An astronaut's journey into the world of art with Michael Kagan

Taylor Swift, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez are just some of the stars that Sicily-born Fausto Puglisi has dressed with his designs. Known for his bold, vivid creations and intricate craftsmanship that often draws inspiration from classical art and Sicilian culture, in 2020 Puglisi became creative director of the iconic fashion house Cavalli. Mixing modern glamor, baroque motifs, and vibrant patterns, Fausto Puglisi always had a sense that he'd end up in fashion. The evidence is in his childhood journals, which outline his real estate dreams for future stores, down to the street numbers. But what made him enamored with the craft wasn't so much the traditional runway. It was the pop culture he was obsessed with from a young age, which inspired him to move to New York by himself, to try to make his dreams come true. Join us in this new episode of The Accutron Show, to soar into the fantastic universe of celebrity culture.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

9:35 When I was a kid in Sicily, I used to dream of going to America. It was the 80s, a time when Italian fashion was led by iconic names such as Versace, Valentino, Armani, Gianfranco Ferré. And in the city where I was born, there was a shop where I would go to see women wearing these amazing designers. This tension between the love of my roots and the desire to escape are at the base of my creations. 

22:00 Though being 100% Italian, Roberto Cavalli was very fascinated with American culture too. He started creating jeans that were masterpieces, deconstructing them and reassembling them in completely creative ways. At the same time he was fascinated with animal skin, which he brought into this fascination of Americana. He created a very unique style that is still considered iconic. 

35:00 We need to go back to the artisanal aspect of fashion and design. I also fight for quality and for beauty. Today we are saturated with clothes, objects etc. We need to bring that back to the craftsmanship.

The guest of this episode of The Accutron Show is the incredible Madame Gandhi, award-winning artist and activist known for her uplifting, percussive electronic music and positive message about gender liberation and personal power. She has been listed as Forbes 30 Under 30 in Music and BBC 100 Women, and her mainstage TED Talk about conscious music consumption has been viewed over a million times. Madame Gandhi’s mission is to use music as a medium for a message about positivity, personal expression and human thriving. “Waiting For Me,” shot in Mumbai, India, which focuses on radical expressions of joy, color and freedom won the Music Video Jury Award at SXSW Film Festival in 2021. In June of 2022, Gandhi completed a Masters in Music Science & Technology at Stanford University's CCRMA where she spent time in Antarctica sampling the sounds of glaciers melting to create empathy and awareness around climate change.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

5:20 The activism came from a very young age. We were always encouraged by our parents to give back, to volunteer and to be mindful of others. And because music gives me such effortless joy, when you combine joy with an opportunity to give back, I think you are fueled for life. 

18:40 During the pandemic I spent a lot of time recording sounds in nature, because that's the only place we could go. I learned how to build underwater microphones. When I was invited to Antarctica, I started recording the sound of glaciers melting in the South Pole. 

27:40 We need adults to believe in their own magic so we can make the world a better place. Music has the power to soften certain feelings, it gets them moving, brings people back into that childlike purity.

Accutron is honored to have Francis Ford Coppola as one of the featured guests of the podcast. The renowned American film director is celebrated for his contributions to the New Hollywood movement. His most notable achievements include directing the critically acclaimed "The Godfather" series, which earned him consecutive Academy Awards for Best Director. Coppola also made a significant impact with the war epic "Apocalypse Now." With a prolific and influential career, he remains a key figure in shaping the landscape of modern cinema. On The Accutron Show he speaks about his new movie 'Megalopolis," his opinion on the future of the world as well as a special revelation about the Accutron watch. Tune in and enjoy this incredible ride!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

14:15 I am extremely positive about the future. I am sure we will understand that we are in this together and that we are capable of solving the very difficult problems in the world today. 

26:27 Everyone is one to a million shot. The fact that your mother and your father came together to produce you, means that the odds of you existing are a million to one. Since you are so unique, your work should be personal and hence unique. 

44:05 Did you know that the Accutron watch was responsible for wireless sync sound in movies? In the past they used to have the camera and the sound unit connected by a wire. A filmmaker had the idea that instead of having audio and video connected with a wire, if each one would get its pulse from an Accutron watch then they would be in sync.

