Fashion Podcaster Alyssa Vingan Tells Us Which Trends She Just Can’t Part With

Alyssa Vingan, a self-avowed “healthy mix” of Samantha and Charlotte, has worn all of the most enviable hats in the trade: interviewing Karl Lagerfeld, being called a bully by Whoopi Goldberg, vaping with Marc Jacobs. A former Editor-in-Chief for not one, but two magazines (Nylon and Fashionista), Vingan’s most recent enterprise is a weekly fashion and beauty podcast called The New Garde with Alyssa Vingan, a project she’s put a ring around and sealed with a loving smooch: “I am COMMITTED!” she told us when we posed a harrowing Sophie’s choice between podcasts and magazines. On The New Garde, Vingan sits down with industry insiders like Marie Claire’s EIC Nikki Ogunnaike and Gutes Guterman, founder of the late LES print newspaper The Drunken Canal, to talk about breaking into the biz. Curious to pick her brain and find out what she does first thing in the morning, we enlisted her for this week’s Search History, in which we solicited Vingan’s takes on a number of old and enduring fashion trends (skinny jeans, wedge sneakers, jelly shoes) and found out why her algorithm keeps bumping mental health memes.

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LILY KWAK: Hey Alyssa! 

ALYSSA VINGAN: Hello! 

KWAK: Ready to ace our Search History test? 

VINGAN: I sure am. 

KWAK: Okay, first things first. A/S/L? 

VINGAN: 37/F/NYC.

KWAK: What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? 

VINGAN: My dog is my alarm clock and I usually snuggle with her for 15-20 minutes until she starts whining for me to take her outside. The best way to wake up! 

KWAK: Omg me with my cats except they’re whining for food at six AM. Where do you spend the most time online? 

VINGAN: Unfortunately, I still spend a disturbing amount of time on “X” dot com. Lately I’ve been letting the YouTube algorithm take the wheel a lot, too. 

KWAK: What’s the YouTube algorithm feeding you?

VINGAN: I went through a phase recently that involved watching a lot of 90s and early 2000s MTV—TRL, Fashionably Loud, things like that. That’s pulled me in some pretty interesting directions, like weird Limp Bizkit live performances? Not complaining. 

KWAK: Beautiful. Can we get a peek into your most recent google searches? 

VINGAN: This is a pretty decent snapshot of what’s going on in my brain at any given moment. 

KWAK: Okay, FMK: social media/podcasts/magazines. 

VINGAN: I just started a podcast, so I will say marry to that, because I am COMMITTED! Definitely fuck magazines, the dreamiest to me forever. Kill social media! 

KWAK: Amen to that. If you were curating an Instagram highlight reel capturing your EIC eras for Nylon and Fashionista, what moments would you include? 

VINGAN: At Nylon I’d say when we sent Naomi Fry to LA to interview Machine Gun Kelly for his first (I think?) fashion cover—I would have loved nothing more than to join their hang. At Fashionista, I got to interview Marc Jacobs at his office and we were enveloped in a cloud of vape smoke as we talked… an absolute dream scenario. He’s the best! We also got a very early Olivia Rodrigo cover moment when I was at Nylon and I’ve since turned into a super fan. It’s been so fun to watch her career explode! 

KWAK: This year marks the 10-year anniversary of “normcore.” What is “normcore” for you? 

VINGAN: “Normcore” has always been something I struggle to accurately describe but I know it when I see it! “Dad” hats and/or sneakers are markers that come to mind first. 

KWAK: Quick follow up: Is there a -core you endorse? And/or reject? 

VINGAN: As someone who was very seriously into ballet/pointe for a good portion of my youth, I had a fondness for balletcore despite how inescapable it was. (Still is?) I still haven’t bought ballet flats, for the record! 

KWAK: I’m always dreaming in Degas. Can we pause for a quick selfie from you? 

VINGAN: I’ve had the Post Malone x Morgan Wallen single stuck in my head for several weeks, which is likely where this outfit concept came from:  

KWAK: Nailed it! What’s a fashion trend that’s so ugly it’s beautiful? 

VINGAN: Jelly shoes! Too scared to even attempt at the thought of the blisters, tho… 

KWAK: I’m very tempted. What’s the latest NY fashion fad that irks you the most? 

VINGAN: If I see another Alaia mesh flats “dupe” out here in these streets I s2g… 

KWAK: Okay, well you’re officially my fashion connoisseur and I need to know what’s in/out. City bags? 

VINGAN: I am carrying a city bag as we speak 🙂 It’s vintage and pretty cooked, but I like it that way. Olsen-style. 

KWAK: Kate Spade? 

VINGAN: I know they just released the OG ‘90s nylon box bags and I really like them! I saw Rachel Sennott carrying a black one around during NYFW in September and I thought she looked so cool—ahead of the curve, as always. 

KWAK: Wedge sneakers. 

VINGAN: Not for me! Although I dabbled in the past, thanks to Isabel Marant. I personally will not be going back there! 

KWAK: And… skinny jeans. 

VINGAN: I rode really hard for skinny jeans for many years. Our relationship is over 💔 I am a straight leg devotee now. 

KWAK: RIP forever. Okay, a few more. What’s the last meme you saved? 

VINGAN: My camera roll is a graveyard of out-of-context Sylvanian Drama screenshots. I also get served a lot of mental health memes???? I hope my algorithm knows I’m ok! 

KWAK: The Sylvanian family has deep roots in my subconscious. What’s the strangest DM you’ve received? 

VINGAN: My DMS are extremely tame for the most part, but a man with some variation of “sugar daddy” in his username has found me once or twice. Did not open them! 

KWAK: Terrifying. Are you a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, or Miranda? 

VINGAN: I have a healthy mix of Samantha and Charlotte qualities, I’d say. 

KWAK: What’s the farthest in advance you’ve ever made a reservation? And where was it? 

VINGAN: I’d say I very rarely think more than a week or two ahead of time to make a reservation with friends… EXCEPT if we want to go to Hillstone. You need to plan for that at least a month out, low-key a very hard table! If anyone reading this has a Hillstone plug, slide into my DMs. 

KWAK: Which subway line are you? 

VINGAN: The A, a good letter. 

KWAK: What’s your password? 

VINGAN: Nice try ❤️