MAURICIO AND ROGER PADILHA

Growing up in Long Island with dreams of Manhattan, the brothers behind MAO Public Relations now look back on their journey of how they became one of the top boutique PR agencies in New York City.

Portrait by Johnny Vicari

The lyrics of “New York, New York” still rings true for many in fashion: “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere. It’s up to you, New York, New York.” The pair who have made it are brothers Mauricio and Roger Padilha, who for the past 20 years have successfully launched the careers of some of today’s most influential designers such as Jason Wu, Peter Som, The Blonds, Sally Lapointe and Fausto Puglisi through their company. The secret to their ability for finding diamonds in the rough and transforming them into fashion industry sensations could be attributed to the unconventional path the duo has taken (and continues to) throughout their lives and careers.

After years of working in the fashion industry, separately and together, the two launched MAO PR in 1997. Mauricio worked as a Public Relations Director for various young designers, while Roger had his own fashion label which was sold in major department stores and boutiques, appeared in most major fashion publications, and was supported by countless celebrities.

Now approaching its twentieth year, MAO Public Relations enjoys a reputation of being one of the hardest-working agencies in the fashion PR industry. Always seeking to further the professional careers of their clients through promotion, publicity, and image management, the two approach each collection as if it were their own. The Padilha brothers wrote and curated The Stephen Sprouse Book, Antonio: Fashion, Art, Sex, and Disco, and GLOSS: The Work of Chris Von Wangenheim.

Their friend, fashion designer Anna Sui, talked to the PR/Event production gurus and authors about fashion, nightclubs, old New York, and the importance of scrapbooking.

From top left to right: MAO MAG 9 party M+R with Mermaids, R+M with Liza during NYFW, M+R with Debbie Harry and Teri Toye, Courtesy of MAOPR. M+R with Marc Jacobs Photo by Sam Deitch for BFA. From middle left to right: Anna Nicole Smith, M calling models at the Barbie 50th anniversary show, Courtsey of MAOPR, Barbie 50th anniversary show Photo by Dan Lecca. From bottom left to right: model at Antonio Lopez book party, Photo by Shaun Mader for PMC, Amanda Lepore at Antonio Lopez book party, Photo by Harel Rintzler for PMC. Models at the GLOSS book party, Photo by Kevin Tachman. Pat Cleveland photo by Andreas Hofweber

Interview by Anna Sui | Intro by Roger Padilha

MAURICIO: This is so weird. Normally I would like be more comfortable interviewing you…

ANNA: (Laughter) Let’s start from the very beginning. Tell me where you were born and what your influences were as kids. What were you dreaming of?

MP: Roger and I were born in New York, but our parents are Brazilian so we moved back to Brazil for a few years after we were born. During that time we became obsessed with comic books that we would cut apart and rearrange.

ROGER: It’s funny because it was like a form of scrapbooking, and when we got older we would scrapbook images of our favorite pop stars like Boy George or Grace Jones. We would cut out things from magazines and rearrange the photos in a way that we thought was more inspiring. I guess that a lot of that training really got put to use thirty years later when we started doing books.

AS: You were born art directors! Do you still have any of these “scrapbooks”?

MP: Yeah, I do! They’re in my kitchen cabinets!

AS: That should be your next book!

RP: But the biggest part of our childhood that shaped our lives was living in Long Island. It was so boring. There is something to be said about growing up in a small suburb; it really gives one a lot of drive to get out and do something.

MP: We lived through magazines and images. And one of the magazines that we absolutely worshipped was Annie Flander’s Details Magazine that covered the New York nightlife scene. We would see people like Debbie Harry or Dianne Brill in Stephen Saben’s column and just decided that we wanted to meet these people and go to the places they were being photographed at.

RP: It just seemed like these people were LIVING. They were not the typical celebrities we would see on TV. They were dressing up and making up their own lives and rules and we just really wanted to be part of that world. Believe it or not, our parents let us come into the city when I was just 13 and Mauricio was 16 to go to these nightclubs! The rule was that we had to stay together and do well in school, but otherwise we had total freedom to go to the city. The first club we went to was Palladium and that first night we met Dianne Brill and became friends with her. We were really ballsy I guess.

