Jessica Michault 7/26/19 Jessica Michault 7/26/19

🎙️ Jeremy Langmead of MR. PORTER

Full disclosure, I have known Jeremy for over a decade and I have watched in amazement as he create, launched and grew the MR PORTER website into an award winning e-commerce platform created for men looking to have access to both the best fashion in the menswear market and the best editorial content designed to help those men relate to their sartorial choices on a deeper level.

Jeremy Langmead is the Brand and Content Director of MR PORTER. Full disclosure, I have known Jeremy for over a decade and I have watched in amazement as he create, launched and grew the MR PORTER website into an award winning e-commerce platform created for men looking to have access to both the best fashion in the menswear market and the best editorial content designed to help those men relate to their sartorial choices on a deeper level.

The platform’s “5 ways” series and “how it” articles have helped men around the globe educate themselves and given them the tools to make them more savvy shoppers and dressers. And now Jeremy is behind the new MR PORTER Health In Mind initiative, which is dedicated to helping men lead happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Jeremy is focused on creating an overall brand vision for MR PORTER and since he first joined the company in 2010, he has been able to find the sweetspot between great content and great commerce by blending product updates with MR PORTER’s weekly shoppable digital magazine, The Journal, its bimonthly newspaper, The MR PORTER Post, and its buzzy, ever updating, digital news source, The Daily.

Before he worked at MR PORTER, Jeremy was editor-in-chief of Esquire from 2007-2010 and before he held the same job at the interiors magazine Wallpaper from 2003-2007. And I can confirm that his love of interior design is still strong, you just have to look at the interiors of his own home to realize that. And he also had stints working as the Life & Style editor of the London Evening Standard and as an editor of The Sunday Times Style magazine. Basically the guy knows fashion and style like the back of his hand.

In 2014 Jeremy left MR PORTER for Christie’s auction house, where he developed editorial content for the e-commerce, digital and communication departments before returning to MR PORTER after a year to take up his current role at the company. And since then he has seen the menswear industry evolve drastically. Between the blurring of gender lines, the mixing of styles that see athleticwear and street style blending more and more, tailoring and the new trend towards menswear collections being shows with womenswear, well there was lots to talk about with Jeremy.

So I took the Eurostar over to London to interview him at his company’s headquarters, where a tour of the building included looking out over a whole new section that had just been allotted to the ever growing MR PORTER team. And as we talked inside one of the glass walled conference rooms, the hustle and bustle of the busy company whirled on behind us was further proof that MR PORTER, and Jeremy, are heading into fashion’s future full steam ahead.

Jessica Michault 6/7/19 Jessica Michault 6/7/19

🎙️ Marco De Vincenzo

I have followed the career of designer Marco de Vincenzo since his very first show when he started his brand back in 2009. And it has been a privilege to watch him grow into one of the most exciting Italian fashion designers working today.

If you are doing the math, you now know that this year marks the 10 year anniversary of the launch of the Marco de Vincenzo brand. It also happens to be the year Marco turns 40 and the year he launches his first menswear collection. Somthing he will do later this month at Pitti Uomo in Florence. And beside running his own signature label he also juggles his gig as the creative head of leather goods at Fendi alongside his mentor Silvia Venturini Fendi.

Marco’s aesthetic is very distinctive. The rainbow has almost become the trademark of his designs. Or maybe it's fringing. Or perhaps Lurex knits. Actually now that I think about it… it is all three of them. He is also very good at coming up with accessories that have launched a thousand copies. What is it they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? But besides those designer building blocks Marco’s work also has other important fundamental features like his true artisanal understanding of how to manipulate and craft leather goods and his ability to constantly revisit his Italian heritage in his designs in new, unexpected and heartfelt ways.

The fashion industry’s confidence in Marco’s talent as a designer is underlined by the fact that LVMH signed a partnership deal with the designer back in 2014, taking a 45% stake in the company and this year a new partner, Marco Panzeri, has acquired a 35% stake in the business, with Panzeri coming in as the new chief executive officer of the company.

All of which is to say I felt that now was the perfect moment to sit down with Marco for a good long chat. To take the time to reflect back on the first decade of his business, the challenges and the successes, and to lay out his goals for the future of his vibrant and upbeat fashion label.

Jessica Michault 4/5/19 Jessica Michault 4/5/19

🎙️ Ramesh Nair

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the stealth wealth luxury brand Moynat. And just like the company, which is thought to be one of the oldest heritage French trunk-making houses in the world, the man behind the brand, creative director Ramesh Nair, is someone who likes to let the quality of his work speak for itself.

But don’t let Ramesh’s soft spoken, unassuming appearance fool you. He might not be a designer who craves the fashion limelight but he is a man with a clear vision for Moynat - and he has the fashion chops to make that vision a reality. During his career he has worked with some of the most talented and creative designers living today. Not only did he work with Yohji Yamamoto and Christian Lacroix he spent 11 years as senior designer at Hermès soaking up everything he could from his legendary mentor Martin Margiela and later incomparable Jean Paul Gaultier. All of this before he was chosen in 2011 by Bernard Arnault, the chairman and ceo of LVMH, to breath life back into the Moynat brand, which had laid dormant for 35 years.

Ramesh has had quite an impressive career considering that fashion design wasn’t a childhood dream and that he pretty much fell backwards into fashion when he applied to study at new branch that had opened up in India of the FIT New York, back in 1986, as an alternative to joining the army. Even he was surprised when he was accepted, and during his time at the school he learned that he loved how fashion could be used as a form of visual expression of self and he discovered that he was actually pretty fluent in the language of fashion and luxury.

I had the honor and privilege of speaking with Ramesh inside the Moynat flagship store on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. A location that is like an oasis of calm at the heart of the bustling city. And just like the company he represents Ramesh is the epitome of refinement and grace. He is all about celebrating the best that life has to offer. Be that great food, great conversation or great design…life is too short for anything less.

Jessica Michault 3/17/19 Jessica Michault 3/17/19

🎙️ Robin Meason

Robin Meason is a woman who has lived quite an amazing, globe-trotting existence. And the reason she has had such an adventurous life is because she always follows her heart.Following her heart is also what happens to make her one of the best fashion PR’s in the business.

Robin Meason is a woman who has lived quite an amazing, globe-trotting existence. And the reason she has had such an adventurous life is because she always follows her heart. Following her heart is also what happens to make her one of the best fashion PR’s in the business.

Robin was born and raised in Texas, where she studied European civilization at Texas State University, but she always had a thing about France, and Paris in particular. She might have lived in London, Los Angeles, Athens and Australia, over the years but she has always come back to Paris.

It is in Paris that she launched her PR agency, called Ritual Projects, in 2013. And while in the past following her heart had Robin traveling the world, today her heart (and her head for business) is what makes Ritual Projects such an interesting company.

Think of it like the rebellious cool kid at school, who always seems to know what is going to be the next big thing before anyone else does. The brands that Robin represents are the ones that are generating buzz for their creativity and are on the cusp of blowing up. They are also very loyal to Robin as she nurtures them from the jump - while the grow into brands, like Y/Project, GMBH, Ottolinger and AREA, that are coveted by those in the know in the fashion industry.But as good as Robin is at promoting her brands, she is not someone who likes to talk about herself. So getting to sit down with her, to hear her life story and get insights into how she works and how she spots talent, was such a rare treat, and I am so happy I get to share this moment with you.

