Fashion Expert Kathryn Eisman On Reading A Person Through Their Outfit
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
You're listening to a Mamma Mia podcast. Hello and welcome to Nothing to Wear, the podcast that solves fashion problems and levels up your wardrobe. I'm Leigh Campbell and today I'm joined by a guest with a very special talent. Today I'm joined by Katherine Eisman, an Emmy-nominated journalist and author and the founder of fashion label High Heel Jungle. Catherine has an uncanny knack. She can look at an accessory someone's wearing and tell everything about them. So we're going to talk through the micro data points we wear without even knowing it and what it says about us, plus how to go into our own wardrobes and work out who we really are right now and make sure that's reflected in what we wear.
Catherine, welcome to Nothing to Wear. Thank you so much for having me. We have so much to cover, but let's start at the start. Who are you and where did your career begin? Oh, okay. Well, who am I?
I can't answer that, but where did the career begin? Who are you today? Exactly, in this moment. I started my career at the very beginning as a model, an average one. And I studied communications and journalism and actually it was while I was modelling that I discovered this. I was sitting on the floor and I saw these men's shoes walking past and I was playing a game with myself like, hmm, I bet it's this guy, I bet it's that guy, and thinking about characteristics. Anyway, that became… You could only see the shoes. Only see the shoes.
Like Blind Date, that show Blind Date. Yeah.
Exactly. And then I would look up and be like, oh, I'd test myself. Anyway, that became the beginning of what became my career, I guess, was my first book a long time ago called How to Tell a Man by His Shoes. And this lifelong passion that I've had for connecting the clothes that we wear and the deepest parts of who we are as people. And I... went to New York on that book tour, ended up becoming a reporter for NBC in New York. Which was not part of the plan, I'm guessing? It wasn't. I had so many different plans. And back in the day, I felt that you really had to pick a lane. It wasn't like now where you can become your own industry. I wanted to write. I loved writing, but I also did love television.
And with the education after modeling, it makes sense. But
Yeah, 100%.
Place, right time. Exactly.
I wrote the book. The book became a bestseller. It really changed my life in many ways. I moved to New York and had the most extraordinary time working as a reporter, journalist for NBC at 30 Rock and just learning so much so quickly. And then I ended up working in television a long time, writing columns, writing books, doing a TV series called Undressed, all about the link between the clothing that we wear and the person we are. I worked for e-news, head of fashion and lifestyle, and then launched High Heel Jungle by Catherine Eisban, which is my brand now.
So we're going to talk more about that later because I love what I've seen so far, but I want to ask a few more questions about kind of this talent that you've got. So more on this skill of, you know, seeing a shoe and then kind of guessing who the man is that's wearing them, that you got it pretty right most of the time. How did that evolve and how have you used that in your career since?
Oh, gosh. Okay. Well, the first time I realized I had this ability in a very pragmatic way was I was on holiday with my dad in Italy and some guy came up to me to ask for directions at a train station in Italy in Italian. Hmm. Unfortunately, I don't speak Italian. I would like to. You obviously looked, you know, you weren't looking touristy though. You obviously looked the part. I think when you hear the rest of the story, I looked very touristy. It's really interesting because I remember staring at him and reading what he was wearing and this oversized camel cashmere coat.
Who is Kathryn Eisman and how did her fashion career begin?
And I remember his brown monk strap leather shoes. And I remember thinking there was this really dark, big disconnect between his face and his, these very plush, beautiful, elegant clothes. My father came back and we realized that the video camcorder back in the day that had our whole holidays memories on it was missing.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–3:46
2
Who is Kathryn Eisman and how did her fashion career begin?
3:46–5:23
3
How did Kathryn discover her ability to 'read' people from their shoes and outfits?
5:23–16:34
4
What does your wardrobe reveal about your identity and mood?
16:34–45:01
5
How can you audit your wardrobe to become the person you want to be now?
45:01–45:31
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Nothing To Wear
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