Podcasts! Everyone’s obsessed, including many of our local fashion designers. But it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the seemingly endless array of options on pretty much every topic under the sun. These twelve podcasts will entertain and educate, and come highly recommended by figureheads in the NZ fashion industry. 

‍Karen Walker 

The BBC’s In Our Time presented by Melvyn Bragg, because it’s slow and deep and curious and pleasingly boring and yet completely compelling with such disparate topics that I’m always excited to see a new episode appear just to find out what they’ll be covering. With over 900 episodes there’s plenty there for the newcomer as well as the super-fan. Some of my favourite episodes include: The Evolution of Teeth; Longitude; Eclipses; Cave Art; George Sand; Lawrence of Arabia; The Rapture; Lorca; Napoleon’s Retreat from Moscow; The Gin Craze; Politeness; The Alphabet.

Liam Bowden, founder of Deadly Ponies 

Life Uncut. The perfect podcast to have on while doing household chores - it feels like you're just listening to two mates drinking and catching up on twisted dating stories and giving life advice.

Sarah-Jane Duff, designer of Lost and Led Astray 

Food Psych with Christy Harrison. An anti-diet dietitian, Christy is my go-to on how to factually dismantle fat phobia. Her work in intuitive eating, HAES (health at every size) and social justice is a huge inspiration for my social enterprise Fat Yoga NZ.

Keva Rands, designer of Papa Clothing

Part of running a business for me is managing my schedule and mind to help stay on top of all the roles I have to play, especially as a sole operator. So a friend sent me an episode of Unf*ck Your Brain by Kara Loewentheil called ‘How to Get Shit Done’ and it was quite a lightbulb moment for me. This episode is great for getting a handle of your work schedule and/or non-work related jobs using thought work and specific calendar techniques. Her other episodes explain how thought work works through hundreds of different situations like social anxiety and difficult relationship dynamics. If you can handle her addressing you as one of her “chickens” every episode then there is a lot of great stuff in there.

Kate Sylvester

I’ve just finished A Wish For Afghanistan, the BBC’s Lyse Doucet’s incredibly poignant series of interviews with Afghanis. It’s a very human insight into this incredibly complicated country. 

Juliette Hogan

How to Fail With Elizabeth Day is like having two friends over and listening to them having a conversation about their journey to date. Failure isn’t failure. There is no failure except in no longer trying. 

Zoe Williams, founder of Zoe and Morgan 

I love podcasts, and my son Ace complains my 'helpful' insights are all life lessons learned through podcasts! I have a particular interest in neuroscience and personal growth, so Lacy Phillips’ To Be Magnetic podcast has weekly plays, and I dip in and out of a number of others. The Knowledge Project from Shane Parrish is also great.

Amy Lautogo, founder and designer of Infamy Apparel

SYGNYL - All platforms. This podcast is a trip! It’s part mystical realism, guided meditation with historical allegories in an abstract context. It also has a really cool participatory aspect with codes and maps. Print these off before you go on holiday and get everyone around the table for this short series.

Anjali Burnett, co-founder of Twenty-seven Names 

Sentimental Garbage's Sentimental in the City series. Deep diving into Sex and the City, you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll start to imagine [hosts] Dolly and Caroline are your friends.

Ingrid Starnes

The Daily. I love these, and listen to them on my runs. The long Sunday reads are great especially, they take you to new places and new perspectives, with fantastic writing and production.

Kathryn Wilson 

I enjoy The Business of Fashion podcasts discussing all topics relating to the industry from a global perspective. A recent episode, 'transforming luxury', challenged the future of luxury brands and how they can maintain relevance with digital experiences, and was really poignant to listen to with stores closed in lockdown.

Kate Megaw, designer of Penny Sage

I find Desert Island Discs both relaxing and inspiring to listen to. I like to go back and listen to some of the really old recordings. Such an amazing archive, I love the insight it gives you into the interviewees. Also great if you’re stuck in a Spotify loop and need to be reminded or introduced to something else.