The New Maturity

Steven Kolb: The Outsider Who Runs American Fashion

The man who runs American fashion didn't set out to work in fashion at all. Steven Kolb is CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), the force behind New York Fashion Week. Before he was front row at runway shows, he was on the front lines of the HIV/AIDS crisis, raising millions for DIFFA when the West Village was ground zero. Twenty years later, at sixty-four, he's thriving in an industry that worships youth—growing CFDA from $3.5 million to $15 million annually and redefining what leadership in fashion looks like. In this conversation, Steven talks about why he almost retired at the end of 2025 and what changed his mind, how Julie Gilhart's flowers on his first day helped him survive an industry he knew nothing about, and why being visibly hard of hearing and perpetually disheveled turned out to be advantages. He shares what it feels like to sit in boardrooms with billionaires as a blue-collar kid from New Jersey—and why he's learned to stay exactly who he is. This is about staying when everyone expects you to step aside, service work that follows you across industries, and why experience deserves celebration. What We Talk About: * Transitioning from sixteen years fighting the AIDS crisis at DIFFA to leading CFDA at forty-four with zero fashion background * Almost retiring at sixty-four in an industry obsessed with youth, then choosing to stay and claiming his role as an oracle * Overcoming natural shyness to attend dozens of events and fashion shows by learning to "segment" his presence * Why LGBTQ+ representation matters more on the business side of fashion than the creative side, where gay designers are more visible * How his blue-collar New Jersey roots keep him grounded when surrounded by people with private planes About Steven Kolb: Steven Kolb is CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), where he has served for twenty years. Under his leadership, CFDA has launched the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, the Health Initiative addressing model safety, diversity programs including awards for Black and AAPI designers, and crisis response efforts including $5 million in pandemic relief through The Common Thread. Before CFDA, Steven spent sixteen years at Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) during the height of the AIDS crisis. He studied communications and public administration, started his career at the American Cancer Society, and lives in New York with his husband and their dog. Connect with Steven: Instagram: @stevenkolbTikTok: @stevenkolbSubstack: https://substack.com/@stevenkolbnyc [https://substack.com/@stevenkolbnyc]CFDA: cfda.com Resources Mentioned: * Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) * Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) * CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund * The Common Thread (pandemic relief program) * Fashion's Night Out * Diane von Furstenberg * Thom Browne * Julie Gilhart * Fallingwater (Frank Lloyd Wright) * Sidney Sheldon's The Other Side of Midnight Connect With Us: Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com [https://www.thenewmaturity.com/] Instagram: @thenewmaturity Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com [https://thenewmaturity.substack.com/] Email: heath@thenewmaturity.com New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.

David Roussève: Defying Death, Learning To Embrace Life

David Roussève has been HIV positive since 1992, nursed back from the brink of death by his husband Connor, and survived losing that same husband to suicide in 2021 after twenty-six years together. At sixty-five, he's creating his first full-length solo performance in over twenty years, navigating Grindr and OkCupid for the first time, and asking the hardest questions about what it means to fully embrace life when you've spent decades defying death. In this conversation, David shares how a hashtag thirst trap on Instagram became the title of his new show Becoming Daddy AF, why he'd never trade his sixty-five-year-old wisdom for his twenty-five-year-old dancing ability, and what happened when he tried to relearn choreography from thirty-five years ago. He talks about growing up with a grandmother who worked as a domestic, how Princeton showed him theater could create social change, and why depth matters more than tricks when you're redefining virtuosity for an aging body. This is about grief, love that endures beyond death, and discovering that roller coaster lives can still surprise you. What We Talk About: * Being HIV positive since 1992 and the paradox of defying death while struggling to embrace life * Losing his husband Connor to suicide in 2021 and how grief transformed his understanding of love * Creating Becoming Daddy AF at sixty-five, his first full-length solo in over twenty years * Navigating dating apps (Grindr and OkCupid) for the first time after a twenty-six-year monogamous relationship * How a hashtag thirst trap on Instagram became a show title * Redefining virtuosity for an older body: choosing depth over technical tricks * Why community engagement beyond dance audiences sustains his work About David Roussève: David is a Guggenheim Fellow, distinguished professor at UCLA, and the creative force behind David Roussève/REALITY, a company combining movement, words, and visual imagery into powerful storytelling since 1988. As a gay Black choreographer, writer, and filmmaker, his work addresses AIDS, racism, homophobia, love, and loss. His performances have been presented at venues including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jacob's Pillow, and internationally. He lives in Los Angeles. Connect with David: Website: DavidRousseve.com Instagram: @DavidRousseve Facebook: David Roussève Resources Mentioned: * Becoming Daddy AF (new solo performance) * David Roussève/REALITY (dance company) * Brooklyn Academy of Music * Princeton University * ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) * The Alley Theatre (Houston) Connect With Us: Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com [https://www.thenewmaturity.com/] Instagram: @thenewmaturity Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com [https://thenewmaturity.substack.com/] Email: heath@thenewmaturity.com New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.

