Season 6 Trailer

Season 6 Trailer

Author: What's Contemporary September 29, 2025 Duration: 0:52
What’s more contemporary than the pursuit of happiness? The restless task of creating it, sustaining it, sharing it. It’s a game not so far from that of the creative class, with its inevitable demand for the next turn, the next gesture, the next affirmation of relevance. Designers, editors, critics, even self-anointed new media mavens know it all too well. Exploring larger cultural truths in their microcosmic forms is a habit we’ve happily returned to this season, and one we look forward to sharing across the months ahead. Because happiness, like relevance, is never fixed. It slips just out of reach the moment it seems secured, requiring constant reexamination and reinvention. The same holds true for the people and industries we cover: what feels urgent today risks redundancy tomorrow. That cycle of fulfillment, exhaustion, and reinvention, is the rhythm of both creativity and life. And in that rhythm lies the story of what it means to be contemporary now. New episodes begin Monday, October 6th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cultural landscape shifts constantly, and What's Contemporary Now? is a guide to its ever-changing terrain. Host Christopher Michael sits down with creators, critics, and innovators who are actively shaping the arts, from visual design and architecture to music and media. These conversations move beyond simple interviews, delving into the underlying philosophies and shared currents that connect seemingly disparate fields. Each episode unpacks a specific idea or movement through the lens of a guest's expertise, offering listeners a deeper understanding of the forces defining our current moment. Produced by Sasha Grinblat, the sound of the podcast is as considered as its content, creating an immersive space for genuine dialogue. You'll hear architects discuss the politics of space, musicians analyze the aesthetics of sound, and writers trace the lineage of new literary forms. It’s for anyone who feels that simply consuming culture isn't enough-who wants to understand the "why" behind the "what." By focusing on these broad, compelling perspectives, the series reveals the common threads woven through contemporary creative life, providing context and clarity in a fragmented world. Tune in to find your own place in the conversation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

What's Contemporary Now?
Podcast Episodes
Fashion, Film, & Fantasy: The World of Shona Heath [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:28
Set and Production designer Shona Heath creates enchanting, dense, and detailed worlds. Dreams within themselves, her visions have been manifested across the pages of top publications, and in collaborative partnerships w…
The Muse and the Dream: Dara's Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:33
Dara is a model, stylist, and fashion director at Interview magazine. From her beginnings in San Diego to the iconic runways of New York, Dara speaks of a journey that is a testament to creativity and conviction. Recogni…
Zoe Ghertner on the Importance of Connection in a Fast World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:07
Zoe Ghertner is a photographer renowned for captivating work blending art, fashion, and documentary storytelling. With a keen eye for detail and an innate sense of composition, Ghertner’s imagery transcends conventional…
Behind the Scenes with Emanuele Farneti: A Magazine Maker's Journey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:23
Editor-in-chief of all la Repubblica magazines, Emanuele Farneti, is an influential figure in the fashion and design industries. Born in Italy, Farneti’s career trajectory skyrocketed as he took the helm of esteemed publ…
The Marni Evolution: Francesco Risso's Story [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:37
Italian fashion designer Francesco Risso is renowned for his offbeat, innovative approach to contemporary clothing. He learned how to cut and sew from the age of eight with any fabric he could find, going on to study fas…
Pierre Rougier on Vision, Trends, and Challenging the Algorithm [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:07
Pierre Rougier, a distinguished fashion publicist and founder of PR Consulting, boasts a career spanning several decades. After studying political science in Bordeaux, Rougier honed his skills in Paris and London with He…
The Evolution of Media: Insights from Willa Bennett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:56
Willa Bennett, a trailblazing force in media, is the editor-in-chief of Highsnobiety, steering the publication to new heights of innovation and influence. A Forbes 30 Under 30 luminary, her journey began at Seventeen, pi…