[The Shortcast] Jeremy Langmead on male vanity, cancer literacy and How Long Have You Got?

Jeremy Langmead is one of the founders of the global men’s e-tailer, Mr Porter, part of the YOOX Net-a-Porter Group. He joined in 2010 to help launch the e-commerce business in 2011 and oversaw the design, branding, content, social, communications and events teams for a number of years.

Jeremy has also served as chief content officer at Christie’s, launched LUXX magazine for The Times in 2017, and was previously editor-in-chief of Esquire, Wallpaper and the Sunday Times Style magazines.

Today Jeremy consults for a number of fashion and grooming brands; writes for The Times Saturday magazine, a grooming column for The Times’ LUXX magazine, the Telegraph, and has published a book on male vanity called “Vain Glorious;” and is the co-host of the podcast “How Long Have We Got?” with his friend Sarah Edmundson.   

In this episode, Jeremy tells host Anne V Mühlethaler about his tumultuous childhood, filled with numerous stepfathers and a desire to create perfect worlds as a means of escape. 

Jeremy recounts his early days in fashion, his time at Central St Martin’s and the career progression that led him from newspapers and magazines to Mr Porter (and the Mr Porter Post). From his move from the global e-tailer to Christie's and back, he shares the lessons he’s learned and the importance of innovation and storytelling in his professional journey. 

Jeremy candidly shares with Anne his battle with prostate cancer, offering a raw and honest look at the challenges he faced. His diagnosis became a focal point for raising awareness about the importance of early detection in prostate cancer (check your PSAs, he reminds our listeners), which is what led him to write publicly about his experience for the Times and the Saturday Times Magazine. He explains how he met his friend and co-host Sarah and how the two of them decided to start a podcast that tries to “take the kerfuffle out of cancer,” in their own words. 

Jeremy emphasises the complexities of living (and working) while in treatment, including how his relationship with his body has changed. He and Anne discuss how we can harness the power of storytelling to support patients in their health journeys and the crucial importance of cancer literacy.

Throughout the discussion, Jeremy talks about the intersection of vanity and authenticity, particularly as a gay man in the fashion world. He shares stories with Anne about his own experiences with male grooming (from hair transplant to eyelash dying) and explores the societal perceptions of vanity, encouraging men to embrace their desires to look and feel good without shame. 

While the topic of the episode is serious at times, Jeremy shares his story with humour, tact and warmth, understanding the significant influence that the podcast has on the cancer community and those close to someone living with the illness.   

By sharing his story, Jeremy not only raises awareness for early testing in prostate cancer, but also offers inspiration to listeners to find beauty and meaning in their journeys, regardless of the obstacles they may face.

An inspiring conversation that shows how humour, resilience and storytelling go hand in hand.

Selected links from episode:

Out of the Clouds website: https://outoftheclouds.com/

Out of the Clouds on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_outoftheclouds

The Mettā View website: https://avm.consulting/metta-view

Anne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annvi/

Anne on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@annvi

Anne on LinkedIn: https:/