Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud

Alessandro Michele is an Italian fashion designer. He is widely regarded as one of the most visionary and transformative figures in contemporary fashion. He came to prominence with his groundbreaking tenure as Creative Director of Gucci from 2015 to 2022, redefining the brand with his romantic, and gender-fluid aesthetic. Blending poetic historical references with radical reinvention, his designs both seduced and challenged conventional notions of beauty and luxury, making Gucci a symbol of artistic freedom and cultural commentary. Born in Rome in the 70's, he spent time at Fendi under Karl Lagerfeld and the Fendi sisters, and later at Gucci, where...

Lorde is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. She is a Grammy-winning artist and cultural force, known for her genre-defying sound, introspective lyricism, and striking creative vision. She gained recognition at the age of 16 with her breakthrough album Pure Heroine and the hugely successful single 'Royals'. She has redefined the contours of modern pop - merging poetic storytelling with minimalist, emotionally resonant production. To date, she has amassed over 18 billion global streams and 18 million album sales worldwide. She is a thoughtful and impressive presence in the world of music, experimenting with all aspects of identity and creativity including what...

Haim is an American rock band made up of three sisters: Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim. Hailing from Los Angeles, the siblings grew up in a musical household, playing in a family band before forming HAIM in 2007. Their unique sound blends elements of classic rock, R&B, folk, and '90s pop, creating a genre-defying style that feels exciting, nostalgic and modern.

The band gained major attention with their 2013 debut album Days Are Gone, and their album ‘Women in Music Pt. III’ (2020) was nominated for Album of the Year Grammy and compounded their status as one of the...

Courtney Love is an American singer, songwriter and actress, who rose to prominence as the lead singer of Hole, which she formed in 1989. Her life has been subject of intense media scrutiny, particularly her marriage to Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain from whom she has a daughter Frances Bean, and her candid battles with addiction and personal loss. Among her distinguished acting roles, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for her exceptionally brilliant performance in Milos Foreman's 'The People VS Larry Flynt. Courtney Love has continued her creative trajectory, challenging industry norms and championing female empowerment in rock. With de...

Rachel Jones is a multidisciplinary artist working with painting, installation, sound and performance. Jones explores a sense of self as a visual and visceral experience, using motifs and abstraction to grapple with the intangible emotional and psychological truths of being. Jones completed her BA Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art in 2013 and an MA Fine Art at the Royal Academy Schools, London, in 2019. Recent solo exhibitions include the Museum of African Diaspora, San Francisco, (2024), the Long Museum, Shanghai, China (2023) and the Chisenhale Gallery, London (2022). She was included in Mixing It Up: Painting Today at the Hayward Gallery, London (2021...

Alex Consani is an American model. She is also a social media star - performing brilliant and hilarious skits on tiktok, garnering her millions of followers and fans. A fearless advocate for trans visibility, Alex Consani is redefining beauty standards and electrifying the fashion industry. She burst onto the scene at just 12 years old and has since established herself as one of the top models in the world. She has walked for global fashion powerhouses including Tom Ford, Versace, Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and many others. In 2024, she made history as the first openly transgender woman to win the British...

Graydon Carter is a celebrated Canadian journalist, editor, and cultural commentator best known for his 25 years as the Editor of Vanity Fair. Born in Toronto, Graydon Carter began his career in journalism in Canada where he co-founded Spy magazine in 1986. The satirical monthly became famous for its sharp, irreverent take on media, politics, and celebrity culture, establishing him as a critical voice in American media. In 1992, Graydon Carter became the editor at Vanity Fair, transforming the magazine into a powerhouse of long-form journalism, celebrity profiles, and cultural commentary. Under his leadership Vanity Fair became known for its investigative reporting...

Bethann Hardison is a pioneering force in fashion and activism in a career spanning over five decades. Emerging from Brooklyn in the late 1960s, she became one of the first Black models to gain prominence in both New York and European fashion scenes. Her runway appearances for designers Willi Smith, Calvin Klein, and Oscar de la Renta were groundbreaking, culminating in her legendary performance in the 1973 'Battle of Versailles' fashion show - an event which showcased five french and five American designers. Transitioning from modeling, Hardison founded Bethann Management in 1984, one of the first Black-owned agencies, where she mentored...

Sam McKnight is one of the most celebrated hairstylists in the world. His career has spanned more than 40 years at the forefront of cutting edge fashion, beauty, and pop culture. Known for his creative vision, Sam McKnight has collaborated with top designers including Chanel, Fendi, Vivienne Westwood, and Balmain, and worked with all the legendary models and photographers including Patrick Demarchelier, Nick Knight, and Mario Testino. He has more Vogue covers than Kate Moss (200 globally) and he is a key force behind countless runway shows and advertising campaigns. He was famously the stylist behind Princess Diana’s iconic short hai...

