Fashion expert and TV personality, Tan France, discusses the pressures of outward success, parenting challenges, embracing spontaneity, freedom from desperation, the mental toll of running multiple businesses, navigating the fashion industry, and vintage shopping and thrifting in Salt Lake City.
True success is finding peace of mind and being able to sleep at night, rather than just achieving external accomplishments.
Tan France emphasizes the importance of prioritizing mental well-being and redefining what success means for oneself.
Deep dives
The Importance of Redefining Success
Tan France discusses the Western concept of success and how it can be misleading. He shares that true success is being able to sleep at night and have peace of mind, rather than just achieving financial and external accomplishments.
Tan's Journey to Finding Happiness
Tan opens up about his struggles with outward success and the pressures it brought. He shares how he reached a breaking point and contemplated suicide before realizing that he needed to prioritize his own well-being and redefine what success meant to him.
Tan's Dream Home and Its Personal Significance
Tan talks about his upcoming dream home, which holds deep personal significance for him. He shares how he found the perfect plot of land and the process of building a home that reflects his taste and values.
Navigating the Fashion Industry and Responsible Shopping
Tan discusses the fashion industry and the challenges it faces, particularly in terms of environmental impact and fast fashion. He shares his approach to shopping responsibly, including thrifting and purchasing clothes that can be worn multiple times.
If outward accomplishment is coupled with great internal distress, is that really success? It’s a question Tan France had to ask himself when his business was doing brilliantly, but his mental health wasn’t.
In this chat, Fearne and Tan swap thoughts about the realities of having a new born baby, and why it’s so important to establish what marriage means to you before you get married. They also chat about the power of using clothes to express creativity and identity.
You can watch Tan on all-new Say Yes To The Dress UK on Really from the 16th of August, and can catch up on Discovery+.
This interview took place prior to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank conversation about suicidal ideation, so do take care while listening.