Making It Up
By MAEKAN
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Making It UpOct 15, 2018
208: Who’s responsible when the majority of students fail a class?
In episode 208, Charis and Eugene discuss the case of an NYU professor's contract termination after the school received a number of student complaints. They talk about teaching methodologies and some of the ways schools are lacking.
At N.Y.U., Students Were Failing Organic Chemistry. Who Was to Blame? by Stephanie Saul
207: How does urban planning impact the “energy” of a city?
In episode 207, Eugene highlights the significant role of urban planning in setting the “energy” of a city. One short question to get at the heart of this: How is usage mixed in a city?
206: What does an 857 hour movie about capitalism signify?
In episode 206, Charis talks about being fascinated by the idea of someone sitting down to watch an 857 hour movie and whether that experience uniquely gives a more tangible understanding of capitalism.
I Watched An 857-Hour Movie To Encounter Capitalism’s Extremes by Ashley Darrow
205: Blackbird Spyplane breaks down the foundation of fashion trends
In episode 205, Eugene and Charis talk about a Blackbird Spyplane banger on trends and their various designations and why they’re so fascinating to follow.
204: Twitter, Depop, and religion
In episode #204, Charis finds extreme hilarity in people selling fake sacrament of penance on depop and the latest frontier for what the creator economy can sell.
203: Instagram reels and artists
In this episode, Eugene and Charis highlight the impact of Instagram’s prioritization of video content for certain genres of artists. Is one’s ability to market themselves part of the job and “art” of being an artist?
Links
A New Refrain From Artists: We ‘Almost Gave Up on Instagram’ By Kalley Huang
Post-hiatus episode
In our first recording after a long-ass hiatus, Eugene and Charis update us on what they’ve been up to, what they’ve missed, and what’s to come with Making It Up!
202: Collectability, cooperation, and capitalism
Charis and Eugene talk about NFTs, collectability, anti-capitalist capitalists, missing counterculture, and individualism.
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Links:
The NFT Collector | Richard Kim in Right Click Save
Hope Beyond Rugged Individualism by Tara McMullin
14 Warning Signs That You Are Living in a Society Without a Counterculture by Ted Gioia
The young, rich, anti-capitalist capitalists by Whizy Kim
201: Over-Optimizing Creative Work & GeoGuessr
Eugene and Charis talk about efficiency, over-optimization, having slack (not the service) or intentionally holding your feet to the fire.
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200: First Twitch livestream
Charis and Eugene catch each other up about the last three months of their lives, discuss the move to Twitch, and overcome tech troubles.
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199: Pierogis and buy nothing
Eugene and Charis discuss Buy Nothing groups/movement and what a change in platform means for their participants. They also talk about Kevin LaBuz’s article “Grandma’s Pierogis” about how corporate culture is created and knowledge passed on.
00:04:47 Buy nothing
00:20:49 Pierogis
#107 - Grandma’s Pierogies from Below the Line by Kevin LaBuz
Buy Nothing exploded on Facebook — now it wants a platform of its own by Mia Sato
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198: Brunello Cucinelli slow growth and the Theranos trial
Charis and Eugene talk about the attitude of the team behind the Italian luxury fashion brand Brunello Cucinelli toward growth and family business. They also discuss the conviction of Elizabeth Holmes, former founder and CEO of the health tech company Theranos, in a trial that ended in January.
00:04:19 Brunello Cucinelli
00:23:47 Theranos
Brunello Cucinelli says 2021 growth spurt “not rational” by Luke Leitch
The Dropout, a podcast hosted by Rebecca Jarvis produced by ABC News
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197: Attention and tribalism
Eugene and Charis discuss what it means to pay close attention to anything. They also talk about the benefits of tribalism.
00:10:22 Attention
00:30:37 Tribalism
attending to the other by Jasmine Wang
The Myth of Tribalism by Dominic Packer and Jay Van Bavel
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196: 2021 Wrap Up
Charis and Eugene talk about key moments in culture in 2021 and reflect on significant changes that will carry forwards.
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195: The Story Club with George Saunders and the possibly corporate web3
Eugene and Charis discuss the new Substack started by the authors George Saunders for readers to closely read and consider short stories. They also talk about concerns raised regarding the future of web3—mainly the possibility that it will become an extension of web2 with a new veneer.
00:03:05 Story club
00:23:17 Web3
Story Club with George Saunders
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194: The Krause House and movie dialogue audibility
Charis and Eugene talk about The Krause House, a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) that has the longterm goal of purchasing an NBA team. They also discuss the decreasing audibility of dialogue in movies and the many reasons why that’s the case.
00:03:30 Krause House
00:27:36 Movie sound
Buy your Ticket to Krause House
Here's Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult To Understand (And Three Ways To Fix It) by Ben Pearson
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193: Peloton and soft power
Eugene and Charis discuss an essay by Sherry Ansari published in Culture study on how Peloton provides fitness with a “Health At Every Ability” attitude. They also talk about the waning UK soft power and how soft power is growing for other countries.
00:06:18 Peloton
00:23:01 Soft power
What It Means to Ride at Any Ability by Sherry Ansari
Harrods CEO on the threat to London’s cultural status by Sarah Shannon
What makes a cultural superpower? by Noah Smith
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192: Better sleep and supply chain issues
Charis and Eugene talk about the allure of better sleep fueling an industry of sleep-related products. They also discuss how a rise in online shopping in combination with pandemic factors has lead to supply chain issues.
00:07:09 Sleep
00:24:43 Supply chain
Nice Try! by Curbed, Season 2: Interior, Mattress episode
How Our Online Shopping Obsession Choked the Supply Chain by Cam Wolf
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191: Metaverse and audio-focused dating apps
Eugene and Charis discuss Facebook’s bet on the metaverse and what the allure of the metaverse is. They also discuss dating apps that prioritize an audio experience.
00:06:00 Metaverse
00:28:45 Audio dating apps
Heart to Heart raises $750K to bring sweet, sweet flirtation to your ear holes by Haje Jan Kamps
Founder’s Letter, 2021 by Mark Zuckerberg
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190: Future of creator economy and pricing art
Charis and Eugene talk about a recently released whitepaper that summarizes findings from a recent survey of independent creators. They also discuss how to price your art as an artist.
00:07:18 Creator economy
00:33:20 Pricing art
From Dependence to Independence | The Rise of The Independent Creator (The Whitepaper)
Ask the Experts: I’m Just Starting Out as an Artist. How Much Should I Charge for My Art? by Francesca Gavin
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189: Four dirty c-words and memes as shared language
Eugene and Charis discuss an essay written by Paul Jun, “The Four Dirty C-Words of the Internet”, and breakdown the usage of the words content, culture, community, and creator. They also talk about memes as shared language and the conduit through which beliefs are transmitted.
00:07:18 Four dirty c-words
00:33:20 Memes
The Four Dirty C-Words of the Internet by Paul Jun
How Memes Control Everything by Nathan Baschez
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188: Facebook whistleblower and Squid Game
Charis and Eugene talk about the global appeal of Squid Game and the possibility of supposedly niche cultural entertainment going viral. They also discuss the importance of Frances Haugen, the latest Facebook whistleblower, coming forward to testify about the need for social media platform regulations.
00:06:44 Squid Game
00:24:20 Facebook whistleblower
Planet Squid Game by Josef Adalian
Here are 4 key points from the Facebook whistleblower's testimony on Capitol Hill by Bobby Allyn
Facebook whistleblower testifies company 'is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny' by Samantha Murphy Kelly and Clare Duffy
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187: Blockchain video games and TikTok captions
Eugene and Charis discuss Star Atlas, a space-fantasy RPG built on the Solana blockchain, that indicates the promising possibilities of funding game development through digital asset ownership. They also talk about the prevalence of captions on TikTok and how the use of captions signals considerations of design and inclusion.
00:04:18 Blockchain video games
00:28:05 TikTok captions
Star Atlas: The Most Ambitious Blockchain Game by Ryan Foo
Why captions are everywhere on TikTok: ‘Glasses for your ears’ by Brian Contreras
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186: The Comme des Garçons strategy and the continued rise of digital fashion
Charis and Eugene talk about the Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market brand-development division called Dover Street Market Paris that is similar to an incubator for emerging brands. They also discuss digital fashion as seen in how Farfetch recently seeded influencers their latest lines of clothing via digital fashion items.
00:04:40 CdG
00:26:45 Digital fashion
‘Lack of strategy is the strategy’: what Comme des Garçons did next by Alexander Fury published in Financial Times
Influencers are wearing digital versions of physical clothes now by Maghan McDowell published in Vogue Business
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185: Good critiques and overcoming Web3 bias
Eugene and Charis discuss what makes a critique good as well as how to give and receive feedback well. Plus, they talk about overcoming Web3 bias in the context of understanding paradigm shifts.
