anything goes with emma chamberlain - what it's like to work at vogue, a talk with vogue's sergio [video]

Episode Date: May 2, 2024

[video available on spotify] in honour of my favorite fashion event of the year, the met gala, i've come to the vogue office in new york city to speak to sergio kletnoy. he’s the global entertainment director at vogue magazine where he oversees celebrity bookings. i'm excited to talk to Sergio today because i feel like we all have our assumptions about the fashion world: what it means to be in the fashion world and what it means to work in it. we're gonna be discussing what it's like to work behind the scenes in fashion as well as details around the met gala, because obviously it's the biggest fashion event of the year. so i present to you, sergio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In honor of my favorite fashion event of the year, the Met Gala, I've decided to come to the Vogue office here in New York City to speak to Sergio, the global entertainment director at Vogue magazine. He oversees all celebrity bookings for Vogue US, UK, Latin America, and Mexico. Over the course of his career, Sergio has worked at Harper's Bazaar, Women's Health, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire. He's produced the World Music Awards and worked at numerous record companies including Motown, Sony, Arista, and Virgin Records. I'm excited to talk to Sergio today because I feel like we all have our assumptions

about the fashion world, what it means to be in the fashion world, what it means to work in the fashion world. We've seen movies like Devil Wears Prada, we've read articles about it, we all have our assumptions but I want someone to come in and tell us what's really up and so that's why I'm excited to be speaking to Sergio today. We're gonna be discussing what it's like to work behind the scenes in fashion, as well as details around the Met Gala,

because obviously it's the biggest fashion event of the year and there's a lot to uncover. So I present to you, Sergio from Vogue. This episode is brought to you by Secret. Secret deodorant gives you 72 hours of clinically proven odor protection. How epic is that? And it's free of aluminum, parabens, dyes, talc, and baking soda. It's made with pH balancing minerals and crafted with skin conditioning oils.

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This is one of many sounds in Tennessee with a story to tell. To hear them in person, plan your trip at tnvacation.com. Tennessee sounds perfect. I do want to know about you as a child. Were you like, were you a fashionable kid? Like I was obsessed with little costumes and it was weird but... I mean I'm not a fashion guy to begin with. Like I was born in the former USSR and I was obsessed with music.

So like the fact that I am working in entertainment and you see Vogue cover so much music, it's because I'm obsessed with musicians. Every time there's somebody music on the cover, it's probably because I have stressed everybody on our team about putting that person on the cover. Like I have such passion for musicians because like ever since I remember first time watching a music video on my grandmother's couch when I was like five

years old in Russia and it was Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. I did not speak a word of English, could not understand what Michael was singing about but I had such a strong reaction and I wanted to work behind the scenes in music and somehow it all just came together. Yeah, how did you get from like being music obsessed to now working at Vogue? Well, we moved to this country when I was 12 and I didn't know anyone, there was no connections, there was no like, hey I know this person, they will hook you up with a job. I went to a community college in Westchester and somehow I got an internship at do you know Arista Records, do you know who Clive Davis is? So Clive

Davis is a big-time record executive. He quote-unquote discovered Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana and Janis Joplin and all these like iconic musicians and I Got to talking to somebody at this label and he was like, well, do you want to intern? We have internships available and I Literally started like ditching school and going in like two three times a week. No pay 12 hours a day I wanted to be a sponge like I would walk in every day. And from the moment I was there, I just wanted to observe and take everything in.

And somehow it led me to this. I spent like three years as an intern at Arista Records working for free. Didn't finish college, got offered my first job in my last year of college. And my first job was at like Motown Records, working in radio promotion. And I spent a year working at Motown.

We all got fired because someone else, another company bought out this label. Everybody got let go. I got my second job working at Sony, my third job working at, back at Arista Records, the place that I interned. And after Arista, I went to Virgin Records, spent two years there, got so burnt out,

and took a year off. And then that year, I saw Devil Wears Prada. And somehow, I realized that that is the one thing in my career that I haven't done yet, like work in the fashion industry. Interesting. And it's that film that made me want to work here. Really?

I mean here, like in fashion in general, in magazines. Yep. And I remember seeing that movie and realizing that Vogue is basically like at the top of the food chain. Yeah. And that was my goal all along. Yeah. Like hopefully one day I my goal all along. Yeah. Like, hopefully one day I get to work at this magazine. So then how did you get to Vogue?

I worked at six different magazines before working with Vogue. So I spent five years at Cosmo. While I was at Cosmo, I got my own magazine. They gave me 17, so I was booking 17. And after 17 17 I did like Red Book and Women's Health and my last job at that company was working for Harper's Bazaar which you obviously know as well. And this job at Vogue

somehow became open because the previous booker who was here for 20 years was leaving. And my friend works at G. She was like you should come and interview for this job Like there's no way in hell Anna Wintour is gonna hire me mm-hmm I drop more fuck words like more fucks in a single sentence than probably anyone she knows Yeah, covered in tattoos. I'm not polished. Yeah. I'm just a worker. Like I go in, I have a vision, and how do I get it done? And I don't even know how to explain it, but like I walked into her office. The first person I interviewed with was Anna. There was no human resources. There was no like number two.

