Category: Feature

STEPHEN JONES

Interview by Dustin Mansyur | Photography by Paul Scala | Styling by Thomas Davis

Stephen Jones is an unending source of creative energy. The “mad hatter”, with an illustrious raconteur who has created some of the most iconic moments in fashion, released his new book Souvenirs, published by Rizzoli. It serves as a retrospective of the artist’s life and career. An intimate glance at the process and inner-workings of the mind of a visionaire, Souvenirs reads like a journal with a curated melange of personal artifacts, photos, sketches, and notes. With the foreword written by, his friend, and fellow fashion royalty, Grace Coddington, and peppered
with personal memories and stories, Jones’ invites us into his world.

Souvenirs spans a lifetime, and reflects on different periods and cities formative to Stephen Jones’ career. From his childhood years, to his early millinery days fresh out of Central St. Martin’s while frequenting the Blitz, Jones’ creativity and talent is instantly undeniable. Responsible for looks he created for his friends, Boy George and Steve Strange, Jones helped launch the New Romantic subculture movement.  In a butterfly effect, he caught the attention of the fashion world.

Catapulting into the arena of fashion is where the real fun begins in Souvenirs. Vintage archival clippings of an editorial featuring Jones’ hats in i-D magazine’s second issue chronicle the raw creativity of Jones’ earliest hats and are an intriguing snippet for all fashionistas. Arriving on the Paris scene marked a period of exuberant creative force, and Souvenirs documents this with beautiful photos and behind-the-scenes sketches of Jones’ most significant collaborative works with Gaultier, Mugler, Montana, and Galliano, to name a few. The additional myriads of collaborations that Jones has had with fashion designers around the globe is also well-documented throughout the book’s entirety. Souvenirs also delivers a well-curated visual narrative of Jones’ fashion editorial and celebrity work, with vibrant photos that won’t disappoint.

Iris Covet Book was fortunate enough to speak with Stephen Jones in between fashion shows in Paris.

Souvenirs touches on the influence of your family in the formative moments of your childhood. Has there been a particular family member who has proved most influential in your life and your artistry?

It’s so strange when you are growing up, you think you are being this independent person growing up and doing these things and at one point at thirteen or fourteen someone says “oh my god do you remind me of your mother/father”, and you think “oh wow all is lost!”. Both my mother and older sister, I was the youngest of three siblings, and my older sister who is thirteen years older than me – they were huge influences. When I was a little boy she was a 60’s groovy girl and was at London College of Art and Design trying to pursue art, and I got that from her. My love of art and design and those things I really got from her. As a child I just wanted to play with my toys and my mother would drag me along to art galleries and say “look at this!”, and I was seven. My mother was very driven to show me what she loved, but she did it in a very sort of educational ways like saying “this is a Tudor building, it’s all black and white”.  She wasn’t saying, “I love this because…” It was a bit more Anglo-Saxon than that.

She was also very interested in gardening too, correct?

I think that because gardening was very difficult – we basically lived on a sand dune. We lived in the breeziest point in the entire known universe, it was always so windy and cold even in August, so trying to make a garden out of that was really difficult. So my mother became quite an expert and took me around gardens all over Britain and would teach me about flowers and perspective and who designed the gardens and made the ground plan.

Were both of your parents very supportive when you chose to enroll in Central Saint Martins?

Oh no, they hated it! (laughs) I thought they wanted me to take ove the family company or at least be a nice accountant or a doctor or something like that. You know how your parents wanted you to find a nice job?

Well my parents are no different. My older sister had been to art school and dropped out, so they really did not want me to pursue it. They did not dissuade me from doing it, but they didn’t make things particularly easy for me either. I wanted to find my own way, I didn’t want my parents way. I went to college in 1976 during the Punk movement so I had to do my own thing! The arrogance of a 19 year old, you know your parents’ ways are no longer important.

They were supportive in their own way, and they wanted to push me out of the nest. I think nowadays parents keep their children for much longer, but I rememeber when I was seven years old I used to walk to the bus stop and go on the bus to the next town and go back and I was all by myself! I would have been horrified if my parents dropped me
off at school!

When you enrolled at Central Saint Martins you were their only male student, what was your experience like when you were there?

I was very much the token male. I was the only male student in my year, but there were others in other years. I learned much more from my friends than I did from any of the teachers.

They were all sort of crazy girls, and some of them were just interested in finding a husband and wearing beige, but a lot of them were these young punks who were really into art, appearances,
and they came from all different backgrounds. I just loved it! It was a real mixture of people, which I loved, and we all went and partied.

Then how did you come to choose millinery as your expertise when you were there?

This was all by chance. I had been at boarding school, and I was a big rugby player and so sewing was not something that we did. So I went to college around girls who were fantastic at sewing and I had no idea how to sew. My teacher came to me and said he needed some help at his couture house where I became a tailoring intern, and I was the only person I knew who was an intern. The term had not been invented yet really and my friends thought I was crazy working in the industry. I was getting coffee and picking up things and all of that, and all of the tailors were very, very, grumpy. But I just thought it was a bit of a waste of time.

The milliners working in the studio next door always seemed so happy. Even though they were also working late hours, everyone was always chatting, and it was somehow a great atmosphere. After the first day working in the millinery studio, I realized that it was the most fantastic thing. I didn’t know that was what I was going to be doing as a career, I thought I was going to be a fashion designer. It was out of college that I started to make more hats, and the whole thing started to happen, and then the idea began that I was going to be a hat designer.

So you were instantly smitten once you stepped into that world. Was this your time at Le Chaise? And Shirley Hex was the Head Milliner there correct?

Yeah, Shirley Hex.

What was it like learning millinery from her, because she is quite legendary in the field of millinery?

I would never call her Shirley, I always called her Mrs. Hex. She was always there ten minutes before work started in the morning, and you always had to be immaculately dressed and all of that. I was slightly terrified of her, and she was a real prankster. After the first day, she turned to me with an arched eyebrow and she said, “Stephen, if your hands moved as fast as your mouth does the hat would been made by now.” I did not say another thing for a month! It completely freaked me out.  I just worked really hard and millinery was just something I understood. It was easier than making clothes. It was smaller and it clicked!

You mentioned earlier the influential effect your friends at school had on you. The late 70’s and early 80’s was the beginning of your career as a milliner, when you were going out at The Blitz nightclub. The book mentions Boy George, Steve Strange, Leigh Bowery, and you all later became known as The Blitz Kids. That must have been very inspiring to be around all of those creative people! Were you making hats for all of your friends during that era?

It’s really funny how the club thing worked, because yes, I went to clubs. I went to punk clubs with a few friends of mine from college, but when I started going to The Blitz, there were people there from all walks of life. They were really inspirational, and just doing what came naturally. At that time New York was really the cool place to be, I missed out on Studio 54 and CBGB’s and so we had our own things.

A lot of New Yorkers were coming over and going to The Blitz and places like that, but we weren’t really aware that we were doing something that would be remembered. We created our own world because we knew that the worlds that have come before were somehow not applicable and it was the beginning of popular print media like The Face or i-D or Blitz Magazine and they were showcasing everything we did. I was in i-D #2 just out of college, and you know I wasn’t in Vogue. I thought at the time it would have been the kiss of death to be in Vogue! Who wants to be in Vogue that’s just for old people? It’s very, very different now. Five to six years later all of the older fashion people became interested in our “street fashion”.