00:03:37 Critiques
00:25:16 Paradigm Shifts
How to Take Criticism by Chapell Ellison
Google Slides from Charis’ PolyU class
Overcoming Web3 Bias | How to navigate strange new paradigms that could change everything—unless they don’t. by Nathan Baschez
Cryptopilled by Drew Coffman
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184: “Existence dissonance” at Nike
Charis and Eugene talk about a single topic inspired by “Nike’s End of Men” by Ethan Strauss. Their conversation covers a shift in Nike’s values (whether internal or what they project to the public), target audience, and marketing strategies.
00:04:17 Change at Nike
Nike’s End of Men by Ethan Strauss
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183: Climate crisis responsibility and Kanye West’s DONDA
Eugene and Charis talk about the illusory nature of tech solutions for the climate crisis as well as personal responsibility in the face of it. They also discuss the artistic merit of the release of Kanye West’s DONDA.
00:04:42 Climate crisis
00:24:15 DONDA
It’s Time to Replace Ambition with Adaptation by Rosie Spinks
The Other Crisis by Jon Leighton
DONDA, Kanye West
182: Rational thinking and the tech/fashion relationship
Charis and Eugene talk about the attraction to and difficulty in thinking rationally. They also discuss the awkward relationship between tech and fashion.
00:05:52 Rationality
00:27:39 Tech/fashion
Why Is It So Hard to Be Rational? by Joshua Rothman
Worn Out by Drew Austin
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181: Creative writing with language AI and sexism in women’s athletic uniforms
Eugene and Charis discuss “Ghosts” by Vauhini Vara, a creative writing piece written with the assistance of the language AI GPT-3 (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer 3). They also talk about sexism and double standards in sports as seen in recent discussions around uniform requirements in women’s sports.
00:07:02 Language AI
00:29:01 Sexism in sports
Ghosts by Vauhini Vara
Facing Outrage Over Bikini Rule, Handball Federation Signals ‘Likely’ Change by Jenny Gross
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180: The rise of curators and “genuinfluencers”
Charis and Eugene talk about the factors that lead to the prominence of curators and curation. They also discuss the trend, as WGSN calls it, of “genuinfluencers”, who interact with their audiences differently and share content that is a departure from the traditional influencer fare.
00:07:54 Curators
00:33:39 “Genuinfluencers”
Curators All the Way Down by Gaby Goldberg
Meet the “genuinfluencers” who don’t want to sell you anything by Kati Chitrakorn
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179: Female athletes choose new sponsors and France launches the Culture Pass
Eugene and Charis discuss why elite female athletes are turning away from formerly major sponsors in favor of alternative options. They also talk about the launch of the Culture Pass in France which gives all 18-year-olds €300 to spend on a selection of cultural offerings.
00:05:45 Female athletes
00:24:51 France’s Culture Pass
Why Elite Female Athletes Are Turning Away From Major Sponsors by Sapna Maheshwari
France Gave Teenagers $350 for Culture. They’re Buying Comic Books. by Aurelien Breeden
MAEKAN Patreon supporters receive exclusive discounts on online products as well as access to the members exclusive tee.
178: Memories of the pandemic and “wang hong” (internet famous)
Charis and Eugene talk about how our memories of the pandemic will differ and what narrative arcs the stories we tell of our lives usually take. They also discuss the term “wang hong” (Chinese for internet famous) as written about in Chaoyang Trap.
00:04:18 Pandemic memories
00:29:34 “Wang hong”
You Won’t Remember the Pandemic the Way You Think You Will by Melissa Fay Greene
S01 Episode 9: We Built This City on a Camera Roll in Chaoyang Trap
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177: The MAEKAN Shop launches
In a different format to the usual Making It Up episodes, Eugene and Charis announce the launch of the online MAEKAN Shop. They discuss the process that lead to this point and talk about the products that are available.
00:01:52 MAEKAN Shop
MAEKAN Patreon supporters receive exclusive discounts on online products as well as access to the members exclusive tee.
176: 'It's O.K. not to be O.K.’ and the inner ring of the internet
Charis and Eugene talk about Naomi Osaka’s essay in TIME magazine that elaborates on her relationship to the press and the subject of the mental health of athletes. They also discuss an article about “the inner ring” of the internet and how that affects the creative work you do.
