A Different Tweed: Fashion Conversations with Bronwyn Cosgrave

Melissa Battifarano was once known as “Rihanna's right hand.” That's how Vogue has described her work helping to establish Fenty Corp. as a fashion player with Rihanna. On the episode, Melissa unpacks how she created Fenty X Puma and Savage X Fenty with the diamond-drenched performer.  She talks about how rising through the ranks of labels like Sean John, Champion and Tory Sport, she worked with the teams that merged athletic garb with fashion and created athleisure and sport luxury. The downtown New York designer shares how she now balances her work producing Tony 1923, her own luxury sportswear line inspired by her late father, with a new role ideating Diesel's first activewear line under the brand's creative director, Glenn Martens.

Timothy Han, the London-based Canadian founder of Timothy Han / Edition, reveals how his passion for literature, and his time assisting one of fashion's greatest storytellers, John Galliano, inspired him to build his brand. To commemorate the passing of André Leon Talley, Tim harks back to a special moment during his Galliano days when he spent six weeks assisting American Vogue's legendary editor-at-large.    The pandemic prompted Tim to expand his brand to include fashion and considering this, he explains how his training at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London and his friend, the model, Cecilia Chancellor, guides his clothing design process. Contemplating the urgent need to move toward a sustainable future, Tim shares why his ethical methods are informed by his Canadian identity.

Anastasia Ivchenko and Eugenia Skibina, founders of the boutique PR agency, Public Kitchen, explain how they helped to establish their city, Kyiv, as the most vibrant fashion capital in Eastern Europe. From Latvia's capital Riga, where they are temporarily settled, they also share their heartbreaking story of escaping Ukraine in late March, a few days after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of their country.

The Brooklyn-based artist, Patricia Treib, talks about her experience contributing to Valentino Des Ateliers Haute Couture. This is the critically acclaimed autumn/winter 2021 couture collection produced as a cultural exchange by Valentino's Creative Director, Paolo Piccioli, his Rome atelier and 17 international contemporary artists, including Patricia.  The conversation begins by exploring Patricia's background. She explains why she pursued painting, after growing up in a small town in Michigan. She then reveals the creative process of working with Piccioli and his studio. She delves into why working on the collection surpassed collaborating and proved to be a meaningful exchange. Doing so, she recalls her total experience - from receiving the text message that started it all - from the project's curator, Gianluigi Ricuperati - to the studio visit she conducted via Zoom for the Valentino team and the intricate workmanship with them transforming her canvases into finery. Patricia also describes her 11th hour decision to travel from New York to Venice to observe the collection's July 15 blockbuster debut.

Alexander Fury is the men's fashion critic of the Financial Times newspaper and the fashion features director of AnOther magazine. He comes back on the show to discuss being front row at what he describes as the “first big return of physical fashion shows.” That is, the live presentations showcasing the Spring/Summer 2022 men's ready-to-wear collections and the Autumn/Winter ‘21 Paris couture.  Alex offers a rare insight to the critically acclaimed debut of Azzedine Alaïa's creative director, Pieter Mulier, and also the extraordinary reveal of Demna Gvasalia's inaugural Balenciaga couture collection. This includes details of Gvasalia's olfactory collaboration with the Norwegian artist, Sissel Tolass.  Alex's view from Venice includes his thoughts on how Saint Laurent's Anthony Vaccarello and Valentino's Pier Paolo Piccioli “interacted” with the art world. Amidst all of this, he talks about the sort of Covid-19 protocols he encountered during fashion's return to “business as usual” plus the reported demise of the glossy magazine “super editor.” His ultimate takeaway? “The couture shows very much sent a message about the resilience of fashion,” states Alex. “And they sent a message about the kind of joy of fashion, the joy of dressing up. When people ask for a justification for the existence of couture….you know, couture is really about joy, and about exuberance, and creating clothes that can really make people dream. And I think that was a message that you drew away from these shows. Absolutely.” Please rate, review and subscribe to A Different Tweed. Share it with your friends. Thanks for listening!

The film director Karam Gill talks about spending four years making Ice Cold: The Untold Story of Hip Hop Jewelry. This is the first ever TV series exploring the culture and importance of jewelry in the world of Hip Hop music. It premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and it is airing now on Youtube Originals as well as the Youtube channel of the hip hop trio, Migos. Karam explains how Ice Cold contextualizes the culture of hip hop jewelry by delving into the deeper meaning and purpose of fine jewelry and how the hip hop community forged their own identity in the world of luxury and fashion. He talks about securing Migos and the record label, Quality Control, to be executive producers and enlisting the dazzling roll call of hip hop royalty and inventive independent jewelers who star in Ice Cold.

