Join Label Queen host James Aguiar as he sits down with journalist, author, and podcast host Dana Thomas. Throughout Dana's remarkable career she has amassed awards and accolades for her insightful fashion and culture reporting. Staring her career at the Washington Post she has worked for and contributed to Newsweek magazine as well as The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Vogue.

Thomas hosts The Green Dream an award-winning podcast, which focuses on sustainability.

In 2020 She wrote the screenplay for the feature documentary about the designer Salvatore Ferragamo Salvatore: Shoe Maker of Dreams directed by Luca Guadagnino

In 2016, she was named a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Her books include: Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes (2019): This book explores the human and environmental costs of the fast fashion industry and highlights emerging sustainable practices.

Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano(2015): A dual biography chronicling the lives and work of the two influential fashion designers.

Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster (2007): An investigative account of how the high-end luxury goods industry moved from a focus on craftsmanship to mass-market appeal.

We talk about the state of the industry at the moment, the designer "musical chairs" what is missing in fashion and so much more.

Get a glimpse into my highs and lows in Fashion Books.

This is a fashion packed episode with a deep dive behind the scenes.

Questions or comments? email me at labelqueenpod@gmail.com

Join host James Aguiar as he sits down with Guy Branum. Guy is a hilarious and outspoken stand-up comedian , actor and writer.

Hi career spans writing for television shows The Other Two, The Mindy Project, Chelsea Lately, famously winning an Emmy Award for writing for season 3 of Hack's.

Branum released a comedy album, Effable, which reached #1 on both iTunes and Billboard charts in 2015. He has also performs at comedy festivals and tours, including his solo show titled Be Fruitful in 2025 which is currently touring.

He hosted the TruTV series Talk Show the Game Show and the popular pop culture podcast Pop Rocket.

His 2018 book, My Life as a Goddess: A Memoir Through (Un)Popular Culture, was named an NPR Good Read and received praise for its wit and humor Mindy Kalling also wrote the forward.

We chat about why I was terrible on Chelsea lately, was he really born in India?, The Minnesota State Fair, Award shows. Housewives , he answers a surprise question about the funny women in his life and so much more

Plus find out my highs and lows in comedy and why laughing will always be my savior.

questions or comments? email me at labelqueenpod@gmail.com

• (00:00:00) - Bl Label Queen
• (00:00:26) - Coming Soon: Amy Schumer on Comedy
• (00:02:36) - Both Gwyneth Paltrow and Jack Black
• (00:05:40) - Jack Black on 'The Dark Knight'
• (00:06:23) - My Comedy High and Lowest Moments
• (00:08:22) - Guy Branham in the Elevator
• (00:10:05) - Guys On The Podcast
• (00:11:18) - In the Elevator With Gay Men
• (00:12:51) - The Comedian Lashes Out At His Age
• (00:15:53) - Bill Maher on Hannah Einbinder and Tina Fey
• (00:18:08) - Jeffrey Hiller's Surprise Emmy Win
• (00:20:46) - Chelsea Handler on Her Time on Chelsea Lately
• (00:23:46) - Billy on the Street:
• (00:29:58) - Minnesota's Princess Kay of the Milky Way
• (00:30:56) - Guy Branham on His New Tour
• (00:31:42) - Chelsea Lately's Fabulous Deb Cullen on Her Guests
• (00:32:41) - The Funniest Women You Can Know
• (00:34:16) - Guy on The Real Housewives of Orange County

Join Label Queen host James Aguiar as he sits down with actor, comedian, and singer Troy Iwata known for his roles in film, television, and as correspondent for The Daily Show. We get into a lot from Christmas movies , to the Jugalos, to what it takes to be funny today. We chat about growing up in California, his dream role, and why the sitcom needs to come back. We break down his very specific look for the Daily Show and why Pee wee Herman may or may not have been the inspiration. Also why you should NEVER do research from Wikipedia!

