Hi,
First of all, let me wish you a very Happy New Year.
I hope you and your loved ones are all safe.
In today’s interview, I have the honour of talking to a great costume designer: Brenda Cooper.
She has style, she has flair and she is behind the fantastic costumes of the hit sitcom The Nanny. I, along with all the Nanny fans, am grateful for her amazing work.
Nearly 30 years on, we’re still talking about it: @whatfranwore is identifying the outfits, @franfinedatabase is indexing them, @thenannyart is combining the outfits with contemporary art and… last but not least, @thenannyexhibit is showcasing the iconic looks in a never-seen-before exhibition called The Nanny’s Shmatte.
Isn’t this just amazing ?!
Let’s crack on and get to know Fashion Queen Brenda Cooper.
Stay safe and be well
-Kat.
Kat: You have finished writing a book about fashion. How was the writing process for you?
Brenda: The writing process for me was exciting and a real challenge at the beginning.
As a stylist, it’s really effortless for me to take, find, shop, buy, coordinate clothes and put together incredible outfits. That’s second nature for me, I don’t have to think about it. It’s easy. But then, to take all my knowledge and put it into order, a logical order, in words, something that is so organic for me was something, at first, I was very scared of, and I really didn’t think I could do it. But it’s something I’d always wanted to do. It was a dream I’ve always had. I realised you can’t do it alone. I have had the most incredible team of people supporting me. My book is coming out in December this year [2021].
It has been the most incredible experience for me to write a book, and break through my fears and be able to take my talent and have it be a contribution to all women.
That’s what I’m so excited about: I want to encourage every woman to step into her magnificence, look her most stylish, be her most authentic self.
It’s been an incredible process. It’s like being pregnant for 4 years. I’m about to give birth in December. *laughs*
What can we expect to see in your book?
You can expect to see my system of dressing, of how I dress women based on very few items of clothing that allows you to express yourself and express your personal style. I teach you how to discover your personal style and how to do it simply. It’s about changing your relationship with your closet. In my experience, I have found that women are often challenged with the task of getting dressed. The problem is knowing what fits, what’s appropriate, what flatters for your body so that a woman can look and feel fashionable. My book shows women how to do that without getting caught up in a tsunami of trends.
I also deal with our psychology in terms of how we relate to ourselves and our clothes.
My book is about women stepping into their magnificence and using dressing as a tool to get there: the idea is to make it simple and easy to just ultimately be attractive, stylish and feel good about yourself regardless of height, weight, ethnicity, age, or size. I throw all that out of the window. My system works regardless of all that and I have used it on thousands of women.
My book is really about confidence. It’s about building your confidence and I use clothes to get you there.
I’m so excited to share my knowledge and expertise with the world.
You wanted to pursue an acting career but then you became a fabulous costume designer. How was the experience for you?
When I was young, living in New-York, in my twenties, I was a model and pursuing an acting career. It was going nowhere, in my opinion. I’m very hard on myself.
I had to get a job to pay my rent. I wanted to do something that I liked and I was always great at putting clothes together. It was my passion. I started a fashion consulting business where I would go in women’s and men’s wardrobes and redo them. I just intuitively knew how to do it.
I met this gentleman at the gym, did his wardrobe and he loved it. He introduced me to a top Hollywood agent for costume designers. I thought “they aren’t going to want to talk to me” because I didn’t have any experience in the business.
However, I plucked up the courage and 3 weeks later, I called her. Then, 3 years later, I’m walking up on stage to pick up an Emmy for my first official job as a designer, which was The Nanny.
I had found my calling. I found what I really loved. I never really loved modelling. When I got acting jobs, I was never excited about it. But I simply loved putting clothes together, shopping, creating characters and making men and women look fabulous.
You won an Emmy Award for your work on The Nanny. How would you explain your sense of fashion?
In a few words, it’s very clean, simple, sleek, and it’s sexy in an elegant way. Whatever look I am creating, whether it’s goth or glamour, sporty or romantic, I always want an underpinning of elegance to it.
If you want to look wild and crazy and I’m dressing you, there will always be an elegance to it.
And I don’t use lots of accessories.
What was your thinking process in finding each outfit?
Katrina, it’s so funny, I didn’t think about it. *laughs*
People often ask me this question. I work organically and intuitively.
People say “what is your process?”. I have to sit and think “what is my process?”.
First of all, you’re not actually dealing with fashion. Even though I’m using fashion, I’m creating characters.
I create a character so that when you, Katrina, look at that person, you can tell a lot about them before they’ve opened their mouth. What you wear says a lot about who you are, how you feel, and what you aspire to be. Think of it as your personal brand.
As I said, I work organically, I don’t analyse it, I just do it. When I analysed it, I was a little amazed at it myself as I realised I used the same principle on all of the characters: it was form-fitting.
For Fran, it was form-fitting and body conscious.
For C.C, it was form-fitting but it was elegant.
Whereas I used short skirts with Fran, I used long skirts with C.C because C.C had to look more conservative and business-like. But I still wanted her to look sexy a,d when I say “sexy”, I don’t mean overtly sexy, I mean alluring.
For C.C., I used 1940s jackets from my own collection and I would use longer skirts. There would be a beautiful strong shoulder line that would come in at the waist and be very attractive.
I am creating a colour palette with clothes, bright colours on Fran, muted colours on C.C., pastel colours on Maggie.
I followed similar principles with Renée [Sylvia Fine]. I found a store for Madeline [Grace Sheffield] that sold the most beautiful very classically English party dresses. They were perfect for Grace.
I create characters through shape, fabric, design and colour palettes.
The defining garment for Fran was a vest. The defining garment for C.C. was a 1940s jacket. The defining garment for Sylvia was a tight form-fitting suit but still loud like her daughter so that you can see a through line in terms of generations and style.
It was all incredibly fun and exciting. I wanted to make a statement of style, wit and humour. And Fran just let me do my thing.
The outfits have impacted many of us throughout the years and still do up to this day. Was it one of your aims?
Yes, completely!
My style aesthetic is timeless.
I have racks of clothing which I have just taken out of storage. I have racks of 90s stuff that I was just going to get rid of. I looked at it and thought “Gosh! This is just soooo gorgeous! How can I get rid of it?”
When I created the look of the show, my intention was to transcend the test of time in terms of the show’s look.
But who knew that social media would become what it is today. Thanks to the huge fan base, I guess I achieved my aim. It’s great being interviewed over 20 years later. I want the same for my book so that in 10 years, people can put my dressing system together and still look fashionable. The system is easy to follow and helps you find your personal style and the clothes to match. It will boost your sense of self regardless of your age, body type or budget. In addition it’s perfectly comfortable for easy stylish at- home and work-from- home dressing during the pandemic.
Fran wrote the foreword. I’m very grateful for that.
In what ways did the sitcom impact your life?
I got to do what I love and winning an Emmy created loads of other diverse opportunities for me. I have had a very exciting career.
What did you do after the show?
After the show, I went from behind the scenes to on camera as a host on a show called Fashion Emergency. It was one of the first fashion makeover shows and was a huge hit.
I also became a mum, one of my proudest and greatest accomplishments. I set aside my career for many years as my priority was raising healthy children and I didn’t want to be an absentee mum.
When you walk into a room, people judge you within 3 or 4 seconds. What advice would you give to overcome fear of being judged?
That’s a good question. You have no control over other people’s thoughts about you but you do have control over how you think about yourself. Know that you are enough exactly as you are which will help you develop your confidence. It doesn’t matter if you enter a room full of royalty if you have a confidence within yourself and know that you are enough. There’s great joy in that.
This is part of what my book is about. Basically learning how to love and accept who you are as you are and release all those limiting beliefs that have been programmed into us generationally and by advertisers.
What qualities do you need to be a successful fashion designer?
I have no idea. *laughs*
First of all, confidence. And if you don’t have confidence, act like you do and it will come. While I had no formal training, I did have confidence in my ability to understand the needs of a script and to put clothes together to create characters.
And be curious. Find your passion. You also have to be willing to work hard. People think it’s all glamor. And it is! But it’s also very hard work.
Commitment to excellence is important, at least to me. I think that’s what won me an Emmy.
What is your all-time advice to always do it with style?
Keep it simple. Don’t get caught up in trends. Learn what style of clothing flatters both your body and your personality. Then, you will always be stylish.
Don’t be a victim of fashion, be a creator of your own personal style.
Apart from fashion, what are your other passions in life?
My family is my passion and loving relationships with people.
I also love interior design and creating beautiful harmonious serene spaces.
I love to cook healthy nutritious food.
What has been the most empowering moment in your career up until today ?
There’s been so many things that have been empowering. A hugely empowering moment was to be asked by Fran Drescher to be the designer of The Nanny. Winning an Emmy. Writing a book that is a contribution to others.
What is the most valuable lesson that life has taught you?
There are many but one comes to mind. A valuable lesson is to be honest with myself and others and to speak up, say what I need to say and ask for what I want. And to give myself permission to create the life that I want.
What are the 3 words that describe you best ?
Creative, passionate, curious.
Thank you so much Brenda, this was truly an honour.
If you want to see more of Brenda’s work and get fashion tips, go and follow her on Instagram (@brendacooperstyle).
And remember, whatever you do, do it with style ! 🙂
Love
-Kat.
-ITW Jan 30th 2021