BRUNA PAPANDREA

ON THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF CLOTHES

I opted for comfort even though my choices weren’t making me feel like I was stepping into my power as a woman, accomplished producer and business owner

She is one of Australia’s most successful producers, having created hits such as Big Little Lies and The Undoing. Now, as she debuts her first reality series Undressed, where fashion plays a starring role, Papandrea explains how the show’s life-affirming makeover journey led to her own style realisation.

Ask anyone who knows me well and they will probably tell you I’m the least likely of television producers to make a show revolving around fashion.

My personal style, if one could call it that, has until very recently been based on comfort, minimal effort and the colour black. Fashion has meant putting on Birkenstocks instead of Havaianas and switching out my omnipresent black leggings for black pants, or a dress for more important occasions.

My wardrobe, since giving birth to my twins nine and a half years ago, could only be called trendsetting to the extent that I’ve long been wearing what others reverted to while working from home during Covid.

Not since my 20s have I put a lot of thought into my appearance in general, so one may wonder why

I would make a show like Undressed.

Well, about two years ago I reconnected with an old acquaintance, Kathryn Eisman, when we both moved back to our home country of Australia from Los Angeles. I was fascinated by the books Kathryn had written about her intuitive ability to get a sense of someone based on what they’re wearing.

When she told me she’d been thinking about doing some type of TV show, I was a little sceptical given my own lack of interest in anything fashion-related. Nevertheless, I asked her to do a reading on me and was delighted and surprised by how on the mark she was about who I am at my core and how the style choices I was making didn’t really align with the essential me.

Just by looking at my clothes, Kathryn perfectly articulated the idea that I hate to feel constricted, will choose open-toed shoes wherever possible, and hate big coats and too many layers because I need to feel free. She observed that I opted for comfort even though my choices weren’t making me feel like I was stepping into my power as a woman, accomplished producer and business owner.

In the weeks that followed Kathryn’s insights, I found myself thinking about the things she had said quite a bit. I was about to embark on a big trip to LA and London for important meetings and decided to give my wardrobe a bit of a makeover. I didn’t have to buy much. I took what Kathryn told me – plus enlisted the help of a wonderful stylist who came to my house – and it turned out there was a treasure trove of items I already owned that were right for me but that I’d just ignored for a decade. We supplemented these with a few purchases like the odd shirt or pants, and I soon found myself in LA with outfits in garments bags and even some (low-) heeled shoes.

I cannot tell you how much of a difference it made to the way I felt when I put on an actual suit and silk shirt, a necklace a friend had given me, a simple black dress with the right shoes. People noticed a change in me even if they couldn’t articulate it. But more importantly, I just felt great – more empowered – truly being me.

From this experience, I found myself so excited by the idea that with my production company, Made Up Stories, we could create a show that would enable other people to feel this way. To experience a profound difference in their life. Not a makeover show but a transformational show, because you cannot undervalue the confidence someone can gain being seen for who they really are.

In approaching these transformations with Kathryn, we knew we would unearth fascinating and relatable personal stories. But we also realised that for us to step into the unscripted space for the first time, we wanted real knowledge of how to achieve a great result combined with the same calibre of talent and high level of production with which we make scripted shows and films.

Part one was achieved by partnering with my friend Eden Gaha, one of the kings of unscripted who has helmed hugely successful reality shows such as Celebrity Apprentice and Survivor. He advised on how to turn a basic idea into an actual show and at the same time, was excited about the prospect of doing something outside the box – the Made Up Stories way.

Part two was accomplished by bringing on board brilliant director Marcelle Lunam, who we work with on scripted projects, to set the creative vision and direct the entire first season – a very unusual move in the unscripted world.

We surrounded Marcelle with an extremely talented and unique crew – some who had worked on our large-budget scripted shows like Big Little Lies and Wolf Like Me – and others who brought great experience. My partner Steve [Hutensky] and I also recruited the very talented young producer Jane Cho.

Admittedly, and upon reflection, even with our scripted shows such as Big Little Lies, The Undoing and Anatomy of a Scandal, there has been a lot of conversation about fashion – all the details of the actors’ clothes and accessories. And I loved that people were always so excited about how wardrobe related to character. But I never thought that I would go any further than that in the sartorial realm, yet here I am making Undressed – a transformational show with fashion at its core. I am so proud of putting it out into the world, and I hope our audience will be as inspired and empowered by it as I am. Undressed is coming soon to Paramount+ and Network 10.