Breaking the Mold: Throwing Fits on Independence, Influence, and Irreverence

• Schlossman and Harris’s origin story of work and personal partnership was born of necessity and involved building a social calendar around whatever was available to them.
• They worked together at Complex, “failing upwards,” with a fashion video show that took off based on their dynamic before moving on to more strategic and brand partnerships roles.
• As they moved up the ladder, both felt creatively constricted by red tape and constrained by creating content that catered to advertising dollars.
• Schlossman and Harris started their podcast in January 2020 with a sense of having zero stakes—and they say this mentality is what paid off.
• Retaining their independence is important to them in a clinical media landscape; it keeps their listeners interested in their irreverence voice.  
• Now that they make their own designs and collaborate with their favorite brands, such as Our Legacy, Schlossman and Harris contrast their well-made designs with “guys who get dressed for the internet.”
• Their audience is “incredibly enthusiastic and incredibly savvy and smart,” Harris says, and respects their underdog style and pursuits.
• They cite a robust list of favorite brands, like Eckhaus Latta, Connor McKnight, Angelo Urrutia, Stoffa, Sunflower, and Our Legacy as references and masterful brands of the moment.
• When asked what’s contemporary now, Harris offers “the fragmentation” and “the challenge of how people can eventually find their people,” while Schlossman says “motivation and doing things because they actually make you feel good,” which is inherent to his interest in dressing.

‍Notable Quotes:

• “It was like a friendship born out of necessity, where we were the two youngest, brokest people at the company; definitely least cool.” —James Harris
• “We all ping-ponged our way, up, back, diagonally, across the industry, and it's those bonds you make are forged in fire, and by fire, little shrimp taquitos that you get for free.”  —James Harris
• “The fashion industry has changed, it's changed a little bit. Now you have people that come in as creators and are already at a level and never had to sink down to that unfortunate but maybe pure position that we started in.” —Lawrence Schlossman
• “James and I were a product of a time and a place, and I personally wouldn't change a single thing about that. Cause, like James said, like the friendships that we made are still holding strong over a decade later. And ultimately, even if we had met nobody else that gave a fuck about us at all, we met each other, and that's what's important.” —Lawrence Schlossman
• “We were like finding some success in the [Brooklyn comedy] space, but we were just like, let's take this leap. And like James said, yeah, it's an excuse to get some beers and a pizza. And I remember even that first episode was recorded on one microphone, like just having no idea what we were doing and also not caring and having no pressure.” —Lawrence Schlossman
• “I just remember being like, who gives a shit? Let's just do it to do it. And who cares if anyone else cares, we're having fun. And, ultimately, I think that, at least for me, that foundational kind of, I don't know, it's a bit naive, to be real, but that was a freedom that felt special and unique at the time. And I think ultimately, it clearly paid off.” —Lawrence Schlossman
• “It was also before the harsh realization that everything on the internet is forever. But I think we still move like that; working for yourself, you do have that freedom a little bit. Who cares? Let's just fuck it. We'll do it live.” —James Harris
• “It’s coming up on five years, and we haven't really ever had to look back. Every week is every day, every email, every episode is like a fucking giant question mark. There is no grand plan. There is no master plan. There's no five-year plan.” —James Harris
• “We just don't want to do the stuff that we don't want to do. And I think having that freedom is rare, and I don't think we take it for granted.” —James Harris
• “We always say: Fashion is a visual art form, and we are a sonic medium. This should not work.” —James Harris
• “[Fashion] is no longer like a subculture or subinterest. It touches on all the pillars of the zeitgeist, whether that's sports, pop culture, film and TV, various entertainment, sneakers. That's its own thing. Politics. I don't think that we're necessarily in the fashion charts, but to peg us as a singularly fashion podcast, I think, is a mistake or kind of reveals someone’s narrow perspective on what a thing can be.” —James Harris
• “It's almost annoying when it's like, ‘Oh, the fashion podcasters.’ I'm like, OK, if somebody listens, they understand that I'd like to think there's so much more that is being discussed every week and at a superficial level, jokes and messing around. And then also, I think, a deepness and a thoughtfulness and a sincerity, because we do really care and want to have great conversation just at the end of the day with anybody.” —Lawrence Schlossman
• “We are trying to truly put our money where our mouth is. We feel like we have great tastes. We feel like we have a great understanding of this world. And, as we've grown and have been able to surround ourselves with all the resources that it takes to create a brand that we are proud to wear. Like James said, often we'll find ourselves just ‘Whoa, shit. I'm wearing a fit that I made.’” —Lawrence Schlossman
• “As consumers of the general zeitgeist, I don't respect people that are just shilling, whatever necessarily respects people that are just shilling whatever product or whatever brand is putting money in their pocket without actually like wholeheartedly endorsing it or even like trying it themselves and they're just going for clicks or views or engagement or a quick dollar or whatever.” —James Harris
• “I'm not going to veer away from fashion necessarily, because I think that like New York retail, we lamented it as being dead for so long, but you are starting to see, and I hope this is reflective of other realms of culture. You are starting to see interesting things happening and people actually breaking through.” —James Harris
• “If you don’t listen to the fucking podcast, great. If we can just be like a rallying point for you to get outside, get off your phone and like actually chat and talk and hang out, we've done our fucking job.” —James Harris