38. Setting Sail with Molly Rogers

Michele:

Hello, my friends. Welcome back to another episode of Let Me Adjust My Ears And I cannot wait for you to hear this episode because I have the extreme pleasure of having to a fabulous guest on. The first one is the iconic, and I do mean iconic Molly Rogers, the lead costume designer for And Just Like That. But she worked and learned from the legendary Pat field. And she talks to us all about how she is ramping up for season 3 of And Just Like That. And that she literally just bought something for Carrie Bradshaw. And oh my God, I can't give it all away. But without further ado, Here is my chat with Molly.

Michele:

So I can't believe how excited I am. I'm totally fangirling out, But the Molly Rogers, I really think you're the biggest celebrity I've ever had on my podcast. So, like, allow me to enjoy this for a second.

Molly:

That's so kind of you.

Michele:

For everyone out there who doesn't know the iconic person that you are, please tell us Your claim to fame in the Sex and the City and the And Just Like That Universe. I know you have lots of other claims to fame, but that one in particular.

Molly:

Sure. Sure. Well, first of all, thank you for having me. Thank you for inviting me on the cruise. I just can't wait. It's gonna be so much fun. I guess I would just do a short little list of my resume concerning Sex and the City. I was on it for all's, what, 6 seasons of the original show in the costume department with Pat Field, who is a very, very dear friend of mine.

Molly:

So I learned from the best, And then we went on to do the 2 movies together, and then Pat was in Paris doing Emily in Paris, and I was not helping her on that. So Pat and Sarah Jessica were like, come do And Just Like That, which we are getting ready to go into production prep about 4 weeks for the 3rd season, so I'm excited. I'll have little gossipy tidbits about Season 3 for all those that book this cruise. They'll be the 1st to know.

Michele:

Oh, my god. Wow. I just got chill bumps. I'm so excited. But Vanity Fair actually and Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair is gonna be on the cruise too. Just Posted an article yesterday on Instagram that there were production delays. So it seems like maybe they're not.

Molly:

Well, I don't know about that. I actually saw that. And I think because of the strikes, Our producers have known all along what our production calendar was gonna be, so I don't really know. I know that I am Starting to shop in February, so they wouldn't start me early unless they were on track. As I usually do, I was at an outlet mall this weekend here in Florida, and I saw something I We had to get it for Carrie, so I bought it. You know, you never stop really.

Michele:

Are you gonna tell us what you bought at a where were where did you say you were? Cruise. Oh, okay. On the cruise.

Molly:

And I can tell those wonderful cruisers if it's gonna get in the show.

Michele:

Oh. So that's actually a question I have for you though, Molly, in more of an esoteric way. You're given a Slate, are you given the scripts? Like, how do you start to even know what you want to shop for, Especially these characters are iconic.

Molly:

Right. Well, it's really helpful to have a little road map, which Michael Patrick King, the Writer and executive producer always sits Danny and myself down and says, look, in a nutshell, We're gonna be shooting all summer so it's gonna be hot. We're gonna do 2 episodes in winter. You know, he kinda breaks it down like that. And then he gets into what the writers are thinking for each character, like, where they're headed. So you don't have specifics, Like, oh, there's a big huge met ball, but you know where you're kind of headed and what to look out for. You know, you don't need a 1000000 coats, So that's very helpful. But, honestly, as you know, because you know the universe of Sex and the City really well, I mean, the characters are so established.

Molly:

You can walk into any store anywhere in the world, and a sales Personal say, here's a cute I love this blouse for Charlotte. So, you know, it's really kind of set in stone, And it's whatever, you know, gets me excited really that's out, that's new. And, of course, Sarah Jessica as Carrie loves, loves, loves vintage. So you really have to dig deep for those special pieces. But speaking of special pieces, I have this that I can give to some unsuspecting

Michele:

So For this audio medium, she is holding up a Sex and the City mug. And, actually, I'm gonna ask you. We are having a virtual cruise night 1 week from today, we're taping this on we're taping this on Monday. So Virgin Voyage is gonna host us, Future cruisers, anybody who's interested in finding out more, 1 week from tonight. For those of you listening, I'm literally Molly is finding out about this as I'm telling you about it. So maybe one of the lucky attendees of virtual cruise night can get a mug. Totally. There you go.

Molly:

I've got 1.

Michele:

I've put her on the spot. Literally, she is coming out about this as I'm telling her.

Molly:

That's fine. But then I'll have to dig up Some more things for the cruise folks. That's fine. Absolutely fine, though. So next week, what is it? Is it you taking people through what they can Speak like, what is it?

Michele:

Yes. Thank you for asking. Virgin Voyages is going to take us through the Ship, the resilient lady and all the fabulous eateries that are on that ship and where you dine like the foursome. What's gonna be our quote unquote diner scenes? It's gonna be hard to choose because I know all this already.

Molly:

I will take Literally going through the ship as if you Are on it is virtual tour. Okay. Got

Michele:

it. And then they're gonna take us through the itinerary, and then I will take us through the special activities that are just for our special group, our fans. Okay. And then anybody who books that night or the week after, there'll be some bonus onboard cash.

Molly:

Okay. Cool. That's always a great little bonus.

Michele:

So as you're hearing this, it'll be like 4 days before it happens.

Molly:

Okay. Good. Good. Sounds fun.

Michele:

It's gonna be great.

Molly:

I wanna see it.

Michele:

Well, I posted on Facebook, but I will make sure that I send you the link.

Molly:

Please do because I'll post it as well.

Michele:

Awesome. I would love for that to happen.

Molly:

We want fun people to come and play in Greece.

Michele:

Yes. So about playing in Greece, this is like the number 1 question I have had since this cruise was announced. And, Apparently, I think every woman, at least, that has booked it. Of course, there's no reason a man couldn't do it. Wants to do the flowing dress shoot Off of the blue roots of Santorini. So it's actually an excursion that you can buy to do this flowing dress shoot. And I know that you must have some styling tips on how to pick the perfect flowing dress.

Molly:

Well, I do. And I have many styling tips.

Michele:

Well, give us one because I wanna respect your time. So

Molly:

No. No. No. Here's a few. First of all, if you've ever been to Santorini and if you haven't, you you need to come there with us.

Michele:

I have not.

Molly:

It's white and turquoise blue buildings And then the beautiful sea behind you. So if you're at this elevated level, you need a gorgeous pair of sandals on. Oh. You wanna be traipsing around in a long moo moo or some gorgeous caftan, I think, in a high heel. And you'd more than likely would ride a donkey up there or have to walk all the way up to the top. So I say a beautiful flat, a Grecian Sandal, which you can buy there or here. Well, that also sounds like

Michele:

you would need a good pedicure too.

Molly:

Absolutely. Can you have a look?

Michele:

Just gonna say, we've got the pedicures taken care of on the Yeah.

Molly:

That's cute. You've got a gorgeous nail salon. Okay. Perfect. So that's more than half of it. And also, With a beautiful long mumu or caftan, which I'm a big fan of and I'm gonna be featuring a lot of them on myself on this cruise, I think it's good to have a beautiful prop, which is a sunglass.

Irena:

Oh. Or a strong hat.

Molly:

Or something you can use In your favor to use in your shoot.

Michele:

Oh. Did you hear that everyone? We just got some exclusive styling tips For our dress shoot in Santorini, I'm super excited. Okay. I have one little kind of bonus question to that. How do you choose which color is best for your complexion palette.

Molly:

Well, first of all, try a few on to see what you're Bonding to. But basically, I wanna say it's kinda like Cynthia Nixon who is not a natural redhead. They have To dye her hair. And when it was silver in the 1st season, she could wear all the same colors When she had silver hair or red hair, there's a palette, sure, that you should pay attention to with your hair color and your skin color. But really, it's kind of wide open, I feel like, because half tans are usually really colorful.

Michele:

Yeah.

Molly:

Or they're one solid color with some beading here. I don't think you would want to do blue possibly because your backdrop might be the blue ocean, the beautiful blue Greek sea. So you might wanna pop a little more and do more of a Mediterranean or let's say, tropical color.

Michele:

Okay, everyone. You heard it here first. Okay. I promised Molly only 5 minutes, so I have just 1 more question.

Irena:

Okay.

Michele:

Tell me why I mean, you got this email from someone you don't know from Adam. That would be me. Why you signed on for this exciting trip?

Molly:

Well, first of all, you were a big part of it. I know it will be so much fun. I have a huge affinity for Greece because I have been there several times because Pat Field is Greek and she has shown me a lot of lovely wonderful things. And when you go to Greece, you wanna go back Again and again with friends. And that's what this will be. And we will have so much fun talking about trivia with Cindy Chupac Yes. And me and all the little things that people wanna ask, they're gonna get firsthand knowledge, and I think we'll just have a blast.

Michele:

We are gonna have a blast and you're gonna make it so. And I just really wanna thank you for your time, especially as you're ramping up Production, which means, by the way, folks, in June, she had got approved vacation time. So she really will be in the thick of things and she will have lots of Little

Molly:

Oh, yeah. I will definitely be getting off that boat and shopping for Carrie. Oh, for sure.

Michele:

So we're all gonna just follow you around like little 5 followers.

Molly:

Okay. Sounds good. Well, I wanna come Monday night to the virtual.

Michele:

I will send you the link, and if people wanna follow you on social media, where can they find you?

Molly:

Well, there's 2 accounts. So I don't post much on my personal, but that's m g r m g m. And then it's in just like that costumes. That's the big one. And I'll start posting again on that one about our great cruise and about what I'm getting ready to go shopping for.

Michele:

Excellent. So we will add that to the show notes. And with

Molly:

that Thank you. Love you, Michelle.

Michele:

Mwah. Love you too. Thank you so much for doing this.

Molly:

Let's get some people on this ship that are gonna have a blast.

Michele:

Hello, my friends. Irena, I'm so excited to have you on my podcast. Now, although you are exceedingly familiar to me, I know that my audience probably doesn't know who I love so much. So please introduce yourself, Irena, to my audience and tell them how we know one another and all the things that are so fabulous about you.

Irena:

And I love the way that we met. We met on an adventure in Costa Rica.

Michele:

A travel adventure. Yes.

Irena:

Travel adventure. Talk about making memories. We climbed volcanoes together, did cooking classes together. We hiked through jungles and forests, and It

Michele:

was stayed at some really not X-ray AF resorts. They were not X-ray AF.

Irena:

No. But the company made up for it. Oh my goodness. Amazing. Yeah. I'll never forget the one place we stayed, and they had that beautiful rainbow right outside the window. So I Felt like in many ways, it was the landscape that brought such extra AF for us. So it's been a joy to get to know you, and Most people know me as a spiritual life guide, what I call an energy alchemist, an astrologer.

Irena:

I love, love, love helping people who are empaths, who have big feelings, who know that they've got intuitive gut instincts but maybe not quite sure how to tune into them or them. I teach them how to do that, how to speak the language of intuition, and how to move through the energetic blocks that have been Holding them back from stepping into the life they were born to live.

Michele:

She just described me to a t for all of my friends out there who are listening. That is me, An empath who has inklings and sometimes ignores them and sometimes, like, follows them off the deep end. So I am super lucky that I get to talk to Irena every other week on a regular basis. And when she heard I was doing my 12 days of fabulous giveaways, She jumped up. She was the 1st to raise her hand and say, how can I help? So tell everyone what you chose to give away. It was towards end because that's how priceless it was. It was, like, day 9. So, like, really up there with good stuff.

Michele:

May have even been day 10. So tell everyone what you did, and then let's, like, debrief it because it was so fun. It was such a great idea.

Irena:

Thanks, Michelle. I'm honored. And for me, it's such joy watching you bring this to life. So many of us, Sex in the City is part of Who we are, the fabric that made us up, so to be a part of the fabulous giveaway just made my heart leap for joy. And what really came to mind, what I've noticed, is that it's a lot of fun when we can identify with these characters on different levels, especially when we see so much of ourselves in them and we're like, oh my gosh. I know what it's like. I've been there. The frustrations, the joys, And being an astrologer and knowing the background of how the stars provide this roadmap for our spirit and our soul that help us live out our calling, I thought how fun to take a look at the beautiful characters within Sex and the City and dive into their astrology a little bit Because there have even been streaming services that say, you know, if you're a Libra, check out these shows.