Jessica Michault 2/23/19 Jessica Michault 2/23/19

🎙️ Massimo Giorgetti

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the MSGM brand founded by Massimo Giorgetti. But when you meet the Rimini born Italian designer, it is hard to believe someone so open, outgoing and honest has been at the helm of a successful and growing fashion company for a decade, without getting jaded.

But that is the case for this self-taught designer, who originally got a degree in accounting and spend his youth as a DJ, before he launched his company in 2009. He quickly made a name for himself- and his brand thanks to his use of bright and bold logo-clad clothing that had price points that made them accessible luxury to younger streetwear fashion lovers. Just a year in and MSGM had already won the prestigious Vogue Italia AltaRoma “Who Is On Next” award and then over the next five years the company gre into a 45 million dollar business with over 600 points of sale around the world.

Giorgetti’s winning fashion formula garnered attention from investors and in 2018 he got a new minority investment from the private equity fund Style Capital. With this new influx of funds the designer has big expansion plans in mind with goals to double revenues over the next three years, making a big push into the Asian market and expanding the brand into new product lines.

Case in point, and perfectly in keeping with the youth-centric focus of the house, Giorgetti debuted earlier this year a new line of MSGM underwear for men and women and there are plans on the horizon to unveil a full activewear capsule collection in June and a footwear line is also in the works.

I caught up with Giorgetti at his headquarters in Milan. He is a man full of energy, ideas and positive attitude, which all bodes extremely well for the future of the MSGM brand.

Jessica Michault 2/8/19 Jessica Michault 2/8/19

🎙️ Lee Oliveira

If you are a devoted follower of street style then you know that there are just a handful of photographers who you want to take your photo as you arrive at a show. Or at the very least stand outside at a show pretending to be super busy on your phone. One of them is the Brazilian born, Australia based, photographer Lee Oliveira.

His visual signature is one of discretion. Unlike those concrete catwalk photographers that have you to walk across the same crosswalk over and over to get a shot, or ask you to stop and pose for them, Lee is more of a stealth snapper. Often you don’t even know that he has taken your photo until it appears in the Thursday style pages of the New York Times or on the newspaper’s official NYTimesfashion feed on Instagram.

Just like the iconic Bill Cunningham, who was the godfather of street style photography, Lee isn’t interested in taking photos of celebrities, or head to toe branded outfits worn by influencers. Instead it is the composition of the image itself, how someone’s outfit is framed by its surroundings and environment that intrigues him.

I caught up with Lee while he was in Australia covering Australia Fashion Week. And I have to warn you…and apologies… for the sound quality of the recording of our phone conversation. It’s really not the greatest… but what Lee has to say about his work and the fashion industry as a whole certainly is worth the effort.

Jessica Michault 1/27/19 Jessica Michault 1/27/19

💬 Vanessa Hong

In this Instagram Live interview Vanessa Hong talks about how she grew her blog to become one of the leading websites in the fashion and lifestyle field. She gives us her tips and tricks to working more effectively and efficiently and how she maintains her work life balance.

Vanessa Hong, founder of Haute Pursuit

Jessica Michault 1/25/19 Jessica Michault 1/25/19

🎙️ Alejandro Gómez Palomo

Let me tell you about the white hot Spanish designer Alejandro Gómez Palomo. You have probably already heard about his brand Palomo Spain – which he launched in 2015 – because of Beyoncé. She famously wore one of his floral menswear pieces for her first official photo with her newborn twins, Rumi and Sir.

Palomo calls himself a menswear designer, that is what he studied during his time at the London College of Fashion, and yet his theatrical outfits can easily cross gender lines. His clothing is not so much focused on a person’s sex, but rather their level of sartorial daring. There is a boldness to Palermo and a joyful abandonment to his well-constructed designs. His imagination is overflowing with ideas, but also there is a meticulousness and attention to detail to his work.

Think John Galliano, Alexander McQueen or Jean Paul Gaultier.

In fact, being a fashion designer was always what Palomo knew he wanted to do. Growing up in the small town of Córdoba, in the South of Spain, he admitted that by the age of six he already was a big fan of dressing up Barbies, he religiously watched fashion shows on TV and was sketching incessantly. And then one day his father made the very smart suggestion that he study to become a fashion designer.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Alejandro right after his Spring/Summer 2019 collection at Madrid Fashion Week, where part of the invitation to his show was a drop of his own blood on a specimen slide, and the show itself was inside the Museum of Natural Sciences, surrounded by taxidermy stuffed animals and an array of curiosity cabinet pieces, that - just like the essence of the Palomo brand – brings disparate ideas together to create something wholly original.

Jessica Michault 1/11/19 Jessica Michault 1/11/19

🎙️ Glenn Martens

Glenn Martens is the creative director of the brand Y/Project. He is also one of the most talented young designers working in Paris today. His Spring/Summer 2019 show was a seminal collection that beautifully underlined the real breadth and width of his conceptual creations. Designs that have their foundation in streetwear but their execution is of a couture level.

Born in Bruges, Belgium, Glenn was not one of those designers who dreamed about fashion from an early age. Instead he studied interior design and just by happenstance ended up applying to the prestigious - and famously rigorous - Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where in the end he would graduate at the top of his class.

From there Glenn landed a gig as a junior designer for the women’s pre-collections at Jean Paul Gaulter and he also spent time working as the first assistant to the founder of Y/Project, Yohan Serfaty. Then in 2012 Glenn launched his own signature brand before being asked by Serfaty’s business partner to come back to the Y/Project brand as its creative direction when Serfaty passed away in 2013.

From that moment until today Glenn has produces collections that are filled with shape shifting clothing. Pieces that appear sliced and diced together, have intriguing appendages or layers that make them look both familiar and fantastical. And the fashion world has taken notice of Glenn. In 2017 he was awarded the ANDAM prize, winning $280,000 and a year-long mentorship from Francesca Bellettini , the CEO and president of Yves Saint Laurent.

I spoke with Glenn just a few weeks before he presented his latest menswear collection at Pitti Uomo in Florence. Forgoing a Paris showing for the prestige and the honor of presenting his clothing in an arena that celebrates the best that menswear has to offer.
But what I love most about Glenn is that none of his burgeoning fame, nor the growing number of accolades he receives have gone to his head. He is just a great guy you would be happy to grab a beer with and talk the night away.

Jessica Michault 1/9/19 Jessica Michault 1/9/19

💬 Jeannie Mai

Jeannie Mai of ‘The Real’

Television personality and fashion expert Jeannie Mai talks about how life has changed for her now that she has turned 40. She also breaks the news that she is launching a new YouTube channel month. And Jeannie reveals how she is getting back into dating (both men and women) now that her divorce from her former husband of 10 years is final. She also opens up about working on The Real television show and what winning an Emmy means to her as well as how excited she is to be the new host for live red carpet events for the E! entertainment news channel.

Jessica Michault 1/2/19 Jessica Michault 1/2/19

💬 HauteLeMode

Rising fashion critic Luke Meagher is making a name for himself with his "call it like I see it" catty and critical fashion roasts and reviews on his YouTube channel HauteLeMode. While his fashion insider memes on his HauteLeMode instagram account are dedicated to real industry insiders who will all get the joke.

HauteLeMode, (aka Luke Meagher).

Jessica Michault 1/1/19 Jessica Michault 1/1/19

💭 Lily-Rose Depp for VOGUE Japan

This article first appeared in the VOGUE JAPAN January 2018 Issue No. 221.

LILY-ROSE DEPP

Lily Rose Depp is a young woman who has spent her life moving between worlds. Daughter of the iconic French singer Vanessa Paradis and Hollywood movie star Johnny Depp, she has adopted the best aspects of both cultures into her character. She is at once a chic and cool Parisian and a goofy LA valley girl. She is a world class beauty who, at the tender age of 18, still seems unaware of the effect she can have on those around her. And, as she continues to discover who she is, Depp reveals in being able to disappear into a character and become someone else.

She has also followed in the footsteps of both her parents. Garnering warm reviews for her acting work in The Dancer and has landed lead roles costarring with Oscar winners like Nathalie Portman in Planetarium. At the same time, she has become the face of the Chanel No. 5 L’eau perfume, walked in a number of Chanel show (including as the bride for the spring 2017 couture collection) and modeled for the house’s advertising campaigns, just like her mother before her.

We meet up in a hip Paris bistro to talk about her budding carrier, how she and Karl Lagerfeld like to exchange photos of their fluffy white cats Mittens (hers) and Choupette (his) and her plans to finally move out and being the next chapter of her life.

Do you feel like you are a girl of two worlds?

Yeah. Absolutely. When I’m here, I feel totally French and immersed here. But when I am in the US, I feel totally like a valley girl. I was raised there. I think if I had to pick one. I would rather raise kids here. There is a level of fakeness in LA you don’t have here. I don’t know… here if a person is rude to you, at least you know it’s real.

Did you always want to be an actress?

When I was little I want to be like a dancer and painter and a spy and model and president and an actress. It was always random. But I love acting. It gives me permission to get out of my own head for a second. That’s what I like about it.

You actually left school at 16 to pursue your acting career full time, isn’t that right?

Yeah. To be honest, I think it’s old-fashioned to believe you have to go to college…I just think that people don’t know that college isn’t mandatory. I love reading and writing. I just knew what I wanted to do and I didn’t want to waste any more time. The schooling system… I just think it’s not made for everybody. But that doesn’t mean I have stopped learning, I continue to read and self-educate myself. Actually my favorite writer is the Japanese author Haruki Murakumi.

*Peter Lindbergh, VOGUE Japan Cover Story, Lily-Rose Depp, Paris 2017.*

Let’s talk about the house of Chanel. It really has been a part of your life since the very beginning.

I am not going to say that my first word was Chanel, but….. (smiles) I remember my mom and my grandmother wore Chanel. So the smell is maybe the first thing I remember. My mom worked for Chanel when she was my age. I remember seeing all those bags. The clothes, shoes, all that stuff. There is actually a picture of me in my diapers where I am wearing a pair of her Chanel pumps.

So what was your first Chanel piece?

I’ll never forget my first Chanel piece and I still have it. It’s this little pink quilted bag. And you know what, it’s still so relevant now. It’s so timeless.

You have walked in a few Chanel shows now. There was the Casino show that you did with your mom, there you were the bride in the spring/summer 2017 couture show, you also walked in the Ritz collection, a show you repeated in Japan. Of all of those turns on the catwalk do you have a favorite?

They were all so different. Every Chanel show has a different vibe. But if I had to pick, I would say a bride. I never thought about it in a realistic sense, for me it would have been so ridiculous, so out of reach. When they asked me, literally I thought it was a joke. I was so excited and so honored. It is still surreal for me. It was insane. Even walking. I am not a model. I don’t fit the height requirement. Walking in any Chanel show is already an amazing experience, but being like a bride and walking out by yourself is so surreal. It was so so exciting. I felt like a princess.

That must be so surreal for you mom as well. Your mother was the famous Chanel advertisement for the Chanel N5 perfume where she is a bird in the cage and now you are representing the brand. What does that feel like?

It feels amazing. It is a huge honor that Chanel wants to keep working with me. I feel so grateful that they see something in me that could help tell the story of the brand. I look up to my mom so much. She’s the person I look up to the most. Being able to follow her footsteps with Chanel and continuing what she did in a way, it’s amazing.

So is Karl Lagerfeld, like Uncle Karl to you…a part of the family?

I met Karl when I was 8. I’ve known him for a long time. He is somebody that I admire first of all. He is such a hard-worker. Since I started working with Chanel I have come to know better. In fact, my first shoot ever was with Karl when I was 15 with the eyewear campaign. He is somebody that I really look up to, that I honestly care about. He is really clear about what he wants, he has ideas in his head but he always wants to make sure you feel comfortable. It’s something that you won’t find everywhere. That’s really special about Karl. And now we send each other photos of our cats.

What was it like coming to Japan to walk in the Chanel show?

I’ve been to Japan only once before. When I was fourteen, it was a different world. I felt like such an embarrassing tourist, I was walking in the streets taking pictures of everything. Everything about Japan is so cool and different. Style is different. People have such distinct style and the way they express themselves through their clothing is amazing. There is an energy in the people there that reflects the energy of the city. Chanel represents classic French beauty and it was interesting to see how the Japanese reacts and interpret classic Chanel.

What’s the next big project you are working on?

I am trying to buy a new house in Los Angeles.

Is there a certain area in LA you like?

I don’t know where yet but I am going to build it myself. Because I am too particular. And it’s actually way cheaper to build a house. It’s gonna take more time but it’s gonna cost me less. That’s my next step as an adult.

Jessica Michault 12/29/18 Jessica Michault 12/29/18

💬 Ashley Schuberg

Voted one of the top 10 Influencers at Australia's Top 50 Influencer Awards last year, the Miss Gunner blog, created by Ashley Schuberg, is an enviable feast for the eyes. Ashley, who was born in Thailand and moved to Australia at the age of eight, launched her blog in 2015.

Ashley Schuberg, founder of the Miss Gunner blog.

Jessica Michault 12/14/18 Jessica Michault 12/14/18

🎙️ Klaus Stockhausen

Klaus Stockhausen is the contributing fashion director at Zeit Magazine and is a fixture of the fashion scene. This is a man who has really lived life to the fullest, and has done it with lots and lots of laughter. In fact, I don’t think I have ever laughed as much in an interview as I did with Klaus. He is honest and playful. Self-deprecating and just the right amount of catty so you know it’s all in good fun.

Just to give you an idea about who Klaus is. He started his career as a DJ in Germany. Something he did for 15 years and he is created for introducing house music to the country. He was also in a boys band called Boytronic that had a top 10 hit song called “You”. He was doing street style long before that phrase even existed in the fashion lexicon. And not only was he the personal stylist for Naomi Campbell he was also the mastermind behind all of John Galliano’s extraordinary outfits that he wore to take his epic bows at the end of each of his Christian Dior and Galliano shows.

Sufficed to say Klaus has got a lot of great stories to tell. As well strong opinions about the current crop of models, how to handle divas on a photo shoot and some key insights into how to be a successful stylist. We spoke together right after the month of fall/winter 2018 fashion shows had wrapped.

Jessica Michault 12/1/18 Jessica Michault 12/1/18

💭 Alber Elbaz for Exhibition Magazine

This article first appeared in the Exhibition Magazine, Blushing Issue.

ALBER ELBAZ

Fashion can be an unforgiving place. Where once you are out – you are out. Especially when the departure is sudden and unexpected. This was the situation that Alber Elbaz found himself in at Lanvin almost three years ago. From one day to the next, he was ousted from a company he transformed from a sleeping beauty into an international powerhouse with unique and identifiable codes, on the whim of its erratic owner. That sort of public exiting brings with it so many mixed emotions. Shock, anger, sadness and, in Elbaz’s case, a strong sense of love. The outpouring of love and support he received in the aftermath of his departure, both from the Lanvin staff (who wrote an open letter to the owner to voice their disagreement with the decision) and the industry as a whole, was an incredibly moving moment in the designer’s career. The aftermath of which he still feels today. It was the unique mix of emotions that this catalytic event created in Elbaz’s life that made him the perfect person to talk about this issue’s theme. Blushing is a naturally occurring physical reaction to so many of those feelings. But, as always when you talk with Elbaz, he surprises you by seeing a particular subject or problem in a new and unexpected light. His ability to interpret human emotions in an original way is one of the reasons he remains one of fashion’s most talented and respected designers.

