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The Interline Podcast
The Interline
Twice-weekly technology shows for fashion and beauty professionals.
The Edit releases Tuesdays: a quickfire show analysing five headlines from across fashion and technology, in a conversational format designed to fit your commute. Hosted by Social Editor Grace Robinson.
The interview show releases Thursdays: deep one-on-one debates with brand and technology executives, hosted by Editor-in-Chief, Ben Hanson.
Find daily editorials, reports, analysis, stories and more at The Interline.
- 23 episodes
- a few times a week
- Avg 39 min
- English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
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S2 · E52Tuesday · 26 minAI Video On The Shopfloor And In-Store, Defence Spending On Textiles, And Anti-Social Sentiment
This week, Grace and Ben talk about: The release of GSD RealMotion, and the vote of confidence it represents in the accuracy of AI in high-stakes shopfloor scenarios: https://www.theinterline.com/2026/08/19/coats-digital-launches-gsd-realmotion-to-replace-stopwatch-time-studies-with-ai-powered-motion-analysis/ The use of similar AI vision software in reducing theft-related shrinkage in stores, with some concerning potential risks: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/17/humiliated-sainsburys-store-pauses-ai-scanning-after-false-shoplifting-accusation and https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/icelands-use-of-crime-fighting-ai-reduces-theft-losses-by-80/722607.article The USA's FutureTEX initiative, and the relationship between reshoring and defense spending: https://coe.gatech.edu/news/2026/08/georgia-tech-chosen-founding-partner-pentagon-initiative-rebuild-us-textile The groundswell of anti-social media sentiment, and how it's spilling over into the way LLMs are packaged and sold for younger people: https://www.semafor.com/article/08/18/2026/meta-social-media-addiction-trial-opens A side order of Niles, the new mascot for Crocs: https://investors.crocs.com/news-and-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2026/Crocs-Introduces-Niles-New-Mascot-Launches-a-Bold-New-Era-of-Character-Driven-Storytelling/default.aspx And finally a new segment on investments and acquisitions: Higgsfield's new valuation: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/higgsfields-valuation-soars-fourfold-54-billion-six-months-ai-content-demand-2026-08-17/ Anthropic potentially buying Decart: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-13/anthropic-said-in-talks-to-buy-ai-startup-decart-for-6-billion Dimension's bid to operationalise TikTok Shop: https://www.latimes.com/b2b/ai-technology/story/2026-08-12/dimension-seed-funding-seller-os
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S2 · E51August 20 · 58 minThe Legal Frontiers Of AI In Fashion
Every industry is wrestling with the same big-ticket AI questions around fair use, labelling, and disclosure. But fashion has a set of AI legal quandaries all of its own. Today, Ben talks to Anthony "Tony" Lupo, Chairman of legal firm ArentFox Schiff, and US general counsel for a roster of global fashion and retail brands, including Diane von Furstenberg, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Fila, Lacoste, Diesel, and Christian Louboutin. Tony also runs Fashion Counsel, a pre-eminent legal blog for the fashion industry. Together, they run through some of our readers' top concerns about the legal ramifications of AI, from likenesses / personas and model releases, to Fair Use, the EU AI Act, the expanding risk surface of brands extending what they know about consumers, and why brands haven't gone after the creators of image generation models that can reproduce their logos, colours, and other elements on command.