AS: That’s amazing! And the social life at the time was that you could go out and meet those people. It wasn’t such a big scene and everyone was going to the same places, that was the specialness of NY at that time.

RP: And it wasn’t as elitist as it is now. There was no bottle service. People didn’t have entourages or handlers. As long as you were interesting and had some sort of look, these people were readily available to you.

AS: Tell me your routine, like where would you go every night and what would you wear? What was that period like?

MP: There were different parties every night of the week and you would sort of dress differently for each one. On Tuesdays there was Larry Tee’s parties at The Underground, on Wednesdays there was “Celebrity Night” at The Tunnel, or last Thursday of every month was Susanne Bartsch’s parties at the Copacabana for those you’d dress a bit more outlandishly. Then on the weekends there was M.K. and Nell’s, and for those nights we’d go for a more conservative look.

RP: And a conservative look for us back then would be sequined jeans and a blazer! For the other nights we’d wear the craziest things—Mauricio had a canary yellow fur vest trimmed in fringe with pleather bell bottoms, and I’d wear a motorcycle jacket with hundreds of fake jewels glued onto them…it was just about being creative and not being scared of being individual.

MP: And of course we wore a lot of Stephen Sprouse because we started collecting it back then.

AS: Everyone must have stopped dead in their tracks when you guys would show up wearing head to toe Stephen Sprouse…

RP: Well, it wasn’t just us. EVERYONE dressed up back then. Nowadays there’s always a few people in a club that really dress up and they are usually on a stage, but back then it was literally everyone in the room. And that was how you’d meet people. You didn’t put on a big red fur coat to be photographed or instagrammed, but because it was a good icebreaker for people to talk to you and start a conversation.

AS: Right, it was like a secret vocabulary. You knew if someone would “get it” by how they dressed. It was really such a fun, unique time and I think things are so different in the city now that there isn’t that kind of subculture anymore.

RP: Yeah. I always say: ”I’m not happy that I’m old now, but I AM happy I was young back then.”

AS: How did you decide that you wanted to go into fashion?

RP: In the mid to late 80’s, the club scene that we were a part of started really getting into fashion. Dianne Brill started modeling for Jean Paul Gaultier and Susanne Bartsch was bringing international designers such as Thierry Mugler and Geoffrey Beene to the voguing scene. So there was a convergence of the club scene with the fashion industry, and by being there we got to meet all these designers, stylists, editors, and models.

MP: We certainly dressed wild, but we weren’t born performers or drag queens. We didn’t want to work in nightclubs or do whatever anyone else was doing, but the exposure to all these designers in the club scene helped push us into fashion. Roger decided to leave high school two years early because he hated it and knew he wanted to be in fashion. So, he automatically applied to Parsons and got in. I had another year left in high school and also ended up graduating at the same time from Parsons.

RP: We both majored in Fashion Design. I even opened up a design company after graduating, but we learned very quickly that both of us preferred the behind the scenes aspect of creating which led us to open MAO. There was a real need for PR for young designers, and having been part of trying to start a design company, we knew firsthand the challenges that designers go through.

From top left to right: M with Susanne Bartsch in Paris Courtesy of MAOPR, M+R with Anna Sui Courtesy of BOOKMARC, M with Naomi Campbell at her book launch, Bill Cunningham at MAO MAG 3 party, Joan Rivers and R, M+R with Dianne Brill photos Courtesy of MAOPR

AS: How has the fashion industry changed during your career?

MP: So much! As we said, when we started MAO there wasn’t much support for young designers apart from us. It was very much the era of labels and logos. It was really not until after September 11th that young designers started getting attention paid to them. A lot of people were seeking newness and a lot of our designers such as Jason Wu started breaking through. Now I feel like we swung back and it’s almost impossible for a young designer to get attention or make any noise nowadays.

RP: Fashion is super cyclical in that way, and I feel like we are back where we started 20 years ago. It seems impossible to compete against the big companies who are willing to shell out big bucks to dress celebrities and pay “influencers” to wear the clothing. And beyond that, designers have to design more collections a year than ever before…

MP:…and designers are expected to dress everyone. It used to be that designers would have a focused customer base and really tailor their collections to them, but now it seems that designers are pressured to have something for everyone. Everyone has started to look the same. The individual style that showed through in your collections, or Marc’s, or Isaac ‘s when you first started got lost in the race to please everyone.

AS: Right. I think a lot of that has to do with it being impossible to be independent these days and designers having investors that they have to answer to. But since fashion is such a pendulum, do you think that it will swing back to be more creative and individual?

MP: I hope so. There’s some new designers who are super individual AND successful and maybe that’s going to help other designers exert a more distinct voice in the market place.

RP: I think Alessandro Michele at Gucci is setting the new standard by showing that you can take chances and be individual while still being financially successful. Hopefully other companies will follow suit.

AS: What was the best advice you ever got?

MP: We produced an event that was honoring Polly Mellen, and before she took the stage we were chatting and she told me, “Just keep moving forward. Never look back no matter what happens.” As simple as that sounds, it’s very true. Clients come and go, Fashion Week starts and ends, and it’s really important to focus on what you are going to do next.

AS: You’ve started the careers of so many designers who have become major in the industry. How can you tell when you meet someone that they have the potential to become successful?

RP: Well, one of the most interesting moments we had was meeting Jason Wu. He had called us looking for representation and at the meeting instead of showing us samples, he pulled out these dolls and told us that he designed the clothing they were wearing and a lot of the doll collectors wanted life size versions of the clothing. That was around the point I walked out on the meeting! (laughter) Thankfully, Mauricio stuck through with it and asked Jason to come back with life sized samples of the clothing, and that’s when we started working together.

MP: That’s the most fun part for us, to nurture someone and direct their brands. We’re different than a lot of other PR companies because we actually help designers develop products and their image to help them find their niche in the market place.

AS: I think that that’s your genius because you love fashion so much. You have such great instinct for it and where it’s going that you can help guide a lot of these people who have talent but don’t know how to channel it. What’s been your greatest challenge in your career?

RP: Like everyone in New York, the major challenge is always financial. Everyone is on a tight budget and year after year the budgets get smaller and smaller

MP: While our rents go up and up and up….

AS: Isn’t that crazy? How are people even supposed to work?

RP: We’ve seen such talented people go out of business because they can’t afford to run a small business in this city. It’s a shame. We’ve been lucky in that we have been able pick and choose our clients and work with people we want to work with. We don’t really do things that we don’t want to do. But my biggest fear is that we’re going to have to take on a big corporate company just to survive. That doesn’t align with what we believe in, and that’s always kind of scary to think about.

AS: Yes. It’s the economics of the times. I think we all have to face that because of the way things are. But beyond that, what do you consider your greatest success and what does that mean to you?

MP: Every morning I wake up and I love going to work. We’re not making millions but we’re keeping things going and creatively we’re doing what we love to do, and we’re doing it together; that to me is success.

RP: I don’t think either of us think that making a lot of money is a definition of success. I would love to have more money, of course, but when we get recognition from people like you that we respect for example, that’s the biggest thrill. To be able to work with the kind of people we work with, and to be in this special circle of creative people…that is the life that I really wanted when I was thirteen.

AS: And beyond the PR company, you guys have done three books together. How do you pick your subject matter?

MP: All of our books have sort of began with people we thought weren’t getting the attention they deserved. When Stephen Sprouse died, the obituaries were focused on his collaboration with Louis Vuitton and Target but no one wrote about the brilliant 25-year career he had before that. Same with Antonio Lopez and Chris Von Wangenheim… For us it’s really important to get artists recognized when they do something first. And maybe because we know that in the future someone’s going to have to do that for our legacy! (laughter)

AS: So you mentioned leaving a legacy…where do you see yourself in 20 years?

MP: I have a feeling we’re still going to be doing this. I don’t intend on letting go until it’s over. Only death will get us off the merry-go-round.

AS: Well, I think your passion is forever and drives everything you guys do. It’s wonderful and a quality more people should have.

For more information, visit: http://www.maopr.com/news.html

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.

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