The London-based women's wear designer, Mary Katrantzou, discusses her recent collaboration with the Italian luxury brand Bulgari. She explains how her work with Bulgari began by pairing Bulgari high jewelry with her Spring/Summer 2020 collection which she presented in October 2019 at the Temple of Poseidon. Mary references this grand scale fashion presentation throughout the conversation. Staging it amidst the awe-inspiring backdrop of the ancient Athens landmark, she celebrated the heritage, history and culture of her homeland, Greece, and also the 30th anniversary of the Association of Friends of Children with Cancer.  Mary explains venturing to Bulgari's legendary archive in Rome before setting to work on three handbags for a capsule line known as “Serpenti Through The Eyes of Mary Katrantzou.” Mary recalls designing a bottle and the formula for her first perfume with Bulgari. Entitled Bulgari Omnia by Mary Katrantzou, she delves into working on the scent with Alberto Marias. This award-winning Spanish master perfumer has created iconic perfumes like Le Must de Cartier, Giorgio Armani's Aqua di Gio, as well as Calvin Klein's groundbreaking gender fluid perfume CK One. Mary shares the challenges and rewards of working on this game-changing collaboration during lockdown. She also looks back on her upbringing in Athens, her education at the Rhode Island School of Design and London's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. She considers the all-important relationship which she forged with American Vogue's renowned fashion critic, Sarah Mower.

Kerry Taylor explains how she set up the world's leading auction house specializing in vintage fashion. She reveals how she revived the profession of auctioning one-of-a-kind garments initially for Sotheby's and then how, after striking out on her own, she set auction records and generated headlines by selling couture worn by the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Princess Diana as well as a slip dress by Charlotte Todd which a 20something Kate Middleton flaunted on a student fashion runway. Discussing a recent project, The L'Wren Scott Collection, Kerry explains how she helped to orchestrate this Christie's London sale of ready-to-wear designed by the late L'Wren Scott. Scott was a model and celebrity stylist who launched an independent fashion label in 2006.  She became famous for crafting red carpet finery memorably worn by famous women she styled including Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Jeriana San Juan takes a deep dive into her magnificent work costume designing the Netflix miniseries Halston. Starring Ewan McGregor, Halston portrays the untold story of the sensational rise and tragic downfall of the pioneering fashion designer, Roy Halston Frowick.  Jeriana reveals the intricacies of dressing Ewan McGregor to portray the title character. She also explains how she worked as a consultant to McGregor so he could authentically portray Halston's technical genius. She sheds light on crafting the screen wardrobe for Krysta Rodriguez's Liza Minnelli and Rebecca Dayan's Elsa Peretti. Harking back to her childhood, Jeriana recalls how her beloved grandmother taught her how to sew. She speaks about her upbringing in New York City and her formative experience costume designing Baz Luhrmann's  hip-hop series, The Get Down.

A few days ago Erdem Moralioglu presented his resort collection for 2022. Because it commemorates the 15th anniversary of his fashion house, we are listening back to a recent interview during which he reflected on his life and work. Erdem explains how his fascination with fashion began at school in suburban Montreal. He talks about realizing his dream to study fashion at London's Royal College of Art and establishing his business in Hackney. He explains harnessing technology to modernize the age-old floral print and also admits how his signature florals once made him an outlier on the London fashion scene. Erdem reveals how that progressively changed but without sharing any of the secrets involved in dressing his starry clients like the Duchess of Cambridge and Madonna.

Vetran Condé Nast magazine professionals, Fiona Hayes and Julia Zirpel, discuss collaborating on The Fashion Yearbook 2021. Recently published by Callwey of Munich, Germany, The Fashion Yearbook features striking images representing outstanding fashion ad campaigns, editorials and covers published last year. Fiona and Julia explain how, with picture editor Katja Sonnewend, they assembled all of this by working with a jury hailing from Europe, North America, Africa and the Asia Pacific region. The jury included Ariel Foxman, Veronika Heilbrunner, Veronique Kolasa, Sebastian Lux, Martien Mellema, Sara Maino, Florentine Pabst, Grant Pearce, Asanda Sizani and Donald Schneider. Julia and Fiona also describe the challenges and rewards of assembling The Fashion Yearbook during lockdown. Magazine publishers were scrambling. Newsstands were closed. The fashion industry was at a standstill. Nevertheless, they gathered 1200 stories for their judges to narrow down to the group showcased in the book. The images meaningfully interpret Black Lives Matter, COVID-19 as well as climate change, gender discrimination and the refugee crisis. Despite the hurdles of publishing this book during the pandemic - and at a time when fashion photography is experiencing total upheaval - Hayes and Zirpel express their hope for the medium’s future. A more diverse group of people are calling the shots in front of and behind the camera, they say. Creativity is flourishing in the hands of a new generation of visionary image makers.

