Pair of Kings: A Fashion and Culture Podcast

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, curato...

What do shoppers actually want in 2026? Do brand vibe, culture, and ethos matter more than the clothes? Is experience-based fashion just better marketing? And what does “integrated fashion” look like when your wardrobe is built around music, sports, clubs, video games, vintage, coffee shops, and the internet? On this episode of Pair of Kings, Sol Thompson and Michael Smith break down the largest s...

Was Dave Macklovitch right about the Hedi Boy revival? Is Hedi Slimane’s skinny-jeans-and-leather-jacket universe bigger than fashion? And what happens to musicians when AI can make the record but not the room? Sol and Michael sit down with the podcast's favorite well-dressed unc, Dave Macklovitch of Chromeo, for his second episode and a proper apology tour after the 2025 Hedi Slimane craze p...

Who was Stanley DeSantis? Why is a 2004 Slipknot tee selling for $2,000? And what does a Daft Punk Roulette residency shirt have to do with how fashion brands sell you a lifestyle in 2026? Sol Thompson and Michael Smith return from their Neuehouse live recording for Episode 3 of Pair of Kings Season 14, continuing the season's deep dive into integrated fashion — the symbiotic loop where brand...

 Is fashion still just about clothes? Why are cars, watches, and Formula 1 the new menswear? What does Aime Leon Dore have to do with Porsche, and why, in an age of automation, are buyers paying a premium for things that are...worse? Sol Thompson and Michael Smith sit down with Wesley Breed , the New York-based influencer, storyteller, and car enthusiast who pivoted his fashion platform into autom...

Why does every fashion brand run a coffee shop? How did a Stussy varsity jacket network from the late 1980s predict the business model of modern fashion? What does used spray paint have to do with why Miu Miu is one of the most effective brands in the world right now? Sol Thompson and Michael Smith open Season 14 of the Pair of Kings Podcast with a level set: the history of integrated fashion—the...

Why are men's style guides just glorified affiliate link shopping lists? What should a real style guide for men actually teach you? And how do you build a wardrobe you love without spending a fortune? On the Season 13 finale, Sol and Michael tear apart the modern men's style guide — from GQ and Esquire to The Rake — and expose why today's fashion advice is failing young men. We do w...

What does it take to throw the most viral murder mystery parties in New York City? How do you go from pin-up modeling in Pittsburgh to walking for Vaquera at Paris Fashion Week? What happens when Rick Owens calls your name at a casting—but not for the runway? Sol and Michael sit down with Born DuBois —model, stylist, creative director, personal shopper, and the woman i-D Magazine called "A St...

Is Raf Simons finally back? Is Rick Owens still the GOAT? Did Jonathan Anderson fumble his AW27 Dior menswear show? Why does Dsquared2 keep putting giant furry hats on models—and why do we respect it? Sol and Michael break down 2026's Paris Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week with their most unfiltered runway reviews yet. Which designers are cooking? Which creative directors are washed? Find...

What does a creative director actually do at a major fashion publication? Is Chrome Hearts still worth the investment in 2026?  How did vintage Bape become the gateway drug for an entire generation of streetwear obsessives? And why is Rick Owens' FW14 Moody still influencing how we dress today? We sit down with Paul Heavener , Creative Director at Hypebeast, for a deep dive into his decade-lo...

What's the best men's cologne in 2026? Is Orto Parisi worth the hype? What does "grassy" mean? How do you actually describe how something smells without sounding pretentious? In the 2026 Scentacular, Sol and Michael sit down with over 50 fragrance samples (thank you, ScentSplit!) to answer these questions and more to create the ultimate 2026 fragrance guide for men.  The duo di...

Is Stone Island actually worth the price? What lifestyle requires techwear? Is Timothee Chalamet overrated? Why does Lady Gaga feel less authentic than Charli XCX? What is gooning, and how did it end up in Harper's Bazaar?  This week, Sol and Michael sit down with Shane O'Neill , writer for The Washington Post's twice-weekly pop culture newsletter "Seriously?," to unpack t...

Did Rick Owens really design leather jackets for Ghost of Mars? Is Timothee Chalamet running the exact same PR playbook as Jack Harlow? What the hell is Goouch, and can a goose be a Muppet? Sol and Michael are back! They sit down to break down Rick Owens' early Hollywood costume design work (Ghost of Mars, Tank Girl, Otto; or Up with Dead People), the sock-heel technique that created the icon...

Where does your field jacket actually come from? Were WWII soldiers the original hypebeasts? What is the M-43 jacket?  Sol and Michael sit down with Avery Trufelman , host of Articles of Interest and 99% Invisible veteran, to break down the military origins of menswear and why everyone's suddenly obsessed with gorpcore. The trio dive deep into the history of the M-65 field jacket, how World W...

Is that Chrome Hearts real or fake? Should guys actually use skincare? Why are "stylists" wearing head-to-toe counterfeit on the subway? Sol and Michael are back for a boys episode as they chat about spotting fake Chrome Hearts (and why people can't dress when they wear fakes), the perfume habits of Albanian men in the club, men's skincare routines that actually work (CeraVe, T...

Who were the best designers of Paris Fashion Week 2025? Sol and Michael are talking the future of fashion this week! The duo sit down with Mandy Lee (aka oldloserinbrooklyn) to chat about fashion trend forecasting before TikTok existed (and TikTok fashion trends), microtrends vs macro trends (and why everyone's obsessed with ranking them), the Simone Rocha bride aesthetic, designer fashion sh...

Is Glenn Martens a good designer? Who owns Maison Margiela (and thus, controls the brand)? Are Margiela gats, futures, tabis, and shoes enough to carry a designer through their tenure?  Join Michael and Sol as they chat about what it means to be a designer in 2025, Maison Margiela shoes, John Galliano, Martin Margiela, Hedi Slimane Jeans, Saint Laurent's rebrand (why did YSL change to SLP), m...

Where DO you find the best vintage jeans? This week, Dr. Sonya Abrego , the world's preeminent Westernwear historian joins Sol and Michael to talk about vintage jeans, American-made denim, the Cone Mills Corporation, Lee Jeans (and why pocket designs matter!), what IS selvedge denim, (and what is raw denim), her greatest finds from her days as a picker, the modern landscape of denim, how to d...

You could hear episode early and get access to our Rick Owens "Temple of Love" Giveaway by subscribing to our HeroHero!   Michael's back! Michael's back! Sit down as Sol catches up with his work husband and chat about Rick Owens, Helmut Lang, Stone Island, CP Company, Balenciaga, Adidas, Italian fashion, the downfall of tourism, Issey Miyake shirts, Margiela, Margiela Couture,...

You could hear episodes early and get access to all of our giveaways on our HeroHero! It's with great pleasure that I announce this week's episode with Sophia Stel , the artist/producer/singer/songwriter behind not one, but two of the year's best EPs: Object Permanence and How to Win at Solitaire . Tune in as Sol and Michael chat with Sophia about her soon-to-be international tour,...

This episode has a $250 ESSX Giveaway! All HeroHero subscribers are automatically entered. The boys are back for a totally normal, definitely-nothing-amiss episode. Join Sol and Michael as they cover all of the recent runway debuts of Paris (J.W. Anderson's Dior, Pierpaolo Piccioli's Balenciaga, Louise Trotter's Bottega Veneta, Duran Latnik's Jean Paul Gaultier, Mathieu Blazy&a...

You could have heard this episode early and had access to our $250 Komune Giveaway on our HeroHero! That title isn't a joke, everyone! This week, instagram.com/_smithstagram and instagram.com/solthompson sit down with their new friend, instagram.com/caitlepillar (also known as Caitle, Caitlin Dark, Cait, or the progenitor of the health goth movement) to chat about their professional basketbal...

Get early access to episodes and automatic entry into our giveaways when you subscribe to our HeroHero! Michael and Sol report live from their Komune popup, full of a live studio audience! Tune in as the boys talk about the highlights and lowlights from New York Fashion Week, why calling brands "emerging" isn't only a misnomer but deeply offensive, how to be #26andtappedin, the lack...

You can hear episodes early and get access to our weekly giveaways on HeroHero! The glaring issues of the greatest city in the world (New York) frustrate the Pair of Kings: little access to trains, high costs of living, improper addressing of the upper class' disparate tax burden... the list goes on. How can we change any of this? What can we do? This week, Sol and Michael bring New York City...

Hi everyone! After a very long wait, we're back with a new season of the podcast! Tune in as the boys talk about the upcoming Friends of PoK popup (September 26th-28th at Komune ) featuring designers NEVER BEFORE SEEN IN NEW YORK like Lac Demure , Ives Barrera , Bailey Goldberg , Perfume Making Co. , Kozaburo , Jordan Arthur Smith , and so many more! Sol and Michael also discuss the changing...