iHeartPodcasts & Campside Media Launch ''Model Wars''

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, September 10, 2025 | 2:50pm CT

Model Wars

iHeartPodcasts and Campside Media have teamed up to debut Model Wars, a 10-part documentary podcast exploring the high-stakes world of the fashion industry in the 1980s and 1990s. The series is hosted by journalist and Campside co-founder Vanessa Grigoriadis and executive produced by Rachel Winter of Hollywoodland and Adam Hoff.

Model Wars examines the rise of powerful modeling agencies during a time when fashion's influence surged worldwide -- and when controversial figures including then-real estate mogul Donald Trump and financier Jeffrey Epstein became involved in the business.

At the center of the story is Paul Fisher, a straight-A student from California's San Fernando Valley who unexpectedly entered the modeling industry after meeting an alleged mobster. Backed by $1 million in questionable financing and no prior experience, Fisher set out to compete with industry giants such as Eileen Ford and John Casablancas, a battle that evolved into a "model war" that reshaped fashion.

Grigoriadis, a National Magazine Award winner and contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and Vanity Fair, brings her investigative storytelling to the series. She is also known for hosting Infamous: Inside America's Biggest Scandals and Run Bambi Run, and co-creating the podcasts Chameleon and Fallen Angel.

The first episode of Model Wars is available now on the iHeartRadio app and across all major podcast platforms. New episodes will be released every Wednesday.