The writer and director, Elza Kephart, discusses her new film Slaxx. Described by the Guardian’s film critic, Peter Bradshaw, as an “often amusing and sharp, horror satire...set in an unbearably cool clothes shop,” Slaxx shines a light on the inhumanity of the cotton trade and fast fashion.  Kephart explains how her commitment to climate change activism and Andrew Morgan’s documentary, The True Cost, prompted her to craft a macabre yet darkly humorous movie about Keerat. She’s a young Indian girl who perishes while picking cotton. Her spirit lives on in a pair of “killer jeans” which, ultimately, exact revenge on the employees of a fast fashion store.  As the atrocities of Xinjiang cotton dominate the fashion conversation, Kephart candidly addresses the human cost and environmental toll which the manufacture of inexpensive throwaway garments is exacting on our world. She discusses honing her craft by working in the art departments of some Hollywood blockbusters and the rewards of collaborating with an array of  Montreal, Canada fashion and film creatives - including her writing partner, Patricia Gomez, the practical effects company, Blood Brothers FX, the costume designer, Eric Poirier and the sustainable denim brand, Naked and Famous - to create the “killer pants” that steal the show.

On April 24th, the fashion designer, Alber Elbaz, died in Paris. He was 59 and the cause was Covid-19. This episode is a tribute to the women’s fashion designer who rose to fame when - after a stint designing ready-to-wear at Guy Laroche - Pierre Bergé appointed him to be a creative director at the House of Saint Laurent. Following his short tenure at Saint Laurent, Alber Elbaz went on to resurrect the house of Lanvin. He reigned there as creative director for 14 years and the fashion world fell in love with the modern femininity he channeled into the long dormant brand.  Special people talk about Alber Elbaz including the award-winning independent film producer, Christine Vachon. She worked with Alber Elbaz when he was Senior Designer at Geoffrey Beene in New York and Mr. Beene asked him to supervise the making of Tom Kalin’s short film, Geoffrey Beene 30. Christine produced the film with her partner at Killer Films, Pam Koffler. Christopher Petkanas - the author of Loulou & Yves: The Untold Story of Loulou de la Falaise and the House of Saint Laurent - weighs in on how Alber Elbaz made the leap from Guy Laroche to Saint Laurent where he was charged with rejuvenating Rive Gauche women’s wear. The author Dana Thomas assesses Alber’s contribution to fashion and - how just prior to his passing he had launched A-Z Factory. This was his own fashion house that was size-inclusive, seasonless and technically innovative.

Brothers Alexander and Sebastian Adams explain why they founded their brand, Varsity Headwear, to create the perfect baseball cap, simply because they couldn’t find one. They reveal putting everything on the line to launch a boutique for their brand in Saint Tropez, France and how their caps have sold seven at a time from their destination shop.  Looking back, Alex and Seb observe how their design journey really began when they grew up as the children of architects in Oslo, Norway and why it was vital for them both to break away from the family fold to study in London. The siblings share the advantages and challenges of operating a business with a family member.

Claire Wilcox - the Senior Fashion curator at London's Victoria and Albert Museum discusses her new book, Patchwork A Life Amongst Clothes. As the title suggests, Patchwork is a memoir. But as the conversation unfolds, it becomes clear that Patchwork is an unconventional memoir. The original storytelling method Claire conceived for this book portrays the facts of her life in an abstract manner, prompting the reader to imagine the finer details.  The writing process, Claire explains, was as much of a therapeutic exercise as a creative release. She embarked on this book in 2014. She then experienced the passing of her beloved parents and also undertook the most challenging curatorial project of her career - staging the Metropolitan Museum's blockbuster exhibition, Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty at the V&A.  Claire Wlicox has worked closely with some of the biggest names in fashion from McQueen to Vivienne Westwood and the Versace family. And along with discussing her new book, she provides a peek behind the closed doors of the V&A, its groundbreaking fashion department, where she has worked for decades. She also discusses some of the legendary professionals who elevated the museum onto the world stage including Sir Roy Strong and Valerie D. Mendes.  Related Reading Claire Wilcox, Patchwork: My Life Amongst Clothes (Bloomsbury Publishing) Claire Wilcox, “Who Gives A Frock?” - Valerie Mendes, Jean Muir and the Building of the National Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Fashion Theory, 8 June 2018 Claire Wilcox & Valerie D. Mendes, 20th Century Fashion In Detail (Thames & Hudson)  Sir Roy Strong, Splendours and Miseries, The Roy Strong Diaries, 1967 - 1987 (Weidenfeld & Nicolson) Join The Conversation To send episode ideas, feedback, ask questions and also enquire about sponsorship and partnership opportunities please email the host and creator: Bronwyn@Bronwyncosgrave.com

Over the last month designers in London, New York, Paris, Milan - and some other places - have streamed presentations of their fall/winter 2021 ready-to-wear collections. Alexander Fury - AnOther Magazine’s Fashion Features Director and the Financial Times’ Menswear Critic - joins Bronwyn Cosgrave to assess the direction of fashion for the season ahead and beyond.  Alex shares details of the interviews he has conducted over the last year for the FT with some of the most important designers at work right now, including Kim Jones, of Dior and Fendi, Givenchy’s Matthew Williams, as well as Prada’s collaborators, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons.  He reveals his belief that London's fashion community will survive the double challenge it is facing. That's the pandemic and Brexit. He offers his expert opinion on the future of the suit, why the red carpet remains relevant as a fashion forum and some details about his forthcoming book about Dame Vivienne Westwood.

