Creating a podcast is a bit like having children. When it comes to your guests - you’re not supposed to pick favourites.
By those rules, I shouldn’t say that today’s episode is a favourite - instead I’ll just tell you that it’s really good and you should watch it. Watch, because this is the first Threads of Conversation video podcast! For the audio disciples, it’s still available in audio format on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or you can just close your eyes and listen to the above.
But why would you close your eyes when my guest is the dazzling Dara? Model, fashion director of Interview Magazine, stylist to Hunter Schafer and all-round fashion darling.
Since moving to New York in 2016, Dara has become one of the city’s most recognisable creatives. She made her modelling debut for Marc Jacobs soon after arriving in NYC, and has since walked for everyone from Bottega Veneta to Miu Miu. Her longstanding friendship with photographer Ethan James Green has produced many of this fashion generation’s most memorable images, both in front of and behind the camera.
What makes Dara stand out is her unique blend of old Hollywood glamour, mixed with the ‘now’-ness that makes her such a perfect match for Interview, a culture-defining publication which, under the stewardship of editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg, has made the fading magazine industry feel exciting again. A lot of this has to do with Dara’s work - in our conversation, we discuss her research process, her styling approach, and why she always visits a dollar store before a shoot. Per the classic format, the conversation is structured around eight items of clothing which span her childhood, career, highs and lows. You can see pictures of these items below, and they’re also included the video.
One final note for non-Substack users (not a plug) but reading/ watching via the Substack app is a much better experience than receiving newsletters in your inbox. You can get all your Substack newsletters neatly in the app, and even stop them coming to your email if - like me - you got overexcited and subscribed to way too many.
The piece that reminds Dara of her childhood…
“It's an old Mickey Mouse club tee that my dad had and then I got as a kid, and I've kept it forever. It's the oldest piece of clothing in my closet and I still love it.”
The piece that reminds her of her career…
“I chose the sunglasses… it's not part of my core to kind of have something signature to myself. That's so not my instinct. I sort of forced myself to a few years ago, and it made everything make sense… it gave me a character that I could step into.”
The piece that reminds her of a high…
“It's a little bikini top made of a towel that's a reference to a Marilyn Monroe photo that was actually one of Mel [Ottenberg]'s references for this Anne Hathaway cover. That was my first cover as fashion director at Interview… it was just a towel that was in the gym that we shot in. We cut it up and I had the tailor make it into a bikini top to match the reference photo.”
The piece that reminds her of a low…
“The first time I went to Paris, I think I really suffered from that typical ‘American in Paris’ syndrome where it broke my heart… I got the news that my some of my best friends were coming, and so I was like, ‘Oh my God, please bring my leather jacket that I wear every day.’ So they brought it with them and I put it on and it just made everything better.”
The piece that makes her feel part of something…
“The piece I chose is this Issey Miyake skirt. It's pleated iridescent gray silk and it's layered over a red silk, and it's like laser cut at the bottom. It almost looks like a doily, but it's all pleated and when it flies it creates a like 1950s big bell-shaped skirt.”
The piece that reminds her of a great party…
“I chose a corset that I've worn to many a good party, actually. And it's always a night when the corset comes out because - you know - you have an expiration date on yourself when you lace yourself so tightly. This party was on my birthday this year. I went to the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty with Hunter [Schafer].”
The piece that makes her feel sexy…
“I chose a pair of jeans - these vintage Levi's that I have that are all ripped up and there are holes all over them. That's what I wear when I want to feel sexy. If I'm going out dancing, I wear jeans and a T-shirt usually.”
The one that got away…
“I was sort of obsessed by Raf Simons at Jil Sander at the time. This lanyard - I found it online somewhere. And it was the first high fashion piece I bought myself. I guess I was in college or something. And I wore it every day.”
Threads of the week
Heading to the Johanna Parv show at London Fashion Week. Jersey is from a vintage store in Paris called Super vintage. Sunglasses are Port Tanger, jeans are Dries Van Noten (both bought secondhand on Depop), bag is from Kara. No points for guessing the shoes.
Loose Threads
A fascinating story about a sacred cloak that was returned its Indigenous owners in Brazil.
I told you so. (Here is where I told you.)
Threads of Conversation guest Ronan Mckenzie (listen here) shot Eve for Sunday Times Style magazine, wearing Mckenzie’s brand, Selasi.
Start your own Thread
Leave a comment to let me know if you liked the video format, and whose Threads of Conversation you want to hear next?
A Thread about Dara