Did you ever anticipate it was going to turn into this whole “New Romantic” subculture movement while you were doing it, or was it just a bi-product?

I think it was just a bi-product. It just happened, and we were aware we were doing something really fun. I lived in a spot with a group of other people, and the whole lot of us were photographed for Elle Japan. They printed the address, and on Monday there was a big group of Japanese people waiting outside to see us. It’s so funny and this house was really falling apart, but we were a tourist destination! (laughs)

At that time Kim Bowen was one of your muses, can you describe your relationship with her? How was she influential to your work?

We were in college studying at the same time, I was in my third year and she was in her first year. I had asked if she could come help me during my last collection, and she said she could, but in reality she couldn’t. She did look fabulous, and she was really funny. She left college early to come work with me and we became friends throughout the years and she is now a stylist in Los Angeles and she was on commercials and videos and working with Janet Jackson and Lady Gaga, all sorts of different people.

It’s always great to work with somebody, you listen to the other person and bounce ideas off one another. I didn’t realize that most designers are like that. Dior was like that with his assistant, who actually did the hats for him too. Every creative person has got to have a foil to work against, and Kim was the greatest one.

You later appeared in the Culture Club single for the hit single “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and you were recognized by Jean Paul Gaultier. He was really one of the first designers to reach out to you as a milliner. What sort of thoughts and feelings were going through your mind when he called you up?

Gaultier at that point was like the king of Paris. He was the hottest, newest, brightest star in Paris. He was doing real, young, funky club wear. I had seen him at the clubs in London, but he was sort of untouchable, so to have a phone call from him was really extraordinary. He asked me to be in his men’s show, but I wasn’t able to. It was such an inspiring collection because it was about Moroccan men’s dress in the 1950’s. All along the way it has been the kindness of other people and them wanting me to do my work for them. I’ve approached designers before to ask if they wanted to work with me. I asked Christian Lacroix if I could do the hats for him and he said, “No, no, no, Stephen. You can’t do that! That’s the part I really enjoy!”. Whether it’s working with Thom Browne in New York or in Paris at Dior, we all have a great time together and enjoy collaborating.

Because you have had so many designer collaborations throughout your career and so many different design processes for each designer, what kind of qualities have you had to learn that benefit with you collaborating with them so that the vision is actualized? Have you ever had to put your ego aside?

First of all, you have to sort of become friends. You don’t have to become intimate friends. But you have to understand each other, because when I’m making a hat every stitch is a decision. You have to be a bit of an educator because often a designer will know a lot about clothes but how can you expect them to know about the very “alien” world of millinery? You have to explain the possibilities. You know, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel with each hat. Just the fact that you are putting a hat on lends a complete different spin to things.

Also, when viewing their collection in the showroom, I question how they envision using the hat? Do they believe that the hat is just for the fashion show, or that men and women should wear them every day? Do they see them as a punctuation in the collection? I have to be a good listener. What’s so crucial to what I do is to make them feel comfortable enough for them to express themselves. It’s not just a brief, they need to tell me in a way that understands their vision, fears—they have to be completely open with me. I have worked with many people, but very few of those relationships have lasted through years and years. You have to be a huge diplomat as well! (laughs)

I remember once asking L’wren Scott during her first season in Paris, which was my first too, and I said how do you work with all of those actresses and the most famous people in the world?  She said, “Stephen, leave your ego at the front door.” And that was such good advice because you have to be a negotiator. You’re a collaborator and it’s not them doing their thing and you doing your thing, but you’re creating something together. That’s why you need so much trust, it’s almost like you need to be in love.

Has any collaboration ever pushed you outside of your comfort zone or helped you to grow?

They always do, every time. If they don’t push me out of my comfort zone then I’m getting blasé about the situation and I’m not working as hard as I should. If you ever find yourself getting into a formula, you’re doing the wrong thing and you’re getting lazy. You never get used to it.

The great thing about what we do is it only lasts a month or a season, you have to create something new all the time. It’s a challenge, but it’s fabulous and exciting, and that’s why we do it!

I want to touch on your collaboration with John Galliano because perhaps no other designer has had the passion for referencing the romance of the past as you have. You both have worked together since 1993 and created a body of work together that has spawned some of the most iconic designs in history. So during your time collaborating together, what have been some of your favorite designs or collections?

There are so many! One that particularly stands out was one where it was all about dressing up; it was like children dressing up in their parent’s clothes and that was amazing. The second collection that I ever worked with him on was also fantastic.

He showed about sixteen outfits in Paris and it was extraordinary and I was very young ; we were fitting Kate Moss into a dress. He was pinning her, and I was pinning her, and we were like an octopus! We pushed her onto the stage and we shared this long look and it was like, “Ooh! We could really work together”. Somehow that was the really magic point. Working at Dior, well there were so many great ones like the very extreme Chinese collection or the Egyptian collection—those were all extraordinary, and we created lots of beautiful things.

I saw in the book the photos from the Egyptian collection, the sketches and the photographs were so amazing. What materials did you use for the Anubis hat, for example?

That was carved in wood by our block maker in Paris. I did my initial sketches then they were reinterpreted in wood. They were actually carved in like a plastic then covered in rubber and the ears were gold leaf and she would look through the neck of the Anubis.

She must have looked like a giant walking down the runway (laughs)

She was huge! And then she had these 7” heels on as well. The weird thing is, you know I’m 5’9” and when you’re photographed next to these models they look like the real thing and you look like some strange subspecies! (laughs)

You also collaborated with Comme des Garcon to create two fragrances. Did you take the same creative approach that you do to create a hat with a designer?

I worked as a creative consultant with Shiseido in Japan for about twenty years and I started really becoming interested in creating a collaborative fragrance. I was the first person really to do it, and I worked with all of the people in her fragrance division, I sent everything to Rei for approval. One silly thing was when it came to the box and I wanted to have a circular box, like a hat box, which is difficult and expensive to have done. Rei said, ”Of course it has to be round! You’re a hat maker. You don’t use square boxes” She saw the concept of what we wanted to do. It’s great to be able to
have different lives, and experience different things because you learn from the different worlds.

Initial crown ideas for Comme des Garçons Spring/Summer 2006.
Copyright © Stephen Jones. Image Courtesy Rizzoli 

I want to move on to talk about your eponymous brand and how that differs from working with other labels and designers?

Much more tortured. (laughs) I’m not saying working with designers is an easy thing, but you know I design in my head all the time and then sometimes we get it on paper or a 3-D model. Of course these things tend to be thematic, so every season I ask what is it going to be about? A hat tells a story because it’s the story about who they want to become, not about who they are. They want to have confidence and look cool and be a glamour-puss. They want it to be transformative. So, it has to have a story behind it and every season is meant to be a story.

What are the features of your different lines, because I know you have more than one under your eponymous label?

Model Millinery is more an old-world craft around handmade hats and there’s more of an artistic aesthetic and it’s more complicated. Miss Jones just has a different aesthetic; it can be as grand, but it’s probably easier to wear. Jones Boy is for men but women buy those as well.

Has the Asian market proven to be an opportunity for your labels expansion?

Yes, since 1985 I have had a license in Japan. So, the Japanese people love great hats! Absolutely, on that side of the world Asian people love decorating themselves. It’s a very important part of the cultural mindset—they love dressing up. Hats so often have not been a part of their wardrobe historically, so they really love exploring the world of hats. A hat, in a way, is easier to take on and off, whereas if you do the same thing to your hair it’s much more complicated.

There’s a photo in your book that I was really attracted to and it’s a little black and white photo of your workroom and it kind of looks like Santa’s workshop! What’s the energy or the experience like in your studio?

Productive people are very serious about what they do. People work hard and they play hard! If you want an easy life, don’t become a milliner, but if you want something that is sort of magical and evocative and emotional and rewarding, then yes be a milliner. I have people coming to me from all different walks of life – everybody has come to me because they have chosen to, not because they have some sort of plan mapped out.

Are they like an extended family for you?

Yes, and I love that! It’s always much more interesting to find out about someone else’s life. It’s all ages, all races, all sexes. We have an older lady, Anna, who is a bit like the mother of the family and she is the chicest 75 year-old you could ever see!

So you’re definitely an equal opportunity employer? (laughs)

Oh my god, yes! I think if you were sort of normal and introverted then you wouldn’t be interested, but don’t worry we get that normality out of you within the first few weeks. (laughs)

Models line up backstage just before making their entrance for the Thom Browne Spring/Summer 2015 show wearing hat-dresses that reinterpert their outfits. The hats are made of straw, crin, and metal with embroidered motifs. Photographed by Barbara Anastacio. Image Courtesy Rizzoli 

The book has so many lovely photographs in it, was it difficult to curate all of your work into that format?

Absolutely. We have to have photographs that make sense to me, to other people, and of course the big glamorous photographs of Louis Vuitton with all the girls lined up–pictures like that. I didn’t want to do a book full of lovely, big pictures. I wanted to include all of the funny flotsam and jetsam of everything I picked up along the way.

The book also highlights your work with some of the biggest celebrities and pop stars such as Madonna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna –how does this process differ from designing with a designer of for your own line?

In a strange way it’s very similar because you ask, “Where and when?” There’s a whole list of technical things for different needs. Like for a film, the bill cannot be too big at the front because it will shade the face, but if you’re a singer like Mick Jagger maybe he wants to use the shade to hide his face during part of a song.

Obviously when you are making a hat with a celebrity, you often, nowadays,
are working with a stylist as well. I have to say that every person I work with enjoys hats. A hat can really change their look and they want to look striking and like a star.

Yes, I remember in the book you were talking about fitting the swim cap for Keira Knightley’s character in the film Atonement, and how the fitting process was so important because if you moved it back even a millimeter it changed the proportions of her face.

Especially with film, what may be a millimeter turn into two meters once it is projected on the screen, so those details become hugely important!

How powerful has intuition been in shaping your life or career path? Has it been a tool you have used throughout?

I think intuition is important and I think saying “yes” is even more important because it gets you into lots of scrapes. It can lead you down to terrible places and you learn the resilience to deal with it, but more importantly doors open to you into a whole new world.

How do you think that hat culture will evolve into the future?

I think that hat wearing in the beginning was about a sense of belonging, the reason your grandmother or great-grandmother would wear hats and gloves regardless of where they were or what their status was, that was how people were. I think people see hats as just another item in their wardrobe to have fun with. In a way it is the most special accessory because it is the most visible, but because of that is the most transformative and the most fun.

What do you see for your future?

More of the same I hope! Lots of exhibitions though over the next few years which is really great. Working on a new fragrance with Comme des Garcon which will be my third fragrance with them. Redoing my men’s hat line “Jones Boy” and expanding that. People always ask me when I will start designing evening gowns or a line of tractors or something, but no I’ve got the cherry on the cake already, thank you!  ‡

THE BLONDS

Interview by Marc Sifuentes | Photography by Johnny Vicari | Styling by Marc Sifuentes | Art Direction by Louis Liu  

The Blonds are injecting fun, glitter, rhinestones, and life back into the fashion industry. With an undying love of all things glamorous and fabulous: the clientele of The Blonds is pretty easy to pinpoint. Born from New York nightlife culture, the fashion label is nothing short of reverential towards The Blondes before them such as Marilyn, Brigitte Bardot, and Jayne Mansfield to name a few, as well as the over-the-top camp produced by drag queens and nightlife performers. With a roster of  A-list celebrity clients from Madonna to Beyonce to Miley Cyrus, their impact on fashion and performance is clearly evident. Inspired by the same musicians they dress, the duo also finds creative ideas in art, film, textiles, and pretty much all that glitters. We are always on the lookout for talent and vision which goes beyond the traditional scope, and Phillipe and David of The Blonds surely do take us to another planet where everyone is blonde, glamorous, and has a twenty-two inch waist.

How did you two meet?

David: One amazing night out in NYC.

Phillipe: I snuck out of a school dance with my best friend Olys and went to the Roxy instead. David and I spotted each other from across the room. The connection was instant, like we’d known each other forever.

David: It was like a movie, the last days of the mega clubs in New York. Magic!

How did you begin as creative partners?

Phillipe: After meeting, we started creating our own looks when we would go out.

David: The Blonds came later, but we definitely planted those seeds with that time spent experimenting on ourselves and friends.

How would you describe your brand’s aesthetic?

Phillipe: It’s all about glamour and fantasy!  We want our clients to escape from the everyday and have fun with their style. You don’t have to be blonde to be Blond! It has nothing to do with your origins or look. It is meant to be a state of mind, and all about expressing yourself and injecting that glamour and fantasy into your life!

David: The Blonds are about a lifestyle, an attitude, a strong look. The corset is the centerpiece of every collection. It is the framework in which we start each season and will always play a huge role in what we create. Quite simply, it is the best way to shape the body and maintain that perfect hourglass silhouette. It is a powerful thing when someone sees themselves in a different light; we always strive to push the boundaries to make people look and feel amazing.

Phillipe:  People have a tendency to forget that the core of what we do is custom made for performance. These are not something we expect someone to wear on a daily basis, even though I might! These pieces are special and they tell a story. 

David: So much work, thought, time and energy goes into everything we do. From the research and experimentation through the toiles and final looks. It’s a process we take very seriously and enjoy each aspect of, but we always maintain that sense of humour about the collections. It’s all meant to be very tongue in cheek.

Phillipe: The point is that your looks change, so just have fun with them!

The Blonds are known as an over-the-top, glamorous aesthetic–what is it about the drama and performance that inspires you both?

David: We find it exciting because those dramatic moments in film, art, a concert, or life are always the most memorable and entertaining. We love being a part of those moments when the volume is turned up.

Phillipe: Which is the main reason music inspires us the most and we love what we do.  It’s the ultimate outlet when we have the opportunity to work on a concert or tour.

When was the formative moment when you both decided to design a clothing line?

Phillipe: It was something we always wanted to do. Even as children growing up we’d take whatever was around us and make it wearable and fabulous. My father taught me how to sew at a young age and has been my biggest supporter since starting The Blonds.

David: Our parents were key supports and encouraged us to do and be what made us happy. Even though it was in the air around us, there was a turning point in our career and the catalyst was Patricia Field. It was her initial vote of confidence that gave us the opportunity which kick started it all. Pat has played a huge roll in our development as a brand and supported us throughout this incredible adventure.

