Jordan Roth is the six-time Tony-Award-winning producer of some of the most successful shows in Broadway history, including Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Kinky Boots, The Book of Mormon, and Hadestown. This multifaceted creator and provocateur is also a fashion icon and style influencer for his ability to spot and nurture talented young designers and take fashion to performance levels. For his red-carpet appearances, Jordan presents the mastery of fashion design in both the creation of the garments and the wearing of them. For example, for the 2019 Met Gala, Jordan wore a piece created by Iris Van Herpen. Based on Jordan’s desire to explore theater as camp, Van Herpen translated Jordan’s idea into a cape that looks like a closed theater curtain until the arms are raised, revealing the interior of a lavish Neo-Baroque theater. 

I met Jordan Roth when he arrived at my studio for our photoshoot. Charming and gracious, he explored clothing racks displaying magnificent, one-of-a-kind, avant-garde couture. He caressed each garment, as if waking a sleeping child. He interacted with each piece as if to hear what it had to say. It was like photographing a dancer moving to their favorite music. Jordan found the rhythm, nuance, and individual expression of each piece of couture, bringing it to life in dramatic prose—and pose.

After our photoshoot, I spoke to Jordan about the couture for our photoshoot, his work in theater, his secret to success, and his intimate connection to fashion.