Author: IrisCovetBook

LE COLONIAL – VIETNAMESE VANGUARD

Le Colonial, after opening merely a few weeks prior to our interview, has already proven to be a destination lure for people looking to enjoy the elevated Vietnamese food of Nicole Routhier. This afternoon, Nicole has welcomed us into the restaurant and has taught us about the origins of the eatery, how she became a partner and culinary director, and what were her own origins as a chef and an authority of Vietnamese food. From growing up in Laos, being discovered by New York’s premiere food critic, to bringing Vietnamese food to the masses –Nicole Routhier is truly a star of international fare.


Le Colonial’s partner and culinary director Nicole Routhier and co-owner Joe King.

When did you first know you wanted to become a chef?

There was never one moment that I thought I would become a chef, it was more of something that I inherited. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved food and being in the kitchen with my mom. As a kid and as a teenager growing up,
my mother who was a single mother, owned a restaurant back in Laos. I just knew that I loved food and I always
hung around the kitchen and asked chefs questions. I didn’t know it was something I wanted to do until much later in my early twenties, after my studies when I went to New York.

What was it you were doing in New York?

At the time I was working in the travel industry because I loved language, but I always felt that something was missing.
I knew I wanted to be cooking. I put
some money aside and I went to the Culinary Institute of America. After school I worked at Sarabeth’s. While I was working, there was an article written by Craig Claiborne who was the food critic of the New York Times. I knew that he loved Vietnamese food, and after he went to Vietnam to try it on its native soil he wrote that since that experience he was unable to find great Vietnamese food in the US. I read that article and I just wished that I could cook him a great meal, so I basically wrote him a fan letter. About two days later he would call me and ask “when can I have that meal?” His kitchen was like a lab. There was everything you could need. That’s where all the great chefs had come before they were stars, they had all come through his kitchen for interviews and so forth. Little did I know that it was also an audition that I was doing. (laughs). Instead of just writing a little article, he wanted to do a spread
 of the dishes, almost like a banquet. Somehow I managed to produce all of
the dishes, but the single dish he really judged was the famous nem rán hà nội, the Vietnamese spring rolls, because those are very hard to do well. I thought he would have a little gathering to enjoy all of that food, but it was just him. He was sitting at his table with a little typewriter. He didn’t speak much, it was very intimidating.

He was observing you.

Yes, he was observing me and registering the recipes. Then when the food was done, I asked who was going to eat all of this food? So he called over his neighbors and one was Jacques Pépin and another was an Italian contessa. Soon they were tasting and telling me it was fabulous; he asked me a few questions about my background and so forth. Then it was over.


Image courtesy of Studio Communications

Did the New York Times feature ever come out? What was the reaction it received?

Just a few days before graduating! It was at the front page of the living section and it was an entire spread. Basically, he made me the authority on Vietnamese cuisine. His verdict was that the spring rolls were as good, if not better, than the ones he had in Vietnam and that press, to me, you cannot buy. The minute that article came out, people were tracking me down at the school and publishers and book agents were calling me up telling me to write a Vietnamese cookbook, but I was a young student putting myself through school and I said no. I spent a lot of money and I needed to find a job! In the back of my mind I thought that we needed a great cookbook on Vietnamese cuisine, and twenty-five years ago there was nothing like it on the market. Even just for myself it would be helpful because the only way I knew how to cook was from my mother. I knew what the dishes should taste like but there were no recipes. So I spent around two and a half years recreating these dishes from taste memory.

Did you find it hard to create recipes just from taste memory? Did the ones you came up with differ from the recipes you were taught?

Vietnamese cuisine is a very old tradition, and it changes very little. It has been under so many influences, China for instance for over a thousand years and then over to France for almost one hundred years. Of course over that time they had a lot of influences from Chinese cooking, but yet the Vietnamese have really kept on to their own traditions. For such a tiny nation it is quite a feat to emerge from all of that colonialism and still hold up to your tradition.
That is what I wanted to focus on with that first cookbook. We can be true to our traditions and show people that
our food can be really great. I am a 
strict traditionalist, but I am also for modernization because you can have
the best of both worlds! This is what we wanted to do with Le Colonial. It is based on the time of French cohabitation with the Vietnamese, you know I am a result of that, my mother was Vietnamese and my dad was French, so there was a lot
of french elements in the design and architecture and the service, but the food is Vietnamese.

What about when you developed the menu for the first restaurant and how has that changed over time to this one?

It hasn’t really changed. Again, it is more traditional and we have classic dishes that never change. That’s the great thing about it because you can take it and use it over time like classic French cuisine. Over the years the dishes ended up being watered down and when I came back to Chicago a lot of the dishes bared no resemblance to what I had taught them. The owners asked me to come back and bring it back to the way it was done initially and that is what we are trying to do here. My role here is to eventually move them beyond those classical dishes that they know, so that’s when
I will start bringing my own creations. Eventually we will modernize it, we are already way beyond what the people are doing in New York and Chicago and LA.


Image courtesy of Studio Communications

Do you think that for the people that are coming to the restaurant, it is also an education process for people to understand what it means to taste an authentic Vietnamese dish?

I think that here in Houston, people are very knowledgeable about Vietnamese cuisine because we have a very large Vietnamese community. We have our Chinatown, it’s huge and they have tons of great Vietnamese restaurants so people are very knowledgeable about Vietnamese food. In a way it is a challenge for us because yes we are new in town, but the food we are serving is just as authentic, and what we are trying to do is elevate it. You know people are used to those mom and pop shops where you can get a lot of food for very little money. Those Asian cuisines are so labor intensive because they are so old and you cannot change the preparation. So if anything, it should be just as expensive as any French or American eatery.

I’ve heard that you have to be in the mold
 to break the mold, so you really have to understand the structures of things in order to break free of them, do you feel like it is your job to teach how to improvise?

Yes, to improvise and go beyond what they know. Yes, this is my task, and it is a challenge but they are learning and it is all quite new. We have only been open for a week, and training for a month. It takes time, but that’s why I say it is so important to have Vietnamese people in the kitchen, because they understand the cooking and the food.

If your mother saw what you were doing now and how you were experimenting with the dishes now, do you think that she would be happy?

Oh yes, I think that she would be very proud. I think she was the reason I became a chef. After all of these years
I still miss her, but you know what was surprising is she never wanted me to become a chef. She was against it. She knew how hard it was, she said, “I will support you to do whatever you want, but not a chef because it is not a life.”

I think anyone who tries to go into a creative field, their parents try to distract them because they want them to have a more secure, and stable career.

You know, it was hard because I tried to be obedient, but I was never happy in my other jobs. So after she passed I said, “Ok, now I am free to follow my path”, but I know she would have been very proud.


Image courtesy of Studio Communications

You can tell she really inspired you, and she is still leaving her legacy with what you are creating here at Le Colonial and the lessons you are passing down to novice chefs.

That’s true and that’s why I wrote the cookbook because I wanted to dedicate
it to her. She showed me so much that I did not know. She was amazing, she had no training and was self-taught. She was so talented. She would go out, and when she tasted something she liked, she would go home and recreate it and make it even better. I think that is what I inherited.

Are there any other cuisines that you are inspired by?

Oh I love Thai, Mexican, anything that
is really intensely flavored—Indian cuisine, but you know I am open and very adventurous. I will try anything and everything at least once.

Are there any places that you travel for food?

Oh yes, even during my leisure travels. When you’re a chef you never stop being
a chef, and you can always find inspiration in the least likely places. For example,
this February I was in Ko Samui just vacationing with my sister in Thailand, and this is a very simple island with very fancy restaurants, but the best foods are on the street. Street cars and the markets, just fabulous foods! I found so much inspiration. I am always open, I never stop learning.

What is the best advice you could give an aspiring chef?

Follow your instinct. If something inside of you tells you that this is what you love, follow that. Regardless of obstacles, the love will be so intense that you have to follow it and everything will fall into place. If you follow your passion you cannot go wrong.


Le Colonial’s partner and culinary director Nicole Routhier.

