Carson Kressley: From Personal Style to Interior Design

Hello everyone, welcome to Dear Alice. We have a really fun episode today. We've got Carson Kressley on. Can you believe? No. Yeah, crazy. Can you believe? I've seen him. I've been seeing Carson on everything for the last 20 years. I feel like I know you personally. So super excited to have you on. I know. It's everyone else nervous. I thought, what am I going to wear in front of Carson Kressley this morning when you woke up? Yeah, seriously. We knew you'd be the best dressed one. Yeah. Oh, stop. Literally, I was outside fruiting hydrangeas with my jeans on and my knees in the mud. And then I was like, I had my alarm set on my phone. I was like, I've got to go in and do the Dear Alice podcast. So I hopped on a cashmere sweater, which fixes everything. Yes. And a little dash of color. And here I am. And here he is. Cute spring check. Well, if you guys have been living under a rock, like Cory said, Carson has been on TV since I first saw him since 2002. He's an award-winning television personality. He's a published interior designer and a world champion equestrian, best known for his roles on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy in the 2002 version and his longtime role as a judge on RuPaul's Drag Race and his Food Network hit, Barbecue Brawl. Welcome, Carson, to Dear Alice. Oh, my God. You forgot my Nobel Peace Prize for getting rid of the Nath because thank you for that glowing introduction. Right here that I'm like, oh, my God, please stop talking. It's getting embarrassing. But here I am. And yes, I try to be ubiquitous and I try to be on TV as much as possible. But my real passion is interiors. I love interior design and decorating and entertaining and all of that stuff. So I'm thrilled to be here. I listen to you guys all the time on my road trips and fucking on the gram. And I just really enjoy your work. Well, thank you. Yeah, we're super excited to have you on. Carson, we know you're like, you know, all over the place in the world. Where are you at today, recording with us? Today, I am at my horse farm in Pennsylvania. And I am sitting in my, you can see it if you're watching, if you're not listening, but if you're watching on YouTube or wherever you watch the Dear Alice podcast, you can see I'm sitting in my living room at the farm. And it's one of those places like growing up, we had a living room where no one was allowed to sit in. And it had like tufted velvet furniture and a mural on the wall. And they say you turn into your parents. And apparently I have because they basically have the same room or have like pretty tufted furniture. That was actually, this was my grandmother's. No way are you? And I almost never sit in here. And I have a piano and sometimes we'll do like little music nights when I have people out to the farm from the city. But I'm very rarely in here, but in the afternoon, it's so pretty. So thanks for giving me a reason to use a room in my house. Of course. I love it. And it's always fun to say that I'm at my horse farm. So high five to you. That's really lovely. I know. It was my horse farm. I can't believe it myself sometimes. You grew up, didn't you, on a horse farm? Or you have an equestrian upbringing. Tell the audience about that. Yeah, I grew up outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania. And people always think of that Billy Joel video with like the smokestacks and the steel workers showering. That was my favorite scene. I was like, I was the first time I think I saw butt cheeks on a man. I was like, what are those? Sign me up. Rewind. I keep a PG. But people always think when I say Allentown, Pennsylvania, it is like a steel town, which it is. But like many great American towns, it has beautiful neighborhoods and gorgeous countryside. And we lived out in the country about 20 minutes away towards Amish country. So I always say I was Amish adjacent. I could hear butter churning in the distance. And my grandparents had a pony farm. And they had my grandmother always wanted a pony. And she grew up on a working farm in the 20s. And they only had horses for work. And a pony would have been an extravagance that was just completely impractical. So when she was older and married my grandfather and they had a nice business going, she's like, I'm going to get a pony for my son, which was my dad. And he was like, I don't know, like 25 years old and had no interest. But she got one and one turned into two and two into four. And pretty soon they were over 100, I think around 200. And they would produce them and sell them all over the country. And the painting behind me is one of their famous ones that they had in the 50s and 60s. This was in their living room. And I always thought it was the coolest thing. Wow. And I was lucky to get it. So that's how I grew up, around horses and animals. I just thought that was normal that you would go outside in your backyard and there would be hundreds of ponies. You would just jump on and ride. And then when you're about 13, you're like, I don't want a pony anymore. I need a horse. We started out with American Saddle-Bred horses and I've been showing them my entire life. Wow. Do you still show horses? I do. Yeah, I have two. I have a horse that I ride. And this sounds incredibly precious and dainty and like, I am a 100-year-old lady from England, but I also have a Hackney pony that I drive. Oh my gosh. In competitions. And you get to dress up and it's very old fashioned and it's super fun and he's the cutest. His name is Blake. He knows his name and he knows my voice. When I get to the horse show, I can hear him calling for me because he knows I have