Back Row with Amy Odell

Will Kris Jenner's birthday party be immortalized on an HBO show in a hundred years?

Maybe.

The Gilded Age was America’s first era of extreme wealth, inequality, and loud luxury, spanning 1870 to 1900. On this episode of the Back Row podcast, which explains how fashion and culture really work, Amy talks to Gilded Age historian and author Elizabeth Block about how shockingly closely society and fashion today mirror the wealthy and luxury industries during that time period.

Elizabeth is the author of the upcoming book Gilded Age Fashion: More Than 50 Iconic Looks and the Stories Behind Them.

Their conversation breaks down how Kris Jenner's birthday feels straight out of the late 1880s; how sky-high luxury fashion prices are basically the same as they were back then; the most extreme luxuries of the past and present; and Vogue's Gilded Age origins.

Listen to Part 2 for Elizabeth’s take on what life was like for the have-nots during the period — and why she sees parallels between Taylor Swift’s wedding and the Gilded Age.

Part 2 is available to Back Row Premium subscribers. Sign up at BackRow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 — Introducing Dr. Elizabeth Block

01:20 — Are We Living in a New Gilded Age?

03:20 — The Gilded Age Weddings

07:40 — Kris Jenner’s Birthday Party: Gilded Age-Coded?

11:00 — How Much Did Socialites Spend on Dresses? Then vs. Now

16:30 — Gossip Columns: What Were the Faux Pas?

20:30 — Etiquette Books and the Rules of Modesty

26:20 — Vogue’s Gilded Age Origins

Links & Resources:

Back Row Newsletter

Amy Odell — Instagram

Elizabeth Block — Instagram

Newsletter: Gilded Age Fashion

Books:

Gilded Age Fashion: More Than 50 Iconic Looks and the Stories Behind Them

Beyond Vanity: The History and Power of Hairdressing

This episode was produced by Amy Odell and edited by Joyce Ciesil and Jonathan Voytko.

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Are tech billionaires the next Kardashians?

From Mark Zuckerberg sitting front row at Prada to Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s Met Gala sponsorship, tech billionaires are increasingly present in the fashion world in 2026. Why is this happening?

Amy invites tech journalist Taylor Lorenz back on the pod to discuss this controversial relationship between fashion and big tech. They dive into Bezos funding the Met Gala (4:30), why going to fashion shows could be a byproduct of tech backlash (07:00); Mark Zuckerberg at Prada (13:30), the future of space tourism (19:00); and whether smartglasses are fashion or surveillance (24:20). 

Listen to Part 2 to hear their takes on Bryan Johnson’s ‘Don’t Die’ movement and Clavicular’s Looksmaxxing on the runway — and what these male beauty and wellness trends mean for the future of fashion.

Part 2 is available to paid subscribers at backrow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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What did Love Story get wrong about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette?

Amy Odell sits down with Kate Storey, author of White House by the Sea, to break down what really happened inside the Kennedy compound — and how the show fictionalizes their lives, relationship, and famous Cape Cod summers. And she answers the urgent question: was there really a breakfast board?!

Kate spent years reporting on the Kennedy family and shares what the show gets right, what it gets completely wrong, and what their real lives were actually like behind the scenes.

Sign up for a Premium subscription to Back Row to hear Part 2. Go to BackRow.net to get newsletter access included with your subscription. Or sign up in Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

CHAPTERS
01:06 why everyone is watching “love story”

03:00 inside the real Kennedy compound

06:00 how the show fictionalizes Hyannis Port

08:20 how John and Carolyn really started dating

12:10 when the paparazzi began

13:00 JFK Jr.’s Cape Cod childhood

15:40 the treasure diving story

17:50 the infamous boat moment

19:20 the “breakfast board” truth

21:00 Carolyn vs the Kennedy family (real story)

23:30 what Carolyn was actually like

27:00 their dinner parties and private life

28:30 how they really got engaged

30:00 iconic photos vs reality

31:00 how accurate is the show overall?

34:00 their final plans for the house

36:00 why they didn’t prioritize security

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This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published Tuesday, March 17.

After waiting two years for John Galliano's next move, we finally know he's going to Zara. In this analysis, Amy talks about why fashion people have forgiven him for his antisemitic and racist tirades that became public in 2011 and led to him losing his job at Dior — and why this move is a risk for Zara. Amy finishes with the "Loose Threads" news roundup, featuring Adrien Grenier's Devil Wears Prada 2 laments and a funny update about Gwyenth's clothing auction.
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Amy Odell is joined by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan of ⁠Go Fug Yourself⁠ and the ⁠Drinks With Broads⁠
newsletter to break down the biggest fashion stories from Oscars night—and what they reveal about Hollywood right now.

They discuss Anna Wintour’s surprise appearance (and why she’s leaning into The Devil Wears Prada 2), the backlash against Timothée Chalamet and what it says about celebrity culture, and the ongoing dominance of luxury brands like Chanel and Dior on the red carpet.

Plus: the state of red carpet coverage, why it feels increasingly sanitized, and the looks that worked—and didn’t.

In part two, we get into the media’s Ozempic discourse, Chanel vs. Dior, and why the K-pop Demon Hunters cast didn’t get the attention they deserved.

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Oscars as luxury marketing
05:00 Why everything in Hollywood is too long
09:30 The biggest fashion stories
10:30 The problem with red carpet coverage
19:00 The Timothée backlash
26:00 Kylie Jenner and celebrity optics
29:00 Anna Wintour at the Oscars
35:00 Chanel vs. Dior
40:00 The best (and safest) looks

Don't forget to ⁠sign up for the Back Row newsletter.⁠

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