The Materialist : A Podcast from At Present

For this episode of The Materialist , host Marc Bridge sits down with Ivette Stephanopoulos — a 25-year jewelry industry veteran whose career has spanned nearly every corner of the business, from retail and GIA to De Beers, Tiffany, and David Yurman. Recorded on location at the Las Vegas shows, often described as the industry’s “Super Bowl,” the conversation moves from the emotional power of an en...

This episode of The Materialist is a little different. Usually, we talk with designers, tastemakers, collectors, and creators about the objects they love: the jewelry they wear, the pieces they make, the things they choose to bring into their lives. This conversation is about jewelry, but it is not really about looking at jewelry. In fact, Rob Bates says at one point, “I don’t really like looking...

Marc Bridge and Danielle Meyer, The Dominick Hotel , NYC, March 27, 2026 What happens when a brand is built not from strategy decks or heritage training, but from instinct, speed, and a refusal to wait for permission? In this conversation, Danielle Meyer of Spicy Dan shares how her business has grown out of pure creative impulse—designing pieces she wants to exist, then refining them through real-...

A conversation with Malaika Crawford on flex culture, gatekeeping, and why print still matters. There’s a moment in my conversation with Malaika Crawford —Editorial Director of Hodinkee Magazine , former fashion-world operator (Mel Ottenberg’s assistant in the Rihanna heyday), and current resident anthropologist of the watch internet—where she says the quiet part out loud: “Watches are like jewelr...

Marc Bridge and Monica Stephenson, Anza Gems Worldwide Headquarters, Seattle, WA Monica Stephenson is the kind of guest who makes you see a familiar object—one you might already love—like it’s brand new. In this episode of The Materialist , we sit together in her Seattle office overlooking Lake Union and the skyline, and we follow a thread that runs from the jewelry counter in a Midwest college to...

Marc Bridge and Randi Molofsky, The Peninsula Beverly Hills There are people in the jewelry world who write about it, people who sell it, people who design it—and then there’s Randi Molofsky , whose superpower is weaving all of these worlds together. Randi doesn’t simply work in jewelry. She connects miners to designers, designers to retailers, and collectors to pieces that will live on their bodi...

In this episode of The Materialist , Marc Bridge sits down with celebrity colorist Jenna Perry , the artist behind the signature looks of Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and a generation of “It Girls.” Known for transforming hair into a medium of emotion, identity, and self-expression, Jenna shares how a childhood fascination with her grandmother’s salon visits evolved into one of New York’s most cov...

If you’ve peeked at modern watch culture in the last few years, chances are you’ve felt Brynn Wallner ’s impact—whether you realized it or not. She’s the founder of Dimepiece , the platform that reframed watches through a lens that’s stylish, pop-cultural, and—crucially—women-forward. In our conversation for The Materialist , Brynn unspooled the origin story of Dimepiece , the pandemic moment that...

From a small town in Denmark to a sun-splashed bench in New York’s Diamond District, sisters Joy and Sarah Haugaard (the minds behind Lionheart ) have built a jewelry universe where heritage, handwork, and human connection matter as much as gold and gemstones. In this conversation, we cover the origins of their partnership, Joy’s second-chance spark in 2020, the storybook that gave Lionheart its n...

Marc Bridge and Charlotte Groeneveld at the launch dinner for The World of Charlotte Groeneveld , presented by At Present. Raf’s New York , September 9, 2025. Charlotte’s dress is by ALMADA Label , Necklace from At Present . Charlotte Groeneveld—aka The Fashion Guitar —joins me during New York Fashion Week to talk about how blogging became the creator economy, why authenticity (not algorithms) is...

Sommyyah Awan and Marc Bridge, Hotel Chelsea, New York City, September 13, 2025 For this episode of The Materialist , recorded during New York Fashion Week, I sat down with Toronto-based content creator, communications strategist, and fashion multihyphenate Sommyyah Awan . Known for her irreverent and stylish “dual life” — corporate strategist by day, luxury fashion influencer by night — Sommyyah...

What does it take to translate timeless brands into the digital age—and what happens when you refuse to play by algorithmic rules? This week on The Materialist , I sit down with Ruthie Friedlander , a digital pioneer who has shaped how we see luxury fashion and jewelry online. Ruthie’s story defies linear career paths. She started as Dan Abrams ’ assistant in the early days of Mediaite , carved ou...

