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!