Radio DJ/TV presenter/supper club host Alice Levine is the epitome of the “slash generation” – and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “It’s a bit of a cliché with people my age, being slash this and slash that. But I like that I get to do lots of different things,” she says.  

A week ago, the 29-year-old added another layer to her lengthening slash-CV with a blouse she designed for Finery. The brand launched its “Forever Pieces” collection last week, teaming up with six illustrious women who have designed their own timeless pieces for the capsule, including actress Vicky McClure (jumpsuit) and playwright Polly Stenham (tunic). “I felt completely out of my depth at first…For example, the placket on this blouse I designed – yeah, I learned the word placket,” she says. “I’m a bit of a magpie – I saw details from different eras and put them all together. I feel like the frills are a bit Victorian and the collar, a bit seventies.”

Besides her main job as a BBC Radio 1 DJ (she hosts the coveted 1 pm to 4 pm slot on Saturdays and Sundays), Levine moonlights as a supper club host with TV presenter Laura Jackson. At their bi-monthly feasts, the duo cook up “unfussy, honest, home-cooked” dishes with seasonal, locally grown ingredients. “There’s no jus and there’s no froth or steam of mist you walk through before you sit down to your plate.”

We caught up with Alice at one of her favourite vintage haunts, East London’s BLITZ, to talk fashion, food and funny women.

What do you look for in your perfect blouse?

It has to feel really nice and comfortable to wear. You want the fabric to feel luxe and also not be worrying about boring things like, “am I creasing?” If you feel confident in something, then you’re more likely to go to that every morning.

What do you like about BLITZ?

It’s an Aladdin’s cave of delights. Actually it’s like a country – it’s the size of a country! So huge. You can get lost in here and spend a good few hours rifling through the shelves and the rails. I always seem to find good stuff here, which is key. I don’t live very far from here so I always just dip in.

Do you have lots of vintage clothes in your wardrobe?

Yes! It’s nice knowing that you’ve got something that no one else does and also, I love the chase. I like to mix and match them though – for example, putting a little vintage blouse on with some contemporary jeans.

I gravitate towards the sixties – I do like that A-line shape. But I draw the line at the eighties because I was born then so it feels like a regression. I remember that too well.

Three favourite things in your wardrobe at the moment?

My best finds are vintage stuff. I love my Burberry mac, which is a lovely seventies number with really gorgeous lining. I got that for £2.50! I nearly had heart palpitations! Another one is this incredible, high-necked brocade dress my mum found, which you’d wear if you were Betty Draper in Mad Men. It’s really OTT with incredible gold stitching and turquoise. I’ve also got a nice old doctor’s bag, a little leather number I use all the time.

How did your supper club start?

I met Laura, my food partner in crime, at a charity jumble sale three years ago and we really hit it off. We wanted to work on something that is ours that we can put our time into. Using seasonal ingredients is our first port of call. At the moment, wild garlic is in season so we’ll definitely do something with that.

We are definitely cooks, not chefs – I think we would probably have all chefs going out on strike if they heard us refer to ourselves as chefs…But I think it’s essential for people to have a nice night out, along with lovely food. That’s the reason we spend so much time making Laura’s flat look lovely. We also play all of Jon’s [Laura’s boyfriend is photographer Jon Gorrigan] Northern soul records and everyone gets involved.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

A bunch of really funny people. I think the dinner parties and supper clubs that always go into the night are the best – when people exchange stories and enjoy each other’s company. So maybe some comedy heroes like Julia Davis, Amy Poehler and Tina Fey.

Best and worst parts of being a radio DJ?

The best thing is that anything can happen. The worst thing is that anything can happen. That live nature, which is petrifying but also really exciting. I love interviewing people and getting stuff out of people that maybe they haven’t said before or even thought about.

Any plans to design more clothes or even start your own label?

I really enjoyed this process but I am acutely aware that I had a lot of back up. It’s been good fun but I’m just moonlighting. I would probably need to go back to school, and hire me some experts if I were to seriously do this. But who knows in the future? I would love to!

Interview by Jainnie Cho