Step into the fascinating world where fashion meets politics as we welcome Jonathan Michael Square for an illuminating conversation on fashion, politics and Black dandyism. Our timely discussion arrives just before the 2025 Met Gala and the Costume Institute's exhibition, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style."

Dr. Square is the Assistant Professor of Black Visual Culture at Parsons School of Design. He has a PhD in history from New York University, an MA from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BA from Cornell University. Dr. Square was a fellow in the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and he’s also a member of the advisory committee for the Costume Institute’s “Superfine” exhibition.

Jonathan explores how politics is woven into the fabric of Black dandyism and its intertwined relationship with respectability. He offers insights from his current NYU course on Black dandyism and, as a member of the "Superfine" advisory committee, provides a sneak peek of the upcoming exhibition. Our conversation briefly shifts to examine dress codes in the corridors of power — from Capitol Hill (catch our fashion footnote in the episode) to the White House. Jonathan also shares strategies for scholars and students focused on the intersection of fashion, race, politics and culture — during a time when certain terms and academic fields face increasing scrutiny. Special guest, octogenarian Robert William Wiley, also joined us at the end to share how he and his uncles have embodied Black dandyism over the years.

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Join us as we sit down with Darnell-Jamal Lisby, the first fashion curator at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), just days before the 2025 Met Gala and the opening of "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at the Costume Institute.

As a fashion historian, Lisby helped organize CMA’s iteration of "The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion" and curated the exhibitions "Egyptomania: Fashion’s Conflicted Obsession and Korean Couture: Generations of Revolution." Prior to joining CMA, Lisby worked at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, where he organized programming for the museum’s first virtual — and best attended — symposium, “Fashion, Culture, Futures: African American Ingenuity, Activism, and Storytelling.” Lisby holds degrees from the Fashion Institute of Technology, including an MA in fashion and textiles studies: history, theory, and museum practice and a BS in art history and museum professions.

This year’s exhibition, guest-curated by Monica L. Miller and inspired by her seminal work "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” explores the history of Black dandyism and the intersection of fashion, power and identity.

Our fascinating conversation with Darnell-Jamal delves into fashion as a political statement, the evolution of Black dandyism through history, and the boundary between cultural appreciation and appropriation as Black style and culture is celebrated and promoted as part of the “Superfine” exhibition.

Connect with Darnell-Jamal Lisby: Instagram and LinkedIn Cleveland Museum of Art

Dr. Jonathan Michael Square: Instagram and Website Parsons School of Design

Professor Susan Scafidi, Founder and Academic Director, Fashion Law Institute and author, Who Owns Culture: Appropriation and Authenticity in American Law

Kimberly Jenkins, The Fashion and Race Database

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In this episode, we’re excited to welcome Steve Francis. Steve is the former Director of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center) and he is currently the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board at IP House. Drawing on his extensive experience connecting intellectual property and trade, Steve offers expert insights on the tariff turmoil, an end to the de minimis exemption for China and Hong Kong, and the potential impact on counterfeit goods entering the United States.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s 2024 IPR seizure statistics, fashion items — including handbags, jewelry, apparel and footwear — remain the top commodities seized. We discuss how fashion, cyber and counterfeiting crimes are intertwined — taking us back to the early days of fashion tech. Steve shares how a lot of these crimes are cyber-enabled, from e-commerce and phishing scams to the growing influence of dupes and social media personalities.

Regarding tariffs and de minimis changes, Steve notes that while costs will increase, the “bad actors are still gonna continue to find a way to circumvent the tariffs.”

Our conversation also covers the U.S.-China trade tensions and TikTok, including viral videos claiming to offer "inside looks" at Chinese manufacturers producing luxury goods. We also delve into the growing counterfeit market for weight loss and type 2 diabetes drugs, particularly GLP-1s. These medications are reshaping fashion and retail by altering the size curve and inventory. However, the GLP-1 boom comes with significant risks to consumers through the counterfeit market. Steve shares how when there’s a global demand for a particular product and consumers go outside that secure supply chain, it creates an opportunity for bad actors to take advantage of the situation. He also explains how his investigative team collaborates closely with law enforcement when combating counterfeits.

In these unprecedented times, how can brands and retailers navigate trade wars while counterfeits continue to rise? Join us as we unpack these issues.

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Brand Protection Guide for Small and Medium Sized Businesses

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In this episode, we're excited to welcome Joe Big Mountain (Mohawk/Cree/Comanche) and Sunshine Big Mountain (Oneida Nation) of Ironhorse Quillwork. Joe Big Mountain is known for his one-of-a-kind quillwork, and in 2024, the Big Mountains co-created with Gucci two custom gowns worn by actor Lily Gladstone (Siksikaitsitapi [Blackfeet]/Nimiipuu [Nez Perce]) at the 96th Academy Awards and Vanity Fair Oscars party. The gowns featured porcupine quillwork done exclusively by the Big Mountains and their team of Native artists.