For reservation or information about Le Colonial, call 713-629-4444 or visit lecolonialhouston.com 4444 Westheimer Rd G-140, Houston, TX 77027

Portraits by Jake Toler | Art Direction by Louis Liu Hair | Makeup and Grooming by MakeupByDiego | Interview by Marc Sifuentes

COUSINE ISLAND

Inside the beautiful cerulean waters of the Indian Ocean lies a rarified gem which offers paradise and escape from our usual urban culture. The unique environment of the island has created an immaculate habitat for all sorts of life, however, human-kind is the one species which has taken a backseat in participation. People are now invited to protect the ecosystem and help it thrive, while enjoying exclusive, private, eco-friendly accommodations. Cousine Island is one of the least touched or changed granitic islands of the Seychelles archipelago and is internationally famous for being an extremely ecologically important, privately owned island.

Reopened in April 2016, Cousine Island offers a rare natural experience without sacrificing truly unparalleled luxury and mindfulness of our impact on the world around us. On the island there is a sensation of seclusion and privacy that we almost never have in our largely urban lifestyles. You too can become a part of pristine nature and live, not as an intruder, but as a guest at one of mother nature’s most stunning creations. Cousine Island has four beautifully designed French colonial luxury villas and one impressive Presidential villa which offers two master bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a study area, personal gym, spa, kitchen, dining room, and outside bar and living space. All five of these villas are surrounded by lush, vibrant, local flora and are just a stone’s throw from the beach. Each villa is specially designed with handmade furniture as well as the most innovative technology to ensure each guest is living in luxury and comfort.

The island offers an option for a full-time butler and accommodation for a private au pair for families with small children who wish to enjoy the beauty of the island sanctuary without worrying over their little ones. No expense has been spared to ensure the happiness of each guest. On this vacation getaway expect to have a gastronomical experience that will leave you enchanted by the chef extraordinaire’s ability to craft delectable dishes filled with color and aromas inspired by Creole, Asian, and Western cuisine. There is no menu, but instead the chef discusses each meal with the guest to ensure a bespoke eat- ing experience which is custom made to ensure satisfaction. All of the ingredients in the haute cuisine meals are sourced locally or from Cousine Islands’ garden supply of fruit trees, herbs and vegetables. Fresh fish is caught locally and sustainably by fisherman on Praslin and Mahé Island.

The private island is the first exclusive eco-luxury conservation based model of its kind to ensure that all of the revenue derived from each guest is reinvested to ensure the long healthy life of the island and its many animal inhabitants. The lodgings give a comfortable and familiar atmosphere while providing opulence and paradise that coincides with strict building protocol and regulations to make sure the human needs of its ambassadors do not outweigh the needs of the ecosystem. The materials and colors of the interior blend into the ocean, sands, and surrounding vegetation which creates a soft, seamless transition from the outside in. Cousine Island strives to reinvent the way that we view tourism; they believe that sustainable ecotourism should benefit the island and promote conservation and sustainable resources and practices by involving the guests on the island directly with the region’s biodiversity. There is much conservation work on the island such as the planting of indigenous trees from the island’s nursery, assisting the monitoring of marine turtles and birds, and “to promote and practice nature conservation and the wise use of nature resources of the island and its surroundings”. When you leave the magnificent island preservation, you will have a greater knowledge of the environment and importance of respecting nature and appreciating all of its gifts and beauty. Even if you choose not to get involved directly with the conservation, by visiting the tropical oasis you will be supporting its efforts to spread the beauty of eco- tourism and keep the habitat thriving. ‡

For more information and booking, visit cousineisland.com or call +27 11 706 3104 Cousine Island, POBox977, Victoria, Mahe

J.K. PLACE CAPRI

Capri cannot help but conjure up images of Greta Garbo and Marlon Brando cavorting around the island in chic cropped trousers and sandals, and still the tiny, rocky island contains that same reputation of glamorous beauty. In the summer, upwards to 20,000 visitors can be caught on the island touring and shopping each day. However, it is the crowds that stay on the island once the ferries leave to dine and promenade after the sun sets that are the ones to watch. Some of these glamorous people are guests at the world-renowned J.K. Place Hotel.

The luxury of discreet sophistication and taste make the J.K. Place Hotel a location where comfort and wellbeing are combined with an enviable panoramic position and setting in the luxuriant Amalfi coastline. The venue possesses an under- stated charm and elegance which offers the comfort of the hearth while surrounded by precious details of subtle luxury. With twenty-two spacious rooms designed with the artful revival of classical style in mind, the concept of the resort is that of a luxury house that amplifies the light, color, and breathtaking beauty of the sea. The airy curtains let light spill onto the white stone floors, highlighting the picturesque views of the Capri coastlines. The rooms also offer large windows and panoramic views so guests may really immerse themselves in the opulent setting. The stylish touches of mosaic and stone , elegant black and white furnishings, and other premium decor highlight the casual beauty of the space. How- ever, the great beauty of the space with equally superb service. The guests are coddled by warm and friendly care that starts once you arrive and continues on until you may just mistake yourself for an empress or pampered courtesan.

The hotel offers a splendid pathway that spirals down into the ocean so guests may enjoy the azure waters off the wind- swept cliffs. The building overlooks the Marina Grande beach, near the Amalfi Coast, and provides guests with ample space for sunbathing and enjoying the salty Mediterranean waters. After you lounge on the white sands of Marina Grande, you can head up to the JK Spa for a relaxing sauna or massage. The spa of J.K. Place is what every spa should aspire to be. Stocked with products from the famed Santa Maria Novella brand, it is easy to lose yourself in a lavender scented haze and shea butter lotions. Or perhaps get in a workout at the premium JK gym be- fore heading out to dinner. J.K. Place is just steps away from the port, and the characteristic “Funicolare” railway transports visitors from Marina Grande to the Piazzetta, pulsating heart of the island, in just three minutes for one-of-a-kind dining and shopping experiences. J.K. Place also offers its guests unforgettable excursions and mini vacations towards the most enchanting locations of the Blue Island and Amalfi Coast, night excursions to watch the sunset, and tours around the island to discover all of the natural wonders that the area has to offer.

All of these amenities as well as the sheer majesty of the resort have made this space a highly coveted vacation destination, so rooms are booked months in advance. However, it is not surprising since this is an exclusive destination and source of inspiration, a resort for emperors, poets and noble travelers, a haven for the soul in which you can lose yourself in admiration of the sea. ‡

For more information and booking, visit jkcapri.com or call +39 081 838 4001 Via Provinciale Marina Grande, 225, 80073 Capri NA, Italy

BEHIND THE GATE: A LOOK INSIDE PISCO PORTÓN AND THE OLDEST DISTILLERY IN THE AMERICAS

Sometimes you tell stories over a drink and sometimes the drink is the story. To Peruvians, the history and tradition of Peru is entwined in the story of its national spirit, pisco. Honoring this heritage is what Pisco Portón, the makers of the most awarded pisco, do best. With a techno-artisanal distillery and estate-owned vineyards, the story of Pisco Portón is as unique and steeped in tradition as pisco itself.

For the uninitiated, pisco is a distilled white spirit made entirely of grapes with a 400-year- old pedigree. It has its roots in the 1560’s when the Spanish imported grape vines to the Ica Valley on the south western coast of Peru with the intent of making wine for use during the Catholic mass. Production grew, but feeling threatened and in an act of protectionist pique, the Spanish crown began imposing heavy taxes on Peruvian wine entering Spain. In an act of rebellion, vineyard owners turned toward distillation of the grapes instead and pisco was born.

Pisco has what only a handful of other spirits can claim: a Denomination of Origin. That means all pisco must be made in a specific region along the south western coast of Peru and under the strictest of guidelines, including the use of eight specific aromatic and non-aromatic grape varietals. The grape juice must be fermented with naturally occurring wild yeast, distilled only once in traditional copper pot stills, and left un-aged or unaltered, meaning that not even water is added to the finished product. Finally, it must be left to rest in non-reactive vessels such as concrete so only the flavors of the grapes are evident.

