Pair of Kings

Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) are back with longtime friend of the podcast Trevor Gorji (@trevorgorji) and newtime friend of the podcast Nick Castre (@nickcastre)! The Fugazi boys are expanding the brand outside of California, with their sights set on New York - we sat down with them to talk about their next steps, plans for new items and events, how they see both themselves and Fugazi in the world of fashion, what it's like to build an authentic following, their runway show (which I walked in, and looked really good in), the creation of the strong island iced tea, and so much more. Tune in to hear all of this and more, and we hope you enjoy!

Lots of love!

Sol

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Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

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10.5 - Answering the Biggest, Baddest, Most Fashionable Listener Questions

Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) are back to answer listener questions! Questions include things like:

- Comfort versus drip - what's preferred?

- How should you match a hairstyle to an aesthetic?

- What is a trend or piece of clothing that can be done well but is rarely done well?

- What is your least favorite material used for clothes?

- What's a cultural or religious style you would want to incorporate into your aesthetic?

And so much more! Thank you to all of our wonderful listeners who sent in questions - we'll be doing more of these in the future, so stay tuned into the instagram story if you've got a burning question or join the discord to submit ahead of time!

You could have listened to this episode early by subscribing to the HeroHero!

Hope you enjoy today's episode, and lots of love!

Sol

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Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

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For early access to episodes and so much more, subscribe to our HeroHero!

Sol and Michael are joined by Bailey Goldberg (knitting extraordinaire, funny guy, recent victim of someone stealing his hubcaps (it was me)) this week on the podcast!

Over the episode, the boys discuss the rise of knitting culture in New York (and elsewhere), dungeons and dragons, hand-knitting versus machine knitting, eBay, Sears, where to get the best Cortado in NYC, their "white whales" of fashion items, instagram story faceoffs, having beef, and falling into the worst 'work' arrangement ever (don't fall for the unpaid intern scam, everyone!).

We hope you enjoy the pod - go check out Bailey's work on his instagram and over at Selfridges!

Lots of love,

Sol

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Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

FOR ADDITIONAL EPISODES, EARLY ACCESS, AND GIVEAWAYS, SUBSCRIBE TO OUR HEROHERO

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I hope this podcast finds you well. I am writing to you today to outline the third episode of Season 10 of the Pair of Kings podcast (hosts Sol Thompson (@solthompson) and Michael Smith (@_smithstagram) cc'd on this release) and discuss potential avenues for exploration and continued collaboration.

Topics Discussed

• The new podcast dress code and the necessity of changing the modern perception of wearing suits - both casually and formally.
• Chrome Hearts Tastefluencers and Sol's borderline parasocial relationship with a couple of Japanese Needles and Chrome Hearts collectors.
• The inability for the best dressed people to take good fitpics.
• Replica fashion dogwhistles.
• The death of the "capital S" Supermodel in current fashion and the differences in both casting and fashion media coverage.
• Reaganomics only applying to the fashion market.
• Michael's new Rick Owens shoe pickups.
• Sonic the Hedgehog putting that shit on.
• Stolen valor on raw denim.
• Helmut Lang.
• Yoshitomo Nara.
• Marc Jacobs. 
• Grunge revival by way of bucking 2023's biggest trend in "Quiet Luxury".

There's a lot more, but I hope this outline helps you get a sense of the conversation that took place. I hope you enjoy the future collaborations between Sol and Michael. I'll leave it up to you to continue the conversation, either on Discord or in the Insta DMs.

Lots of love,

Sol Thompson

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We're back with the first guest episode of Season 10! Join Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) as they're joined by Charlie (@divineeprovidence), who recently was voted as the best dressed person in New York City. We are not joking, this was an actual vote that they won.

Tune in to hear the conversation which touches on everything from gender expressionism through fashion, classical menswear and its conventions/rules, historical and cultural influences on fashion - like Star Wars and Japanese fashion - making incredible props, costumes, and objects by hand, grad school, thrifting and where to shop in the city, changing shoe sizes due to pregnancy, beef with internet personalities and menswear influencers, and a 5 foot tall drive jacket.

We hope you enjoy the episode - let us know what you think on our discord or in an email!

Lots of love,

Sol

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Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Subscribe to get early access to podcasts and videos, and participate in exclusive giveaways for $4 a month

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We're so unbelievably back. In this lively episode of the Pair of Kings podcast, hosts Sol Thompson (@solthompson) and Michael Smith (@_smithstagram) dive into a wide range of topics - high fashion critiques of fantasy characters, the unexpected popularity of beams at Blue in Green, and the bizarre Hasidic tunnels in Brooklyn.  That's not all, though: the boys explore the challenges of dressing like characters from Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell, talk about the ousting of Ronald McDonald, creation of movie-accurate props and clothing, and so much more. We hope you enjoy the opener to season 10 - we've got a lot planned!

Lots of Love!

