Helen Mirren Is In Her Villain Era

Dame Helen Mirren, an actress with a storied career, has at long last entered her villain era. “I think it has to do with getting older,” she told Chloe and Taylor Antrim on today’s episode, “when you’re older, if you’re a woman, you have to be an awful, ghastly person.” Her latest “villain” opportunity comes in the form of playing writer Patricia Highsmith in A Talent For Murder, the latest film from director Anton Corbijn.  The fictional film, based on a play, captures the final chapter of Highsmith’s life in which she was a devoted alcoholic and held many problematic views. She had become a recluse, living in a brutalist home in Tegna, Switzerland with her pet snails and drinking heavily. In this story, she is approached by a young, handsome New York publisher (played by Alden Ehrenreich) who has the impossible task of convincing her to write another book in her Ripley series.  Mirren was first introduced to Highsmith through her husband Taylor Hackford and became a fan of her books as well as the many film adaptations. For her own transformation into Highsmith, the costuming was of immense importance. Highsmith wore notably masculine clothing and had a short neck and a hunched posture, especially later in her life. “so I got the costume people to build the shoulder pads up,” she explained, “and it gives her that sort of look that she’s about to pounce.” There was also the rage associated with her alcoholism: “she must have been terrifying in those days,” Mirren mused.  When Mirren started her career, the roles were much less nuanced for women. “They really sucked,” she lamented, “and they’re so much better now.” If she were to give advice to that past self who was demoralized by the parts she was getting, she would tell her to be as rude as you possibly can! They also spoke about some of her recent iconic red carpet looks, the signature “stripper” heels she purchased on Hollywood Boulevard, and making her own clothes.  The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Actress Daisy-Edgar Jones joins Chloe on stage after a live screening of Sense and Sensibility for Vogue's book club. They discuss what it's like to work on an adaptation of Jane Austen's work, shoot on a "no phones" set, go barefaced on camera, and sisterhood. The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vogue has been a fan of Oh, Mary! since before the play transferred to Broadway. Now, ten Marys later, Bowen Yang has stepped into the lead role of Mary Todd Lincoln (X), making his Broadway debut just under a month ago. Marley Marius, who made her podcast debut in 2024 while interviewing Oh, Mary! creator and performer Cole Escola, joined Chloe again, this time to talk to Yang about starring in this wildly beloved production.  Yang is a seasoned performer from years as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, but now is learning a new kind of endurance in the eight a week performances on Broadway. “I would just nod my head politely any time someone would say, like, "Broadway performers are athletes." And I never doubted it, but now I understand that it is absolutely true,” he told them. His secret stamina lies in a potent combination of energy drinks—Fuji Apple Celsius to be specific—and traditional Chinese medicine.  When asked about his most Mary-like quality, Yang turned to the duality of the clown, “There’s the misunderstood outcast and the murderous deviant. It’s like Pennywise and Bozo,” he explained, “And I am certainly not murderous. But I have this trickster energy that coincides with this idea that we all have where we feel sort of alienated by the arbitrary rules of society.”  So far, his favorite guest to come to the show has been Malala Yousafzai. And his hope is that Cher will one day make it to the theater. “I think Cher would really get a kick out of this. Like wow, that’s a horny legend. I feel comfortable saying that.” As for who should be cast next in the role of Mary? His votes are in for Keke Palmer and Lisa Rinna. Stay tuned! The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the marathon that is fashion month finally comes to a close, the three co-hosts Chloe, Chioma, and Nicole, along with Claire Thomson-Jonville gathered in the Vogue France offices to break down their favorite moments, the best of the front row, and what trends seem to be emerging from this year’s Paris Fashion Week. Breezy fabrics, layering, and bras as the new shirt are all in Vogue this season.  The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A few days after his runway show, Nicole Phelps sat down with Tom Ford’s Creative Director Haider Ackermann in his Paris office to discuss his latest show, his inspirations, and how he became a fashion designer.  They started off talking about desire and seduction, “We're living in a period where men are more vain than they have ever been before,” he told Nicole, “And they're embracing their feminine side. They’re more daring.” He encourages his models to seduce the crowd, to play, and to feel joy as they walk the runway.  Nicole noted that he has cultivated a dedicated group of friends and customers who come to all of his shows. When asked how he has fostered these people (he named Tilda Swinton as one of these longtime friends), he said “I do believe in loyalty. I’m very loyal to all my exes. I don’t know how to dis-love once I have loved.” Tom Ford and this latest collection is notably sexy, but Ackermann rejects the notion that this is simply done to provoke. “I’m not interested in provocation, but I am interested in taking risks and feeling free, certainly in a world where everything is more puritan and reserved.”  