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S2 · E50August 17 · 27 minLive Shopping, MCP Intelligence, AI Sustainability And Lending Risks, And Mum Fragrances In Fortnite
This week, Grace and Ben debate five new fashion technology headlines. Live shopping platform Whatnot's new $20 billion valuation: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/07/whatnot-live-shopping-valuation-20-billion.html The ongoing launch of MCP connectors for intelligence and creative platforms: https://edited.com/products/mcp/ A BoF analysis of how AI ranks and enshrines sustainability language: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/sustainability/can-you-trust-ai-to-tell-you-which-brands-are-sustainable/ New fuel for the argument that AI infrastructure is becoming a precarious financial instrument: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/08/11/ai-lending-rules-loosened-despite-bubble-fears/ A interesting example of a brand targeting a very different demographic through gaming: https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/fragrance/jo-malone-london-bergamot-sea-salt-fragrance-fortnite-game-1239097352/
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S2 · E49August 12 · 26 minShopping, Sizing, Social, AI Strategy, And Domestic Shoe Manufacturing
This week, with a slight delay, Grace and Ben discuss: The ongoing tension between retailers and AI agents, and the reversed injunction in the case of Amazon and Perplexity: https://easternherald.com/2026/08/05/perplexity-comet-amazon-ninth-circuit-ruling/ Several surveys, and reporting, on the reasons that brands are not realising value from their AI investments: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/technology/the-reason-your-ai-investments-arent-paying-off/ Pinterest's expansion into the physical world, and the dominance of shopping in social media: https://www.retail-week.com/stores-and-property/pinterest-invests-in-new-london-office-as-part-of-new-era-of-shopping-vision/7051782.article New data that suggests people taking GLP-1 class medications are more likely to visit stores, and the implications for sizing and commerce: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/glp-1-users-in-store-clothes-shopping-trip-is-back-2026-08-02/ A feel-good story from New Balance's UK factory, with some slightly more complicated context: https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/new-balance-unveils-new-outdoor-space-for-factory-workers/2026080589618
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S2 · E48August 6 · 59 minWhat Business Spend Data Really Says About AI Adoption
Fifty-five per cent of American businesses now pay for AI. But what are companies actually buying, and who are they buying it from? And, more specifically, what does fashion need to know about the economics of AI? To find out, Ben talks to Ara Kharazian, Lead Economist at Ramp, and one of the people behind the widely-cited AI Index. Useful reading: Ara's research at Ramp — https://ramp.com/authors/ara-kharazian Ramp Economics Lab — https://ramp.com/data Ramp AI Index — https://ramp.com/data/ai-index Econ Lab newsletter — https://econlab.substack.com/
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S2 · E47August 4 · 23 minAI Meets 3D Printing, Composable eCommerce, SHEIN's Valuation, And AI Shopping As A Service
This week, Grace and Ben from the usual weekly format slightly and bring on Danit Peleg, fresh off her AI-meets-3D-printing presentation at Figma Config: https://config.figma.com/san-francisco/session/349f94c6-628e-40ff-9f90-119750e60bfa/ Then they pick up three industry headlines to analyse, quickfire style, rather than the usual five. Salesforce's investment in Callimacus: https://www.theinterline.com/2026/07/29/callimacus-the-platform-reinventing-digital-experiences-for-the-ai-era-enters-into-an-agreement-for-an-investment-from-salesforce/ Investor scrutiny of SHEIN's prospectus, and the challenge of valuing fashion brands like tech companies: https://www.gulf-times.com/article/730046/business/shein-will-struggle-to-justify-up-to-50bn-hong-kong-ipo-valuation And announcements from Daydream and THG Ingenuity that collectively suggest AI Shopping as a Service is a new growth vertical: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/daydream-launches-ai-powered-search-and-discovery-solution-for-fashion-brands-and-retailers-302837597.html and https://ww.fashionnetwork.com/news/Thg-ingenuity-adds-ai-stylist-to-google-cloud-marketplace-drives-higher-conversion,1856590.html
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S2 · E46July 30 · 47 minWhy Fashion Still Over-Develops
Despite decades’ worth of technology adoption and transformation initiatives, brands, on average, develop far more materials and style than they, or the market, actually need. Ben talks to Liza Amlani, author of The Material Life and Co-Founder of Retail Strategy Group, to understand where overdevelopment stems from, and what needs to change to help curb it.
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S2 · E45July 28 · 25 minClothing Destruction, Cybersecurity and AI, Affordability, And UK-EU Politics
This week, Grace and Ben discuss a diverse mix of fashion technology stories, although AI is still front and centre. The European Commission's ban on the destruction of unsold clothing: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/ban-destruction-unsold-clothes-and-shoes-enters-application-2026-07-17_en An unprecedented AI cybersecurity moment... or a marketing stunt? https://openai.com/index/hugging-face-model-evaluation-security-incident/ The explosion in maturity of open-weights Chinese models, and the risk they might represent to US businesses: https://www.semafor.com/article/07/17/2026/kimi-k3-threatens-ai-business-models A suite of stories that suggest more competition in affordable fashion, and premium goods look for even more ways to spread consumer spending: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/apple-teams-up-with-klarna-to-launch-a-lease-to-own-program-for-iphones-ipads-and-macs/ and https://www.theindustry.fashion/zaras-sister-brand-lefties-confirms-late-august-opening-for-first-uk-store/ and https://retailasia.com/e-commerce/news/shein-targets-50b-valuation-in-hong-kong-ipo And finally the prospect of new leadership in the UK bringing the country closer to Europe again, and what that might mean for selling and buying fashion: https://www.drapersonline.com/news/burberry-boss-calls-for-burnham-to-scrap-tourist-tax
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S2 · E44July 23 · 46 minThe Case For Creating A New, Digital-Native Luxury Group
Groups and conglomerates have dominated luxury for decades, but recent attempts to forge new ones have floundered. A new Irish group, steeped in the country’s heritage, is betting on technology making the difference. To find out if it will, Ben sits down with Ashley McDonnell, CEO of VYKO Group.
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S2 · E43July 21 · 24 minBespoke Technology, BNPL, Mystery Boxes, AI Advisory, And A Case Study In Bad Fit
Grace and Ben debate the top fashion headlines, including... The push and pull between bespoke and general purpose AI, and off-the-shelf vs. custom technology in general: https://uk.fashionnetwork.com/news/Beauty-pie-replatforms-through-shopify-for-next-growth-phase,1852537.html and https://www.retaildive.com/news/customer-service-third-party-generative-ai-tools-brand-chatbots/825032/ and https://www.retail-week.com/technology/the-very-group-enters-agentic-ai-partnership-for-pricing/7051644.article and https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/15/thinking-machines-amps-up-its-bet-against-one-size-fits-all-ai-with-its-first-open-model-inkling/ New regulations and a new study that capture the tightening net around fintech, especially buy-now-pay-later platforms: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-delivers-fairer-deal-for-shoppers-as-buy-now-pay-later-rules-come-into-force StockX's launch of mystery boxes, and the data behind the rise of odds-based decision making in retail: https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/stockx-launches-mystery-boxes-with-verified-inventory/2026071089146 The influence of AI on advisory services in fashion, and vice versa: https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/technology/ai-outside-consultants-advertising/ The internet's talent at making a running joke out of a manifestation of a deeper and less funny fit and field testing gap: https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/tiktok-users-call-out-zara-for-its-now-dubbed-deadly-trousers/2026070989112
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S2 · E42July 16 · 46 minCan 3D Weaving Make Domestic Production Viable?
Arne Arens made the unusual leap from being a brand executive to leading a technology company in fashion’s most unforgiving segment: manufacturing innovation. From creating net-new jobs to translating digital product creation outputs into seamless garments, his big bet is on this particular transformation taking root. Ben puts the vision to the test.
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S2 · E41July 14 · 24 minAn AI Likeness Free-For-All, Social Impact, Cataloguing, Sorting, And Persuasion
This week, Ben and Grace discuss: The launch of Meta's Muse image model, with opt-out likeness tagging - and the ongoing battle between human models are the companies they shoot for, who seem willing to misappropriate their likenesses: https://www.theverge.com/tech/962485/meta-muse-image-ai-model-instagram and https://wwd.com/sourcing-journal/industry-news/fashion-model-racial-discrimination-artificial-intelligence-1239051932/ The more tangible social impacts of AI-supporting data centre build-outs in the UK and abroad: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/06/scotland-lanarkshire-village-ai-datacentre The growth of wardrobe-quantifying / cataloguing apps: https://www.just-style.com/news/whering-seed-funding-ai/?cf-view Some positive uses of AI in sorting and separating textiles and second-hand garments: https://tech.eu/2026/07/08/berlins-reversefashion-bags-seven-figure-funding-to-scale-textile-sorting/ and https://thenextweb.com/news/fleek-25m-series-b-secondhand-fashion-ai And the launch of ChatGPT Voice, based on the new GPT-Live model, and what it might mean for layering persuasion on top of a novel modality for interaction: https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-live/
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S2 · E40July 9 · 55 minFinding The Feeling In AI Campaigns
Zalando has pushed further than perhaps any other company in embedding generative AI into its content creation - from product page materials to full-blown creative campaigns - and in talking openly about it. But if cost-saving isn’t the primary objective, what is? Ben talks to Glazione Rocha, Creative Director, to find out how a company at the bleeding edge of deploying AI for consumer-facing content approaches the work, and how they think about the impact of their choices.
