Pair of Kings: A Fashion and Culture Podcast

Is Kai Cenat’s VIVET good fashion or great marketing? What is New York Fashion Week actually selling? Was Stephen Kolb just a figurehead for a wack organization? Is it worth paying attention to fashion made after the year 2007? Sol and Michael welcome creative director Cody Parks back to Pair of Kings Podcast to talk menswear, vintage clothing and fashion culture in 2026.
The trio dig into the state of New York fashion, NYFW Spring/Summer 2027 runway shows, influencer access, GRWM content and the growing distance between loving clothes and wanting to be seen loving clothes. Sol questions whether VIVET’s fashion coverage is chasing Kai Cenat’s audience; Cody shares his experience working with Kai and asks how we would judge the collection without the celebrity name attached. They debate creative direction versus design, fashion-school gatekeeping, and the difference between a compelling brand world and clothes that actually deliver.
This conversation gets to the heart of our season’s “integrated fashion” thesis: brands are trying (and sometimes suceeding) at building worlds around music, books, subcultures and lifestyle, while consumers want their clothes to reflect their interests and identities. Is that an actual cultural connection, clever marketing, or both? The boys compare Enfants Riches Déprimés (ERD), Miu Miu’s book clubs, ERD’s Anti Public Library, Heaven by Marc Jacobs and Online Ceramics. From The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Christiane F. to Tumblr nostalgia, hardcore and Hedi Slimane’s Saint Laurent Surf Sound era, they explore how references become a reason to buy—and why a logo can feel like belonging.
On the runway side, there’s love for Kozaburo’s compact presentation and EVISU collaboration, N.HOOLYWOOD’s changing seasonal approach, and Eckhaus Latta’s willingness to push things forward. They unpack Thom Browne’s caterpillar heels, house codes, whimsical brand universe and unusual place within NYFW, then revisit Anna Sui and Marc Jacobs as examples of fashion that stays curious about music, queer culture and New York club life. Aaron Esh at AllSaints prompts a conversation about giving younger designers room to reinterpret familiar brands for a new generation.
What happened to places where fashion fans could actually participate? Cody looks back at Fashion’s Night Out, while the trio discuss the CFDA, Steven Kolb, the COS runway protest and PETA’s demonstrations at COS and H&M. The conversation moves through show invitations, fashion-week spectators, runway security, animal welfare, ethical wool and Grindr’s gay-sheep wool project. They also disagree on The Devil Wears Prada 2, fashion-media consolidation, the death of print, costume authenticity and whether runway reviews need stronger opinions.
Cody has plenty of those opinions. His beef with Eugene Rabkin and StyleZeitgeist opens a broader argument about fashion criticism, commercial success and keeping a brand’s lights on. Can good design coexist with good marketing? When does reverence for Martin Margiela, Cristóbal Balenciaga or an earlier fashion era become resistance to a changing audience? Sol, Michael and Cody debate heritage menswear, 1950s aesthetics and the responsibility of understanding the history behind the clothes you admire.