On Phillipe: Gown by The Blonds | Bracelet by Michael Spirito | Shoes by Christian Louboutin | On David: Tank Top by Ann Demeulemeester | Jeans by Trash & Vaudeville |  Bracelet by Stella Trujillo | Shoes by Christian Louboutin 

What was your first big break as designers?

Phillipe: Beyonce wore the first corset we ever made in her “Upgrade U” video.  Later we went onto do work on various performances with her incredible stylist, Ty Hunter. 

David: Each time we get to work with a client is a big break because the competition in the industry is getting vicious! When we started no one was doing anything like this and a lot of people said “no”, “you’re crazy”, “who would wear that?!” etc. Now there are so many new and established designers that cater to this area of the industry. Also, there have been so many “breaks”, but make no mistake they don’t just happen, you have to work for them and make it happen.  You have to focus on what it is you want, understand it, visualize it, then realize it. 

Phillipe:  YAS! Just go for it!

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MADE Fashion Week has given us these amazing opportunities and the freedom to express ourselves however we choose without the permission of any establishment.

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How did you come up with the name “The Blonds”?

Phillipe: When beginning to start the line, we were going through a “Blond Moment” (and still are), we were bleaching our hair, always shared similar obsessions, and emulated the legendary blondes of the Hollywood Golden Age, along with characters like Barbie, or Daryl Hannah in Splash. The word Blond with no “e” is the masculine version, so it’s a sort of play on the word, as most people relate that word to women.

David: Yes anything and everything to do with this idea, this feeling of being Blond. While discussing what to call the line we were stopped in our tracks by a gallery window. On display were giant Warhol paintings of Barbie and it clicked: THE BLONDS!

The fashion world is known to be tough, stressful, and blindingly fast-paced. How exactly did you break into the industry?

David: As we said there were many breaks, but it can be tough and the fashion world is running at its own pace. However, we work on the edge of this business where the reality and fantasy meet. It’s hard to define what we do in words, but at the end of the day we did things our own way and created a niche for ourselves. Thankfully we’ve been able to maintain the purity of the brand’s vision.

Phillipe: The show aspect of what we do has really become like performance art. MADE Fashion Week has given us these amazing opportunities and the freedom to express ourselves however we choose without the permission of any establishment. What Jenné Lombardo, Mazdack Rassi and Keith Baptista have created with the MADE program is something so profound.

David: We are so grateful for everything this has contributed to The Blonds success. This program defies what previously existed, it’s a revolution of creativity, a family of tribes, a place for
the rebels to run wild!

On Phillipe: Gown by The Blonds: Bracelet by Michael Spirito | Shoes by Christian Louboutin | On David: Tank Top by Ann Demeulemeester | Jeans by Trash & Vaudeville | Bracelet by Stella Trujillo | Shoes by Christian Louboutin.

What icons do you draw inspiration from? Who is the muse behind the fun, exaggerated glamour?

Phillipe: Oh my god, seriously!? It’s so hard to list them all! From Marlene Dietrich and Josephine Baker to Cher, Grace Jones and Marilyn Monroe of course. Glamorously funny women like Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball. Any personality that has no limits where glamour is concerned!

David: Our clients are the muses, they are an endless source of inspiration like mythological goddesses or super heroes.

Your designs employ a lot of applique, embroidery, and other very interesting and elaborate design elements. What draws you to this aesthetic?

Phillipe: We’ve always been attracted to anything that reflects or refracts light, like a prism. Crystal is our favorite material to work with, because the effect is so exciting. We’re obsessed!  Anything to exaggerate the body, the hourglass curve, and waist!

David: We currently work with Preciosa Crystal to create new ways of utilizing the material. Of course we’ve even implemented their range of chandelier components into some of the pieces to create depth and scale for a three dimensional quality. Most of what we create is done in an organic way, but there is an architectural element there as well.

What was your most memorable/favorite runway show you have done so far?

Phillipe: Mine of course! They have all been fun in their own ways, but our first runway show really meant the most. 

David: That excitement of having that opportunity to show what you worked so hard on is thrilling. From the MAC make-up looks to the Christian Louboutins, it’s a total look. Every season is different and getting to do what we love is truly amazing!

If you could choose to work with any woman, dead or alive, who would it be?

Phillipe: Marilyn Monroe, Aaliyah, Jessica Rabbit, Amy Winehouse, or Lana Del Rey.

David: Josephine Baker, Rita Hayworth or Carmen Miranda. It would be great to work with Tina Turner, Cher or Janet Jackson one day. Diana Ross HELLO! We also love Chloe & Halle and Grimes.

What books, movies, artists, or TV shows do you find yourselves referencing the most?

Phillipe: We love artists like Dali, Kahlo, Koons and Warhol. We’re also into different types of Animation. Illustrators and Make up Artists like Kabuki. I grew up on shows like Jem and the Holograms, and She-rah, where everything sparkled and anything was possible! But music is our main inspiration and we’re total film buffs as well.

David:  Almodovar, Tarantino, Wilder, Luhrmann, Marshall, Waters to name a few. We also love fantasy, science fiction, horror and gore films, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Argento, Ridley Scott… Growing up it was all about Bob Mackie’s designs from the Cher show to Wonder Woman.  Currently we’re watching, and absolutely LOVE The Get Down on Netflix.

What is the most challenging part of working in a partnership?

David: Phillipe and I share a similar outlook and aesthetic when it comes to design. The few differences we have are actually an asset, and the outcomes always turn out even better than the original concepts.

Phillipe: We love working as a team creatively, because we challenge each other to make it better or more, more more. It’s everything! Plus two Blonds
are always better than one!

You’ve referenced in previous interviews that Madonna is one of your favoriteblondes, what is it about her that you love so much?  What was it like when Madonna chose your designs for her “Living for Love” video?

Phillipe: We totally lost it! Madonna is everything! She’s fearless! For this project we worked closely with B. Akerlund, her Costume Designer and Stylist, to create a piece within the theme of the video. The piece was also inspired by a look from our Spring/Summer 2015 collection.

David: We admire her incredible talent and drive, the work she is doing outside the music is also very inspiring. On top of that she’s a smart, strong, independent rebel that doesn’t take shit from anyone.

Dress by The Blonds

Besides the United States, what are some other markets that are big for you?

Phillipe: We have clients all over the world: Qatar, Japan, Australia, China, Taiwan, Mexico, Korea, England…just to name a few.

David: It’s a common misconception that the US market is the only market. It’s simply not true. Every country has rock stars! Once we’ve tapped into that, it inspires our private clients in that region.  It’s also interesting to see the differences in each culture and what that fan base is attracted to.

If you knew then what you know now, what would you do differently?

David: We would most likely take a similar, if not the same path in life. I really can’t see us doing anything else. 

Phillipe: Absolutely no regrets!

The theme of a strong, femme fatale is heavy in the brand, where does this come from?

Phillipe: Femme fatales are usually the most complex and interesting characters in a book, film or real life; I even consider myself one. I’m completely obsessed with Catwoman and Jessica Rabbit, good girls gone bad.

David: We use narratives, real or imagined to come up with the themes or looks for a show. It makes producing these events more interesting when there is a story to tell. We enjoy mixing elements to create a paradox much like the the conflicted personality of the femme fatale. That character is the core of it all.