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S2 · E39July 7 · 22 minSubstack, Politics, Surveillance, Scaling Recycling, And Labelling AI
For this week's edition of The Edit - the quickfire fashion technology analysis show from The Interline - Ben and Grace talk about... Fashion's place in Substack sponsorships:https://on.substack.com/p/a-business-model-that-works-for-creators Domestic manufacturing and tech startups against the backdrop of UK political devolution: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/29/what-is-andy-burnhams-economic-and-political-blueprint-for-britain The surveillance state, and the spying potential of wearables: https://www.vogue.com/article/testing-mias-anti-surveillance-streetwear A potential new frontier in blended material recycling: https://wwd.com/sourcing-journal/sj-denim/hkrita-jeanologia-looptworks-scale-green-machine-recycling-1239032559/ And incoming legislation and labels for AI content: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/24/adidas-uniqlo-calvin-klein-ads-banned-asa-uk-recycled and https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-icons-labelling-ai-generated-content
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S2 · E38July 2 · 54 minThe High Bar For Disrupting Knitting
Outside of software itself, knitting is probably the closest thing fashion has to coding: a verifiable, binary discipline defined by scarce talent, and specialised software and hardware. Upending it might be the industry’s high bar for new technology - but one company is trying anyway. Ben talks to Garrett Gerson, CEO and Co-Founder of Variant3D.
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S2 · E37June 30 · 22 minSocial Bans, Smart Glasses, Programmatic AI, And Heat-Tech
In this week's quickfire analysis, Social Editor Grace Robinson quizzes Editor-In-Chief Ben Hanson on: The UK’s under-sixteen social media ban and the race to reach Gen Alpha. Meta’s Ray-Ban-free smart glasses and Snap’s premium AR specs. SSENSE replacing its creative teams with AI. REI’s two-handlebar AI ad and Meta’s auto-enrolled ad tool. And how a record-breaking European heatwave reminds us that fashion needs to react to a changing world. The Edit is also available on YouTube.
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S2 · E36June 25 · 1 hr 1 minThe Forking Path From Invention To Industrialisation
Upstream innovation, in materials, processing, and production, has had a chequered few years. Promising pilots routinely fail to take flight or achieve commercial scale. Ben talks to Stephen Bates, CEO of RHEON LABS, to assess what success on the journey from lab to big-label deployment might actually look like.
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S2 · E35June 23 · 21 minRisk, Reward, And Cultural Pushback on AI In Fashion - And A New Play For the Secondary Market
This week on The Edit: five fresh headline stories from across fashion and technology receive the quickfire analysis treatment. First: Anthropic releases and is then forced to retract its new Fable 5 model - https://www.anthropic.com/news/fable-mythos-access Second: new data from Adobe suggests that AI interactions can increase retail conversions by 54%, and token budgets per employee appear less out-of-control than analysts suspected - https://business.adobe.com/blog/adobe-report-ai-traffic-travel-sites-surges-200-percent and https://ramp.com/data/ai-index Third: Epic Games' demonstration of their creative teams' worfklows, which incorporate some AI, ignites debate. At the same time, the company set out its stall for seeing Unreal 6 as the opportunity to massively expand the utility and portability of skins - https://www.ign.com/articles/fortnite-maker-confirms-how-it-uses-generative-ai-to-help-create-concept-art-and-designs-for-new-skins and https://www.theverge.com/games/951785/epic-games-fortnite-unreal-fest-2026-unreal-engine-6-ai-metaverse Fourth: secondary market giant StockX will be opening its first permanent retail store, as well as allowing for live shopping and direct interactions between sellers and buyers: https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/stockx-reopens-soho-store-as-its-first-permanent-retail-location-in-the-us/2026061788698 and https://www.businessoffashion.com/briefings/sports/the-kicks-you-wear-why-stockx-is-launching-live-shopping/ Fifth: Charlotte Tillbury makes a renewed case for the "beauty technology" label, and we consider the advantage that beauty has over fashion when it comes to locating innovation closer to the consumer - https://www.fastcompany.com/91556648/why-i-designed-charlotte-tilbury-beauty-as-a-technology-company
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S2 · E34June 18 · 56 minThe Future Of Fashion’s Thirst For Water
Fashion devotes a lot of time to securing its inputs, but the importance of water to the industry’s supply chain goes under-discussed, and water is not quantified and assessed the way carbon is. But as water justice becomes a more acute business continuity risk, the demand to reckon with fashion’s thirst is growing. Ben talks to Amira Jehia, Founding Executive Director of Drip By Drip, to understand why water impact quantification lags behind carbon footprint assessment, despite representing a more acute risk in the short term.
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