Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud

RERUN: Zadie Smith was one of my first recordings of Fashion Neurosis. She arrived on a bicycle in the pouring rain, a more typical June day in London 2024. I didn't know Zadie well, but she owned a couple of my velvet suits and she is one of those writers who dresses as brilliantly as she writes. Writing is such a glamorous thing. Seeing a body clothed with style makes me wonder how that person thinks. This is why I was so keen to see Zadie Smith lying on my couch - to see her and to hear her.

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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. Smith’s most recent book is The Fraud, published in 2023. She is also the author of two short story collections, including Dead and Alive published in 2025, and a play, The Wife of Willesden.

Zadie Smith has lived in Rome and New York, where she taught fiction at Columbia, then joining New York University as a tenured professor of fiction in 2010. In 2023, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and Zadie Smith discuss the importance of lipstick, being inspired by the fashion of fictional characters, and losing her entire wardrobe in a fire.

Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Intro

00:00:21 What are you wearing today?

00:01:19 Obsessions

00:02:20 Zadie’s Mother’s Style

00:05:44 Fashion Dreams

00:08:00 Beauty and intelligence

00:12:18 Where to start an outfit

00:14:52 Clothing individuality

00:19:30 If you fancy someone…

00:24:40 Clothes to improve mood

00:33:00 Shyness

00:41:20 Nudity

00:43:30 Dressing like literary figures

00:47:00 Hair

00:50:14 Outro

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RERUN: I never expected to have Kate Moss as a Fashion Neurosis guest. I knew she hated being filmed and is famously private. I had been doing little experiments with set ups before Covid and one day we were having tea together and I showed her. ‘I want to do this,’ she said. I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I knew I must have made something good if Kate wanted to be part of it. Her episode will always be one of my favourites. Her brilliant irreverent wit is second to none.

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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.’

In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and Kate Moss discuss Fashion Police, wearing a heel to feel naked, and sitting for my father Lucian.

00:00:00 Intro

00:00:18 What are you wearing today?

00:01:14 Childhood fashion

00:03:10 Body

00:06:20 Clothes that make you feel different

00:08:00 Dressing up friends

00:12:00 Where to start with an outfit

00:14:19 Fashion police

00:20:57 Attractive clothing

00:22:14 If you fancy someone…

00:25:49 Walking for Vivienne Westwood

00:32:03 Supermodel era

00:37:13 Stripping and nudity

00:39:18 Clothes to improve mood

00:39:55 Presents

00:41:51 Fashion kinks

00:46:35 Outro

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A live, audio-only recording from my conversation with Laurie Anderson at the Tribeca Festival in June 2026.

Laurie Anderson is an American writer, director, composer, visual artist, musician, and vocalist whose groundbreaking work spans art, theater, experimental music, and technology.

She has created numerous multimedia stage performances, published ten books, and been nominated for five Grammy Awards, with her visual art exhibited globally at institutions including the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC, and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm. Anderson has a BA in Art History from Barnard College and an MFA in Sculpture from Columbia University, and has been a fixture of the New York avant-garde art scene since the 1970s. Her notable early performances include Duets On Ice and Institutional Dreams. She shot to global fame in 1981 with the release of her song “O Superman”.

She made her directorial debut in 2015 with the film Heart of a Dog. In 2021 she delivered the Charles Eliot Norton Lectures at Harvard University, Spending the War Without You: Virtual Backgrounds. In 2024, she premiered ARK: United States Part 5 at Factory International in Manchester, released her studio album Amelia on Nonesuch Records, and was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as well as the Gold Medal for Music from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

She currently has two installations at the Venice Biennale Arte 2026, titled In Minor Keys. Her latest album, Let X=X, was released in May 2026.

In this special live episode of Fashion Neurosis at Tribeca Festival in June 2026, Bella Freud and Laurie Anderson discuss extreme courage, loving Lou Reed, and Sigmund Freud.

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Shania Twain is a Canadian songwriter and artist. She is a five-time GRAMMY Award winner, and the top-selling female country-pop artist of all time.

Born in Ontario, Shania Twain experienced a childhood fraught with deprivation. From the age of 8, her mother would take Shania to perform after hours in local bars in order to raise grocery money, but also to showcase the extraordinary talent of her daughter.

Through her bold and boundary-pushing lyricism and musical style, Twain helped redefine country music for a global audience, opening the door for the genre-blending sound and cultural crossover shaping country and pop music today.

Often nicknamed the Queen of Pop, Twain has released seven acclaimed studio albums, with more than 100 million albums sold worldwide. Her era-defining catalog includes timeless hits such as “Any Man of Mine,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “You’re Still the One,” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”.

In 2022, the career-spanning documentary Shania Twain: Not Just a Girl, was released, with an accompanying Highlights album. In July 2026, Shania released her seventh full-length album, Little Miss Twain, which marks her most personal and introspective work to date, and was a special guest for Harry Styles during his Wembley Stadium residence.

A renowned fashion icon and enduring cultural force, Twain continues to influence generations across music, style, and pop culture.

In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and Shania Twain discuss taking her horse on tour, Dolly Parton, and being attracted to great hair.

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RM is a South Korean rapper, songwriter, music producer, and the leader of pop royalty BTS.

His discography includes solo mixtapes RM (2015) and mono. (2018), as well as solo albums Indigo (2022) and Right Place, Wrong Person (2024), which showcase his remarkable versatility across genres. BTS have released ten studio albums since 2014, are among the world’s best-selling musical acts, and have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards worldwide.

As a creative powerhouse and avid art enthusiast, RM is renowned for crafting profound lyrics often inspired by various art forms. He has an extensive personal art collection with a focus on both contemporary and antique Korean art, and is curating an exhibition with SFMOMA for late 2026, pairing Korean artists with Western ones.

His flexible and philosophical approach to music and ability to push creative boundaries with cutting-edge collaborations has led him to work with a diverse range of artists, including Erykah Badu, Anderson Paak, Lil Nas X, Mahalia, and more.

In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and RM discuss Stendhal Syndrome, Rick Owens, and the mantle of leadership.

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