Chelsea is a Seattle native with a lifelong love of Nordstrom, a deep respect for good tailoring, and a low tolerance for fashion fluff. As a co-host of Is Designer Dead?, she brings sharp industry insights, dry humor, and the kind of fashion intuition that only comes from growing up with a Nordstrom card before a driver’s license. Equal parts business brain and style critic, Chelsea breaks down the fashion world with wit, honesty, and the occasional side-eye—always with a strong POV and never off-brand.

I’m Elaina—Harlem-born and raised, Bloomingdales-refined, Wharton-educated, and McKinsey-polished, bringing the edge and the extra. I mix boardroom excellence with Black girl magic, always rooting for everybody black yet always expanding my horizons. The proud Charlotte of the crew—glossy, grounded, and never not giving. 

Kris started his career in fashion interning at Glamour Magazine before interning with Mel Ottenberg who styled Rihanna for her Loud tour. After graduating from Yale University, he started his career in corporate retail at Neiman Marcus Group and went on to roles at JCPenney, Bloomingdale's (where he met Elaina), and L'Oreal. While in the MBA program at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, he was reunited with Elaina and met Chelsea, forming a friendship that would serve as the foundation for Is Designer Dead? A former Deloitte senior consultant, Kris currently serves as Founder/CEO of TheLuxeLend, a sustainability-focused e-commerce platform offering retail, resale, and rental of designer and contemporary apparel and accessories.