My first interview for this job was with Anna. And I had a broken foot. Oh no. Three broken toes. No. And I refused to wear my boot. I was going to say she would not like the boot. I mean she probably would have been fine with it but I was like there's no way I'm walking into an interview at Vogue limping with a boot.

I was in so much pain wearing this Valentino boot that I barely squeezed my foot into. And I never dress up to go to work. Like you're not going to see me in a sweater or a tie or a jacket. I walk into Harper's Bazaar that day in like a really nice sweater, really nice pants, these Valentino boots. And someone I work with goes, do you have an interview? Like why are you dressed that way?

I'm like, no, no, I have an event after. He's like, no, I don't believe you. Like, there's no way you're coming into work looking like this. Yeah. I go to the interview here, and I've heard before that, you know, usually like interviews here take like five to 10 minutes

at the most. Yeah. We ended up talking for maybe 20, and I was only supposed to meet with Anna. Yeah, I got to Meet with two other people that day and walking out of here I kind of had an idea that I was maybe the front-runner. Yeah, and it all just happened so quickly I think within two weeks I was hired Wow, and it's been almost Six years Wow, that's a journey Wow. And it's been almost six years. Wow.

That's a journey. I feel like most people would think about working at Vogue and it's like, okay, well, it's a fashion job, but I feel like it's so much more dynamic than that. Like you're, you have to be up to date on pop culture because the fashion piece of it is absolutely crucial. But it's also like for the mainstream, not everyone's into fashion, but you want everyone to be into Vogue. Is that something that comes naturally to you?

Are you just like naturally soaking up pop culture in a way? Or are you sort of someone who has to go out and seek it out? Like obviously it comes naturally for you with music and musicians, but what about when it comes to the broader industry, what is that sort of experience like? How do you stay in the know? Everything has to do with pop culture, right? I remember growing up and Vogue had a tagline, before it's anywhere, it's in Vogue.

And it always stuck with me. I was obsessed with supermodels back in the day. My walls were covered in photos of Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell and yeah, Turlington Apart from music like supermodels was well like my obsession. Yeah, so I always paid attention to what fashion magazines were doing and Now like everything I do I pay attention to what's happening in theater to what's happening in film and television in music in you know with influencers on with TikTok pay attention to what's happening in theater, to what's happening in film and television, in music, in you know, with influencers, on with TikTok.

Like, it has to make sense for a vote. Like at the end of the day, it is a fashion brand. But you don't want to miss out on something that's happening in pop culture that has nothing to do with fashion. Yeah. Working at so many different magazines, how has it been different curating for Vogue in all things? Because I feel like Vogue is the top dog, so it's like that must be terrifying in a way.

Like there's this weight because it's like it must be taken so And like, how do you, is it a gut feeling? Like, this feels right. Always a gut. Okay. Like, listen, this is how it works in every single magazine. I remember being in every magazine I worked at prior to Vogue.

They all paid attention to what was happening at Vogue. However, every single brand had an identity. Like, something that works for Cosmo may not work for Marie Claire. 1000%. Or Elle, or Harper's Bazaar or Vogue something that works for you know Harper's Bazaar is not gonna work for all those other brands however once you're in Vogue you literally could go anywhere yeah and I knew that when I started out working at Marie Claire mm-hmm that is the epitome of what's

happening in pop culture mm- Here, it's all about your personal opinion. It is your personal opinion. You are curating these ideas. You go into a meeting with a big staff and you make pitches. Every single publicist, every agent, every manager, they pitch ideas to us. We speak to them on a daily basis like every single book are from every single brand from every single TV show you you kind Of have to know but you don't always know because you don't you don't there's not enough time in the world to watch every TV show to watch Every film to listen to every single album or single that's sent to you So you kind of have to have a gut reaction to this person.

And there's always a buzz. Like someone will be the first one to discover it. I'm not the one who's gonna discover it. I'm gonna ride the wave. But I have to pay attention to what's happening in pop culture. And it's my job to walk in every single day and say, I heard about this, we should look into this person.

Or we should pay attention to this this so what's happening here? Maybe they're not ready for vogue yet, but maybe in two months They will be yeah, and that's how every single magazine works. We all function in the same way We all want to be the first to put somebody Fresh on the cover who no one has had before yeah But then you don't want to risk it and put somebody on the cover Who no one is going to click on? So it's this double-edged sword every time you do a cover story or feature or put somebody in a video

Or invite somebody to the med or bring them to an event like It's always a 50-50 you never know yeah. How do you feel like the overall? strategy has changed post social media explosion? Social media changed everything. Yeah. For every single industry out there. Right. For fashion, for entertainment, for every single movie and TV studio, we all have to follow what's happening on social media mm-hmm because Talent has even more Influence now than ever before because they have anywhere from 10 million to you know what Kim K has 400 million followers

Something like that yeah talent has more power than ever before and they have their own Platform where they can do anything they want so how is this gonna work for both of us? Right, like yes, everybody still wants Vogue, but is it going to be the right thing for both the brand and just because you have 300 million followers doesn't mean that we need to cover that project. Yep, yep. And if you're doing every single thing under the sun,

what's the gain in us featuring someone if you live your life on social media how is that going to be interesting for our audience right like if you already put everything out there what are you giving to us or double your vanity fare or like if you're doing 17 covers what's the point? That's a great point. It's almost like. It becomes diluted, like you literally just,

if you give up everything on social media every single day, why do you need a cover? Like you don't even need it. That's so true because it's like there's no story to tell. I've never even thought of it like that. It's almost like, I think that that is probably what makes a cover story so interesting is when you're uncovering something about a public figure that you couldn't really access otherwise. Well, everyone is so guarded nowadays. I mean, like, every single video you see on Instagram or TikTok, people take like ten different versions of that video and post the best one.

Yep. the best one. Yeah. Like I mean I don't want to sound like an old man but I remember like I loved picking up interview magazine because Madonna just revealed something she hasn't said anywhere else. Yeah. I love picking up Vanity Fair and reading a story about a cover star where like Courtney Love literally admitted to like taking drugs during pregnancy and yes that backfired on you. Yeah. And it was a horrible experience for her But like celebrities back in the day weren't that afraid to speak up. That's so True. Do you feel like the media training of today like everyone's so media trained has Negatively impacted the industry. I mean everything is controlled like at the end of a day even if you are guarded it's gonna take an amazing writer for you to open up and

If you don't want to open up you shouldn't do press if you have a publicist who says to me Don't ask this person these three topics. Yeah, why are they doing an interview or guess what? It's it's our job as a journalist to ask the questions. Yeah, it's your job to say you know what I don't want to answer that Can we move on? Yeah? Why do you why does your publicist have to tell me in advance? That's don't ask that question if your talent doesn't know how to pivot then maybe you should do some more media training. That's a Really really phenomenal point. I think people look at press in this industry as like Maybe less of it. I think talent especially Maybe looks at it less as as like a mutually beneficial thing.

And I feel like a lot of people get really too big in their bridges. They're like, no, you need me. Vogue, you need me. You know what I mean? Which is obviously not true. We both need each other. We both need each other. Like it's like everyone needs each other.

And that is very fascinating. People are just so scared because it's such a witch hunt sort of time. That everyone's like so Maybe it's always been a witch hunting sort of time. You you have like well it always It was always a witch hunt the moment paparazzi's became a thing which was what in the 1950s? Yeah Celebrities were being followed politicians were being followed Yeah Anyone who in some way was famous was being followed and you wanted to know their secrets and there was

Star magazine and National Enquirer. Yeah, so like there was always that Witch hunt. Yeah, the moment you become famous regular people feel like You don't have Feelings as a celebrity that you are prepared for anything that comes your way because you chose that life sure but At the same time there are boundaries for anything that comes your way because you chose that life sure but At the same time there are boundaries for everyone. Yep Nowadays you are afraid to speak about anything. Yeah, because Social media will tear you apart

Yeah, but all you have to do is don't go on social media. I know don't pay attention. Guess what like yeah It's just a bunch of people Who trying to start shit so what about? Strategy that like vogue does YouTube so well so well like I Everyone loves the vogue YouTube channel, and it's such like a genius sort of focus I feel like YouTube is a huge focus for Vogue. Well we get we definitely get more access than I think any other brand.

Yeah. And at the end of the day it all is because of this brand that's been built over what like 130 years now. It means something. Yeah. It's a status for a lot of people and once you get vogue you like these fashion brands and Just brands in general look at you in a different way and you will probably get bigger jobs So it is that we need you and you need us. Yeah moment We have an amazing video team and we literally will brainstorm and pitch ideas. Like we have quite a few series that we do on the regular from the getting readies to 24 hours to the cooking series that you did for us now serving 73 questions, life and looks.

And like it is a curation. Like every single time we have to do an episode, we go through a list of names of who would be the best person for that video tied to a project Like it is all connected and we get access like no one else does which I'm incredibly grateful for because at all my other magazines I was like struggling and look Not to say that we get everyone we want here. Yeah

It's nice to work at a place where for the most part I can go to most people and they will at least hear me out 1000% but I think it's interesting because this industry was at one point So just physical paper. It was just paper and that was the industry as a whole. That's it now We controlled. Yes, so like every single page and there was no social media There was nobody talking about like we don't like that cover We don't like that person. We don't like that interview. We don't like the cover line We hate that tiny part in the video. It just it disappeared into the abyss Yes, now every single thing is under a microscope and we are under microscope for everything

But by the way, I don't feel I'm not gonna feel bad for us. Yeah, everyone else goes through the same thing Yeah, every single brand from fashion to entertainment to publishing we all experience the same problems I mean, it's even more interesting though, too Because now like being a magazine you have to do more than just the print you have to do the date Like there's three six. There's the YouTube now. There there's like oh are we gonna do like a merch collection are we gonna do this are we gonna do it like there's so much tick-tock video social media video behind the scenes videos interviews cover stories features dot-com or I mean there's so many layers to every single thing we do yeah that sometimes it could be a bit overwhelming well it's like it must be harder to maintain

This sort of vogue identity when there's so much fucking happening like you're doing every category all the time And it's like how do you maintain a strong identity as a brand? When you're being spread so thin we all wear wear like 20 hats. That's what it is. Yeah. And look, you don't get into publishing because you're like, I'm gonna become rich. You get into publishing because you're passionate about, you know, pop culture and fashion and music

and whatever field you work in in publishing, that's your passion. And if you're not passionate, you're going to hate your job. You're going to be annoyed, you're going to be agitated about every single thing that's happening. It's not an easy job, but we're also not saving lives. We don't have to take ourselves seriously. We have to take our job seriously

because we get paid to do a job. And if you don't wanna be here, you don't have to be here. You always have a choice. But if you're doing this, I mean, my parents taught me from when I was a kid, if you sign up to do something you have to finish it. Yep. We have to make it work. Like I don't know how to explain it, but like we have to figure it out. Because if we don't move with this ever-changing industry, we're going to get left behind.

The Met Gala. It is the fashion event of the year of course how did it get that title I don't know how to explain the power that Met Gala has now yeah but like most people don't realize it's a fundraiser yeah it's a fundraiser for the museum yep for the costume Institute which Anna is obviously heavily involved in. And its main job is to raise money. Every single seat is paid for. Every seat is paid for by a designer or a brand.

They're the ones who are bringing talent in support of the museum, so every single seat has to be paid for. Somehow it became the event to go to every single year. Yeah. Usually it starts the day after the Met Gala ended. So like, this year's Met Gala is May 6th. On May 7th, I will get an email from Anna asking me to work on next year's event.

I may not know what the theme is, but she's going to ask me for ideas. Uh-huh. The theme comes later. Interesting. I mean, she knows what the theme is. I don't know what the theme is. Oh. I found out about this year's theme, I don't know, maybe six months before. Okay. Everything is kept under a lock and key. Wow. So the day after, she'll say, you know, I have some ideas. I want to hear yours. Yeah, let's meet and It literally takes us maybe a Few months to brainstorm ideas then a few more months to figure out who we want to go after for co-chairs And then the last part of it is

Music it's always a surprise. Mm-hmm. This is my six met. I think I Can't tell you. I am like a kid in a candy store every single time I get to work on the Met. It is so much fun, even when it's the most hard job on the planet, because there are so many details. There's a huge team. We have a huge Vogue team working on the Met every year. And every single detail is thought of.

Like every single napkin, knife, florals, arrangements, chairs, every single detail is thought about way, way, way in advance. Even the way your name is written on a placement card is thought about and there's a reason for it. It is so fascinating to watch from the sidelines because I'm not really involved in that part. Like I'm involved in the co-chairs, I'm involved in the performer,

and I'm involved in the last month of preparation. And like I help with some of the guests. But towards the end, once our team like literally places almost everyone, I can't even tell you how many emails and phone calls we get every single day leading up to like the Met like four months prior to it will be like 50 to 100 requests for the Met on a daily. Again it kind of goes back to like this is fashion we're not saving lives here it's like it's almost like throwing

a big birthday party for, you know, it's like, it's like planning a party. It's fun. But do you get nervous when you get on that red carpet? I do get nervous. You don't show it though. The one thing I can say that I'm good at is my poker face. Like, no one will ever know. I'm not afraid of the interviews I'm afraid of the carpet that's what's scary because it's like everybody put so much effort into making you look good and now it's up to you to stand there and like make

it come to life in the face and you get it it's like a performance even though all you're doing is like standing there like, I mean, I think now I'm not afraid anymore maybe? Like maybe this year, I don't think I'll be afraid at all this year. But I mean, I think my heart will beat. I'm not gonna be afraid, but I'll be exhilarated. I mean, I'm sure you watched enough episodes of America's Next Top Model. You know what's crazy? It's been so many years. And my stylist, Jared, keeps being like,

Emma, you need to watch more America's Next Top Model because it'll take you to the next level like you're gonna really like You're gonna learn how to do things with your face that you didn't even know you could do. Um, maybe Zoolander. Oh Have you ever seen Zoolander? No, do you know what Zoolander is? I'm like vaguely familiar It's a Ben Stiller movie about being a male model. Oh, it's pretty brilliant It has all these cameos from like every celebrity you can imagine. Fun. All these fashion designers and it's basically,

it's poking fun of Zoolander. Yeah. But it's absolutely brilliant. And he had this look called Blue Steel. Maybe you should adapt that for the mat. I'm gonna adapt Blue Steel for this mat. Yeah. So that's my homework.

I totally see it for you. I think it's gonna be really, really handsome. Does everything, everything. everything like I'm thinking of Being Anna and I'm like there's no way that she's signing off on everything. She does On everything and on top of that she is at everything we have rehearsals with the performer we have rehearsals with the performer. We have rehearsals with dancers. We have fittings.

We have, like, we go through, like, once we're at the Met preparing in that one room, everything is kind of like, it gets laid out days in advance. She's there to oversee it all. She's literally there at 10 p.m. at night when we were rehearsing with the performer. Wow. Like I remember my first year and like my first year I literally was like I don't know how I got here I hope I don't get escorted. I don't know how I fooled people into thinking that I belong here

but like Poker Face was on 10 that time. Yeah. And Cher was the performer. Wow. Which was so like unreal like this is a Cher was the performer. Wow. Which was so like, unreal. This is a, like, icon and legend get thrown around about every single person nowadays. That is a fucking legend. Yep.

And I remember seeing, going to see Cher the night before her rehearsal at either Barclays or MSG, she was on tour at the time, and going backstage with her publicist and Like being it like it wasn't my first time meeting Cher But it was just like you're in such an awe of this woman Yeah, she talks like she makes jokes and the way she looks like she's just so brilliant And I was like I'll see you tomorrow the rehearsal we get to the rehearsal of course like Anna's there. Yep Cher gets on stage

Does her thing comes off and she was like, how was it? What do you think? I'm like, are you really asking me? Like how was it? I was like you literally I This is what I said to her. Yeah, I go you literally could sing the phone book And I will fucking listen and say it's the most brilliant album on the planet. Yeah, I don't care what you sing I'm like you on that stage is enough. Yep, and on the planet. I don't care what you sing. I'm like, you on that stage is enough. And Anna was there for every single rehearsal. Wow. And like she loves being a part of this.

That's amazing. She's raised something like half a billion dollars for the museum in her, I want to say, what, 25 years that she's done the mat so it's pretty fucking cool I think that is why it's such a special and culturally sort of significant event is because So much love goes into it like there is a lot of human in it Which I think a lot of people look at something like the mat and they're like this is just a big event It's like no like a bunch of pretty people dressing up like what like why do we have to pay? Attention to it. Yeah, you don't have to people are just having fun. Yeah, like Our world is so fucking dark

Yeah, right like if this is the one time a year that everyone gets together and has fun Yeah, and you get to watch it from home. It doesn't mean anything. Yeah, it's just people having a good time Yeah, like we've all been through some shit in the last few years Yeah, like coming to the mat seeing what people are wearing like yeah, it's fun. I don't care what anyone says I have fun Yep, and if I wasn't there I'd still would want to see what you say hearing I would be watching you on live stream. Yeah, I would be watching John Jack Harlow on live stream Yes, no, I mean, it's really honestly heartwarming to hear that it's fun because I feel like coming into this interview, I was like, there's no way that this is fun.

Like, I was expecting you to tell me like, this is actually the worst like six months of my life before the match. I mean, I can imagine there are probably some challenging moments when preparing. I mean, listen, of course probably some challenging moments when preparing. I mean listen of course there's gonna be challenges. Somebody falls out 24 hours before and you have to find a celebrity for a designer because they ran out of ideas. Yeah. I literally pulled talent the day of the Met. Like I would call everybody I know and I would say is anyone available and do they have a look that they can wear to the Met? Like I would call everybody I know and I would say is anyone available and do they have a look that they can wear to the Met?

Like I remember calling someone at SNL. Mmm. Knowing like the entire cast is in New York. Yep. Multiple times when somebody would fall out. Wow. And I would be like can we please get so and so to come. Uh huh.

Like yeah, there are challenges but like like again, we're not saving lives. Like placing, so like my first year we got to bring so many people that have never been to the Met. Like RuPaul's first time at the Met, it was, the theme was camp. Like who's better to come to the Met than RuPaul? Like it was the first time RuPaul got shot for American Vogue in his 30 year career. Like I love nothing more than having somebody for the first time. Mm-hmm.

It makes me as happy as it probably makes them. You know, like having a first man on the cover. Yeah. Anna and I talked about that for a long time. I think for like a year I was told, you know, it's a women's magazine. Yeah. So like, you know, a guy solo, like why would we do that? Let GQ do that. Let, you know, guy solo like why would we do that let GQ do that let you know another brand do that then we

saw everything that was happening with Harry as far as his style and How he was embracing fashion and like it just made sense. Yes, and it became I want to say like If not the biggest probably like top three biggest of all time. Yeah cover wise Social media clicks there were like essays written about like Harry Styles being on the cover of oh, yeah And whether it's positive or negative the point is that people are reacting like you don't want people to just not care Yeah, like whether it's a positive reaction or negative reaction people care about what we're doing And I'm not gonna sit here and say like I take everything so seriously like this is You know I am the word yeah, if it's not in vogue. I don't care

No, that's that's not like when I worked at Marie Claire I gave as much passion to what I was doing there as I did at 17 as I did at women's health and read book and I do it vogue now like for me again It goes back to like my mom always telling me, if you start something, you have to finish. So everything I do here, no matter how hard it is, at the end of the day, I don't have a real office job. I get to work with creative people. We get to put cool people in clothes. We get to shoot them.

We get to bring them to events. We get to do videos with them. We get to, in some way, be a part of this pop culture train Yeah, I have to enjoy it because if I started hating on every single thing that in some way agitates me or annoys me Yeah, I'm gonna be a miserable fucker. I don't want to be that yeah, but then gummies help, too Oh my god, you get home and have to like pop a gum Obviously one time I popped a gummy though, and I had a full Freak out like a little Camino gummy, you know Camino my favorite Oh, well don't the Yuzu ones I had two of them once and went into like a 10-milligram or five

I oh, I think I took two fives. That's nothing. That's what I thought full Oh, maybe they were ten. They were probably ten Man I had I had I had two Caminos at a Taylor Swift and then two Caminos at Beyonce and it was the best experience I've ever ever like I literally thought I was flowing on a Cloud it was incredible like especially during Beyonce because Renaissance is literally fucking perfection Yeah, and every single song with a gummy. Oh You're in heaven gummy in heaven. Oh my god. I'm so jealous. I like traumatized myself with the gummy When it comes to the Met there's a theme

Yes, and that is very important to the event. However, it seems that That tends to be where the drama is. Did people follow the theme? No one understands the theme. Also, though, too, a lot of brands, I think, don't really want to do the theme. Like I feel like there's this sort of, or they're like, we love this. You know what I mean? How important is the theme to Vogue?

And how important is it that people follow the theme? Because I feel like a lot of times, the internet will get mad on Vogue's behalf when people don't follow the theme. Because Anna approves looks somewhat? I wouldn't say it's approves. Like she is involved. She's aware. Especially with like our co-chairs and our

Performers and you know the people that we do have relationships with yep They'll ask her opinion. Yep, and I'm sure like look. I'm not in those conversations Yeah, don't ask me about fashion because I don't care Like I know we're gonna fashion magazine, but like you're wearing a dress amazing. Yeah, you either look good or you don't for me Yes, however, yes, I think in my this is my sixth year here The only time that I saw pretty much everybody on theme was camp Yeah, because it's easy to read like interpret can't it's somewhat fun. It's a little cheesy yeah, it's a little over the top and

cheesy, it's a little over the top, and for the most part, I've seen camp now every single year since camp. I know, it's true. Everyone wants to be camp now. And my favorite story, okay, another going back to Cher. So the night before at rehearsals, I was like, what are you wearing? He's like, well, I'm not doing red carpet. I'm like, well, why not? She's like, I don't, she's like,

obviously nobody knows that I'm coming, that I'm performing, I don't need to dress up. I'm like, well, you probably don't need to because so many people are coming as you. And she goes, what do you mean so many people are coming as me? I'm like, your Cher. You are the definition of camp.

Like Bob Mackie, camp. Like Bob Mackie is an incredible designer. He's a master, but like definition of camp like Bob Mackie camp like Bob Mackie is an incredible designer. He's a master but like Definition of camp like when I think of camp I think of Vegas over the top like feathers and jewelry and yeah blingy Like yeah, it is you are camp. Yes, she goes bullshit. She literally goes bullshit then next day I see her like she arrives. I see her I go did you look at the carpet? Because I did quite a few people dressed as me like literally dressed as me because that's why I changed my mind She goes I'm literally gonna perform in jeans and my puffer Cher is not in camp

But she's wearing jeans and a puffer because she saw so many that year was literally like Jennifer Lopez came in inspired by share. Yep, Emily Rostojowsky came and inspired by share Yeah, there were literally I think like six or seven people my brain doesn't work well clearly because of the gummies But there was so many people just to share and it was just so funny to see this woman who literally is The epitome of the word was like no I'm gonna let you all have it. Yeah, I'm gonna wear jeans. That's oh Kind of amazing. That's so good the performers do go on the carpet or don't like sometimes They do it's up to them like Lizzo was the performer last year

She was on the carpet Lenny Kravitz was on the was the performer two years ago. Yeah, he was on the carpet Yeah, yeah, it depends like if you wanted you can if you don't yeah Yeah, I mean it is kind of interesting like it's a dinner, but it's also it's come on But no one eats I know except for me. I am NOT kidding the first year the first year I remember so vividly I come in and I'm Starving I'm like I'm so hungryly, I come in and I'm starving. I'm like, I'm so hungry. Like we've just been, well I also do the interviews, so it's like I'm there for like five hours

just interviewing and like whatever. So I'm like- Okay, you making it sound like we make it work for that long. You interview for two hours, but you're around for like five. Yes. You do have to be there early. So they make me interview for 24 hours straight. It's ridiculous though. I'm so kidding. Oh my god, we are horrible. No, and it's the best joy of my absolute life

Yeah, cuz you and Jack have this thing we just have you created that we've created come for Jack for Jack I know that well now it's like I can't I can't leave him hanging like if he walks up and it's not me He's gonna be heartbroken. It's gonna be so sad. It's like Billie Eilish for Vanity Fair We have to get that video. That's so true. I think this is the fourth year. This is my One two three Four. I think it's the fourth. And have one we had him on all three years with you or no? The last two. Okay, so we need a third. So this will be our third. We're gonna have to continue. Yeah.

I think the third is gonna be the best. You know what I mean? What's the week of the Met for you? Summarized it depends this week I have a cover shoot literally like a few days before the Met actually two cover shoots one in LA one in New York And I have to go to both of them. Oh ouch like literally four days before Leading up. I'm telling you like it is like clockwork Somebody will fall out and it will be anywhere between four to ten people someone will get sick someone's schedule will change with their production and You either have to replace a person. Yeah, or

Figure out what to do with that seat. Yeah So there's always those issues to deal with Rehearsals we always have a pre-party We get an insane amount of emails for after parties which have which we have nothing to do with But we still have to answer those questions Because you can't ignore people I literally respond to every single email well day of the Met is insane though Yeah, I usually get anywhere between 200 to like 600 text messages ask people are arriving or a publicist will be like so and so is on their way

Can you look out for them? I'm like yes. I'm at the top of the stairs. I will see everyone. Yeah, right Yeah, you don't have to tell me that yeah like I say hi to everyone. Yeah, I usually work with Lala at the top of the stairs pulling talent for all of her interviews. Yeah, so I'm Lala's bitch for the night Yeah, and that's a pretty cool thing to do because I know I know most people that come up Yeah, and a lot of them don't want to be on camera and talk they just want to go inside and have a good time Yeah, and I literally have to force some people To do interviews. Yeah, it literally happens every single time like JLo last year did not want to be on camera yeah, and I was like Jennifer. You cannot not do this. Yeah and

