Does Anyone Give a Fork About What Cutlery You Use? With Leigh Buchanan from Project Runway

In this episode of What Would June Dally Watkins Do? we are joined by Leigh Buchanan.

Leigh is renowned for his style and finesse and you will definitely recognise him from his days on Project Runway. But, did you know as well as his incredible fashion sense, Leigh also has an eye for impeccable table manners?

Today we chat all things ‘dining etiquette’ discussing the implications of a cutlery faux pas, whether it is polite to talk at the table, the significance of breaking bread with your hands and of course ‘What Would June Dally Watkins Do?’.

Episode highlights:

• Where did the name come from? – 01:22:64
• “To use bad taste, you have to know the rules of good taste” – 02:36:20
• Is what fork we use important? – 04:41:83
• What would Queen Victoria do? – 05:24:92
• Is it rude to talk while dining? – 08:30:24
• Why do we break bread with our hands? – 13:00:81
• Origins of table etiquette – 18:40:59
• The Table Manner Fundamentals – 20:35:49
• What if you don’t know the rules? – 22:17:46
• The Dining Table Debate – 24:16:66
• English Etiquette Vs American Etiquette – 25:31:69
• What really offends Leigh? – 28:49:80
• What really offends Jodie? -34:53:62

Link from the episode:
You can contact Leigh on LinkedIn:
https://au.linkedin.com/in/leigh-buchanan-a3890b24

About your guest Leigh Buchanan:

Leigh Buchanan became runner-up of the inaugural season of Project Runway Australia following 2 decades of fashion industry experience, graduating from Mt Gravatt TAFE’s illustrious fashion college and working for some of the biggest names in the business.

Transitioning into theatre wardrobe and costume design in 2012, Leigh quickly established them-self as an in-demand talent, collaborating with numerous companies including Queensland Theatre, La Boite Theatre Co, Shake & Stir, Victorian Opera, La Boite and Opera Queensland.

Production highlights include costume design for Lady Beatle (The Little Red Company), Dracula and Wuthering Heights (shake & stir theatre co), Spring Awakening (Oscar Theatre Co); and creating costumes for productions including Queensland Theatre’s Ladies in Black [Helpmann and Greenroom Award-nominated for costumes], The Wider Earth, Brisbane, Romeo & Juliet and more.

Leigh’s film and television credits include creating costumes for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis (2022 – 6 time Academy Award winner Catherine Martin), Leah Purcell’s – The Drover’s Wife (2021 Tess Schofield), Aquaman (2018 Kym Barrett) and Netflix series’ (Tidelands and God’s Favourite Idiot), dressing names including Melissa McCarthy, Emmanuelle Beart (My Mistress with Angus Strathie), Rebecca Gibney (Wanted), Tina Arena, Penelope Cruz, Amber Heard, Elsa Pataky, Meow Meow, Rhonda Burchmore and many more.

Following the success of Project Runway, Leigh’s D-grade celebrity led to appearances on Adam Hills’ In Gordon St Tonight, writing fashion columns for print media, a weekly radio show co-hosting with Meshel Laurie and his own stage debut in his sold-out cabaret show “The Devil Wears Leigh Buchanan” December 2014 at the Brisbane Powerhouse and again, back by popular demand, in June 2017 at Queensland Cabaret Festival.

About your host: Jodie Bache McLean from June Dally Watkins and Chic Management

“Miss Dally was and remains one of the most significant women in my life. She was my boss, mentor and cherished leader for the past 36 years.” – Jodie

Jodie has been a part of June Dally Watkins for over 40 years, after her mother enrolled her in a course to help with her confidence when she was a teenager – Jodie then started working in the model agency as a booker only seven years later. Jodie now manages the business and has successfully navigated the Brisbane operation for the past 33 years.

Offering specialised knowledge, personal experience and expertise, Jodie is perfectly suited to tell us what June Dally Watkins would do.

Produced by The Podcast Boss