Fashion People – "Roman Empire"
Podcast Date: December 2, 2025
Host: Lauren Sherman
Guest: Alison Roman
Episode Overview
This episode features fashion journalist Lauren Sherman in conversation with chef, food writer, and style muse Alison Roman, author of the new cookbook "Something Food from Nothing." The discussion covers Alison’s approach to wardrobe and style through the lens of her book tour and TV appearances, along with deep dives into the costume design of TV series "Landman," the recent Luca Guadagnino versus costume designers controversy, strategies for holiday party dressing, and the best clothing stores in America. Expect candid, behind-the-scenes insights and relatable fashion talk, delivered in Lauren and Alison’s signature engaging, humorous style.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Alison Roman’s Book Tour: Style, Strategy, and Sanity
- Alison has been on a 12-city book tour, adjusting her schedule to incorporate breaks and time with her young child:
“Even the way that I'm doing it now, which is like coming home in between with breaks and stuff, it’s so much easier...But it's still a lot, because you don't fully get to relax or ease into your everyday life.” (04:09)
- She discusses the shifting sense of professional purpose as her career matures:
“You sort of start to realize that, like, that isn't the case, like, X doesn't happen, or if X does happen, nothing really changes...It's like a maintenance thing.” (05:18)
- Alison’s style identity has evolved post-pregnancy and with age:
“I haven't been shopping in two years…just generally being like, who am I? How do I dress? What is my style? I felt super, super lost.” (07:03)
- She collaborated with stylist Doria Santlofer to refine her tour look, balancing practicality (must be able to cook in outfits) and public image.
2. Authenticity in Personal & Public Presentation
- Alison emphasizes realism in both her food and wardrobe:
“The food that's photographed in my cookbooks is the food I actually make. The clothes that I wear on TV is what I'm actually wearing...I like to sort of appear how I am.” (09:56)
- Lauren draws a generational comparison, noting authenticity and specificity now drive personal branding, unlike the homogeneous, manufactured looks of past media personalities.
3. TV Costume Design: "Landman" Deep Dive
- Both are obsessed with the costuming on "Landman," particularly how showrunner Taylor Sheridan and costume designers create accessible, style-forward looks.
- Lauren attributes its appeal to “coastal elites” to strong casting, witty writing, and costume choices that resonate even with non-fans of the genre:
“There's something about the show that, like, urban people...are obsessed with Landman in particular.” (14:12)
- Alison’s entry to the show was via a late-night Instagram scroll; she praises Ali Larder’s styling:
“Ally Larder looks so good…She looks, like, aged, but not aged, you know?” (19:25)
- Costume notes:
- Billy Bob Thornton: “Cowboy suit” aesthetic, playing against his usual intensity.
- Demi Moore: “Rich lady in a great suede blazer” (19:37)
- Activewear for younger women, practical Levi's for oil rig characters—all feel “authentic, relatable, and aspirational.” (20:55)
- Lauren likens the show’s nuanced depiction of clothing and location to cult favorites like "Friday Night Lights."
Memorable Moments:
- On Billy Bob Thornton:
“I'm loving it for him...He's going to take that check and he's going to ride it into the sunset.” — Alison Roman (18:15)
- Why the costume design feels different:
“They just got everything right, style porn for us…” — Alison Roman (20:01)
4. Luca Guadagnino’s Costume Designer Controversy
- Lauren summarizes the backlash against Luca Guadagnino’s comments at BoF Voices, where he claimed costume designers “blow” and he prefers fashion designers because they “understand the body.”
"Truly the most reductive and also incorrect statement ever...just so dumb." — Lauren Sherman (23:01)
- Alison considers it a “misspeak,” dissecting the false hierarchy between fashion and costume design:
“The assumption that the fashion designer is an artist and the costume designer is sort of like, the labor…so bizarre to overlook that.” (24:50–25:49)
5. The Art and Craft of Costume
- Alison shouts out costume designer and Substack author Mirren (“accent agu alamode”), discussing Mirren’s impact on her own awareness of how clothing interacts with screen personas:
“She was so radically thoughtful...it was like very eye opening.” (27:02)
- Lauren and Alison praise the depth, taste, and subtlety in Mirren’s film breakdowns.
“She takes these movies from new to old, and she sort of breaks them down by...here is what they wear, here’s why it’s important.” — Alison Roman (28:30)
6. Wearing High Sport & Event Dressing Identity
- Debate if one’s body is a “high sport body.”
“I want to be so badly. And then all I could think about was, like, Greta Lee running down the Vogue World Runway in high sport. And I was like, I'm not Greta...I don't know if my body is a high sport body, you know?” — Alison Roman (29:14)
Holiday Party Dressing: Strategies & Confessions
How to Approach Festive Fashion
- Alison recommends leaning into fun, impractical pieces for holiday parties, especially if you can get help with hosting duties.
“Now I've liberated myself...I’m like, puffy sleeve, I’m short something, I’m sparkle something...I am unfortunately, like, a black dress person.” (33:55)
- Encourages balancing “tacky and classy.” (35:12)
- Lauren: “I do not wear like threaded sparkly stuff...I would do like a sequin, but I won't do like, shimmery thread type." (36:18)
- Alison recalls wearing a see-through sequined dress while 7+ months pregnant:
“I wore a bra and underwear and that was it. It was so hot and I was so pregnant and it was such a good look.” (36:41)
- Both agree pregnancy inspires bolder fashion choices; Alison aims to carry that confidence forward.
What Makes a Great Clothing Store?
(NYT's 50 Best Stores & the State of Shopping)
- Lauren praises the NYT’s recent "50 Best Clothing Stores in America" for its variety and credibility. Criteria were subjective, driven by contributions from 11 reporters and visits.
- In New York, stores like La Garçonne (“unfriendly staff, unhelpful with sizes”), CHCM, Blue In Green, and Outline were discussed.
- Lauren: “Dover Street Market...That should be the most intimidating experience of your life. It’s the opposite because they are so good at customer service.” (40:24)
- Alison admits to shopping mostly at Outline, praises its friendly staff; reflects on the loss of Brooklyn’s Bird.
“RIP Bird. Shout out to Jen Mankins. We love you.” — Lauren Sherman (41:54)
- Both discuss the perils and joys of a great shop being “discovered” by the media.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Career Pressure: "There's no magic bullet of this thing is going to change your life...it's really not about any one thing." — Alison Roman (05:17)
- On Authenticity: "It would be sort of my nightmare to meet people out in the world and have them be like, 'Oh, you look so different, or your life is so different than what you present publicly.'" — Alison Roman (10:04)
- On Party Outfits: "Now I can, like, step away from the kitchen at a certain time, which means I can dress up. So it was like a total revelation..." — Alison Roman (33:55)
- On Shopping in America: "The only thing I bought here is feel jeans. Everything else I bought in Paris because it’s Phoebe Filo." — Lauren Sherman (42:09)
Key Timestamps
- 04:09 – Alison discusses the toll and logistics of book tour travel
- 07:03–09:56 – Alison’s evolving sense of personal style; working with a stylist
- 13:06 – Deep dive into why “Landman” hits fashionably with urban audiences
- 19:25 – Lauren and Alison deconstruct the styling choices on “Landman”
- 23:01 – Luca Guadagnino’s “costume designers blow” controversy
- 27:02 – Importance of thoughtful costume design & Mirren's Substack
- 33:55 – Alison’s lessons in holiday party dressing
- 39:12 – The best clothing stores in America: methodology, favorites, and gripes
- 41:54 – Reminiscence about Brooklyn's Bird and advice on shopping
Summary Tone
As always, Lauren Sherman’s hosting is lively, witty, and plugged into the industry’s behind-the-scenes realities; Alison Roman’s warm, self-aware, and candid observations keep the episode grounded and relatable. Both approach fashion as something both personal and performative, with room for fun, experimentation, and a healthy disregard for convention. The episode is a treasure trove for anyone interested in the intersection of food, media, personal branding, and the quirks of fashion culture today.
Listen if:
- You obsess over what to wear to everything from a book tour stop to a casual dinner party
- You’re fascinated by how personal style evolves with career, age, and motherhood
- You want real talk about why some TV costumes are more memorable—and relatable—than others
- You love inside-baseball gossip about the fashion and retail world
- You aspire to balance authenticity with aspiration in your public persona
Fashion People airs every Tuesday and Friday. Subscribe for more candid fashion discourse and subscribe to Lauren’s Line Sheet for the deeper details.