Let's Get Dressed

Before she was even 30 years old, Willa Bennett took over not one, but two of the most iconic magazines in media: Cosmopolitan and Seventeen.

In this episode, I sit down with Willa to talk about what it actually takes to run a legacy magazine in 2026 — in a culture driven by viral discourse, instant backlash, and internet-speed opinions.

In this conversation, we get into:
What it felt like to take over Cosmopolitan at 29
What an Editor-in-Chief actually does day-to-day
How she decides who and what gets visibility
Why story matters more than star power
The Sydney Sweeney cover and how she thinks about controversy
Whether editorial “rage bait” is real
How viral culture and engagement metrics shape modern media
What Gen Z readers are actually curious about
And why “taste” might be the most important skill in journalism right now

Timestamps
01:30 Growing up with magazines & coming full circle
04:30 Getting the Cosmopolitan job — the emotional moment
07:30 Running a legacy brand in a digital-first industry
10:30 What an Editor-in-Chief actually does in 2026
15:30 Instinct vs analytics — how editorial decisions are made
20:00 AI, dating culture & what young readers want
23:30 Story over star power & viral visibility
27:30 The Sydney Sweeney cover & navigating backlash
32:00 Is editorial rage bait real?
35:00 Celebrity culture, controversy & documenting the moment
37:30 Are we still in the Gen Z era?
40:00 The future of media & why taste matters

Follow Willa on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/willahbennett/?hl=en

Thanks to Banana Republic for my favorite pieces from the spring collection. Shop their new arrivals at www.bananarepublic.com #BananaRepublicPartner
Let’s Get Dressed
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@livvperez
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgetdressedpod/
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@livvperez

Liv Perez
Instagram: www.instagram.com/livvperez
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/livv.perez
ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/livvperez
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At 22-years-old, Madison Dowd bought Ludivine, a long-standing Upper East Side boutique, through BizBuySell.com. Instead of starting a brand from scratch, she stepped into an existing business with loyal customers, real inventory, a balance sheet, and an unwavering belief in the future of retail.

This conversation gets into what it actually looks like to run a multi-brand fashion boutique today — from buying decisions and trade shows to navigating instinct versus data. We also talk about learning a customer and buying patterns, what makes the Upper East Side the most valuable retail landscape, and the brands flying off her shelves.

Timestamps:
01:30 — Buying Ludivine at 22: Why she chose to purchase instead of start from scratch
05:45 — Finding the business on BizBuySell and stepping into an existing P&L
10:00 — Learning before changing: understanding a legacy customer base
14:40 — The Upper East Side shopper: loyalty, psychology, and neighborhood dynamics
19:15 — Buying strategy: trade shows, inventory bets, and seasonal planning
23:50 — Instinct vs. data: when to trust your gut
28:00 — Social media’s role in a brick-and-mortar business
30:45 — What actually makes a multi-brand boutique sustainable today

Shop Ludivine https://boutiqueludivine.com/
Follow Madison on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/madisondowd/
Follow Madison on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@shopgirlmadison
Let’s Get Dressed
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@livvperez
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgetdressedpod/
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@livvperez

Liv Perez
Instagram: www.instagram.com/livvperez
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/livv.perez
ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/livvperez
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Let’s Get Dressed, I’m sitting down with Joseph Altuzarra just days after his latest New York Fashion Week show. We talk about what 20 years in fashion really looks like when you’re running an independent brand, why people keep saying “NYFW is dead,” and what it actually costs to put on a show today.

Joseph shares how he thinks about staying relevant without chasing hype, the reality of pay-to-play celebrity culture, and why he’s calling this his “year of yes.” We also get personal — from fame and comparison to what it feels like to be 42 and still building. Plus: Heated Rivalry, Wuthering Heights, whether fashion is psychic, and his best advice for anyone who wants to work in the industry.

Follow Joseph on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/josephaltuzarra/
Follow Altuzarra on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/altuzarra/
Shop Altuzarra here https://altuzarra.com

Thanks to Banana Republic for my favorite pieces from the spring collection. Shop their new arrivals at www.bananarepublic.com #BananaRepublicPartner
Let’s Get Dressed
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@livvperez
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgetdressedpod/
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@livvperez

Liv Perez
Instagram: www.instagram.com/livvperez
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/livv.perez
ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/livvperez
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi from NYC! This week, we’re debriefing NYFW — everything that happened on and off the runways that stopped us in our tracks.

From Ralph Lauren’s romantic revival to the iconic wardrobe on the Wuthering Heights press tour, we unpack why fashion feels like it’s entering a new era of dressing for joy. We also dive into the power shift at Vogue, British Vogue's moving March cover, and what it signals about the future of media.

Joining me is my friend Lydia Berry, co-founder of the social media agency Darlington, and our resident Gen Z eyes and ears on what’s actually driving conversation online right now. Follow Lydia on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lydberry/

Thanks to Banana Republic for my favorite pieces from the spring collection. Shop their new arrivals at www.bananarepublic.com #BananaRepublicPartner
Let’s Get Dressed
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@livvperez
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgetdressedpod/
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@livvperez

Liv Perez
Instagram: www.instagram.com/livvperez
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/livv.perez
ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/livvperez
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If there’s any sports bet we’re taking right now, it’s that the football field is becoming fashion’s favorite runway. On this episode of Let’s Get Dressed, I’m joined by Daniel-Yaw Miller, sports and fashion journalist, and author of the SportsVerse Substack, for a post-Super Bowl debrief on how fashion showed up all weekend long. From Bad Bunny’s halftime performance in custom Zara and Adidas, to designer activations, athlete styling, and brands finding ways in without buying a single commercial, we talk through why sports have suddenly become such a valuable cultural space for fashion.

We also get into why sports feel like a kind of reset for brands — a place to reach massive audiences, soften narratives, and feel culturally relevant without over-explaining themselves. What worked, what didn’t, and why so many fashion brands seem more interested in game day than runway season.

Follow Daniel-Yaw on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/danielyaw_/
Subscribe to SportsVerse https://sportsverse.substack.com
Let’s Get Dressed
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@livvperez
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsgetdressedpod/
Newsletter: https://substack.com/@livvperez

Liv Perez
Instagram: www.instagram.com/livvperez
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/livv.perez
ShopMy: https://shopmy.us/livvperez
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.