In this episode of The Accutron Show, we are proud to talk to Carlos Nobre, an Earth system scientist from Brazil, author of several Intergovernmental Panels on Climate Change reports, including the 2007 report that was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Nobre is mainly highlighted in global warming-related studies; he spearheaded the multi-disciplinary, multinational Large-Scale Biosphere-Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia, a program noted to have revolutionized the understanding of the Amazon rainforest and its role in the Earth system. During his conversation with our hosts Indrani and David, he underlines the critical conditions of the Amazon forest and hence of our planet. Tune in, it's time to act.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

5:00 I was a happy kid. My father was a professional soccer player in Brazil, he taught me how to play soccer and I was quite good. He was also a poet, writing poems about nature. He used to take me to the Atlantic forest, which is where I think I fell in love with nature. 

18:00 We are currently working on an experiment to prove the importance for forest restoration. And if we succeed in doing that, together with zero deforestation, degradation and fires, it may be possible to save the Amazon. 

28:00 We have to trust that the younger generation will have a different attitude than my generation. The scientists of my generation saw the issues, but did not do much to change the situation. Young people have no other option than to be optimistic, they have to work hard to save our planet.

During Climate Week in New York City, our hosts David and Indrani had the chance to talk to award-winning journalist and best-selling author David Ewing Ducan to discuss the launch of his new book "The Voyage Of The Sorcerer II". Frequent contributor to Vanity Fair, Wired, MIT Technology Review, The New York Times, Atlantic, and others, David is a former commentator for NPR's Morning Edition, and a special correspondent and producer for ABC’s Nightline. In his new book, an epic science and adventure story of famed geneticist Craig Venter’s voyages from 2003-2018 in a 100-foot sailing and research vessel that collected microbes all over the world, David reflects on how we view this tiny, invisible world. Tune in!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

13:38 The microbiomes of the oceans especially, we are drowning them in carbon right now. There is something called phytoplankton that lives on the surface of the ocean, they are bacteria, algae etc. They produce 60 to 80% of the oxygen that we breathe in the atmosphere. And we are drowning them in carbon and changing that balance. 

20:42 Every discovery is kind of neutral until used. Take the discovery of fire, I am sure at that time there were pro-fire and anti-fire people; you could choose to cook and nourish your body or destroy. This is a key aspect to the evolution of our species. 

28:31 Back in the 50s when they came up with the term 'artificial intelligence', AI - a lot of people saw it as 'augmented intelligence'. I prefer the idea of augmented intelligence. There are a lot of things that machines can do better than we will ever do, but there are also things humans do better than any machine.

Celebrate good times, it's Accutron's birthday! For this special episode, our hosts Indrani and David talk to Robert "Kool" Bell, Co-founder of the legendary disco soul band Kool & The Gang. Together they discuss Robert's Le Kool Champagne project, the special collaboration with Accutron and the First Lady Rosé inspired timepiece available now on Accutronwatch.com. Seven-time Grammy Award Winner, American Music Award Winner, Multi-platinum selling, and the most sampled band of all time, Kool & The Gang has sold over 80 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of generations with 25 Top Ten R&B hits, 9 Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. Tune in for a sparkling chat with this music icon.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

9:54 The thing that kept us going during the darker times was the wish and want to be successful. We made it through the 60s, the 70s and the 80s with great hit songs. Then we asked ourselves "What are we going to do now?" We decided then to tour around the world and go into markets that we usually wouldn't travel to. 

15:00 About 10 years ago, while we were touring in France, our promoter mentioned he was working on a champagne inspired by Barry White and and one for the Bee Gees and asked me if I was interested. I first said no, because I wasn't sure if our fans would buy a bottle of champagne at our concerts. What I wanted to do was to be on the shelves, together with Dom Perignon, Cristal, Veuve Cliquot, etc. 

22:30 The inspiration behind the song "Ladies Night" came from watching people walk in New York. The sound of their steps inspired its famous baseline and I came up with the concept and title by going out to clubs in those times.

Our hosts David Graver and Indrani Pal-Chaudhuri are delighted to chat with the brilliant Julian MacKay, the first American to graduate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy with a full Russian Diploma having completed both the upper and lower school, and Principal Dancer at The Bayerisches Staatsballett. Graduating in the top of his class, he was hailed as "Apollo" and the next Nureyev by Russian dance critics. In this episode of The Accutron Show, Julian talks about his experience, upbringing and the challenges (as well as successes) to keep ballet interesting. He also discusses engaging with young audiences in today's world that is dominated by technology. Tune in and dance this episode away with us.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

11:00 The approach and perceptions on the classical arts is changing. My goal is to make sure that someone my age is excited about the ballet experience. It has a lot to do with the stories we tell, the way we tell them, the people that are represented on stage and who those people are marketed and shown to. 