Finally, Cody talks about having roughly 800 pieces of clothing while wearing around 30, selling off much of his vintage T-shirt collection, and finding relief in letting things go. They discuss vintage band tees, The Blair Witch Project merch, fashion content creators, Michael’s Rick Owens persona, and why your collection does not have to become your entire personality. Cody explains why he kept meaningful Raf Simons, Calvin Klein, Comme des Garçons, Helmut Lang, Dsquared2 and Balenciaga pieces—and how a new suit can make more sense for your life than another shirt in storage.
The archive-focused conversation gets into Raf Simons’ Riot Riot Riot bomber, Richey Edwards and Manic Street Preachers, and what happens when cultural significance gets buried under resale prices. 
Plus: vintage Levi’s selvedge denim, Russell Gold Tag T-shirts, soft tailoring versus structured suits, Vetements x Zegna, Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto, Prada, men’s manicures and JINsoon, Crystal Castles, Shakira, Spin Doctors and Underworld. They close with a critical conversation about Bode, Dimes Square, Hester Street, Café Forgot, Susan Alexandra and BRUT—and whether vintage aesthetics can ever be separated from their historical context.
Questions answered and debated:
What is integrated fashion?
Pair of Kings Podcast uses “integrated fashion” to describe the relationship between brands expanding beyond clothes and consumers bringing their hobbies, cultural interests and lifestyles into personal style. This episode explores that relationship through books, music, retail communities and brand identity.
Do you need an invitation to New York Fashion Week?
Pair of Kings Podcast explains that NYFW consists of separate events with their own access arrangements, rather than one festival you buy a ticket to. Michael discusses why showing up in New York does not automatically get you into a runway show.
Is Kai Cenat’s VIVET good fashion?
Sol criticizes the clothes and audience-driven coverage, while Cody brings his experience working with Kai Cenat to a debate about celebrity influence, creative direction and judging the designs on their own merits.
Why sell a vintage T-shirt collection?
Cody Parks describes how downsizing clothes he rarely wore gave him more freedom and changed his relationship with collecting. His takeaway: you can appreciate fashion without needing to own everything you like.
What makes a fashion store a community?
Sol, Michael and Cody point to Komune’s consistent curation, independent designers and relationships with its audience. They contrast that approach with stores built around resale markups and familiar hype.
How does resale change archive fashion?
Cody argues that repeated resale can turn an important garment into a price story. His Raf Simons Riot bomber example asks what gets lost when the conversation stops being about the music and culture behind the piece.
We hope you enjoy just as much as we did recording! Lots of love! Sol
Follow Pair of Kings: @pairofkingspod
Sol’s Instagram: @sollthompson
Cody’s Instagram: @1gwenstefani
Sol’s Substack: One Size Fits All
Early access + giveaways: https://herohero.co/pok
Season sponsor: Scent Split
We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording!
Lots of love,
Sol
Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Subscribe to get early access to podcasts and videos, and participate in exclusive giveaways for $4 a month
Links:
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter/X
Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All)
Sol’s Instagram
Michael’s Instagram
Michael’s TikTok

