Fear less: Style, strength, and joy with Manny Martins Carmen
Release Date: 06/02/2025
Ep.. 14: You can’t hate yourself into a body you love: Reclaiming health and power with Oonagh Duncan
Closet Philosophy
What if your fitness journey wasn’t about chasing a smaller body—but about feeling strong, energized, and alive? In this empowering episode, we talk to Oonagh Duncan, multi-award-winning fitness expert, bestselling author of Healthy As Fck* (aka Ditch the Diet), and founder of the Feel Good Movement. We dive deep into what it really means to feel good in your body—at any size, at any age—and how fitness can help us reconnect with our power. Oonagh shares her journey from fat activist and actor to fitness leader, and how she’s redefining health for Gen X women and beyond. She breaks...
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Ep. 13: Tattoos, piercings, and style as self-expression with Marie McCarthy
Closet Philosophy
💎 Guest: Marie McCarthy Founder of and Piercing & Tattoo In this episode, personal stylist Jennine Jacob and fashion journalist Kristen Philipkoski talk with Marie McCarthy, founder of fine jewelry store Fiat Lux and Rose Gold’s Piercing and Tattoo in San Francisco. Marie shares how jewelry, tattoos, and piercings can be forms of power, rebellion, self-love, and pure fun—especially as we age. We discuss: Why women are getting piercings and tattoos later in life How style is about how you feel, not just how you look Using clothes and accessories as a language to communicate your...
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Ep. 12: How clothes spark connection: friendship, vulnerability, and personal style with Danielle Bayard Jackson
Closet Philosophy
In this episode, personal stylist Jennine Jacob and fashion journalist Kristen Philipkoski talk with Danielle Bayard Jackson, friendship coach and author of Fighting for Our Friendships. They explore how what we wear can open the door to meaningful connections—and how friendships shape (and are shaped by) our personal style. Danielle breaks down her three affinities framework—symmetry, support, and secrecy—revealing why women’s friendships are so powerful yet often fragile. She shares how style plays into first impressions and why dressing to express yourself authentically is a form of...
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Ep. 11: Gem app founder Liisa Jokinen on the joy of second hand clothing and documenting personal style around the world
Closet Philosophy
This week on Closet Philosophy, we talk with Finnish street style archivist, photographer, and founder of the Gem app, Liisa Jokinen. Liisa has been documenting what people wear on the street for more than 20 years—and in doing so, she’s built a visual time capsule of personal expression, cultural shifts, and everyday creativity. In this episode, we dig into: How second-hand shopping is freedom How clothing choices offer clues about identity, mood, and values What changed when she moved from Helsinki to New York How she developed the Gem app for vintage and secondhand shopping Why older...
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Ep. 10: The power of pattern: Artist Windy Chien on knots, creativity, and control
Closet Philosophy
Artist and former Apple exec Windy Chien joins Closet Philosophy this week to talk about how she left a high-profile tech job to follow a totally different thread—literally. Windy became world-renowned for her intricate and sculptural knot work, which she began exploring during her transformative project The Year of Knots. In this conversation, we dive into the parallels between fiber and fashion, the deeper meaning of making things with your hands, and how creativity becomes a form of identity, discipline, and even rebellion. We explore: How tying knots helped Windy reclaim authorship of...
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Ep. 9: Style, status, and self-love: A Conversation with stylist, designer, and closet philosopher Wale Sanni
Closet Philosophy
In this episode of Closet Philosophy, we talk to stylist and luxury handbag designer Wale Sanni about what personal style really means—and it has little to do with what we wear. Wale shares how he went from sneakerhead to Saks stylist, why timeless style is about emotional connection, and how status, self-worth, and fashion are always intertwined. We also dive deep into: Why people say they don’t care about status but they usually do Why quality isn’t just about fabric—it’s about how you care for your clothes The deeper meaning of the Walmart Birkin How self-love is the foundation...
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Fear less: Style, strength, and joy with Manny Martins Carmen
Closet Philosophy
This week, we sit down with the joyful and unapologetically bold influencer Manny Martins Carmen—a 61-year-old model, weightlifter, painter, and accidental content creator who encourages her followers to “age like a rebel.” What started as a creative outlet during COVID has become a movement of radical self-expression, vibrant style, and fearless aging. We talk about dressing up for joy (even if you're just going to the optometrist), the healing power of movement, and how style can shift your mood and the energy of a whole room. Manny also opens up about recovering from a cancer...
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Is personal style ever truly personal? A deep dive with author and Elle editor Véronique Hyland
Closet Philosophy
In this mind-opening conversation, Véronique Hyland—features director at Elle magazine and author of the acclaimed book —helps us unpack the hidden forces shaping how we dress. From the myth of the “female gaze” to the politics of effortlessness, this episode asks big questions about power, gender, class, and whether we can ever truly dress just for ourselves. We explore fashion as communication, resistance, and identity—and why “I don’t care what I wear” is almost always a lie. Plus, we get personal about aging, influence, cringe, and what it means to keep evolving your style...
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Ep. 6: Authenticity as armor: Style, confidence, and career with marketing maven Erin Wallace
Closet Philosophy
In this deeply honest and empowering episode, we talk to Erin Wallace, head of marketing at and formerly of ThredUp and Crossroads Trading. She’s a fashion marketing powerhouse, creative leader, and style icon in her own right. Erin shares how her personal style became her superpower in the workplace, why she didn’t truly find “her look” until her late 30s, and how fashion helped her step into leadership after a major life transition. We also get real about what happens when your body changes in midlife, why some outfits feel like home and others feel like costumes, and what it means...
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Ep. 5: Shira Gill on minimalist style, body changes, and the power of now
Closet Philosophy
Bestselling author and organizing expert Shira Gill joins us this week. Her work goes far beyond decluttering—Shira believes that organizing is not about perfection, it's about creating space for what actually matters. We talk about: Why most people don’t have an organizing problem—they have a volume problem What to do with clothes that no longer fit but are hard to let go of How to make getting dressed easy and empowering The emotional cost of hanging on to “someday” clothes Why dressing with intention is a form of self-trust and self-respect The myth of “effortless”...
info_outlineThis week, we sit down with the joyful and unapologetically bold influencer Manny Martins Carmen—a 61-year-old model, weightlifter, painter, and accidental content creator who encourages her followers to “age like a rebel.” What started as a creative outlet during COVID has become a movement of radical self-expression, vibrant style, and fearless aging.
We talk about dressing up for joy (even if you're just going to the optometrist), the healing power of movement, and how style can shift your mood and the energy of a whole room. Manny also opens up about recovering from a cancer diagnosis, competing in powerlifting, and applying for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue at 60+. Her message? Your joy is contagious—and it's never too late to be fully, loudly, you.
Topics We Cover:
- Why dressing up when you don’t feel like it is a powerful move
- How creative disciplines (like graphic design and abstract art) can shape personal style
- Using fashion as a form of emotional regulation
- What powerlifting taught Manny after cancer and injury
- Midlife confidence, visibility, and pushing back against patriarchal beauty standards
- The design principles behind good outfits—and good paintings
- The real reason she applied to the Sports Illustrated model search
- Why wearing a bigger size might be the most liberating thing you do all year
Follow Manny:
- Instagram: @mannyfashionstylist
- Art account: @mannymartinscarmen
- TikTok & YouTube: @mannymartinscarmen
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