Alber, so you know the theme of this issue is blushing. What does that word conjure up in you ?
I think people do not blush anymore. People almost have no shame, that’s the idea. The last one that I remember blushing was Lady Diana. She was always blushing ! I think there is something so beautiful, so innocent and so modest about people who blush.

What makes you blush ?
I blush naturally. I am always blushing; you can see it. Every time I put my hand in front of my face you know I am blushing underneath. I am timid. I think people wouldn’t think about me as being timid, but they always say that clowns are the saddest people. They used to say that Charlie Chaplin used to cry a lot at night when nobody was watching, but he makes people laugh during the day. So, I found a way to cry during the day, when it is raining. You walk and nobody knows if it is because of the rain or if you have tears on your eyes.

The thing I like about blushing is that you can’t control it. It is a physical thing that happens for a lot of different reasons…
A lot of the time, you blush when someone confronts you with the truth. This may be an interesting story; we are living in a time of transparency. Recently, I was thinking of this idea of big brothers, Facebook and social media and the fact that we are living in a transparent world. There are no walls anymore. The truth is the story, so you cannot fake it anymore. There is so much truth around. So then blushing, if it is all about being confronted with the truth, an interesting thing to talk about given the timing.

It’s hard to really come up with the exact right word in French that is the equivalent of blushing…
Like it is “rougir,” you know when you get red. Blush for me is also linked to make-up. Today the world is visual and all about images, and in a way make-up is the new dress. You didn’t need anything between you and your jeans before. Now, you don’t even need jeans, you just have to have make-up because it is all about selfies. There is something between blush and blushing, bullshit and blush, it sounds the same. There are a lot of words that are coming together but for me, blush is coming from being timid and also a confrontation of the truth in that moment. You know, the moment when someone does something and the tears come out, which is a physical thing. It is the physical, not emotional. Once I heard that tears are the moment when the irrational becomes the rational. I think it is the same with blushing because it is physical.

Do you remember the last time you blushed ?
I am living with Alex [Koo] for so long, and sometimes I have tendency to exaggerate scenarios because I see them from different colors or angles, and he is the one who corrects me and states the facts. You know, how do you call it in the New York Times ? He is my fact-check. I am a bit of a drama queen, so every little pimple becomes a melodrama. So I imagine the last time I blushed was when he corrected me on something.

What about the other side of blushing ? What do you think about the sexy side of blushing ?
The sexy side of blushing is when we talk about young teenagers that you see in all the English movies. They are all blushing, and there is such a beauty to the innocence. It is beautiful ! It touches my heart. There is something so emotional about it. They are always embarrassed, everything embarrasses them. They live with a natural “rougeur,” with no cosmetics. No L’Oreal or MAC can give you that tone of blushing. Red blushing is fabulous, and it stays for a long time.

Does Alex blush ?
No, he doesn’t, and good for him !

The other side of blushing that comes up for me is this idea of being embarrassed.
I don’t relate to that. Blushing comes from the confrontation of the truth. It is like the black box of an airplane. We don’t find the secrets, but you find the truth in the black box. Blushing is a little bit like a red box.

Where are you now in your life ? You have stepped away from fashion for two and half years now. Are you still passion about that ?
I was not for a certain time. I really did not want to do fashion anymore. It took me some time to love it again. Now, I am in love. Whether I love it or not, this is a time to think differently, so it is not only about working on a new dress but to work also on the system. I am not hesitating to come back because this is the only thing I know how to do. But I am more careful about how I want to do it and who I want to do it with. What will bring me joy ? I am a freak for tradition and innovation. I like innovative thinking. I love thinking ! We are living in a time of smart people, smartphones. Everything is so much about intelligence. It is not like we don’t have it, but you have to introduce it in a different way. Even Chanel always used to say, “It’s not about a new jacket; it’s about a good jacket.” So what is the differences between new and good ? Is everything good, new ? We are more in the new than the good ? We are more in the surface than the subsurface ? There are so many questions to answer. And going back to this idea of blushing… I am blushing when I am going to see my friends’ show, when everybody is asking where I am. I am blushing when I going for a taxi and the driver asks me, “Are you already working somewhere ?” I am blushing ! But don’t worry, red is my color. For me, at least, I didn’t want to start without having something with a meaning. I wanted to bring back the joy, the dream and the desire. I am not a t-shirt guy; I am not a street club guy. Maybe we are lacking some dreams in the world. Maybe we need a dream to elevate us a little bit and take us somewhere else.

Let’s talk about your dream. Have you gotten clarity ? You’ve been asking yourself a lot of questions over the last couple of years. So, what do you want ?
I am not there yet, but I am close. I never know. I am always next to it, I am never in it. I never say, “Ok, this is what I want to do.” The moment you say to yourself this is what it is, this is the day, that is the place, that’s the address and this is what I am going to do, you start getting into the world of formulas and codes. One of the beautiful things in fashion is that you never have to use these formulas because the beauty is the innovation. The beauty is to think outside of the box, the red box. But in order to think in a different way, ask yourself why not. You should start asking why. Why and why not. Ask yourself what you can do next that is actually different. I have always been more of a person that is into evolution than revolution. Revolution, there are hundreds of words to describe it. But evolution, it is much more difficult to describe because it is gradual. Revolution is an explosion.

I remember, I think at one of your last shows for Lanvin, you had all these really loud dresses and you were saying it is because of this Instagram world, and if you are going to get attention online, it has to be these kinds of dresses.
Actually, it was my last show. “Fashion,” as someone told me once, and I will always quote her, “fashion is like food, it has to be fresh.” If you have it a day before or later, it doesn’t work. It is sour. At that time, I wanted to show that I knew that it was the beginning of a new era in fashion. I had my intuition about how in fashion, screaming and whispering can work together. The first part of the show was whispering, but we are not only whispering, we are also very loud. The world has become much louder. But today maybe the best provocation is to be quiet. There was so much I had to say during these past two years, what exactly happened to me, but I choose to be quiet. Usually I am pretty chatty. It was a hard decision.

Is it because of the lawyers…
I could talk about anything and everything, but I didn’t feel it was the right time to do so. It took much more energy for me to be quiet than to be loud. It takes more energy to stay quiet. To say no is a very hard thing. I said no to myself and chose to shut-up, for now. I have more friends now than ever; I have more people that I know they love me more than I ever believed. I feel blessed ! And more than anything, maybe I blush because I am feeling loved by so many people.

