From Vogue's Legendary Closet to Styling Stardom: The Brian Coats Story

Jill welcomes the always charming Brian Coats, affectionately known as "the boy in the closet," for an intimate conversation about his remarkable journey through fashion's most prestigious corridors. Brian's fashion odyssey began in 1996 as an assistant at Vogue Magazine, where he commanded the legendary fashion closet and collaborated with the incomparable Andre Leon Talley. Together, they unpack colorful behind-the-scenes tales from those formative years, from the infamous closet smoking incident to the daily choreography of managing fashion's most coveted archive, a central hub of activity and competition for the editorial and styling teams. The story reaches back even further, to six-year-old Brian in North Carolina, mesmerized by Elsa Klensch's CNN style segments, a moment that ignited a lifelong passion. He recounts his unwavering determination to reach Parsons School of Design and the pivotal realization that his destiny lay in editorial styling rather than design. In 2000, Brian transitioned to GQ, where he honed his craft as a fashion editor for 13 years before embracing the freelance world. He candidly discusses the adjustment, from overpreparing for his first independent shoot to navigating an industry landscape without a magazine masthead behind his name. The conversation turns to Brian's current work styling high-profile magazine spreads, advertising campaigns, and celebrities, including his continued partnership with Jimmy Fallon. Jill and Brian examine the contrasts between Vogue and GQ cultures, the art of juggling competing demands and personalities, and surviving fashion's relentless pace. Follow on Instagram and Threads at @goingrogue.podcast and @jilldemling Follow on TikTok Send us your questions or comments by calling us at 518-21-ROGUE

Om Podcasten

Welcome to the ultimate insider's guide to the world of fashion, celebrity, and media—straight from the heart of Vogue. I’m Jill Demling and for nearly two decades I was the Entertainment Director of Vogue. I've booked over 200 American Vogue covers, 30 covers for British Vogue, and more than 50 covers worldwide. That's nearly 300 covers that shaped pop culture, defined fashion, and captured the zeitgeist. But those perfect images? They're just the tip of the iceberg. "Going Rogue" is your backstage pass to the moments that never made it to print. The stories from the photographers who captured magic, the stylists who created iconic looks, and the writers who know every secret. You'll hear about the celebrities, the shoots that almost didn't happen, and the untold drama behind fashion's most memorable moments. Remember "The Devil Wears Prada"? That fictional 11-month snapshot? I was there for the real story—I even hired the person the book was based on and appear on page 21 of the book. But this isn't about one story. It's about hundreds of stories, from someone who was on the inside. This podcast is not an exposé, it's a celebration of the brilliant people behind the scenes that made all the famous moments possible at Vogue. It isn't just a podcast about fashion. It's about creativity, ambition, art, and the human stories behind the images that helped define a generation. We'll reveal how the talents behind these shoots got their start, and they'll share masterclass-level advice for a new generation of stylists, photographers, and creatives looking to make their mark. We're going behind the scenes of a world most people only glimpse through glossy pages and red carpet moments. Are you ready to go rogue with me?