On Instagram, it looks effortless: the infinity pools in the Maldives, the safari sunsets in South Africa, the couture fit checks against a perfect backdrop. Laura and Nicolas Herbert — known to their hundreds of thousands of followers as @laurandnicolas — seem to embody the ultimate lifestyle: global travel, editorial style, and a business powered by beauty. But as Laura reveals in this week’s ep...

This week on The Materialist , I’m joined by Tiffany Lopinsky — co-founder and president of ShopMy , the platform quietly powering your favorite creators. We cover a lot of ground: the evolution of influencer marketing, why affiliate and subscription revenue might just save the creator economy, and what it takes to build something useful, without a playbook. Tiffany speaks with the clarity of some...

Victoria Gomelsky and Marc Bridge Live from the Fabulous Venetian Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas. Welcome back to The Materialist . I recorded this special episode live from the jewelry shows in Las Vegas—the annual gathering point for the industry’s global village. Fittingly, I sat down with Victoria Gomelsky , Editor-in-Chief of JCK Magazine , contributor to The New York Times , and one of the most...

What do you get when a journalism grad, Dallas native, and self-described jewelry “nepo baby” builds a piercing empire in the middle of a pandemic? You get Wildlike —a brand that’s as much about identity, memory, and reinvention as it is about sparkle. This week on The Materialist , I sit down with my friend Alysa Teichman—co-owner of Ylang 23 and founder of Wildlike —to talk about the deeply pers...

This week on The Materialist , I sit down with milliner and creative force Gigi Burris , founder of Gigi Burris Millinery and the nonprofit Closely Crafted , which champions artisanal production in the U.S. We talk about how Gigi went from sewing hats as a Parsons student to dressing Rihanna and being a CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund finalist—while keeping her studio (and her soft-coated Wheaten Terrier...

Marc Bridge and Sophie Cohen ( @stylewithsoco ) , The Hotel Chelsea, May 21, 2025 In today’s episode of The Materialist , I had the pleasure of speaking with Sophie Cohen, a fashion influencer whose authenticity and vibrant style have garnered a dedicated following across social media. Sophie’s journey from high school style page to full-time influencer is both inspiring and eye-opening, offering...

What does it mean to make something lasting in a world built for speed? In this episode of The Materialist , I sit down with Sam Broekema , Editor in Chief of Only Natural Diamonds , to talk about permanence, disruption, and the enduring power of jewelry. Sam shares his journey from a small town in Wisconsin to the fashion departments of Vanity Fair , Harper’s Bazaar , and InStyle , where he honed...

Cassie Thorpe doesn’t just talk about luxury fashion—she makes you feel why it matters. In our latest episode of The Materialist , the undisputed queen of Tiny Bag Energy joins me to unpack the emotional logic behind the circus of style. Cassie is incisive, hilarious, and uncommonly generous about the things that spark obsession: Alexander McQueen blazers, vintage Chanel rings, and bags shaped lik...

Every so often, a guest joins The Materialist who manages to collapse categories: intellect and indulgence, strategy and sparkle, Prada and Gramsci. This week, that guest is Tariro Makoni . Tariro is a strategist, writer, and the voice behind Trademarked , one of the smartest (and funniest) Substacks on the internet. She writes about fashion, politics, and consumer behavior with such clarity and c...

This week on The Materialist , I had the joy of sitting down with Colin Keane Lynch, the artist and jeweler behind Keane . His work has been part of At Present’s assortment for years, but this conversation offered the time to slow down, zoom out, and ask how meaning is made—through hands, history, and a thousand degrees of heat. Colin’s pieces are hand-formed from glass in his Brooklyn Navy Yard s...

“You may not have heard of Ali Pew, but you are probably — indirectly — wearing something she told you to,” — Harriet Walker, the fashion editor of The Times of London Ali Pew , stylist, creative director, and creator of the influential newsletter Uniform , joins The Materialist to unpack the power of intentionality in personal style and curating life's meaningful objects. Ali shares her career jo...

In the latest episode of The Materialist , I sit down with the brilliant Sally Morrison , a leading voice in the diamond world who spent decades shaping De Beers' iconic story. Together, we unpack how natural diamonds are evolving amidst the rise of lab-grown alternatives, changing generational attitudes toward commitment, and the shifting ways we define luxury. Episode Highlights: * How the diamo...

In the latest episode of The Materialist , I sit down with my friend Ben Gilbert , co-host of Acquired , to talk about brands, luxury, and the meaning we assign to the things we own. Ben has spent the last decade dissecting the world’s most successful companies, and in light of his recent blockbuster five-hour episode on Rolex , we sat down to explore what makes something valuable —not just in dol...