What is your personal definition of style?

Phillipe: Style is something that does not have a definition. It’s really up to the individual what they want to convey or feel at that moment. 

David: Style is fluid like gender or any other outward expression. Clothes are not just meant to be practical, and we don’t think of our work in those terms. We prefer to live in the moment.

Where are your favorite spots for food, nightlife, and culture in New York City?

Phillipe: We frequent Indochine on a regular basis, The Lobster Place in Chelsea Market is amazing. The MET is great for research and inspiration. Even though I grew up in this city, I discover something new everyday.

David: Central Park is so gorgeous, we bike there a lot and take Fifi & Bijoux there for picnics. Sometimes we attend film festivals and concerts in Lincoln Center.  It’s always great to go dancing when we can. Susanne Bartsch and LadyFag throw the most fabulous parties!

Leather Jacket by Just Cavalli | Tank Top by Ann Demeulemeester | Jeans by Diesel

New York City is so different from the rest of America in many ways, what is it about this city and its culture that inspires you? How are you affected by your experiences in the city?

Phillipe: Everything about this city is exciting because it is ever-changing. New York City is engrained in our brand’s DNA and the cultural impact only enhances that.

David: No day in New York is ever the same; it’s like sensory overload.

At Iris Covet Book we like to cast a spotlight on the good that people are doing in the world, are there any charities that you are involved in?

Phillipe: We’ve been involved with the MAC AIDS Fund and Viva Glam over many years as well as City of Hope, Life Ball, DIFFA, and amFAR.

David: HIV/AIDS is still a huge issue, and we do everything we can to support this cause, the ongoing research, and care of those in need is still so necessary. It’s an important aspect of what we do, and a responsibility that everyone should take very seriously. Anyone that’s in a position to give back needs to do so in order to make a change.

What is the next step for the brand? Any new partnerships or collaborations you can tell us about?

Phillipe: We just relaunched our website, theblonds.nyc, and we’re so excited about this new collection. There are red carpet options, and a lot of what you will see is a departure from the performance pieces, even though that will always be included. We recently collaborated with Moda Operandi on a curated trunk show, something we plan to do more of in the future.

David: This season, we focused on wearability more than ever before. The Blonds e-commerce will be up soon, making everything more accessible to our current clients and hopefully new ones! We’re looking forward to expanding the brand in diverse ways, and it’s always great to partner with brands that are not usually connected to garment design.  We’re partnering with Lexus this fashion week on cars wrapped in The Blonds signature prints.

Phillipe:  There are a lot of new things coming up so stay tuned!  ‡

Necklace and High Waisted Shorts by The Blonds | Bracelet by Michael Spirito | Boots by by Christian Louboutin | Hair and Makeup by Daniel Avilan @ Wilhelmina | Manicure by Narina Chan @ Wilhelmina | Photo Assistant Donna Viering | BTS Video by Kao Cheng Kai| Production by XTheStudio | Special Thanks to MAO PR .

For more information on The Blonds visit THEBLONDS.NYC or @theblondsny on instagram

JOANNE HERRING

Photography by Greg Swales | Styling by Marc Sifuentes | Art Direction by Louis Liu | Feature by Ralph J. Benko

 Dress by Valentino, available at Neiman Marcus | Earrings and Ring by Bulgari | Shoes by Alexander McQueen

Joanne Herring is an internationally famous, glamorous, figure. She rivals Queens Cleopatra and Boadicia for beauty and historic stature. She was called by American Secretary of State James Baker “a flash of light in a dark world.” She has been nominated to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, first awarded to General George Washington. Joanne Herring has earned the right, first applied to George Washington, to be called “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of her countrymen.”

Gone With The Wind, War and Peace, The Aeneid, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Epics, whether literary or historical, have two key elements: love and war. The 20thCentury was an epic era, fretted through with both.

A thousand years hence almost all of us will have been forgotten. There is one woman living in our midst who proved so virtuous both in love and war as to make herself a candidate to enter history and lore and legend: Joanne Herring.

Testimonials to her glow. President George W. Bush said “Joanne Herring is an extraordinary woman who was and still is a real catalyst for peace in our world.” Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf said “Her unique contribution to the Afghan freedom struggle in the 1980s turned the tide of the conflict.” Former secretary of state James Baker says “She walks where others fear to tread and never quits. She is a flash of light in a dark world.” She was nominated for the Congressional Gold Medal, one of America’s two highest civilian honors, last year for her valorous role in winning the Cold War.

The woman critical to winning the Cold War reveals to us how to make war forever a thing of the past. There is a guiding premise with which Joanne has worked miracles for people: believe in people and equip them with the skills and tools to meet their own needs.

In the Cold War Joanne earned her place alongside – perhaps at the fore of – two other legendary regal women warriors, Queen Cleopatra, of Egypt, and Queen Boadicia, of England. Both led resistance against an empire. Both iconic queens forfeited their lives in defending their sovereignty against the Romans. Joanne, uniquely, defeated her imperial adversary, the Soviet Union, and lived to tell the tale.

As I wrote five years ago in my Forbes.com review of her memoir, Diamonds and Diplomacy, a column headlined The Fall of the U.S.S.R. Twenty Years Ago: Beauty Killed The Beast:

There is much to celebrate about the December 25, 1991 implosion of [the USSR.] a totalitarian, bellicose, imperialistic regime with 45,000 nuclear warheads, captor of dozens of nations, killer of tens of millions, sociopathic in its brutality against the innocent in its quest for world domination.

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People’s eyes got big. Suddenly eyes that were glazed with boredom opened wide with understanding and interest.

It finally dawned on them that America and the free world, not just foreign countries, were being threatened.

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Photographed in front of Untitled, 2012 by Anish Kapoor in the library of the Brookshire residence in Houston, TX | Sunglasses by Versace | Leopard-Print Belted Long Fur Coat by Tom Ford, available at Neiman Marcus

…

Today, then, I sing of arms and the woman….

Joanne Herring’s story has been written many times. It is almost always told casting her as Cinderella. As stated at joanneherring.com:

Born in a man’s world at a time when women had limited choices, Joanne King Herring blazed a trail with allies as unlikely as Charlie Wilson, Pierre Cardin and President Ronald Reagan, and in so doing forged new paths for women in Pakistan, Afghanistan and America. Joanne hosted the Joanne King Show on television for 15 years, was made roaming Ambassador of Pakistan and received the Quaid-e-Azam award, the highest honor given by the nation of Pakistan. She was made Dame by the Order of St. Francis and has been knighted by the King of Belgium. Joanne has appeared as a guest on Fox News Channel programs “Fox & Friends”, “On The Record with Greta Van Susteren”, “Hannity”, “Lou Dobbs Tonight,” and “Huckabee”. … Her book, Diplomacy and Diamonds was also featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Observer, the New York Social Diary and PW Weekly.

Yes, her life is a Cinderella story. But there’s more to the fairy tale. Here revealed for the first time, Joanne Herring’s true secret identity: the Fairy Godmother. She works magic by inspiring and equipping people to solve their own problems rather than by working from the top down.  She has done this so many times and continues to this day.