Why are vintage Mary Maxim sweaters so good? What happens when gorpcore actually goes camping? Did American fashion miss its America 250 moment? Sol and Michael are back on Pair of Kings Podcast to talk knitwear, outdoor style and American identity.
After a month apart, the boys reunite for a conversation about the clothes we collect, the places we wear them and the culture that makes us want them in the first place. From an Idaho vintage-store discovery to the 2016 fashion revival, this September 2026 episode connects menswear, archive fashion, craft, film and the great outdoors.
Why do Mary Maxim sweaters deserve more attention?
Pair of Kings Podcast explains the appeal of vintage Mary Maxim knitwear through its graphic knitting patterns, animal motifs and the individuality of sweaters knitted at home. Sol shares the cardigan his friend Bailey identifies as the No. 415 Totem Pole pattern, the wolf-head design he keeps coming back to, and why collars and proportions can make similar sweaters wear completely differently. The discussion takes in Cowichan-style cardigans, Undercover and Yohji Yamamoto knitwear, an Ultraman sweater grail, and the work behind a custom Newcastle football-kit sweater. Is learning to knit the answer to finding your perfect sweater? And is the "sweater curse" really about knitting, or about how much effort you're willing to put into a relationship?
What does gorpcore look like beyond the city?
Sol recounts hiking from Pettit Lake to Redfish Lake in Idaho's Sawtooth Mountains, where thunderstorms, overpacking and increasingly stripped-back camping setups put outdoor style into perspective. The pair talk tents versus tarp shelters, the people you meet farther along the trail, and how experience changes what hikers carry. This is gorpcore through an actual camping trip: outdoor clothing, backpacking culture and the difference between dressing for a lifestyle and living it. Sol also thanks The North Face for providing gear for the trip.
Did fashion drop the ball on America's 250th anniversary?
Sol and Michael debate whether America 250 was a missed opportunity for American fashion, or whether its political associations made participation complicated. Ralph Lauren, Levi's and L.L.Bean become starting points for a bigger conversation about Americana, heritage brands, national identity and the relationship between fashion and politics. Can a brand sell a vision of America without getting pulled into the politics of being American? And are new ideas in menswear slowing down, or are we just looking in the wrong places?
The conversation continues with Logjam Vintage, formerly Beankeepers, vintage L.L.Bean and a couple restoring Moose Peak Lighthouse on Mistake Island. Add old Champion T-shirts, heavy Filson wool trousers and the pleasure of finding clothes with a life before yours. Heritage menswear gets a lot more interesting when there's an actual story attached.
Which movies make you want to change your wardrobe?
The Lighthouse means wool coats, chunky knits and workwear; The Lost Boys means leather, a peacoat and Kiefer Sutherland; No Country for Old Men means Western shirts, worn-in jeans and cowboy boots. The boys also discuss Interview with the Vampire, Robert Pattinson in The Batman, military surplus and C.P. Company comparisons. Earlier, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy leads into Glen Powell and Robert Pattinson's GQ fashion editorials, Diesel, Balenciaga and why a great actor willing to get weird can sell a look better than a safe shoot.
Are vintage cowboy boots worth the money?
M.L. Leddy's and Lucchese lead a debate about Western boot craftsmanship, exotic leathers, resale prices, heel wear and the elusive combination of price, style and fit. Sol talks about his Lost Control boots, while Michael gets into repairing his Balenciaga Santiago boots. Beautiful boots are one thing. Beautiful boots that fit and aren't worn through are another.
What is the 2016 fashion revival getting wrong?
Sol and Michael argue that people keep confusing 2016 style with the earlier 2010s "swag era." They revisit Haider Ackermann velvet bomber jackets, Vetements Metal logo hoodies, Yeezy 750s and 350s, Rick Owens DRKSHDW fishtail parkas, skinny jeans, drop-crotch trousers and the outfits that once defined Grailed wish lists. Which archive pieces deserve another run, and which memories are getting the decade wrong?
Further, the boys get into Portugal, Lisbon natural wine, New York street style, Crocs cowboy boots, Balenciaga denim versus Levi's 501s, hemming jeans at Self Edge, a vintage 1999 Slipknot T-shirt, the relationship "swag gap," niche fragrance samples, Future Diary, Fogland, Hunter x Hunter and songs of the week from Timbaland and Justin Timberlake and The Black Dahlia Murder. The tangents are part of the outfit.
This is integrated fashion: our season's exploration of brands expanding beyond clothes into culture and lifestyle, while people bring their hobbies, communities and interests into what they wear. In this episode, knitting, camping, cinema, music and vintage collecting all become ways of thinking about personal style.
Glad to be back in your ears (no diddy).
Lots of love,
Sol and Michael.
This season is sponsored by Scent Split.
Follow Pair of Kings on Instagram: @pairofkingspod
Episode Tags: Mary Maxim sweaters, vintage knitwear, gorpcore, America 250, American fashion, heritage menswear, vintage L.L.Bean, M.L. Leddy's boots, movie style inspiration, 2016 fashion revival, archive fashion, integrated fashion, men's fashion podcast
Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Subscribe to get early access to podcasts and videos, and participate in exclusive giveaways for $4 a month
Links:
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter/X
Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All)
Sol’s Instagram
Michael’s Instagram
Michael’s TikTok

