka]

You know, not like, if I'm walking my dog, you see me walking my dog, pretend I don't exist.

[James Harris]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Leave her alone.

[Steph Yatka]

You know? But I love to meet people who are into fashion and who want to.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Get into it, and you want to meet some fans.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah, but people who are like, yeah.

[James Harris]

Issue on newsstands now. Would you prefer they sign up for the newsletter or follow on social media?

[Steph Yatka]

Both.

[James Harris]

Well, okay.

[Steph Yatka]

And issue on newsstands now.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Two thumbs.

[Steph Yatka]

Yeah.

[James Harris]

True. All right, Steph. Thank you.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

Thank you.

[James Harris]

Once again, Podcast that matters. This is so much fun. Couldn't spend a. Couldn't think of a better way to spend a Friday afternoon ideal. Genuinely Chef, hate to say it, but take us out with T Mobile. No trendspotter has to deal with trendspotty service because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the heart of Portland to right where you are on America's largest 5G network. Switch now keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com keepandswitch up to 4 lines via virtual prepaid card. Last 15 days qualify and unlock device credit service port in 90 plus days device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required card is no cash Access no Expires 6 months.

[Steph Yatka]

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[James Harris]

The numbers look good Brad.

[Lawrence Schlossman]

You're on mute.

[Steph Yatka]

Switch from cable Internet to ziply Fiber and get more of what you love for $65 less per month than [e-mail].

[James Harris]

Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out. You're listening to a podcast right now and it's great. You love the host. You seek it out and download it. You listen to it while driving, working out, cooking, even going to the bathroom. Podcasts are a pretty close companion. And this is a podcast ad. Did I get your attention? You can reach great listeners like yourself with podcast advertising from Libsyn Ads. Choose from hundreds of top podcasts offering host endorsements or run a pre produced ad like this one across thousands of shows. To reach your target audience in their favorite podcasts with Libsyn ads, go to Libsynads.com that's L I B S Y N ads.com today.