Alison Roman

“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".

“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".

Episode 25 - Alison Roman

Lulu Guinness

“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.

Episode 24 - Lulu Guinness

Marta Bahillo

"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.

"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.

Episode 23 - Marta Bahillo

Anna Jones

“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.

“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.

Episode 22 - Anna Jones

Ruthie Rogers

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.

Episode 21 - Ruthie Rogers

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.

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.

Episode 20 - Nadine Levy Redzepi

Julie Weir

"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 Lostprophets scandal, 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.

Ep 19 - Julie Weir: women and the music industry

Julia Samuel

"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.

Ep 18 - Julia Samuel: dealing with grief in the modern world

"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.

"Back then, it was easy to be fearless." In this Port Eliot Festival special, the buying director of <a href="http://MATCHESFASHION.COM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MATCHESFASHION.COM</a> 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.

Ep 17 - Natalie Kingham: making motherhood and career work

Zandra Rhodes

Grace Woodward

"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.

Ep 16 - Zandra Rhodes and Grace Woodward: treading the line between fashion and art

Mary Katrantzou

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.

Ep 15 - Mary Katrantzou: female mentors in the fashion industry

Allegra Huston

"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 Claire 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.

Ep 14 - Allegra Huston: family ties and writing cringe-free sex scenes

Katharine Hamnett

Sarah Mower

"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.

Ep 13 - Katharine Hamnett and Sarah Mower: what's the point of protest fashion?

Thomasina Miers

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.

Ep 12 - Thomasina Miers: Masterchef, Mexican food and motherhood

Alice Levine

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.

Ep 11 - Alice Levine: podcasting, friendship, and supper club no-nos

Christina Dean

"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.

Ep 10 - Dr Christina Dean: sustainable fashion, shopping in bins and pregnant striptease

Anna Wintour

Alexander McQueen

Plum Sykes

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.

Violet Sessions, Ep 9 - Plum Sykes: on novel writing, Anna Wintour and Alexander McQueen

Mariah Nielson

"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.

Violet Sessions, Ep 8 - Mariah Nielson: J.B. Blunk, Japanese culture and California dreaming

Kim Boutin

"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.

Violet Sessions, Ep 7 - Kim Boutin: VR design, Dior and Kenzo

Sylvia Farago is a creative fashion producer who worked with Jefferson Hack, Rankin and Burberry. After a relationship with an ex boyfriend turned sour, she set up her own company, and now travels all over the world producing shoots for Celine, Vogue and Love, working with the world's top photographers including Collier Shaw and Nick Knight. Over coffee at Violet in Hackney, East London, Sylvia a chats to Danielle Radojcin and Claire Ptak about how she made it to the top of her game, her adventures in the fashion industry, and how she combats jet lag.

Violet Sessions, Ep 6 - Sylvia Farago: Dazed, 90s London and outrunning past lives

Just found this podcast and I love it!! I especially loved and related to the Anna Jones episode and the struggles of being a working mom. Claire is great at interviewing:)

Love this podcast!

I learn something new from each episode. Real conversations with real women. Highly recommend! Time well spent.

Inspiring and Enjoyable

Violet Sessions

Penny Martin

Penny Martin, editor of The Gentlewoman magazine, speaks to broadcaster Danielle Radojcin about scoring Zadie Smith for her latest cover, what it was like interviewing Celine's Phoebe Philo, and her concept of fashion which she calls 'soft glamour'. The regular recording takes place at Violet bakery in East London, in front of an audience of about 20 people.

Violet Sessions, Ep. 3 - Penny Martin: Soft glamour, hard copies and The Gentlewoman

Fashion illustrator Jo Ratcliffe talks to broadcaster Danielle Radojcin about the launch of Femoji, her sticker and keyboard app. Following a career in fashion working with Kate Moss, Louis Vuitton and Dazed, Jo decided to quit her London studio and go travelling. Inspired by a range of amazing women, she decided to launch her range of feminist emojis. Violet Sessions is a series of interviews with female creative pioneers, aimed at inspiring anyone who listens to them. They take place at Violet, the bakery owned by chef and author Claire Ptak in East London.

Fashion illustrator Jo Ratcliffe talks to broadcaster Danielle Radojcin about the launch of Femoji, her sticker and keyboard app. Following a career in fashion working with Kate Moss, Louis Vuitton and Dazed, Jo decided to quit her London studio and go travelling. Inspired by a range of amazing women, she decided to launch her range of feminist emojis. Violet Sessions is a series of interviews with female creative pioneers, aimed at inspiring anyone who listens to them. They take place at Violet, the bakery owned by chef and author Claire Ptak in East London.

Violet Sessions, Ep 4 - Jo Ratcliffe: Fashion, feminism and Femojis

The Best Multi-Part Documentaries, with documentaries on Obama, Federer vs Nadal, the making of Star Wars, Netflix vs Blockbuster and more. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Multi-Part Documentaries

The best self improvement podcast episodes. From improving productivity, to finding purpose in your life to what constitutes freedom, this topic is on anything and everything that can help people to improve their lives. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!