Wardrobe Icons 'ICONversations'

Photographer Julie Adams and Laura first met 15 years ago, on the set of a shoot in London.  They have been close friends ever since and shared many life experiences, including career ups and downs, marriage and motherhood – the friends both have two girls. When Julie’s young daughters started to talk about body image, she knew she wanted to do something that would help them feel confident and happy in their skin. Her idea? A project celebrating all women, in every shape and from all walks of life, in their raw, beautiful state. In this bonus episode, recorded remotely during lockdown, Laura speaks to Julie in her hometown of Sydney about the result of that initial idea – This Is Me, the book she created with friend and journalist Georgie Abay that showcases unretouched portraits of real women in their swimwear, alongside moving stories of their journeys to body acceptance. Their candid conversation is an essential reminder that beauty lies in our individuality. Produced by Pineapple Audio Production. 

Petro first met Ganesh Srivats, CEO of Moda Operandi, when they were both studying at theLondon College of Fashion. They have remained good friends ever since, so we are delighted to have him as our first male guest on ICONversations. The term we picked for Ganesh is ‘the future’. Having held positions at Burberry and Tesla before Moda Operandi, Ganesh has always worked at the cutting edge of innovation, and his insights into where fashion, tech, retail and business are going is fascinating.  Petro caught up with him at Moda Operandi’s New York headquarters to discuss the evolution of luxury, striking the balance between data and creativity and how we’ll all be shopping in 10 years’ time. Prepare to be illuminated. Produced by Pineapple Audio Production.

In this podcast, Laura chats with good friend, writer and Wardrobe ICONS Editor-at-Large, Deborah Brett. In last year’s Mother’s Day issue of The ICONS Update, we asked some of our friends to share the advice they give their children, and Deborah said: “Strive for excellence in everything you do, but not perfection. The first is a goal, the second is a straitjacket.” It’s this one piece of advice that has inspired the subject of this podcast: perfection. For someone who appears so perfect, this might seem a little strange, however Deborah is no stranger to less-than-perfect situations. After experiencing a career crisis, the breakdown of her marriage and the loss of her mother, Deborah has eschewed perfection, and instead mastered the art of focusing on, and sharing, the good aspects of her life.  We hope you enjoy!

We first met Amy Smilovic, the creative force behind Tibi, last year when we interviewed her for the Icons Update. Her passion and conviction instantly blew us away and so we’re thrilled to speak to her again for ICONversations. The word we have picked for Amy is authenticity. As the founder of a fashion brand that continues to thrive in a notoriously fickle industry, she certainly knows a thing or two about this subject. Amy’s story is one of trusting your own instincts and the power of staying true to yourself – and it’s guaranteed to give you food for thought. Enjoy!

Our first episode of season two is here and we can’t think of a better person to give us a January boost than the contagiously positive and passionate Editor-in-Chief of InStyle magazine, Laura Brown. 'Sisterhood' is the word we picked for Laura, and she is a testament to that. A ceaseless champion of women, her inclusive and supportive message radiates out of everything she does, from the pages of InStyle to her presence on social media. Our conversation, which took place in her downtown New York offices, is full of her inspiring sentiments – and a lot of laughs. We hope you enjoy!

Just before season two of ICONversations kicks off in earnest, we’re excited to share a special bonus episode with you.  We always find that the end of the year is a good time to have a reality check – so that’s exactly what we’ve done. We’re pulling back the curtain and delving into the real world of Wardrobe ICONS, as Laura and Petro are interviewed by good friend and editor of Red magazine, Sarah Tomczak.  From the challenges of setting up a business to chaotic morning routines and balancing work life with motherhood, their honest and open conversation is a valuable reminder that we all have our dreams, we all have our struggles and we are all just trying to do our best.

