What's Contemporary Now?

Alastair McKimm returns to What’s Contemporary Now?, this time on camera, to discuss life after 23 years at i-D and the launch of Prototype, a new creative venture bringing publishing, product design, and creative services under one roof. Now also Chief Creative Officer of Visual Talent Group (VTG), McKimm reflects on building a new model for creative businesses, his work with Gap, Marc Jacobs, and Miley Cyrus, and the role of curation in navigating an increasingly saturated world. From editing creative work to editing our own lives, we explore instinct, ambition, insecurity, and the challenge of sustaining a career without losing sight of ourselves.

“What's contemporary now is curation and editing. Whether it comes to work or your own life or how you make your way through the world.” - Alastair McKimm

Episode Highlights:

01:12–01:57 | Leaving i-D After 23 Years and Building Something of His Own

01:59–05:04 | Why Print, Curation and Editorial Judgment Still Matter

05:28–05:52 | Filtering the Noise in an Overwhelming World

05:58–08:17 | Giving Artists Creative Freedom Through Prototype

08:21–10:18 | Rethinking the Magazine Format and Business Model

10:18–12:03 | Building a Democratic Publication Without Hierarchies

18:04–20:39 | Finding Inspiration in the Everyday and Reimagining the Ordinary

21:03–22:35 | How We Give Meaning to the Things We Create

22:35–25:10 | Why We Still Need Physical Objects in a Digital World

25:34–26:51 | Finding His Own Creative Identity After i-D

27:50–29:28 | Learning to Embrace Uncertainty Through Marc Jacobs

29:29–30:40 | The Expanding Role of Creative Direction With Miley Cyrus

34:29–36:55 | Dealing With Criticism, Negativity and the Pressure to Please

36:56–38:14 | Staying Open to the World Beyond the Screen

38:14–39:48 | Creative Ambition, Insecurity and the Need for Validation

39:48–41:13 | Finding the Next Chapter When Your Career Defines You

41:18–44:32 | Work-Life Balance, Recovery and the Danger of Abandoning Yourself

44:11–44:32 | When Bad Habits Become the Price of Professional Success

44:45–45:34 | AI, Print and Why New Technologies Don't Have to Replace the Old

45:44–46:22 | What Is Contemporary Now? Curation, Editing and Clarity

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It’s all about the Big Willy energy these days. What was once an independent, primarily menswear label showing at New York Fashion Week has become a full-blown fashion brand known for staging high-quality productions and often politically charged shows during the Paris men’s collections. The paradox of Willy Chavarria is that, despite the wide reach of his media storms, he’s still being discovered by new audiences even now. The illusion of overnight success is almost always backed by stories of hard work, an enduring willingness to prevail, and a commitment to learning everything one can along the way. His story strikes all of the favorite chords in any good human interest story: growing up as an outsider, learning to live with no regrets, and realizing that we always stand to benefit from thinking big.

“It's not like I haven't been beaten down to shit a million times in my life, because for sure I have. It's just that I've continued to get back up.” - Willy Chavarria

Episode Highlights:

02:18–03:17 | Growing a Fashion Brand From the Ground Up

03:58–06:20 | Growing Up an Outsider and Finding His Imagination

06:20–08:25 | How San Francisco’s ’90s Club Culture Changed Everything

09:54–12:24 | Why Personal Style Matters More Than Fashion

12:24–14:06 | Fashion as Perception, Storytelling and Self-Expression

14:07–15:58 | The Work History That Taught Him How to Build a Brand

15:58–17:40 | Starting a Brand at 40 and Knowing When You’re Ready

17:40–19:24 | Letting Go of Regret and Taking Control of Your Destiny

19:45–22:32 | Building a Brand Around Positivity, Inclusivity and Human Dignity

22:32–25:11 | When Political Conviction Becomes Part of the Brand

25:27–28:40 | Finding Joy in the Middle of a Horror Show

32:17–34:09 | The Ambition to Become the Next Ralph Lauren

34:10–38:42 | Redefining the Boundaries Between Menswear and Womenswear

41:47–44:04 | Why Loyalty Is Radical in Fashion

44:14–46:12 | Casting as Emotional Storytelling

48:34–50:57 | Why Paris Represents a New Chapter for Fashion

53:38–55:27 | Taking Fashion Beyond Clothes Into Music, Film and Entertainment

55:27–57:21 | Silencing the Inner Saboteur and Learning to Say “So What?”