The writer and director of Audrey - a new documentary exploring the life and work of Audrey Hepburn - discusses how her own life prompted her to craft a film about one of the greatest movie stars of all time. Helena Coan explores the craft of working with archive footage and voiceover narration to reveal Hepburn’s life story. She discusses Hepburn’s triumphs on the Broadway stage, at the Oscars and campaigning for UNICEF in war torn Somalia. Coan reveals how she grappled with telling the story of Hepburn’s personal struggles with her parents and her husbands. The filmmaker also sheds new light on Hepburn’s creative partnership with Hubert de Givenchy including how they battled to get her long black Breakfast at Tiffany's dress exactly right.

Anna Sui discusses her fall 2021 collection, Phantasmadelic, and making a film to showcase it with her family. She recalls her rise from operating out of her New York apartment, as an indie designer in the early Eighties, to be a global fashion force. She considers her longtime creative partnership with Steven Meisel and how Madonna, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell wearing her signature baby doll dresses helped to establish her brand. To honor Chinese New Year, Anna ponders her Chinese American identity, and explains how the rise of her ancestral homeland has played a part in her success story

The new book, Glossy: The Inside Story of Vogue, is a comprehensive history of American Vogue magazine – and some of Vogue’s international editions. The author, Nina-Sophia Miralles, reveals why she told Vogue’s history through the lens of its editors. She discusses the careers and cultural impact of renowned Vogue editors including Edward Enninful, Grace Mirabella, Alexandra Shulman and Anna Wintour. She also tells the story of the unsung heroes who edited Vogue like Edna Woolman Chase who worked her way up from a job in American Vogue’s mail room to edit the magazine for 38 years, from 1914. Discover how Michel de Brunhoff - who edited Vogue Paris from 1929 to 1954 - saved the magazine from a Nazi German takeover during World War II. We also revisit the career of the late Liz Tilberis. She applied her expertise editing British Vogue to relaunching American Harper’s Bazaar in the early Nineties. Find out what happened to two French Vogue editors who challenged the unspoken rule that Black women were not the right fit for the magazine’s cover. Nina also delivers her expert opinion on American Vogue’s controversial February 2021 cover fronted by U.S. Vice President, Kamala Harris.

P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes talk about producing and directing House of Cardin. This documentary tells the story of Pierre Cardin’s life and work. House of Cardin premiered at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. But on December 29, when Pierre Cardin passed away - at the age of 98 - Ebersole & Hughes’s film attained new relevance as the last word on a design giant.  In the early Sixties, Pierre Cardin created ready-to-wear. He also pioneered logomania by affixing his circular initial insignia to a staggering array of 850 products which were sold worldwide. Pierre Cardin dressed the Beatles and costumed movies. He produced rock concerts and plays at his own eponymous theater. He had a record label. He owned and operated the celebrated Belle Époque restaurant, Maxim's de Paris. Ebersole and Hughes explain discovering Pierre Cardin by collecting his furniture and acquiring a rare sports car which the designer customized for AMC in the early 70s. The filmmaking duo reveal how their mania for all things Pierre Cardin prompted them to venture from their home in Palm Springs, California to Paris. There, after a series of fortuitous events, they settled in at the House of Cardin and let the cameras roll.

The 14-time Emmy Award nominated costume designer, Lou Eyerich, explains how she got her start working behind the scenes in the music industry before going on to costume Popular. This was the first series created by the “super-producer”, Ryan Murphy, in 1999. Eyerich reveals the craft and creative process of masterminding wardrobes evoking Murphy’s brand of inclusive storytelling and how, by 2018, he had appointed her to be a producer in charge of costumes for all of his productions. Eyerich recalls some of the great Ryan Murphy shows on which she has worked including American Crime Story: The Assasintaion of Gianni Versace, American Horror Story: Hotel - on which Naomi Campbell starred - plus assembling the wardrobe for Gwyneth Paltrow’s character, Georgina Hobart, on The Politician.