Pisco Portón’s Master Distiller, Johnny Schuler

In 2011, after living in Peru and developing a passion for pisco’s heritage and distinctive flavors, father and son team Bill and Brent Kallop set about bringing the finest expression of Peruvian pisco to the United States. Enlisting the aid of Johnny Schuler as their Master Distiller – who is internationally recognized as the foremost pisco expert in the world and received the Peruvian Congressional Medal of Honor for his work regulating the pisco industry—they purchased Hacienda La Caravedo, the oldest distillery in the Americas, established in 1684 by Juan Facundo Caravedo Roque. Here traditional production methods such as a wooden usillo are used to press the grapes, gravity-fed distillation is used to gently extract the flavors, and traditional wood-fired copper pot falcas distill the spirit. In addition, a state-of- the-art distillery with a lush rooftop garden to offset natural carbon dioxide emissions, and a water treatment system that recycles water from the distillation process to irrigate the vineyards, are also employed. The grapes are estate-grown with the utmost care and dedication to environmental stewardship.

From this combination of old and new technologies, Pisco Portón Mosto Verde was born and has become the number one exported pisco from Peru to the United States and the recipient of over 150 awards and accolades for its taste and quality. An acholado, or blend, in the mosto verde style, Pisco Portón Mosto Verde is made from the quebranta, torontel, italia, and albilla grapes and exceeds the standards for a traditional mosto verde pisco by containing 18 pounds of grapes in every bottle and resting for a minimum of one year to ensure the fullest flavors. They have also brought Pisco Portón Acholado and La Caravedo Quebranta to the United States, with more expressions available soon. The portfolio delivers the sophistication of the mosto verde, the complexity of the acholado, and the distinctiveness of the puro that provide a unique cocktail experience.

Tours of Hacienda La Caravedo are available and visitors pass through the original gate that welcomes them inside the lush vineyards and stunning distillery, with the Andes mountains as a backdrop to over 150 acres which includes the vineyards, distillery, tasting room, horse stables, restaurant, and boutique hotel. While a trip to Ica and Hacienda La Caravedo is a wonderful journey, one only has to sip a Pisco Portón Mosto Verde cocktail for an experience as bold as those who discover it.

Add Pisco Portón to your summer parties with these cocktail recipes:
PORTÓNERO
– 2 oz Pisco Portón Mosto Verde
– 1⁄2 oz fresh lime juice
– 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
– Top with ginger ale or ginger beer

Directions:
Build in a glass filled with ice by adding Pisco Portón Mosto Verde, lime juice, simple syrup, and Angostura bitters. Top with ginger ale or ginger beer. Gently stir and garnish with a lime.

PORTÓN PISCO PUNCH

– 1 (750ml) bottle of Pisco Portón Mosto Verde
– 12.75 oz. simple syrup
– 8.5 oz fresh pineapple juice
– 8.5 oz fresh lime juice
– Abundant ice

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in punch bowl or beverage dispenser. Serve in rocks glasses lled with ice. Garnish with pineapple chunks.

There are three styles of pisco: puro, which is made from only one of the eight approved grape varietals; acholado, which is a blend of two or more of the eight varietals; and mosto verde, a style applicable to either a puro or an acholado in which only the must, or freshly pressed juice of the grape, is partially fermented and results in the highest level of avor and aroma. While puro and acholado piscos require about eight pounds of grapes to make a bottle, a mosto verde pisco requires at least 16 pounds.

For more information and cocktail recipes, visit piscoporton.com. To book a tour of Hacienda La Caravedo or to inquire about a stay at the boutique hotel, contact [email protected] or call the o ce in Lima at +511 711 7800

SALTAIR

From capricious seafood creations like carpaccios to crudos, Chef Brandi Key, has spun the seafood-restaurant scene on it’s head with her globally-influenced fare at Houston’s swank restaurant, SaltAir. She created the menu with goal of establishing a new original for seafood, taking cues from the Gulf, as well as Houston’s own diverse, multi-cultural palate.

“I want you to be a little surprised whenyou get here,” offers Chef Brandi Key. “We always wanted to do a seafood restaurant. Being here on the Gulf, everybody loves seafood. But we didn’t want to copycat [that standard].” Boasting a warmly-lit 28-seat raw bar, anchored idyllically by a exotic Birchwood tree, SaltAir offers a dining experience sure to linger into the evening. We had a chance to chat with Chef Brandi and delve into her creative process here as Executive Chef.

When did you first know that you wanted to become a chef and work in the food industry?

I didn’t really know that I wanted to be a chef. I was supposed to go off and be a career woman. My sophomore year in college, I had the opportunity to go to New York and really got to see some very cool things in the food industry. One day a friend told me about an opening for a position at a restaurant. It was Pappadeaux, and I walked in and the guy was like, “You have a business degree and a double major, double minor with accounting and finance, and marketing? Why do you want to work at a restaurant?” I just got bit by “the bug” honestly. I grew up cooking, but I never thought that I would do it in an actual restaurant setting day in and day out. But as soon as I walked in, that was it.

Can you describe what the creative process has been like in your experience working with SaltAir and partnering restaurants that you’ve opened?

There’s always multiple layers for us as a group. I am one piece of it and that is what I’m a specialist at. For the restaurant itself, we wanted to create an ambience that was very comfortable and inviting, that you could dine in for hours. There’s also a creative process that happens with the kitchen where I actually draw out kitchen floor plans according to equipment needs for the specific type of cuisine being prepared. And then there’s the menu process. I spent a good four to six months on the menu here, really hashing through different ideas. So we spent hours on these dishes, thinking about every component, every layer that could be fit into the cook line without compromising quality or freshness.

Do you have a favorite signature dish that you like to prepare?

Here at SaltAir, I love the octopus carpaccio. That one’s really good. The other thing that I really like here is our whole fish because I think a lot of people are still intimidated by a whole fish because they’re terrified of their dinner staring back at them. For me it’s special if I can prepare a dish for you and you eat it in it’s entirety. If I can make it easier for you to dig in and eat a whole bronzini, then I know I can get you to eat a whole flounder or whatever else may be out of your comfort zone.

So you feel responsible in a way to educate your consumer?

Honestly, any time somebody asks me what is it that I do, I will always tell them that I teach. I teach more than I do anything else. I teach the chefs how to be good cooks. I teach the managers how to be good managers. I teach financials how to actually run a profitable business. I teach guests how to eat. And I think you’ll find that most chefs are good teachers. We have to be able to get what we’ve envisioned in our head, manifest it, and then instill that same passion and process into someone else.

What challenges have you had to overcome in pursuing your dreams to become an executive chef?

I think one of the biggest challenges has been understanding the physical demands that happen in a restaurant. It’s a lot of long hours, and a lot of time on your feet. I manage a lot of different people and different cuisines, so I have to keep myself organized in order to get from A to B.

And what sorts of cuisines are you inspired by right now at this moment?

What’s great about SaltAir is that it allows for a lot of creativity. I love the Cape and what fish are available from that region. The Pacific Northwest is really fun with totally different type of environment, and different products that can be sourced for us. I’ve always enjoyed the Mediterranean, and have been inspired by Northern African and Middle Eastern flavors.

What’s the best piece of advice that you received in pursuing your career?

People are always saying to me, “I want your job! how do I get your job?” If you’re interested in the work and what we do every day, don’t be doing anything else. For instance, don’t go to school for a business degree if you really want to be in the food industry. If you really want to cook, then you need to come get a line-cook position and see what a line’s like. And if you get bit by “the bug” and you love it, then you need to keep doing that. I think the most important thing for young people right now coming into this industry is making sure that they understand what that good basis of technique is because this business can have a lot of “fluff”. You need to know how to tourne a carrot, not because I’m going to ask you to tourne a carrot, but because for thousands of years, all these people who’ve been setting the path for what we do today tourned a carrot.

What chefs do you admire right now?

I think, collectively-speaking, I admire the chefs in Copenhagen have helped to really push some very interesting dishes that are going to continue to happen. Most people only think about Rene Redzepi at Noma and he’s fantastic! However, some of those restaurants there have lived longer than Noma’s been on the map. Here in the United States, I’ve always admired Cindy Pawlcyn. She’s one of those old school people that started a business in the middle of Napa Valley, before the Napa Valley was the Napa Valley. Now Mustards Grill is an iconic place. She really understands the whole art of taking care of people and making people feel special simply by providing good food without the “fluff” factor– just the true art and nature of cooking. There’s so many, I could go on and on.

Houston is such a foodie town. There’s so much competition with restaurants. How do you set yourself apart?

I think what’s interesting with our group is that we’ve been around for 14 years. A good portion of our clientele
is like family to us. It’s a little bit easier for us because we listen and talk to them like family. They actively give us feedback. This allows us to always be adapting, making changes to ensure that things are good. We know how to talk and react to people, and give the people what they want. We don’t rely on attention- getting strategies or food-prep techniques to attract our customers. At the end of the day, everything that happens in these four walls is the only way that I can truly dictate if we’re going to be successful or not.

Photography by Dustin Mansyur | Styling by Marc Sifuentes | Art Direction by Louis Liu | Hair & Makeup by MakeupByDiego | Interview by Dustin Mansyur

For reservation or information about SaltAir Seafood Kitchen, call 713-521-3333 or visit saltairhouston.com

MICHAEL DE FEO AT RICE GALLERY

Untitled (Grace Hartzel by Willy Vanderperre for Vogue, March 2016), acrylic on magazine page, 11 x 8 inches, 2016

Michael De Feo has elevated fashion ads to a new realm of fine art with his signature floral graffiti he applies to commercial glossy corporate ad campaigns of mainstream media.

Michael De Feo, who was profiled this spring in The New York Times, is a painter with a penchant for street art, gaining inter- national recognition for painting over outdoor fashion ads with buoy- ant floral patterns. In Crosstown Traffic, De Feo treats Rice Gallery’s front glass wall like a supersized commercial display kiosk, enlarging a selection of fashion ads from magazines, printing them at nearly billboard size, and hand painting over them.

Michael De Feo, Crosstown Traffic, 2016 Commission, Rice University Art Gallery, Houston, Texas Photo: Nash Baker © nashbaker.com

De Feo plunges inside the seductive, fantasy world of high- end advertising, normally kept at a distance behind glass or beneath the sheen of a glossy magazine page, and adds a human touch. Says De Feo, “One of the compelling aspects of working on fashion advertisements is that although I’m subverting the ads, they frequently end up reading like they were designed that way.”

Known as “The Flower Guy,” De Feo has painted flowers on the streets of New York and in over 60 cities internationally. His iconic line drawing of a curving stem topped with daisy petals can be seen sprouting from the bases of telephone poles, tucked in between signs, and embellishing a myriad of surfaces. A project that started nearly 25 years ago and continues today began with a simple aim, says De Feo, “to spread some cheer and smiles in a city full of concrete, steel, and glass.”

Untitled (Kiera Knightly by Mario Testino for Chanel), acrylic on bus-stop shelter advertisement, 68.5 x 47.5 inches, 2016
Untitled (Gisele Bundchen by Patrick Demarchelier for Chanel), acrylic on bus-stop shelter advertisement, 68.5 x 47.5 inches, 2015

 

Posted in Art

COLORS OF THE WIND

On Beckah | Dress by Jason Wu | Available at Saks Fifth Avenue | On Edward | Shirt by H&M | Dress Pants by Giorgio Armani | Available at Neiman Marcus

Neoprene Crop top by Clover Canyon | Available at Tootsies | Printed Denim Jeans by Cavalli | Star-print Tie-neck Blouse on waist by Valentino | Both available at Neiman Marcus

Black Floral Sequin Cropped Tank by Needle & Thread | Available at Tootsies | Blue Denim Jeans by Saint Laurent Paris | Available at Neiman Marcus

From Left | On Bridget | Dress by Valentino | On Edward | Shorts by Alexander Wang | On Abby | Dress by Marni | All available at Neiman Marcus

 Dress by Alaïa | Skirt by Prada | Both available at Saks Fifth Avenue

Jacket by Giorgio Armani | T-Shirt by T by Alexander Wang | Shorts by Brunello Cucinelli | All available at Neiman Marcus

Photography by Thom Jackson @ The Photo Division | Styling by Marc Sifuentes | Art Direction by Louis Liu | Models Abby B., Beckh and Bridget @ Wallflower Management, Edward H. @ The Dragonfly Agency

Makeup & Hair by Gary Parson @ Kim Dawson | Hair by Cheryll Smith @ Campbell Agency | Casting by XTheStudio | Photographer’s Assistants: Claire Casner and Emily Bailey | Digital Tech: Jonathan Stafford

GARREN


Garren Portrait by Michael Del Buono

He took Madonna to platinum for her cult photo book expose SEX; transformed Victoria Beckham’s infamous angled-bob of the Aughts into a pixie cut; and turned a pair of sun- kissed girls, Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss, into pristine young women for the cover of Vogue. Fashion’s go-to hair guru has had a decades- spanning career, a lifetime achievement in an industry known for its volatile, fickle, and often cutthroat nature. In the process, he’s amassed an editorial and advertising portfolio that includes work created with every major photographer, stylist, supermodel, and celebrity that has worked within the last four decades to be exact. There is no denying that the visionary hairstylist known simply as Garren, is a creative force to be reckoned with. Still, for as much pageantry as his resume demands, especially in a world as excessive as fashion, it isn’t necessary. As we discovered, Garren’s humility, authenticity and talent are a rare blend for people of his caliber. With
a salt-of-the-earth story telling ability and a natural gift to connect with others, it’s easy to understand why the living legend is still one of the industry’s leading mane magnates.

I first want to talk a little about your background, when did you know that you wanted to work in fashion?

When I was 13 I was obsessed with Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. They were like my bible, my mother would buy them and I would go through each page. My mother was prematurely grey; every time she would go to the hair dresser they would do a skip wave like an old lady’s hair, I would tease her out and make her into a bouffant. Her friends started asking who did her hair and she would reply, “You wouldn’t believe if I tell you, it’s my son.” They thought it was my older brother, but before you know it, they all wanted to get their hair done. So I started going from house to house after school on Friday and Saturday. I would do three ladies on Friday and six ladies on Saturday.

This was at 13?

Yes, in the 60’s. I was obsessed with Jackie O, Marilyn Monroe, and Elizabeth Taylor – all the glamorous women. My father built a little salon for me in the basement where I did hair after school on Thursday and Friday, and all day Saturday too. My father and mother would make all the appointments so that every twenty minutes there was another lady coming to get washed, set, and cut. I used to look at magazines which used to have little booklets to show how Kenneth [Battelle] did the hair. It would have a picture and instructions of how you set or cut it. I kind of taught myself!

That’s amazing and sounds like your parents were very supportive.

Yes, there was no issue…until it was a big issue when I was in 10th grade. The student counselor at my high school called me for a meeting to talk about my goals and which college I wanted to attend. I told him that I wanted to go to the beauty school and he objected, “Men don’t go to beauty school.” Later, he called my father and I in for a meeting together. He told my father that he thought it was the wrong career path for me because he thought I couldn’t make money out of that or have a future. My dad was quiet for a moment… He stood up and said, “Mr. McDonald I understand your concern but my son has been doing hair since he was 13. He’s very good at it, and already making a good living at it; he will do this in the future, it’s going to give him a big future. This conversation is over and my son will go to beauty school. My son will be really successful so you better watch out for his name.” Then he walked out of the room!

I went to beauty school and started doing hair right away in Buffalo in a big department store. It was there that I competed in my first hair show. Christiaan Houtenbos – he’s been in New York forever now – was one of the judges. At dinner, after the show, I asked him what IneededtodotogettoNewYorkandhe gave me his information to contact him if I ever visited. When I went to visit, he introduced me to some people at Glenby, which owned 1600 to 1800 salons around the world in major department stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdales in New York. I met the people who owned the company, and they decided to appoint me as style director at a salon in the Boulevard Mall in Buffalo. They wouldn’t bring me to New York City right away – I had to prove myself first.