00:07:35 'It's O.K. not to be O.K.’
00:30:58 The inner ring
Naomi Osaka: 'It's O.K. Not to Be O.K.'
The Inner Ring of The Internet by Ali Montag
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175: NCAA athletes can start making money and Lachlan Morton’s alternative Tour de France
Eugene and Charis do an episode completely on sports. They talk about the new NCAA ruling that allows student athletes to make money in whatever way they like: co-founding businesses, as YouTubers, as country singers, etc. They also discuss Australian cyclist Lachlan Morton’s attempt to ride the full Tour de France route on his own with no support and to beat the peloton to Paris.
00:03:39 NCAA
00:22:40 Alt Tour
Let's make a deal: NCAA athletes cashing in on name, image and likeness by Dan Murphy
Lachlan Morton is bikepacking the entire Tour de France route, transfers included by Iain Treloar
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174: Video game writing and apparel sizing issues
Charis and Eugene talk about new Kotaku editor-in-chief Patricia Hernandez’s letter to readers on the subject of the future of video games and video game writing. They also discuss erratic sizing within the fashion industry and the sustainability as well as psychological issues that creates.
00:04:33 Video game writing
00:24:12 Sizing issues
Hello Kotaku, It's Me, Your New EIC by Patricia Hernandez
How fashion’s erratic sizing is fuelling a clothing waste crisis by Sophie Benson
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173: Flaws with venture capital and curation as brand strategy
Eugene and Charis talk about why the funding model of venture capital is flawed and doesn’t build the things society needs. They also discuss the rise of curation as a strategy brands and individuals are adopting, plus what makes for good curation.
00:04:33 Venture capital
00:23:38 Curation
Why venture capital doesn’t build the things we really need by Elizabeth MacBride
Creativity is dead, long live curation by Ana Andjelic
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172: Cohort-based courses and the Barbell Strategy
Charis and Eugene talk about cohort-based courses as compared to massively open online courses. They also discuss the Barbell Strategy method of balancing security and risk as a structure for creative careers.
00:04:00 Cohort-based courses
00:28:18 The Barbell Strategy
The Barbell Strategy: How Not to Be a Starving Artist by Richard Meadows
In Online Ed, Content Is No Longer King—Cohorts Are by Wes Kao
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171: The internet is flat and the cooperation economy
Eugene and Charis discuss how the nature of the internet collapses time, space, and context, resulting in a volatile environment that breeds bad faith discussions with no room for nuance or complexity. They also talk about the cooperation economy as the next phase of the creator economy/the passion economy.
00:03:28 The internet is flat
00:22:25 The cooperation economy
The internet is flat. by Charlie Warzel
The Cooperation Economy Or How to Build a Liquid Super Team by Packy McCormick
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170: Sports journalism and selling out
Charis and Eugene talk about Naomi Osaka choosing to not do press at the French Open and what the relationship is between press and athletes should be. They also discuss the shift in perception of creatives signing corporate deals.
00:04:40 Sports journalism
00:38:28 Selling out
Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the French Open highlights the tenuous relationship between athletes and the media by Scottie Andrew
Welcome to the post-sellout era by Yasmin Gagne
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169: Outlier designer Willie Norris and ongoing pandemic trauma
Eugene and Charis talk about how Willie Norris is reimagining menswear from a trans perspective at Outlier. They also discuss a recent Atlantic article by Ed Yong that goes into the reasons why people aren’t necessarily feeling better as the pandemic decreases in intensity.
00:02:09 Willie Norris
00:22:48 Trauma
This Designer Is Reimagining Menswear From a Trans Perspective by Michael Love Michael
What Happens When Americans Can Finally Exhale by Ed Yong
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168: What “disgusting” means and out-of-control online fan groups
Charis and Eugene talk about the Disgusting Food Museum in Sweden and where disgust, as an emotion and judgment comes from. They also discuss China trying to find ways to standardize the behavior of online fan groups.
00:04:05 “Disgusting”
00:32:00 Fan groups
The Gatekeepers Who Get to Decide What Food Is “Disgusting” by Jiayang Fan
China Targets ‘Chaotic’ Online Fan Groups to Tame Teen Culture by Yuan Ye and Liu Mengqiu
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167: Museum NFTs and keeping the line alive
Eugene and Charis discuss what alternative forms of value there are, beyond financial, in engaging with NFTs in museums. They also discuss “keeping the line alive” in creative work as written about by artist Mateusz Urbanowicz.
