Christopher John Rogers Returns to NYFW!

Summary

The Run-Through with Vogue: Christopher John Rogers Returns to NYFW!

Release Date: February 6, 2025

Hosts: Chloe Mel and Chioma Nnadi, featuring guest Christopher John Rogers

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Overview

In this vibrant episode of The Run-Through with Vogue, hosts Chloe Mel and Chioma Nnadi delve into the dynamic landscape of New York Fashion Week (NYFW) with a special focus on celebrated designer Christopher John Rogers (CJR) as he makes a triumphant return to the runway after a five-year hiatus. Alongside discussions about other influential designers and upcoming shows, the episode offers insightful perspectives on the current state of the fashion industry, the impact of the pandemic, and the evolving trends that are shaping the future of fashion.

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NYFW Highlights and Designer Spotlights

Chloe Mel and Chioma Nnadi kick off the episode by celebrating the return of Christopher John Rogers to NYFW, emphasizing his joyful and color-rich approach to fashion, which serves as a much-needed antidote to the current politically charged climate.

Chioma Nnadi [01:40]: "I think there's no other word to describe his clothes except for their mood-boosting... It feels like the most life-affirming way to handle a moment, and it comes naturally to him."

The hosts reflect on the recent Marc Jacobs show, praising its efficiency and standout moments, including memorable beauty looks reminiscent of iconic figures like Lynn Yeager.

Chloe Mel [02:12]: "It feels like a sequel of sorts to last show, with oversized cartoon-inspired silhouettes. It feels very daffy."

Upcoming Shows and Collaborations:

• Calvin Klein's Show: There's significant excitement surrounding Calvin Klein's upcoming show featuring new designer Veronica Leone. The show, set at Calvin Klein headquarters in the Garment District, promises a star-studded front row and innovative presentations.

Chloe Mel [03:49]: "They have quite a starry front row planned. It just seems like a lot of energy and resources are putting into making that show a big moment for NYFW."

• Form Frances Howey: Another new designer at Form is highlighted, adding diversity to the NYFW lineup.

• Interactive Elements: The Vogue app's Fashion Week coverage and interactive quizzes are mentioned as engaging features for fashion enthusiasts.

Groundhog's Day and Fashion Predictions:

The conversation takes a playful turn with Groundhog's Day predictions, comparing the accuracy rates of Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck, adding a seasonal touch to the fashion discussions.

Chioma Nnadi [15:38]: "Staten Island Chuck has an 87% accuracy rate and he says it's going to be an early spring."

Super Bowl and GQ Events:

Chloe Mel and Chioma Nnadi also touch upon the intersection of fashion with major events like the Super Bowl and GQ's fashion show in New Orleans, highlighting the blending of sports, fashion, and celebrity culture.

Chloe Mel [13:23]: "We're very excited for lines to be drawn for the blondie besties."

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In-Depth Interview with Christopher John Rogers

The latter half of the episode features an engaging interview with Christopher John Rogers, hosted by Nicole Phelps and Jose Crialas Unzuita. The conversation navigates through CJR's journey, his return to NYFW, design philosophy, and his thoughts on the evolving fashion industry.

Return to NYFW

CJR discusses his decision to return to NYFW after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the importance of contributing to the fashion community and celebrating with peers.

Christopher John Rogers [19:14]: "I always loved contributing to a moment as an artist and also celebrating with my peers."

Impact of the Pandemic

He reflects on how the pandemic influenced his business strategy, leading to innovative approaches and a focus on building his brand in a sustainable manner.

Christopher John Rogers [17:17]: "...we thought that the cadence and the timing felt really smart. And so we kind of stuck with that for the next few years, and it really helped build our business in a healthy way."

Design Philosophy and Color Mastery

CJR elaborates on his design philosophy, particularly his innate love for color, which he attributes to his early inspirations from comic books and anime. He highlights how color theory and expressive palettes are integral to his collections.

Jose Crialas Unzuita [33:25]: "My favorite part of art class and art school was color theory and sort of mixing a blue with an orange to get something a little bit more muted."

Christopher John Rogers [34:41]: "As a Libra, it has to be both. I try to be as respectful of my team as possible."

Navigating the Fashion Industry

The discussion delves into the challenges of maintaining originality in an era dominated by digital trends and the homogenization of fashion. CJR emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's unique voice amidst these pressures.

Jose Crialas Unzuita [38:09]: "I really tried to continue to listen to my own voice and stick to my own drum."

Advice for Aspiring Designers

CJR offers heartfelt advice to young designers, stressing the necessity of obsession, hard work, and authenticity in pursuing a career in fashion.

Jose Crialas Unzuita [46:26]: "You have to be obsessed with it... Stay true to who you are, listen to your own... don't shy away from that. Work hard."

Community and Collaboration

Reflecting on his roots and the importance of community, CJR shares anecdotes about his time at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and his collaborative friendship with Chioma Nnadi, underscoring the significance of support systems in the creative process.

Christopher John Rogers [44:21]: "We just ended up around each other enough that we became friends. That's how I remember it."

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Conclusion

This episode of The Run-Through with Vogue offers a comprehensive look into Christopher John Rogers' inspiring return to New York Fashion Week, his vibrant design ethos, and his unwavering commitment to authenticity in an ever-evolving industry. Through candid conversations and insightful reflections, listeners gain a deeper understanding of CJR's impact on fashion and the broader trends shaping NYFW today.