Marina Abramović is one of the most influential and groundbreaking performance artists of our time. Born in Belgrade, Serbia, she has spent over five decades pushing the limits of the mind, body, and spirit through art. Known for her extreme and often controversial performances, Abramović uses endurance, pain, vulnerability, and direct audience interaction to explore themes of identity. During her most celebrated artistic performance 'The Artist Is Present' at the Museum of Modern Art in 2010, she sat silently across from museum visitors for over 700 hours, creating powerful, wordless connections with almost a million strangers. Marina Abramović has also worked ext...

Es Devlin is a British artist and stage designer celebrated for creating large-scale, emotionally resonant installations and performances that fuse light, music, language, and space. Her work has shaped the visual identity of global tours for artists including Beyoncé, Adele, The Weeknd and U2, while also redefining the theatrical landscape through her work with the Royal Opera House, National Theatre, and the Metropolitan Opera. Es Devlin brings a poetic sensibility to her immersive environments. Her public art installations—such as Forest for Change at Somerset House and Poem Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai—invite audiences to reflect, explore, and engage with urgen...

Hanif Kureishi is a British author, playwright, and screenwriter, widely regarded for his exploration of identity, race, and multiculturalism. Born in 1954 in South London, to a Pakistani father and an English mother, his major breakthrough came with his 1990 novel The Buddha of Suburbia, a semi-autobiographical story of a young man navigating life in 1970s London. The novel, celebrated for its wit and social critique, was later adapted into a BAFTA-winning TV series with a soundtrack especially written by David Bowie. In addition to his novels, Kureishi has written plays, essays, and short stories, and a number of award winning...

Susie Cave is a British model and fashion designer. Her career started when she was scouted on holiday in New York by the famous model agent Bethann Hardison, who immediately sent her to Steven Meisel - his advice being to go back to school as she was only 14 years old. Her striking beauty and ethereal presence quickly earned her a place in high fashion campaigns and on magazine covers including more recently a Gucci perfume campaign and the cover of Another Magazine in 2020. In 2015 Susie launched her fashion brand The Vampire's Wife which became known for its blend of...

Bobby Gillespie is a Scottish musician, singer songwriter, and the lead vocalist in Primal Scream. He launched the band in 1982, at the same time as joining The Jesus and Mary Chain as their drummer, touring with both groups until he left a few years later to focus on the burgeoning success of Primal Scream. Bobby has the looks, talent and glamour of the archetypal rockstar - he wears his clothes with infinite style, and his onstage looks are part of his musical identity. He is married to the highly regarded stylist, Katy England, and is a regular in fashion...

Christian Louboutin is a French shoe designer. His signature red sole has become synonymous with glamour and sensuality, referenced constantly in popular culture by international superstars including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lopez and Cardi B as the shoes women aspire to own. Christian Louboutin was born and raised in Paris, with his parents and three older sisters. In 2014 he discovered that his biological father was of Egyptian heritage - the result of a clandestine love affair between his mother and a young Egyptian man. This revelation recontextualized many of his formative experiences growing up, wondering why he appeared different t...

John Cooper Clarke is a British poet. He rose to fame during the Punk era, touring and performing with bands across the UK in the 70's. He has collaborated with some of the most revered artists of our time including the renowned Reggae poet and musician Linton Kwesi Johnson. His distinctive appearance has remained unchanged since he first exploded on the literary scene: long, jet black hair, a newsboy cap, and black sunglasses worn at all times -  paired with impeccable, skinny tailoring. John Cooper Clarke has transcended many hurdles in his life including heroin addiction, which he describes in h...

Julianne Moore is an American actor. She is one of the most highly revered performers of her generation, and her work has been recognized by multiple awards, including an Oscar. Her extraordinary gift for peeling back the artifice, portraying the unraveling of a beautiful, misunderstood woman is unparalleled - making her beloved by both independent directors and big studios in the film industry. Julianne is also the author of the children’s book, ‘Freckleface Strawberry’ about her experiences of establishing her identity as a young girl, eventually learning to love her pale complexion and red hair - for which she is so reco...

Haider Ackermann is a Colombian-born French fashion designer. He is the Creative Director of Canada Goose and the newly appointed Creative Director of Tom Ford. Adopted as a nine month old child by French-Alsatian parents, Haider's family traveled widely with his map-maker father, living in Algeria, Ethiopia and Iran, and eventually settling in the Netherlands when he was twelve years old. This blend of cultures that shaped him can be seen in his work, contrasting and resourcing dress-codes which incorporate flowing draped fabrics with more formal cuts. Haider Ackermann is much revered by his peers in the design industry...

