Fashion Neurosis with Hanif Kureishi

Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud · 2025-04-15

Hanif Kureishi is a British author, playwright, and screenwriter, widely regarded for his exploration of identity, race, and multiculturalism. Born in 1954 in South London, to a Pakistani father and an English mother, his major breakthrough came with his 1990 novel The Buddha of Suburbia, a semi-autobiographical story of a young man navigating life in 1970s London. The novel, celebrated for its wit and social critique, was later adapted into a BAFTA-winning TV series with a soundtrack especially written by David Bowie. In addition to his novels, Kureishi has written plays, essays, and short stories, and a number of award winning films including Intimacy directed by Patrice Chéreau, and the Oscar nominated screenplay, My Beautiful Laundrette, directed by Stephen Frears and starring a young Daniel Day Lewis. Kureishi’s work often reflects his candid approach to cultural integration, sexuality and societal norms, all of which have made him a distinctive and relished voice in British literature.

On 26 December 2022, while staying at the home of his partner Isabella D'Amico, Hanif fainted and woke up paralysed from the neck downwards. He thought he was going to die, crediting Isabella for keeping him calm and saving his life. He has written about the accident and his recovery process on social media and in his Substack blog 'The Kureishi Chronicles'. His brilliant and compelling memoir Shattered was published in 2024, and in September that year the BBC released a biographical documentary 'In My Own Words' directed by Nigel Williams.

In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Bella Freud and Hanif Kureishi discuss Hanif's love of Tesco; developing a new method of writing with his son Carlo; and analysing his psychiatrist's dreams during his year long rehabilitation in hospital.

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Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud

Each week join the renowned fashion designer Bella Freud as she invites a special guest to ‘lie on the couch’ and explore the connection between fashion and identity. Bella’s conversations begin with questions about style and what we reveal through the clothes we wear. Bella also shares her own anecdotes and the conversations expand into deeper discussions on life’s universal themes—love, identity, culture, anxiousness, and even politics.

Through a series of tailored questions, Bella creates a relaxed, intimate atmosphere where her guests—ranging from fashion icons to cultural figures in sport, art, music and literature reveal more about themselves than they might expect. Fashion is often dismissed as superficial, but in this podcast, it becomes the lens through which we examine our inner lives, relationships, and society.

From Kate Moss to other notable guests, Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud offers a unique, thoughtful, and engaging conversation that goes far beyond what we wear: diving into the unspoken language of clothing and the ways in which we use style to navigate and communicate in the world.

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