After three years, I was ready for change, so I gave them an ultimatum and I ended up at a salon in Bergdorf Goodman. My husband ended up at Henri Bendel. We came together in the city in the end of ‘73. I guess we were at the right place at the right time. Within a year I was asked to go meet Polly Mellon and Irving Penn for Vogue, so I started doing Vogue. I was on a rollercoaster, I didn’t know how I had got there, but I knew it was a big deal! Polly took me to Paris. She asked me, “Do you realize what’s happening to you?” The truth was, I didn’t know at that time because I was having fun working and creating. Everyone was so nice then… but now I know that they are not nice and dramatic! (laughter) I absorbed every bit of knowledge I could. In New York, I was working with Irving Penn and Patrick [Demarchelier]. I was doing all the big sittings and getting all the right covers and editorials. That was all the way through the 80’s.

Three years later in ‘76, Glenby decided to open a salon for me at the Plaza Hotel, since I had become the style director of the company. Then I left in ‘82, as the company was slowing down and just in time before they closed everything. So I continued freelancing doing advertising and editorials. At that time I was working with Bill King, Arthur Elgort, Patrick [Demarchelier] and then I met Steven Meisel. I worked for him exclusively for about 20 years. During that time, Paul Cavaco had become involved with Henri Bendel, and he invited me to meet the President of Bendel’s so that they could build a salon for me. After my contract was up with Henri Bendel, I decided to open my own salon at the Sherry Netherland, where we were for 9 years.

I was lucky to be in the game with the supermodels of the 80’s and 90’s. Back then, I could fantasize and take it to a place where we created amazing images together. Now it’s only celebrities. Working with celebrities now you need to be politically correct. You have to do what they want you to do. Fortunately, with me they let go and aren’t as demanding. I’m very lucky that I’ve been able to cut and create looks for celebrities and all the supermodels. It’s allowed me to go against the grain of what’s really in the fashion…to make a statement of what is going to be in fashion.

Now, I still freelance and I’m also working on my product line, R+Co. I’m very grateful because I know I have an amazing career. And sometimes, people don’t get it! You had to have a mastery over your skill and craft because at that time there was nothing digital. Whatever you created was what you saw in the final printed photographs. Now everything is so digital, if you’re a wiz on the computer, you can make anything look good. But the quality of the work isn’t as good.


Onset with Audrey Hepburn, Steven Meisel, Kevyn Aucoin, and Garren for Vanity Fair Magazine, 1991 | Photography by Steven Meisel | Hair by Garren. Makeup by Kevyn Aucoin | Styled by Marina Schiano

Did you ever imagine that your father’s words to your high school guidance counselor would become a self-fulfilling prophecy of your life?

Not until I started doing these educational hair seminars for R+Co. For a portion, we do a question and answer and we also share our stories. We talk about our journey and it starts connect with lot of stylists. The hair stylists that are in the audience are overwhelmed and appreciative. You see parts of yourself in them and… it kind of takes all that celebrity out of us and makes us human. So I think that whole story about of my father, is always something that people gravitate towards and they really… they can connect with it because that is something they have gone through or relate with.

It sounds like you have a natural ability and gift to connect with all kinds of people.

And it has done me well! But it’s like when I look back at it now, my god, I mean… When you have a salon and start raising your family of hairdressers that work for you, you realize all the baggage that comes with them. You try to pick them up and make them know that it is okay to be who they are. It was a learning experience for me, because it was so easy for me to come out as a gay person. My family was very supportive of it. You know they just wanted me to be happy. So during my whole career, my life, I have constantly made an effort to keep people’s morale up and to help them understand that it is okay to be who they are. You know, there are a lot of kids that forget how they started. Then they become so super that they get out of touch with who… you know like manners and politeness, and all that goes away and I look at them and watch them…

They become their own celebrity.

…and it is kind of like they only get “it” after they have one misstep. They remember there are rules, that there are things you have to follow and ways of being while on the job. Kenneth’s [Battelle] advice has always stuck with me when he told me, “We are in the service business. You are not on that same level as that celebrity or supermodel whose hair you are doing. Remember they are hiring you.”

I know it sounds crazy to some, but as fabulous as you think you are, you really have to be careful that you don’t overstep boundaries or start bragging about yourself. Your client or model or actor just wants you to know them. You know what I mean? They might be interested to hear about you sometimes, but it could be really devastating for a hair stylists’ career if they cross that line.

Advice that stuck with you and you’ve passed on?

Yes! That always kind of stuck with me. That humble part of me is there. I try to instill that into my assistants as well. Some kids get overly-fabulous right away just before they get stomped out. But, if they realize what’s happening to them at the moment that it’s happening, then they’ll be able to climb that ladder of success easily. They’ll be able to take their time instead of raging to the top and then falling off.

Has it been an enjoyable experience for you to create your product line with R+Co?

R+Co, is completely the opposite of the way I did my first line [Garren NY]. It has everything for something. If you want a curly look, a straight look, a wet look, then we have a product for it. The genius part of it is that it’s fun and eclectic because
it is three of us, Howard Mclaren, Thom Priano [my husband] and myself. We keep growing our wish list of what we want to create and what the kids are asking for. Our attitude is like, “What else can we do?” It’s been a great two years that we’ve been traveling for regional hair seminars with an audience of 300 – 400 hair stylist. We get to engage and educate them and
in turn the product is getting it out there, reaching the middle of America, the UK, Europe, and Australia. We’re currently putting a team together that will travel to provide training with our techniques, products and brand DNA for other hairstylists at our partnering salons.

Vogue Italia December 2004 | Photography by Steven Meisel | Model Karen Elson | Hair by Garren Makeup by Pat McGrath | Fashion Editor Edward Enninful

You’ve experienced a sustaining level of longevity and notoriety within your career, essentially you’ve been in business since you were 13. Would you say that spirit of entrepreneurship has always been intrinsic and come very natural?

It is natural, but on the other hand I have always promoted other people to take care and handle it. I learned in last 10 years that you really have to be on top of everything to keep it going to the place where you want it to go. I started letting go and trusting others to do the jobs I’d hired them to do. But then, it sort of humbled me to realize that they can fuck up too. You really have to be on top of everything. So that in itself was a learning experience, and I think in terms of success and career, that it was another growing pain. Growing pains are good because I have learned from it. I might not have liked or wanted the outcome of certain circumstances or situations, but it is what it is and I am always trying to figure out what I am doing next.

I’m sure a great assistant has been imperative?

YES! I always bring the assistants on and they stay with me for two years and then the agreement is they go on to create their own career. I continue doing it this way because I get off on that. I enjoy helping someone create their future. For example, when I work with, let’s say, a makeup artist, I sometimes hear the makeup artist going, ‘Well my assistant went in and did the job. How dare they.’ And I’m like… don’t you feel like compassion for this kid? I mean he or she’s been with you for a while and they’re not stealing your ideas. It’s like you have to cut the apron strings!

And it is beautiful! The work he or she did is beautiful! Yet the makeup artist doesn’t even compliment them and stops using them as an assistant. It surprises me that there are loads of people out there that still like that. It’s no difference with big editors who work for a magazine—a big magazine– and they have these assistants that become almost the backbones of what they do. They are so capable and they understand what’s going on. But when it’s time for them to leave they never take them into the fold. They throw them back into the world and dismiss them. They are really great people, but I just never understood why they don’t generate their own talent and drink from that pool.

And it also looks good on you too. By training them, you get to foster that creativity and give them the foundation.

I have always been proud of them moving up. The only time that it would upset me when they undercut me for a job or do something deceitful. But when they are going out and they are starting to do their own thing and they are not overlapping with my world, I think that is very cool and I am very happy for them because they found their way. They find their little piece of magic and they are allowed to do it. They have their own world to create.

You’ve worked with some of the most talented people in the industry: photographers, models, makeup artists, editors; what do you do to keep yourself inspired so that you can continue creating with fresh eyes?

I think it’s about having an open mind and knowing that it is a team effort. It’s not going in and doing your own thing. You are having a collaboration of hair, makeup, the stylist, and possibly the designer. You are all working together to make
that image the most amazing image. But remember, you are only creating part of it. I’ve been lucky to work with people that have a specific point of view. With those people, we can discuss it openly and come up with an idea with which we go forward. If it isn’t working or it is not looking great, we know how to tweak it. You cannot go in with the solid idea, and think that you are going to be able to execute it because it might be on the wrong person and the wrong situation.

During the whole 90’s, I was so lucky to be able to have Amber (Valletta) and Linda (Evangelista) and all of them as my muses. I would get on set, and those girls would inspire me to cut their hair a certain way and create certain styles. So this is how I have always nurtured the looks that I do. It’s how I have always pushed myself by being open
in the collaboration process.

And you feed off the energy of the photographer when collaborating?

Yes! For example working with Steven Klein, I know his aesthetic is very strong and aggressive. Whatever I create with him is going to be a real woman that has something cold and sexual about her. Or, Steven Meisel is like a master of making anyone look cool, modern, and gorgeous. Even when it is a subtle thing it becomes a major inspiration. So I already know the DNA of the photographer and I have always absorbed what the photographers are going for.

Sometimes I get hired by the client and there is a new photographer working that is way younger than I am, but I walk in and they don’t even know how to have a conversation because they might feel afraid of me. So I sort of say, “Okay let’s do this or that. I want to know what you want. I want to know what you want to get out of the model. Where you are going with this?” We have to talk about the hair, makeup, wardrobe, and lighting so that I know what I am going to give them.

What do you think is stifling creativity in fashion right now?

When I started the business, we would do two pictures a day; then it became four pictures a day. Then it got to be 6 pictures a day. Then 10. Then 10 pictures plus behind the scenes stills and video! On set, everybody is working in a circle and there is never a break so I think it’s kind of lost the art part of it. The thing that’s unbelievable is that now all the actresses are wearing clothes that just fall off the runway and it gets online or on social media first. By the time it gets to the consumer it already feels old. No one wants to spend five, ten, or fifteen thousand dollars on a garment that’s already been worn by 4-5 other women already. I don’t know how they are going to figure that one out.

I do feel there is a disconnect, it’s just a different world. I’m just glad that I had been in the old world, it’s hard for me to adjust sometimes because I get really upset because people are not doing the quality work that they should be doing. I have to stay relevant, and to be relevant you have to be ahead of the game and force through it. Fashion, for me, has been through four cycles already. Every time it comes back of course it is a different point of view, different model, different photographer. It’s a different approach.

I laugh when people are putting tear sheets up, and I see my work in the references. A lot are still so consumed by Madonna’s fashion. They are like, “Do you remember when Madonna did this or that with her hair?” The kids are so young these days they don’t even know that I was who did most of those looks for Madonna, so I just chuckle.


Vogue US March 2001 | Photography by Steven Meisel | Model Stella Tennant | Hair by Garren | Makeup by Pat McGrath | Fashion Editor Grace Coddington

What was it like working on the Sex book with Madonna and Steven Meisel?

We had so much fun! We were hysterical most of the time and it was because our team was so solid. It was Francois Nars, Paul Cavaco, Fabien Baron and Steven Meisel. We really just had fun doing it. When I look back at the scenarios in the book, I know exactly what we were laughing at while it was happening because it was us directing, “Put your hand a little more there…a little more there! Now do this! No! – stand in that position just like that…” and laughing because it looked so funny. But what the photographs captured…it’s like, “Oh My God that’s so sick!” A lot of things were done spur of the moment. That’s what made those photos so major because she really did have that reaction of what was going on with the piercing and wax or whatever and it wasn’t so calculated.

So there was a sense of honesty that translated throughout the Sex book?

Yes, when I look back at it, it’s really pure, and I remember when we started talking about the book, she was a brunette. I just said, “If you’re doing a coffee table book, you’ve got to be blonde.” And everyone agreed with me. I hadn’t worked with her for a while before we started the book, but her body was in the best shape. She was 30 years old at the time and she was ready to expose everything. We knew that whatever we did it had to be top notch, cool, beautiful. It had to be sensual and at the same time push boundaries so that people would stop and look at it. Now when you look at it there’s like nothing shocking about it.

But for the time it definitely pushed boundaries. I think it’s interesting that you’ve talked about her being 30 in relation to her self-confidence of being ready to expose herself creatively in that way. Models start very young, how is it different working with a model who is just getting started as opposed to an established celebrity.

They are teenagers, though they’ve always been kind of young. Now a lot are being discovered because they are Instagram girls. When I was asked to work with Kendall [Jenner] at the very beginning when she just started working with Vogue, I was placed in a position where I’m always placed when someone is new. Everyone really wants to create who they are and give them confidence and teach them how to model. I worked with Kendall when David Sims and Camilla [Nickerson] shot her for American Vogue and then I worked with her when she first started doing [Estee] Lauder. Kendall is a pleasure to work with because she really wants to learn and is very professional and on point. Her self-awareness is like a breath of fresh air. She really wants modeling to be her career and I respect her for that. It’s totally different when you have a celebrity or actress because they already have been in the game and they have that understanding.

Celebrity or model, they all want Estee Lauder and Maybelline behind them, but now it’s a different route. A lot of these girls’ names were celebrated before they actually became the celebrity models. So they really want to prove that they can do it and that is natural confidence that pushes them to succeed. I just want to close with two personal questions. The first one is: what is the best advice that you have ever received? The best advice I received was from Polly Mellon, when she said “Garren remember where you are at every present moment. Right now, we’re in Paris, we’re doing the collection and you’re at your first show. You’re with me, you’re with Mr. Penn and this moment you need to seize it and this will help build your career by the attention that you’re giving it. Absorb it.”

I remember how Polly would hold her collar up and how Mr. Penn wanted a cuff to look. I would watch how they created the detail of a still life. As well, I loved observing how Avedon taught the girls how to jump and move, or how Meisel taught them how to pose and carry themselves. Those experiences honed me. I knew exactly how I could make it more if they wanted more. I watched every movement, every gesture, and learned from that so that I was able to give them the type of girl that they wanted.

What is the advice that you would give to your younger self?

I wouldn’t change anything because if I would have changed something back then, I probably wouldn’t have been where I am today. Like if I would have smoothed out some of the rough edges, or the transition periods, I wouldn’t have been able to learn from those highs and lows in life. But advice I would probably give: pinch yourself when you’re in the moment. Absorb that this is really happening and this is a big deal, but don’t go out and brag about it. Let other people tell you how good you are so that you don’t become disconnected from the whole process.

I admire how you draw such appreciation for the growth and learning provided by transition periods in life.

You definitely have to, if you don’t learn then you haven’t really gone through a transition. There are lots of times when we get scared, I still do! I have a big project coming up and I’m just double- thinking myself. If I didn’t have that little bit of anxiousness before the project, I probably wouldn’t perform as well. I think that is missing in a lot of people today, that nervousness before a job. The thing that has always stuck with me is that you can never be overly prepared but on the other hand, if an idea of your own is shot down you can’t take it at heart.

That’s the other thing: to be really successful in this business, if everyone else is saying that it doesn’t look right or cool, or maybe it needs more, you have to take a step back. Ask how you can make it more or how you can make it work. Listen to the feedback of those around you and consider it. Don’t be defensive. Be open to collaborating.

Interview by Dustin Mansyur

FRANÇOIS NARS


François Nars, Founder and Creative Director of NARS Cosmetics | Image credit: Patrick Demarchelie

Francois Nars is one of the biggest names in makeup and beauty, and has created a business with international acclaim and reverence which leaves us with one question: how? The makeup mogul who has helped push beauty boundaries and set new standards within the fashion industry is a true revolutionary. The French perfectionist has helped his fans the world over truly embrace their inner beauty by fluidly weaving his creative roles as a makeup artist, photographer, and creative director of Nars Cosmetics. Catapulting into success after moving to New York in 1984 at the encouragement of then Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue, Polly Mellon, Francois’ work has infiltrated fashion and beauty media, gracing the pages of famed publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, and Vogue with his advertising campaigns and editorial work. No stranger to the runway, Nars has also been the industry’s go-to artist for designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, & Anna Sui. Ten years after his relocation to New York, Nars launched his eponymous line (then a modest collection of 12 lipsticks) at Barney’s New York and was met with such demanding success, that he was moved to create a full line of cosmetics and skincare, for which he photographed it’s earliest campaigns. Withthe launch of his first book, X-Ray, a photo expose of fashion’s elite and celebrity portraits, Francois lifted the veil of his world; and allowed others to see his natural ability to connect with and capture the inner beauty he sees within all his brush or lens has met. Here we had a chance to discover how the multi- faceted cosmetic king has successfully been making others shine for so long.

