Alumni
Grads Host The Dm Podcast
Audrey Brianne was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and later attended Woodside High School in Palo Alto, California and Cherry Creek High School in Greenwood Village, Colorado. After earning a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder, Audrey returned to California to study Fashion Design at FIDM and graduated in 2009. While working in the industry, she met Tyree Robinson, a Merchandising & Marketing Alumnus who earned his degree from FIDM in 2010. Hailing from Jefferson City, Missouri, where he attended Jefferson City High School, Tyree holds a B.S. in Business Administration and a MBA in Human Resources from the University of Southern Indiana. During the pandemic, Audrey, a celebrity stylist, and Tyree, a fashion publicist, teamed up to launch The dm, a podcast series celebrating costume design in film and television. Their latest season features interviews with notable designers such as Michelle Cole, Mona May, Nicola Formichetti, and Salvador Perez. We checked in with the friends and co-hosts to learn more.
How did you first hear about FIDM?
AB: I first heard about FIDM through a good friend while we were both getting our BA degrees at the University of Colorado at Boulder. I was interested in going on to fashion school post-grad and had already applied to other schools on the East Coast. My friend asked why I didn’t apply to any schools in California and I said it was because I didn’t know of any, and the seed was planted that day! Very shortly after I was sending in my admissions packet to the LA campus.
TR: I was looking at fashion schools in New York and Los Angeles. I knew that I wanted to go to fashion school but didn’t necessarily want to be a designer so I ordered a catalog from FIDM.
When did you develop an interest in fashion?
AB: I’d always liked clothing as a child; my mom likes to tell this story that whenever she would leave me to my own devices for even just mere minutes, somehow I’d usually emerge from my room in an entirely different outfit. High school is when I really began to find an interest in fashion, paying attention to Fashion Week, collecting magazines and books for research, and I joined my high school’s fashion club where we did both interior and fashion design assignments.
TR: I have always had an interest in making things like bracelets, pot holders, beaded animals since I was a kid. I was obsessed with magazines; I would make collages for me and my friends. People would ask me what to wear or if something looked okay and it just took off from there. I was really creative and crafty.
What led you to FIDM?
AB: I absolutely love California, so I already knew I’d like to come back to continue my education and/or begin working. I chose FIDM because the campus felt right when I visited. I could see myself walking the halls and being a part of the community. I loved that it was smack dab in the middle of the city and the hustle and bustle excited me.
TR: I came to FIDM after earning my bachelor’s degree. My mind was set on moving to New York or Los Angeles; I wrote down the pros and cons for each city. I visited FIDM’s LA campus, submitted my application and project. I started that fall.
Tell us about your industry experience prior to striking out on your own:
AB: My first internship was with Tommy Hilfiger in New York City in their Women’s PR division when I was still in high school. That changed the course of my life and I learned so many valuable insights to the industry. Next, I worked for Carole Hochman in the Betsey Johnson Intimates division with the design team. I had such a pleasant experience with Betsey Johnson that I continued to work for the namesake while at FIDM with the sales team at the LA Mart led by Cathy Cooley. I was looking for one more internship to have under my belt before joining the workforce. Cathy suggested People’s Revolution (I flubbed at the time thinking she meant Free People, so I was in for quite the surprise when I went in for my interview), as she knew Kelly Cutrone. That internship developed over time into an assistant position under West Coast VP Mike Vargas who I am proud to call both my mentor and a dear friend. I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without him.
TR: I started out as an intern at a photo studio/event space called BOXeight. I would hold the lights, paint sets, set up for events, et cetera. I then started interning at a fashion PR firm called The Shop PR, later becoming the showroom assistant and then the showroom manager. I was responsible for the collections of about 25 to 30 brands. I managed stylist requests, sample inventory, celebrity gifting, training interns and assistants, et cetera. I also worked in merchandising, sales, and styling. This initial experience has led me to where I am today.
What led you to launch a podcast and what do you most enjoy about it?
AB: The pandemic had hit and it was about two to three months into quarantine and I desperately felt the need to stay connected to fashion somehow even though the world around us was virtually shut down. I’d toyed with the idea of a podcast over the years and reached out to my good friend Tyree to see if he’d be interested in starting a podcast with me. Luckily, he said yes and as they say, the rest is history.
TR: Our podcast started out by just being home during the pandemic. We wanted to discuss something but we really didn’t know what. We both then realized how much work goes on behind the scenes in television and film from costume designers. They bring characters to life and no one ever talks about costume designers and they are rarely credited. We wanted to share with people that a lot of work goes on behind the scenes, by people we never hear about. Even on the red carpet, a wardrobe stylist is rarely credited — we just wanted people to become more familiar with the industry.
What can people expect on Season 3 of your podcast?
TR: In Season 3 of The dm, people will experience our growth and hear valuable industry insights from notable costume designers, creative directors, stylists, and more. In Season 1 we discussed the importance of costume designers and we talked about the red carpet style of actors. In Season 2 we introduced interviewing costume designers. Now, in Season 3, we’ve added YouTube in addition to Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We had a lot of fun, we learned so much and appreciate all of our guests. We hope everyone enjoys it.
Anything else you'd like to share?
AB: I’m often looking for help in a secondary assistant capacity, so if there’s anyone interested in styling with some prior experience, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I pride myself on cultivating a team that can depend on one another, be efficient and do it with a smile while remaining good people. I can’t believe I get to call this my nine-to-five and I’m eager to show others how I got to where I am in the hopes that they’ll someday be a stylist themselves.
Learn more about Audrey at audreybrianne.com and on Instagram @audreybrianne.
Learn more about Tyree at tyreesstyle.com and on Instagram @tyreesstyle.
Categories: Fashion Design Merchandising & Marketing Alumni