Irena:

Or, heck, I mean, Even one of the clothing companies I follow, they say the same thing. They're like, okay, for Scorpios, check this out, or for Cancers. So for me, looking at the zodiac signs of the characters just brought another layer of richness and depth in being able to connect with them. So I wanted to share that with other people and share what their zodiac sign with the Stars, really safe for them in connection with the characters.

Michele:

Cool. So let's dig in, of course, because okay. Now normally, I would start with Carrie because she is sort of the center of the world and she is me and I am her. But And then I'll call an audible. And let's start with the character who is always there in spirit, but isn't there in life, Real life form anymore except in a cameo appearance. And that is Samantha because she had such a big role and it just like that She's always like larger than life. And she looms over and just like that, but she doesn't have a regular role to play. So talk a little bit about her astrology and what people who are like that larger than life character can glean from that.

Irena:

Yeah. And I think you nail it right on the head when you say larger than life character. That really showcases the Leo energy. And you always know a Leo because they have a fabulous mane of hair and they have this savoir faire about them. They just know what to do and how to show up. And they tend to command attention, even though they can be in the background. You find a lot of Leos take center stage. A lot of actors and actresses are Leos.

Irena:

They like the spotlight even if it's not being in front of a big crowd. They also love with such incredible depth That it can be shocking because sometimes Leos, they love to be beautiful. It's an energy that's ruled by the sun, and the sun is saying, you know what? I'm important. It's important that I put on my own oxygen mask first. And when I feel good, then I have more to share with the world. They're tuned into their inner child. They're tuned into a confidence and a playfulness that the other zodiac signs can really learn from in the sense of They follow their heart. The sun is our heart.

Irena:

And sometimes people, you know, like a Capricorn energy would say, do the responsible thing, put your heart aside, we gotta show up, we gotta do this. That's a little bit more like Miranda. We'll talk about that later. But Samantha says, no, my heart loves this. I really want this. I'm gonna pursue it. I'm not gonna let other people tell me what to do. And that love that they have, they wear their hearts on their sleeve and they take care of their like the lion, their pride, their family, their pack is important.

Irena:

If somebody is injured in that tribe or somebody's gone after them, they're like mama lion. They're gonna stand up and protect, but they're very vulnerable. And the worst thing you could do to a Leo is to embarrass them in front of someone else because their heart is so right out there And they really care. They really care about what other people, even though they don't show it and even though they don't say it, what other people Feel about them or think about them gets to their heart. So Leos are very sensitive even though they have a big roar.

Michele:

Oh my god. I feel like you totally just, like, nailed Samantha. So I've, of course, been digging into different episodes, and one that Comes to mind is they shoot single people, don't they? Which is an episode 2. And Samantha has a line where it says, How come I didn't make the list? I'm single and I'm definitely fabulous. Yes. So you completely nailed that. Okay. So moving on, you said a little bit of Capricorn and you hinted about Miranda.

Michele:

So throw us a bone or put meat on that bone, I guess, It's cause you always breathe a bone.

Irena:

So what I love about Miranda and the Capricorn energy is with Capricorn, I actually think a lot about the line Tom Hanks Said in A League of Their Own, which is there's no crying in baseball.

Michele:

I love that line.

Irena:

I feel like Miranda can relate to that. You know? Whatever other people might be like coming apart at the seams and being super emotional. She's looking at them and saying, crying isn't gonna get you anywhere. Right? We gotta come up with a plan of action. We just need to push forward. We're not gonna get into feelings about this. We just need to come up with a solution. They're professional.

Irena:

They are the Corporate type in the sense that they have ambition. They're competitive, which is very interesting because They're associated with this is funny, but the mountain goat. And the mountain goat or the seagoat in the old days, what they do is they can go to impossible heights And get into positions that most people can't because there's a tenacity they have about them. When they get something in their head, in their mind, they go after it and they Persevere at all cost until they attain their goal. That's where the competition comes in and they might not always be aware of everybody's feelings when they do it. So Capricorns are very much down to business, pragmatical, practical, And they wanna get the job done and they wanna come out on top. So yeah.