Why does fashion need posers? What is Ball Hog style? Should men wear loafers without socks? And why should every pair of suit trousers be high-waisted?

Sol and Michael return to the Pair of Kings Podcast for a thesis-driven conversation about the people, money, taste and contradictions that keep modern fashion culture alive. The central argument: fashion scenes need “posers." In their definition, these are especially wealthy consumers willing to buy at retail, spend heavily in boutiques and clubs, and subsidize the spaces that more obsessive fashion fans enjoy through research, resale and secondhand shopping. The Pair of Kings Podcast explains how luxury shoppers and fashion “whales” keep independent stores, designer flagships, nightlife and cultural ecosystems operating; why trickle-down economics may only work in fashion; and how full-price purchases eventually become the Rick Owens, Balenciaga, Comme des Garçons and archive-fashion deals that appear on Grailed, eBay, Yahoo Japan and friends-and-family sales.

The episode also becomes a practical and highly opinionated men’s fashion guide. Sol and Michael debate high-waisted suit trousers versus low-rise dress pants, whether men should tuck shirts into shorts, the few acceptable categories of men’s shorts, office uniforms, golf style, Peter Millar polos, Lacoste, RLX, Robert Graham shirts and the strange power of Southern frat menswear. They answer some of menswear’s most searched questions: Can men wear loafers without socks? Are no-show socks ever acceptable with dress shoes? What shoes work with a bright blue suit? Should blue suits be worn with brown shoes? How should tailored trousers fit? And why do high-rise pants usually create a stronger formalwear silhouette?

Michael also explains Ball Hog style and Bradygoo, the emerging archive-fashion joke that combines loud, recognizable pieces associated with brands such as Number (N)ine, Dior Homme, Undercover, Maison Margiela and Saint Laurent. The cohosts trace how ironic internet aesthetics become real fashion movements, comparing Ball Hog to blokecore, gorpcore, dadcore and dark academia—and asking what happens when a niche meme becomes a sincere personal style.

Elsewhere, the conversation moves through Rick Owens pod shorts, one-size tanks, Visconti pants and banana pants; Self Edge, Good Art and the customers who keep boutiques alive; Miu Miu activations, Awake New York and the difference between brands and stores with genuine taste; Cillian Murphy’s Thomas Bird boots; Keira Knightley’s repeated slouchy boots; Brad Pitt’s Dior jeans; Jude Law, Seal and celebrity style uniforms; vintage band tees; and Michael’s two fashion grails: a Rick Owens embroidered bomber and an original 1999 Slipknot self-titled T-shirt.

In the spirit of the season’s “integrated fashion” thesis, clothes are never isolated from the rest of life. Golf clothes become class signals, nightlife becomes fashion economics, celebrity press tours become lessons in personal uniform, vintage T-shirts become collecting culture, and movies, books and music become part of how people build taste. Sol and Michael also discuss why The Passion of the Christ plays like a 2000s torture-horror movie, Rick Owens sizing, The Holiday and the female gaze, actors who married their co-stars, Isaac Asimov’s Foundation, summer’s fashion-retail slowdown, leather-jacket weather, chivalry and the songs of the week.

Questions answered in this episode include:
- Why are posers necessary in fashion?
- Who actually keeps luxury fashion stores alive?
- What is Ball Hog fashion?
- Is archive fashion becoming a costume?
- Should men wear high-waisted trousers?
- Can men wear loafers without socks?
- Why are visible no-show socks so bad?
- What color shoes go with a blue suit?
- Why do rich people often dress badly?
- How do designer clothes reach the resale market?
- Is collecting vintage clothing pointless if you never wear it?
- And what makes a fashion grail worth buying?