La mode peut être un monde impardonnable. Un monde dans lequel une fois que vous en êtes exclu, c’est à vie. Surtout quand ce départ est soudain et inattendu. C’est justement la situation dans laquelle Alber Elbaz s’est trouvé chez Lanvin il y a presque trois ans. Du jour au lendemain, il a été évincé d’une société qu’il a aidé à passer du statut de belle endormie à celui de surpuissance internationale aux codes esthétiques uniques et identifiables, à cause d’une décision impulsive prise par son propriétaire au comportement erratique. Ce type de remerciement très public entraîne son lot d’émotions partagées. Choc, colère, tristesse, et, dans le cas d’Alber, un profond sentiment d’amour. Le torrent d’amour et de soutien qu’il a reçu suite à son départ, à la fois de la part du personnel chez Lanvin (qui a d’ailleurs rédigé une lettre ouverte afin d’exprimer son désaccord) et de l’industrie toute entière, représente une moment incroyablement émouvant au sein de la carrière du créateur. Il en ressent encore les effets aujourd’hui. C’est justement ce mélange unique d’émotions qui a découlé de cet événement cataclysmique qui a fait d’Elbaz la personne idéale pour le thème de ce numéro. Le fait de rougir est une réaction physique naturelle qui est souvent le résultat des sentiments prédedemment évoqués. Or, comme souvent lorsqu’on discute avec Elbaz, il vous surprend en percevant un sujet ou un problème particulier de façon complètement nouvelle et inattendue. Sa capacité à interpréter les émotions de façon unique est la raison pour laquelle il reste un des créateurs les plus talentueux et respectés de la mode.

Alber, vous savez que le thème de ce numéro est Rougir. Qu’est-ce que ce mot vous évoque ?
Je pense que les gens ne rougissent plus. J’ai l’impression que les gens n’ont presque plus honte. La dernière personne que je me rapelle avoir vu rougir est Lady Diana. Elle rougissait tout le temps ! Il y a quelque chose de si beau, si innocent et si modeste chez les gens qui rougissent.

Qu’est ce qui vous fait rougir ?
Je rougis naturellement. Je rougis tout le temps, vous pouvez le constater. Chaque fois que je mets ma main devant mon visage, vous savez qu’en-dessous je suis en train de rougir. Je suis timide. Je pense que les gens ne me voient pas naturellement comme quelqu’un de timide mais on dit toujours que les clowns sont en réalité les personnes les plus tristes. Apparemment Charlie Chaplin passait ses nuits à pleurer, à l’abri des regards, alors qu’il faisait rire les gens le jour. Alors j’ai trouvé un moyen de pleurer la journée : quand il pleut. Vous marchez dans la rue et personne ne peut dire si c’est à cause de la pluie ou si vous avez les yeux plein de larmes.

Ce que j’aime dans le fait de rougir, c’est que c’est incontrôlable. C’est une réaction physique qui a lieu pour plein de raisons différentes…
On rougit souvent quand on est confronté à la vérité. Cette histoire pourrait vous intéresser. Nous vivons dans une époque de transparence. Récemment, je pensais au concept de “big brothers”, Facebook et les réseaux sociaux, ainsi qu’au fait que nous vivons dans un monde complètement transparent. Il n’y a plus de barrières. La vérité est la vraie histoire, impossible de la falsifier. La vérité est partout. Ainsi, si rougir c’est le fait d’être confronté à la réalité, alors c’est tout à fait un sujet d’actualité.

C’est difficile de trouver l’équivalent exact du terme “blushing” en français…
Ce serait simplement “rougir”, le fait de devenir rouge. Pour moi, le mot “blush” est aussi lié au maquillage. Aujourd’hui, le monde est avant tout visuel, tout est rapporté aux images, et d’une certaine façon le maquillage est devenu une nouvelle façon de s’habiller. Avant, il ne vous fallait rien de plus que votre jean. Désormais, il n’y a même plus besoin de jean : il vous suffit de vous maquiller, car tout ce qui compte ce sont les selfies. Il y a quelque chose de similaire entre “blush” et “blushing”, “blush” et “bullshit”, ça sonne pareil. Il y a beaucoup de mots qui me viennent mais pour moi, quand on rougit c’est parce qu’on est timide, et aussi confronté à la vérité du moment vécu. Vous savez, ce moment où quelqu’un fait quelque chose et se met soudainement à pleurer – c’est physique, une réaction physique et non émotionnelle. Un jour, on m’a dit que les larmes représentaient le moment où l’irrationnel devient rationnel. Je pense que c’est la même chose pour l’acte de rougir, car c’est avant tout physique.

Vous souvenez-vous de la dernière fois où vous avez rougi ?
Cela fait longtemps que je vis avec Alex [Koo], et parfois j’ai tendance à exagérer certains scénarios car je les perçois d’un angle ou d’une teinte différents. Lui me corrige et raconte les faits tels qu’ils se sont déroulés. Vous savez – comment ils appellent ça dans le New York Times ? Il fait du fact-checking. Je suis un peu une drama queen, alors chaque petit bouton devient tout un mélodrame. Donc j’imagine que la dernière fois que j’ai rougi doit être quand il m’a corrigé à propos de quelque chose.

Qu’en est-il de l’autre côté de l’acte de rougir ? Que pensez-vous de son côté sexy ?
Le côté sexy du fait de rougir, c’est tout ces jeunes adolescents que l’on voit dans les films anglais. Ils rougissent tous, et il y a une vraie beauté dans tant d’innocence. C’est magnifique ! Cela me touche au coeur. Il y a quelque chose de vraiment émouvant. Ils sont toujours gênés, tout les gêne. Ils vivent dans une “rougeur” naturelle, sans produits de beauté. Ni L’Oréal ni MAC ne peuvent vous donner cette teinte de rouge. Le rougissement profond est fabuleux, et dure un bon bout de temps.

Alex rougit-il ?
Non, et tant mieux pour lui !

Une autre facette du fait de rougir découle pour moi du sentiment de honte.
Pour moi, cela n’a pas de rapport. On rougit car on est confronté à la vérité. C’est comme la boîte noire dans les avions. On ne dévoile pas les secrets, mais on découvre la vérité dans cette boîte noire. Le fait de rougir est un peu comme une boîte rouge.

Où en êtes-vous dans votre vie ? Cela fait deux ans et demi que vous avez pris vos distances avec la mode. Cela vous passionne t-il toujours autant ?
Cela n’a pas été le cas pendant un bon bout de temps. Je ne voulais vraiment plus faire de la mode. Il m’a fallu du temps pour me remettre à aimer ça. Désormais, je suis amoureux. Mais que je l’aime ou non, c’est avant tout le moment de penser la mode différemment : il ne s’agit plus seulement de réfléchir à une nouvelle robe, mais aussi de réfléchir à tout le système. Je n’hésite pas à revenir car c’est la seule chose que je sais faire. Mais je fais plus attention à la façon dont je veux faire les choses et avec qui je veux les faire. Qu’est-ce qui me rendra heureux ? Je suis dingue de tradition mais aussi d’innovation. J’aime réfléchir de façon innovante. J’aime réfléchir ! Nous vivons dans une époque où les gens sont intelligents, équipés de smartphones. Tout tourne autour de l’intelligence. Ce n’est pas comme si on n’en avait pas, mais il faut présenter cette intelligence d’une façon différente. Même Chanel disait toujours: “il ne s’agit pas de réaliser une nouvelle veste, mais une veste de qualité.” Quelle est la différence entre la nouveauté et la qualité ? La nouveauté est-elle toujours positive ? Sommes-nous plus dans la nouveauté que dans la qualité ? Sommes-nous plus concernés par la forme que le fond ? Il y a tellement de questions en attente de réponse. Et pour revenir à l’idée de rougir… Je rougis quand je vais voir le défilé d’un ami et que tout le monde demande où je suis désormais. Je rougis quand je prends un taxi et que le chauffeur me demande, “vous avez déjà retrouvé du travail ?”. Je rougis ! Mais ne vous en faites pas, le rouge me va bien. Au moins pour moi-même, je ne voulais pas recommencer sans avoir quelque chose qui ait du sens. Je voulais retrouver la joie, le rêve et le désir. Je ne suis pas un mec à t-shirts, pas un mec de la rue. Peut-être que ce monde manque de rêves. Peut-être qu’il faut que l’on rêve pour nous élever un peu, et nous emmener ailleurs.

