Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud

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 films including Intimacy directed by Patrice Chéreau, and the Oscar nominated screenplay, My Beautiful Laundrette, directed by Stephen Frears and starring a young Daniel Day Lewis. Kureishi’s work often reflects his candid approach to cultural integration, sexuality and societal norms, all of which have made him a distinctive and relished voice in British literature.  On 26 December 2022, while staying at the home of his partner Isabella D'Amico, Hanif fainted and woke up paralysed from the neck downwards. He thought he was going to die, crediting Isabella for keeping him calm and saving his life. He has written about the accident and his recovery process on social media and in his Substack blog 'The Kureishi Chronicles'. His brilliant and compelling memoir Shattered was published in 2024, and in September that year the BBC released a biographical documentary 'In My Own Words' directed by Nigel Williams.  In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and Hanif Kureishi discuss Hanif's love of Tesco; developing a new method of writing with his son Carlo; and analysing his psychiatrist's dreams during his year long rehabilitation in hospital. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Freud on the couch to discuss the ways his relationship with his parents informed his work, why not to be afraid of time, and how life appears clearer through the viewfinder of his camera.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 their mutual love of The Artist's Way, and Honey's early experiences in the underground club scene in New York. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR. In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and Cate Blanchett share stories of how both their mothers hand-made their school uniforms - Cate's mother even made her underwear. They also discuss Cate's role as Bob Dylan, and how putting a sock down her trousers helped her to change her body language. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 and Stefano Pilati discuss the intensity of his love of fashion which manifested from the age of six, and the importance of killer footwear. Portrait: Jacqueline Landvik Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 occasion; whether attending a fashion show or taking a trip to the corner shop.  In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Princess Julia and Bella Freud discuss the influence of punk, living between binaries and their shared love of a pulsing beat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 his blog The Red Hand Files. He is married to the designer and model Susie Cave, who is the subject of many of his songs. In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Nick Cave and Bella Freud discuss how chaos is the enemy of creativity, the exhilaration of cold water swimming, and how an ankle boot is a deal breaker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Saint Laurent. He commissioned Diane Arbus to photograph Mae West. He is a society figure, at home in every milieu as long as the clothes and conversation are of the highest order. He is the author of the most sought after cult tea towel, issued every year at Christmas and inscribed with his dictum of ‘How Common’. Mostly things we all are, do, or love - like scented candles or loving your parents. In this episode Nicky Haslam talks to Bella Freud about dying his pubes; inventing the 60’s with David Bailey; and meeting Marilyn Monroe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 discuss perfection and how his own feeling of imperfection is a driver to create beauty and romance for others; how he finds his references in art for the film costumes he has created; and how attractive and sexy it is when someone is able to draw. Portrait: David Sims  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 chord among her audience. In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella talks to Kristin Scott Thomas about the joys of non-fancy underwear (when are ‘establishment grey security pants’ acceptable); the allure of wanting to be a nun; and walking in the Miu Miu show for Mrs Prada. Join Kristin Scott Thomas and Bella Freud for a conversation about how clothes can shape a character, and the connection between what we wear and who we are. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 icons Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow. They were so much more than work relationships, more like acquiring a new family. For someone who would seem like an exhibitionist on first sight, Daphne is a shy person who pushes against her natural inclination to be hidden. She talks about her inspirations, how music has saved her life, and how she weaves fashion into every aspect of her existence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 1994, I got a call from Storm Models saying ‘Kate will walk in your show’. I could scarcely believe what I was hearing. This was a typical act of the generosity and imagination she is also known for. Kate Moss holds the world record for appearing on the most Vogue covers: 78 of the ‘Big Four’, 43 of them British Vogue. As well as starring in countless ad campaigns she has designed collections in collaboration with various fashion brands including Top Shop, Longchamp, and Zara; guest edited magazines; and created her own skincare and beauty range Cosmoss. In 2002 – just as she became pregnant with her daughter Lila she sat for a naked portrait by the artist Lucian Freud which was later sold at Christie’s for £3.93 million. She is more in demand at age 50 than she has ever been – both in front of the camera and as a celebrity guest on the front row. Kate Moss is a cult name, and her face is recognized throughout the world. She is a private person and rarely gives interviews. She is loved and admired for her iconic sense of style, no one puts a look together like she can. She is famous for her humour and charm, casting a kind of dazzling spell on those who meet her – it is known as ‘being Mossed.’ KM portrait: Luigi and Iango Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 a fascinating and alluring personality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 became a mantra for people who enjoy being jolted out of familiarity. She is a magnet, also an introvert - this makes for an intriguing combination. Her quiet demeanour draws people towards her - it is exhilarating to be in her aura. She may not talk much, but what she does say means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 she had finished lying on the couch for our Fashion Neurosis interview, she said she liked to walk - and skipped off down Ladbroke Grove on her own. In this episode for Fashion Neurosis Bella asks Courteney how she feels about being naked; is she nice or naughty; and her ambivalence about 90's dressing and shoulder pads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 time. In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella asks Trinny about whether to compromise an outfit on the first date and when to be masculine or feminine in the boardroom. Trinny asks if she can analyze Bella.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 dresses overrides conventional ideas about attractiveness. Tune in to episode two of Fashion Neurosis to watch Eric Cantona on the couch as you have never seen him before. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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.  Honest and insightful, this is a conversation with one of fashion's most enigmatic figures that you won't want to miss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Willy Chavarria is an American fashion designer. Born and raised in California, he studied graphic design at the Academy of the Arts, and got his start in clothing design working in the shipping department at Joe Boxer, eventually taking on a role in the company as a designer. Willy Chavarria worked at Calvin Klein as the Senior Vice President of Design until 2024. He launched his eponymous label in 2015. Known for his melding of politics and fashion, Willy’s clothing aims to uplift the underrepresented, and he has frequently collaborated with organisations to advocate for social justice. His designs draw on his Mexican-American heritage, and he recently presented his SS26 collection HURON at Paris Fashion Week. Chavarria has been awarded the 2022 Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian National Design Award in Fashion Design, was the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year in 2023 and 2024, and in 2025 was named one of TIME100’s ‘Most Influential People of 2025’ and nominated for the Designer of the Year award at The Fashion Awards in London. On this week’s episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and Willy Chavarria discuss politics in fashion, his fashion icons, and designing as a public service. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices