Changing Room Thoughts

Karina Chan
  • 5.0 (4)
  • FASHION & BEAUTY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the Changing Room Thoughts podcast with Karina, the fashion nerd. Explore fashion's history, commentary, and self-expression in bite-sized 20-minute episodes every Monday. Your go-to style inspiration and critical musings, perfect for your commute. Join us for a casual yet thought-provoking fashion journey.

  1. 09/26/2025

    Ep 36 | reimagining engagement rings

    The diamond industry has sold us a narrow vision of romance — one that equates love with the size, sparkle, and price tag of a center stone. But what happens when we question the 4 Cs, the obsession with diamond size, and the idea that bigger means better? In this episode, we dive into how the diamond monopoly reshaped our expectations of engagement rings and why it’s time to break free. We’ll explore antique and vintage rings as sources of inspiration, challenge how feminism and gender equality get tangled up in ring culture, and imagine what it looks like when a ring becomes a true symbol of your love — unique, empathetic, and radically personal. ✨ If you’ve ever wondered what an engagement ring could be beyond the diamond, this conversation is for you.

    23 min

  2. 09/05/2025

    Episode 35 | Hauteline Pt 2. Checking in on the rental business for it girls

    It's been almost two years since our last checkin with the rentals for it-girls: Hauteline! Since then Kristie Chow's business has expanded to another co-founder (and good friend) Michelle Li, another storefront in LES, and a wider selection of delectable designers, and nationwide shipping. I'm so excited to share what's the same, and what is different with these ever-savvy entrepreneurs :)

    44 min

  3. 04/23/2025

    Ep 34 | Tariffs: is the fashion industry effed? What I’ve learned trying to produce apparel + the difference between fabric and fiber

    It doesn’t take a fashion-head to reach the conclusion our clothes are about to get more expensive with tariffs looming. According to CNBC, 97% of our clothes are made outside the US and it’s estimated that our clothes will get 67% more expensive. Now more than ever, how do you decide what’s worth your hard earned money? In trying to produce sleepwear, I’m learning a lot about the nuance from the generation of the fibers (what we usually discuss in sustainable fashion) to the resulting fabric (so many steps happen here that aren’t well documented or understood).  If you’re interested in my idea of sustainable (to the best of my ability) sleepwear for the female fantasy, drop me your email below and I’ll reach out when the slips become available to purchase: https://drowzistudios.com/ And here is the instagram :) https://www.instagram.com/drowzistudios?igsh=MXFycDVmNnZlZXAxNQ==

    18 min

  4. 02/14/2025

    Episode 33 | Alexis Bittar, Deadwood, and emerging designers taking NYFW FW 25 by storm

    Surprise surprise! This episode finds a re-invigorated, inspired Karina. This New York Fashion Week I had the pleasure of interacting with so many exciting independent and emerging designers that I'm genuinely hoping I can put y'all onto! This fashion week there was a presentation to satisfy many of my sartorial curiosities thanks to Lindsey Media. A creative visionary that sold his name-sake brand for roughly $48 million and bought it back for less than $3 million. An emerging sustainable designer that creates not just boilerplate capsule-collection clothes, but closet staples with an original point of view stitched into its construction. This fashion week is so full of interesting stories I'm excited to share with you all. The emerging designers I worked with to pull off NYFW looks courtesy of Doors NYC: OTKUTYR Clear to Rain Catherine Curtis Alexis Bittar Deadwood

    20 min

  5. 12/04/2024

    Episode 32 | exploring the depths of girlhood with jewelry designer Shana Cave

    Call me crazy but a piece of jewelry is really that deep. Shana Cave conveys her profound understanding of the chaotic albeit beautiful experience of adolescence and adulthood as a woman. Uncanny that such complexity is so intuitively understood by women world wide through metal and stone, but Shana Cave’s ideas are as precious as the materials she uses in her work.  An impishly knobby Viking Princess ring, Topaz vines blooming on the wrist, delicate lace cut out of chunky sheet metal, rubies and sapphires sprouting from earrings, Shana Cave’s pieces touch the “I’m just a girl” that’s hiding deep in every woman’s soul.  Check out her collection Dec 6-8 11-7PM at 434 E. 9th St.

    33 min

  6. 10/28/2024

    Episode 31 | Are your biases against "Made in China" holding you back?

    Trying out a new format here which is way lower effort to produce, and perhaps a gateway to me yapping more... But a trip back to China has left me with much to unpack about fashion here, my own biases and cultural identity... idk this episode was cathartic to produce :)

    17 min

  7. 10/23/2024

    Episode 30 | Questioning the purpose of NYFW + Sample Sale Philosophy

    First solo episode back! It's good to talk 1:1 with you guys again :) This time I get real about fashion week and whether or not it adequately serves fashionphile's love for the art and subject of clothing. (Hint: I don't think so) I'm trying to be more comfortable being opinionated in general. I feel like I try my best not to be one of those judgmental, b*tchy "fashion people" for the sake of being a diva, but I also think people don't follow me to hear me regurgitate unorginal takes or deliver bland content for the sake of being neutral and avoiding offense. I acknowledge the podcast has been uploading inconsistently lately. I'm trying something a bit new, and also wanting to show up to the podcast whenever I have a genuine desire to yap and not because I just forced myself to word vomit for the sake of meeting this week's upload "quota". Though, you will be seeing a sudden influx of episodes coming out soon as I've had a LOT on my mind.

    24 min

  8. 09/01/2024

    Episode 29 | How sustainable fashion is actually made

    Support the Chinese Miao Tribe and help keep their embroidery history alive here: https://sourgongzhu.com/ Checkout Sour Gong Zhu's Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/sourgongzhu/ 00:00 Introduction to the Meow Tribe Embroidery 00:45 Understanding Sustainable Fashion 01:50 Welcome to Season Three of Changing Room Thoughts 02:36 Meet Becca Pu: Fashion Tech Innovator 04:23 Challenges in Sustainable Fashion 07:50 The Importance of Indigenous Textiles 13:54 Modernizing Traditional Folk Art 18:31 Empowering Village Artisans 28:29 Choosing the Right Textile 28:49 Creating the Perfect Silhouette 29:01 Collaborating with Seamstresses 29:56 Navigating the Tailor Market 30:58 Sourcing Sustainable Factories 32:53 Challenges in Sustainable Fashion 41:37 Debunking Pricing Myths 48:44 The Reality of 'Made in China'

    1 hr
See All (37)

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Changing Room Thoughts podcast with Karina, the fashion nerd. Explore fashion's history, commentary, and self-expression in bite-sized 20-minute episodes every Monday. Your go-to style inspiration and critical musings, perfect for your commute. Join us for a casual yet thought-provoking fashion journey.

Information

  • Creator
    Karina Chan
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Karina Chan
  • Show Website
    Changing Room Thoughts