Parlons de votre rêve. S’est-il clarifié ? Vous êtes-vous posé beaucoup de questions ces dernières années. Alors, que voulez-vous ?
Je n’y suis pas encore, mais je m’en rapproche. Je ne sais jamais. Souvent j’y suis presque, mais je ne suis jamais complètement dedans. Je ne me dis jamais, “ok, voilà ce que je veux faire.” Le jour où vous vous dites “voilà ce que c’est, voilà le jour, l’endroit, l’adresse, voilà ce que je vais faire”, vous rentrez dans un monde de codes et de formules. Une des plus belles choses dans la mode c’est qu’on n’a jamais eu besoin d’utiliser ces formules car la beauté est dans l’innovation. La beauté se trouve hors des sentiers battus – hors de la boîte rouge ! Mais afin de réfléchir différemment, il faut vous demander : pourquoi pas ? Il faut se demander pourquoi. Pourquoi et pourquoi pas. Demandez-vous quelle est la prochaine chose que vous pouvez vraiment faire de façon différente. J’ai toujours été une personne qui était plus branchée évolution que révolution. Il y a des centaines de mots pour décrire la révolution. Mais l’évolution est beaucoup plus difficile à définir car elle est plus graduelle, alors que la révolution est une explosion.

Je me souviens de ce qui devait être un de vos derniers défilés chez Lanvin. Vous aviez toutes ces robes incroyables, et vous disiez que c’était à cause de la culture Instagram. Et que si vous vouliez attirer l’intention d’Internet, il fallait proposer ce genre de robes.
En fait, c’était mon dernier défilé. Quelqu’un m’a dit cette phrase une fois, et je la cite tout le temps : “la mode est comme la nourriture : il faut que ce soit frais.” Si vous la consommez un jour avant ou un jour après, cela ne marche pas, ça a un goût aigre. À ce moment-là, je voulais montrer que je savais que c’était le début d’une nouvelle ère de la mode. Il me semblait que j’avais compris comment les murmures et les cris de la mode pouvaient travailler ensemble. La première partie du défilé n’était que murmures, mais nous ne faisons pas que murmurer, nous sommes aussi très bruyants. Or, peut-être qu’aujourd’hui la plus grande provocation est de rester silencieux. Il y a tellement de choses que je voulais dire ces deux dernières années, sur ce qui m’est vraiment arrivé, mais j’ai choisi d’être silencieux. Généralement je suis plutôt bavard. C’était une décision difficile.

Est-ce que c’est aussi à cause des avocats ?
Je peux parler de tout et n’importe quoi, mais j’avais l’impression que ce n’était pas le moment de le faire. Garder le silence m’a demandé beaucoup plus d’énergie que si j’avais choisi de faire du bruit. Cela coûte plus d’énergie de rester silencieux. Dire non est une chose très difficile à faire. Je me suis dit non à moi-même et ai choisi de me taire, pour l’instant. Aujourd’hui, j’ai plus d’amis que jamais. Jamais je n’aurais cru qu’il y avait autant de gens qui m’aiment de façon certaine. Je me sens comblé ! Plus que toute autre chose, peut-être que je rougis car je me sens aimé par autant de personnes.

Jessica Michault 11/30/18 Jessica Michault 11/30/18

🎙️ Johnny Coca

The fashion industry is buzzing about the Spanish designer Johnny Coca. Everyone wants to know how, in just three years, he has turned the Mulberry brand around. A big part of his success comes thanks to his innovative business strategy, his inventive and exuberant collections and some seriously covetable bags and accessories.

Mulberry made the right call when they hired Johnny. And I am guessing that decision was pretty much a no brainer for the brand, considering that Johnny spent years working alongside Phoebe Philo at Celine. He was head of the design studio when it came out with the brand’s iconic Trapeze bag. And before that he was coming up with winning accessories for Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton.

The man just knows how to make great accessories! And now is turning those design skills towards womenswear collections, all of which so far have garnered warm reviews from top fashion critics.

It was a real treat getting to know Johnny during our conversation. By the end of this interview I was bowled over both by his warm and open nature and his bold clear vision for the future of the Mulberry brand.

Jessica Michault 11/16/18 Jessica Michault 11/16/18

🎙️ Gabriela Hearst

2018 is looking to be a big year for Gabriela Hearst. Hearst is no overnight success. In an industry built on the idea of the accumulation of things, Hearst is finding her global success with a less, but best, philosophy.

2018 is looking to be a big year for Gabriela Hearst. The self-taught designer, who only launched her signature label three years ago, was nominated for the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award, just signed a lease for her first flagship store in New York, opened a permanent showroom in Paris and is currently on track for being profitable by the end of the year. Hearst is no overnight success. In an industry built on the idea of the accumulation of things, Hearst is finding her global success with a less, but best, philosophy.

Congratulation on this year’s CFDA nomination for Womenswear Designer of the Year. What was that like for you, because only a handful of women have been nominated for this award over the years?

First of all, my team and I were very honored, super excited and humble because last year we were nominated for emerging designers with the big guys. I have a perspective that I like designing for women, it makes sense to me. As a woman, I know firsthand how our body change through the months and years and how our bodies feel. It’s like I am really exploring a woman’s psychology.

Tell me a little bit about this idea of psychology. As a woman designer creating clothing for other women, you have a perspective that no man could ever have, or understand. You are living the life, you are a working mom with 3 kids and yet you are an autodidact. So I am curious about what you might pick up one that others might not see.

Our woman is a woman of action. She is working, she has her family, she has things to do, she is always on a mission. I am making sure her wardrobe and whatever I am doing has the best materials. Also, I am making sure use materials that travel well like my suits that are designed to not wrinkle. I want to make sure the women who wear my clothing are ready for whatever unexpected thing might happen. I am thinking of the things that matters in her life and I want to make sure of the touch of our clothing is right too. I always said to my team, imagine the lights go off and our clients need to be able to find our rack in the dark. I want us to be known for our fabrics and our hand because I do believe that our sweater and cashmere, nothing feels softer. And I truly believe that how you feel in your clothing changes your perspective. Life is not so bad when you are wearing a nice cashmere sweater.

In other big news, you just signed a lease for your first flagship in NewYork, right?

Yes, we were so excited! We just signed at for a store at the Carlyle House. We always knew we wanted a physical space to showcase the whole esthetic of who we are. Also, it going to be the first physical store to sell our handbags.

That is interesting because one of the things that I have read is you don’t wholesale the bags, they are only online through you. Is that right?

Yes, they are not even online that you can go online right now and buy a bag. You have to go online and put yourself on a waiting list. It is quite democratic, if we have the bag online we will ship it to you. If we don’t have it, because we are waiting for the factory to send it to us, we put you in a waiting list.

How long is the waiting list now?

Depending on the colors, some of them like new one we launched, the Patsy, it is a two-month wait.

The bags are all named after musicians, is that correct?

Only after women singers except two: the Demi, which was named after Demi Moore because our first bag called Nina was a bag that Demi liked very much. But she wanted a smaller version. We did the Demi for her. And then, a tote named after Stuart Vevers, who is a close friend of mine, so we called it the Vevers.

