Violet Sessions

“My best work is done when I’m hungry” In the 25th Violet Session, a thanksgiving special, I’m live from Allpress Roastery with Alison Roman; cook, writer and author of the best-selling cookbook Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes. A columnist for the New York Times and contributor at Bon Appetit Magazine, her second cookbook, Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over was released October 2019. Originally from Los Angeles, she currently resides in Brooklyn. In this episode we discuss the ins and outs of having people over. Do you ask your guests to bring a plate or help you chop, and what are the rules of guests washing up? Alison tells me "the closer you are to me, the harder you have to work".

“Red lipstick is the number one rule in life.” In the 24th Violet Session, a mothers day special, I sit down with Lulu Guinness who founded her eponymous fashion business in 1989 and gained worldwide recognition for her bold designs and attitude. Lulu was awarded an OBE for her services to the fashion industry in 2006 and now with flagship stores in many corners of the world has become a household name. In this episode we discuss the importance of being “savvy” in business, the necessity of bravery and confidence in the beginning, and the challenges of raising children while simultaneously building a successful brand. We discuss what being a “creative” used to mean and the ever-evolving meaning of the word today. Lulu tells me she can do one thing at a time, so we talk and then we eat; or rather dive straight into a cream filled Victoria sponge.

“Red lipstick is the number one rule in life.” In the 24th Violet Session, a mothers day special, I sit down with Lulu Guinness who founded her eponymous fashion business in 1989 and gained worldwide recognition for her bold designs and attitude. Lulu was awarded an OBE for her services to the fashion industry in 2006 and now with flagship stores in many corners of the world has become a household name. In this episode we discuss the importance of being “savvy” in business, the necessity of bravery and confidence in the beginning, and the challenges of raising children while simultaneously building a successful brand. We discuss what being a “creative” used to mean and the ever-evolving meaning of the word today. Lulu tells me she can do one thing at a time, so we talk and then we eat; or rather dive straight into a cream filled Victoria sponge.

"We care about each other’s lives and it is a different relationship, it is really beautiful.” In this episode I sit down with Marta Bahillo of babaà knitwear and talk about the importance of forging strong relationships with both suppliers and customers, working with integrity and “doing business with an open heart”. Originally from Madrid, Marta studied Fashion and Textile Design in Dublin, Ireland. After graduating, and with a particular passion for knitwear and natural textiles, Marta moved to Argentina to design womenswear for a major fashion house before returning to Spain and founding babaà in 2012.

“Inspiration, for me, comes in lots of different forms, and sometimes that’s getting dinner on the table in twenty minutes.” In this episode I sit down with cook, food writer, stylist, vegetable pioneer and fellow ‘Wing Mom’, Anna Jones to talk about it all. We discuss the delicate balance of juggling motherhood with our careers, our shared love of farmers' markets and the importance of simplicity, ease and approachability in the recipes we write and the food we make.

Claire Ptak of Violet Bakery talks to Ruthie Rogers, MBE, Michelin star Chef and co-founder of The River Cafe about never hiring a pastry chef and conceiving the idea for her world renowned restaurant in McDonalds.

For our 20th Violet Sessions episode I have switched things up a little. I have new intro music by one of my favourite bands, Woman’s Hour (such a great name for a band) and I’m now doing the podcast solo as my ex co-host Danielle Radojcin moves on to focus on her family and other ventures. The pods will have a slightly new focus as well. I am still talking to inspirational, creative, professional women, but we are opening up together and talking about food, lifestyle and how we live today. The podcast has always been a place for me to get out of the kitchen and into the hearts and minds of all the amazing women that I meet because of Violet. I’d love to hear from you about the podcast and who you’d like to hear me talk to! Thanks and happy listening xx ‘If you put a nice olive oil on the table, salt, pepper… It’s fun to see how people actually season their food.’ In this episode, Nadine Levy Redzepi, an enthusiastic home cook and mother of three daughters, sits down with Claire Ptak to talk about her first book Downtime: Deliciousness at Home, cooking at home with her family, and what it is like having spent most of her adult life working with her husband René Redzepi, chef-patron of the multi-award-winning restaurant Noma.

