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The Multiple Narratives of Jordan Roth
Broadway’s power player and fashion’s favorite self-expressionist chooses his top gift ideas from Sotheby’s.
Theater producer (and president of Jujamcyn Theaters) Jordan Roth’s sense of style pours out of his Instagram feed in what feels like a parade of refreshing outfits interjected by reflections on clothes, who he is (and who he is not), theater, art and beyond. The man responsible for bringing top-billing plays to Broadway, including The Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots and other hits, is also a serial fashion collaborator. His partnerships with designers (Thom Browne) and artists (Michael Sylvan Robinson) have rendered looks that are in themselves a whole narrative. The looks and entries can be deeply personal (while hitting a collective nerve of familiar recognition for what they evoke) but they also shift to something visually daring and deeply in sync with the current cultural moment and, for that, they end up being utterly relatable.
When it comes to anything you wear, the only wrong way to do it is if it doesn’t make you feel who you are.
Your red carpet outfits have been chronicled and cheered. How do you choose what to wear for each event?
I’m always telling a story or exploring an idea through what I wear, and that can be sparked first by the clothes or by the event. If it’s the clothes, I’ll find a piece that ignites me and then look for where it belongs. Or if it’s the event, something about the space we’ll be in, the performance, the cause will give me an idea of what I want to say. Wherever it begins, it ultimately connects to the other because what I wear is always a fusion of the clothes, the context and what I want to express.
When it comes to accessorizing an outfit with jewelry, is there a right or wrong way to do it?
When it comes to anything you wear, the only wrong way to do it is if it doesn’t make you feel who you are.
What pieces of jewelry do you consider essential?
All jewelry is essential. And none of it is.
What is the right jewelry piece to gift to a loved one?
That piece that shows you’ve been listening. The one that nobody could know how much it would ignite you if they hadn’t been paying such close attention to what’s happening inside you.
You have been described as a collector of haute couture. What do you look for when buying a collection piece?
My couture pieces are mostly custom collaborations with these extraordinary artists that begin with an idea I need to explore and take shape in the space between us.
What attracts you to an object?
The way in could be so many different things — texture, color, form, sense memory. But the feeling is always the same — intense and immediate.
The right gift is the one that shows you've been listening.
Please tell us about “the one that got away,” i.e., one thing you didn’t buy at the time and regretted?
Nothing’s coming to mind, which seems like a good sign! If I’m on the fence about something, I will wait and see if it stays with me — we’ll call that the Potential Regret Test. 9 times out of 10, it doesn’t. If we’re not meant to be together immediately, we’re usually not meant to be.
What is your most prized possession?
My wedding ring.
All jewelry is essential. And none of it is.
Hint, hint, what gift are you coveting for this holiday season?
See my Buy Now list!
What are you planning for this holiday season?
Cozy family time. Blessing counting.
What makes the perfect “Host/Hostess” gift?
Meaningful conversation and great laughs! (How many candles does a person need?)
Tell us about a great holiday look (future, past, present).
A few years ago, I was invited to a holiday dinner, and only after I accepted, I found out it was at a members club that required a jacket and tie. An existential crisis for me, until I realized that Thom Browne’s winter wonderland tweed jacket and tie and skirt and heels would let me follow the dress code and also my heart.