“I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE WOMEN WHO WEAR MY CLOTHING ARE READY FOR WHATEVER UNEXPECTED THING MIGHT HAPPEN”

— Gabriela Hearst, ODDA 15

I know you had another fashion label before you started your eponymous line. It was more boho-in-style. What made you decide to stop that line and start the brand you have now? And what did you learn from that first venture that you are taking on board with your new company?

When I launched Candela, I was in my mid-twenties. I started it with a lot of passion and not a lot budget. It had to be a contemporary brand in terms of price point because those were the sort of materials we could afford. I would say the brand was a success in sense because I was able to pay my bills. But it was also very much a learning in experience as well because Candela existed before the boom of Zara and H&M. I remember we had an office in Soho below a Zara and I was thinking this is going to be a tough one. The more I thought about it, I started dreaming about creating a high-end collection because I wanted to work with the best materials in the world. After, my father passed away and inherited the family sheep ranch in Uruguay ranch and I remember thinking that the quality of the product at the ranch is so high. There was a discrepancy between what I was doing in New York and my life, were I came from. We were selling to department stores and they wanted it cheaper. I had to lower the quality and I just could not it anymore. It was like breaking my passion. At the beginning, this brand was going to be just a shoe brand. But then, since I know how to do all of this and I wanted to tailoring, we decide to do more. That is why people are so surprised, it has only been three years but they forget that I have over ten years of experience doing, delivering and producing, knowing how it works and making mistakes. I knew very much what I wanted to do when we launched. I am just too old to make products that I am not proud of and there is all this crap in the world that I really wanted to put the best in what I can do. I tell my team that I am only interested in the best, all the fabrics, suppliers. I get so much joy from working with great craftsmanship and I believe that, when you support quality, you are supporting passion because most of these businesses are multigenerational.

Is that why you decided to give the brand your name?

When it is your name you can’t hide. The standards have to be pretty high and you just don’t have any more time for amateur work, it has to be pro all the way.

Nomination for the CFDA, brand new store, this year is third year for your brand and you are you recorded sales of more than 10 millions dollars last year. How are feeling are you able to take it all in?

Well, every time something wonderful happened, the nomination for CFDA and also the visionary award, it is the kind of thing I take 24 hours to enjoy it and feel great about myself, celebrate with the whole team and the next day I moved on to my dedication to the work. I had this incredible opportunity that I am so grateful to be able to communicate and manifest the vision of what I find beautiful, interesting and what I would like women to wear. I take this so seriously, in a way that so much love is all the reward. People telling me I love your clothes, having clients. I have gone to a store where I have seen a client in a wheel chair, she loves wearing our pieces because they are so soft and make her feel happy. Nothing beats having a happy client.

Jessica Michault 11/2/18 Jessica Michault 11/2/18

🎙️ Brian Phillips

The rise of Brian Phillips, the President of Black Frame, to the top echelons of the fashion industry, is both well-known and impressive.

The rise of Brian Phillips, the President of Black Frame, to the top echelons of the fashion industry, is both well-known and impressive.

Instead of working his way up through the ranks of PR companies he founded Black Frame after having made fashion inroads at the cult magazine Visionaire straight out of college, worked at the now defunct production company Fatal Art Syndicate, and built up a close knit group of friends who just happened to work in the fashion industry. Friends that including Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, the duo behind Opening Ceremony (which Brian helped promote from the start) and who also are also now designing Kenzo – a deal that Brian was instrumental in brokering for the duo.

But, perhaps the most mythic fashion war story from Brian’s early career years happened when, while he was in-between jobs, Hedi Slimane came knocking. Brain had worked with the iconic designer on a project a year earlier, the results of which apparently stuck in Slimane’s brain. When Slimane reached out to Brian again, he just happened to be the creative director of Dior Homme. After a meeting with Sidney Toledano, the then CEO of Christian Dior at that time, Brian had a deal with the brand.

Thus, at the tender age of 24 Brian launched Black Frame. His first two clients.... Dior Homme and Visionaire.

Since then he has nurtured the creative careers of designers and brands like Rodate, Delfina Delettrez, Helmut Lang, Eckhaus Latta, Woolrich, Dion Lee and Nike. Launched a sister company called Framework that focuses on “developing concepts for innovative brand experiences” and more recently became the creative director of the cult biannual publication Garage Magazine.

I have known Brian for many years and what strikes you about him, besides the breadth and width of his cultural knowledge, is his no BS way of doing business. In an industry where schmoozing and sucking up has become almost an art form Brian doesn’t suffer fools or is looking for acolytes. He is all business, pretty much all the time. You better bring you’re A-game and offer up an interesting challenge if you want to get his attention.

And Brian is a pretty interesting guy in his own right. I promise that if you can bear with the background hum of the air conditioning fan in this interview, that finally shuts down at about the 4-minute mark of our conversation, you will be rewarded with an insightful and informative discussion in which Brian really lays out his business philosophy and creative strategy. Honestly, I just asked my questions, sat back and let Brian run with it.

Jessica Michault 10/22/18 Jessica Michault 10/22/18

🎙️ Giuseppe Zanotti

Next year shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the launch of his signature label.

Next year shoe designer Giuseppe Zanotti will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the launch of his signature label.

When he started out, during the heart of the 90s era of minimalism, his sexy, vibrate footwear was in stark contrast to anything else on the market And since then he has built up a reputation for creating shoes that are closely linked to the world of music (another one of his passions) as well as using innovative materials and eye catching embellishments – all of it grounded in old school artisanal craftsmanship.

A powerful combination that today means the Zanotti brand is a global entity, with almost 100 stores worldwide, that has expanded from women's footwear into luxury handbags, mens shoes, children's footwear and a smattering of ready to wear.

Zanotti was born in San Mauro Pascoli, Italy, a village that was just down the road from Rimini, which has a long tradition of shoemaking. It was there that he learned first-hand his trade, designing footwear freelance for small, artisanal shoe companies. Besides whipping up imaginative shoe designs, Zanottti spent much of his after hours during his youth as a radio DJ. Bringing nightspots to life with his impressive musical knowledge and ability to set a party mood. And it was the covers of those LPs that he played that often acted as inspiration for his designs in his early days.

Interestingly, it was celebrities who were first draw to Zanotti’s work almost from the start, with Madonna an early fan. Now the list of his high profile clientele probably reaches a mile long, with stars like Beyoncé, Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Lopez, Penelope Cruz, Charlize Theron, and Cameron Diaz buying up his designs.

Men too; with Kanye West not only a collector of his mens shoes, he also regularly collaborates with the designer. In fact, Zanottti got in on the collaboration game much earlier that most luxury brands. Working with both celebrities and up and coming fashion designers, supply the shoes for their seasonal collections, long before many of his competitors.

That is the real take away you get from Zanotti when you talk with him. He is an artist who enjoys the creative and collaborative process of bringing his hand draw sketches to life. And when I say life, I mean seeing them being worn on the street by real people who love to stand out, get noticed and blaze their own path.

Jessica Michault 10/5/18 Jessica Michault 10/5/18

🎙️ Giambattista Valli

Giambattista Valli is an extremely talented Italian designer, who was born in Rome and has now built up his own empire. A fashion empire, dedicated to creating romantic, feminine and beautiful clothing for women who want to look and feel special.

Giambattista Valli has done something not many of his peers have been able to accomplish. He launched his own fashion label and turned it into a global success. The last year has brought about some major changes in Valli’s professional life. He ended his decade long collaboration with Moncler and he decided to sell a minority stake in his company to Artemis, the investment arm of Kering’s founding Pinault family. Moves that show that Valli is more dedicated than ever to making his feminine, female friendly fashion a staple of the industry for generations to come.