William Norwich: When The Phone Stops Ringing

William Norwich went from washing dishes to working alongside Anna Wintour at Vogue. He was one of the first journalists publicly outed in America, survived the shame spirals of gay life in the 1970s, and learned the hard way that your job isn't your identity when the New York Daily News went on strike and his phone stopped ringing. In this conversation, William shares stories from Studio 54 to the hallways of Vogue, why he changed his name from Goldberg to Norwich, and what it means to have "no more f*cks to give" in your seventies. He talks about the brutal Publishers Weekly review that almost ended his writing career, the Fire Island moment that shaped decades of self-loathing, and why his doctor's reminder that "you're going to die someday" was actually the best health advice he ever received. This is about transformation, survival, and discovering that the lustfulness and freedom of older years might be life's greatest gift. What We Talk About: * The Fire Island moment: "I wish you looked like that" and decades of self-loathing * Being publicly outed in Outweek magazine over the Malcolm Forbes coverage * Working with Anna Wintour and her exceptional management style * When the phone stopped ringing during the Daily News strike * Getting sober in 1996 and deciding "f*ck shame" * Having no more f*cks to give at seventy * Why his doctor telling him "you're going to die someday" was liberating About William Norwich: William Norwich is a writer, editor, and novelist whose career has spanned decades at Vogue, The New York Times, and Town & Country. He currently serves as commissioning editor for fashion and interior design at Phaidon Press. His novels include Learning to Drive and he has been a fixture in New York media since the Studio 54 era. He lives in New York City. Connect with William: Instagram: @WilliamNorwich Resources Mentioned: * Learning to Drive (novel by William Norwich) * Own It by Diane von Furstenberg (Phaidon) * Outweek magazine * Publishers Weekly * The Devil Wears Prada * Fiorucci * Studio 54 * New York Daily News * Vogue Connect With Us: Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com [https://www.thenewmaturity.com/] Instagram: @thenewmaturity Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com [https://thenewmaturity.substack.com/] Email: heath@thenewmaturity.com New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.

Peter Som: When Closing a Business Opens Everything Else

Fashion designer Peter Som went from dressing celebrities on red carpets to roasting carrots alone after the Met Gala. When his runway business closed in 2015, he found himself in a Chelsea movie theater at 10am on a Wednesday, wondering how he got there. The answer came in the form of noodles, his grandmother's secret recipe notebook, and a complete reimagining of what success could mean. In this conversation, Peter shares how cooking became his lifeline during crisis, why "have you eaten?" was never really about food, and what it means to become a beginner again in your 40s. His new cookbook Family Style is a meditation on chosen family, Chinese-American heritage, and the creative confidence that comes from trusting your instincts—whether you're designing clothes or roasting vegetables. What We Talk About: * Finding his grandmother's hidden 20-year recipe collection and the creative life she lived in secret * The loneliness of closing a fashion business and those 10am movie theater moments * Why the Met Gala carrots mattered more than the red carpet * "Have you eaten?" as a love language in Chinese culture * How latchkey kid afternoons shaped his creative confidence * Knowing he was gay in 5th grade and fashion as a world of freedom * Reinvention as expansion, not abandonment * Why success got quieter as he got older About Peter Som:  Peter Som is a fashion designer, lifestyle expert, and author of Family Style: Recipes for Connection, Community & Togetherness. His eponymous fashion line dressed everyone from Michelle Obama to First Ladies of fashion, earning him accolades from Vogue and beyond. After his runway business closed, he returned to his roots in food, honoring his grandmother's legacy while building a new creative chapter. He lives in New York City. Connect with Peter:  Website: PeterSom.com  Instagram: @PeterSom Buy the Book: Family Style: Recipes for Connection, Community & Togetherness available wherever books are sold Resources Mentioned: * Family Style cookbook by Peter Som * Met Gala * Chelsea Cinema (now closed) Connect With Us: Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com [https://www.thenewmaturity.com/] Instagram: @thenewmaturity Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com [https://thenewmaturity.substack.com/] Email: heath@thenewmaturity.com New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.

Trailer: Season 4

Episode Description: There's a generation of queer people out here thriving — and nobody's talking about it. Until now. The New Maturity is back for Season 4. Real conversations about what it means to thrive, find purpose, and own every chapter of your life — out, proud, and on your own terms. This is what aging with pride sounds like. New episodes start dropping Wednesday, April 1st. Follow wherever you get your podcasts — and don't miss a thing. Connect With Us: Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com [https://www.thenewmaturity.com/]  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenewmaturity/ [https://www.instagram.com/thenewmaturity/] | @thenewmaturity  Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com [https://thenewmaturity.substack.com/] Email: heath@thenewmaturity.com New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.