Jessica Michault 4/13/18 Jessica Michault 4/13/18

🎙️ Fausto Puglisi

Fausto Puglisi is a designer who embraces life with both hands. Born in Sicily he is one of fashion’s big personalities. Everything he does he does with 100% passion and creative fire. From his visceral and vibrate fashion shows to his friendships- Fausto is a man who claims the center stage with an open heart and a desire to inspire the women he dresses and the fashion world at large.

Fausto career started auspiciously…working with the famed stylist Patti Wilson in New York before he headed West and in LA he wooed big names like Jennifer Lopez and Whitney Houston with his sexy an ornate that had an Italian swagger that was undeniable. So it comes as no surprise that designers Dominico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana spotted him and added his creations in their concept store in Milan and Stylist Anna Dello Russo became one of his biggest ambassadors and muses wearing his creations often in front of the street style photographers who documented her every move.

Fausto’s clothing often references his southern Italian heritage, and there are religious references as well as some biker bravado usually built in – pieces that Madonna proved to be a big fan of.

But when we spoke in his Italian showroom, where you can almost hear his Italian hand gestures and you do hear him pound the table where the mic was sitting when he was making a point. He had just presented one of his most reserved and reflective shows in the history of his signature brand…inspired Carolyn Bessette Kennedy –an icon of minimalistic dressing. The collection was mostly in shades of white and black with lace being the embellishment of choice. It marked a new direction for the designer…that was well received by the press.

I’ll be honest what I love most about Fausto is that he is such a creative raw nerve. He always speaks from the heart, feels things deeply. Sometimes that can get him into trouble but I think for Fausto…that might just be part of the fun of it all.

Jessica Michault 3/30/18 Jessica Michault 3/30/18

🎙️ Jeff Carvalho

Late last year I was honored to be asked by Karen Harvey, CEO of Karen Harvey Consulting Group and founder of Fashion Tech Forum to participate in the latest Fashion Tech Forum conference in Los Angeles. And besides speaking on the center stage of the forum I had the all access privilege to interview some of the key speakers at the event.

So backstage, between presentations, round-table talks and motivational speeches I got to pick the brains of some of the leading minds in the fashion and tech industry. The first chat from this series of interviews that I want to share with you is with Jeff Carvalho. He is the managing editor of one of the coolest, street savvy and innovative fashion websites online today – Highsnobiety, which counts a global audience of 12.5 million monthly readers.

Jeff is also a partner at Titelmedia, which owns Highsnobiety. He joined in 2007 when the company’s founder and CEO David Fischer brought him on board not only to oversee the website but also develop other print and online content and brand partnerships. The company has worked with some of the hottest brands of today- from Louis Vuitton and Nike to Mercedes-Benz and Levi’s.

Jeff is considered to be an expert in the street wear culture and is often asked to comment by the New York Times and The Business of Fashion on this growing market and its influence on fashion and luxury on a broader scale. And I have to tell you I understand why those publications want to hear from Jeff.

We spoke right after he had interviewed designer Virgil Abloh and Henrik Most, Creative Lead at Ikea about the Ikea and Off White collaboration that will soon debut.

In rapid fire, well thought out answers to my questions Jeff proved himself to be a skilled speaker, who wasn’t distracted in the slightest by the background noise at the venue or the fact that Virgil, Will.i.am and Joe Zee were milling about.

I basically just sat back and let him loose to explain the success of his site, explore the idea of jet stream influencers and discuss how the way we use and consumer products and news is continuing to evolve.

So hold onto your seat and get ready for a ride into the future.

Jessica Michault 3/16/18 Jessica Michault 3/16/18

🎙️ Ruth Chapman

If you are a woman working in fashion today might I suggest Ruth Chapman, the co-founder of Matchesfashion.com, as a role model. Not only did she build up her fashion empire with her husband Tom from scratch, with a single brick and mortar store in Wimbledon, in southwest London, 30 years ago, she turned it into one of the leading independent luxury e-commerce players in the industry.

If you are a woman working in fashion today might I suggest Ruth Chapman, the co-founder of Matchesfashion.com, as a role model. Not only did she build up her fashion empire with her husband Tom from scratch, with a single brick and mortar store in Wimbledon, in southwest London, 30 years ago, she turned it into one of the leading independent luxury e-commerce players in the industry.