From his design studio in Antwerp, Belgium, Christian Wijnants explains how working in isolation on his Spring/Summer 2021 collection, In Pursuit of Happiness, prompted him to imbue it with memories of his upbringing in Brussels. He revisits his childhood and reveals how his decision to pursue a fashion career was prompted by an exhibition showcasing the work of the Antwerp Six. This group of virtuosic designers garnered international attention after staging a guerilla-style show at London Fashion Week in 1986. As Christian tells it, living his dream - and studying at their alma mater - Belgium’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts - proved daunting. He considers his postgraduate years working for Dries Van Noten and Angelo Tarlazzi. Reflecting on receiving the most sought-after fashion prizes - the Swiss Textile Award, the ANDAM Prize, the European Woolmark Prize and International Woolmark Prize - Christian shares his belief that the fashion industry needs more awards to support tomorrow’s generation of independent designers.

Sandy Schreier - the renowned collector of 20th century French and American couture - reveals how she pioneered collecting vintage originals. She goes back to her time as a toddler in her hometown, Detroit, and explains how the wives of the city’s famed “auto titans” - and later the legendary Old Hollywood costume designer, Jean Louis - contributed to her holdings of 15,000 pieces of rare fashion and accessories. Sandy talks about working with the Costume Institute at New York’s Metropolitan Museum since the 1970s as well as why and how she recently gifted the institution with 165 designs. This was one of the largest gifts in recent Costume Institute history. Sandy also sheds light on the creative process involved in staging the Costume Institute’s 2019 exhibition which commemorated her gift, In Pursuit of Fashion: The Sandy Schreier Collection.

The filmmaker, Gero von Boehm, discusses his new documentary, Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful. The film is as seductive and dazzling as Helmut Newton’s fashion photography and Hollywood portraiture. But on this episode as von Boehm explores Newton’s iconic work, he also explains why a serious and frank discussion about the nature of his subject’s imagery unfolds over the course of the film. Did Newton empower his subjects? Or treat them like sexual objects? Von Boehm asked only women to answer these questions in the film. His commentators include Newton’s famous subjects like Grace Jones, Charlotte Rampling and Marianne Faithful as well as Anna Wintour and Phyllis Posnick who commissioned his work for American Vogue. Along with talking about Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful, von Boehm discusses other documentaries he has written and directed about notable cultural and fashion figures, including an upcoming one about Karl Lagerfed.

Prior to 2021’s 15th anniversary of Erdem Moralioğlu’s namesake brand, the award-winning London designer looks back on his fashion career. Erdem - who is famed for dressing Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Keira Knightley, Madonna and Lucy Boynton - traces the heritage of his signature floral print to his childhood in suburban Montreal and explains how Canadian Multiculturalism so positively shaped his worldview. He reveals formative moments of his grad school education at the Royal College of Art and his rise to fame, among a legion of East End upstarts who established London as a bonafide fashion capital in the 2010s. Erdem also discusses the influence of Susan Sontag’s novel, The Volcano Lover, on his critically acclaimed spring/summer 2021 collection and the film he produced in the ancient British woodland, Epping Forest, to debut it.

Malcolm McLaren rose to fame in the early Seventies as the manager of the Sex Pistols. With his partner, Dame Vivienne Westwood, he invented punk fashion. Their London boutiques, World’s End and Nostalgia of Mud, proved forerunners of the concept store. Paul Gorman – author of the new biography, The Life & Times of Malcolm McLaren (Constable) – discusses the ways in which fashion fueled McLaren’s multifaceted work and how he helped to catapult music movements - including punk, the New Romantics, hip hop, Voguing, world music and C-pop - from the margins to mainstream. Gorman ponders McLaren’s influence on Westwood, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. He also considers what the late polymath would make of the pandemic.

On September 14 Daisy Knatchbull is making history by opening her made-to-measure women’s clothing brand, The Deck London, on Savile Row. The Deck London will be the first Savile Row tailor to cater exclusively to women. Daisy reveals how, in 2016, she first shook up the bespoke scene by appearing at Royal Ascot in a Lock & Co. top hat and tails by Huntsman & Sons, the Savile Row tailor where her great-grandfather, Lord Louis Mountbatten, was a client. (Nicknamed “Dickie,” Greg Wise and Charles Dance have portrayed him on The Crown.) But as Daisy tells it, she derived fashion inspiration from her great-grandmother, the legendary renegade, Lady Edwina Mountbatten, and her maternal grandmother, Sylvia Cooper. As the media makes noise about the death of the suit, Daisy Knatchbull explains why COVID-19 will not kill off the style of finely crafted suit she is making for women – and with her all female team – at 19 Savile Row. Related Articles:  Daisy Knatchbull Opens London Clothes Store Tailor-Made For Women Women-Only Tailoring House Opens on London's Savile Row: Miss Daisy Knatchbull On Her Personal Style and Making Suits  

On this bonus episode of the two-part series exploring the work of a trio of costume designers, who have received nominations for the 72nd Prime Time Emmy Awards for their work on critically acclaimed Ryan Murphy television productions, Analucia McGorty explains how after collaborating with Lou Eyrich on Season One of the FX series Pose, she flew solo for season two. She delves into her creative process of assembling the wardrobe of “Acting Up” – for which she has received her Outstanding Period Costumes Emmy nod - and she explains creating the look for the principal cast of Pose, including Billy Porter’s Pray Tell, Indya Moore’s Angel Evangelista, Dominique Jackson’s Elektra Wintour and MJ Rodriguez as Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista.