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Notable Quotes:

• Chioma Nnadi [01:40]: "His clothes... feel like the most life-affirming way to handle a moment."
• Chloe Mel [02:12]: "It feels very daffy."
• Christopher John Rogers [19:14]: "Contributing to a moment as an artist and also celebrating with my peers."
• Jose Crialas Unzuita [33:25]: "My favorite part of art class and art school was color theory."
• Jose Crialas Unzuita [46:26]: "Stay true to who you are... Work hard."

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Stay Connected:

For more insights and updates from The Run-Through with Vogue, follow Vogue editors and creatives on the Vogue app, and stay tuned for upcoming episodes featuring conversations with the industry's leading voices.

Transcript

[Sponsor]

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[Chloe Mel]

This is the Run Through. I'm Chloe Mel.

[Chairmanotti]

And I'm Chairmanotti.

[Chloe Mel]

And today on the show, we are starting our New York Fashion Week off strong with a wonderful interview with designer Christopher John Rogers. He spoke to our Tuesday Run through host Nicole Phelps and Vogue's Jose Crialas Unzuita about why he's returning to New York Fashion Week after a bit of a hiatus where his love of color comes from and his take on the current state of fashion.

[Chairmanotti]

I'm so glad he's back. You know, I think he's got such a joyful approach to fashion and I think we're in such a politically dark moment. I think the sort of joyous nature of his shows is really what we need. The pick me up. We need the kind of antidote, we need the response that we need to this moment. And there isn't any other word to describe his clothes except for their mood boosting, you know, like his, his, his color combinations and, and I think honestly, like to me that always feels like the most. There are several ways to respond to kind of difficult, tumultuous times. But I think for me that always feels like the most life affirming way to handle a moment and it comes naturally to him. So I'm interested to see what his show will be like.

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah, we are recording this. It's Wednesday afternoon and this will come out tomorrow. First day of New York Fashion Week. Kalina Strada's show is tomorrow, followed by Christopher John Rogers.

[Chairmanotti]

It's so funny. Cause I feel like Fashion Week's already started because Marc Jacobs showed.

[Chloe Mel]

That's true. Marc Jacobs was a big moment. I was obsessed with the beauty at Marc Jacobs, which were little felt stick ons like circles either on the cheeks or the lips. It was really giving baby Lynn Yeager.

[Chairmanotti]

It was, wasn't it? I saw Lynn Yeager. I felt like she's on the mood board again. It's not the first time that she's been on Mark's mood board.

[Chloe Mel]

We suspect it felt like a sequel of sorts to last show, which the New York Public Library and similarly oversized cartoon inspired silhouettes. It feels. I've been watching a lot of Daffy Duck at home and it feels very daffy. And Minnie, Minnie Mouse.

[Chairmanotti]

Yeah, those, those funny shoes with the pointy, pointy Toned shoes.

[Chloe Mel]

I would absolutely trip if I tried to wear those. I had a lot of respect for the models. Here's what I really respect about a Marc Jacobs show it. You arrive early because you know he's gonna start on time. You sit in your seat. Everyone's front row. It's a long row of everyone, front row at 7:30 on the dot. 7:29 even. The show begins at 7:36. The show is over. The models don't even do a walk back. By 7:40, you are out the door, outside, walking down the steps onto fifth Avenue. It's efficiency at its peak.

[Chairmanotti]

We love that.

[Chloe Mel]

Yes. But I was very excited and starstruck because Sofia Coppola was there with Romy Mars, her daughter, who [e-mail] is.

[Chairmanotti]

Oh, the naughty daughter.

[Chloe Mel]

The naughty.

[Chairmanotti]

The naughty daughter.

[Chloe Mel]

Naughty rogue.

[Chairmanotti]

The naughty TikTok rogue.

[Chloe Mel]

Yes, TikTok rogue daughter, who everyone here loved her. Her single that she released last year.

[Nicole Phelps]

Okay.

[Chairmanotti]

Yeah.

[Chloe Mel]

So people were. People were into that.

[Chairmanotti]

What are you looking forward to besides cjr?

[Chloe Mel]

Well, I have to say here the big frison of excitement is around the Calvin Klein show and their new designer, Veronica Leone, who Nicole Phelps will be interviewing. That show is on Friday, and it's at the Calvin Klein headquarters in the garment district. I think we're all excited to see what that is going to look like. They have quite a starry front row planned. It just seems like a lot of energy and resources are putting into making that show a big moment for New York Fashion Week. There's also the new designer at form, Frances Howey. Also, everyone should be following Fashion Week. On the Vogue app, you can follow the action of my fellow Vogue editors and see what everyone is up to during Fashion Week and also obviously see all of the collections. Not to mention. Choma, have you been playing the quiz on the Vogue app with the new leaderboard?

[Chairmanotti]

Ooh, I need to do that. I actually.

[Chloe Mel]

You can try and compete to be in the top 100 users.

[Chairmanotti]

Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait. This I need to do this I need to do.

[Chloe Mel]

No, it's a big deal. Choma, you had a crazy day yesterday.

[Chairmanotti]

I did. I did. So my day begun. 4:30 in the morning. I got up to go on the Eurostar for 6am Eurostar train. Not my favorite hour. I'm not a morning person. Everybody knows that. I like to have my bone broth around 8am I am not trying to get up at 4:30. Wow. But it was good. It was actually really energizing. I got on a Eurostar, went to our Able cover story set in Paris. And I can't wait to talk about it because it was a really fun experience. So. Tea. More on that later. Then I got back on the train at 3:00pm oh, my God.

[Chloe Mel]

Traumas.

[Chairmanotti]

So I had very little time in Paris. And then I took the Eurostar and was back at the Lightroom because it's literally 10 minutes walk from the Eurostar terminal, so.