Gwendoline Christie is an English actor. She exploded into peoples' consciousness as Brienne of Tarth in the phenomenally successful series, Game of Thrones, going on to feature in Stars Wars: The Force Awakens, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She has appeared in other notable drama series, and most recently joined the cast of the hit show Severance, directed by Ben Stiller. As well as being a highly regarded performer, Gwendoline is adored by the fashion world, and has modelled in numerous fashion campaigns for some of the world's greatest designers. She has walked in catwalk shows for Thom Browne...

Juergen Teller is a fine art and fashion photographer from Germany. His distinctive and instantly recognizable style has redefined the scope of what is possible in high fashion imagery and advertising. He has shot multiple campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood, Celine and Yves Saint Laurent, bringing his mix of glamour and lack of artifice to a vast audience. Alongside his fashion work, he has shot portraits of his family, his friends and some of the most recognizable faces of our time, including Pope Francis.

In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Juergen Teller joins Bella...

Honey Dijon is an American DJ and producer, hailing from the South Side of Chicago. She is known for her compelling remixes of major artists, including Beyoncé and David Bowie and her DJ sets that light up dance floors the world over - infusing both House and Techno. Honey is also much loved by the fashion world, having collaborated on soundtracks for Louis Vuitton and Dior. Aside from her sonic capabilities, Honey is famed for her chic style and her razor-sharp wit.

In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Honey Dijon and Bella Freud discuss t...

Cate Blanchett is an Australian actor and film producer. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including two Oscars. One of the great performers of our time, Cate has the ability to both dazzle with that specific film star radiance, and blend into a natural setting - whether its a blockbuster movie, or an independent production of film or theatre. She is possessively coveted by the fashion design houses who vye for her to represent them on the red carpet - another of her multifarious talents. Throughout her career she has spoken out for the dispossessed, and she is a Go...

Stefano Pilati is an Italian fashion designer. His talents have been employed and celebrated by some of the most distinguished fashion houses in the industry including Cerruti, Armani and Prada. He was the Creative Director at Yves Saint Laurent from 2004 until 2012 where he was responsible for some of the brand's most iconic designs and accessories including the Tribute sandal and the Muse bag - coveted by fashion obsessives the world over. Pilati's distinctive creative vision has long defied traditional gender stereotypes, with his menswear collections featuring both skirts and high heels. In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud...

Princess Julia is a DJ and writer who has been a dazzling staple on the London club scene since the late 1970’s. She was of the most recognisable faces of the Blitz Kids - a subculture defined by sharp dress, angular haircuts and pale complexions. 

Her distinctive style combined with her angelic beauty saw her become a muse to many; modelling in numerous fashion shoots and music videos over the years, including Visage’s iconic ‘Fade To Grey’. 

Today Princess Julia’s sense of personal style remains as bold as ever, with meticulously planned outfits for every oc...

Nick Cave is an Australian musician, writer, artist and rock star. He is the instantly recognisable lead singer of The Bad Seeds which he formed in 1983 after the breakup of his former band The Birthday Party. Describing himself as wanting to look like a ‘big old spider’, he has a dazzling stage presence, framed by jet black hair, with a tall, long-legged silhouette. Nick maintains the loyalty and adulation of both indie fans and the mainstream; people are proud to show their love of his music. He has endured deep tragedy in his life, something he has written about in hi...

Nicky Haslam is an English interior designer. He is the founder of the interior design company Nicky Haslam Studio and has created homes for society figures, billionaires, and pop stars with exquisite taste including Bryan Ferry. He was born into an aristocratic family and after his recovery from polio as a child, he was educated at Eton, where he dyed his hair blonde and had his school uniform tailcoat customised with a red lining, which caused a scandal. Nicky Haslam has an unerring eye for recognising style: he introduced Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor of American Vogue, to Yves...

Jonathan Anderson is a Northern Irish designer. He founded his eponymous label JW Anderson in 2008 and has, gone on to become one of the most prolific and highly, regarded people in world of high fashion. He is the Creative Director of the Spanish luxury goods brand Loewe. He also creates extremely successful collaborations with the high street, brand Uniqlo. He has been working with the film maker Luca Guadagnino, creating costumes for the director’s last two films ‘Challengers’ with Zendaya and Josh O’Connor, and ‘Queer’ starring Daniel Craig. In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Jonathan Anderson and Bella Freud...

Karl Ove Knausgaard is a Norwegian author. His autobiographical novel ‘My Struggle,’ released in six volumes, was heralded as a masterpiece all over the world. It has a huge appeal to both intellectuals and young people examining the existential purpose of life.

During this conversation Karl Ove and Bella talk about the power of fathers; shame; and choosing the wrong clothes but with the right idea.

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Kristin Scott Thomas OBE is an English actress. Her career began with her first audition when she won the starring role in Prince’s directorial film debut ‘Under the Cherry Moon’, playing opposite him in the role of romantic lead. Kristin lived in France for a big part of her life. She speaks French fluently and has played the lead in many French independent films working with top directors. She remains possessively beloved by her British fans and has an ability to imbue the characters she portrays with an irreverence for convention and preoccupation with hilarious detail that strikes such a...

