Episode 45- Mariano Di Vaio Opens Up about His Faith in Jesus, Family, and Character

Mariano di Vaio is a model, fashion designer, and entrepreneur of Neapolitan origins, but was born in Perugia, Italy in 1989. He moved to London to pursue a career as an actor and model, but he didn’t know English and worked as a dishwasher. Those humble moments shaped him. He learned English and pushed himself to be more than a dishwasher.

Mariano then moved to the United States, where he attended acting courses at the New York Film Academy. Upon returning to Italy, he launched himself into the world of fashion, managing to obtain several covers and collaborations with international brands such from Roberto Cavalli, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren.

He launched is online fashion blog MDV Style, sharing his travels and fashion activities, expressing his opinion on the trends of men's fashion. This gave him a certain visibility that led him to win the Best men's fashion blog award at the Berlin Fashion Week in 2015, as well as other awards.

Episode 28: Rani Zakhem, The First Arab Designer To Design A Ready-To-Wear Collection For Plus Sized Women

Rani Zakhem was the first fashion designer that invited me to his atelier to sit down and have a chat. I was new to the whole fashion scene, and I remember making my way to Sinn El Fil, where his showroom is in Beirut, to the Zakhem Tower. Ever gracious, Rani is detailed and makes sure to do things right, whether that’s in fashion design or in how he treats people. Ever astute, you get a consistent person in Rani and I’m blessed to call him friend. Trained in interior architecture at the Lebanese American University in Beirut and in fashion design at Parsons in New York, he’s able to bring the two worlds together to create some of the most carefully crafted couture, ready-to-wear, and bridal silhouettes.  

We talk about the importance of having ready-to-wear for plus size women in the Arab market, a rarity that’s slowly being tackled. But, Rani is the first one to do this with his 2009 ready-to-wear collection. Focusing solely on private clients at the moment, it’s nice to see designers like Rani Zakhem, whose niche is to focus on creating sought-after looks for all women.

Episode 25: A Woman With Many Hats, Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger Shares Some Wisdom and Talks Fashion

Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger is an entrepreneur, designer, wife, mother, philanthropist, and advocate living in Palm Beach. A third culture kid, she grew up in the US with one parent being from Turkey and the other from England. She was a model and lived many years in Europe raising her kids, until she met fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger. Ultimately, she became a fashion designer herself. Firstly, as creative director of Judith Leiber, and later she founded her own namesake brand.

A kind person, she graciously sat down with me for a chat about the importance of women having their own independence, why she felt she had a sartorial story to tell in the oversaturated market of fashion, and she answers if she would have become a fashion designer if Tommy Hilfiger wasn’t her husband. There was a glitch in the recording so the very beginning of her answer to the first question was cut off, which was: “you’re a third culture kid. Do you have connection to your Turkish and British heritages? Do either inspire you as a designer?”

Photo Credit: Kate Martin/ Dee Hilfiger Insagram

Episode 10: Alber Elbaz, A Memory

This interview was done in February 2021, two months before Alber Elbaz died. He was an inspiring man. I actually met him in January 2020 when he was honored at an event by the Parsons School of Design. There are three designers in fashion that are so incredible humble and down to earth that I have ever met and that’s: Pierpaolo, Paul Smith, and the late Alber Elbaz.

When completing his conscription service in Israel, Elbaz went to design school. In 1985 he left Israel for NYC with $800 in his pocket. He worked for Geoffrey Beene, Guy Larouche, was creative director of Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin. He took some time off from fashion to grow, heal, and travel. And, came back in 2019 and started his own brand: AZ Factory, a Richemont backed brand. He was always thinking about how to make women’s lives easier so he created things like zippers with long fabric that aids a woman in zipping up her dress.

In April 2019 it was announced he died. I remember a friend WhatsApp’d me. As I awoke that Sunday morning, looking at my messages with sleep still in my eyes my heart sank. When I think about it now my heart skips a beat. Elbaz was truly a delight and inspiration to so many around the world. Enjoy this interview, my interview with fashion designer Alber Elbaz.

Episode 4- Recuperating After The Beirut Explosion, Fashion Designer Rabih Kayrouz Has Come Back With A Shift In His Brand And A New AW21 Collection

Rabih Kayrouz founded his brand Maison Rabih Kayrouz [ MRK] in 1999, embodying a couture savoir-faire House. He’s laid back and loves to have a good time. On the night of his twenty-fifth anniversary party in Paris a few years ago, Rabih danced the night away with his closest friends. He’s a good dancer I might add.

And then August 4, 2020 happened and Rabih was one of many physically affected by Beirut’s explosion that rocked Lebanon. He hasn’t given many interviews since then. The famed designer suffered a brain hemorrhage, two clots, and twenty-two stitches that day. As a result, there was a limited ready-to-wear collection last September and no haute couture collection in January, as Kayrouz took a step back to physically and emotionally heal.

Today, 7 months after the explosion Rabih is refocusing MRK. He taking it back to the basics, back to its roots, and back to the House’s iconic pieces giving new breath. His new collection is filled with wrap around coats, capes, trench coats, pants and skirts that a woman can use for any moment.

Enjoy this podcast episode with Rabih where he talks about how he’s been spending the past few months and his refocus of MRK.