Sol

---

Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

FOR ADDITIONAL EPISODES, EARLY ACCESS, AND GIVEAWAYS, VISIT OUR HEROHERO

Links:

Instagram: instagram.com/pairofkingspod

TikTok: tiktok.com/@pairofkingspod

Twitter/X: twitter.com/pairofkingspod

Sol’s Instagram: instagram.com/solthompson

Michael’s Instagram: instagram.com/_smithstagram

Michael’s TikTok: tiktok.com/@smithstagram

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

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It's so hard to say goodbye to season 9: so much has happened! We're very very happy to have you join us to close it out, though. Join Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) as they talk about walking runway shows (and trying not to laugh), how everyone has gotten so much better at dressing, the necessity of ready-to-wear for designers who want to survive, how the past year was for fashion as a whole, Dune (fear is the mindkiller), how the rise of social media has killed "if you know you know", spending $16,000 at the Balenciaga friends and family sale, Kozaburo, Jose (@eljosecriales), Arc'Teryx in the shower, and so much more! 

We'll see you in January with the new season! Lots of love!

Sol

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The best fashion podcast in the world is back with TWO WHOLE HOURS of pod. Join Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) as they talk with Christian (@vansatthemetgala) about his brand, Raised Online, Dracula Flow 4, Spotify Wrapped, the Met Gala, Nike Techs, Tommy Cash, people you truly hate (Jared Leto and Henry Kissinger, stand up), the starting 5 of the most annoying people in fashion, basketball, swaggy golfers, Drake's custom Bottega polo that he had made for a Statefarm commercial, Ludacris' terrible Rick fit, and so much more (seriously, that's all just from the first 10 minutes). 

Also, there's an excess of explicit material in this episode that's a good deal of fun but probably not suited for younger audiences. 

Lots of love!

Sol

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The best fashion podcast in the world is back with its two esoteric, mysterious, cool, charming, witty, lovely, adorable, hot, mysterious (again), hosts: Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram)! Join the boys as they chat about the downfall of fashion journalism, the most influential runway shows of all time, Rick Owens runways, Dior and I (the documentary), Fraternity hazing rituals, viral marketing, Supreme, resonant frequencies of clothing, the importance of Linen, clinical trials, looksmaxxing, bonesmashing, mewing, canthal tilt, the insidious return of eating disorders in fashion, and so much more!

If you are sensitive to discussion of eating disorders, the conversation happens around 43:00 and lasts until around 50:00. If you are currently struggling with disordered eating, please reach out to a medical professional. 

Lots of love,

Sol

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Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) are back this week with collector/tastemaker/karaoke superstar/sushi connoisseur/One Piece historian Arianna Cho (@ariavicho / @ariannasclosetarchive). Join the trio as they chat about some of the pieces she's selling, rare bits and baubles (like the incredible eye buttons), favorite Undercover seasons, working at Issey Miyake and at Rick Owens, buying her first pair of Tabis on layaway (sorta), how people don't understand sizing, activating Michael's sleeper agent phrase, fusion food (or lack thereof), and so much more!

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode just as much as we did making it!

Lots of Love!

Sol 

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It's all three boys on the mic today - Join Sol (@solthompson), Michael (@_smithstagram), and John (@johnhogeboom) as they talk about deciding between brown and mink Birkenstocks (this is significantly more in-depth than I ever expected), how dry cleaning is a scam, getting tabi'd in married boots, being two degrees of familiarity away from Drake, the departure away from Playboi Carti and Drain Gang, how there are no more good cable knit sweaters being made, Scott Pilgrim Versus the World, and so much more. 

Love you all, and I hope you enjoy!

Sol

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It's time for a guest episode with Michael Fang (@cannedjunk) of Wenjüe Lu (@wenjuelu)! Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) sat down in Michael's Brooklyn-based studio to talk about his process, where he and his partner draw inspiration, the conception of the brand, the definitions of art, fashion, and expression as a whole, favorite movies, Lady Gaga (briefly), drawing on cultural heritage to make a brand, being open to getting offended, and so much more!

Thank you again to Michael for joining us on this episode of the podcast - it was also really fun to have the person behind Wenjüe Lu join us (get it?). Big shoutout to our friends over at Komune for helping to set this up!

Lots of love, and hope you enjoy!

Sol

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The boys are back! Join Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) as they talk about the rise of fashion trends as a result of counter-culture, hyper-masculinity and its interconnectedness with skinny jeans, Rizz in Ohio (Kai Cenat, Fatum Tax), the lack of a breakout brand experiencing organic growth, Rana Plaza and Levis' abuse of Bangladeshi workers, and the various Rick Owens denim cuts (and how none of the names make any sense)! Tap in to listen, join the discord, and follow us on our socials!

Lots of love!

Sol

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Pair of Kings is a men’s fashion podcast that explores themes of identity, sustainability, and the complex relationships we have with and through our clothing. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

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Finally: a fashion podcast that covers 2012-2013 Bar/Bat Mitzvah fashion. Join Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) as they're joined by Clara Perlmutter (@tinyjewishgirl) to talk about all things fashion.  Tap in to hear discussion on Clara's obsession with John Cena, dressing up as Smeagol (it's scary good), Sugar Lipz, Westchester, NY, having enough closet space, painted jeans, places to thrift, shopping with your mom, being Jewish, parasocial relationships, and Crosby, Stills, and Nash!

We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did having Clara on as a guest - don't forget to join the discord and follow us over on instagram!

Lots of love!

Sol

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Back! From! Hiatus!

That's right, everyone! I got school under control again, so we're back - join Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) as they cover topics like Peter Do's first show at Helmut Lang, why LVMH purposefully covers up their emissions data (despite having access to it), post-Alessandro Gucci, Fake Dunks, Oscar the Cat, Nocoptober, vintage denim (which is apparently better in London than it is in NYC), and so much more!

We hope you enjoy the episode - full video will be released soon on YouTube!

Lots of love!

---

Pair of Kings is a men’s fashion podcast that explores themes of identity, sustainability, and the complex relationships we have with and through our clothing. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Subscribe to get early access to podcasts and videos, and participate in exclusive giveaways for $4 a month

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It's been a hectic couple of weeks - Sol's back in grad school, Michael went to the heartland (England), and John's getting married! With that being said, Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) are back and chatting about NYFW - the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Tune in as the boys talk about Sunnei, AV AV AV, the Ocky Way, Grailed, afterparties, the changing nature of being seen at shows and what the next stage of fashion week is, old people in Portugal, street fashion in London, Big E Levis, prices for things on walls, web scrapers pulling from SSENSE, and so much more!

We'll be back soon with more in-person episodes, but until then, enjoy!

Lots of love!

Sol

---

Pair of Kings is a men’s fashion podcast that explores themes of identity, sustainability, and the complex relationships we have with and through our clothing. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don’t forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we’ve dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

Links:

Instagram: instagram.com/pairofkingspod

TikTok: tiktok.com/@pairofkingspod

Twitter/X: twitter.com/pairofkingspod

Sol’s Instagram: instagram.com/solthompson

Michael’s Instagram: instagram.com/_smithstagram

Michael’s TikTok: tiktok.com/@smithstagram

Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.com

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We're back with the masterminds behind the Lower East Side's newest fashion popup, Komune! Join Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) as they sit down with Martin (@nerfmartin), Brandon (@childshbrandino), and Vic (@sincerelyvm) as they delve into the experiential fashion retailer for those passionate about emerging designers, as their Instagram so eloquently puts it. 

Tune in as the group discusses creating a space for young fashion creatives, their favorite pieces in the store, how they discover new and up-and-coming designers, their guardian angel of a landlord (I know, we couldn't believe it either), not walking the beaten path, layering, creating a visual identity, how they set themselves apart, how to throw fun parties (spoiler: it's having really good food and drinks), and everything else!

We hope you enjoy, and be sure to check out the popup if you're in NYC! Komune can be found at 92 Orchard St. - tell them we sent you!

Lots of love!

Sol

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We're back with a wonderful guest episode with none other than the woman who - literally - saved Instagram: Tati (@illumitati)! Join Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) as they talk with Tati about the rizz king, burning McLarens, Heavn by Marc Jacobs, early internet, witerally being based, Ice Spice, becoming a fashion photographer, PR companies, minecraft, Death Grips, Vinnie Hacker, bellboys, and so much more!

Thank you again to Tati for joining us on the podcast! We hope everyone enjoys the episode - check out the video for some podcast that didn't make the audio edit! 

Lots of love!

Sol

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We wanted to do it as a season opener, but John's planning (and going to be in!) a wedding! He's also wearing Tabi boots to the wedding!

Regardless, we're back, and drinking along to Michael's first guest episode! Join Sol (@solthompson), John (@johnhogeboom), and Michael (@_smithstagram ✔️) as they venture through the old episode, critique themselves, and play the harshest critics - fueled by White Claw, $3 table wine, and vomit beer.

Tune in as the boys experience identity crises, berate themselves (mostly Sol, but I think the other guys get in on it too), and self-reflect, all while talking about Rick (duh), selvedge denim, capping for clout, making friends, trying to impress Michael, anime, manga, the pandemic, fashion, style, and try and keep the pod significantly more on track than older episodes. Jury's out on that.

If you choose to play along, please drink responsibly and in a safe space. Do not drink and drive. 

Cheers, and lots of love!

Sol

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You've been waiting, and it's finally here! Join Sol (@solthompson) and Michael (@_smithstagram) as they welcome Zach Kinninger of @basketcase.gallery fame back to the pod!

The boys crashed the NYC popup at the start of August to talk about East Coast/West Coast differences, growing a brand, popup exclusives, Rick Owens beds, backing the blue, instagram advertisements, Paris, knockoff watches, and so much more - Zach's a fantastic friend of the pod and we were so happy to hear from him again. 

We hope you enjoy the episode as much as we did recording it - keep an eye out for the video version dropping soon over on YouTube, and in bits and pieces over on TikTok and Instagram!

Lots of Love!

Sol

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