22:43 The beauty and challenge of ballet today is how to bring into modern times characters and stories that were written and conceived centuries ago. As a dancer, I have to understand the original character and how that character would behave today. For example Cinderella, if I am to play the prince, I have to ask myself how would a prince treat a woman today? 

29:40 When you take a different approach, rather than the doom and gloom and you put in something beautiful and say "Hey, we are going to create hope and inspire a generation to sort this out," it can lead to something that is unexpected. Because dance and ballet communicate in a way that is even more powerful than words sometimes.

To celebrate the start of a new seaon of The Accutron Show, our host David Graver and new co-host philanthropist and filmmaker Indrani Pal-Choudhuri meet with the founders of RedBar Group, Adam Craniotes and Kathleen McGivney. RedBar Group is the official organization for an international collective of watch collectors with the goals that include fostering the growth of existing collector communities around the globe, helping fellow enthusiasts start new meetups in their local areas, and encouraging collectors to give back to the local communities where gatherings take place. In addition, Adam and Kathleen talk about an exciting watch collaboration with Accutron launching on September 21st. Set your time to Accutron time and enjoy the show!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

15:27 My passion for collecting watches is connected to storytelling; that is what speaks to me, specifically around brands that are either doing something unique like Accutron or independent brands. I love to hear origin stories, why they got into watches. There is something about that personal connection that is really important to me. (Kathleen) 

28:00 When we started working together with Acctron on this collaboration, I already new about what a groundbreaking timepiece and brand this was, a milestone in the development of the wristwatch, bridging the gap between the mechanical watch and the quarz revolution. I loved the idea of the Spaceview that were supposed to be demo pieces, for people to see the "space" in the dial - to me that was revolutionary. (Adam) 

38:39 Watch communities are a really good way for young people to start collecting watches. A lot of people that are there are passionate about watches and want to share their knowledge about them. If you are a college kid and walk into a watch boutique, that can be quite intimidating; the watch community takes away that "pressure" factor and you can be free to ask any question. (Kathleen)

This third season of The Accutron Show ends with a very special guest, American menswear designer Todd Snyder. Defined by GQ as "the most influential menswear designer of his generation," Todd joins us to discuss his career, the current status of the fashion industry and what "wearing a label" means today. From his experiences with Ralph Lauren, The Gap and J. Crew, to his eclectic collaborations with sportswear brand Champion, music producer Moby, footwear brands Vans and New Balance, Todd talks about his personal and professional evolution in the fashion industry. Dress up and join us for the season finale of The Accutron Show.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

7:40 I grew up in Iowa, I came from farming families and I always liked clothes. I was the black sheep of the family as I liked to spend all my summer money on clothes as I believed they would get girls' attention. 

20:35 Twenty years ago there were a handful of names recognized as labels. Today it's changed, there are many more options, especially with startup brands that are growing quickly. It's very healthy for the business as it keeps the industry fresh with new ideas. 

32:00 I am very hopeful for the future of the fashion industry. It's always renewing itself; whenever you think "Ah, I've seen it" there is something new that comes along. And these new ideas influence everybody, including me.

What is going on with the planet? How much damage are we bringing to the environment? Most importantly, what can we do to save it? For this episode of The Accutron Show, our hosts meet with Henk Rogers, entrepreneur and video game designer. Henk is known for producing Japan's first major turn-based role-playing video game 'The Black Onyx' and securing the rights to distribute the Russian puzzle Tetris on video game consoles, which served as the inspiration for one of Apple's latest movie hits. Today Henk is focused on his Blue Planet Foundation to raise awareness and foster action for clean energy in Hawaii, a mission he realized following a near death experience. Tune in to discover more!

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

6:40 My "aha" moment came when I was in the back of an ambulance on the way to a hospital in Hawaii. I had a heart attack. I had just sold my company, I was looking at the ceiling and I remember thinking, "Are you kidding me? I haven't spent any of the money yet!" 

19:00 It's not the United Nations that will change the situation. Their ambitions are not high enough and for those ambitions nobody's on track. We have to accept that. It's the united people that are going to get this done. We as individuals need to take action in our own lives. 

31:10 My real claim to fame is that I was the first to bring role play games to Japan in 1983. So I started traveling the world looking for more role games to play in Japan and I found Tetris at a consumer electronics show right when the Gameboy was coming out.