It took like good convincing yeah, but they're always glad I think that they did it poor Nikki last year She had a problem with her look. Uh-huh the top kept falling Yeah, and she did not want to be on camera and she kept holding on to her dress Oh, and I was like I promise you 30 seconds that's all I need. Yeah, I'm begging you. I'm like I just like I love Nikki so much Yeah, but I also love Cardi so I don't want people to be like He picks people he picks his favorite favorites. I don't have these are all your children. I love them all yeah and Literally 30 30 seconds in front of the camera. She was so uncomfortable, but they do it

And you know that's where the charming Sergio comes out. Yeah, I have to turn that on because of course I it could be quite the asshole sometimes so maybe you fit into Devil Wears Prada No, I'm kidding you don't maybe the September issue. Did you ever see that? No, okay? It's the most brilliant documentary about making of a September issue for vogue. Oh You know what from like many many years ago. I was gonna say I might like 15 years ago. Yeah, but Maybe I watched half that Yeah, well, it's in it's insane. I didn't know about the significance of the September issue until I don't know like three like, you know It's it is interesting how it's like well September and March are considered like the fashion issues. Yeah, you always want to have someone

Super cool or yep someone with a big project or a big supermodel and yep. It's You know, it's it's the thing. It's the thing. So we we have how long till the met? How are you feeling now? How are you sleeping now? Are you like is life pretty normal for now? No, it's a little stressful It's already getting stressful because now is when I start to get frantic phone calls from People who have not gotten in yet frantic phone calls from people who have not gotten in yet. So it's like, hey, can you help us in any way? And I'm not in those conversations. Like I don't talk to designers. I don't convince them to bring talent. Yeah. And I

become the middleman between talent and our MedGalate team. Well, yeah, I feel like a lot of people listening are probably like, how do you even get invited? How do you get invited? Mostly it's relationships, right? So like a brand has relationships with talent. Just like we know who's right for our cover and who's right for our videos and what people we wanna put a spotlight on. Brands have their people.

And those are the people they wanna take to the Met. They will check on their availability before they go out to anyone else. So if you have a relationship with the brand, that's the best way to go. But here's the kicker, nobody ever knows which designers are coming to the Met. So publishers will literally go to like 50 brands to see who's coming to the Met that year. And typically it's not like... Well, because every year different brands are like we're gonna we're gonna make this investment and purchase, yep. Everyone always says well they've been before why can't they come back

and it's not about that of course they can't come back if a brand wants to bring you absolutely fine by us but at the same time we also want to bring in different people every year you don't want to have the same group of people every single time. Yep. Even Rihanna doesn't want to come every single year. Yeah. Beyonce doesn't want to come every single year. Yeah.

Just because you've been before doesn't mean that you have to come every single year. Mm-hmm. You want to have a different crowd. You want to vary it and like let room for new people to circle in and you know. Like when you think about it, it's not that big of room. It's like 425 seats, maybe seats depending on a year. I think before I started they met was like something like 600 700 people Yeah, it has gone down significantly because that room is just so packed. Yeah and

Everybody wants to get in. Yeah What's like a little? to get in. Yeah. What's like a little secret, like a little Met Gala secret or a little Met Gala fact that you feel like people don't know that would be interesting to them? How much I have to fight to get certain people in? Oh. Especially performer, right? Because so many people have ideas. Yeah. Like we have a director, there's always going to be like a brilliant director attached to the Met. Most people probably don't't know but Baz Luhrmann has an immediate like this long-standing relationship with Anna and Baz works on the Met Baz is like a brilliant film director he always has a vision and for the last

few years like it's a group of people that decide on who the performer is yeah and you literally have to do, you know a song and dance Yeah, thank God. I don't have a voice because like that entire room would be running but I do have a way of Somehow convincing our team that we should lean a certain way That's probably the hardest part every single year like co-chairs are easy because it's all Anna. Yeah. The performer, like, most people, like, there's like a group of people, and everyone has their

own opinion. Yeah. I don't know if that answers your question. It's not. No, that's a great fact. It's sort of like there's different ideas and a lot of different voices and a lot of different whatever, and it's like, when it comes to making certain decisions that you know everyone's sort of everyone has their own kind of idea agenda you know what I

mean like oh I love this I think this would be so good and then it's trying to find the best option. The best fit. Yeah that's what it really comes down to. That's all it is. That's all it is. I'm so excited for this year. Are you excited? Are you? Have you figured out what you're wearing? I, it's- Have you had fittings? I've had one fitting, and we did sketches. I've had about two or three calls, and it's happening, and it's the most on theme

I've ever been. I wish I know you don't care about it as much, but it's- No, I love seeing people on theme. This one's really on theme, which I'm stoked about, because I feel like in the past, it's maybe not ended up being as on theme. Like, it's been great, and I love it, but I'm like, this is not quite on theme as much as I want to be. Like, I want to be on theme.

I mean, look, this year... It's hard to get there, though. Great theme this year, though. This year's theme is truly, like, the most famous line from Devil Wears Prada right like florals for spring groundbreaking yeah, like it's the only time you can literally use that as The theme for the Met yeah, and I don't think anyone like I I think people are either really thinking that it's florals for spring Which it really isn't. Yeah. Like, from what I understand, this is my interpretation. Yep.