Growing up, was there a seminal moment that inspired you to become a makeup artist?

I’m not sure if there was a single moment, but when I was quite young, I was obsessed with fashion. I was very lucky to have an extremely beautiful, glamorous and elegant mother, on which I was able to practice makeup. But in a funny way she never wore a lot of makeup. I think that’s where my love for natural looking, very light makeup came from, as much as I love extreme makeup in photographs… my mother gave me the appreciation for natural beauty.

When you first began doing makeup, what was the hardest thing about breaking into the industry?

I had no connections, and the fashion world was a closed elite. My mother made appointments for herself with three top Parisian makeup artists and spoke highly about me – she was my first publicist! She was so beautiful and elegant that they must have figured that her son had taste, and one offered me a job as an assistant.

What is the biggest change that you have seen happen within the beauty industry since you have entered it?

There has been an incredible evolution of makeup. Women are learning and experimenting more. Magazines, professional artists, and of course the freedom of fashion are helping women to make fewer mistakes. I think NARS especially has pushed women to have fun while still keeping their look sophisticated.


Isabella Rosselini, actress, photograph by François NARS, 2009, previously published in NARS 15X15 | Image credit: Nars Cosmetics

Are there any photographers’ work or favorite photoshoots that influenced your desire to become a makeup artist?

I started seeing Guy Bourdin’s work at a very young age, around when I was 10 or 11 years old. My mother use to always read French Vogue in the late 60’s early 70’s, and it was extremely creative, with works by fabulous photographers such as Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin. All those images woke me up to a certain sense of color, makeup and artistry. I didn’t know anything about photography at that time, but I had a very, very strong attraction to those images. It was around that time that I knew that world was something I wanted to be a part of and make mine. It was from that age to my graduation that I knew I wanted to become either a photographer or a makeup artist, either way; it definitely had to be in the fashion industry.

When did you decide to explore the photography side of your creativity? Was there any one person or event that gave you the confidence to decide to start shooting your own Nars makeup campaigns?

When I first launched NARS, we didn’t have the budget to hire somebody so I thought, ‘What the hell. Give me a camera.’ It wasn’t easy and took a lot of work and concentration, but I was used to working with so many photographers – Avedon, Penn, Newton, Meisel. And many times Meisel would invite me to look in the camera and that helped a lot.

Do you have a creative mentor that influenced your career path?

There are so many icons that have inspired me. I had a huge crush and obsession with Yves Saint Laurent when I was younger. He’s always been a huge inspiration for me when it comes to style and creativity, elegance and beauty. Actresses have always been so important to my creative inspiration process. Garbo and Dietrich were incredibly inspiring. I remember staying up very late at night when I was a kid watching those fabulous silent movies. I was already learning about makeup, light and style. And of course photographers. Man Ray is one of my favorites of all time.

Tell us about your favorite collaborations and why they were your favorite?

Each collaboration is special, but Guy heavily influenced me in my career as a makeup artist and a photographer. I have paid tribute to him many times in the past. 2013 was the right time for us to do the collaboration, but it could have been five years ago or five years from today because his work will always be relevant.


NARS Fall 2011 campaign, model Mariacarla Boscono, photograph by François Nars | Image credit: Nars Cosmetics

Risks are important to take in art and business for the growth they bring about. How do you personally define risk?

I am not afraid of risks, and I owe a lot of my success to risk-taking. I like to push boundaries. I like the idea of taking something that may be controversial and bringing it to a different level. I think it’s a symbol of freedom to be able to push; it allows you to express yourself in any way you want. No matter what you do – fashion, art – any field, it’s so important to be as free as possible because that is where great things are created.

What’s the biggest risk that you’ve ever taken (either creatively or in business)?

Starting my own makeup line was certainly the biggest risk I’ve ever taken. It’s always very stressful when you
start something new. You’re excited but terrified at the same time because you never know what the public response is going to be. It was the hardest, but most rewarding and exciting thing I’ve ever done.

What has helped you to balance so many creative roles in your career? Do you feel they are all integrated (creative director, makeup artist, photographer)?

It was when I started NARS that I picked up the camera professionally. I felt I didn’t want to be stuck just creating makeup, I needed more in my life, and I felt like I could do something else. I had worked with the best photographers in the world, Avedon, Penn, Meisel, all those big legends so it was like being schooled. I learned so much about photography over the 20 years of doing makeup; watching how they worked and watching the light, watching the sensibility. I captured it very quickly. I was creating the makeup and then photographing it so it was very, very linked.

Is there one role that you prefer over the other? If so, what is it and why?

I love makeup and I love photography. I couldn’t choose. So for now I’m here to inspire the NARS team, provide the vision and the creative direction for what I think the brand should be – a fun brand with great products.

Does the pace and demand of the industry ever prove a challenge in remaining creative and original?

I’m always reinventing, never settling for the same thing. We are constantly moving and looking forward, we try not to create the same thing twice. It’s important to be open minded and fresh, never boring.

NARS 1996 campaign, model Karen Park Goude, photograph by François Nars | Image credit: Nars Cosmetics

In previous interviews you have said that you cannot help but be nostalgic, what is it that you miss most about those “early days”?

It feels like yesterday that I started NARS. For me, the concept of time is very abstract. There is a certain point in your life when you start losing track of time; I don’t calculate the years. I’ve hit the point in my life where I try not to look back;
I look forward to the future. It’s been a great ride so far and I hope it continues.

You took a ten year break from doing makeup for the runway collections reemerging for the Marc Jacobs show in 2009. Why the long hiatus and why for the MJ show?

Returning to fashion shows in 2009, I wanted to bring a new eye to beauty. The vision of makeup at New York fashion week at that time was very natural, subdued. Marc Jacobs was the perfect partner to help change that—the theme for his show was ‘New York by night in the 80s.’ Not only have we known each other since the beginning of our careers, but we lived through that era together, and were finally able to bring that energy back. We changed the mood by creating strong, bold, theatrical looks with a twist of night-clubbing.

You’ve always been known for your strong sense of color, not to mention the playful, bold, and coy color names. What color trends are happening at the moment?

The palette of my new fall collection is soft and warm and the textures are either shimmery and iridescent or totally matte. There’s a suede-like quality to the colors and textures that just felt very fresh and modern to me. The red lip balances out the softer shades on eyes and cheeks—and signals that this is fall.

Are they inspired by anything specifically?

The fall shades and campaign are “inspired by was Pam Grier in ‘70s films like Coffy and Foxy Brown. The characters she played in those movies were strong and assertive; and her look was tough, but at the same time never hard. Instead of a lot of color, her makeup was more natural. The campaign references those characters and that time period with the contouring on the cheeks and the more natural palette.


NARS 1996 campaign, model Alec Weck, photograph by François Nars | Image credit: Nars Cosmetics

How do you continue to create new names for your colors? What things do you reference to come up with fun new names?

I keep a little Hermes book that I write in 24 hours a day–even the middle of the night. It is important that that the colors have an identity and the names help give them that identity. It makes you dream a little bit.

How do you continue to create with fresh perspective after being in the beauty business for over two decades?

Everything inspires me. I am inspired by beauty. It could be from nature, from music, fashion, books or movies. I love old Hollywood and old European films from the start of the film industry up through the 70’s. I also like Italian, American, and French movies. I am inspired by many, many, different things – even the streets. I love traveling as well. I’m touched by many things when I create colors. I also like books that are related to the arts. And painters! Picasso and Matisse. And, opera…Verdi and Puccini.

Are there any projects that you’ve been working on that you are excited to share?

I am currently working on new celebrity portrait book which is a follow up of my first book of photography, X-Ray.

New product releases?

I am very excited about the NARS holiday collection, which is a collaboration with Sarah Moon. Sarah is an amazing fashion photographer. Her love of fashion and beauty combined really create the stunning images she captures.

