EXCLUSIVE Interview with Louise Roe and Jeannie Mai, Hosts of the New Style Series STYLE POP

Jason Teich - June 5, 2013

At NBC Universal's 2013 Summer Press Day, TV Tango sat down for an exclusive interview with fashion gurus Louise Roe and Jeannie Mai, who gave us a sneak peek of their new series STYLE POP, dished about which Hollywood star is at the top of their guest list, and revealed their personal views on fashion, offering a few tips for everyone.

STYLE POP premieres tomorrow, Thursday, June 6, 2013, at 8pm ET (live)/PT (tape delay) on the Style network. STYLE POP is a live, interactive, studio-based series, with fashionistas Jeannie Mai and Louise Roe talking all things fashion, lifestyle and entertainment. From tips on how to look good and live stylishly to updates on the latest news in fashion, beauty and pop culture, Jeannie and Louise leave no topic uncovered. Plus, they're joined by a rotating panel of fashion experts, who dish on the most topical and accessible fashion cues, the hottest trends in entertainment, the coolest tech gadgets and most buzzworthy restaurants.

TV Tango: What makes STYLE POP unique from other fashion shows?

Louise Roe: Because it's the first ever live show that Style Network has done. So first off, there is no second go around. And I think with fashion that's not really been done before. We're gonna be discussing everything that's trending on a Thursday night that you want to know for the weekend. So the kind of stuff that you would sit around and talk with your mates and with a glass of wine and just cackle away.

Jeannie Mai: Yes, we're going to cackle. I love that.

Louise Roe: I think we might cackle a lot. I know my voice goes really cackly. It goes quite low, my laugh.

Jeannie Mai: Does it?

Louise Roe: It has been likened to a guttural.

Jeannie Mai: Are you more of a guffaw, or are you more of a giggle?

TV Tango: You want to give us your guffaw?

Louise Roe: Well, you've gotta say something funny.

TV Tango: Oh, well, that's a challenge. [They both laugh.] Apparently I just did it.

Louise Roe: Yeah, you did it, alright. But we can talk about everything from fashion and beauty to lifestyle.

Jeannie Mai: Fashion, food, opinions, trends, celebrity news. If you hit up the hash tags on Twitter and find out what's trending, chances are we're gonna be talking about it.

Louise Roe: Yes, exactly. Except maybe football.

TV Tango: Not football?

Louise Roe: Probably not, unless we get that Brady guy on. [Tom Brady, quarterback of the New England Patriots]

Jeannie Mai: Oh yeah, but I'm not a big sports person anyway.

Louise Roe: I like to be in sports bars.

Jeannie Mai: Yeah, me too.

Louise Roe: I really do. But I don't have to sit there and cheer. I once went to a Dodgers game and cheered for the wrong side by mistake. Everyone turned around, and I was like, "English. I'm English. I'm English."

TV Tango: What is the right attire to wear to a sports bar?

Louise Roe: Not the color of the team everyone else isn't supporting. Did that.

Jeannie Mai: I would say a sexy pair of jeans and a t-shirt. No heels. Wedge sneakers are cute; that's the most you can go for.

Louise Roe: Those are cute, or a little white Converse flat.

Jeannie Mai: Not cowboy boots.

Louise Roe: I wore super-high Louis Vuittons to Barney's Beanery [a Los Angeles-area gastropub] once, because I was coming from a shoot, and I really wanted a night out. And everyone was staring at me like, "Who do you think you are walking into Barney's Beanery in a pair of Louis Vuitton's on a sticky floor. There's nachos on that floor."

TV Tango: How are you going to use the interactive, live aspect of the show?

Jeannie Mai: The live audience? We're going to have them be a part of the show. So if we're going to talk about a topic, we want to hear what everybody else thinks about the topic besides just ourselves. Not only that, do they want to talk further about it? Are there things we should know of that maybe we didn't hit on? So the audience will really be helping us to drive the show, because we want to let it be an open-form discussion.