Plus find out who James would be in A Christmas Movie and his highs and lows in pop culture. And yes he ties the current phenomenon of Netflix's Unknown Number to an equally scandalous case that took place 100 years ago.

questions or comments? Email: labelqueenpod@gmail.com

• (00:00:00) - Label Queen
• (00:00:33) - Wonders of the Christmas Film Industry
• (00:02:25) - The Cyberbullying Documentary on Netflix
• (00:06:58) - Wicked Little Letters Review
• (00:09:40) - Meet The Daily Show's Troy Iwata
• (00:11:12) - Iwata Reveals All About His Personal Life On Wikipedia
• (00:14:17) - Being Japanese And Having A White Dad
• (00:15:28) - When Did You Find Yourself Funny?
• (00:17:46) - Groundlings Memoir
• (00:19:50) - The Importance of Gay Talent
• (00:21:40) - Your Casting Moment on Broadway
• (00:23:54) - Adam Levine on Dash and Lily
• (00:26:32) - Jon Stewart on The Daily Show
• (00:30:17) - On The Daily Show's '
• (00:33:42) - The Daily Show's Pee Wee on interviewing People
• (00:38:49) - Bonnie Raitt on Artificial Intelligence
• (00:39:09) - What is Your Dream Job
• (00:40:07) - Troy on Working on '

Join host James Aguiar as he sits down with fashion designer turned social media food star Philippe Trinh.

Philippe grew up in Kansas City and started out thinking he'd be a graphic designer. He went to Johnson County Community College, but pretty quickly pivoted into photography. Toward the end of that program, He shot a fashion show at the school, and that completely changed his path — and quickly got hooked on fashion design and ended up graduating with a BFA and then went on to Kent State’s Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Design.

Right after that, he packed up and moved to New York City. and interned with R. Scott French, then worked with Adam Lippes, Phillip Lim, and later Perry Ellis Collection where he got to help design their runway shows under the Creative Director, John Crocco. And I started my own label, AELEIS

After spending several years designing with LF USA/Global Brands Group, and then with Tailored Brands with Joseph Abboud.

In 2020 everything flipped. The company restructured, COVID hit, and suddenly out of a job and like a lot of people, really worried about my parents’ health he started craving all those nostalgic Vietnamese foods from my childhood, scared to think he didn’t have any of their recipes written down. So I started cooking, documenting, and reconnecting with my roots. That’s how Whiskey and Booch his popular instagram account was created.

What began as him preserving family recipes has grown into a community of over 150K people who love Asian comfort food as much as he does.

Collaborations include brands & platforms like Tastemade, The Feedfeed, and Amazon Fresh.

Philippe's videos have gone viral and his Pho videos have reached 1.3 million views, and his homemade sriracha video which has over 7.6 million views is still growing.

Philippe and James also make a delicious and easy Vietnamese chicken salad.

Also hear James thoughts of food trends and his highs and lows of the culinary sort.

questions or comments?

email: labelqueenpod@gmail.com

• (00:00:00) - Lab Label Queen
• (00:03:16) - The Lowest In Food Trends
• (00:05:15) - Highs in Food
• (00:07:45) - Joseph Abboud
• (00:08:43) - Philippe Trinh
• (00:09:11) - The Real Label Queen
• (00:09:34) - How to Win at Life
• (00:09:48) - Why People Like Kombucha
• (00:10:42) - Seek North: The Kombucha Experience
• (00:13:18) - Vietnamese Fashion Designer Ching Chong on Growing Up in Kansas
• (00:16:50) - Working For Many Different Designers
• (00:19:22) - Joseph Abboud on Starting a Line
• (00:21:27) - Vietnam's First Lady on Her Turn from Fashion to Food
• (00:25:12) - The Fashion Connection Between Food and Fashion
• (00:26:28) - The Sweetest Videos of Your Dad and Me
• (00:27:52) - Farmers' Vietnamese Coriander Salad
• (00:30:38) - Easy No-Bake Recipe
• (00:31:37) - Maria Philippin: Would You Open a Vietnamese Restaurant?
• (00:33:56) - Vietnam's Traditional Food

Join Label Queen host James Aguiar as he sits down with Model Coco Rocha. Coco's legendary career includes being scouted at an Irish dancing competition in Vancouver, Canada, when she was 14 years old. Her career took off in 2006 after meeting fashion photographer Steven Meisel, which led to a cover of Vogue Italia.

In 2007, she famously appeared in a Jean Paul Gaultier runway show by performing an Irish dance which Vogue dubbed the Coco moment. She is also known as the queen of the pose a nickname she earned for her versatility and skill in posing, which she honed through her dance background.

She has appeared on the covers of major fashion magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and walked for top designers, including Marc Jacobs, Prada, Chanel, and Balenciaga.In 2014, she co-authored the book Study of Pose, a 2,000-page encyclopedia of poses.

Rocha was an early adopter of social media, using platforms to build her brand and give models a public voice. She was recognized by Time magazine for her Twitter account and by TikTok for being a top female creator.

In 2018, she founded the Coco Rocha Model Camp, a master class that teaches models not only how to pose and walk but also how to navigate the business side of the industry.

She is also a co-owner of the Nomad Management Modeling Agency, where she works to mentor and develop a new generation of talent

We talk about her just announced clothing line as well as our upcoming journey together on Cunard's Transatlantic Fashion week setting sail in late October.

Also hear my highs and lows in the fashion industry as well as my top picks for fashion in film.

questions or comments? email me at labelqueenpod@gmail.com

• (00:00:00) - Label Queen: Fashion Week Episode 3
• (00:01:22) - The journey of the Fashion Industry
• (00:02:18) - My Favorite Fashion Movies
• (00:03:08) - Top 5 Worst Fashion Movie Lists
• (00:05:07) - The Gilded Age: The HBO Drama
• (00:05:54) - 10 Worst Fashion Movies
• (00:07:09) - #1 Fashion Movie
• (00:10:50) - Coco Rocha
• (00:11:40) - Coco Rocha on the Supermodel
• (00:12:23) - Michael Flatley On Being Discovered As A Model
• (00:14:02) - Inspiring the Next Supermodel: Naomi Campbell
• (00:15:35) - Having That First Vogue Cover With Steven Meisel
• (00:18:00) - The 'Coco Moment'
• (00:19:57) - In the Elevator With Naomi Campbell
• (00:22:28) - The Queen of Poes: A 2000-Page Encyclopedia of P
• (00:24:49) - Naomi Campbell on America's Next Top Model
• (00:25:18) - Coco Rocha on Working Hard For Your Money
• (00:29:58) - Coco Rocha's Model Camp
• (00:32:32) - Cindy Crawford on her 3 children's aspirations
• (00:34:34) - Coco on Being a Supermodel
• (00:39:37) - Bob Mackie at the CFDA Awards

Join host James Aguiar as he sits down with Dennis Golonka. Golonka is a photographer, director, and founder of UTP magazine. As a child, his parents built a darkroom in the basement of his home. His love for photography was born in that cold, dark room where he would spend hours learning all he could about the medium. Upon graduating college he moved to NYC and began assisting various photographers while attending SVA. Upon graduating, Dennis landed a job in the Art Department of Harper's Bazaar under the legendary Fabien Baron, where he became the photo editor and a frequent photographer. Eventually, he left the magazine to work as a photographer full-time.

Join us as we discuss his wildly popular Podcast Blow-Up when Liz Tilberis transformed Bazaar which he co-hosts. We chat all things Harper's Bazaar in that very special time where money was no object and art reined supreme. We explore the models of the day and celebrities as well as that groundbreaking September 1992 cover with Linda Evangelista. What made Liz Tilberis an exemplary leader and true visionary.

Dennis also wrote a book called Two-Faced about co joined twins set against the backdrop of film and media.

We also dive into his personal work and how those formative years help shape his personal successful career.

Get a glimpse into James highs and lows of the week. Where does Hunting Wives fit in, what does the word image mean to him, and what film does Cate Blanchett need to do next.

Questions or comments? email: labelqueenpod@gmail.com

• (00:00:00) - Label Queen
• (00:00:31) - Labels Queen: Image
• (00:03:26) - The Hunting Wives Review
• (00:04:57) - Diane Arbus Exhibition
• (00:07:13) - The Other High: Finding Vivian Mayer
• (00:08:59) - In the Elevator With Dennis Golonka
• (00:10:09) - Label Queen
• (00:10:49) - What drew You to Photography?
• (00:15:41) - Prince on His Friendship With Rebecca Blake
• (00:17:57) - Harper's Bazaar: The Elevation
• (00:20:04) - Anna and Liz in Vogue Feud
• (00:20:47) - In the Elevator With Liz Tilbarris
• (00:24:16) - How Blow Up When Liz Tilbarris Transformed Harper's B
• (00:29:22) - Fabulous Wendy Goodman on Working With Fabienne
• (00:30:27) - The Most Challenging Shoot
• (00:32:00) - Harper's Bazaar: 150 Years of Imagination
• (00:34:50) - The Bizarre Years of Celebrities
• (00:37:15) - I Wonder What Would Liz Tilbarris Do Today
• (00:37:57) - How Did Working at Bazaar Influence Your Photography?
• (00:38:59) - Linda Evangelista's 'Allure' Cover
• (00:40:23) - Two Faces Review

Join host James Aguiar as he sits down with "noted" fashion photographer Nigel Barker.

Nigel is a multifaceted English personality known for his work as a fashion photographer, author, filmmaker, former model, and reality television star. He rose to international recognition through his role as a judge and photographer on the popular reality show America's Next Top Model. Beyond America's Next Top Model, Barker has engaged in a variety of other projects:

Watch and listen as James and Nigel go behind the labels and talk about everything from those legendary America's Next Top Model editorial shoots, The famous Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell beef and what it was like working with both legends. Learn how Nigel himself began his career on a modeling competition show, and what he thinks of camera phones. We talk about his two books, what really makes a super model and his latest venture in ready to drink cocktails.

His brand the Barker Company has hit the RTD market in a huge way. With his bottled (and canned) espresso martini and cappuccino martini making huge moves in the industry in a short amount of time.

No subject is left untouched!

Also James highs and lows in pop culture just might involve a very stinky cruise as well as a look back at Ballroom culture through the lens of a very beautiful film.

questions or comments? please email labelqueenpod@gmail.com

• (00:00:00) - Label Queen
• (00:01:10) - The Poop Cruise Documentary
• (00:06:05) - I'm Youm Venus
• (00:10:15) - Nigel Barker
• (00:11:45) - Nigel James on the iPhone
• (00:14:20) - Adam Levine on How He Became America's Next Top Model
• (00:19:53) - Remembering Top Model
• (00:22:19) - Top Model: The Challenge
• (00:25:56) - Favorite Country On Top Model
• (00:28:10) - The Face: From Tyra to Naomi
• (00:31:43) - Bookmark: Models of Influence
• (00:36:08) - The Ready-To-Drink CURL
• (00:40:23) - In the Elevator With Jennifer Lopez
• (00:41:52) - Barker's Espresso Martini
• (00:45:54) - The Coffee and Cream Martini
• (00:47:02) - Peppermint Coffee Company
• (00:49:02) - Nigel Williams on Being a Label Queen
• (00:49:39) - "Go for It!"

Join host James Aguiar as he sits down with Pulitzer Prize winning author Robin Givhan. Robin is an acclaimed American fashion critic and journalist, currently serving as the Senior Critic-at-Large for the Washington Post where she covers fashion,politics, race and the arts.

Robin earned the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2006, becoming the first fashion writer to receive that honor.

She has authored books such as The Battle of versailles: The Night American fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History (2015), and most recently, Make it Ours: Crashing the Gates of culture with Virgil Abloh, published June 24, 2025.

We speak about the in and outs of Virgil's rise to the top of luxury fashion and what inspires her to write a book in the first place. She takes a surprise question from a mystery person and explains what she thinks of Michael Jackson and Beyonce as fashion icons.

I also unpack the word "delusional" and hear my highs and lows which include the "dangling divas" and the fascinating life of a rock groups muse and inspiration.

questions or comments? email me at

labelqueenpod@gmail.com

• (00:00:00) - The Label Queen
• (00:01:04) - Delusion
• (00:02:46) - The Golden Girls Is Ending
• (00:03:50) - Low of the Week: dangling divas
• (00:06:34) - Pulitzer Prize Winning Critic Robin Peck on The Washington Post
• (00:07:54) - Robin Givhan at the Brooklyn Book Festival
• (00:08:14) - From Make It Our Own to The Battle of Versailles
• (00:13:51) - The Why Virgil Abloh Changed the Fashion Industry
• (00:17:52) - Virgil on Working With Kanye West
• (00:22:25) - Virgil At Vuitton: Not Being Put Into a Box
• (00:27:18) - Virgil at Vuitton: Michael Jackson
• (00:32:23) - O.T. Abloh on Growing Up
• (00:34:49) - Virgil on Michael Burke's Death
• (00:37:30) - Pharrell Williams's Contribution to '
• (00:40:32) - Surprise Question for Paris Fashion Week