00:02:48 Museum NFTs
00:27:21 Loose lines
What Makes A Museum Object NFT Valuable Beyond The Scope Of The Technology? by Frances Liddell
Keeping the line alive. by Mateusz Urbanowicz
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166: The “capitalism is broken” economy and organizational load management
Charis and Eugene talk about an article by Anne Helen Petersen describing the current US economy as the “capitalism is broken” state of things. They also discuss load management, a basketball strategy that conserves the energy of star players, in the context of creative work.
00:04:21 The economy
00:28:39 Load management
The 'Capitalism is Broken' Economy by Anne Helen Petersen
Try this NBA strategy to help manage hybrid work by Tim Sanders
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165: Social media managing and the commune lifestyle
Eugene and Charis talk about the difficulties that social media managers face and how platforms as well as businesses could do a better job of supporting workers in that area. They also discuss an essay that describes the author’s life growing up on a commune and what non-commune individuals could learn from that mentality.
00:03:21 Social media
00:25:30 Commune life
What It Was Like Growing Up on a Commune by Kathryn Jezer-Morton
I’m a social media manager. Facebook and Twitter have made my job an ethical nightmare by Amy Brown
Let’s Talk About Leaving Social Media...Maybe? by Rachel Karten
The Raiders, Social Media Managers And The Vortex of The Internet's Hate by Ed Zitron
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164: Everything bad about the fashion industry and deleting your life
Charis and Eugene talk about Eugene Rabkin’s essay, “Read This Before You Decide to Work In Fashion” published in Highsnobiety which goes through a laundry list of negative aspects of the fashion industry. They also discuss an artist zine created by Marco Marzocchi called “How To Destroy Everything”, which is connected to a discussion of digital devices as an extension of human memories and the emotional significance we give digital archives.
00:08:05 Fashion industry
00:37:37 Deleting your life
Read This Before You Decide to Work In Fashion by Eugene Rabkin
Marco Marzocchi: How To Destroy Everything by Brad Feuerhelm
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163: Ownership of our time and communicating complex ideas
Eugene and Charis discuss our relationship to work and our sense of ownership over our time. They also talk about challenges scientists face when communicating their ideas clearly around how to present complex thoughts.
00:06:05 Time and work
00:30:33 Communications
Scientists need to get better at talking to the public. Why doesn’t training seem to help? by Robert Wyss, Margaret Rubega, and Robert Capers
Against “Feel Free To Take Some Time If You Need It" by Anne Helen Petersen
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162: Chinatown Market Name Change
Charis and Eugene talk at length about streetwear brand Chinatown Market deciding to rename themselves. This comes in response to people in the Asian American community expressing their concerns with the use of the name. Eugene and Charis discuss this situation in light of the current context of increased anti-Asian racism in North America as well as discussing whether personal wardrobes should carry sentimental value.
00:04:06 Chinatown Market
00:50:42 Filipino Attire
Chinatown Market to Undergo Name Change by Obi Anyanwu
Amid Anti-Asian Hate Crimes, I Found Beauty in Filipino Attire by Isiah Magsino
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161: Cathie Wood’s content strategy and the first peer-reviewed rap album
Eugene and Charis discuss Cathie Wood’s perfect content strategy for the portfolio of ETFs she runs at ARK Invest. They also talk about A.D. Carson, a hip-hop professor, and his thinking behind getting his rap album peer-reviewed and published by an academic press.
00:03:50 Cathie Wood
00:22:52 Peer-reviewed rap album
Cathie Wood and Content Strategy by Ranjan Roy
Hip-hop professor looks to open doors with world’s first peer-reviewed rap album by A.D. Carson
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160: Story-driven pricing and the Teen Vogue “cancel culture” news
Charis and Eugene talk about what the pricing of the Hermès Birkin bag teaches us about setting prices according to the value in stories. They also discuss Alexi McCammond’s hiring and firing from Teen Vogue as the Editor-in-Chief in relation to systemic problems within companies and cancel culture.
00:05:34 Hermès pricing
00:23:18 Teen Vogue
What Luxury Brands Can Learn from Hermès About Pricing by Daniel Langer
Teenage Mistake: What's missing from the Teen Vogue story, and who's responsible by Elizabeth Spiers
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