From Club Kid to Pop Culture Kingpin: Drew Elliot's Blueprint for Breaking the Internet
Jill chats with Drew Elliot, the visionary cultural architect who transformed entertainment media from the inside out. From his roots as an entertainment-obsessed kid in Indiana to becoming the creative force who popularized "Break the Internet" and turned it into a cultural phenomenon, Drew's journey is a masterclass in cultural disruption.
Explore Drew's groundbreaking tenure at Paper Magazine, where he orchestrated iconic moments with A-list celebrities that helped define digital culture. He shares the philosophy behind his success: surrounding himself with geniuses, demolishing creative boundaries, and cultivating an inclusive environment where the next generation of talent can thrive. Drew shares his insights into innovation, creativity, and what it really takes to shape culture in the digital age.
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Send us your questions or comments by calling us at 518-21-ROGUE
Going Rogue is produced by Jill Demling and Maddie Kelly, who also serves as our social media director. Matty Rosenberg is the executive producer Be sure to follow Going Rogue on your favorite podcast platform.
Going Rogue is part of the Radio Free Rhinecliff media network.
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Gucci Westman: From Hollywood Makeup Artist to Beauty CEO - An Inside Look
Jill chats with renowned makeup artist and CEO Gucci Westman. Gucci shares her journey from her unique upbringing on a California ashram to becoming one of Hollywood's most sought-after makeup artists, working with directors like David Lynch and Michael Bay. They discuss her breakthrough into high-fashion covers and editorial spreads, a pivotal move propelled by Grace Coddington, and her successful leap into entrepreneurship with the launch of her clean luxury beauty brand, Westman Atelier. Join them as they reminisce about memorable celebrity shoots, the evolution of the fashion and beauty industry, and Gucci's passion for creating high-performance, skincare-infused makeup.
Follow on Instagram and Threads at @goingrogue.podcast and @jilldemling
Follow on Bluesky
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Send us your questions or comments by calling us at 518-21-ROGUE
Going Rogue is produced by Jill Demling and Maddie Kelly, who also serves as our social media director. Matty Rosenberg is the executive producer Be sure to follow Going Rogue on your favorite podcast platform.
Going Rogue is part of the Radio Free Rhinecliff media network.
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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
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Send us your questions or comments by calling us at 518-21-ROGUE
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From Mrs. Astor to Anna Wintour: Billy Norwich's New York
Step into the world of Billy Norwich in this second part of an intimate and expansive conversation with Jill. Billy reflects on his career spanning decades, including his work as a gossip columnist for the New York Daily News and the New York Post, and his editorial roles at Vogue and other prestigious publications. As someone uniquely positioned at the intersection of old New York and new New York society, Billy shares fascinating encounters with figures ranging from Mrs. Astor to Malcolm Forbes, offering a rare perspective on the evolution of high society. Hear about his personal anecdotes involving colorful characters like Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian, and John F. Kennedy Jr., and get a glimpse into the changing landscape of journalism and fashion. Billy shares heartfelt stories, including his experiences with significant figures like Liz Smith and Evelyn Lauder, and opens up about his deep, enduring friendship with Anna Wintour that has shaped both his personal and professional life. He discusses his novels 'Learning to Drive' and 'My Mrs. Brown,' navigating relationships, the impact of life events on his work, and finding meaning in the objects and memories that surround him. This part continues a thoughtful exploration of legacy, memory, and storytelling, offering unique insights from a man who has witnessed the transformation of New York's social fabric and continues to find joy and purpose in his journey.
Follow on Instagram and Threads at @goingrogue.podcast and @jilldemling
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Send us your questions or comments by calling us at 518-21-ROGUE
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Behind New York's Velvet Rope: An Intimate Conversation with Billy Norwich
Jill sits down with the incomparable Billy Norwich for an intimate conversation about his remarkable 40-year reign chronicling New York society, from dishing gossip at the Daily News and Post to his glamorous two decades shaping stories at Vogue. Billy spills on his storytelling philosophy, shaped by Anna Wintour's advice to "edit your life" and his personal theory of the "anthropology of style."
The conversation takes a very personal turn as Billy opens up about losing his father at nine and mother by nineteen. These heartbreaking losses could have destroyed him but instead deepened his determination. He found his chosen family among industry powerhouses like the iconic gossip columnist Liz Smith, who didn't just mentor him—she masterminded his transformation from Billy Goldberg to Billy Norwich, a reinvention that still stirs complex emotions.
Billy shares unforgettable stories, from his exclusive scoop on Caroline Kennedy's engagement to surviving the cutthroat world of high-stakes fashion events and A-list encounters. His insider perspective reveals the artful dance between professional curiosity and personal discretion that made him the trusted confidant of New York's elite.
Through candid anecdotes and hard-earned wisdom, this intimate conversation paints a portrait of New York society while sharing Billy's personal journey of resilience and reinvention. Whether you're interested in gossip journalism's inner workings, New York’s high society dynamics, or one man's story of finding family and purpose after profound loss, you won't want to miss this unguarded exchange.
For a who's who of everyone mentioned in this episode CLICK HERE
Follow on Instagram and Threads at @goingrogue.podcast and @jilldemling
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?
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