[Chloe Mel]

Oh, my God. You went directly from the Eurostar to your lightroom thing.

[Chairmanotti]

I did.

[Chloe Mel]

Good grooming.

[Chairmanotti]

I did. Where I met Daniel Lee, who's the creative director of Burberry. Wonderful. We had a really wonderful conversation. It was actually his first time doing a talk.

[Chloe Mel]

Really?

[Chairmanotti]

Yeah, it was his first time.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Okay.

[Chairmanotti]

But he was an absolute natural and just had so many great things to say, so many insights.

[Chloe Mel]

Give us a highlight.

[Chairmanotti]

I mean, I loved hearing him talk about how working for Burberry has kind of had him. Taken him all over the country to places like the Isle of Skye, to the. The Lake District. Has kind of fallen in love with the UK again. I mean, he spent. He was at Bottega. He was the Creative Church of Bottega. So he spent a lot of time in Italy. And. And, you know, you just often, when you. When you end up in London, working in London, you don't necessarily go outside of your comfort zone that often. And most of the time, when you're going on vacation, you're gonna go to Europe or further afield. You're not necessarily gonna go to the Isle of Skye. So he was just talking about shooting campaigns on the side of a mountain and with Agnes Dean, who wanted to go, like, dive into this lake.

[Chloe Mel]

I forgot about Agnes Deane.

[Chairmanotti]

Yeah, yeah. She has four children, like, and God bless. I know. And lives upstate New York. So he tempted her out of kind of of her sort of upstate idol and into a lake in the Lake District. So it was. It was great. It was a really lovely talk. And hearing him talk about just all the wonderful people he's also brought to Burberry and the places that he's shown, because he's shown in kind of unusual parks and some of the things that he unearthed in the archives, some of the sort of. I didn't realize that Burberry also made tents, which is why they had these massive 10.

[Chloe Mel]

That's why they had so much canvas on hand or khaki.

[Chairmanotti]

Yeah.

[Chloe Mel]

Okay, Wait. Choma. You wore Burberry last year to the Met. I love. That was one of my favorites.

[Chairmanotti]

I did. It was one of my favorite Met looks I've ever worn.

[Chloe Mel]

Honestly, in retrospect, you probably should have saved it for this year. Since this year the theme is Tailored.

[Chairmanotti]

For you and mental Tailored for me. I know it really was tailored for me, so I kind of am a year early, but I'm excited. I think it's going to. I think it's such a. A cool dress code.

[Chloe Mel]

Yes, the dress code for people who didn't see. If you listen to this podcast and you didn't see them at dress code, you have a problem. But the dress code was announced Tuesday morning and it is tailored for you. And also the 30 ish person host committee, which includes so many creatives from across different media and is such a great group, an interesting group of people, was also announced. So that's very exciting for us. We've also been talking internally about how I feel like the obvious interpretation of Tailored for you is traditional men's tailoring and bespoke suiting. However, we are in such an age of vintage rewear and sort of archive bringing back archive looks and I feel like it can also apply to tailoring a vintage look for yourself, sort of.

[Chairmanotti]

Oh, hell yeah. Yeah. Tailoring of all kinds.

[Sponsor]

There you go.

[Chairmanotti]

I would love to see some vintage tailoring. And I think also given the sort of historic sweep of the show, that would make so much sense.

[Chloe Mel]

Is there anyone you're really excited to see, how they interpret the theme? I mean, Colman Domingo is on the host committee.

[Chairmanotti]

I mean, I know that you're, you're a big Coleman fan.

[Chloe Mel]

I'm a big Coleman lady.

[Chairmanotti]

Colman obviously is going to wear Valentino, is going to look amazing. So I'm excited for that. I mean, you know, I'm a big Pharrell fan. I think I'm interested to see what he wears, how he interprets the theme. And just as someone who's, you know, he's a creative director of a house, so he has, he has ample time to get it absolutely perfect and to do something really special. And I'm also excited to see who he decides to bring, if he gets to bring someone as a co host, which I imagine he will, so that'll be exciting. And then I know that some of the people on the committee are. I'm really interested. I'm meeting with Grace Wells Bonner in a couple of weeks for lunch and I know that she'll. I'm kind of excited to see who she's going to be dressing and how. How she's going to attend as well, so that'll be exciting.

[Chloe Mel]

Ayo Edebiri always really embraces a theme. Well, so that's fun. Spike Lee and Tonya Louis Lee always look great. Also, Usher.

[Chairmanotti]

Yeah.

[Chloe Mel]

He loves some custom tailoring.

[Chairmanotti]

Dochi, do we think she'll wear Thom Browne?

[Chloe Mel]

Maybe after her Grammy. Yeah, her Grammy moment.

[Chairmanotti]

I mean, all the kind of designers who focus on tailoring, they're gonna have so much fun.

[Chloe Mel]

Yes, totally.

[Chairmanotti]

Including Thom Brown.

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah. I do feel like theme is tailored for Tom Choma. Any lingering thoughts on the Grammys? It feels like a lifetime ago already, but they were. It was pretty fab. Like, it was just a great show. People really showed up to the red carpet. It just felt like a very exciting night.

[Chairmanotti]

It really did. I mean, from like, Kendrick's Canadian tuxedo, which I loved, which was so great to. I mean, chapel roan and vintage Jean Paul Gaultier, I thought it was actually.

[Chloe Mel]

And so many.

[Chairmanotti]

Kind of a good night for fashion. I thought everybody kind of. I thought there was some really, like, fun moments and, you know, I mean. Yeah, take your pick. I loved Ray's performance. I'm a big fan of hers, and I think just for her to sort of be exposed to that, on that platform, to an American audience, I think that was probably the first time.