We hope you enjoy it as much as we did recording!
Lots of love,
Sol

#fashion #fashionpodcast #mensfashion #archivefashion #rickowens

Episode topics and tags: Pair of Kings Podcast, men’s fashion podcast, menswear podcast, fashion podcast 2026, integrated fashion, fashion posers, luxury fashion economics, fashion whales, archive fashion, Ball Hog style, streetwear culture, men’s formalwear, high-waisted trousers, high-rise suit pants, loafers without socks, no-show socks, blue suit brown shoes, office style, golf fashion, Peter Millar, Robert Graham, Rick Owens, Rick Owens Visconti pants, Balenciaga, Comme des Garçons, Dior Homme, Number (N)ine, Undercover, Maison Margiela, Saint Laurent, Miu Miu, Awake New York, Self Edge, Good Art, Grailed, Yahoo Japan, vintage T-shirts, Slipknot vintage tee, Cillian Murphy style, Thomas Bird boots, celebrity style, fashion grails, resale fashion, secondhand designer clothing
Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Subscribe to get early access to podcasts and videos, and participate in exclusive giveaways for $4 a month
Links:
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter/X
Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All)
Sol’s Instagram
Michael’s Instagram
Michael’s TikTok

What are the best FIFA World Cup 2026 kits, and why do so many modern football shirts look worse than their vintage predecessors? What is the difference between a bootleg and a knockoff? When does a garment become vintage, true vintage, or archive fashion? Why does fashion feel like it is in a down cycle—and why are Leviticus, Obsession, Backrooms, and Longlegs part of the same cultural conversation?

Sol and Michael return for an episode about sports fandom, fanaticism, horror movies, and “integrated fashion”: the idea that clothing increasingly absorbs the hobbies, communities, media, politics, and rituals people build their lives around. Starting with food influencers, perfume storytelling, and a fit check featuring Keep Earth jeans, vintage U.S. Open golf tees, a 1999 Slipknot shirt, Iron Heart denim chaps, raw denim, Grailed, and Self Edge, they examine how collector knowledge, age, scarcity, and internet language reshape what counts as vintage menswear or archive fashion.

The pair then break down bootleg versus knockoff culture through New York Knicks victory shirts, anime football jerseys from Mexico, Goku and Neon Genesis Evangelion kits, Grateful Dead lot tees, rare Daft Punk bootlegs, vintage movie T-shirts, Liquid Blue blanks, and Lithuania’s legendary 1992 Olympic basketball uniforms. They ask why fan-made merchandise can carry more cultural meaning than officially licensed sportswear, how Fanatics and heat-pressed jerseys changed sports merch, and why vintage football shirts now function as streetwear, collectibles, and fashion history.

Then comes a full World Cup kit review. Sol and Michael debate the best 2026 FIFA World Cup jerseys, praise DR Congo and Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), criticize the USMNT flag-based kit, and revisit iconic soccer shirts including the USA 1994 denim kit, Japan’s 1998 flame goalkeeper jersey, Mexico 1998, England 1990, Chile 1998, Croatia 1998, Germany 1994, Jamaica 1998, and Nigeria 2018. They also discuss collars, national identity, heritage design, team arrival fits, tournament dress codes, Wimbledon whites, and Andre Agassi’s acid-wash Nike tennis style.

From there, the conversation moves into Paris Men’s Fashion Week and fashion’s current down cycle: Balenciaga after Demna, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Pharrell Williams at Louis Vuitton, Rick Owens x adidas SS27 inflatable air-conditioned sportswear, latex and fetish aesthetics, Meta smart glasses, privacy, AI surveillance, and influencer culture. The hosts examine 424 casting Clavicular, Woah Vicky, online lolcow culture, fashion-media ragebait, and the widening gap between viral runway moments and serious editorial fashion writing and research. They also connect World Cup politics to Iran and the United States, debate fashion’s political silence, and review Zohran Mamdani’s soccer style.

Finally, Sol reviews the new era of horror movies, including Leviticus, Obsession, Backrooms, Longlegs, Cuckoo, Talk to Me, It Follows, Hereditary, Midsommar, The Lighthouse, Paranormal Activity, Insidious, Cloverfield, and The Blair Witch Project. Why are low-budget, internet-native, character-driven horror films connecting now? Is Longlegs a great supernatural crime procedural with a weak ending? Is Leviticus one of the best horror movies of 2026? And why does horror merchandise feel like the next archive-fashion obsession?

We hope you enjoy just as much as we did recording.
Lots of love,
Sol
 TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Best World Cup Kits, Bootlegs and Horror Movies
1:11 — Pair of Kings Podcast Intro
1:32 — Food Influencers, PerfumeTok and Lifestyle Marketing
5:11 — What Counts as Vintage, True Vintage or Archive Fashion?
8:57 — Fit Check: Keep Earth Jeans, U.S. Open Tees and Fanatics
15:03 — Vintage Slipknot, Iron Heart Chaps and Raw Denim
23:09 — Knicks Fanaticism and Fair-Weather Fandom
27:13 — Knicks Bootleg Shirts and Fan-Made Sports Merch
29:35 — Bootleg vs Knockoff Fashion Explained
30:25 — Mexico’s Anime Football Jersey Bootlegs
31:48 — Grateful Dead Lot Shirts and Bootleg T-Shirt History
33:12 — Lithuania 1992 Olympic Basketball Merch
35:16 — Vintage T-Shirts in Thailand and Rare Merch Blanks
37:14 — Daft Punk Bootleg Tees
37:57 — World Cup 2026 Kit Review Begins
41:43 — DR Congo and Côte d’Ivoire: Best Kits of 2026
43:29 — Best Vintage World Cup Jerseys Ever
49:00 — National Identity and the Perfect USA Soccer Kit
51:42 — Wimbledon Dress Codes and Andre Agassi Style
54:11 — Balenciaga, Demna and Oversized Fashion
56:37 — Why Fashion Feels Boring in 2026
58:50 — Rick Owens x adidas SS27 and Inflatable Fashion
1:00:51 — Meta Smart Glasses, Privacy and AI Surveillance
1:04:14 — Vinted Conspiracies and Internet Panic
1:08:45 — How Horror Movies Changed After Found Footage
1:10:43 — Leviticus, Obsession, It Follows and A24 Horror
1:12:36 — Cuckoo and Longlegs Review
1:13:27 — Longlegs: Great Setup, Weak Ending
1:16:52 — Leviticus and Backrooms Review
1:17:11 — Toy Story 5, iPads and Screen Culture
1:19:44 — World Cup Politics, Iran and the United States
1:21:52 — Why Fashion Brands Avoid Political Commentary
1:24:13 — Zohran Mamdani’s World Cup Style
1:26:03 — 424, Clavicular and Ragebait Runway Casting
1:27:09 — Lolcow Culture, Woah Vicky and Fashion Media
1:31:23 — Fashion Algorithms vs Editorial Research
1:32:44 — Song of the Week: Meat Loaf and Sisqó
1:36:57 — Shaolin Soccer and Chrome Hearts
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Episode Tags: Pair of Kings podcast, fashion podcast, integrated fashion, World Cup 2026 kits, best World Cup jerseys, vintage football shirts, vintage soccer jerseys, football shirt fashion, blokecore, bootleg vs knockoff, bootleg T-shirts, archive fashion, vintage menswear, vintage tees, sports merchandise, Fanatics jerseys, Grateful Dead lot shirts, Lithuania 1992 basketball, Japan 1998 jersey, USA 1994 denim kit, Mexico 1998 kit, Nigeria 2018 kit, DR Congo kit, Côte d’Ivoire kit, Rick Owens adidas, Paris Fashion Week menswear, Balenciaga, Demna, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Pharrell Louis Vuitton, Meta smart glasses privacy, 424 Clavicular, fashion media, Leviticus review, Obsession movie, Backrooms movie, Longlegs review, best horror movies 2026
Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Subscribe to get early access to podcasts and videos, and participate in exclusive giveaways for $4 a month
Links:
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter/X
Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All)
Sol’s Instagram
Michael’s Instagram
Michael’s TikTok