Under her guiding hand Matches Fashion.com became known for its nurturing and dedicated support of young designers, with a healthy dose of national pride in highlighting home grown British brands… as well as a highly curated and clever selection of some of the most influential international luxury labels from around the globe. A selection that directly reflected the desires of a clientele that is also very international and endlessly looking for new discoveries and high quality designs.

All of which is very admirable indeed, but what is perhaps just as indicative of who Ruth is…. is the warm and family like working environment she fostered within the company over those three decades. Which saw more than a few staffers starting out as interns and moving up through the ranks of the company as it grew into a global player.

In 2017, the company released its financial results for the first time, revealing a 61 percent year-on-year growth and full-year revenues for 2016 at an impressive £204 million pounds. Also last year Ruth and her husband decided it was time for new challenges and they sold their majority stake in the company to private equity firm Apax. Although the exact amount they sold the company has not been disclosed the rumor on the street is that it was in the region of 800 million pounds.

I spoke with Ruth while she was in Paris attending a few fashion shows during the latest ready to wear collections. We talked about what it was like to leave a good job to follow a dream, how building a great team is the best way to be successful and what she wants to do with the next act of her life.

After our chat I felt like Ruth was living proof that women really can have it all, and look absolutely amazing doing it.

Jessica Michault 2/22/18 Jessica Michault 2/22/18

💭 Saif Mahdhi for ODDA Magazine

Saif Mahdhi is the fashion industry’s equivalent of the Wizard of Oz. He is the President Europe of Next Management and if you like a fresh face on the cover of a magazine, then you probably have this “man behind the curtain” to thank for it. Mahdhi, who has helped nurture the careers of Kate Moss, Carla Bruni, Anna Cleveland, Caroline de Maigret, Anja Rubik, Grace Hartzel, Lana Del Rey, Caroline Issa and Alexa Chung (just to name a few), is a someone who not only can spot talent in others, he knows how to cultivate it. But more than that, in an industry with a reputation for being fake and two faced he is renowned for his loyalty and commitment to his every growing band of beautiful and talented friends. And just like the Wizard of Oz, he is able to instill in each of them the ability to discover their full potential.

A version of this exclusive interview first appeared in the pages of the 13th issue of ODDA Magazine.

SAIF MAHDHI

Fashion’s Wizard of Oz

Saif Mahdhi is the fashion industry’s equivalent of the Wizard of Oz. He is the President Europe of Next Management and if you like a fresh face on the cover of a magazine, then you probably have this “man behind the curtain” to thank for it. Mahdhi, who has helped nurture the careers of Kate Moss, Carla Bruni, Anna Cleveland, Caroline de Maigret, Anja Rubik, Grace Hartzel, Lana Del Rey, Caroline Issa and Alexa Chung (just to name a few), is a someone who not only can spot talent in others, he knows how to cultivate it. But more than that, in an industry with a reputation for being fake and two faced he is renowned for his loyalty and commitment to his every growing band of beautiful and talented friends. And just like the Wizard of Oz, he is able to instill in each of them the ability to discover their full potential.

You recently have been rediscovering your family roots in Tunisia. What brought that about?
Basically, I was born and grew up in Paris but my parents are immigrants and when I was I kid I use to come here like 5 times a year but when I became a teenager the cultural contrast were quite strong and I kind of moved away from my heritage and I didn’t explore it again for something like twenty years. Then last year I decided to come back for 2 weeks and I ended up staying for a whole month and I kind of reclaimed my country. I found hidden treasures and I wanted to help people rediscover this country. It started with me posting images on my Instagram and then my friends – photographers, artists, models and fashion magazines – became interested. I really started to push people in my industry to take a look at Tunisia because our industry is very powerful and we can really present a new vision of the country to the world.

You famously started your career because you accidentally got off on the wrong floor when you were going for a job interview. Which makes me want to ask you if you believe in destiny and fate?
I honestly don’t know if I believe in fate. I do believe in being honest, being real and working hard and following your instincts. I come from a very poor background, my mom was a cleaning woman and my father was a garbage man. They never really went to school and they had a very tough life. But they sacrificed everything for me to get a good education and thank God I grew up in France were the national education system gave me access to so many things. So I am grateful for the life I have but I worked very hard to get where I am today. And I am very conscious that have a voice and that what I do can have an impact.