[Chloe Mel]

I know. I didn't really know of American listeners. I mean, I don't know anything.

[Chairmanotti]

I've seen her live, and she is just exceptional. Dochi's performance was everything you ever wanted. And her getting best rap album.

[Chloe Mel]

What? Like, I was laughing so hard at Jose's. Jose's Instagram saying that because Tom Brown Dressed all 30 dancers, Jose was like, not. Not what I imagined the Tom Brow like, the night before his show.

[Chairmanotti]

Yep. So was that. I mean, she's only the third woman to get.

[Chloe Mel]

That's crazy. I thought her speech was really touching. It was all. Lots of lovely moments of the night. Liam Hess wrote a great piece about how it finally felt organically like women owned the night in a really purposeful but also, as I said, authentic way. Like, it wasn't performative at all. I love Beyonce looking truly shocked and blue eyed.

[Chairmanotti]

I know.

[Chloe Mel]

Blue eyed being like, get on with it.

[Chairmanotti]

I mean, it's, like, insane that even Beyonce would be, like, truly shocked because I know, because of the track record of the Grammys, because of, like, how they've shut so many people out in the past that she finally, after all these years, decades, it's like, insane to me.

[Chloe Mel]

It's crazy.

[Chairmanotti]

It's really. But you're right, it does feel like authentically women are Part of like just leading the way right now.

[Chloe Mel]

Yeah.

[Chairmanotti]

And so exciting, Choma.

[Chloe Mel]

Big sports happening this weekend.

[Chairmanotti]

Yeah.

[Chloe Mel]

Super Bowl. Taylor's boyfriend is playing way. I think I used that joke last week. It's the Kendrick Lamar Taylor Swift show and there will be football involved. But also it's GQ is having a huge palooza.

[Chairmanotti]

Yeah.

[Chloe Mel]

There is a Bodhi GQ fashion show in New Orleans on Friday night.

[Chairmanotti]

Wow. So cool. Yeah.

[Chloe Mel]

She's showing her new Bodhi rec collection and you can watch, you can live. It'll be live streamed on GQ.com and then the Kansas City Chiefs versus the Eagles are playing. I also, we're very into the rivalries. The fan rivalries. Like Gigi Hadid, lives in Pennsylvania and is dating Bradley Hooper, who's a huge Eagles fan. And she's besties with Taylor, who's obviously rooting for the Chiefs. So we're very excited for lines to be drawn for the blondie besties. Oh my God. Choma. Apparently it's supposed to be terrible weather for really New York Fashion Week. Nicole warned me, although it was Groundhog's day on Sunday, which I'm weirdly invested in. And Punxsutawney Phil, who is the more famous groundhog but only has a 30 something percent success rate or accuracy rate. Phil said that it's going to be a long winter. However, Staten Island Chuck, the competing groundhog of the moment, has an 87% accuracy rate and he says it's going to be an early spring.

[Chairmanotti]

Wow. Okay.

[Chloe Mel]

I know that you are eager to hear about this.

[Chairmanotti]

So eager to hear about this.

[Chloe Mel]

My niece is a big fan of Staten Island Chuck and she almost went. She tried to go to Staten island, but it was. He comes out at 7:30am and it was too much. All right, that is our Vogue news of the week. So much is happening. We will be back in a moment.

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[Chloe Mel]

And we're back with Nicole and Jose's fabulous conversation with the one and only Christopher John Rogers.

[Nicole Phelps]

Well, welcome to the show. We are so excited to have you here. And we are likewise excited that you are back on the New York Fashion Week schedule for the first time in five Years, Yeah. So it was pre pandemic before. Before you left. Why did you decide to drop off the schedule?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

So, initially, when we won the fund in 2019, our next show was the first show after we had won. And so it was like, a really big show for us. And I thought that it was gonna be, like, an exciting beginning to my career officially launching, I guess. And then in 2020, when we were in Paris for market selling the collection, Covid hit. And so it was really strange to sort of go from this really big high to sort of this bout of uncertainty and not really knowing what was going to be next. And so sold the collection and then came back to New York, and obviously everything was shut down, so we couldn't really develop another collection to show in September in the way that I would have liked. And also, we didn't even know if we were going to have shows. So we went back to the studio. My team at the time, we all kind of were in our own little Covid bubble. And so we were able to go to the studio safely and start developing some new work, experimenting with some new things, and released a collection, I think it was in October, and so it kind of was in betwixt seasons. And we had, like, more of a pre season delivery with that collection, and it sold out immediately once it hit stores, and we had, like, recuts for the first time, and people were really, like, buying the clothes and responding well to them. So we thought that the cadence and the timing felt really smart. And so we kind of stuck with that for the next few years, and it really helped build our business in a healthy way and in a way that was really specific to us.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yeah, that was also the season you launched Knit. I remember.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah.

[Christopher John Rogers]

The famous rainbows, which we'll talk about later. So why did you want to come back to your fashion work? Because, of course, after the pandemic, you came back to the wrong way. You did a show in May. That was actually the first show I went to as part of Vogue, which was really fun. But you had done a show in May, right before the Met Gala.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Why did you want to come back to New York? What's changed for you, like, to the schedule?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

For me, one thing that I've always loved is, I guess, contributing to a moment as an artist and also celebrating with my peers. And when we were kind of showing during preseason, we didn't really get to do that. There weren't very many shows happening at the same time, and it just sort of felt right. I think one thing that I kind of pride myself on, and that we pride ourselves on as a team is sort of doing what makes sense for us in the moment, regardless of what else is happening. And it just felt like the right time to sort of celebrate our community, the fact that, you know, we've been in business for as long as we have.

[Christopher John Rogers]

How long has it been now?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Ooh, like six years, officially. Almost six. So still very young, but thought it felt right. Mm. Yeah.

[Nicole Phelps]

But your star really rose sort of off of the New York Fashion Week official calendar. You weren't there, and you have become, you know, one of the. One of the big draws of the city. Looking at the Fashion Week from the outside, what do you think of New York? Do you get excited when you look at that schedule? There's a lot of people who take a pretty critical look.

[Christopher John Rogers]

People have a lot of things to say about it.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

The girls have a lot to say.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Honey, not too.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Not too much on my city.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Okay? Not too much, but, yeah, do tell us, how do you feel? How do you feel about New York Fashion Week?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I love New York. I mean, it was always a dream for me to live here, to work here, to have a business here, and build my brand here. And I feel really grateful and blessed to be able to still be making work. And, I don't know, I think for me, New York kind of feels a little more so than the other other cities, I'd say a bit more underground, a bit more a space to cultivate. So hackneyed. But like the emerging or the developing or like something on the outside simultaneously. It's also a place for those kinds of voices to manifest and grow into actual businesses. So I think it's really exciting. I mean, there's definitely a lot that I think could be done to help support those voices even more, but I'm really excited for where it's at and where it can go and the diversity of the voices that are speaking right now.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yeah, I mean, we saw this happen, I think, at this. At the CFDA Awards last year. Yes, it was a really exciting time to sort of, you know, see Willy Shavaria win menswear. Raul Lopez, accessories. Rachel Scott, womenswear. Henry Zankov, emerging designer.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

It was a doll sweep.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yeah, it was a doll sweep, Exactly. It was a group chat sweep, which is really funny. I was like, damn, you've won two TV awards. Emerging at women's rife. Nice. How do you feel coming back into the week with sort of a great track record behind you?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I mean, we were just talking about.

[Christopher John Rogers]

We're just talking about pressure. Exactly.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Pressure. But, like, last week, I was spiraling. I was like, I hate it. It's scary. Like, the collection. But then I kind of was. Took stock of it yesterday with my team, and we're definitely saying something new, I think, with this collection. And I think anytime you take a risk or do something new or feel a little uncomfortable, you're, like, moving forward. And so I'm excited. There definitely is sort of pressure in the air or some anticipation, rather, and so I'm trying to channel that or look more towards that than sort of feeling nervous. But I think it's fun. It's gonna be a good week, I think.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yeah, I think so too.

[Nicole Phelps]

I wanna go back to something you just said, which was that you were spiraling a week ago.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah.

[Nicole Phelps]

Do you manifest that in front of your team, in front of your staff, or is it something that you keep really internal?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Mm, both. I'm a Libra, so it has to be both. I think I try to be as respectful of my team as possible, and they're working so hard right now. We're a small team of four that does everything, and so I don't want them to overextend themselves. But this weekend, I called my designer, and I was like, girl, is everything okay? I was like, is this. She's like, it's fine. She's like, there's enough to play with. Like, everything's really strong. So it's great to have people on your team that sort of can snap you back to reality. And Christina, my brand and strategy director, is also such a godsend. Like, she always reminds me of who I am and what we're doing, and I think that's also really important, too, to stop the spiral, you know?

[Nicole Phelps]

Well, talking about who you are, you are from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and you started designing for comic book characters. How would you say that your very early experiences doing that informed what we saw when you started coming out in showing here in New York?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Ooh. I think a sense of urgency. I think a gestural line. I think a love of color, something that sort of stands out and makes you take notice because there's something to say, and you can't wait to say it. I think the idea of, like, imbuing someone with a sense of power, giving someone license to explore, a power that they didn't know, that they had. This idea of, like, transformation or less of transformation, but stepping into yourself. I think your trueness is sort of what I've gleaned from comic books or anime or Fantasy.

[Nicole Phelps]

What were your favorite comic book?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I loved X Men. I loved the idea that it wasn't. I mean, I guess they were in hiding, but it was this idea that, like, they were. They were mutants, they were weird. They were who they were. And I thought that was. And I really identified with that, obviously. Love Sailor Moon.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yes.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Card captor. The real diva.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Card Captor.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Get into her.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Get into her.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

And even though, I guess cartoons. Totally spies the femme. Those were like, totally spies.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Love a lip gloss.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Love a lip gloss.

[Christopher John Rogers]

So moving past the comic book characters and into, you know, your formal career as a designer, after graduation, you worked at DVF for Diane Furstenberg, right?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yes.

[Christopher John Rogers]

You worked actually with Henry Zenkov.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yes.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Which is part of the. Part of the lore not everyone knows exactly, which we love. But I'm curious, what did you learn from Dion, but also from dbf, like, from that experience in general?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

A lot. Jonathan Saunders was the creative director at the time, And I was obsessed with him growing up and his work and his use of color and his references. Like, once I got the job and the call, I was so excited. It was my first job. I was so excited to work and learn from, you know, these. These people and to sort of see how the references manifested into clothes that were directional but also clothes that people could wear.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Right.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Was something really powerful for me. Henry was actually my first boss, actually. And so learning from him the technicalities of knitwear, the possibilities, how to take someone else's direction and point of view and funnel it into something, merging your own at the same time. And also editing, too. You know, just because you make sort of 100, 200 SKUs doesn't mean they all have to show up.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Right.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

So I learned a lot. I learned a lot about, like, what was successful and strong and also maybe what could. What I wanted to do differently.

[Nicole Phelps]

Talk about your exit from. From there.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Well, so, long story short, we had shown two seasons on calendar with two presentations. CJR and I went to the CEO at the time, and I was like, we have this opportunity. I understand if it's a conflict, but I'd love the chance to maybe just take all of my PTO for the year and just work for these two weeks on the collection. And I was granted that opportunity. I did it in September of 2018 and then February of 2019. And then, as I kind of knew would happen, I got called into the office and just had a conversation. And, you know, it was, you're very talented, but it's kind of a conflict of interest and you know, it is what it is. And so I definitely talk about a spiral because I, like, I didn't have any savings. I don't really come. I don't come for money. And so I didn't really know what I was gonna do. But, you know, I was really blessed to be able to have some freelance gigs that got us through, got me through the summer and allowed me to pay for the collection that we showed while we were in the Fashion Fund. So everything worked out. It definitely felt like a fever dream.

[Nicole Phelps]

But it's real life is all about timing, moment. It feels.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

And sort of trusting the universe.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yep.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Not to be that girl. But to be that girl.

[Christopher John Rogers]

But to be that girl.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah.

[Christopher John Rogers]

It's pulled over you. So then you won the Fashion Fund, right? It was 2019.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah.

[Christopher John Rogers]

What was the CFDA? What was the Fashion Fund like for you? What was that process like for you? I remember seeing you and the team sort of like, try to get all this stuff done, all of the challenges, and then all of a sudden you had won. And it just felt like, you know, it was crazy. Can you tell us about the craziness?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

So we applied and we just, like, shot it on an iPhone in my living room in Bushwick, which was also the kitchen. Yeah.

[Christopher John Rogers]

There was no couch, right?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

There was no couch.

[Christopher John Rogers]

There were racks and tables and cutting tables and. Yeah.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

And so Christina was. She filmed it and edited it and directed it for me. And I think we did at least 100 takes, got in, and then the Mount Rushmore of judges was quite intimidating.

[Christopher John Rogers]

The Pantheon.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

The Pantheon. But it was a great experience. I mean, I think it was interesting for me because we were kind of in a different space. I was freelancing at the time, so I had a little bit more flexibility with my schedule. But the other members of the team all had full time jobs, so we were kind of navigating that. So there was, I'd say, more freedom in some way than maybe the other competitors because they were running production. Everyone had, like, a business at that point, and we didn't really. And so, I don't know. I think it was also, we provided a new point of view and an option for people to dream and to show people what it could be. And then eventually winning was obviously life altering, life changing. It allowed me to hire the team and actually create product to produce the product that we were showing. And, yeah, it was a great experience and I owe my life to it, honestly.

[Nicole Phelps]

More with Christopher John Rogers after the break.

[Sponsor]

EBay. It's the place to fall in Love with new pre loved vintage and rare fashion. Over and over again, your favorite designers, expertly authenticated. Yeah. EBay. Things people love.

[Nicole Phelps]

And we're back. Going back to your clothes. This term you've used before to describe them as pragmatic glamour. Does it still hold true? Hold true for fall 2025. And what does it mean?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I think so. I started sort of using that term years ago, and I think it was sort of a wish for what I wanted to continue to excavate with my work. And I think we've hit the nail on the head closer this season than we have before. We've moved a lot of our tailoring to Italy this season, so we'll see, I think, a more polished sense of construction in that category. I think. I'm not afraid of sort of showing how the real CJR customers wears their clothes on the Runway.

[Nicole Phelps]

There's a lot of them at Vogue.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah. In la, and I think we've always done that. But I think in a more declarative way, you'll see that this season.

[Nicole Phelps]

I mean, from my experience, going to your shows and then seeing the people in the office or on the street, there is. There's. Maybe in the past, there had been a little bit of a disconnect. There was a little formality on your runways that in real life, I see people like, you know, very comfortable, very everyday, especially. Cause it's the knits.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah, exactly. So we've explored that, obviously, with the knitwear, some new trouser silhouettes that feel easier, really great shirting and not feeling like everything has to be posited as overly dressed, even though that is very much part of the brand DNA. So you'll see that, too.

[Christopher John Rogers]

And you mentioned serendipity earlier, this sort of idea that you. You embrace how things sort of happen as you go in your design process. I remember you always used to joke that CGR was a little fucked up, for sure. Can I say that on the podcast? I can, Right? You know, but you always used to joke about that. So I'm curious if it still holds and how it's applied to this collection as well.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I think so. A lot of the patterns for the collection we've actually brought back in house this season.

[Nicole Phelps]

What does that mean? Sorry.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

So, well, most of the time, people will sort of sketch things and then send them out to pattern makers to develop for them. We've obviously done that this season for certain styles, but certain styles, we sort of just played on the form, draped, saw what worked and fit on the model. More than we have in the past, which really kind of goes back to the roots, I think, in the beginning of the brand. Sometimes the patterns will sort of look topsy, turvy, and, like, weird, and they won't match. And so you'll have to do a little tuck here or a little pleat to sort of make things work. And I think we sort of explored that idea with intention this season.

[Nicole Phelps]

Let's talk about color, because, I mean, we've already talked about it a little bit, but to me, that is the first thing that comes. Comes to mind, like this beautiful, brilliant, scintillating color, but also the way you put it together.

[Chairmanotti]

Thank you.

[Nicole Phelps]

So where. Where did you learn that skill? And, I mean, what do you chalk it up to?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I'd say it's kind of. It's just really an innate thing, the love of it. My favorite part of art class and art school was color theory and sort of mixing a blue with an orange to get something a little bit more muted. And just the theory behind it all is really fascinating to me and how much it can sort of say something. And I think my experience working with, you know, people like Tonya Taylor and Jonathan Saunders at DVF was sort of the way that everyone approaches color differently. And I think also this season, you'll see more of an expansive color vernacular from us. Usually things are quite DTM or head to toe, and you do get that, but you also get more color blocking than we've done before. Things that maybe are a bit more that clash with intention. So that will be exciting, I think, to see. And, yeah, I mean, I think growing up in the south, there is this idea of there isn't a fear of color.

[Nicole Phelps]

What about. Do you wear it, though? Because today you're in head to toe black.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah.

[Nicole Phelps]

Do you wear a lot of color yourself, or.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I do, but it has to be the right color.

[Nicole Phelps]

What's the right color?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

What's the right color for you right now? Like a. Like a maraschino red. I love on me. I love, like a Nepeta, like intense lavender. I love a cobalt blue.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Let's. Let's talk about color names. Actually, you just gave some beautiful, kind of like, beautiful pantone names, but, like, pantone in theory. Right. But you. You've always named your callers for CJR with food names.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Which I always thought was hilarious. I remember actually, you talked about the Monk Rushmore of CFDA judges and Eva Chen famously once said that you seem to always be hungry. Yes. Because all of your callers Were named after food.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Do you still do that? And why?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I do. They're not all food, but I love the idea that, like, naming. I feel like naming something what it is.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Right.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Imbues it with a different energy, and people receive it differently, even if they don't know. Like, we have this, a color called sarsaparilla in the upcoming collection, and it's, like, reddish brown, but rich and intense and bubbly and fizzy. And then we also have aubergine. We have anthracite. We have caper, and it's just funny. And I think that that's also nice too. Like, I love. I'm such a fashion nerd. I'm such a product nerd. And I love going on different retailers websites and sort of seeing what the person has named the color. Right. And I think it just shows a sense of humor and the fact that everything isn't so serious all the time.

[Nicole Phelps]

Sometimes designers get known for something, and it can become sort of a pet peeve for a designer. Cause, like, oh, they want stripes from me again. What sort of. Where are you on that traject with stripes? Do you still love them? Do you sometimes, you know, get annoyed that you have to bring out another version? Yeah.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Regarding stripes. Not yet. Not yet. I live good.

[Nicole Phelps]

All the people on 25 will be happy to hear that.

[Christopher John Rogers]

I'm like, myself. Me, currently wearing a rainbow stripe.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I live. I mean, I think growing up in the south, like, I didn't always feel the. Like, I had the capacity to be myself fully just yet. And I think there's something about a stripe that feels quite acceptable. Wearing it in a way that feels pushed or forward, allows you to sort of occupy lots of different spaces at the same time. And so fucking it up a little bit is fun for me.

[Nicole Phelps]

You did stripes for J. Crew, Right. You had a collaboration. There's so many collaborations now. And I think as reporters, we're sometimes curious, you know, who benefits more? Does J. Crew win? Do you win? Do you both win?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I think we. I think we both win. I mean, for me, it also kind of allows us to create product at a price point that lots of our fans can access. Even the people who buy the ready to wear. We're also buying J. Crew. And that's always exciting to see, like, the clothes being put to use and being worn.

[Christopher John Rogers]

I remember you also had the Target collaboration.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yes.

[Christopher John Rogers]

And that was hilarious because that went viral on TikTok, like, very early viral TikTok days. And people were talking about the clown dresses.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yes. People either loved them or they hated them. And I lived for that.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yes. That's where I'm going. Like this sort of. You either love it or you hate it. You get it or you don't. How do you feel about creating work that has that impact? Because so much of fashion these days, you know, as an observer, really, to me, feels like stands in the middle, right?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yes.

[Christopher John Rogers]

It's just palatable. It's very digestible. How do you feel about creating work that isn't?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I feel and have felt multiple different ways about it. I enjoy that it is specific to me and that I feel like I get to say something, period, as an artist and then as someone who has maybe aspirations for other things. I wonder if it is scary because again, so much of fashion right now is very much about, is it for everyone? Is it mass? Is it easy? And that's never really been necessarily been my, like, POV or my motive. But I think at the end of the day, like, that's what excites me the most. The fact that it is distinguishable from other brands and that it isn't for everyone. You know, I really like, again, like, as a fashion fan, like, I miss when, you know, everyone was different. Romeo Gigli was different than Lacroix, which was different than Versace, which was different than Total them. Boom. Mother also.

[Nicole Phelps]

Well, why do you think that is? Why? I mean, I think we all have our theories about the sort of flattening of fashion, but what do you chalk it up to? The sort of sameification?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

So many. I mean, lots of different things. I feel like the Internet maybe is one thing. Sometimes you're making work in a vacuum where everyone can see, but also you're seeing what everyone else is doing and you, like. No one wants to be necessarily left out or to feel like they aren't successful or to feel like, you know, they may lose their business, et cetera, or lose a job. And so I think the easy thing is to sort of say, oh, this worked for someone else. Let me do the same thing. Which I guess has been historic in fashion, something new. But I think, think the Internet and the sort of the instantness of everything has definitely pushed that feeling forward. So, yeah, I don't know. For me, like, I really tried to, like, get off my phone, which is hard.

[Nicole Phelps]

Yeah, it's hard in our job.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah, I mean, I know.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Well, it's hard to be the person that knows what everything is happening, but also to try to be isolated in a way. Right. To sort of have your own original thought or your original idea. Your own take when you also have a feel a responsibility to be aware.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yes. And also, I think also with like, Tumblr and Pinterest and Instagram and TikTok, people are all kind of seeing the same things, too. References are also starting to flatten. And so I think when you do see a new voice or something that is a little bit on the fringe or very personal, that's also very exciting. So I guess to circle back. That's also why I've tried. I've tried to sort of continue to listen to my own voice and stick to my own drum.

[Christopher John Rogers]

We were talking about the specificity of your clothes. Right. But as specific as they are, they've also charmed some great fashion icons. Yeah. You've dressed Rihanna, you've dressed Kamala Harris. You've dressed Michelle Obama, You've dressed Lady Gaga, you've dressed. I mean, I can. I'm like, my playlist. I'm like, let's pull it up. Who is someone you would still love to see in CJR Tilt?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

This one, love.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Oh, that's such a good one.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

One of my favorite outfits of hers. I can't remember what year it was, but it was Christian Dior. I feel like it was 2003. Giant organic gown embroidered with a fruit basket. And I love that she can do that, but at the same time do a column and it all feels like her. And I think her love of fashion and understanding of herself is what scratches my itch the most. Love of Chloe Sevigny.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Love of who you've also dressed.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah, I just love a girl who's herself, a person who's themselves.

[Christopher John Rogers]

I love that. That's such a good answer.

[Nicole Phelps]

There's so much shakeups happening in fashion. So much gossip about the shakeups happening in fashion. Curious what you think of this moment in fashion. Is there anyone that you'd love to see at a major house? Is that person you?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah, the answer is yes, of course. I mean, I think right now it's, as you said, very interesting time. Lots of change and oscillation, and it kind of feels like the powers that be are trying to find the thing that will stick or will work for them. And I think we've kind of lost the plot in some ways. And it's so. It's not so much about just one person. It's like truly, I would imagine, truly a collaboration of ideas and understanding that this person that you're calling in to sort of spearhead something or to, like, breathe life into something, you kind of have to Take all of them, you know, and maybe not expect it to be perfect overnight. Like, we also need to give people time. But all that to say, I think there are some really great voices that are coming to the forefront. People who are maybe newer and fresher, and also people who have been in the business for quite some time. Heider Ackerman is one of my idols, and so to see him at Tom Ford would be very exciting. And, yeah, I mean, that's always been one of my dreams, is to maybe have more legroom on the plane. Right. Like, more resources to say what I have to say. Maybe even not necessarily my voice, but the voice of some. Another house, I think would be really fun. Lacroix feels.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yeah, I was gonna say, I'm like, you know, it just got acquired, like the house.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah. So I feel like that would be fun. But, yeah, definitely an opportunity for lots of growth and I think new ways of doing things, too. So I'm excited to see how people do things differently.

[Nicole Phelps]

Let's go back in time to Savannah, Georgia.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Savannah, Georgia.

[Nicole Phelps]

Christopher and Jose, fellow students at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Tell us about how you met and why you liked each other.

[Christopher John Rogers]

So this is. Okay, this is a funny thing. So I'm younger, by the way, so.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Just by a couple of years.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yeah, you're like, not too much, but I had. But I had started scad. And listen, you can love fashion, you can have great ideas, a great point of view, but no one prepares you for actually fashion school and making things. I had sewn before, but it was very different sewing with my mom than draping a corset. And I was fighting for my life in one of my first fashion classes with Professor Pappas, who Christopher will remember fondly. And she told me about this guy named Christopher who was one of her most talented students, who she was like, can drape like no one else, so you should just see what Christopher is doing. And we just ended up, like, around each other. Like, I remember I was in the room and, you know, Chris and two of our other friends, Jeffrey and Roy, were playing music all the time in the building. So we, like. It was always really good music. And then we ran into each other at the subway shop all the time, and we just eventually were around each other enough that we became. Became friends. That's how I remember it.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Yeah, I'd say the same, you know, just sort of like, again, happenstance and sort of being in the same space and sort of understanding each other.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yeah.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

And I even remember, like, after I Had graduated. You, like, texted me a question about, I think a sewing machine.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Yes.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

In one room. And I was like, don't use that one. Yeah. And I think this idea of, like, again, community and fashion and understanding that there are people who are incredibly passionate about this industry and what we do, and it's so easy to connect when you have that shared.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Exactly. It's funny because we actually got closer after I graduated. And now we're here. Now we're here with Nicole Phelps, which is crazy.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

It's crazy.

[Christopher John Rogers]

But, yeah, we had a good time.

[Nicole Phelps]

We do have a lot of students and young people who listen to this podcast. So what advice do you have for young people interested in fashion and young designers specifically?

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

I mean, you have to kind of be obsessed with it. I think there isn't room for being tepid about it. I think it can demand and does demand so much of you that you really have to, like, be certain that's what you want and also to go after it. Stay true to who you are, listen to your own, you know, specificities and idiosyncrasies and the things that make you special. And, yeah, don't shy away from that. I'd say. Yeah. Work hard.

[Christopher John Rogers]

You definitely have to.

[Nicole Phelps]

Okay, that's a good note to end on. Thank you, Christopher.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Of course. Thanks for having me.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Thank you, diva.

[Jose Crialas Unzuita]

Love you.

[Christopher John Rogers]

Great to have you here. Love you too.

[Chloe Mel]

The Run through is produced by Chelsea.

[Sponsor]

Daniel, Alex DePalma and Joanna Solotarov. It's engineered by Jake Loomis, Luke Mosley and James Yost.

[Chloe Mel]

It is mixed by Mike Kutchman. Stephanie Karaoke is our executive producer and.

[Sponsor]

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[Christopher John Rogers]

From PRX.