Why Fashion Needs a Revolution—A 1Granary Perspective

Why Fashion Needs a Revolution—A 1Granary Perspective

Author: What's Contemporary March 10, 2025 Duration: 35:12
Fashion thrives on newness but resists change, celebrates young designers yet makes survival nearly impossible. Olya Kuryshchuk, founder of 1Granary, knows this contradiction well. What began as a student-run blog at Central Saint Martins has become one of the industry’s most unfiltered voices, exposing the gaps between talent, opportunity, and success. In this episode, Kuryshchuk unpacks why magazine editors are shifting to brand consulting, how ageism shapes studio culture, and why true innovation isn’t about aesthetics but structure, sustainability, and survival. With characteristic candor, she lays bare fashion’s broken pipeline, the illusion of overnight success, and what it actually takes to build a lasting career today. "What’s contemporary now? Long-term thinking. Creating with intention. The industry is obsessed with speed, but the future belongs to those who build for longevity." - Olya Kuryshchuk Episode Highlights: The Birth of 1Granary – What started as a student project at Central Saint Martins became a global fashion education platform. The Reality of Fashion Education – A degree from a top school doesn’t guarantee success—80% of graduates don’t find jobs in the industry. Acting as a Designer Union – 1Granary advocates for young designers, exposing industry flaws and providing career guidance. The Power of Community – Success in fashion isn’t just about talent; strategic relationships and collaborations shape careers. Why Editors Are Moving to Brand Consulting – Traditional media salaries are low, while brands offer better pay and creative freedom. Ageism in Fashion – Studios are filled with designers under 30, and career paths for women over 40 are nearly nonexistent. The Industry’s Broken Pipeline – Young designers either join big brands or struggle to launch their own—a middle path is missing. The Harsh Truth About Fashion’s Business Model – Many emerging designers can’t sustain their brands, despite industry hype. Fashion’s Double Standard on Sustainability – Big brands have the power to create real change, but it’s indie designers who often lead the charge. What’s Contemporary Now? – Long-term thinking—in an industry obsessed with speed, real impact comes from sustainability and intention. 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
The World According to LDSS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:29
In his first-ever podcast interview, Ludovic de Saint Sernin traces the journey from a nomadic childhood to becoming one of fashion’s most closely watched voices. He talks about the diary-like beginnings of his brand, th…
The New Masculinity, According to Samuel Hine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:28
For GQ’s global fashion correspondent Samuel Hine, clothes have always been more than fabric; they were a form of identity long before they became his career. Growing up as an identical twin in Chicago, he learned early…
Sarah Ball on Editing What’s Contemporary Now at WSJ. Magazine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:15
At this year’s WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards, Billie Eilish asked, “If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? Give your money away” — a line that instantly reverberated far beyond the room. It was a reminder o…
Tish Weinstock Is an Amorphous and Contemporary It Girl [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:30
Talking to Tish Weinstock offers the kind of unfiltered honesty — or, as she calls it, radical honesty — that every interviewer hopes to find in a guest. She has a unique ability to move between the frivolous and the dee…
Adam Selman Tells Us Victoria’s Secret [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:25
The morning after his show debut as Victoria’s Secret’s new Creative Director, Adam Selman joined me to talk through the emotions still vibrating from the night before. The conversation moved from backstage calm to creat…
Observant and Optimistic, AREA’s Nicholas Aburn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:58
Nicholas Aburn’s path to AREA was never a straight line. He grew up watching CNN Style with his mother, worked full time at Prada while studying at Central Saint Martins, and famously failed under Louise Wilson before sh…
The Shape of Reverence with Jerry Lorenzo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:51
When we first thought to sit down with Jerry Lorenzo, we planned to talk about culture, fashion, the first official womenswear collection from Fear of God, and the unique background that made his future feel wide open —…
Season 6 Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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, t…
A Season in Progress, A World in Flux [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17
While the world appears to have taken leave of anything resembling objective reality, and our feeds continue to oscillate between the surreal and the mundane in a choreography of dissonance, we have returned to the quiet…
Editing Creative Culture with System Magazine’s Jonathan Wingfield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:11
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 r…