Jessica Michault 6/23/21 Jessica Michault 6/23/21

🎙️ Mary Katrantzou

I’ll never forget the first time I discovered the work of Mary Katrantzou. It was in London in 2008 I believe, and I just happened to wander into a room where a rack of her now-famous perfume bottle printed dresses was on display. On hand was her mother who was proudly showing off the stunning creations her daughter had dreamt up.

Listen Here

And Mary’s mom had every right to be proud. Her work was unlike anything else going on in fashion at that time. Advancements in printing and computer technology had made it possible for this young woman to create architectural designs on fluid fabrics. Blending beautifully her passion for interior designs and her studies in the field of architecture at Rhode Island School of Design with her Bachelor of Arts in Textile Design and her Master’s in Fashion from Central Saint Martins. But it wasn’t just the print work that set Mary apart from the pack,it was that combined with her choice of vibrant rainbow colorways. The result was a collection that was the harbinger of the 2010s colorful print fashion revolution.

Since she started her signature brand in 2008 Mary, who was born in Athens, Greece, has found a way to modernize trompe l’oeil, help women fall in love with print and color again, and showed the world that clashing aesthetics can be boldly feminine and empowering. This is why powerful women like Michelle Obama, Cate Blanchett, Beyoncé, Lizzo, Jane Fonda, and Zendaya have all flocked to her creations.

But Mary’s success goes beyond her ability to reinvent her core design principles every season. She is a very savvy businesswoman who saw early on in her career the power that collaborating with other creatives and brands could have in expanding her reach and name recognition. Her recent partnership with the high jewelry company Bulgari on a line of limited edition bags is a perfect example of this. But so is her work with Victoria’s Secret, Longchamp, Topshop, and Adidas Original. And her recent decision to create the size-inclusive year-round holiday capsule collection called Mary-Mare also is indicative of how Mary is able to deftly read the fashion tea leaves as the industry shifts away from seasonal shows and moves into a space where smaller drops throughout a year feels more in keeping with the times we live in.

With over a decade in fashion, Mary Katrantzou is still innovating and challenging herself as a creative, and her devoted clients couldn’t be happier.

Photo from Athens Insider.

Jessica Michault 2/25/21 Jessica Michault 2/25/21

🎙️ Romeo Hunte

Romeo Hunte first registered on my radar in a way that I have never connected with a young designer before. He sent me a DM on Instagram during the global lockdown last year and suggested that the two of us jump on an Instagram Live to talk about the state of fashion in the throws of a global pandemic. And that is exactly what we ended up doing.

I am telling you this story because I think it perfectly illustrates who Romeo is. He always takes the initiative, he has a clear vision of where he wants his brand and his career to go. And he is open to experimenting, trying new things, meeting new people, and just seeing how the creativity all comes together to build something new and engaging.

Now just a bit of background about Romeo before we jump into our podcast interview. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and turned down a full athletic ride for his skills in track and field to instead attend the Fashion Institute of Technology to pursue his dream of becoming a fashion designer. He launched his brand in 2014 and then he hustled. Using his contacts via his freelance styling gigs and his full-time job as a personal shopper at a luxury retail store he was able to build both momentum and a buzz for his signature label.

And then it wasn’t long before Romeo found his statement-making outerwear on the likes of Beyonce, Dwayne Wade, or Tobias Harris. Zendaya was a very early adopter of his colorful ensembles, and Michelle Obama has been spotted wearing his tailored blazers and denim hybrid jackets.

Step by step, Romeo has been building a reputation for making cool, reconstructed pieces that take the best elements of different items of clothing and creating CRISPR-like hybrid pieces designed to get noticed. One person that early on took a shine to Romeo’s designs was Tommy Hilfiger.

The two designers have built a strong relationship over the years, and Tommy recently gave Romeo free reign to forage through his archives. Romeo took it upon himself to revisit and reinvent some of Tommy’s iconic designs and give them a new lease on life. This clever collaboration is just the beginning of the long road ahead for Romeo in fashion.