Tomorrow, he is off to Chile to go kayaking in and around the glaciers. He travels all around the globe, but has a particular affinity for travel to remote places where his cellphone has no service. “It is perhaps in search of silence. When you go very far away and lose yourself and feel so small against Mother Nature, you're suddenly much closer to yourself.” Right now, he’s happy to get away and grateful for the journey he has been on. “I beat to my own drum and I’m happy to still be standing after all these years.” Also on the episode, producer Chelsea Daniel went inside the CVFF Americans in Paris dinner with Chloe. They also discussed the Givenchy, Celine (the cappuccino popsicles were a highlight), Alaia, Simone Rocha, and Miu Miu shows. Olivia Coleman is everyone’s favorite model!  The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just over 48 hours ago, Julian Klausner presented his Spring 2027 Dries Van Noten ready-to-wear collection in Paris, which is already being lauded as one of his best collections to date. For his first podcast appearance, Nicole sat down with him in the Vogue France office to discuss the inspiration behind this collection, his journey to Dries, and his industry peers. With regards to his show a few days ago, they discussed the movie poster concept and how the show was inspired by cinema, while making a wearable collection. “Yesterday, a friend of mine said that she saw it as ‘movie star meets picking up the kids.’ I like to imagine what Marilyn Monroe would be looking like today if she had to run errands after a day of filming.” Asked about how to describe the Dries sensibility to listeners unfamiliar with the brand, Klausner said, “I think the playfulness and the invitation to be a little bit extra with your clothes is very much what we stand for.” Klausner spends a great deal of time in the archives of Dries and describes the office as a living archive. “We have a lot of colleagues that have been there for decades,” he told Nicole, “people are constantly wearing pieces from the '90s or 2000s.” Also on today’s episode, producer Chelsea Daniel catches up with Chloe for a quick fit check and to talk about all the shows she’s been attending since touching down in Paris. They speak to Jordan Roth after the Schiaparelli show and go backstage to chat with the hairstylist at the Chloé show.  The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grace Coddington has been working in fashion for longer than most of us have been alive. She started working as a junior editor at British Vogue back in 1968 and before that, she was modeling. Grace served as the Creative Director at American Vogue for nearly three decades and since stepping back from that role, has continued to work on shoots across many major publications.  Grace, now in her late eighties, joined Chloe in the studio for a conversation about her latest work Grace: Now, a massive yellow art book that compiles her favorite fashion shoots from the last decade. The spreads come from thirteen photographers, many of whom are Vogue regulars including Rafael Pavarotti, Annie Leibovitz, and Steven Meisel. In order to narrow down her selection, she printed out hundreds of images, laid them out on boards, and made a dummy book a la Vogue way: “I learned from the best.” When asked if her favorite shoots regularly fluctuate, Grace replied “One always loves the last one one did.” In the opening pages of the book, there is a handwritten tribute to her late friend, the fashion journalist Michael Roberts, noting this is her first major project without him in her career. “Michael was someone who could complete my sentences,” she told Chloe, “I'd known him since the early '70s, so he knew my life very well. He could write and he was a visual person too. I wanted to do it in my handwriting because I felt that I was talking to him. I adored him.” Reflecting on the 2009 ‘The September Issue’ documentary, she thinks of it now as a distinct shift in fashion and her life. “Fashion has changed a lot since then,” she explained, “Fashion shows were getting bigger and bigger and what you saw was grander and grander. Clothes got much bigger.” Everything except the magazines Chloe offered. “I don't feel it's about more anymore. It seems obscene to be excessive, with all the things happening in the world.” Grace has often referenced Beatrix Miller’s description of creating narratives in fashion photography as “enhanced reality”. Chloe observed that unlike her previous work, this book of shoots feels more like reportage than fantasy. “I love that you noticed that because that was my intention,” Grace said, noting that shift was intentional, “It’s interesting to see the about turn from complete fantasy like Alice in Wonderland and all those stories I did with Annie. I’m not interested in the [clothes] you can’t actually wear. Maybe we’re not about fantasy anymore, sadly. Life is very real at the moment.” Her pivot away from the fantastical doesn’t mean she isn’t still inspired. Still loves to go extreme on big hair. She’s going to fewer shows these days, but she still keeps up with the designers—especially Prada, who she said hits the button every time. The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nicole Phelps and Luke Leitch have touched down in Paris and are eager to attend the many shows that comprise fashion week in the City of Light. But before they check out shows from the likes of Julie Kegels, Matières Fécales, Rick Owens, or the latest collaboration between John Galliano and Zara, the pair of reviewers sat down to talk about the highlights and critical moments that emerged during Milan Fashion Week.  They started by talking about the Diesel show, which ended Glenn Martens six year run at the brand, before he devotes himself fully to Maison Margiela. “Martens has always been very inclusive, very sex positive,” Luke observed, “it’s quite punk.” The sex positive energy at the show manifested in a young couple making out at the show. “I really felt my age and like a slightly disapproving old dowager,” he laughed.  