Michele:

Also, yes, Miranda would say her ovaries went to Harvard. Yeah. Yeah. She's a total total overachiever and yeah. I think she's very competitive with the other girls In some sense. Like, she is always like, my choices are the best choices for everyone.

Irena:

Yeah. Because at Capricorn, they just know. They just are so connected to that feeling of like, you know, what I know is true and right, and they like to make other people come around to their side.

Michele:

That reminds me of the episode where Charlotte decides that she's gonna, like, get on the mommy track. And so she leaves her job and Miranda is just All that Charlotte would leave her job and Charlotte is appalled that Miranda doesn't agree. Although, it's really Charlotte who is nervous herself and we, of course, learn that, but she takes it out on Miranda. So tell us more about Charlotte and her astrological sign.

Irena:

Yeah. And and the beautiful picture that you paint of Miranda and Charlotte is just, again, spot on because the thing about Capricorn energy with Miranda is they are career focused. Capricorns are like, I came in here to have my career, to make a difference, and they're not going to be open to kind of stepping away from that. And the way that Charlotte's energy and her character shown up in so many ways, one of the keywords that you said is that anxiety that sometimes Pops up that overthinking or overanalyzing. One of the things that really showcases with Charlotte is this Virgo energy. This need to get things right. This need to get things just so. Otherwise, it's like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Irena:

Virgos, because they are so sensitive to what's going on around them, for example, like, let's say the carpet is kicked up in Part of the corner of the room, they're gonna notice that. Most people wouldn't see it, but they're gonna notice that. They're gonna notice the picture that's crooked. They're gonna notice, like, when the bed's not made. That's why they get the label of perfectionist or sometimes being nitpicky. But the reason is those little things are like fingernails on a chalkboard. They like to have things in an alignment. I know.

Irena:

Right? Like, oh, you

Michele:

didn't even

Irena:

say it. They're just aware of when things are out of place, and it drives them bonkers. They have to have things just so so that they feel good, that they feel in alignment. That sounds like a really tough Challenge for somebody who is a mom. And we see that displayed in Charlotte when

Michele:

I think it's a scene in the movie when she's baking with her girls, her young children. And one of them takes Ten food colored fingers on her beautiful Burberry apron.

Irena:

Yes.

Michele:

And then now in And Just Like That, of course, She's dealing with a teenager who isn't necessarily her little mini me anymore and a child who is questioning her birth sex or I should say their birth sex. They go by pronouns of they and their. So that must be really hard for Someone in that fine.

Irena:

Yeah. Because they like systems and structure. They like to be able to understand what something is, where it's coming from. So, you know, you think about like just baking in general, how scientific that is and how things need to be so precise. Also the sleep training Where it's like, I have to be home at this time to get the baby to sleep. Otherwise, they get very, very anxious. So even during those younger years, it's Hard to swerve away or sway from that original structure or system. They've gotta go with their routines.

Irena:

It's important.

Michele:

Excellent. And, of course, that brings us to I saved the best for last, so to speak. The center of the universe in my world at least. Tell us about Carrie and what we can learn from Carrie's astrology chart.

Irena:

So Carrie is so layered, and one of the things that I love about her is that she can appear very mysterious and a little bit hard to get close to and that is a Scorpio energy for sure. They are learning about boundaries, about letting people closer to their heart because the Scorpios, they've been burned before. They have been hurt And they know I need to keep people at a certain arm's length in order to protect myself. I'm very discerning. So the Scorpios are very discerning about who they let in because they know when they do, that person will be a part of their life forever. They're incredibly loyal. They are loyal to a fault because what ends up happening is those people that get close to them, if they get close to them and burn them badly, Scorpios, they say goodbye forever. Scorpios have a tendency to burn bridges.

Irena:

They are the phoenix. They basically say, if you have wronged me and hurt me, It's gonna be a big deal. Yes. I feel like and that's the end. So she has this beautiful Scorpio energy. And Scorpios are known to be very Sensuous in the sense that they are tuned into their sexual side and they're not afraid of it either. And so the fact that she's writing about Sex in the City brings out that Scorpio energy. She's not afraid to go into the places that most people would be to have those conversations.

Irena:

Scorpios can go into the deeper side of life and say, you know what? I'm strong enough and willing to talk about this and look at this and bring it out for conversation. And that's where a little bit of the Gemini energy comes in, the questioning, the investigating, the being out and socializing. But I feel this strong undercurrent of Scorpio which is ruled by Mars and when you have that energy of Mars, Again, there's this fire and this passion that goes so deep.

Michele:

One of my most favorite episodes of the Tire series is the Post It Sticks Twice, which is where Berger breaks up with Carrie on the Post It. Oh. Says, I can't, I'm sorry, something like that. Harry learns and I quote not to go to bed angry because the bar that they go to is called Bed. And she tells a group of Berger's friends on a nearby bed, AKA table, That burger was bad in bed. So that is the epitome of what you just said. She's sensual, sexual, And Burns says bridges, but good.

Irena:

Oh, yeah. I love it.

Michele:

It's just one of the best lines ever. And she just says it Non committal, like, it was great. She has Samantha there to tell her just to leave it unsaid. And Miranda goes back and was like, no, no, no. You gotta go correct the mistake.

Irena:

Mhmm. Which maybe

Michele:

it was a mistake, maybe it wasn't. They certainly didn't have the kind of chemistry that she had with Big. No. Which, of course, leads me into why we did the 12 days of fabulous go away and what this is all leading to. And that, of course, is my Saxon City fan cruise. That is this June, this summer on Virgin Voyages. And one of the people that is joining us is One of the authors and creative producers, content creative producer, the titles are always Different I've learned based on credits and based on what they're being credited with for their SAG AFTRA cards. The Writers Guild.

Michele:

I learned that during the strike. Anyway, Cindy Schupack will be joining us and she was a writer Starting season 2 and wrote all the way through the end of the Sex and the City series, but she also was on other wonderful series that we know like Modern Family, the Sarah Jessica Parker series, Divorce, Men Entries. She has lots of Comedic writing credits and these are the kinds of questions that I think she would be interested in debriefing and talking about with all the fans Because when she talked about why she was excited to come on a cruise, she had done a past life reading and was told You can go back and listen to the episode where I interview Cindy for the exact words, but something about she would need someone to fall in love with in Greece. So for those who can't see because we know we're not a visual medium, Irena is giving the hands up and the, oh my god, the chill bumps,

Irena:

I know. Oh, my gosh. Seriously. Oh, this is gonna be just the best.

Michele:

So we promise to dig into more questions about our friends Our friends in the Sex and the City universe and their astrology and what they're thinking. And we get to decide because They're our friends, but we'll have an expert to kind of tell us at least what the writers were thinking about. And we'll be able to do that through our happy hour, through dinners that we're gonna have with our speakers, and then also our fabulous q and a session that's gonna be 90 minutes where you get to ask them anything you want. And so we won't have to ask Some are astrological signs now because, Irena, you have taken care of that for us.

Irena:

But how much fun to be able to sit down with The writers and just to have that creative conversation. Oh, my gosh.

Michele:

It's fun. Right? So For people who want to know more about how the sun and the energy and All of this affects our own lives and how we can what was the line you used at the very beginning? How we can

Irena:

Claim the life you are born to live.

Michele:

That's the one I was looking for. Yes. Claim the life we were all born to live. How can we find you and how can we be a part of your universe as well.

Irena:

Most definitely. My website's a great place to start, irenamiller.com. And if you like the energy weather reports, Every Monday, I have 1 on my YouTube channel and you can just find me there, Irena Miller.

Michele:

Awesome. And I will definitely link those in the show notes for everyone. So with that, I will see you real soon. So I know this podcast was a little different from all the others. It really Wasn't very travel related at all. But oh my gosh, I hope you had as much fun hearing my chats with these 2 people as I had in Having my chats with these 2 people. And I can't wait to see you real soon in person in June. And we will be back next week with another episode about all the travel specials that are coming your way for this month and wave season.