peppermints, which is favorite treat. I love that. Peppermint patties, like the little red and white stripe in the plastic wrapper? Yeah, the little like starlight mints, I think they call peppermints. Horses love them. I did not know that. You're so delightful. That is so cute. Oh, there's nothing more. Oh, I love it. It's like the updated sugar cube. They live for a peppermint. I just love that visual of you doing that. So you have a home, you have a farm, and then do you have a home in the city as well? Or do you live here full time? I do. Yeah, no, I have an apartment in New York. So you're too young, but there was a show called Green Acres with Eva Gabor. And that's what I model my life after. I have a Park Avenue apartment with a terrace and I fling my doors open and I say, New York, I love you. I love you, but give me Fifth Avenue. And then I also have the great balance and the great privilege and luxury of having a second home out in the country where I can channel my Martha Stewart and do gardening and ride horses and do all the fun things that I did growing up. I love it. You figured it out. That's so great. OK, so first question for you. And Alice Lane, we believe your homes reflect who you are. So we couldn't think of anyone better to feature than one of the world's top style experts. So I want to know, what would your eight-year-old self, would he be surprised at everything you've accomplished and about what you're doing right now? Yeah, I think he would be surprised and delighted and be like, oh, you go, girl. I hope that's what my eight-year-old self would say back to me. And I didn't ever know what I was going to do. I was not one of those. I was always so envious of people I went to school with who were like, I'm going to be a dentist. I'm going to get really good grades in high school, and then I'm going to go to college, then I'm going to go to dental school, and then I'm going to be an intern, and then I'm going to be a resident, and then I'm going to hang my shingle. I was just always very, probably ADT, and just thought there's a million things that I'm interested in. And I loved horses and agriculture. I loved New York. I loved art. I loved art history. I was an eight-year-old who was drawing pictures of houses on diner placemats. We'd go to Perkins or someplace. My mom always had a pen or colored pencils, and I would flip it over, and I'd be drawing houses and landscaping. And I watched the Brady Bunch, and I was just like, I'm going to be an architect like Mike Brady. Then someone told me there was math involved, and I was like, oh, no, that is not happening. I'm just a math phobe. That didn't happen. So I think my eight-year-old self would be very thrilled that I found a way into the design world, because that's really always been the thing that I have loved the most. Yeah. Well, you're so much more fun than a dentist. I'm glad. Yeah. I try. I try. You left room for magic, too. That's what I would say. When you have everything too planned out, magic can't interject itself, and destiny can't take it's hold and direct you. You know what I mean? Oh, my. I'm such a believer in the divine path and saying yes to opportunities. And I've been given the opportunity to give some commencement speeches in my career at SCAD and Philadelphia University. And I was like, god, you have picked the wrong person, because I had a hero plan. I just found things that I liked. Like when I knew I wanted to live in New York City, I didn't know what I was going to do. I didn't really, I had a fabulous but somewhat wide liberal arts degree from Gettysburg College. I just said, oh, I should probably get a job at Ralph Lauren. Like that's horsey, and it's fashion. It's all the things I love, and I totally understand the culture. I somehow made that happen. I got a job at Ralph Lauren. And then everything led to something else. And the key was that I was always saying yes to opportunity. Even when the Queer Eye opportunity arose, I had a great job at Ralph Lauren. By that point, I had been there for about eight years. And I was the person who would go on location to all the photo shoots. And I was literally like the fashion police. Like if we were working with Neiman's or Filene's or Robinson's May, whatever the store was back when there were all those millions of stores, I would go on set and make sure our Ralph Lauren part of the catalog looked like Ralph Lauren. So I had a great job. But then Queer Eye popped in and said, oh, you should try out for this. And I was like, OK, I've never done TV. I have no idea what I'm doing. But I said yes and tried out. And that led me to something totally different and wonderful. So a lot of magic, a lot of yeses, also a lot of just kind of like taking a leap and hoping you land somewhere great. Yeah, yeah. Well, I think you did that. So I mean, and honestly, just talking for the last couple of minutes, I can see how you have taken your different passions in life and kind of just like brought them together into your own personal style, whether that's your interiors or your wardrobe. So what would be your best advice to our listeners? How to do that? How to like cultivate their passions in life or actually collect their passions in life to cultivate their own personal style? Oh, gosh, that's a great question and a big question. And the overarching answer, I say whether it's building a wardrobe or designing your home, is you're going to naturally gravitate to things that you love. And those are the things that you should gravitate to. You know, there's some Instagram or TikTok reel where it's like a British woman saying, I just decided to follow my heart and get home with things that I love. And that's what I do. I just, I'm in stores. I'm in antique places. I'm in flea markets. And if something calls to me, I buy it because if it's beautiful and you like it and you respond to it, you're going to enjoy living with it. And the same thing with fashion. Buy the things that you love. Disregard the trends. I am not a trend person. I like to sprinkle them in and have fun with them. And it makes you feel kind of current and young and up to date. But the essentials I keep pretty classic and invest in quality. And that translates to from the home to the wardrobe, like you're going to have your work horses, like your little black dress or your tailored suit or a great watch or an amazing bag or leather goods. And in your home, you're going to have a great sofa in your living room and a great dining table in your dining room and a high quality bed and mattress in your bedroom. Those are the work horses. And then you can have fun with color and accessories and jewelry to kind of, you know, keep it current and change it up a little bit. Because I also like to keep it fresh too. Definitely. You can definitely feel that in you. Let's talk about fashion some more. We all know you for fashion because of Queer Eye. Where did this come from? Is this, were you watching TV as a kid? Was it your family? You talk about being almost adjacent. And so I don't picture this really fashionable town. I also grew up rural. And so it's always so curious to me, like where, well, who was your role model? What, what made you think I want to be like that? I had two kind of portals. One was definitely television. And I have an older brother and an older sister and they're six and eight years older than me. So when you're 10 years old, your 16 year old or 18 year old sibling wants absolutely nothing to do with you. So I was like an only child, basically. And both of my parents worked, they had a business. I would be home all afternoon after school, watching the Brady Bunch and watching Heart to Heart and the Love Boat and Fantasy Island. And, you know, 70s television was full of fashion and style. I distinctly remember people like Stephanie Powers and Heart to Heart. And, you know, the even the house, you know, like, if you watch the I've been binging the Golden Girls, amazing show TV. And I'm just like, who were these women? They had like a giant ginger jar in their foyer and rat tan furniture and CW's Stockwell Palm Leaf wallpaper in the bedroom. Like that was a design bonanza, just watching the Golden Girls or different strokes. And they had a penthouse apartment on Park Avenue. Like you now. You're just like that. Yes, that's me. I'm the new Mr. Drummond. I have the same forehead. So television was a huge, huge, huge influence. And then just the 70s in general and watching my mom getting ready. And, you know, designers like Tori Burch say the same thing like it was the 70s. And even though we lived in Allen outside of Allentown, Pennsylvania, I remember my mom had like, you know, cocktail dresses with long hostess skirts and sparkly tops. And I would be like, where are you going? And they were like, we're going to a party. Like actually in this house where I am right now in the 70s, they were with some real bangers here, let me tell you. So people dressed up and there was an attention to detail and things were much more special. It wasn't just, you know, everything looked the same and everyone was in yoga pants. It was not like that. But for the young people who are listening, there was real individuality and style. And my mom is a very stylish person. She's turning 88 this week and she still bears her Chanel earrings and her, you know, Saint John. It turns it out. I just learned that, you know, you dress a certain way for church and you dress a certain way to go to work and you dress a certain way for school. And I just learned how to create a wardrobe and what was appropriate for different venues. And I think that's also a great tip. Like know what to wear, wear. That's so important. You could look amazing, but if you're, you know, going to clean out your basement, you're wasting the look or you could be in your best, you know, like athleisure. But if you're going to, you know, like a nice restaurant, you're also probably not wearing the right thing. So I think wearing the right outfit to the right occasion is the key to everything. I think that is lost on some of the younger generations. And I think maybe you should be the bridge for that. And you should probably write a book about or, or maybe you should start a new series on your Instagram handle or TikTok or something because I don't think people know how to. I think COVID ruined everybody's sense of fashion. Yeah. And I think you're right. It's just sort of this murky pond right now. And somebody's got to teach people where when to wear what, you know, that's a whole, that's a whole thing. I know that you're, I know you're loving interior design more than fashion, but I'm saying in your fashion space, like there's, there's a need for that. Yeah. Totally. What to wear when, who, what, when, where, why, how. So what's it like that? Yes. Teach, teach the people. Yes. A new series coming to your Instagram right now. I love it. Yes. I love it. Did your mom let you choose what to wear when you were younger? Or did she help put that together? Or how did that work? I think probably by the time I was like in fourth grade and I was being influenced by like movies, like Xana, do, yes, yes. You're the song in my head. And all those great movies that were out, I was wanting to like go shopping. And even like, again, TV, I would watch different strokes. And I'm like, what is that shirt with the little polo rider on it? Oh, my gosh. Even then. Ralph Lauren was just, you know, it was founded in 1967, but by about 1977, it was really popping. And it was in my local Bamberger's department store. And I was like, I got to get that. So the Calvin Klein jeans and the polo stuff, late seventies, early eighties, I was, I was starting to get into clothes. So I was about 10 years old. Oh, my gosh. I love it. And I was allowed to pick out what I wanted. Yeah. You were allowed to. Yeah. Yeah. That's so cool. What advice would you give to our listeners? We talked about this earlier. First of all, do you think people have an innate sense of style? Not everybody. I think everybody has their thing. Like some people are great at math. Some people can like tinker and fix like everything. Like, oh, that lamp is broken. Let me adjust the cord and the fin. I was like, I have no mechanical finesse or knowledge or aptitude, but I have a lot of like style aptitude that just comes naturally. So I think we all have our affinities. And then certainly if you don't have an affinity for it, you can learn it. And it just doesn't come as easily. So I think everybody has the ability to figure out their style, whether it's for their home or their wardrobe, but some people it just comes easier for. How has your style evolved? I mean, you know, going from being influenced by TV and then obviously getting a job at Ralph Lauren and then being on Queer Eye. Yeah, from there. Yeah, I would say I think as we get older, we become more ourselves. And I think I said that's not that's Carl Young or somebody. It's not me, but no, we're putting it in. I know I'm like, yeah, I think, you know, you live so much life that you really kind of distill down to the things that you really enjoy. So for me, my wardrobe has probably gotten a little more classic. I mean, I still love color. I just bought an all like mob suit from Suitsupply, which is like insane. But it looks so good when it's on. So I do depart from like the classics a little bit, but it's still like a tailored suit. It's not, you know, something more avant garde. And then in my home, I'm also refining that too. I think as you get older, you're just like, I'm trying to I'm a maximalist, but I'm trying to really curate and have less, but better. And I think in my wardrobe the same, like I'm trying to develop more of a uniform. It makes it easier, maybe have more beautiful pieces, higher quality accessories. I'm just trying to not have so much because that can get very mentally confusing for me. And I like to keep it, you know, my mind is all over the place. So I need my atmosphere to be organized. That's great advice. Yeah. Last week I was listening to a podcast that you're on, Bobby Flay's podcast. Huge fan of Bobby. I think your guys' personalities together are awesome. Like in barbecue brawl. And I've seen you on beat Bobby Flay a bunch of times. So it was super entertaining, fun to listen to. You mentioned something on there that was striking to me. You were like, I love interiors more than fashion. Yes. We kind of want to touch on that a little bit and do a little bit deeper dive. Tell us a little bit more about that. Sure. Well, I love that you love my little Robert William Flay as I call him. So cute. I love to just, you know, go up and like him a little squeeze. And he's so adorable. He seems a little gruff and, you know, like a tough New Yorker, but he is really one of the greatest people I get to work with. He's phenomenal. So sweet and so thoughtful and generous. But I love interiors. I think because interiors creates a space where you can like take care of people and entertain them and make them comfortable and bring them joy. So I think that is really what I love so much about it. It's the same as like cooking. I'm not a very good cook and I've learned a lot from Bobby and different cooking shows I've done. But when I have people over in a beautiful setting and you're giving them beautiful food that you've made lovingly, that to me is like the biggest accomplishment in life is like creating a beautiful space and entertaining people in your home and caring for them. Yeah, it's such a gift to be able to do that. I have a question. Are you taking projects or like what? Oh, in the interior space, what are you doing to kind of just like get that into the world? I would like to say that I am a stay at home interior designer. I love it. I'm sure I could maybe get clients. What's so daunting to me and I have such respect for interior designers. As soon as I get home from work, I do this thing that I heard an expert say they have to go in and you have to change your clothes so that it signals to your brain I'm no longer working. I put my phone down, I charge it and I go in my closet and I slip on my brushed bamboo jogger set from Cozy Earth. It's a costume change. It is. And it changes something in my brain. They're soft enough to sleep in, but they're put together enough that if I have to answer the door, I'm not going to be embarrassed that I'm like in actual pajamas. Yeah. You know, yeah, they are so soft. They're made from viscose from bamboo. They have this tapered fit with a relaxed waistband and just enough structure to feel intentional. I'm a huge fan. I just got them in the charcoal. I can't wait to see those. I do a little thing where I don't necessarily have time to change my whole outfit, but boy, do I take off my heels or my boots or whatever I'm wearing. And the first thing I reach for is the lake house clogs. I love these things because they're slip on, which is an absolute must when you're running in and out of the house, grabbing boys, getting the mail. I can wear these anywhere. I can wear them around the house and they're so soft. It has a cushioned footbed, a soft interior. And again, they're easy to slip on, which is everything. I forget that I'm wearing them when I'm in the house, but when the doorbell rings, I can quickly go grab it or go to the grocery store. And I still always look put together and uncomfortable. I love the lake house clog. I do too. I think they're really good looking and I think they look really cute under a pair of jeans. Nobody's going to think that you're wearing a slipper out because it's a clog. Exactly. Exactly. But they don't know that I'm actually wearing slippers because they feel so comfortable. Agreed. I feel like I need them in every color now that I have them. Me too. They're so good. Why the cozy earth stands out to me is it's the details, the fit, the fabric, the way these pieces are made to last. This isn't fast fashion for the house. It's something you'll actually be reaching for years from now. This spring, give yourself the kind of comfort that lives with you all day, not just the moment you get home. Head to cozyearth.com. Use our code, dear Alice for an exclusive 20% off. That's code, dear Alice for an exclusive 20% off. And if you get a post purchase survey mentioned that you heard about cozy earth right here. And you know, I've known many of them and you know, I worked closely with Tom Felicia, not only on queer eye, but we did a really fun, probably the most fun show I've ever done called get a room. It was on Bravo. You can find it in the dusty archives of YouTube. And Tom would work like crazy. And then I would just come in at like the last hour and put a white orchid on the coffee table and be like, I think we're done. But designers work so hard and there's so much that goes into a project. You know, when I see like elevations and this is where the light switch goes. And this is where the outlets go. And we've ordered 65 light switch covers. And I was just like, Oh my God, my mind's going to explode. I like to buy pretty things and put them in a room and say, put that mural over there and hang this wallpaper here. But I don't think I have the training or the skill to actually be a working interior designer. So I work on my own homes. It's a little dangerous because I'm just like, well, I'm itching for a project. I was like, I should, you know, buy something at the beach or whatever, but I have horses so I don't have any leftover money. Buy something at the beach. But I do love a project. I would like to maybe dabble in doing some. I've done some show houses. I have this collection, this collaboration with Ballard Design. So that's been really gratifying. But professionally, I'm not really a professional interior designer. Don't tell anybody. I just decorate my own spaces. You could be a creative director. That's what you should do. You'll direct others to do that. Yep. I love that. Yes. Yes. Shopping and pointing is my my strong. Shopping and pointing. I love that. What would be your advice to someone to take their wardrobe and have that reflected in their home? Oh, that's a great way to kind of figure out like what your style is in general. Is if you swing open your closet and you're just, you know, if you see a lot of Ralph Lauren, you know, you're probably like a traditionalist. And if you see a lot of Donna Karen or something that's a little bit more modern, maybe you're like Urban Zen. She has a brand called that. So you can kind of get your vibe. And then you can also see, like, do you love a lot of animal print? Do you love a lot of leather? Do you prefer to live in denim? Do you love cashmere? Those are all things. Is there is your closet mostly blue? Is it mostly, you know, red? Is it mostly oranges? It's really going to inform you as to the colors that you respond to and the overall vibe of like what your style is. Are you a bohemian or you classic? Are you English or you French? There's a lot of information there. You can kind of be a real detective. And that's going to be a great starting point. But I don't think that you have to kind of live like you dress. You know, I know a lot of people, you know, executives at Ralph Lauren, who we all wore the uniform, like the cable knit cashmere over the shoulder and very traditional and very preppy and very based in like, you know, English. And they lived in, you know, white, beautiful, modern Richard Meyer buildings on the Hudson River. So it doesn't necessarily have to like jibe, but it's a great starting point for sure. I love that. I actually love that whole scene that you just painted about working for Ralph Lauren in the 80s, I imagine. No, 90s, wasn't it? It was. Yeah, it was. It was the 90s. Yes. Oh my gosh. I'm sure that you've been watching Love Story with her working at Calvin Klein. And I'm like picturing you. It was doing the same thing in this building that she was doing it in. It was a, it was a parallel universe. Oh my gosh. And there's a great line in that show, which I was obsessed with and still am where she, like John F. Kennedy Jr. is sending her flowers every day. And she's like, Calvin only allows white orchid. We have the same thing, but like, you know, it was just, you know, Ralph Lauren likes this and we were just living in parallel worlds. And it were around when I was, you know, she had mutual friends that worked at Ralph Lauren and I of course never met her and was not in those circles where I would have been like, you know, interacting with like the head of PR Ralph Lauren or the head of PR at Calvin Klein. I was, I was packing samples and folding sweaters at that point, but it was a very romantic time in New York