The Big Mountains had a total of three weeks to design in Italy, teach Indigenous artists back home, and have the final gown ready for Lily at the Oscars. Joe and Sunshine made sure to keep the practice of quillwork — one of Indigenous Peoples’ oldest art forms in the northern region of North America — in Indigenous hands while also intertwining its cultural significance and meanings in the design process with Gucci. As Joe and Sunshine shared on this episode, Jason Rembert — the celebrity stylist who worked with Lily Gladstone — was also instrumental in ensuring that boundaries were held and that there was respect for quillwork as an art form throughout the collaboration process. Both gowns are currently at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC for a special installation through March 2026.

Image: Joe and Sunshine Big Mountain with Lily Gladstone, Norwood Photography

Making a Statement at the National Museum of the American Indian

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In this episode, we're excited to welcome Rebecca Henry and Akua Shabaka — the mother and daughter design duo behind House of Aama. Established in 2015 and manufactured in Los Angeles, House of Aama designs timeless pieces infused with heritage, history and storytelling. House of Aama is also the 2021 CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist.

Rebecca serves as Director of Business and Legal Affairs and Akua is House of Aama’s Creative Director. It's not every day that an independent brand has in-house legal counsel from day one. Discover how having legal expertise early-on has shaped House of Aama’s journey and witness their real-time strategies for navigating today's economic and political uncertainties. And while currently manufacturing in Los Angeles, co-founders Rebecca and Akua share insights on how President Trump's sweeping tariffs could affect sourcing costs, especially for independent brands. As Rebecca noted on the podcast, “The fashion business is not U.S.-based. The fashion business is really based from international sources.”

We also explored crucial labor questions: While garment worker protections receive attention, what about supporting fashion employers who create these jobs? How can state and local governments help to make it easier for brands and designers to manufacture locally? Tune in for this timely conversation at the intersection of fashion law, business and policy.

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New York designers are dealing with a lot right now — with the realities of the economy and current political landscape, including tariffs, increased costs for materials, and scarce funding opportunities — all while living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. In this episode, Kenya sits down with Harlem-based designer JUNNY Ann Hibbert to discuss how she built her fashion brand while also staying true to her creative voice. Discover how JUNNY integrated fashion law into her business from the very beginning and focused on doing good along the way. The conversation also delves into the role of government in supporting creative entrepreneurs — particularly at the local level in New York City. What do fashion designers need right now and how should government leaders help?

JUNNY’s path into fashion was unconventional. After being downsized from her role as an ESPN sales executive, she channeled her energy into creativity, quickly gaining recognition for her unique designs. In 2021, she debuted her first collection at New York Fashion Week to critical acclaim, earning a spot as one of W Magazine’s top emerging talents of the year. JUNNY has received awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Fashion Group International (FGI) and Visa’s Next in Fashion. Her work has also been featured in Essence, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, WWD, and Vanity Fair. JUNNY’s creations — whether through fabric or fiber — tell powerful stories of pain, triumph, and cultural pride, making her a force in both fashion and art.

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LinkedIn: Junny Ann Hibbert

Instagram: @junny_nyc

Website: junny.nyc

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Sports and fashion are more interconnected now than ever, and March Madness is showing just how powerful the two industries are together — particularly for student-athletes. In this episode, Kenya talks with fashion law attorney Daniel Bellizio about his storied career representing iconic designers in luxury and sportswear collaborations, and his current work in talent management at Network — advising student-athletes on cutting-edge deals in the evolving landscape of name, image and likeness (NIL).

This conversation is a must-listen for designers, student-athletes and anyone interested in learning more about the merger of sports and fashion law. We discussed: intellectual property (IP) and other legal issues in collaborations and NIL deals; the business of talent management; what parents and student-athletes should know about branding and building a community; and whether it’s time for student-athletes and fashion designers to form unions to represent their respective interests.

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Naomi Lefkovitz, former Senior Privacy Policy Advisor at NIST and White House Director for Privacy and Civil Liberties, joined the show to discuss how the surge in AI innovation impacts fashion and retail, and what's at stake for brands if they do not incorporate trustworthy and responsible AI. Ms. Lefkovitz played an instrumental role in the implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI, and she also shared her thoughts on what’s next for AI governance and policy in the return to federal deregulation.

Produced by Salomón Flamenco