57:23–58:38 | Taking Willy Chavarria Global

58:38–01:02:38 | Building a Life and Business With the Person You Love

01:02:40–01:04:39 | What Is Contemporary Now? Thinking Bigger Than Ourselves

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As one of the first brands to democratize luxury fashion, H&M helped reshape the relationship between designer creativity and the wider public. From its landmark collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld in 2004, they’ve brought the creative genius of Versace, Margiela, Comme des Garçons, and countless others to the masses. A model that today reigns supreme when it comes to commonly practiced brand strategy and reaching key consumer touchpoints. Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s Creative Advisor and Head of Design Womenswear, has been central to this evolution, along with playing a role in the brand’s dedication to nurturing emerging talent, with the return of the H&M Design Award taking place this November.

In this conversation, Johansson considers what fashion must preserve in an increasingly technological and commercial landscape, from the value of craft to the need for greater individuality and optimism.

“I think we need more optimism also, because if we're not optimistic, what is the point of doing anything really?” - Ann-Sofie Johansson

Episode Highlights:

02:18–03:17 | The Making of a Fashion Creative, Growing Up in Sweden

03:17–04:40 | Swedish Values and the Culture of Collaboration

04:44–06:00 | How London’s ’80s Club Culture Changed Her View of Fashion

06:06–07:18 | When a Personal Passion Becomes a Creative Career

07:56–09:31 | Four Decades at H&M, Staying Curious in a Changing Landscape

09:40–11:43 | The Karl Lagerfeld Collaboration That Democratized Luxury Fashion

11:43–12:53 | How Designer Collaborations Bring Creative Worlds Together

12:53–13:59 | Beyond Designer Labels, Rethinking the Meaning of Luxury

13:59–15:30 | Cultural Relevance and Creative Instinct in Choosing Designer Collaborations

15:46–18:19 | Commercial Appeal vs. Conceptual Design, What Audiences Want from Fashion

20:23–23:15 | H&M Studio and the Search for New Creative Possibilities

23:39–28:00 | Fashion, Image-Making and Technology, Rethinking the Runway with Nick Knight

28:00–32:35 | Fashion’s Responsibility to the Next Generation of Designers

32:35–33:14 | Instinct and the Qualities of Great Design

33:14–34:17 | Why Optimism Matters in Creative Culture

34:17–35:34 | Finding Your Voice in a World of Constant Visual Influence

35:34–37:07 | Illustration and the Importance of Craft

37:07–40:09 | AI, Human Creativity and the Future of Design

40:09–41:15 | Can Fashion Become More Individual in an Era of Globalization?

41:15–43:15 | Social Media, Algorithmic Echo Chambers and the Future of Trend Forecasting

43:16–44:17 | How Brands Participate in Contemporary Culture

44:17–46:27 | The Cultural Connections Between Fashion, Art, Music and Literature

46:27–47:00 | What Is Contemporary Now? The Timeless Value of a Good Conversation

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Copenhagen Fashion Week marks its 20th anniversary at a moment when the fashion system is being asked to account for itself. In conversation with CEO Cecilie Thorsmark and COO Isabella Rose Davey, this episode examines how a regional fashion week evolved into a platform with global influence, and what that evolution reveals about the future of the industry.

“Fashion weeks were falling out of sync with the world around us. They were celebrating fashion in a bubble, while everything else was changing.”

CEO Cecilie Thorsmark 

“What feels contemporary now to me is generosity.”

COO Isabella Rose Davey

Episode Highlights:


A reflection on Copenhagen Fashion Week’s evolution from a regional showcase into a global platform with cultural and economic impact over its 20-year history.


Insight into how Cecilie Thorsmark redefined the purpose of a fashion week, shifting it from celebration alone to a system that engages with responsibility, progress, and accountability.


A candid discussion about implementing binding sustainability requirements, including the real challenges of enforcement, support, and industry resistance.


An exploration of why sustainability works best as infrastructure rather than storytelling, and how Copenhagen embedded it into participation itself.


A deep dive into CPHFW NEWTALENT and what emerging designers actually need today, beyond visibility, including mentoring, financial literacy, and long-term business support.


A reframing of the term “emerging designer,” challenging age-based definitions and highlighting reinvention, experience, and second chapters.


A conversation about the advantages of being small, agile, and human, and why Copenhagen’s scale allows for experimentation and intimacy that larger fashion weeks often lose.


A thoughtful examination of why brands should be allowed to end, evolve, or transform without stigma, and how creative energy changes form rather than disappears.


Cultural insight into why Copenhagen feels different, touching on quality of life, generosity, openness, and the city’s ability to foster genuine connection during fashion week.


A closing reflection on what feels contemporary now, distilled into two values that define the platform’s ethos moving forward: responsibility and generosity.

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With a quick trip to Copenhagen for the city's 20th anniversary fashion week, we will be attending the shows, interviewing the organizers, and participating on a panel with Vogue business to explore the idea of what a magazine is today. Their impressive programming, in addition to the designers, includes an impressive array of subject matter that warrants a timely exploration and we'll be back on Monday with a full episode sharing all of the juicy details.
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