This is the first of a two-part series exploring the work of a trio of costume designers - Lou Eyrich, Sarah Evelyn and Analucia McGorty - who have received nominations for the 72nd Prime Time Emmy Awards for their work on critically acclaimed Ryan Murphy television productions. First up is Lou Eyrich. This 14-time Emmy Award nominee explains how she got her start with Murphy on the 1999 TV series Popular and, by 2018, he had appointed her to be a producer in charge of costumes for all of his productions. Sarah Evelyn joins the conversation to plot how she and Lou worked together on Hollywood. They take a deep dive into Episode 7 of the Nextflix miniseries, A Hollywood Ending, for which they have received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Period Costumes.

The sensory pleasure many of us derive from perfume is said to be somewhat easing the strain of enduring the pandemic. And so on our final ‘listen back’ episode of Summer 2020, Roja Dove presents a masterclass on the art, craft and history of fragrance.  This scholar, author, sought-after public speaker, consultant and retail guru - whose specialization is scent - reveals how he concocts the formulas for his own rarified perfume brand and why he can’t live without Christian Louboutin footwear. He also distills some fascinating perfume history along the way. 

Season Two of The Politician is streaming right now on Netflix. And so on this episode, listen back to Bronwyn’s interview with Lisa Eisner. She's the Los Angeles jewelry designer whose personal style - let's call it an earthy take on high fashion - has inspired the look of Georgina Hobart. That's Gwyneth Paltrow’s character on The Politician. You'll hear about how the bold, sculptural jewelry which Lisa designs also adorns Paltrow on the show. Lisa's flair has served as a touchstone to Isaac Mizrahi and Tom Ford. She shares her memories of working with Tom Ford on some of his groundbreaking collections. And she explains why she never looked back after she left her job in American Vogue’s Paris office to settle down in Los Angeles.

Christelle Kocher is the founder of the Paris-based couture-meets-streetwear label, Koché. Two months after Bronwyn Cosgrave conducted this interview with her in New York City, Christelle received one of the fashion industry’s highest honors - the ANDAM Award. Christelle’s career changed dramatically. The fashion tycoon, Renzo Rosso, backed Koché. After that, Christelle was appointed to be Emilio Pucci’s first ever guest designer. Christelle explains how she originated Koché and how she balances designing her brand with her work as the artistic director of Maison Lemarié. This venerable embroidery house is owned by Chanel. Christelle explains how she works alongside Chanel’s creative director, Virginie Viard to beautify Chanel couture with Masion Le Marie’s artisans and how the late Karl Lagerfeld was a generous mentor.

After Val Garland - the first global makeup director for L'Oréal Paris – embarked upon a book exploring her groundbreaking work as one of the most in-demand fashion makeup artists - she grapples with putting herself center stage and struggles to find her ideal co-author. All the while, Karl Plewka reveals he was experiencing a “bit of a weird transition moment,” having left his agent of 13 years. Find out how this duo’s career paths crossed and, ultimately, flourished after they together produced Validated, The Make Up of Val Garland (Laurence King). Val – who is a contributing editor to British Vogue - went on to become the breakout star of BBC’s Glow Up. Karl – who is now editor of Beauty Papers magazine - styles Val to face Glow Up’s cameras.

This is the first of a special two-part series exploring the very productive relationship which developed between the fashion director, Karl Plewka, and Val Garland, the makeup artist. Val is the first global makeup director for L'Oréal Paris and the breakout star of BBC TV’s makeup competition show, Glow Up. Karl styles Val to face the cameras. Together they explain how they met and collaborated with people like Alexander McQueen, Corrine Day, Kate Moss, Nick Knight, Solve Sundsbo and John Galliano. Val and Karl also shed light on how - in the pre Instagram era – they worked relentlessly to finesse the fine details of elaborate magazine fashion shoots and how fashion shows drove the business. Val recalls how when she decided it was time to publish a book exploring her groundbreaking career in the billion dollar beauty industry, their careers reached a turning point.

On this episode, we listen back to Mark Bozek discuss making The Times of Bill Cunningham. This documentary - about the late New York Times photojournalist and fashion historian, Bill Cunningham – ultimately proved the result of an impromptu, four-hour video-taped conversation which Bozek conducted with Cunningham in 1993. Bozek goes back to his beginnings, recalling his work as the personal assistant to Marilyn Monroe’s legendary method acting coach, Lee Strasberg. Mark also remembers venturing to Senegal, West Africa with the influential African-American designer, Willi Smith, to make a Max Vadukul film showcasing Smith’s brand, WilliWear. And he explains why Bradley Cooper portrayed him in David O. Russell’s 2015 film, Joy.

The fashion milliner, Noel Stewart, explains how he became involved with the #VisorArmy. This volunteer group of professional creatives is applying their superlative technical skills to making visors for ICU doctors and nurses working in London hospitals. Noel reflects on collaborating with the best names in British fashion including Erdem, Roksanda and Roland Mouret. He reveals the secrets behind fantastical creations he has crafted like Celine Dion’s 2019 Met Gala headdress and those for major movies costumed by the Oscar winner, Alexandra Byrne – including Autumn de Wilde’s recent adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma.

Filmmaker and journalist Paola Jacobbi begins A Different Tweed’s periodic series of Covid 19 conversations with fashion professionals around the world. Paola lives in Milan where she works as a contributing editor to the Italian editions of Grazia, Harper’s Bazar and Marie Claire. She is also at work on a hybrid documentary, The Girl In the Fountain. Exploring the life of Anita Ekberg – who shot to fame after Federico Fellini cast her in La Dolce Vita - Monica Bellucci will also star. On this episode, Paola considers virtual as the new normal and delivers her mixed feelings about experiencing events like fashion month and the world’s great film festivals from the vantage point of her laptop. She also looks back to February’s Milan Fashion Week and explains how Giorgio Armani woke up the fashion world to the pandemic by staging his ready-to-wear show amidst his empty Tadao Ando-designed theater.

The stylist Sam Ratelle takes a deep dive into his work with Billy Porter, explaining how the black velvet tuxedo dress which Christian Siriano conjured - for the Pose star’s appearance at 2019’s 91st Academy Awards - became the most important outfit that has graced the red carpet in the 21st century. Sam discusses why it is vital to support emerging designers. He also reveals how he broke the news to Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, that Billy Porter would portray a character based on Cleopatra at the 2019 Met Gala. Sam Ratelle’s rise is an inspiring parable for our time. He explains how his fashion journey was often traumatic. It has involved escaping the hold of a religious cult, surviving a hit-and-run accident, experiencing homelessness twice and having to completely start over after the Financial Crisis of 2008. Looking back on his journey, Sam credits the New York LGBTQ shelter, the Ali Forney Center, with helping him get to his best ever place.

As Annoushka Ducas reflects on operating her namesake, London-based fine jewelrybrand over the last 10 years, she considers how throughout her entire career she has always derived inspiration from women starting with her dynamic mother to her clients as well as the famous females who wear her jewels including Patricia Arquette, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Rihanna and Queen Rania of Jordan. Explaining why her brand has always served as a platform to showcase work by guest designers - from Houston, Texas’s Sutra to Beirut’s Selim Mouzannar - Annoushka tells the story of teaming up with Susie Cave, designer of The Vampire’s Wife fashion label, to create an 18-carat gold collection arising from Susie’s favorite songs by her husband, Nick Cave. Annoushka reveals all - describing how she built her brand, after founding Links of London, and sustained a harmonious working partnership with her husband, John Ayton. She also offers up tips including how to mix metals and maximize an investment on fine jewelry by making it integral to an everyday look.

Mark Bozek discuss his momentous career which prompted him to make the documentary, The Times of Bill Cunningham. This film - about the late New York Times photojournalist and fashion historian – ultimately proved the result of an impromptu, four-hour video-taped conversation which Bozek conducted with Cunningham in 1993. With that, Bozek merged dazzling Bill Cunningham archive photos plus narration by Sarah Jessica Parker to make the film, he explains.  Bozek also goes back to his beginnings, recalling Sunday afternoon salons in late 70s Los Angeles, where he mingled with the likes of Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. He was 17 and working as the personal assistant to the legendary method acting coach, Lee Strasberg. He also remembers venturing to Senegal, West Africa with the influential African-American designer, Willi Smith, to make a Max Vadukul film showcasing Smith’s brand, WilliWear. And Bozek explains how he helped to pioneer fashion television – first as the producer of Fox Style News and then - after the media mogul, Barry Diller, appointed him to rebrand QVC - as HSN’s CEO. This venture resulted in Bradley Cooper portraying Bozek in David O. Russell’s 2015 film, Joy.

Rachel Zabar explains how she made tracks from New York’s Upper West Side – where her family has long owned and operated the gourmet emporium, Zabar’s - to pursue a career as a dealer of vintage ready-to-wear and haute couture in Los Angeles. Rachel discusses her lifelong obsession with fashion and how her one-time neighbor, Donna Karan, helped to kindle it. Rachel also reveals that following her gut instinct about her age-old Gucci collection prompted her to forge a relationship with the brand.

Roja Dove – who is regarded as one the world’s most respected perfumers - explains how he cultivated his lifelong fascination for fragrance into a legendary career. He reveals how he put everything on the line at a challenging time in his life to conceive Roja Parfums. This rarified perfume collection sells out at Bergdorf Goodman and proved the most successful launch ever at Harrods department store where Roja’s headquarters is a thriving eponymous perfume boutique. Roja also talks fashion and reveals why his signature look – think diamonds and “70 or 80” pairs of Christian Louboutin men’s shoes – is integral to his success story.   

Lisa Eisner discusses her work crafting bold, sculptural jewelry for her sought-after brand. And she reveals how encountering the TV mogul, Ryan Murphy, at Vanity Fair’s Oscar party resulted in her jewels adorning Gwyneth Paltrow portraying Georgina Hobart on The Politician. For decades, Lisa’s distinct personal style and dynamic work - as a magazine editor, a photographer and an art book publisher – has inspired a legion of designers. As she recalls her famed creative friendships with Isaac Mizrahi and Tom Ford, she harks back to her upbringing in Cheyenne, Wyoming and reflects on moving on from Vogue’s Paris office to Los Angeles.

Dave Thomas - who counts John Legend and Lionel Richie as longtime clients - discusses why, lately, there has been so much talk about what men are wearing on the red carpet. Hear about Celine Dion’s shoe fetish as Dave recalls his past experience working with the icon and he discusses details of his forthcoming book, Vanity Project: A Tale of Fashion and Celebrity Styled by Dave Thomas (Unicorn). 

The best-selling author, Dana Thomas, discusses her most recent book, Fashionopolis - The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes. This is a compelling history of fast fashion and, expanding on her research, Dana reveals some shocking findings about its manufacture and consumption. She also recalls the experiences which contributed to her writing the books which preceded Fashionpolis – namely, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster and the dual biography, Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano.

On this ‘best of’ episode, Elizabeth Saltzman decodes the intricate work that she conducts styling women who are tearing up Hollywood's red carpet including Little Women’s star, Saorise Ronan, Fleabag’s writer and star, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, plus the principal cast of Killing Eve - Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer. Elizabeth recalls her work on Vanity Fair’s Oscar party and the red carpet challenge of transforming Gwyneth Paltrow from Best Dressed lister or to glamazon.

Shaun Leane recalls how his fine jewelry brand began 21 years ago as an outlet to channel influences of the outlandish adornments he produced for Alexander McQueen. Shaun remembers the life-changing moment when McQueen paid a visit to his workshop. He also reveals details about creating an engagement ring for Princess Beatrice with her fiancé, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

Reiner Holzemer explores his transition from an artworld filmmaker to a fashion documentarian. He traces it all back to a 2009 encounter with Juergen Teller and Charlotte Rampling in a Paris elevator. That spontaneous meet-up led to Reiner’s 2012 German television documentary about Juergen Teller. He explains how he went on to make critically acclaimed documentaries about Dries Van Noten and Martin Margiela. This interview is the first one conducted by telephone for A Different Tweed. Host Bronwyn Cosgrave made the call to address a rumor that has persisted since Holzemer’s film, Martin Margiela: In His Own Words, premiered at Doc NYC in November 2019. Namely, could Martin Margiela be plotting a comeback? Tune in and find out.

In February 2019, Ruth E. Carter became the first African American to win the Best Costume Design Oscar for Black Panther. Ruth reveals the mashup of influences which went into conceiving Black Panther’s look. Hear about her latest project, Dolemite Is My Name. And Ruth holds forth on the major motion pictures from the 40 she has costumed, including 14 Spike Lee Joints.

At the spring/summer 20/20 ready-to-wear shows, the hairstyles Sam McKnight created were recognized as conclusive trends. These included neon feather bangs beautifying Dries Van Noten and Christian Lacroix’s epic collaboration, the striking center part defining Virginie Viard’s Chanel debut and the slicked back tresses seen at Mary Katrantzou’s Athenian extravaganza. This is an abridged version of Bronwyn Cosgrave’s conversation with Sam McKnight which Japanese Vogue described as “a definitive profile of a master at work.”

Lucy Wallace Eustice and Monica Zwirner, co-founders of MZ Wallace, explain how the quilted nylon Metro Tote bag, which they designed together, became an urban phenomenon and generated millions for their accessories brand. This inspiring success story portrays two fearless women who triumphed over adversity and operate a thriving label that competes with the biggies.