I have a lot of questions for you Giamba, but before I get into all that I have always wanted to know the story of the pearls. How did a string of pearls necklace become your signature?

It came casually. Actually, I used to go often to India. I was over there and there was this piece with pearls. They were part of a big Mahajan neckless. It was a piece of jewelry made for men and I loved it. This friend, that is a jewelry designer, says to me “why don’t you wear pearls, this a jewelry for men” and I said that is a good idea and I put it on and it became my lucky charm and my signature. It’s my thing and I love it because it means I can skip wearing a tie, which look really awful on me, pearls look much better.

One of the things I loved about your story is, unlike a lot of young designers today that kind of just launch their brands right away, you really took the time to learn from some amazing designers. What did you take away from the time with Roberto Capucci, the one that really formed you as designer when you launched your own label?

I think this is what I really can give as a suggestion to young designers, it is very important to experiment and to get the knowledge. I would say it is really important to train before you jump by yourself. I was very lucky to cross big masters in my life. Roberto Capucci was like my first love, somebody I can’t forget and I am never going to forget. He was the most human experience I had. I learnt from him to be respectful with women. He used to tell me “Giambattista never forget about women, they can potentially be mothers so you have to be respectful”, this was very beautiful and I still have it on my mind. And he was somebody that was working in such of free way with volume, shapes and colors. It was fantastic!

The moment I worked for Fendi with Karl Lagerfeld was a really international experience with all the top model of runways of the moment, the glamorousness of it. Later, I arrived in Paris, a place I was not expected to land. When I arrived, I had everything to learn. I had a real creative evolution through the French culture. I had to conquer it because it was something far from my culture. I had to learn the ABC of all the characters, and all the process. Also, I discovered what we call luxury. Even if today it does not mean anymore what it used to mean, it is a little bit overused or abused. I prefer the word excellence, it is more appropriated for me right now and it is what I am passionate and obsessed by. I have seen this excellence of making art in this clothes, the art of making this garment, the art of making these colors, this fabric, this embroidery, flowers, patterns, whatever I could find around this atelier.

Then you spent time at Emanuel Ungaro, training with the founder and then taking over when he retired.

Yes, and when left Ungaro to start my own company. I make the jump with “the net” because I had all this important previous experience with Ungaro with Fendi and Cappuci. I did the good and bad, I had the training make the jump all by myself.

Looking back at that time there were lot of houses and designers that were going to famous houses instead of starting their own label. But you did the opposite, you turned down the job of artistic director at Valentino and focused on your company.

At that time, I just wanted to express myself. It was like being a translator on the movie and being an actor on your movie. So I want to be acting my movie and I want to be coherent with my ideas. Of course any personal idea is going to be reinterpreted in another house. But I had like a very strong idea of these women, about their independence and the fact that they are not belonging to anybody, not even fashion.

It’s true that one of the thing that people talk about with you is that you do have a diehard group of women who have been faithful to you since the beginning. How do you generate such a fanatic loyalty to your brand?

Honestly, I enjoy doing my job and I want to show them all the happiness, that I am totally in love with them and cannot live without them. This group of girls, they are my biggest inspiration. When I am drawing I am asking myself a lot of questions, it is like a real way to look, if it works or not in the real world Sometimes in other fashion houses, they miss the point of the final reality of women. Of course, we want to be on museum on day, but right now I just want to be part of these women’s lives.

You are one of the few designers that are doing couture. How do you justify working in a field that is only open to a very small group of clients?

I have the youngest customers of couture among the houses that do couture. I started Valli in 2005 and it was few years after the September 11th. There were all the conflicts, the US market was really bad. But I came out with something so different and unique, that everybody jumped onto it. When I putted out the Haute Couture, it was the moment that everybody was saying Haute Couture was dead, that luxury does not work anymore. So I came out with the idea of the Haute Couture and you know it is the business that generates the most traffic during the Fashion Weeks in Paris. Today, because I design couture I am able to reach something else creatively. There is the exclusivity, the excellence and it is a privilege to have that kind of excellence and very few people have the opportunity to design couture.

You spent ten years at Moncler designing the Gamme Rouge collection on top of your ready-to-wear and your couture line. That collaboration recently ended so what is it like now that you no longer have to deal with those extra designer deadlines?

You know I am very proud of what I accomplished at Moncler. I built the women wardrobe, which did not exist at all at that time. I brought these babies to a massive success. Yesterday, I had dinner with Hilary Swank, she was next to me and says “Oh, do you remember you invited me to your first Moncler show, I didn’t even know what it was was and look where it is now.”

Was that the one underneath the Opera, with the horses?

No, it was even before, at the Musée Bourdelle. I invited Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, they were the hottest it-girl at the moment and also Rihanna, she is my dear friend.

With Moncler, I did not want create a sports line like Nike or what Adidas do. I wanted to make something women can use for their daily life and go to the office or use during the week-end. Something that they can dressed up. But then it came to a point when I wanted to do a sports line for Giambattista Valli, the story had to change and I had to start a new chapter.

I know that Salma Hayek is a huge fan of you. And her husband’s family, the Pinault family, invested in your company last year. How that all happened? What made you decide you wanted have a minority investor, did Salma convince you?

Actually it comes mostly from François Pinault. He had a strong interest in the label. When we met, it was like meeting an old friend, we were speaking the same language. This is extremely rare; it is so rare to find such a comprehension of the language between two people, such an education, cultural vision and lifestyle. I have known Selma for many years, I used to dress her during my time at Ungaro and she was a huge fan and great ambassador of Ungaro.

I did the first 12 years of my business solo. But I wanted to evolved. I built up the DNA, the meaning, the silhouette, the fan group of women and what Giambattista Valli is today in an independent and coherent way. Now, it is nice to have an investor that believes in you, is involved and is supportive of growing your company.

So where will you be in five years? Is that the sports aspects now that you are focused on?

No, that is just a little sector. Today, you must have items that go from high heels to sneakers, Haute Couture to joggings, cashmere embroidery to sweaters. You must create a wardrobe universe.

Right now the images of brand you see are the images of the fashion shows, the images of the celebrities that just enjoy wearing my dresses. These are people that have built a very honest relationship with the house. They do not feel abuse or badly use by me. I am respectful and respect their privacy, when they ask for a dress for an important moment it is top secret. When they come to me, they feel comfortable.

So your focus now is to take more control of the narrative of the house across different platforms of communication?

I had fragments of collections, it is very nice but you need to express your own vision, your entire vision. You have to build up your temple cathedral, your maison to that people can get it. And then, I am going to start opening stores to reinforce the brand’s message. Actually today, I just published on Instagram the opening of a second boutique in Seoul. This month, we are going to open our first boutique in London, Sloane Street. In two weeks in Beijing and in July in Doha.

Unlike some others big successful brands, you have a continuality of femininity throughout your collections over the years. So that if a woman bought something from your fourth collection or from your most recent collection, nothing feels dated.

Franca Sozzani used to say this to me to. She used to tell me that she loves my things, when she putted them in her wardrobe, she rediscovered them and never know from what collections they belong. She was saying this all the time and add “the power is that I can be dress in Giambattista Valli and my personality is intact”. I hate the idea of billboard women and the idea being a slave to fashion trends. It might look easy to stay true to your personal vision of fashion but it is difficult to always evolve and yet continue to be consistent at the same time.