There was the Prada collection devoted exclusively to the skirt as a central garment. Mrs. Prada has given several interviews (including on our very podcast) about seeing the skirt as similar to a tee in its capacity to be a canvas for expression. The skirts were paired with these barely there bras, possibly as a styling point against the skirt to accentuate it all the more.  Luke wrote about the Emporio Armani presentation (not a runway show), which was the last to be overseen by Leo Dell’Orco and Silvana Armani before Dario Vitale helms the brand. The show was about time. Luke at first interpreted this with some heaviness, but it became clear that the intent was about the accrual that time allows and the layers that are added in an innovative interregnum moment. “There was the addition and the encrustation of salt crystals on garments and bags, which is not something I'd wanna wear in this Parisian rain because I'd be melting,” Luke noted, but it was beautiful nonetheless.  Nicole and Luke were both “Sanderistas”—great fans of Simone Belloti’s Jil Sander collection. Maria Grazia Chiuri's second ready-to-wear collection for Fendi also made a splash. “She didn’t make it very easy for us to see the collection,” Nicole commented, which arguably is a metaphor for fashion at large. Meryll Rogge’s Marni has been finding her footing and community. “You can really feel—call them Gen Z, call them what you will—but young people coalescing around her,” Nicole said, “the way she's collaging references and whipping them all together in her own way really speaks to how people who are 30 or so, are looking at the '90s or the early 2000s.” Demna had a big moment at Gucci following his divisive February show, and he showed in his beautifully realized store. “It was a fabulous vehicle for saying Gucci is not necessarily just for one person or just for one style,” Luke noted. Demna imagined a whole universe of people coming to his store which included the horse girl, the glamour puss, and the punk prep school kids. Paris Fashion Week, here we come. Allez! The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

October cover star Mikey Madison joins Chloe at her hotel room in Milan ahead of Vogue World to discuss her role as Frances Haugen in Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning, out October 7. The film is a follow-up to 2010's The Social Network, focusing primarily on the whistleblower and the journalist who exposed the rot in Facebook's infrastructure. Madison does not physically resemble Frances Haugen, so she had to embody the character in other ways. " For this one, I feel like it's more of an intellectual transformation that I needed to try and pull off. There was a lot of restraint involved in this character and how she processes emotions, and so that was something that was intriguing to me. Also, a little bit scary in a way." Aside from the film, Madison spends most of her time baking and with her family and pets. She recently acquired two donkeys and spends as much time as she can giving them cuddles and grooming them. "There was one point where I was like, 'I wonder, is this too crazy and unhinged and too many horse, pony, Chihuahua things? And, like, are people gonna think that I'm crazy?' And then I was like, "You know what? This is me." The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Special thanks to Nothing Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today’s episode of the Run-Through podcast, presented by Prada, Chloe sat down with the two co-creative directors of Prada: Mrs. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons in their first ever joint podcast interview. They covered everything from the Prada show earlier this week that prominently featured skirts to their respective design philosophies, favorite soups, and everything in between.  They started with the latest collection which debuted hours before Vogue World Milano. Mrs. Prada spoke about the parallels between t-shirts and skirts in the sense that “usually in a T-shirt you put your ideas” but you are less constrained with the skirt being further from the face.  Then, they went back to the beginning. "I became a fashion designer because I didn't find anything to wear,” Mrs. Prada explained sincerely, “I don’t dedicate a lot of time to dressing.” She dresses swiftly and usually wears skirts. Simons countered that by stating that while that might technically be true, "It never looks like a fast decision to me. It always looks very sophisticated."  Already, the Prada of Mrs. Prada and Simons has left an indelible mark but their legacy is still in the making. In reflection, Mrs. Prada commented that “if I have to say what my contribution was to fashion, it was reality. Fashion is only about glamour and beauty and actually life is so much the opposite.” Reality is a grounding principle in this moment of societal upheaval with politics and artificial intelligence throwing so much into turmoil. When asked about what she makes of the present fascination with vintage and style of the previous decades, she had some wisdom. “ I think that in this moment people are very interested in the past because the present and the future are so scary. No one is able to envision a future.  People are scared and want to be bound to something, otherwise you are lost. It's an instinct of survival, probably.” Mrs. Prada has long had an affinity for the word useful. She sees it as her obligation to make useful clothing and to design with utility at the forefront. “At the end of the day, I work for a commercial company that has to sell, so I am not an artist. In our field, you have to try to be useful and creativity for the sake of creativity if it’s useless is really not good.” Towards the end of their conversation, Chloe asked Mrs. Prada if she was familiar with the concept of a meme. “Anything you people ask me now, I have no idea” was her response. But Chloe proceeded to explain to her the recently circulating meme of her skeptical facial expression reacting to the robots at Vogue World. “You were a hero!” Chloe exclaimed. The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices