Photographer Sasha Samsonova is generating quite a buzz with her striking images of women who are comfortable in their own skin and unabashedly sexy. A female Helmut Newton, Sasha is all about celebrating the beauty and strength of the women who stand before her lens. 
 
Born and raised in Ukraine, Sasha is an autodidact photographer who was already shooting for Harper’s Bazaar by the time she was 17 years old, having picked up a camera after her plans to become a professional ballroom dancer fell by the wayside. But her innate understanding of how the body can express emotion in the way it moves has had a direct impact on both her photography and the films and videos she is now directing in Hollywood.
 
Sasha has worked with celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Lili Reinhart, Khloe Kardashian, Emma Roberts, and Kate Bosworth, her images have been featured in the pages of Vogue, L’Officiel, Elle, and Playboy and she has collaborated with brands such as Google, Fear of God, and Revlon. 
 
When you see Sasha’s work it’s all about sensual strength. And when you listen to her speak, you know that her goal in life is to make women feel as powerful as possible. And she has the photos to prove that she is doing exactly that.

071 Sasha Samsonova: Photographing Female Power

Guillaume Delacroix is a luxury brand whisperer. His entire career, from his early days working at Karla Otto and KCD to his time at Giorgio Armani and Balenciaga, to his current role as the founder and CEO of DLX, he has been helping leading prestige companies craft their narratives in ways that spark conversations, engage the public and create lasting impressions. 

Guillaume launched DLX nine years ago and since then he has built up a reputation in the industry for both spotting and supporting budding design talents but also for helping more established companies create bold new chapters in their brand strategy. A born storyteller, Guillaume doesn’t limit his clientele to just fashion labels but instead uses his skills to create memorable moments with a variety of companies. He has worked with everyone from Matches, and the famed Samaritaine department store in Paris to hot niche brands like Sophie Carbonari Skincare, the Zurich-based On athleticwear label and the current must-have swimwear brand Hunza G. 

The common denominator across all these companies is they are cool. And if they weren’t cool, by the time Guillaume works his magic on their brand strategy, communication rollout and event activations…well they damn sure will be.

I have known Guillaume for years and considering his impressive track record in the luxury space what still strikes me the most is how humble and self-effacing he is. I mean just Google the guy. For someone who can weave a brand narrative like nobody’s business, there is very little about Guillaume himself online. I hope this podcast will help change that. As he is one man worth knowing. 

This interview took place in June 2021

083 Guillaume Delacroix: Fashion's Badass Brand Strategist

Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of Balmain, talks about his new collaboration designing costumes for the Paris Opera house, the debut of his make-up line with L'Oreal, his childhood, his friendship with Kim Kardashian and where he wants to take the Balmain brand.

001   Olivier Rousteing - The Creative Director of Balmain

I’ll never forget my first Christian Lacroix fashion show. Watching all of the supermodels walk his catwalk in outfits that mixed colors, patterns, and prints in combinations my mind could never have conceived would ever work together, let alone look as fabulously as they did on the Lacroix catwalk. 

Lacroix’s shows were always full of energy, passion, and precision but above all love...with just the perfect dash of joie de vivre added in for good measure. By the end of every show, the audience was always revved up to throw out onto the catwalk, during the grand finale, the single carnation that was systematically placed on each seat at each show throughout the designer’s prodigious career. 

That was why, when I showed up at the Dries Van Noten Spring/Summer 2020 fashion show and saw a single carnation sitting on my seat...well...I am going to be honest...my heart skipped a beat. Was this the return of Lacroix I asked myself? And to a certain extent, it was. The famed designer, who had walked away from the catwalk after his fall/winter 2009 haute couture show, was back. This time working in collaboration with Van Noten for one season only. 

Let’s just say it was a fashion moment, and the show was certainly a highlight in my career. 

But Lacroix hasn’t been in hiding since he stopped doing fashion shows. He turned to theater and Opera houses, creating dreamlike confections for the stage. A place where his theatrical sartorial inclinations were right at home. And also he consulted for big name brands in need of a designer who is a master of the color wheel and has never met a print he doesn’t like.

I spoke with Christian in the wake of his triumphant return to the catwalk. To take a joyful stroll down memory lane together. For me, it was a pure moment of bliss. I know, when you listen to our conversation, it will be one for you as well.

059 Christian Lacroix: Fashion's Master of Color and Print

The Fashion Your Seatbelt podcast gives its listeners the rare opportunity to hear from some of the leading voices working in the fashion industry today. Each podcast is an exclusive one-to-one conversation with a creative who is crafting the future of fashion. Hosted by the renowned and award-winning fashion journalist Jessica Michault, this podcast is designed to take its audience directly to the heart of fashion and discover what makes it tick.

059 Christian Lacroix: Fashion's Master of Color and Print

Fashion Your Seatbelt

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