The exhibit features all these, like, incredible gowns and dresses that have been locked away for many years. Yep. And they're being reawakened. Yeah. So, yes, Sleeping Beauty, florals some way yeah, but it's about rebirth. It's about yeah, you know florals to spring Yeah, I think when you're somebody who's into fashion you're like. This is a great little challenge. It sort of puts it Changes what you're able to do what in a fun way. I mean I feel like you have really grown so much as a

I feel like you have really grown so much as a Livestream host. I mean, I don't like a live stream like you a part of a live stream. You're a part of live stream You know live stream host, but you have grown so much because I remember that first year and how nervous you were. Oh Like you were you were freaking out I was freaking out also no no this was so bad This is so bad It wasn't bad because you actually did a really great job with all of your interviews You're freaking out. I was freaking out. Well, also, no, no. This was so bad. This was so bad. It wasn't bad because you actually did a really great job with all of your interviews. Except for the most important one. Who?

With Anna. Oh, you had an interview with Anna. I didn't realize that. Never got posted. It was... What happened? Because I was really... The microphone wasn't quite working.

Is that the excuse? Well, it was kind of me not knowing how to use the microphone. Listen, I was like having a hard time like switching it back and forth. That's before we mic'd me and then I could just hold the mic like this, which we figured out we did that immediately after because we were like I can't because people just don't talk like that. Like I'm not used to this. Even when you're like Ryan Seacrest. Well is awkward. Well, you needed the two mics or... Yeah, it was just not right. So anyway, so that was that.

We fixed that immediately after and then everything became way better. But she, I was like, she is going to never have me back. Like I was certain of it after that. And I couldn't have blamed her because you know I mean in such a She was the first one of the day the very first one to arrive. She's always first one to arrive. So it was like It was it was basically doomed But she you know what she was patient with me listen most people have a very wrong idea of Anna and how she is no

She's Anna corrects jokes and meetings Anna is fun Anna has Brilliant comebacks when you say something funny like I Have I've I've had an incredible experiences over my career with so many Like really smart brilliant people who have taught me so much Every single day. I leave here. I feel like I've accomplished something. Yeah every single day Like this is not bullshit. I don't stay at jobs that I don't need that. I don't want to stay in I don't have that fixation on like what will I do without this like I literally come from nothing

We came to this country with two pieces of luggage. Mm-hmm. Like if somebody takes all of this away tomorrow, I'll be fine. I'll start all over again. However, I do appreciate, like I am the first person who's going to be incredibly grateful for every opportunity that comes my way. I get to work with someone who literally changed the face of this industry. I get to learn from this person every single day. I get to walk into that office every day and have any conversation I want with her and she will listen because we've established a relationship now where I contribute to what she's doing. I am of help and I've proven myself. I would think that I've proven myself in almost six years of working here. So like I

greatly appreciate every single thing she brings to the table whether I agree with my boss or not at the end of a day She has been doing this much longer than I have yet and for the most part. She knows better than I do yeah and This job is about challenges. Yeah, like she challenges me, and I hope that in some way I challenge her when she does not know someone and it's my job to make her and the rest of our team see why this person is important to cover, why this person is important to come to the Met, why this person is important for a feature or a cover story or a video. I appreciate working here because I work on a level that everyone else wants to work on as far as this brand because I come from six other brands. Like I've been here, I've worked at so many other companies and we always talked about what this brand does.

So like I am grateful for this opportunity and I work my ass off because I actually enjoy seeing the fruits of my labor. Like her work ethic is unlike anything I've ever heard about in my life. I'll get an email at like 530 in the morning. Mind you, I'm not awake at 530 in the morning. But when I look at my emails in the morning, I'm like, oh, 530 a.m. Cool. I don't understand how she does it.

And she's here every single day. She comes in in the morning, she leaves in the evening, always available, she responds to every single email I send. It's like- She's somehow at every fashion show too. I don't know how she does it. Every fashion show, every big event, she cares about this brand.

So like if my boss cares, and my boss has a lot more on her plate than I do, then I certainly have to step up every single time I Come into the building or I get to work on you know any event with her Yeah, it's like we just got to work on the Biden campaign on this Massive fundraiser the biggest fundraiser in history. I'd radio City Music Hall And you know if you would have told me as a 12 year old kid that I'm gonna be working on this mega Presidential campaign with yeah Clinton Obama and Biden with all these performers

I would have laughed in your face because like it is so outside of what I know Yeah, I get to work on this because of Anna. Yeah, so at the end of a day I have to like admire and appreciate and be grateful for these opportunities. And The Met is one of them. Like I used to watch it like literally every single day. I mean, every single day, every single year. So to be able to work on here on The Met every year now is pretty fucking cool. So fucking cool.

Oh my God. This was amazing. This is it? I mean, are we done? Are you not going to sing? Well, I guess I guess you know what what, I'm gonna sing at the Met. Amazing, you're the performer. So, this is my big announcement. I am the performer, so I'm putting out my first album.

It's similar to Adele, just a little bit different. Um, yeah, I feel like we're good. That was amazing. That was like, incredible.