What's Contemporary Now? Podcast Por What's Contemporary arte de portada

What's Contemporary Now?

What's Contemporary Now?

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 Designed for curious minds, "What's Contemporary Now?" engages various thought leaders across cultural industries taking in their broad, compelling perspectives and unveiling their common threads. Hosted by Christopher Michael Produced by Shayan AsadiWhat's Contemporary Arte Diseño y Artes Decorativas
Episodios
  • Editing Creative Culture with System Magazine’s Jonathan Wingfield

    Editing Creative Culture with System Magazine’s Jonathan Wingfield
    May 19 2025
    In recent years, it’s become harder to tell whether fashion can still stand on its own, without leaning on the scaffolding of sport, film, or whatever cultural tentpole happens to be in rotation. But with the sustained relevance of System and the sharp ambition behind its latest expansion, Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Wingfield offers a clear answer: yes—fashion can still trade on itself. It is a business, unquestionably—but a beautifully complex one, in constant dialogue with culture. And in that dialogue, the currency of creativity proves more stable than gold. Unlike so many aspects of contemporary life, its role is inimitable, its value evergreen. In this conversation, Wingfield traces his own route—from suburban teenage boredom and record sleeves to the visual literacy that would come to define his work. We talk about System’s origins, the logic behind System Collections, and what gets lost when coverage is dictated by algorithms rather than curiosity. “The most interesting commentary on a film often came from the costume designer, not the star. That logic applies to fashion too.” - Jonathan Wingfield Episode Highlights: From suburban boredom to fashion curiosity - Wingfield traces his creative awakening to the disconnect between small-town life and the cultural energy of nearby London—music, record sleeves, and magazines were his early portals. The record sleeve as first editorial influence - A Peter Saville–designed cover for New Order’s True Faith becomes an entry point into the world of typography, photography, and image-making. A formative mentorship on the road - A months-long carpool with UK publishing legend Alan Lewis becomes a crash course in magazine craft—headline writing, storytelling, and editorial voice. Why editing is about the final decisions - For Wingfield, the joy of putting a magazine together isn’t in the interviews—it’s in the final details: captions, pull quotes, and headlines that shape meaning. System’s founding as a response to access fatigue - Frustrated by increasingly hollow interviews with celebrities, Wingfield wanted a space for deeper, more sustained conversations—System was his answer. Virgil Abloh as a cultural inflection point - A cover story featuring Virgil becomes a turning point for System, bridging industry credibility and outsider influence, and reframing who the magazine is for. The slow reveal: System’s relationship to time - Wingfield shares why the magazine resists real-time commentary and favors longer arcs—interviewing designers after the noise has died down. The launch of System Collections - He introduces System’s newest project: a seasonal, time-capsule-style publication that offers deep visual and editorial takes on fashion month. On interviewing well—and waiting for silence - One of his top tips: don’t rush to fill silences. Real answers often follow the pause. What’s contemporary now? Swerve the algorithm - Wingfield’s closing reflection: avoid being trapped in feedback loops. Discovery, intuition, and counterintuitive creativity are what truly move culture forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 m
  • Where Optimism Meets Realism with Carlos Nazario

    Where Optimism Meets Realism with Carlos Nazario
    May 12 2025
    It’s easy to repeat oneself in fashion. Certain truths return again and again, not because we lack imagination, but because they remain unresolved. One of them is this—authenticity isn’t rare because people are unwilling to be real, but because many still don’t know who they are. Carlos Nazario does. And more than that, he shows up as himself, without spectacle and without self-mythologizing. What makes this conversation compelling isn’t only his perspective on fashion or culture. It’s the way he holds space for complexity—the exhaustion and the joy, the disenchantment and the deep love for the work. There’s a calm clarity in how he speaks about image-making, identity, and the creative life. Not as fixed roles, but as evolving practices. For anyone feeling unmoored by the state of the industry or uncertain about how to keep creating in a time that feels increasingly TBD, this episode offers something more valuable than certainty. It offers perspective, and the steady presence of someone who has figured out how to move forward without losing himself along the way. “I love fashion. I don’t always love the fashion industry.” - Carlos Nazario Episode Highlights: Redefining Exhaustion in Creative Work - Carlos discusses the mental and emotional toll of fashion’s nonstop pace—and why he refuses to glorify burnout, emphasizing presence, boundaries, and creative sustainability. Loving Fashion vs. Loving the Industry - He unpacks the tension between a deep love for fashion itself and disillusionment with the political performance of the industry. The Power and Limits of the Internet in Fashion - Carlos reflects on the democratization of commentary online, and how the resulting noise makes it harder to sift out meaningful, resonant work. Image as a Tool for Transformation - A powerful meditation on imagemaking as a vehicle for cultural change, generational thought, and emotional resonance. Resisting Small Talk, Embracing Realness - He shares his discomfort with surface-level conversations in industry spaces, and his craving for meaningful, emotionally honest exchanges. Retreat, Identity & Reclaiming the Self - A story about a therapeutic retreat—where he wasn’t allowed to share his profession or last name—leads to a conversation about selfhood outside of industry labels. Critique vs. Cruelty - Carlos addresses the rise of snarky, anonymous fashion criticism, drawing a distinction between valuable critique and performative cruelty. The Weight of Representation - He speaks candidly about his experience as a Black, Afro-Latino stylist—and how resilience, optimism, and responsibility continue to shape his point of view. Time, Mortality & Legacy - A moving reflection on life’s brevity, what it means to step away, and how true impact often comes from stillness and intentionality. What’s Contemporary Now - Looking within. Carlos defines contemporaneity as self-awareness, intention, and resisting herd mentality in favor of independent thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    32 m
  • Met Ball Monday

    Met Ball Monday
    May 5 2025
     It is Monday, but not just any Monday. It's the first Monday in May queue. The flash bulbs, the group chats, the live tweets, the MET Gala is here, and with it, the annual flood of speculation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 m
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