Joanne recalled for Iris Covet Book how she assembled the international network crucial to funding the Afghan freedom fighters to beat the Soviets. In her own words:

When Saudi Prince Bandar came to Washington as US ambassador I offered to give him a welcoming party. It was enormous – 112 seated at one table – including every important person on President’s Reagan’s staff.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff were there. So was the entire Reagan cabinet along with ambassadors and Senators and Congresspeople from both sides of the aisle. Secretary of Defense Weinberger cancelled a speech, delegating it to his Secretary of the Navy (later Senator and husband of Elizabeth Taylor) John Warner in order to attend. Henry Kissinger and Barbara Walters flew in from New York City.

The party was a huge success.  Things got done, Washington style.

A great photojournalist – and my most trusted counselor – Robin King and I went into Afghanistan. His film was instrumental in changing the course of history; he deserves far more credit than he has yet received.

The Afghans were starving. The Soviet gunship helicopters were killing everything that moved, including people and the livestock they used for food, even dropping butterfly bombs attached to toys to attract children to maim themselves and die a horrible, lingering, death to traumatize and subjugate the villagers.

The Afghans we visited killed the one goat they owned to feed our party. As famished as they were, they encircled us, so happy to be our hosts. The people’s faces were glowing with pride to host us. They said ‘You are the only people in the world who have cared about us.’

It is the Muslim way to welcome strangers. They were on fire with the desire to push back the Soviets and regain their liberty. They are an amazing people. They really are an inspiration. I understand how to relate to the poor as well as I do to presidents and royalty.

When I returned from Afghanistan I studied the map. What did the Soviets want with these countries? I was the first person of influence to really make the point that it was the Strait of Hormuz, where 80% of the world’s oil passed daily, not Pakistan or Afghanistan, that the Soviets were after.

People’s eyes got big. Suddenly eyes that were glazed with boredom opened wide with understanding and interest. It finally dawned on them that America and the free world, not just foreign countries, were being threatened. The rest is history. But history with a cruel twist. As summarized by the New York Times in Charlie Wilson’s Zen lesson: “Today there can be little doubt that Washington’s brusque loss of interest in the fate of Afghanistan after the Soviets’ withdrawal was a calamitous error.”

Photographed in front of Abstraction, 1946, edition of 3, by Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) in the gardens of the Brookshire residence in Houston, TX. | Red Jacket and Optical Dress both by Issey Miyake, available at Saks Fifth Avenue | Necklace and Earrings from Tenenbaum Jewelers selected by John A. Evatz.

This default by the United States government was not Joanne Herring’s fault. She pushed hard for continued humanitarian aid, post-war, to Afghanistan. Joanne states:

The Afghans fought terrorists for us three times: against the Russian invaders, after 9/11 when Afghanistan became the training site for terrorists, and today. America basically abandoned them all three times. We pleaded with Washington to help them rebuild. Our pleas fell on deaf ears.

JOANNE HERRING’S NEW WAY TO FIGHT WARS AND ACHIEVE PEACE

Unable to produce meaningful aid or even interest on the part of the United States government Joanne set out to do it herself.  She formed Marshall Plan Charities which simultaneously provided the five things that a village needed to thrive: food, water, education, healthcare and job training.

It worked. The model village thrived even in adversity.

Transforming this village was not merely a humanitarian act. It was a marker for potential geopolitical triumph, showing that believing in and equipping people to fight their battles provides better outcomes with genuine liberty and justice for all.

In 2015, after five years of not being able to contact the village due to the ongoing strife in Afghanistan, she received a communication from a village Elder showing that they had survived and flourished in the middle of a war, surrounded by terrorists but capable of taking care of themselves, thriving and so grateful:

[My] people are forever grateful to Ms. Joanne Herring for her care and support to our community, and our children and grandchildren will remember this for generations to come.

 

God be with you, and may God Bless America.

Joanne:

The Afghans, with our military help, fought the greatest war machine in history, the Soviet Union and won! Not one American soldier died! The cost of equipping a village to support 20,000 Afghans represented HALF THE COST of keeping one American soldier in the field for one year! $1,000,000 for 1 Soldier, $450,000 for 20,000 Villagers.

…

A village Elder told me: ‘We know that the billions in foreign aid that were sent here went down a black hole. As far as we know, we are the only village that was significantly helped.’ My plan gave them not one penny of money but all the tools, all at once: food, seeds, fertilizer and instructions, water, education, healthcare and job training, costing half of what it costs to keep one American soldier in the field for one year.  They flourished.

Help from the bottom up. We did it. It works.

AMERICA’S PROBLEMS – AMERICA’S FUTURE

The same principle of believing in people and helping them help themselves works everywhere. It is designed, above all, to inspire and equip the poverty-stricken with the tools to achieve success. As Joanne puts it:

My grandmother and I started the Women’s Home in Houston to provide services to battered women. Lord, what challenges they had to overcome, but today it is 60 years old and we are told it is one of the most successful homes for battered women in the United States. We used the same theory as we did in Afghanistan and my television show. Give them tools, instructions, and materials to help them help themselves. They will.

Photographed in front of Non-Object (Spire), 2008, edition 3/3, by Anish Kapoor in the gardens the Brookshire residence in Houston, TX. | Cape-Effect Embellished Silk-Satin White Gown by Oscar De La Renta, available at Neiman Marcus | Bracelet and Earrings from Tenenbaum Jewelers selected by John A. Evatz.

I have spent the past several years closely studying television programming with a close eye on its impact on American society, especially with its impact on the kids in our inner cities. So many children are at risk through no fault of their own.

I wish to do a TV series on people who made it against the odds and how they did it. I used the same formula (helping people help themselves) for my TV show first when I was a TV host in Houston. I put on everything I could to encourage people and equip them to succeed. Every day people were learning something valuable and interesting. That’s what I want to do for the kids now.

Rather than plunging our airwaves and cable networks into morbidity let’s give viewers interesting and useful stories about people who made it against the odds, giving hope: ‘if they can make it, I can make it.’ We will give them actual tools to do it.

I am working to produce a pilot for a docudrama. Just one successful example will be both transformational and profitable. The secret? Spoiler alert: the good guys, not the black hats, win! There is an abundance of priceless and fascinating stories that are not making it onto TV.  When the heroes and heroines of these stories tell them, people will listen spellbound….

My friend, the championship boxer George Foreman – who taught himself to read at age 16! – has written a spectacular book – Knockout Entrepreneur – that lays out the “how to,” one two three, to make it with however little you start with.

The key lies in our knowing, and communicating, that any good person can succeed if they have the tools and is provided those tools. If we believe in people right here, or anywhere, and give them the skills and tools they need, the vast majority will succeed.

I know this as a person, as a woman, and as a mom and grandmother. My chief blessings and joy include my two sons and three grandchildren who are my inspiration, including Beau and Stanisse King, Beau II, Becket and Robert among my Inspiration
and Joy.

Believing in people and giving them the simple tools to succeed through their own hard work is the secret ingredient of my recipes for world peace and for prosperity.  There. You now are in on my secret to working miracles: help people help themselves.

Joanne pivots from winning an epic war to making fairy tales come true, real life fairy tales in which she provides the tools to find our own way to Happily Ever After. Meet Joanne Herring, a real deal Fairy Godmother. “She is a flash of light in a dark world.” Wish to encounter the real Fairy Godmother? Contact her at [email protected].

