A Chat With Julie Anne Rhodes

When I reached out to Julie Anne Rhodes (Ex wife of Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes - turned award winning personal chef) in regards to doing an interview with me, Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that she would reply to me and take the time to answer my questions, (I still can't believe that I'm writing these words) Let's get straight in to it, so, without a further ado, Here is my interview with Jewels!

V: Julie Anne, You are a mother, former model, actress and also the founding member of award winning 'The Roving Stove' personal chef service in Los Angeles which first started in 2002, Can you tell us a little more about this so if people are interested, they can go and check your business out for themselves?!

JA: I was housebound by an illness for nearly 4 years when I first moved back to the United States. Out of sheer boredom I watched Food Network 24/7 and began throwing dinner parties to lure my friends over for companionship. Eventually someone suggested I could earn a living {by} cooking, and The Roving Stove was born. My first client was an A-list actor who thankfully told all his friends about me, so my business took off immediately.

We offer everything from romantic dinners for two to tea parties and the smaller dinner parties caterers don’t like to do, as well as gift certificates for every occasion; but the bulk of my clients enjoy weekly or bi-monthly service with dinners they can heat to eat in minutes in the comfort of their own home. Each service is custom-tailored to the individual client’s requirements, so in addition to being well-versed in many different international cuisines from my years of globe-trotting, we are also well adept at various special diets for everything from health support to weight loss. People can find us at www.TheRovingStove.com, on Instagram @julieannerhodesofficial, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/therovingstove , or call [phone] to schedule a complimentary consultation.

V: I think it’s great that you have never sat around and caught attention and been handed a career on a silver platter by being “the wife”, and that you actually created a career for yourself. Has being a personal chef been something that you’ve always been passionate about or was it a spontaneous decision which you never expected to last for as long as it has?

David Stewart

JA: I’ve always loved cooking. While other kids were out climbing trees, I was busy creating “concoction days” in the kitchen much to my mother’s chagrin (she would often come home to a sink full of dirty pots and pans that I had conveniently forgotten about). I used to make my poor father sample those concoctions, so the pinnacle of my career, for me, was when my father was there to watch me win “best poultry burger in America” on Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown.

V: Has your daughter Tatjana followed in the footsteps of either of her parents at all? Has she ever gotten married? If she hasn't yet, do you think she would even consider to have one as extravagant as yours? Or would you discourage her not to have pink flamingos around and to not have the groom in a pink suit?

JA: Tatjana has forged her own path as a free-lance film editor, and I am constantly in awe of how talented, goal-driven, and what a consummate professional she is. Her creative integrity and strong work ethic are absolutely unyielding. We enjoy challenging and inspiring each other to grow within our chosen fields.

Tatjana is really focused on establishing her career, but she has been happily living with her boyfriend, Aaron, for nearly seven years now. I doubt they will tie the knot as ostentatiously as her father and I did - I think Tatjana is more the barefoot on the beach with a few close friends and relatives kind of gal, and Aaron is a very down to earth, easy-going guy. I do have to admit, I’m most anxious for grandchildren, but I don’t think that is on the cards in the near future (trust me, Tatjana is rolling her eyes over that remark).

V: Is Tatjana interested in any fashion hand-me-downs from her mother?

JA: Tatjana and I do share similar taste in fashion, but she’s much too fashion forward to be interested in my old hand-me-downs. It’s not unusual for us to buy the same pair of shoes or handbag separately, on different continents, and laugh when we see we’re both wearing the same things, although I tend to defer more and more to her these days for keeping me abreast of the latest trends. I trust her to be my stylist, she has impeccable taste.

V: What are some items of clothing / accessories from the 80s that you have kept? What were your favourites?

JA: I recently downsized from a house to a condo, and that meant having to let go of a lot of my old clothes. I still have most of my Antony Price, a few key Yoji Yamamoto pieces, and a little bit of my favorite Alaia and Mugler, but I sold the rest last year. Sometimes I’ll see a celebrity wearing one of my old pieces, and I get such a kick out of seeing my clothes get a “second life”. My all-time favorite item of clothing I own is a multi-color (mostly hot pink) coat by Kensai that a friend of my mothers’ loaned me to get into Studio 54 when I was 16 years old. I still wear that coat all these years later, and could probably retire if I had a nickel for every compliment it provokes!

V: Are there any items of clothing that you regret wearing? And what about some of your favourite designers? Who are they?

JA: My family were in retail for 5 generations, so fashion, and taking risks with it always came naturally to me. I don’t regret any of my fashion choices, but I might skip the mullet hairdo with 20/20 hindsight. Antony Price has always been my favorite designer – such an underappreciated genius. His grasp of cut and how to accentuate your best assets, while playing down the less so, is simply unparalleled.

V: A question that a lot of people have asked me to ask you when I told them that I was talking to you, and you would not believe how many people were intrigued, was about whether you ever settled down again after your marriage to Nick Rhodes ceased?

JA: I did fall madly in love again about 4 years after Nick and I separated. Michael had a brilliant mind and was an exceptionally talented and successful film production designer, but he also had his demons. Sadly, he took his own life in 1999, and it took many years of deep soul searching to come to terms with that kind of loss and the pain that accompanies it. I just haven’t met anyone who could hold a candle to either Nick or Michael since, but who knows what the future holds? I’m open to love, but I don’t feel I need a man “to complete me.” I already have a great life with the best daughter any mother could ask for, and wonderful friends. My life is happy and full with or without Mr. Right.

V: I agree with that last sentence so much, that's very inspiring. My last question is related to a subject that I always find interesting with the people that I admire, and that is who influences the people who influence me - Who has influenced you to get in to the various industries which you have had a career in?

JA: Funny you should ask who my influences were. I met my supermodel idol, Cheryl Tiegs, just this past week, and it was one of only two times is in my life that I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t speak! She was so lovely and kind, and tried to coax me past my shyness. With all of my other careers, acting, cooking, entrepreneurial endeavors, and my newest incarnation still in it’s embryonic stage (so I can’t really say much about it yet), it’s been more a case of recognizing a great opportunity in an area I am passionate about and rolling with it, rather than making a strategic move influenced by a specific person. I think it’s important to welcome change and new challenges – it’s what keeps life interesting.

V: Thanks so much Julie Anne for letting me talk with you, Needless to say, You are an extraordinary woman with allot of stories and mantras to share. I wish you the very best and thank you again for our chat, It has been a pleasure.

JA: {It is} My pleasure and thank you for your interest! J xo