was so, it had such a great energy then in the 90s. Oh, so cool. What a beat. I just love all of that so much. Yeah. Honestly, I'm like, I can't think of a more fun spot to be in like regarding fashion interiors. Like, yeah. Supermodels like just that whole, the 90s in general, like. Amazing decade. No, and like there's so much to like look toward to be inspired by to cultivate style, fashion wise and in tears. Yeah, we were out every night. I there was a different club. We went to like on Mondays, I went to this club on Tuesdays, I went to this club. I remember and I remember calling in like late to work from the street in front of the play. Like they had a party on a Sunday night and I had to be at work on a Monday. I was like, I don't feel good. Payphone. I was like, cars honking. And then I'm just like, and then I would run back into the Palladium and dance until like, you know, nine a.m. Go home, shower and then get to work around 10 maybe. I'm obsessed. I love that for you. That's amazing. There were no cell phones and, you know, nobody had a computer at, you know, that we worked from home with. It was, it was like, it was, it's like mad men, like looking back at it. I think you need a book deal. You need to tell this story or yours needs to be like the next love story where they can reenact it because we all want to watch the scene play out. It's so fun. I know. And there were so many interesting designers back then and like Catherine Hamnett and John Bartlett and Mark Jacobs was just coming into his own and the shows were in Bryant Park and a giant tent. It was just this whole other podcast. Such a great whole scene is such a scene. It is such a scene. We have a lightning round of questions we want to do with you now. Oh gosh, OK. It's super fun. You're going to love it. Number one, who is your style icon, fashion or interiors you get to choose? Oh gosh, I mean, I'm going to say Ralph Lauren because he's done so much and covers so many oeves of like great American design from the American West to prep school to the great Anglo traditions. And then I also adore Tom Ford and I love wearing his clothes and he has amazing taste in every movies, interiors, et cetera. So it's a tie. Great answers. I loved the Ralph Lauren documentary that HBO did. So good. Very Ralph. So good. Yeah, gosh, I swear, anytime I get in an airplane, I have to watch it again. It's just so good. Yeah, I adore him. So good. OK, next question, favorite fashion house. I guess you probably just said Tom Ford. But I'll say the moment I don't know if you have a new one. I know all the creative directors have changed places and it's very exciting right now being off. I know, I know they all are changing and I'm just sometimes I'll go into a place that I love and like, what is this? Why is everything yellow? I can't wear yellow. Sometimes they do change it up. But I would say again, it's like those two like Ralph Lauren, like it's always in perfect taste. I always feel good in it. It works for me. But then I also love the glamour of Tom Ford. I was lucky enough to cover the Oscars fashion for Live with Kelly. And I think they were just, you know, I did a show like a couple of weeks before and they said, what are you going to wear? Who's going to design for you? I was like, I'm going to wear what I find at the outlet mall. I am on cable. I have great luck with the Tom Ford outlet and I have spies there. Oh, my gosh. Call me. This is a fashion tip as well. If you have a favorite designer and, you know, all of our favorite designers, everything is so expensive now. And I'd rather, you know, I want to buy more stuff. So I'm always looking for a bargain. So make friends, you know, if you love Tom Ford or if you love Laura Piana or if you love Ralph Lauren or Gucci, whatever, make friends with an associate at the outlet mall, give them your information, have them text you pictures of things that come in that they think you would like. And that's how I buy almost all of my like Oscar clothes or drag race wardrobe is my two, my two plants would very common. This New York outside of the city and Palm Springs, California desert premium outlets, they send me pictures and I just, I know my size and I say, yep, send it on. I love it. And it doesn't hurt that you're Carson Kressley. So they will give you good service as well because they, you know, they, they want to move the merch also. So a little fashion tip for you. I love it. Okay. What is your favorite piece of clothing? My favorite piece of clothing. Oh my gosh, I have, I have so many favorites. I mean, a go to is a cashmere cable knit sweater. I wear them year round. They are great on an airplane because even in July, sometimes the airplane is like 52 degrees. They pillow too. I think right now my favorite thing that brings me so much joy. That Tom Ford suit that I wore for the Oscar show, it was like the brightest pink you've ever seen. Like hot pink. Yeah. You're a star in that thing. I mean, you're starting anyway, but you really, really look fantastic in that. That just made me so happy. Like it was like, it was like a turbo charging effect. I love the color. I love the fit. I love the fabric. It looked good on me. It made me happy. I glowed like when things are working, it does that. That was that's probably my favorite right now. That's good. Favorite cast member from the OG Queer Eye. Oh, well, that's like picking your like favorite child. But I'll say Tom Felicia because we have very similar interests and we, you know, like we were talking about, I think before we were rolling, you know, we go to High Point Market together and, you know, hang out a lot. He also has a fabulous house in the Hamptons and also in Aspen now. So it's like, he's a good person to be friends with. Get yourself a Tom Felicia too, I guess. That's awesome. We did a book signing at our store with Tom like a decade ago. It was so long ago. In Salt Lake City. Yeah, it was so fun having him out. And I actually have two Tom Felicia chairs in my family room. Yes, you do. The really tall ones. I think I have a vote for Tom Pin on my jackets. Oh yeah. Oh, yeah. Do you remember that market? It was like the election year or something. Like 2020 or something. I can't remember. 