Photos by from USA Watchpro website.

Jessica Michault 9/7/20 Jessica Michault 9/7/20

🎙️ Louise Trotter

Sometimes it just feels like destiny when a designer lands at a fashion house. This is the case for British designer Louise Trotter, who took up the mantle of creative director at Lacoste at the tail end of 2018. Growing up she played a considerable amount of tennis and Lacoste was always her go-to label. Her husband is also a bit of a tennis nut and over the years has built up his own collection of Lacoste pieces that take up considerable room in his closet. But perhaps the most profound connection comes from the one that Louise feels with the founder of the company, René Lacoste. His rebellious decision to become a tennis player on his own terms resonated with Louise, who from a very early age knew she wanted to be a fashion designer, a career path that really wasn’t a consideration for most kids growing up in the north England town of Sunderland.

It was René’s moral code and approach to life on and off the courts that Louise connected with. His strategic yet stylish way of playing the game, his sense of fair play, tenacity, and bringing joy into whatever he did, are all values that are close to Louise’s own heart. And it's the reason why, while still riding high after a successful 10-year stint at the label Joseph, she decided to make the leap to Lacoste and become the brand’s first female creative director in the house’s almost 90-year history.

Since her arrival at the house, Louise had been quick to put her own stamp on the label. Her signature aesthetic slants to the oversized; be that silhouettes, patterns and prints, or even the iconic Lacoste crocodile. And her approach to the performance wear heritage of the house has been to look at it as creating clothing that “performs” daily. Day in and day out, week after week. Garments that are so well made, flattering, and still maintain a fashion-forward viewpoint that they are the ones that men and women continually turn to.

But what I found perhaps most appealing about Louise during our interview was that she is all about the work. She is not a diva designer with an ego that could fill a room. If she doesn’t know about something, say having an encyclopedic knowledge about high tech performance fabrics, she says so, takes steps to educate herself, and is always looking to learn new things. She is one of those “best idea wins” designers. Encouraging her staff to speak up and she has created a workplace that promotes teamwork. For Louise, each collection is a new chapter in a continuous journey of sartorial discovery.

After listening to this podcast, and learning about how Louise likes to work, Lacoste is probably going to find itself inundated with resumes from people wanting to learn from a leader who is as open, inclusive, and creative as Louise.

Image from Vogue.

Jessica Michault 8/5/20 Jessica Michault 8/5/20

🎙️ Christian Lacroix

I’ll never forget my first Christian Lacroix fashion show. Watching all of the supermodels walk his catwalk in outfits that mixed colors, patterns, and prints in combinations my mind could never have conceived would ever work together, let alone look as fabulously as they did on the Lacroix catwalk.

Lacroix’s shows were always full of energy, passion, and precision but above all love...with just the perfect dash of joie de vivre added in for good measure. By the end of every show, the audience was always revved up to throw out onto the catwalk, during the grand finale, the single carnation that was systematically placed on each seat at each show throughout the designer’s prodigious career.

That was why, when I showed up at the Dries Van Noten Spring/Summer 2020 fashion show and saw a single carnation sitting on my seat...well...I am going to be honest...my heart skipped a beat. Was this the return of Lacroix I asked myself? And to a certain extent, it was. The famed designer, who had walked away from the catwalk after his fall/winter 2009 haute couture show, was back. This time working in collaboration with Van Noten for one season only.

Let’s just say it was a fashion moment, and the show was certainly a highlight in my career.

But Lacroix hasn’t been in hiding since he stopped doing fashion shows. He turned to theater and Opera houses, creating dreamlike confections for the stage. A place where his theatrical sartorial inclinations were right at home. And also he consulted for big name brands in need of a designer who is a master of the color wheel and has never met a print he doesn’t like.

I spoke with Christian in the wake of his triumphant return to the catwalk. To take a joyful stroll down memory lane together. For me, it was a pure moment of bliss. I know, when you listen to our conversation, it will be one for you as well.

Image from DesignInsiderLive.