Laura fell head over heels with event planner Fiona Leahy’s tablescapes on the tiles… and then the woman behind them. Fiona is a master at designing celebrations that transport you to another world. And as someone who often has to create these magical moments under different sorts of pressure—but always with so much passion and unbridled imagination—we were intrigued to discuss CREATIVITY. Where does it come from? Can you learn to be creative or is it ingrained? And does stress help or hinder our creativity? As you’ll hear, Laura and Fiona don’t agree on every point—but we’re agreed on one thing. Always RSVP yes to a Fiona Leahy event!  

Within moments of meeting Jasmine Hemsley, it’s not unusual to feel an intense desire to put your health in her hands. She is a wealth of knowledge and it doesn’t hurt that her eyes sparkle and her skin glows. As someone who admits her sense of wellbeing is achieved with daily habits—many of which are simple and easy to implement—she was an obvious choice for our ICONversation about RITUALS. The truth is that while we all have good intentions, most of us are too busy for retreats and meaningful time-out… and Jasmine really gets it. Listen in as she shares her own personal struggles with keeping on track and the self-care rituals that can really make a difference in our busy, modern lives. 

As avid listeners of the GOOP podcast, where chief content officer Elise Loehnen interviews leading thought-makers on every wellness topic imaginable, we were thrilled to get some time with her for an ICONversation when she recently visited London. Not only is she GP’s right-hand woman, but her CURIOSITY is the reason GOOP has become the place to go for advice on everything from work-life-balance to tuning into your psychic abilities. We took a deep-dive into her childhood, friendships, work-life and more, to get to the bottom of what makes her CURIOSITY tick. 

Journalist and fashion influencer Katherine Ormerod wrote a book (Why Social Media Is Ruining Your Life) that kickstarted a conversation we all needed to have about social media. Fortunately, this brilliant woman is also our friend and joined us for an ICONversation about HONESTY. We explore what it means right now and how to strike a balance between inspiring women while remaining transparent. We discuss how we can consume social media in a healthy way. It’s something we’re all still figuring out, so please listen in and join the ICONversation. 

Wardrobe ICONS co-founders Laura Fantacci and Petro Stofberg are usually the ones asking all the questions.  This week, however, they are the focus of our ICONversation about The Juggle. Who better to discuss the balancing act required to build a business with your best friend, while busy family and social lives jostle for place in the pecking order too.  They handed control (of the mic) over to their colleague Brooke Le Poer Trench—their honest and insightful answers are an essential listen for any woman wearing many  hats and juggling many balls. You are not alone! 

We have to apologize for sounding a little gushy in this interview. The problem is that celebrity stylist Elizabeth Saltzman, the very best in her field, is an industry hero of ours.  It didn’t help that on the day we interviewed her, Gwyneth Paltrow was due to knock on her door an hour later. She is the brains behind the red carpet looks we love, but her job is about so much more than picking a dress. That’s why we enlisted her for an ICONversations about CONFIDENCE. Turns out, while the outside counts, the inside matters so much more. When she works with women, she gets to the bottoms of their needs, wants and self-worth. And that’s because until you like who you see in the mirror, a dress won’t do a thing.

For two decades, Caroline Issa, has been sharing thought-provoking fashion content and stories, inspiring us with her street style and designing capsule collections with well-respected brands.  Our word for Caroline is INFLUENCE, because she wields hers with discretion, generosity and honesty.  In this ICONversations with Laura Fantacci and her colleague Brooke Le Poer Trench, Caroline shares the ways in which her childhood has influenced who she is today, the way her teenage modeling impacts her management style everyday, the female mentors who have guided her, and the way she leveraged the influencer culture, making it a positive force in her career and using it to blaze a path for non-traditional designers in the fashion industry.  

Welcome to ICONversations - Wardrobe ICONS podcast hosted by co-founders Laura Fantacci and Petro Stofberg. Every fortnight, we sit down with the women whose work is inspiring us today, to have a compelling conversation centered around a word that chimes with their career and life. From confidence to creativity and work/life balance, we believe talking never goes out of fashion.