Creative Conversations with Suzy Menkes

Latest Episodes:

MICHAEL KORS Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

In episode ten of Creative Conversations, Suzy is joined by Michael Kors, whose American sportswear label is celebrating its 40th anniversary next year.
He is marking the event with a thoughtful reappraisal of his past and future, where highs have included dressing stars from stage, screen and state, from Jennifer Lopez to Angelina Jolie to Michelle Obama, whose bared shoulders the designer brought to the fore.
Michael talks to Suzy about building his own label in the 1980s and designing for Celine in Paris from 1998 to 2004, before expanding his brand in the US, and ultimately across the world.
Kors has not only built a fashion business but also a powerful luxury accessories empire, under the name Capri Holdings Limited. This conglomerate includes his own mighty label and also Jimmy Choo and Versace.
The current pandemic brings a thoughtful response from Michael Kors, who is the first American designer to miss the September timetable of fashion week shows and move his own presentations to October/November. His insightful vision on reducing the speed and the amount of fashion in a post-Covid era is enlightening.
Here is a chance to hear the real Michael Kors, and to learn that feeding the hungry is as important to him as dressing the famous.
Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.
To find Suzy's articles visit https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DURO OLOWU Jun 23, 2020

Show notes

In episode nine of Creative Conversations, Suzy is joined by DURO OLOWU, the fashion designer who works at the crossroads of fashion, art and culture. The wonder of Duro Olowu is that he has developed himself as an art curator as well as a creative fashion artist. The two fit hand to glove. He is autonomously able to express himself artistically through his fashion creations, or through selecting art for museum exhibitions.
The remarkable Nigerian-born creator’s greatest skill is in the delicate, artistic mix of those joyous patterns. In his elegant embrace, the African influences come alongside hyper-sophisticated silks created for Parisian haute couture. Together they express the originality and the elegance of exceptional fashion work which is evident on the walls and rails of his London shop.
Duro’s instinctive love of fabrics stem from a childhood in Lagos with a Nigerian father and Jamaican mother. He is married to Thelma Golden, an American curator heading up a museum in Harlem, and his own deeply artistic connections are currently on show at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.
The female visitors to this exhibition opening in February 2020 were dressed almost entirely in a rainbow coalition of his designs, and his famous fashion clients - which he is too discreet to reveal - is headed by Michele Obama.

Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.
To find Suzy's articles visit https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

RICHARD YOUNG Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

In episode eight of Creative Conversations, Suzy is joined by the celebrated photographer to the stars, Richard Young.
Young may have photographed Princess Diana, followed the Sex Pistols around the UK, visited Romanian orphanages with Michael Jackson, and slipped into Elizabeth Taylor’s party for Richard Burton, but when demonstrators gathered in London’s Hyde Park last week to demonstrate for the “Black Lives Matter” movement, Young returned to a different side of his work.
Now in his early 70s, with more than 40 years behind the lens, Young was showing his commitment to social documentary, rather than his well-known work with celebrities.
Throughout his career, he has been as much a photo journalist as a portraitist, and the one went hand in hand with the other – even if he admits that Fidel Castro was baffled when Young described Castro’s fatigues as “very Yves Saint Laurent”!
Behind Young’s cheery smile is a vibrant energy that has taken him from working with Paul Getty Junior to the London Evening Standard and an ultimate gathering of two million images to feed the Richard Young Gallery, which he founded in London in 2008 with his wife, Susan. A regular at all the top fashion parties, Young has watched all the supermodels grow up and even followed Freddie Mercury around the world for ten years.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but Richard Young can embellish the stories with his unique brand of irony and wit.
Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.
To find Suzy's articles visit https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NATALIA VODIANOVA Jun 01, 2020

Show notes

In episode seven of Creative Conversations, Suzy is joined by the philanthropist and supermodel, Natalia Vodianova.
Her story is a fairy tale – with a mighty dollop of reality and grit. Growing up in Russia, she helped her mother sell fruit in the market; looked after her sister, who has special needs; and hobbled through a childhood in which her family could not afford to buy new shoes for her growing feet.
Then, as in all the best stories, she became a model in her teens, married a British aristocrat, and was all set for her happy ever after.
It was during the terrible Beslan massacre, when terrorists seized a Russian school, when she had the realisation that her life – glamorous but empty – needed an opportunity to give back.
Her new path of philanthropy was born with the Naked Heart Foundation, which she established to build playgrounds and parks for abandoned, orphaned, disabled and special needs children across Russia and giving hope and support to despairing families.
Photographed by the world’s greatest talents and still in demand as a perennial supermodel, Natalia’s Fabulous Fund Fairs continue to support children in need, while other energetic projects include co-founding the Elbi app, for micro donations to a host of charities, and Flo – a women’s health platform.
Natalia met her fiancé, Antoine Arnault, on the set of a 2008 Louis Vuitton campaign. They plan to marry this summer, Coronavirus willing. She is looking after the kids’ role in the party, while Antoine is arranging the grown-up aspects.

And the wedding dress? Natalia confided in me the inspiration behind the design, but you will have to listen to this podcast to find out exactly what!

Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.
To find Suzy's articles visit vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FEDERICO MARCHETTI- YOOX Net-A-Porter May 26, 2020

Show notes

In this sixth episode of “Creative Conversations”, Suzy is joined by an entrepreneur with true vision – Federico Marchetti, Chairman and CEO of YOOX Net-A-Porter Group, who is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his company.
In 2000, Marchetti founded YOOX, the world’s first lifestyle e-commerce destination –before the launch of Facebook, Instagram, and the iPhone. In 2015, YOOX and Net-A-Porter merged to create YOOX Net-A-Porter Group, which was acquired by the luxury goods conglomerate, Richemont, in 2018.
Federico Marchetti has changed the way people shop. Selling upmarket designer clothes online was almost unimaginable at the start of the new millennium, but he convinced many luxury fashion houses to take their initial steps in the digital space. He found a way to bridge the gap between luxury brands and the internet through e-commerce.
Today, YOOX Net-A-Porter serves more than 4.3 million customers in 180 countries and has more than 1 billion visits to its online destinations every year, transforming the luxury shopping experience through artificial intelligence, image recognition, and big data.Federico is dedicated to social and environmental engagement, creating a culture of inclusivity and gender balance, and boosting the digital skills of young people through coding tutoring and Digitali e Uguali, which donates laptops to schoolchildren in Italy.
In 2019, alongside HRH The Prince of Wales, Marchetti committed to The Modern Artisan Project – a unique partnership between YOOX Net-A-Porter and The Prince’s Foundation to promote textile skills training in the UK – and recently collaborated with Vogue to launch the Vogue YOOX Challenge – a contest that challenges start-ups to commit to sustainability and innovation for the responsible fashion of the future.
Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.
To find Suzy's articles visit vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes
This podcast is also available on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIYbap3g8AQ&t=2s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MARINE SERRE May 19, 2020

Show notes

In this fifth episode of Creative Conversations, Suzy is joined by the young dynamic designer, Marine Serre.
Marine’s second-ever collection, A Radical Call for Love, created for her own label for Autumn/Winter 2017, was designed in the wake of the Paris and Brussels attacks while she was working at Balenciaga, and featured what would become Marine's signature: a crescent-moon motif.
This led to Marine winning the prestigious 2017 LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers. Rihanna presented her with the award, while Karl Lagerfeld championed her work and became her mentor. This young French woman, raised in rural France, was trained at a Belgian fashion school and can be seen as a fashion prophet. She seems to have seen the future and expressed it in clothes. Only a fashion prophet could have shown a collection that included images of flames before the Australian bush fires, and masked the faces of her models before the world knew of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been a tumultuous ride for the designer’s small team, but with her use of regenerated materials, the upcycling skills she inherited from her grandfather at his “brocante” (flea market) and the support of Lagerfeld as well as Adrian Joffe of Dover Street Market, Marine has achieved a cult following.
Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.
To find Suzy's articles visit vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes
This podcast is also available on YouTube https://youtu.be/NItGYVaYbc4

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BALMIAN: OLIVIER ROUSTEING May 12, 2020

Show notes

In Episode 4 of her new podcast series, Suzy hears the moving and uplifting life story of the Creative Director of Balmain, Olivier Rousteing.
Hear the unique story of how Olivier Rousteing and his “Balmain Army” have fought for diversity and inclusivity in the fashion industry for nearly ten years. An inspiration to us all, his many supporters include Beyoncé, the Kardashian clan, Rihanna... oh! And Michelle Obama.
Olivier understood the power of social media very early on in his career, and has adapted to the digital world seamlessly. But he reveals that it was just one comment from Suzy backstage that led him to believe in himself and become the star designer he is today, building on the allure and power of women. He also shares his feelings about being raised by adoptive parents in Bordeaux, and tells Suzy the riveting and dramatic story behind the new documentary about him, Wonder Boy, revealing his struggle to find his birth mother.
Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.
To find Suzy's articles visit vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ALBER ELBAZ May 05, 2020

Show notes

In this third episode of Creative Conversations, Suzy is joined by the thoughtful, funny and profound designer Alber Elbaz, as he enters a new fashion phase with the Richemont Group. Alber talks us through his career, from Geoffrey Beene to Guy Laroche then Yves Saint-Laurent Rive Gauche and 14 years at Lanvin, where he earned a reputation for creating looks loved by women the world over.
Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.
To find Suzy's articles visit vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

STEPHEN JONES Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

For her second episode under lockdown, Suzy Menkes looks up - at the fantastical hats of milliner Stephen Jones.
Working with Christian Dior - and as the imaginative hatter of choice for Comme des Garçons and Marc Jacobs - Stephen Jones explains how headwear is a signal of communication and self-expression.
The mighty milliner, with a witty sense of humour, defines designing for creative fashion houses and for clients as like going to a cocktail party: “You will have a different conversation and present yourself differently with each person in the room," Stephen says.
The conversation takes us through his Saint Martins years, the late 1970s London club scene and the creation of his own label. Stephen's description of that period? “Our drug was Fashion’’.
We also discover how Stephen’s relationship with Rihanna started - in fact - with Suzy herself.
Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.
To find Suzy's articles visit vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DIOR: MARIA GRAZIA CHIURI Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

For her first episode, Suzy welcomes Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Creative Director Femme of Christian Dior - the first woman to lead the brand, and one who has enriched it with her distinctive feminist and artistic vision. Whilst we are all in lockdown, Suzy and Maria Grazia discuss feminism, Couture, design inspiration - and growing up in a fashion family.
Produced by Natasha Cowan.
Edited by Tim Thornton.
Music by @joergzuber.
Graphics by Paul Wallis.
Production Assistance by Lauren Sweeting.
Support for the Creative Conversations podcast comes from the Condé Nast Luxury Conference.To find Suzy's articles visit vogue.co.uk/fashion/suzy-menkes
...find Suzy on Instagram @suzymenkes and Twitter @thesuzymenkes

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Creative Conversations with Suzy Menkes

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected