Episode Thirty Eight - Rosie Viva

For our latest episode of ‘This is a Token’ podcast, Alex is joined by the multi-talented and engaging Rosie Viva @rosieviva.

Rarely do we have a guest who is so aligned with Alex’s world. A depth of experience in the fashion industry, passionate about talking about all things mental health as well as being a jewellery designer in her own right, Rosie and Alex have so much in common.

Rosie and Alex talk through her experiences growing up as a fashion model, as well how her diagnosis of Type 1 Bipolar led to her powerful new documentary with Channel 4, ‘Modelling, Mania and Me’. Within the documentary, Rosie shares deeply personal footage of her treatment after an intense mental health break down. It shows how she has been able to build a meaningful life, navigate relationships and flourish in her career in the hopes that her story, with the backing of close friends such as singer songwriter Dua Lipa, will inspire others who might be facing the same challenges.

Settle down with a cup of peppermint tea (a personal favourite of Rosie’s) and listen to both Rosie and Alex have a positive conversation about all of this, as well how her natural creativity has enabled her to co-found her own brilliantly quirky jewellery for her popular brand, ‘Covert Jewellery’ in 2020.

‘I was so looking forward to finally meeting Rosie, she’s modelled my jewellery before but I’d never actually met her. And I was fascinated to hear about the new film she’d just made about mental health. We had great laughs and chats about jewellery and modelling... and we discussed some serious mental health issues too.’ - Alex Monroe

Here are some useful links for further reading on topics discussed by Alex and Rosie:

You can follow Rosie on Instagram here
You can follow Rosie’s brand, ‘Covert Jewellery’ here 
You can watch Rosie’s Documentary, ‘Modelling, Mania and Me’ on Channel 4 Youtube Documentaries Page

Illustration by Connie Bella Monroe
Edited by Emily Sandford
Music by Daniel Patrick Cohen