Photographed in front of Blind, 2013 by Anish Kapoor in the gray panel living room of the Brookshire residence in Houston, TX. | Priscilla Leather-Trimmed Velvet Dress by Ralph Lauren Collection, available at Saks Fifth Avenue. Diamond Sautoir Necklace by Bulgari designed by Pierre Cardin, Joanne’s own. Earrings from Tenenbaum Jewelers selected by John A. Evatz.

KEN DOWNING

Photography and Interview by Dustin Mansyur | Creative Direction by Louis Liu | Styling by Marc Sifuentes | Grooming by Lydia Brock

As one of the most influential personas working in fashion today, with thirty years of experience, Ken Downing is surprisingly down-to-earth. As Senior Vice President and Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus, one might assume the fashion industry heavyweight to be cool and aloof. However, upon arriving to the Soho studio for his portrait, Mr. Downing is anything but. He brings with him an energy of responsive openness and light-hearted excitement. Equal parts fashion psychic, global brand ambassador, and raconteur, Downing’s agile ability to juggle the many weighty responsibilities is balanced by humorous and effervescent charm. “It takes a bit of crazy to stay sane in the ever-changing world of fashion,” he jokes. 

The power of intuition has been a guiding force in his life and career, and his playful approach to those he encounters has only reinforced this gift. “The opportunity to spend time with my customers keeps me grounded to the reality of the end user, it’s the greatest education.  Every time I’m in a store meeting customers, I’m all ears. They keep the dream of fashion real!”

As a member of the CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund, Downing scours the globe in search of uncovering fashion’s most promising emerging talent. “I see with my heart and my soul! I rely on gut instinct! My heart, and my gut are hard-wired to my eyes, beauty always drives me, it’s as simple as that,” he gushes. His candor is surprisingly refreshing.

Perhaps because despite the hefty accolades of titles (which are enough to be any aspiring fashionista’s wet dream), Ken is still quite in touch with where he started. Attributing much of his success to the formative support and encouragement his mother gave him as a child, Ken is pleasantly honest about his upbringing, “I was a child with an enormous imagination, I lived vicariously through the pages of my mother’s Vogue magazines…when most parents would have feared a child who openly voiced an interest in fashion, my mother encouraged me, even though it was far from the conventional route for a little boy, she allowed me to embrace my desires. I never looked back!” It’s the kind of back-story that’s relatable to many who work in an all-too-real industry built on the allure of fantasy. 

Beginning his career at the global luxury retailer in 1990, Downing joined Neiman Marcus’ visual department in Beverly Hills. Just two years later, he was promoted as Visual Manager in the same store, thereafter furthering his career to Director of Visual Planning and Presentation in all stores. Excelling naturally in the art of communication and a gifted curator of media, Downing subsequently advanced to Vice President of Public Relations in 1997 before being appointed to his current role in 2006. Here Iris Covet Book gets a glimpse into the glamorous, jet-set world of one of the fashion industry’s most efficacious guiding lights.

Where did you grow up and did your interest in fashion begin in youth?

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, in Seattle, with a fashion-obsessed mother and grandmother. Both of my parents had great style, and felt personal presentation and image were important, not only in how they dressed, but also how they decorated our home and how they entertained. Style touched every aspect of my life from an early age. It became wildly apparent early on that teddy bears and toy trucks held little interest to me, I was far more fascinated with the way people dressed and how they decorated their homes. That’s not necessarily normal for a child of five or six years old, but it’s what my eye was drawn to. 

How did you get started working in the fashion industry and was this a career path you imagined for yourself?

I was a child with an enormous imagination, I lived vicariously through the pages of my mother’s Vogue magazines, her pattern books, and home and garden publications. My mother and grandmother made most of their own clothes, taking the bodice from one pattern, adapting it to the bottom of another, switching sleeves, sewing clothes out of non traditional fabrics, like swimwear Lycra. Growing up around fabrics, notions and the constant whir of the sewing machine pretty much set me on the path that ultimately became my career. My mother, unknowingly was determining my destiny, she denies it, but it’s pretty obvious when I look at the influences that surrounded me. She was busy building the Neiman Marcus Fashion Director from afar.

Can you describe your current role and responsibilities at Neiman Marcus?

As the Senior Vice President/Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus, I set the tone each season for the fashion direction of our men’s and women’s businesses. As the global fashion ambassador for the brand, I interface with local, national and international media and press communicating the trends, style and runway relevance of each season.

My fashion communication goes far beyond style and business media, it includes the importance of fashion communication within the Neiman Marcus Group organization to our Merchant teams, Advertising and Marketing teams, Public Relations and Visual Merchandising department to ensure a consistent fashion message across the entire brand. My fashion communication is often shared with designers and showrooms around the country and around the world, giving insight to collections and brands of what we, as a fashion leading retailer are most interested in for the coming seasons. When I’m not at market, sitting front row, or working with my teams in showrooms, I’m traveling to Neiman Marcus stores, curating trend fashion shows and meeting customers face to face at personal appearances, a part of my role I love, and find the most rewarding.  Writing has also become an important part of my role as the Fashion Director, contributing to the Neiman Marcus Blog, designer interviews, marketing communication, fashion forecasting and more!

Of course, uncovering new and emerging talent is another facet of my role that I enjoy tremendously, through my work with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, or keeping my radar finely tuned to new talent, discovering the next design greats is not only rewarding for me, but ultimately rewarding for our customers and their closets!

What have you learned the most within your current role as Senior Vice President and Fashion Director?

The most important thing I’ve learned and that I continue to allow to drive me to this day is NEVER forget the customer! It’s why we do what we do. Also what my mother told me years ago, “Pretty, NOT peculiar; no woman wants to look weird.” These are words I live by.

Have you ever had a great mentor and what did they impress upon you?

Mentors are amongst us, and we often don’t realize their influence until years later. Obviously my mother has been a great influence to me from the very beginning. 

My Art History, History of Costume professor from college, Francis Harder, who I keep in contact with to this day, believed in me from the very beginning and encouraged me to never give up. She knew intuitively I had the “it” that it takes to succeed.

Diane Von Furstenberg, whom my mother brought me to meet as a young boy in Seattle. Diane asked me when I met her “What can I do for you?” I replied “I want to work in fashion” her words have stayed with me for decades, “You will darling, you will!” and I do! 

And certainly Anna Wintour, one of the smartest, most driven women in our industry. Anna’s commitment to the success of our industry and its talent is unparalleled. She inspires me every day.

What trends are you into this season that the Neiman Marcus woman is going to respond to?

It’s an exciting season! I’m crazy-obsessed with the many Ziggy Stardust, glam rock references that filled fall’s runways. Performance-stage style with the abundance of bold gold and the gleam of the many metallics look particularly fresh, and give instant glitter rock relevance to everything a woman will wear for the season. A gold shoe or gold boogie, immediately updates everything.

Velvet, velvet and more VELVET! Shoes, handbags, ready-to-wear for her; and velvet for him, giving a Mick Jagger swagger to his wardrobe. Velvet is as essential as denim in my opinion for the coming season.

Embellished, decorated and adorned; everything continues the importance of the opulent glam rock recklessness that makes the season shine. Handbags, shoes, and ready-to-wear have never seen so much adornment and decoration since the late 70’s and early 80’s. Maximalism for fall proves that more is more, less is a bore.