Daphne Guinness is an English singer songwriter, fashion designer, actress, film producer and muse to David LaChapelle. She is part of the aristocratic Guinness family, and she is known for her instantly recognisable style which includes a high, heel-less shoe and towering black and platinum hairstyle. Daphne has spent decades redefining what it means to be a true original, breaking away from her traditional background. From founding The Isabella Blow Foundation to releasing her latest album Sleep, her work and her performance transcends boundaries. Trained at the Slade School of Fine Art, Daphne went on to collaborate with fashion...

Kate Moss is an English model. Born in Croydon, she started modelling aged 15 after she was scouted in an airport. She rose to fame in the 90’s during the era of the Supermodel, quickly becoming the most sought after of them all. She is beloved by photographers and designers for her remarkable ability to bring a kind of spellbinding magic to the table. Her work ethic is legendary and she has an instinct for recognising a good idea before anyone else – and wanting to be involved. When I started my brand and decided to have my first catwalk show in 1...

Kate Moss is an English model. Born in Croydon, she started modelling aged 15 after she was scouted in an airport. She rose to fame in the 90’s during the era of the Supermodel, quickly becoming the most sought after of them all. She is beloved by photographers and designers for her remarkable ability to bring a kind of spellbinding magic to the table. Her work ethic is legendary and she has an instinct for recognising a good idea before anyone else – and wanting to be involved. When I started my brand and decided to have my first catwalk show in 1...

Zadie Smith is a British novelist, essayist, and short story writer. She is the author of six novels and her first book White Teeth was completed during her final year at Cambridge University. Published in 2000, White Teeth became an instant international bestseller - winning numerous awards, making her one of the most sought after and widely read young literary figures.

Zadie Smith has lived in Rome, also in New York where she taught fiction at Columbia, then joining New York University as a tenured professor of fiction in 2010. Her combination of cool style and intellect makes her...

Kim Gordon is an American singer songwriter and visual artist, renowned for being the co-founder, bassist, guitarist and vocalist of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth. She has always been a figure of adoration and fascination for anyone interested in art and alternative forms of artistic expression. Her ability to be ahead of the game with the desires of the avant garde audience is legendary, whether it is with her music, clothes, or her personal style. This year she released her second solo album The Collective to huge critical acclaim. The Collective includes the hit single Bye Bye which b...

Courteney Cox is an American actress and filmmaker. She is internationally famous for playing Monica Geller in the sitcom Friends which ran from 1994 til 2004, and Gale Weathers in the horror franchise Scream. Her portrayal of Monica turned her into a cult figure beloved by seven to seventy year olds - reruns of Friends play throughout the day and it is as popular as ever. Courteney herself is a master of comic timing: modest and endearingly funny this is further enhanced by her remarkable semblance of normalness in spite of being one of the most recognisable people on the planet. When...

Trinny Woodall is the founder and CEO of the hugely successful makeup and skincare brand Trinny London. She first came into the British consciousness through her makeover TV show with Susannah Constantine 'What Not To Wear' which launched in 2001, and became compulsive viewing. She embodies a disarming authenticity and enthusiasm, and her name Trinny has become a mononym. In 2023 she published her bestselling book Fearless, which although it is a manual for finding your own style could easily be the title of her memoir - summing up her attitude to life and the many challenges she has faced in her...

Eric Cantona is the legendary French former professional footballer who played for Manchester United, retiring unexpectedly and to everyone’s dismay at the height of his success aged 30. He wore the iconic number 7 shirt with the collar turned up – something he turned into a trade mark look. Eric Cantona is revered and admired for his cryptic brilliance and his unpredictable approach to a direct question, as well as his winning game. In this episode of Fashion Neurosis Bella asks him about this upturned collar and how it came about; how he deals with restlessness, and why the way someone dres...

In this first episode of Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud, join the legendary fashion master of avant-garde gothic elegance Rick Owens as he lies on the couch while Bella asks him leading questions from her analyst's chair. Rick Owens is known for his preoccupation with distortion and exaggeration of the human form through clothes. Together he and Bella talk about how this plays out with his own physical transformation; what are his current obsessions; and how nothing could be cooler than not having to hold a glass in his hand when he (rarely) walks into a social situation. 

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Introducing Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud. Each week join the renowned fashion designer as she invites a special guest to 'lie on the couch' and explore the connection between fashion and identity.

Expect exciting conversations covering a range of topics from love, identity, culture, anxiousness and politics, as Bella's celebrity guests reveal their insights, faux pas, turn ons and turn offs.

Guests range from fashion icons and footballers to rock stars and writers, each offering a unique view point into why we wear what we wear.

@fashionneurosis_bellafreud

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