Is fashion art? Why is archive fashion everywhere in 2026? Have designers created anything genuinely new since 1970—and what do postwar Paris, May 1968, 1970s punk, quiet luxury, vintage clothing, fashion TikTok, and the decline of print magazines tell us about how people dress now?
On this episode of Pair of Kings, Sol and Michael sit down with Dr. Alexis Romano, fashion historian, writer, curator and professor at Parsons School of Design, for a conversation about fashion history, modern fashion trends, and the forces that turn clothing into culture. Alexis studies twentieth-century fashion, photography, women’s history, clothing archives, and everyday dress. Her book, Prêt-à-Porter, Paris and Women: A Cultural Study of French Readymade Fashion, 1945–68, traces the rise of French ready-to-wear after World War II through garments, Vogue and Elle, film, photography, oral history, and the lives of women who bought and wore the clothes.
The conversation begins with a fit check spanning Rick Owens, Crocs, selvedge denim, and a vintage Mollie Parnis Ultrasuede set before asking whose clothing gets preserved as fashion history. Museums often prioritize haute couture, luxury fashion, and famous designers, while everyday sportswear, workwear, ready-to-wear, and heavily worn garments disappear. Alexis explains why ordinary clothing and oral history create a richer record.
Sol, Michael, and Alexis trace French prêt-à-porter and its tension with haute couture. They discuss how postwar modernization, technology, urban life, New Wave cinema, fashion magazines, photography, and changing ideas about women shaped the modern fashion industry. They examine how ready-made clothing became fashionable rather than merely practical, why casual dress grew alongside social liberalization, and how fast fashion represents the latest stage of a much longer ready-to-wear system.
That history leads directly into the fashion landscape of 2026. Why do many well-dressed people now choose either expensive designer clothing or vintage and secondhand clothes? Why are the 1990s and Y2K still being recycled? Has archive culture made younger consumers more historically literate—or convinced them that old clothes are automatically better than new design? The episode connects the 1970s “beige decade” to The Row-era minimalism, natural-looking materials, texture, tactility, pared-back luxury, and the quiet-luxury conversation. Alexis breaks down the decade’s competing trends: American sportswear, punk fashion, disco style, polyester, plastic, lamé, bold color, natural fabrics, wide-leg trousers, and Ultrasuede. Contradictory aesthetics existed at once—much like today’s mix of minimalism, maximalism, streetwear, high fashion, and microtrends.
A major section asks the central question: is fashion art? The group discusses The Met Costume Institute’s 2026 Costume Art exhibition, the Museum at FIT, the Whitney Museum, MoMu Antwerp, and the growth of museum fashion exhibitions. Rick Owens becomes a case study in how a garment can be a consumer product, collectible design, personal uniform, museum object, and artwork at the same time. They also discuss Yohji Yamamoto exhibitions, the boundary between a fashion store and an art gallery, museum merchandise, and why fashion may be “the art of the people”—an art form audiences can wear, touch, collect, alter, and recognize in their own closets.
This episode is part of Pair of Kings’ exploration of “integrated fashion”: the idea that brands increasingly operate across clothing, art, media, music, fragrance, retail, technology, museums, and lifestyle, while consumers build wardrobes around their hobbies, identities, communities, and references. Fashion is not only what appears on a runway. It is also what gets worn, photographed, posted, remembered, collected, studied, resold, copied, preserved, and eventually called history.
Whether you follow high fashion, menswear, streetwear, archive fashion, vintage clothing, fashion TikTok, fashion magazines, modeling, editorial photography, independent designers, museum exhibitions, or fashion theory, this conversation offers a practical history of how taste is made—and asks what parts of modern fashion culture will still exist for historians fifty years from now.
Alexis is collecting fashion oral histories and personal fashion autobiographies for her research. Find her at @dressondisplay and AlexisRomanoProjects.com.
We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording.
Lots of love,
Sol
Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Subscribe to get early access to podcasts and videos, and participate in exclusive giveaways for $4 a month
Links:
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter/X
Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All)
Sol’s Instagram
Michael’s Instagram
Michael’s TikTok