As a member of the CFDA and Fashion Director of Neiman Marcus, you are constantly attentive to what’s on the horizon in fashion and its emerging talents, what upcoming designers’ work are you following and inspired by presently?

New and emerging talent are the future of fashion, and the fresh voices that keep us eager for what’s next, I’m big fans of the team at Monse, Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, Texan Brandon Maxwell who cut his teeth creating Lady Gaga’s style and Brock, the husband and wife team Laura Vassar and Kris Brock.

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The advice I give all women is this: dress in a style that is flattering to your personality, your figure and your position in life. Love the skin you’re in!

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What designers’ shows are you looking forward to this season?

I am always excited about a new season and the new message that designers put forth, approaching each season with fresh eyes keeps me hungry and curious for the new, the next and the noteworthy. I’m a huge fan of Joseph Altuzarra and look forward to see what he presents in NY, I am also a big fan of Jack and Laz, at Proenza Schouler. Erdem is a must see for me in London! Alessandro Michele has been nothing short of brilliant at Gucci, a favorite season after season. Demna Gvasalia has in a short period of time created a sensation at Balenciaga. With a new collection to be premiered by Valentino alum Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior, and the newly appointed Anthony Vacarello at the helm of Saint Laurent, there is much to anticipate in the coming season!

What style advice would give to any woman who’s looking to revamp their look?

The advice I give all women is this: dress in a style that is flattering to your personality, your figure and your position in life. Love the skin you’re in! Wear clothes that give you confidence, not clothes that make you feel uncomfortable. Fashion is 99% confidence, 1% the clothes!

You are a huge supporter of the arts, what philanthropic projects do you have in the works that will benefit the arts?

I’m crazy excited about a massive project that I’m currently undertaking in my newly adopted city of Detroit. I am in the process of renovating a 100-year-old historic mansion in the Arden Park neighborhood of Detroit, that when completed with be an “Artist in Residence” to house up to 4 talents, with painting and sculpture studios in the Carriage garage. The house will eventually be my full time residence, with the intent of being an epicenter for art, fashion, and other cultural events.

While the project is as much preservation, as renovation, the home will be filled with site specific installations and many works of the artist that will be in residence on the property.

As a collector, I have always had an enormous fondness for young, emerging artists, and am excited to create an environment that encourages creativity, while contributing to the rebirth of a great American city that has captured my heart.

What artistic movements do you draw inspiration from?

Art, artists and artistic movements have always inspired me, my mother instilled in me at an early age that empty walls should make me nervous, and they do!

I am not particularly loyal to any specific time period or genre of art or artistic movement. Much like fashion, my heart, my soul and my never-lying eyes, lead me to my passions. I can’t imagine limiting my creative spirit!

Who or what are you collecting at the moment?

I am a collector of art, furniture, real-estate. Collecting is my greatest addiction, when I’m not sitting with great curiosity front row at the runways of the world, my curious spirit takes me on adventures to galleries, museums, art fairs, and undiscovered neighborhoods around America. They say, “Curiosity killed the cat,” but I certainly have no intentions of dying from that!

With the demands of the fashion industry’s schedule, you live a global jet set life. What essentials are a non-compromising while traveling?

If it was only that easy! I’m a very seasoned and efficient traveler. As much as I love maximalism, when it comes to travel, I’m the ultimate minimalist! My needs are simple, a Starbucks grande latte is truly my only requirement in the morning, unless I’m in Milan, where I do super cappuccinos from Bianco Latte! My motto when I travel is “Live like a local.” It allows me to see the world through a local’s lens. I find that ultimately the most rewarding.

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I have always had the ability to make solid decisions on the spot, and don’t over think things.

Overthinking signals a lack of confidence.
I am thoroughly confident in my decisions and point of view.

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In order to balance your many different roles, do you have any daily rituals
that you practice that you find give you focus or clarity?

I find that putting out the fire closest to my foot, while addressing each situation that is put in front of me with immediacy is the only way I can keep ahead and stay focused.

I have always had the ability to make solid decisions on the spot, and don’t overthink things. Overthinking signals a lack of confidence. I am thoroughly confident in my decisions and point of view. Gut instinct has always served me well, and a Starbucks Grande Latte!

The fashion industry is experiencing massive changes while in process of adapting and embracing technology. What do you foresee for the future of the
fashion industry?

The digital era we live in today has changed our industry in ways many haven’t begun to embrace. The immediacy and speed that the customer is receiving information, living fashion in real time is a game changer, that will ultimately change the industry.

Fashion fatigue is real, customers tire of trends and styles long before they ever reach traditional brick and mortar or online e-commerce sites. The exciting news is that the customer is super engaged with fashion and trends, technology has opened the conversation of fashion beyond the traditional boundaries in ways many could have never comprehended.

The challenge is aligning customer excitement within a time frame that goods are available to purchase. The old model of fashion shows being 6 months in advance of fashion being delivered is antique and outmoded. The conventional fashion show is no longer a retailer, press experience; it’s has become a mega-marketing extravaganza geared to the public and social media.

The paying public does not have the attention span to hold interest in anything for sixty seconds, let alone six months. I foresee that traditional fashion show taking place in real time as goods are being delivered to retail, with buying appointments taking an “old school” approach, happening in the quiet of showrooms for retailers and top press, without the aid of social media leaking the looks.

Time will tell, but to save the integrity of the retail model and the integrity of great design, it will become not only necessary, but paramount to our industry to regain control of the imagery that is released into the stratosphere so we can excite the customer in real time, instead of lulling them into boredom by the time fashion is delivered.

In light of this immediacy demanded by consumer culture, how do you think e-commerce has evolved over the last decade or so?

Neiman Marcus was at the forefront of e-commerce as the first luxury retailer to go online over fifteen years ago. Today, e-commerce is so much more than just selling goods on a website. It is creating compelling content that entertains, as well as engages the customer. Creating an online experience that parallels in-store shopping is more important than ever as the customer shops both channels and expects superlative service no matter their channel of shopping.

What bearing does technology have on creativity in fashion at the moment?

Technology and social media has become the visual feast that ignites, excites and energizes our senses, technology is not going away, there is no putting the Genie back in the bottle, it will only become more and more prolific over time. It’s time that technology become the asset that it can be to our industry instead of the liability it has become currently.

What are your sentiments about social media?

Social media is a powerful channel of communication giving many and any, a voice about their passions and opinions, many positive, some, not so much.

As with any media, traditional or otherwise, you choose the voices and opinions you let into your life.

I feel great responsibility when I personally post and engage in social media, it is a mammoth platform for positive images and words. It also allows me the ability to keep the dream of fashion not only alive, but relevant for the world we live in today, welcoming many that may not have access to the world that I live in every day.

What admonition would you give to young persons who are considering a career path in the fashion industry?

The fashion industry has never been more embracing of young and emerging talent! What was once a velvet rope industry, has become far more inclusive, than exclusive. Work hard, experience anything and everything you can, and stay curious, you’ll achieve your dreams.

What’s a piece of style advice you always follow?

Good hair gets you everywhere!

What’s next for you?

Next is not in my vocabulary. Evolution is more my mode, the continuation of melding my love of art and of fashion. You may possibly see more of me on TV…I’ll leave it at that.  ‡

HOUSTON BALLET

ANDREW SPEER

TEDDY SINCLAIR