Back Row with Amy Odell

Amy sits down with Noëmie Leclercq of luxury news outlet Glitz Paris to debate the "Hermès game" (aka everything customers allegedly have to do in order for boutiques to offer them the chance to purchase a Birkin or Kelly bag). They discuss pre-spends, background checks, and Hermès’ apparent alliance with Lauren Sánchez Bezos. Noëmie also talks about why superfakes have become a big problem; how the class action lawsuit in the U.S. has affected Hermès sales practices; and the secret “grey market” where billionaires buy the most exclusive bags.

In Part 2, Noëmie and Amy discuss whether or not the Birkin bubble has popped, why the market for "superfakes" is booming, and the (grim) outlook for Birkins on the secondhand market.

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

Chapters

00:00 — Introducing Noëmie Leclercq of Glitz Paris
01:10 — Is Hermès really stalking their clients?
03:00 — Breaking down the Hermès game
05:40 — Hermès locations: US vs. France
06:00 — Who is the ideal Hermès customer?
07:40 — This French law requires Hermès to background check clients
12:10 — The pre-spend: does Hermès really need to sell furniture?
19:00 — What is the grey market for Hermès products?
24:40 — The Hermès lawsuit: how did it change the game?
28:40 — Can the Birkin be overexposed?
30:20 — Listen to part 2 for Noëmie’s take on if the Birkin bubble has popped

Links & Resources:

Back Row newsletter

Amy Odell — Instagram

Noëmie Leclercq — Glitz Paris

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

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Amy Odell talks with fashion director-turned-entrepreneur Marina Larroudé about why she left Teen Vogue for Barneys -- and then started her own brand. Marina recalls Style.com's earliest days; how top brands really weren't on board with the internet; what it was really like to work for Anna Wintour; and what she saw from inside the industry that convinced her there was a big business opportunity in footwear.

Part 2 is available to paid subscribers at BackRow.net (which includes full newsletter access) or through Apple Podcasts or Spotify. In Part 2, Marina talks about how she makes walkable heels; what it was like for Taylor Swift to wear her shoes on the Eras tour; and her plans for the future of Larroudé.

Products mentioned in this episode:

⁠Boat shoes⁠

⁠Fuzzy lined ballet flat⁠

⁠Dolly platform sandal⁠ (the same style Taylor Swift wore):

⁠Stella sneaker⁠

CHAPTERS:

00:00 — Introducing Marina Larroudé

03:00 — Why are people so fascinated by Anna Wintour and the Condé Nast world?

05:30 — What does the fashion director at Teen Vogue do?

09:00 — Marina's experience at Style.com

13:30 — The Bella Thorne photoshoot disaster

16:30 — Marina's experience working with Anna Wintour

18:40 — Why Marina left fashion media to work at Barneys

25:10 — On founding Larroudé: "No one was making high-quality shoes for drop-off"

35:00 — How Marina makes Larroudé's shoes comfortable

38:30 — Listen to part 2 for Marina's take on what makes a walkable heel

Back Row newsletter

Amy Odell - Instagram

Marina Larroudé:

Instagram

Larroudé:

Website

Instagram

TikTok

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

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This is the audio version of the Back Row newsletter published February 17, 2026.

Why don't fashion designers view Olympic figure skating the way they do red carpets — as a forum to exploit for brand impressions? The sport is fabulous, glamorous, and awe-inspiring, after all. Amy digs into how figure skating costumes are made and why the world's top ready-to-wear designers generally don't want anything to do with making them — and why the athletes also aren't clamoring for brands to step in.

Plus, a special New York Fashion Week report (6:00).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

In Part 2, Amy and Lila debate the Saks Fifth Avenue bankruptcy — detailing the brand's fraught relationship with Amazon, the possibility of government intervention, and what it all means for the future of the department store.

On this episode of the Back Row Podcast, Amy talks with Lila Delilah, THE Madison Avenue Spy, about the current unhinged state of luxury retail — from the "Very Important Client" system to how luxury brands deal with all-out frenzies over once-secret sales. They also discuss the Hermès game, brands that have threatened to sue Lila, and more.

CHAPTERS:

0:00 – Introducing Madison Avenue Spy

5:10 – Were there VICs in 2010?

7:00 – How have luxury sales evolved?

13:10 – The lines are getting out of control

15:00 – What are the most legendary sales right now?

16:10 – Will The Row do invitation-only sales?

20:00 – Hermès shoppers are begging for appointments

27:00 – The brands that threatened to sue Madison Avenue Spy

31:10 – The bag-buying experience at Chanel vs. Hermès

34:40 – Reacting to the “Great Reset”

37:45 – Was Hermès ever really a fashion brand?

41:00 – What could break the spell Hermès has on shoppers?

Links & Resources:

Back Row Newsletter

Amy Odell - Instagram

Madison Avenue Spy:

Substack

Website

Instagram

TikTok

Telegram

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are awards shows still about movies — or are they now luxury fashion marketing disguised as cultural prestige? And who’s actually funding all these celeb red-carpet appearances — the studios, the stars, or the brands?

Amy Odell is joined by Debra Birnbaum, Editor-in-Chief of awards season news outlet Gold Derby, to break down how modern awards campaigns actually work and why the fashion is so important. Amy and Debra talk Timothée Chalamet’s Marty Supreme press tour and if it was too annoying to win (23:10); who really pays for all the glam (14:30); and how the Met Gala came to overshadow the Oscars (33:30).

Subscribe to Amy's Back Row newsletter: https://www.backrow.net/

Follow Amy on Instagram

Follow Debra Birnbaum on Instagram

Check out Gold Derby for more awards season predictions.
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