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In today’s episode, I’m joined by Myriam Schaefer, the designer behind the Balenciaga City bag; a creation that emerged in 2001 and went on to become one of the most iconic objects in contemporary fashion and a defining cultural symbol of its era.

Widely regarded as one of the most important handbag designers of her generation, she has spent decades shaping the fashion industry from behind the scenes.

Beginning her career as Jean Paul Gaultier’s right hand in the late 1970s, Myriam later gave Nicolas Ghesquière his first major opportunity in fashion, hiring him as her assistant at Jean Paul Gaultier. She went on to serve as Artistic Director of Ready-to-Wear at Nina Ricci, worked across several leading fashion houses including Giorgio Armani, and developed her own line of leather bags.

Drawing on a remarkable career spanning more than four decades, Myriam reflects on the people, decisions, and creative processes that helped define modern fashion.

The Fashion Archivist Podcast, hosted by Freya Roski, explores fashion through research, conversation, and archival material. Each episode combines interviews, monologues, and deep dives with previously unseen or unheard material to examine how fashion knowledge is formed, shared, and interpreted today.

The series looks at the people, ideas, and systems that shape contemporary fashion across design, media, retail, image-making, and culture.

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About the podcast: www.roskiyard.com/fashion-archivist

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