2018 or something. Yeah. Anyway, he's great. His collection with the bedding collection from that really nice place from Chicago. Oh God, I can't remember the name. But it's just as you walk in the suites at Market Square. But I know exactly what you're talking about. Oh yeah, Eastern Access. Yes, that's it. Yeah, they're lovely. Yeah, we love Tom too. I love that. That's a good answer. Okay, Coastal Grandmother or Grand Millennial? Oh gosh. What is a Grand Millennial? Is that like a millennial who, who decorates in a grandmotherly style? Yep. You know, when we're looking at the picture, they're like, they're both like ridiculous and maximalist. So I'm just like, you probably will say both, but. Yeah, I'm probably, I'm going to say Grand Millennial because I'm not that Coastal. I want to be Coastal at some point, but I don't live near any water other than the East River at this point. That's a good answer. Great. Quiet luxury or maximalism? Oh, why be quiet when you can be loud? I like maximalism. I'm leaning more towards, like I'll see your spaces and there's like so serene and creamy and dreamy. And even when I bought this house, I had envisioned, and this is terrible advice. Don't ever do this listeners, but I thought I wanted to make it look like the club Monaco store, like when they had like brown floors and gray walls and white trim. I was like, horse farm in East Hampton. And then all of my stuff arrived and I was like, Lisa Douglas on Green Acres, where it's like a grand piano was rolling in and these like, you know, Hollywood Regency, tufted chartreuse chairs. Like it's just, I can't do minimal. Like every, all the stuff I have is just like bright and loud and layered. So it just, I can't do it. I would love to. And I'm going to at some point, I'm going to make myself do it like at the beach or something and be. Please, please don't. We don't want you to. Yeah. We love, we love what you're doing. And I think that's why you're so known for your style is because you're just not afraid. You're not afraid of color or pattern or yeah, the tufts, the, all of it. It's just all so good. Yeah. So good. One item in your home that you'd never get rid of. I hope you say that painting over, over the, over your head. That's so great. Well, yeah, I can't ever get rid of that. That is a family heirloom. So like God prepared it separate, you know, I ever have to run into a burning building, I would save that. And then I did get, this is a fun story too. I have another room here that is all like walnut paneling and it's very, very dark. So I couldn't really have any brown furniture, but I love a secretary desk. And we've always had them growing up. My mom had one. I just thought they were cool. And I saw an orange one and it was at like an auction house in San Francisco. And I thought, oh, I'm never going to be able to figure out this whole like beating online and then like figuring out how to get it home. It is so easy. Did you win it? Hot tip. Did you get it? I did. I think it was like $800. It was not, you know, expensive, you know, I've seen them for like five, $10,000. He rescued. Maybe it was like a thousand and then it was like maybe five or $600 to ship it, which again, I was like happily surprised. It wasn't that bad. You know, I've shipped luggage like overnight to a hotel and it's four or $500. So in a pinch. So they shipped it and it looks great. And the pop of orange and it has all this chinois repainting on it. It just in a very brown wood space, it's that pop of color that really makes a space thing. And I just sometimes I just walk by it and I'm just like, I love this piece of furniture. I could just look at it. I love it. You're so good with color. I'm not surprised that that's your answer. Okay. What's your favorite room in your house? Oh, the favorite room in my house. I guess my sunroom. I've never had a sun growing up and I love plants. I have them all around my pool in the summer, but I live in Pennsylvania, so it's cold, but I have a Sego Palm that I pull out and that goes by the pool that I have in my sunroom and I have a giant philodendron and I have a lemon tree that has one giant lemon on it right now. So that's a really nice place, especially in the dead of winter to go and feel like you're still like getting some greenery and I have a nice set tea in there and some leopard chairs as one does. You're basically a golden girl. I don't want to see a picture of this. Amazing. Yeah, it is very, it is very golden girls. I love it. I love that. Can you tease anything that you're working on next? Yes. We have a bunch of things going on. The season finale of RuPaul's Drag Race happens April 17th. We'll crown our winner. I think it's season 18, which is insane that we've been doing this show that won. Congratulations. That's so cool. Thank you. And then May 11th, barbecue brawl with Bobby Flay starts and it's a real shake up this season because Brooke Williamson, who's amazing and is one of my judges, co-judges, she is now dating Robert William Flay. I saw that. Stop! That would be unfair for her to be a judge. So she is now a competitor. So she's