If you were bowled over by a cinnamon bun in the new Violet Bakery in the Orangery this year or saw a demo by dough virtuoso Claire Ptak, you might have some incling of the wonderful magic that Violet weave.
Claire Ptak is the creative force and chef-owner behind Violet bakery in Hackney, East London, as well as a food stylist and writer for the Guardian. Alongside journalist Danielle Radojcin, she is also the co-host of Violet Sessions, a bi-monthly podcast of inspiring interviews with creative female pioneers. Each episode of Violet Sessions is recorded upstairs at Violet – sometimes with a live studio audience, sometimes against the clatter and bustle of coffee cups and café chatter.
We were lucky enough to have five Violet podcasts (episodes 14-18) recorded live at this year’s Port Eliot: Allegra Huston on family ties and how to write a cringe-free sex scene, Mary Katrantzou on female mentors in the fashion industry, Zandra Rhodes and Grace Woodward on treading the line between fashion and art, Natalie Kingham on making motherhood and career work and Julia Samuel on dealing with grief in the modern world.
Our Wardrobe Mistress and all-round fashion wonderwoman Sarah Mower also features on Episode 13, discussing “What is the point of protest fashion?” with Katherine Hamnett - in the lead up to one of the Wardrobe Department’s best years yet at Port Eliot, with radical fashion statements taking centre stage.
You can listen to episodes 13-18 on iTunes for free here:
Episode 13 - Katharine Hamnett and Sarah Mower: what’s the point of protest fashion?
Episode 14 - Allegra Huston: family ties and writing cringe-free sex scenes
Episode 15 - Mary Katrantzou: female mentors in the fashion industry
Episode 16 - Zandra Rhodes and Grace Woodward: treading the line between fashion and art
Episode 17 - Natalie Kingham: making motherhood and career work
Episode 18 - Julia Samuel: dealing with grief in the modern world