Tell us about the new store opening in Houston? What can visitors expect to find that might surprise them?

Our boutiques are meant to be inviting. Clients should walk in and want to play – with the makeup, the objects on our book shelf – it’s a home for makeup artists and fans to explore color and texture. All of our boutiques have a bookshelf with objects that I’ve hand-selected – books from Richard Avedon, Paul Gaguin and Henry Miller and films from over the years (like Fellini’s La Dolce Vita!) – all the things that have and continue to inspire my work. They also rotate seasonally so our clients can always find something new.


Naomi Campbell, model, photograph by François Nars, 2009, previously published in NARS 15X15 | Image credit: Nars Cosmetics

Why did you decide to open in Houston and why now?

There is a great energy in Houston, and I wanted to introduce a boutique where fans can experience the brand in a way that brings out the true spirit of NARS. It’s a home for makeup artists and fans to explore color and play with texture –to dream and be inspired.

Where do you like to go when you want to relax and recharge?

I visited Le Pilat in the South of France this past summer for the first time. It has these amazing sand dunes which are very rare in that area. It’s a beautiful place and not very well-known, which I like. And of course, Bora Bora will always be a special place for me. I find so much inspiration when I’m there. There is beauty in everything.

What do you see for yourself in the future as an artist and creative person? What’s your next step?

I never think too much about the future. I work a few months in advance because I have to, but for the most part, I take it day by day. I celebrate the past but live in the moment.

Do you have any words of wisdom that have helped guide you to be the creative industry leader you are today?

Try to be happy as often as possible. It’s a very simple motto but it’s not so easy to achieve. That’s what I try to do as much as I can.

Interview by Dustin Mansyur

 

DAVID DOWNTOWN

Valentino Haute Couture, 2010 

The fashion world has cherished fashion illustration as a high art form for centuries. We have all been in awe over the long and graceful graphite lines of flowing silk, shadows and tones of watercolor, or choppy textures of pastels or charcoal that perfectly create the mood of the garment while still looking effortless. One of the reigning kings of fashion illustration is undoubtedly David Downton, the London transplant has become a seminal figure in the realm of fashion illustration
from his early work for couture designers and now to his appointment as the first ever fashion artist in residence at Claridge’s Hotel in London. However, his work transcends fashion illustration as he does not focus on the garments, but rather the personality behind them which has enabled him to garner an impressive client list within and without fashion that includes Chanel, Dior, Tiffany & Co., the Victoria & Albert Museum, Cate Blanchett, Dita Von Teese, Catherine Deneuve, Iman, Linda Evangelista, and Paloma Picasso. After one sees Downton’s work it is easy to see how he could have collected such a star- studded following. Here he tells us first hand how he became such a large figure in fashion illustration, his thoughts on the industry, his favorite clients, and where he thinks it is going with the advent of social media and the wide access we all have to fashion images and illustration.

What drew you to fashion and to sketching garments?

I was sent to illustrate the haute couture collections twenty years ago on the whim of an art director I knew. In a sense, I never really left that first job. It was a baptism by fire. Prior to that, I hadn’t really thought about being a fashion illustrator. I suppose you could say fashion ‘happened’ to me, and I am very grateful it did.

What type of garments/designers inspire your work?

I have always loved Christian Lacroix, Valentino, Dior, Schiaparelli: designers with art and artistry in their DNA. I have been lucky in that I have worked with some of the most extraordinary talents. My main job is to observe, absorb, and record what I see. I don’t create, I react.

Was there a person in your life who inspired you to become an artist?

I had discovered my talent as an artist when I was very young and was encouraged to use it by my parents. I also realised early on that people who didn’t draw thought that what I did was magical and I suppose I just enjoyed the attention. From then on, other people always inspired and encouraged me to work on my skills and show off.

Using brush strokes to create movement, and negative space, what do you find to be most important – the woman, garment, or the mood?

I believe that you need all three working together. The Chinese say you need eye, hand, and heart to create a great drawing. I agree.


Photograph of David in his studio by Jacobus Snyman 2015.

Your illustrations are so unique to a style that is all your own. How did you develop this signature style?

It evolved gradually. I don’t really think of it as a style, more as a response to the subject. I think there is much too much focus on style, especially when you are starting out. Style isn’t something you pursue, it’s something that will find you, when you are ready.

You have said in interviews that your favorite subjects are the subjects that have great lines and body shapes could you name some favorites?

Carmen Dell’Orefice, Erin O’Connor, Dita Von Teese, Iman, Anna Piaggi, Farida Khelfa. It’s a long list and I don’t want
to be rude and leave anyone out. I am attracted to style and beauty, character and individuality. The person across the drawing board is the drawing.

Who would be one of your dream subjects? Past and present?

From the past: Garbo, Ava Gardner, Josephine Baker, Edith Sitwell

Today: Tilda Swinton, Grace Jones, Julianne Moore. Another long list and that’s without including men.

Who are some fashion illustrators that you admire and why?

From the ‘Golden Age’, Gruau, Antonio, Vertès and Tom Keogh. Today: Stina Persson, Tina Berning, Bil Donovan, Richard Haines, Carlos Aponte, among others. All of them draw brilliantly and have a personal viewpoint as well as a strong sense of design and colour. They don’t rely on gimmicks or chase ‘likes’. Of course, the opinions that really matter come from your peers.


Erin O’Connor, Paris, 2002 Headdress by Stephen Jones for Dior Haute Couture.

Which are your most memorable brand collaborations?

I just worked on the poster and graphics for the opera La Traviata, in Rome. It was directed by Sofia Coppola and designed by Valentino which was a very exciting collaboration for me to be a part of. I have been drawing Valentino couture for 20 years now, and it continues to be a magical experience working with such skilled designers, artisans, and models. One of my other favorite jobs was when Chanel commissioned me to cover their Metiers d’art collection outside Edinburgh. Of course, I am always relishing my ongoing role as artist in residence at Claridge’s hotel in London, illustrating some of the most fabulous women in the world.

Who was the first person to commission a piece from you?

I did a book cover right after leaving Art College. It was a disaster.

What do you think of other artist that copy your style?

It happens to everyone who achieves any level of success. At first, I’ll admit, it was a bit of a shock. I would hate to
be the discount version of someone else (although of course I have my influences). Ultimately though, it is not my concern, there are too many other important things in the world to think about.

For you, what is the hardest part about being a fashion illustrator?

Fashion never stops. You have to keep up and stay relevant. I always feel that every year, on the first of January you set the clock to zero and start again. I like to think that it’s a positive to reinvent myself and push my abilities so my clients stay happy, and I remain proud of my work.


Erin O’Connor, Paris, 2002 Headdress by Stephen Jones for Dior Haute Couture

How do you know when it’s time to stop working and declare your illustration as complete?

You have to learn to listen to your ‘inner voice’. As a rule of thumb I stop a little before I want to and then revisit the drawing after a cooling down period. For me the worst drawings are the ones where I didn’t catch the moment and stop in time. It’s a very precise skill.

Where do you go to escape and relax? Where are your favorite destination spots?

To really relax, I go to Ithaca, my favourite Greek Island. If it’s a mixture of work, relaxation and fun, L.A or Paris always inspire me. I love Venice in the winter, Rome anytime. I live in the countryside but am basically an urban dweller, so I usually head for cities.

Throughout your illustrious career, what has been the most rewarding part?

The most rewarding part is undoubtedly the people you meet and work with along the way.

YSL 2016

Fashion illustration has had a very long and beautiful place in fashion history, what do you think the future holds for the profession?

I think it’s exciting that so many people want to take it up. Fashion illustration never ‘went away’ but now it is seen as a viable career and that is attracting a wide range of talent. That can only be good!

How do you think the fashion industry has changed over time?

The biggest thing is the digital revolution and the need for fast fashion. Also couture has whittled down to half of what it used to be and that took a toll on many facets of the industry.

If you were not working in fashion illustration, what do you think you would be doing?

I don’t have any other skills, so I’ve never really thought about it. That said, I am starting to write here and there and I
am really enjoying it. I haven’t written anything properly since school, so I am starting all over again.

Interview by Marc Sifuentes

Posted in Art