TV Tango: So like calling audience members?

Louise Roe: Yeah, Skype. We're going to have experts too. So bloggers, stylists, celebrities...

Jeannie Mai: Influencers, taste-makers...?

Louise Roe: It's a two-way street. Very much.

TV Tango: So those are the kinds of guests you will be having. Anyone specific that viewers should keep their eyes open for?

Louise Roe: [joking] Ryan Gosling. He's going to be on first.

Jeannie Mai: [joking] George Clooney might make a stop-by. We're going to have to fit him into our schedule.

Louise Roe: There is actually a segment for the straight guy. So, Ryan, if you're listening or reading or wherever this is going, there you go. The offer is open.

TV Tango: Besides Ryan, who would be your dream guests?

Jeannie Mai: Anthony Bourdain. Hands down. He's just the absolute epitome of sexy.

Louise Roe: Good answer.

Jeannie Mai: He's to me. Honestly, he's my one-up to Ryan Gosling, although Ryan is still our mascot. But if it was a man, not that I would sit and make out with all day, but sit and have a conversation with, it would be Anthony Bourdain.

TV Tango: But Ryan would be the one for making out?

Jeannie Mai: Oh, he wouldn't even be allowed to talk. No. There's no talking for Ryan. Why would he need to talk?

TV Tango: Ryan Gosling is your choice, Louise?

Louise Roe: Yeah. Whenever he likes.

Jeannie Mai: We have to get a picture of you and Ryan beside each other, because I want to see if he's taller than you. And if he is, I'm going to set it up so you guys get married or something. She's still half free. Half. [Louise laughs.] I am so rooting for it.

TV Tango: What's a specific example of a non-fashion section of the show?

Louise Roe: Yes. For example, in our pilot we actually did this. We had an awesome chef come in from downtown New York. From a really kick-ass restaurant, and he actually cooked. Did he do three dishes?

Jeannie Mai: He did fish with the head on still.

Louise Roe: Jeannie had it. Fish eye. And I got ice cream. So sometimes life ain't fair.

TV Tango: What restaurant?

Jeannie Mai: It's actually the Meatball Shop. His co-partner opened the Meatball Shop.

TV Tango: Any examples other than food?

Jeannie Mai: Yeah, there was another one. I really love this one where we found celebrities and their kids, and we basically covered their faces so that by looking at their outfit, could you tell that it was still the celebrity or their kid? And you think it's easy...

Louise Roe: Freaky Friday. It's amazing. Suri's heels are as high as Katie Holmes's.

Jeannie Mai: Yes. So those areas really did stump a few of us. I loved having comedians like Michelle Buteau be able to weigh in on what she thinks we're saying. I mean, here we are, Miss "Oh fashion is all about this, this wasn't shown on this runway." She's like [doing Michelle Buteau impression], "Y'all are tripping. I ain't wearing that shit, and I don't care what you say." So things like that are funny, because again, we're weighing in what other real people think besides just fashion experts.

TV Tango: Are you going to address fashion for women of different body types on your show?

Louise Roe: For sure. That's key. And you know both of us have makeover shows, where that's probably the mainstay of each episode – is fit and shape. So we will be talking about boobies and bottoms and waists and everything.

Jeannie Mai: Yes. Everything in between. And what it does to a man. What outfits are going to get you laid. What outfits are going to keep you staying at home. I mean, like let's be real. We're here to help the ladies out.

TV Tango: Okay. So is there anything specific, any universal advice you would give someone with a larger body type?

Louise Roe: Don't hide it in a massive Mumu. A lot of women think if I were a tent, oh I'll hide my body. You'll make it look even bigger. Fit is really key. And if you find out which part of your body you like – it might be your wrists. It might be your shoulder. – [you can] then work the shape around that, while being a little bit more structured and tighter. Not too tight. Fit is key. Don't hide it.

Jeannie Mai: Yes. Absolutely. I would say not just larger women, but all types of women, need to get a proper fitting for their brassiere. About 78% of women wear the wrong bra for their size.

TV Tango: Too small or too large?

Jeannie Mai: It could be anything.

Louise Roe: Anything.

Jeannie Mai: But just wrong-shaped. If a woman can get the proper brassier, it'll actually completely change her shoulder line. It'll really allow you to see her waist if we're hoisting those babies up in the right place. And we get her posture to add two inches to her shape, which elongates her whole torso.

TV Tango: What is your personal fashion philosophy and how has it changed?

Jeannie Mai: My fashion philosophies have made me who I am. When it comes to your personal style, it needs to tell your story. You don't have fit unless you have fashion. Being who you really are, even if your mood changes every day, but letting it be true to you. Those are the things that are the staples for me.

Louise Roe: I love to wear bright color, and I know Jeannie will testify that it changes your mood. I never really wear any black. But how has mine changed? I definitely went through a sort-of girl power, though I was in a girl band, very low-slung, you know those baggy trousers and the little crop tops from when we were teenagers. I don't know if you had that band, the All Saints, did you ever have that?

Jeannie Mai: No.

Louise Roe: Cooler than the Spice Girls.

Jeannie Mai: But what year was this? Was this like the '90s?.

Louise Roe: Yeah.

Jeannie Mai: Okay, so back in TLC days.

Louise Roe: Exactly. So like the midriff. Although that's come back around. I think I may be doing it this time.

Jeannie Mai: I don't think I'm doing it.

Louise Roe: But you did, though, in our shoot.

Jeannie Mai: Oh yes, I did. I did.

Louise Roe: Sexy mama.

Jeannie Mai: Midriffs I'm all about...not too much.

Louise Roe: Two inches is enough.

Jeannie Mai: I don't need to be like Kelly Kapowski in SAVED BY THE BELL. I just need a little midriff.

Louise Roe: Yeah, although she's amazing.

TV Tango: What item should be in every woman's closet?

Jeannie Mai: I would say a good selection of belts. Like massive amounts of belts, yes. High rise, middle waist, lace fronts, to back ties. Just lots of different belts, because it really does help the outfit.

TV Tango: Why the belt?

Jeannie Mai: Because a lot of times when you're connecting separates, you need this piece that completes and brings the elements together. Especially if maybe your outfit needs to draw attention to your waist, because I always feel like the waist is going to help make the outfit, whether it's a shift dress or a shirt. Even this belt is helping my shirt keep from poofing too much around the waist where it's going to waste your great shape. So I think a belt is a nice must-have. It's what I have a lot of. I have like three thick drawers full of belts.

Louise Roe: I'd say a really bright, fantastic shoe. It doesn't have to be expensive. I like to call them "shout shoes," 'cause they're my favorite part of any wardrobe. You can make a very average chic t-shirt and jeans look super chic and expensive with a fabulous shoe. You really cannot do the opposite. Bad shoe, bad outfit.

Jeannie Mai: Yes.

Louise Roe: Are you learning a lot today?

TV Tango: I am. I am.

Louise Roe: We're gonna like test you on it later. [laughing]

TV Tango: Okay. What should all men add to their closet?

Jeannie Mai: I like a good pair of happy socks on a man. I know men have to dress conservatively for work. I know sometimes you can't break out of your slacks and your blazer. But if a man has a really fun, polka-dotted sock on there, or if it's a zebra print, a cheetah, and when he crosses his legs, you see this little...

Louise Roe: Now that's punchy.

Jeannie Mai: You're like, "Wait, wait, wait, what?" It immediately makes me more drawn to him and excited to talk to him.

Louise Roe: Yeah, stealth. And I love a cable-knit sweater on a guy in the winter. Love it. All over it. Cream or navy. It's just... Love it. It makes you want to hug them.

Jeannie Mai: Yes, yes. Oh, I like that too. And a good, worn-in v-neck shirt. Not tight. Loose. You know, we don't need any jersey knits here. We're just loose. V-neck. A little distressed. That's sexy.

TV Tango: What are your fashion no-nos?

Jeannie Mai: Don't stick to the rules. I hate that. Please don't stick to the rules. Wear freaking white after Labor Day. Do match your nails and your handbag if it makes you feel fantastic. Do wear a headband if you're over thirty. You know, I think there's a lot of fun things... And do try out different culture's pieces of fashion if you're not that background. I love when a white girl can rock a Mehndi tattoo on her hand.

Louise Roe: Oh, I love my kimono.

Jeannie Mai: Oh my god. [Both laugh.]

Louise Roe: Love it.

Jeannie Mai: You can definitely try different things. And like the kimono, you can do that too.

Louise Roe: Kimonos.

TV Tango: Sounds like the biggest no-no is fear?

Jeannie Mai: Yes. No fear in fashion.

Louise Roe: No boundaries.

TV Tango: Who's your favorite fashion icon of all time?

Jeannie Mai: All time, not just today?

TV Tango: You can do both.

Jeannie Mai: Okay. I just mentioned her, so she's kind of fresh in my head as I keep dreaming about her. But I love Kate Moss. I really, really do. She's just, she's been an icon. She absolutely is an icon, because she's been around as long as I've known fashion, and I've always loved her looks. So she's number one, I would say. I really love our leading women lately: like Kate Middleton and Michelle Obama. The fact that they're stepping out – like Michelle Obama wore a really fun miniskirt the other day with a lime-green blazer, and I was like, I don't think I've ever seen a miniskirt or a neon color on any of our first ladies. So I really loved that.

TV Tango: So you really like her fashion style?

Jeannie Mai: Yes, absolutely. And I've never seen a woman of royalty wear McQueen, and so when I saw Kate Middleton come out with a couple of Alexander McQueen pieces...

Louise Roe: And her wedding dress.

Jeannie Mai: You're my babe. You're my babe. Done.

Louise Roe: Yeah, I love the women of the '70s. So that era of Farrah Fawcett, Lauren Hutton, just sexy women who never brush their hair, that kind of thing. And then now I would say somebody like Miranda Kerr. I think she's got awesome style. I mean, killer body – she'd look great in a trash bag – but she really, really works her colors and her prints, and still puts things together that are wearable for day-to-day. It's not like, I mean you see Victoria Beckham, and she looks fantastic, but you think, well, I couldn't walk around all day every day in those heels. Whereas Miranda has a doable style.

Jeannie Mai: Yes.

TV Tango: In talking to you, you guys have such a great rapport. You get along. How is it working together on the show?

Louise Roe: I mean, we're sort of like sisters, actually, because we will not fight, but we'll definitely say "No! That's not right. I don't agree with you. I totally disagree!" Or we really have each other's back. And I love it when we love the same things. We get so excited about it (high-pitched voice). And our voice jump ten octaves. Very girly. But we're a bit cheeky, and I think we've both got a slightly dirty sense of humor.

Jeannie Mai: Oh, I need a little grit. Like a martini's beautiful, but it's gotta be dirty. Like, you know what I mean? And I really respect that about her.

TV Tango: So you have a dirty joke to tell me, then?

Jeannie Mai: [considering] Oh...

Louise Roe: No.

Jeannie Mai: You'll have to watch the show. This is what I love about Lou; she's going to save me. She's going to save me when it's the right time and right place. No, but watch the show, and you'll get a few, I'm sure.

TV Tango: Well, you two look beautiful. What are you wearing today? [Check out the photo to the left.]

Jeannie Mai: Thank you. This is a Yumi Katsura Couture blazer.

Louise Roe: This is Marchesa Voyage; my shoes are Joanne Stoker for Dune.

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EXCLUSIVE Interview with Louise Roe and Jeannie Mai, Hosts of the New Style Series STYLE POP