"It's not about being a woman - it's about being the best at the job that you can be." Sony's Music's Julie Weir, one of the most respected figures in the rock and heavy music industry, sits down with Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak to talk about a career which spans nearly three decades, from working in a record shop in Leeds aged 18, to running club nights, to starting her own music label, Visible Noise, in West London in the 90s, to her current role as head of Music for Nations. She discusses how she survived the Lost Prophets scandal, which brought down her company, her subsequent success, and her thoughts about being a woman working in music today. Along the way she’s worked with Lady Gaga, Blitz Kids and Fearless Vampire Killers among others, sat on the board of the Independent Music Awards and was one of the first inductees at the Women in Music Awards.

"People want an app they can download and everything is sorted." The revered British psychotherapist sits down with Claire Ptak and Danielle Radojcin at Port Eliot Festival to talk about the differences between how men and women deal with loss; how she has managed having children, grandchildren and a career; why she can't cook, and why kick-boxing is her downtime activity of choice.

"Back then, it was easy to be fearless." In this Port Eliot Festival special, the buying director of MATCHESFASHION.COM talks to Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak about her journey from London club kid, to businesswoman, to fashion buying power house and how motherhood changed her along the way. She also discusses how she identifies upcoming fashion trends and emerging designers.

"Everyone in fashion has their Zandra Rhodes moment." The legendary British fashion designer and her creative director sit down at Port Eliot Festival with Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak to talk about her famous hand-created prints, making the label relevant for a new generation and what it takes to have a Zandra Rhodes dressed named after you.

For this Port Eliot Festival special, the London-based Greek fashion designer sits down with Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak to discuss her mentors Sarah Mower and the late Louise Wilson from Central Saint Martins; how she's learned to be a businesswoman; and her plans for where she's going to take her successful international fashion label next.

"I wanted to write the kind of book I'd like to read." The writer Allegra Huston sits down at Port Eliot Festival with Danielle Radojcin and Clair Ptak to discuss the her new novel, Say My Name. She talks about her famous upbringing - how after the death of her mother she moved in with her father, the director John Huston, only to subsequently discover that her biological father was in fact Viscount John Julius Norwich - and her teenage years spent in Hollywood with her older sister, Anjelica Huston. She talks about her impressive career as a literary publisher, screen writer and editor, her life today in Taos, New Mexico - and her thoughts on how to write a successful sex scene.

"I love the fact there's this great awakening." For this Port Eliot Festival special, Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak sit down with the legendary fashion designer and US Vogue's chief fashion critic to discuss fashion and politics; changing attitudes to the environmental impact of fashion; Hamnett's legendary slogan T-shirts and the stories behind them, her upcoming relaunch and why Kanye West is her number one fan.

The food writer and owner of the Wahaca and DF / Mexico restaurant chains talks to Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak about her new book, how she juggles being a mum with her professional life, her glamorous background, her thoughts on eating healthily, eating disorders, tips on feeding children and thoughts on sustainability.

The co-presenter of My Dad Wrote a Porno, BBC Radio 1 presenter and food writer talks to Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak about how to host a successful supper club, her new cookbook, supporting young women to code, living and entertaining in East London and how she's managed to make a successful and varied multi-strand career.

"Life is a mental game. You need to push yourself through the pain barrier." Over coffee at Violet bakery in East London, Danielle Radojcin talks to the founder of Redress, an environmental NGO working to reduce waste in the fashion industry. They discuss how you can dress and shop in a more environmentally-aware way, her work with fashion's top editors, universities and designers to raise awareness, and her new book, Dress with Sense, as well as her life as a working mother in Hong Kong and the merits of doing a striptease for your husband when you're nine months' pregnant.

The writer talks about working for Vogue, the English aristocracy, having her wedding dress designed by Alexander McQueen, being a 90s It Girl and what it's like having Anna Wintour as a mentor. She also discusses her new book, the writing process and what it feels like to have a book on the New York Times bestseller list. Recorded with Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak at Violet bakery in East London.

"When I work on the estate I feel like I'm working with my father. It's a collaboration. It's all a way of being close to him and to the work." Curator and design consultant Mariah Nielson talks to Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak at Violet bakery in East London about managing the estate of her father, the late artist J.B. Blunk, her experience of travelling to Japan as a 16-year old model, culture differences between California and London, and the value of travel and spending time alone.

"Don't start with a burning car," says the Parisian Kim Boutin about learning how to code. Here she talks to Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak about life at the vanguard of digital creativity and how we can encourage young girls to get into coding. Since leaving her job at Kenzo to set up her business in London, Kim has produced interactive magazine OK Grl with Louby McLoughlin, worked for Dior and created the VR designs at virtual nail salon Wah in London.