a new team captain. So that's going to be really. So fun. Because they love to give each other a hard time. And then very excited. I had mentioned it before. Halab with Ballard signs, which is really inspired by my horse farm. They came here, saw some of my pieces. We've reimagined some antiques. We've done some upholstery, some case goods, some tabletops, some barware. I just love doing it. I love the creative process and I love sharing it with people. We had a big store opening in Atlanta and had a couple hundred people come out. And it was really, I just, they're a great, great company and they make great things and they really allow you to kind of be your own designer, which I love. That's so great. Gosh, you're busy. You're everywhere doing everything. So great. You know what? I was busy doing it all like six months ago and now I'm just, you know, now we're getting ready to start up again. So I've had a little lull, but it's good. Little time with the horses. Yeah. OK, last question. We ask everyone that comes on the podcast this, how do you define luxury? Oh, that's a great question. Luxury to me. Well, there's so many things. I think it relates to time and handcraftedness. That's even a word. So like things that are made by hand that take a long time. That to me in our fast paced disposable world is so luxurious. So to get a handmade piece of furniture, a piece of artwork or a loaf of bread that's made out of croissant dough. All those things are very luxurious to me because they are special and handcrafted. And and it's not about mass and it's not about rushing to market. It's not about it being the cheapest it can be. It's about it being the best it can be. That's such a great answer. So good. I know I know everybody's going to love listening to this podcast. We're so glad that you came on so much to catch you on coming up in April and May. So we'll make sure and tune into that. Thank you. Yeah. And thank you. Anything else you guys wanted to ask Carson, what we've got him right here. Thank you just so much for coming on. Like I said, I'm a huge fan. I'm jealous that you get to eat amazing barbecue all the time on barbecue brawl. That that's like my favorite part of the show. So yeah, yeah, I bet. Thanks so much for coming on. We're so grateful to have you. I'm a big fan. Thank you. I love you can feel in your voice that you do put a lot of love and care. I love that when you're talking about interior specifically from fashion to interiors that you do get to just take care of people and you can tell you do that in every facet of your life. So anyway, it's been such a treat, such a treat to talk to you. Well, likewise, I think we're, we're some Patica in that way. And I, I, I love talking to people who enjoy it the same way I do. So good. Next time let's eat. Yeah. You'll have to come to Austin, Texas sometime. Okay. We usually film there in the fall and it's amazing. So I love Austin. You're going to be in that area. Reach out to Penny and we'll have you come visit us on set. Thank you so much for your time. That was such a treat. Thank you. I enjoyed it. You're lovely. Oh, good. So lovely. Yeah. I'll be listening to all of your podcasts. Thank you so much. You bet. Carson, great to meet you. Likewise. Bye. How awesome was it to have Carson on? He's hilarious. I could talk to him for hours. I know. I wish I could just have him like, like on the favorites part of my cell phone to just call him up all the time. And like cold FaceTime him and say. Yes. Is what I'm wearing. Okay. Yeah. No, no one question. No question this morning. We're invited to Austin. So we were going to make that happen. He's going to be surprised. Carson's going to call you. Where should we meet him? That's awesome. He was great. Yeah. So thanks again, Carson. Yes. And yeah, just before, before we leave, anybody that is a designer out there, a design professional, you need to join her to the trade program. It's amazing. You get like access to all of our exclusive product. You get discounts. You get all the things and we take care of you throughout the process. When you order furniture through us, we take care of the claims. We take care of you, the delivery, all those things. And we can't wait for you to join the team. You go to our website, alcanehome.com and you go to design services down to the trade, fill that out and we'll get you hooked up. Can't wait to have you. It's the best kept secret. Honestly, if I didn't work here, I would a hundred percent sign up for this because the deals are too good. They're so great. Thanks, Sue. And if you're not following us yet on Instagram, we're at Alice Lane Home. That's where you can see all the really beautiful new product drops and the whole store side of things. And we also have Alice Lane interiors. That's our interior design side of things where we're building and remodeling whole homes and you can check out just the progress on those stunning projects. It's a really fun follow. So make sure and check us out there. And if you guys have any questions, just send those to dear Alice at AliceLaneHome.com. And we'd love it if you'd leave us a review. You can do that by going to our show page and Apple and then scrolling down to the little tag that says Rider Review. You'll be able to fill it out there. Awesome. And tell your friends, we want to be the number one podcast design podcast in the world. So please help us get there. Yeah. Share it with a friend. Thank you for listening. Love the interior design. Yes. Great idea. Yeah. Love it. You guys, thanks so much for tuning in. We'll catch you next time. Hey, thanks for listening. If you like our show, please leave a five star rating.