So how are you using your voice?
First of all, I am working in an industry were women are very powerful. Where women make a 100 times more money than men for the same job. And I love that, it’s really important for me to empower that. For me women are the base of humanity and human beings. And so I am very protective of my clients. Basically when I started I never felt like I had any special talent, basically a go between between people. But then I realized that I do have a talent, which is to support the talent I see in the people around me. To spot it. To develop it. To support it. I just love human beings and that became the basis of my job. The word that I prefer to sum up what I do is a French work it is “accompagnateur” and I love that.

So you are not interested in the spotlight?
No! No! That is not what drives me. Of course I am taking care of famous people, and because I work with them and I follow them I get to have this amazing life. But that is not my life. I don’t have any ego about the spotlight, I don’t exist through that.

You get your fulfillment through helping those around you succeed?
Oh yes! Its huge for me and it makes me extremely happy because their success is my success.

What do you feel has been the biggest change in the industry and what you do since you started working?
I know this is a bit of a generic answer but it’s basically social media that has changed everything. Basically people can exist by themselves and they can promote themselves. Before to have someone like Steven Misel XX or a designer aware of one of my clients I would have to Fedex over some pictures and I would have to talk about them and promote them. Today people can see my clients on social media and get a sense of who they are right away. Sometimes I post a picture of a new client I have just signed and my team will call me up and say “did you post something about this person” because they just received like five phone calls for options. All of that just because I posted their photo. It makes things move much faster. Which is great. But at the same time there is this endless craving for something new. All the time. Also today its more about being an artist. Not just being or doing one thing. People need to be models, actresses, painters, designers… before that was something the industry didn’t like. They wanted to have people stay in one area, doing only one thing.

So how do you know when someone is the right fit for you. That a person is someone you want to take on as a client and support?
It’s a mixture of a lot of things. It’s the beauty first, for sure, especially for a model. But is also their personality. Their energy. Their ambition. It’s really just something you have…or you don’t. It’s hard to explain and its very instinctive. Also you really have to believe in them because sometimes it can be years and years for someone to become who they are. You just have to support them.

Jessica Michault 2/16/18 Jessica Michault 2/16/18

🎙️ Carlo Capasa

Capasa, who has a love of black perfecto biker jackets, has been a fixture on the Italian fashion scene for years, having spent the bulk of his career as the chief executive and co-creator of Costume National, a brand he founded with his brother — and the company’s designer — Ennio Capasa in 1986, until the brothers announced their resignation in March 2016.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana, the governing body of Italian fashion. During that time the industry has gone through quite a lot of changes, but arguably no more so than in the last decade. Fashion shows have become far more than just an industry affair attracting editors and journalists, but a consumer-facing event that are powered by social networks and digital technology, which has helped democratize the industry. There has also been a growing self-awareness within the industry about its impact on the environment leading to the rise of more sustainable fashion. The blurring of sartorial gender lines and brands grouping their menswear and womenswear shows together have changed the landscape even further. All of this has transformed the way the world interacts with fashion.

Helping The Camera, as insiders like to call it, weather these profound changes is its president Carlo Capasa. Appointed in April 2015, Capasa has, in the space less than three years jump started to the way The Camera operates. Dusting off the institution and putting into overdrive new initiatives designed to build a global engagement with Milan as a fashion capital.

His strategy has been to focus on three key areas:

Promotion and supporting emerging Italian design talent with initiatives like MILANO MODA GRADUATE, which highlights the best young talents coming out of the most prestigious Italian fashion schools.

The Green Carpet Awards, designed to underline the importance and wide reaching potential of sustainable fashion.

And he introduced a new Digital strategy that saw The Camera’s website get a facelift, its social media platforms also became a priority and a powerful tool for promoting Italian fashion online. The Camera’s Instagram feed alone now counts more than 150 thousand followers.

But here he talks about his plans for the future of The Camera in a fashion world that is more fluid, flexible and forward thinking than ever.

Jessica Michault 2/14/18 Jessica Michault 2/14/18

💭 The Row for ODDA Magazine

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have carved out a unique niche for themselves in the fashion industry. The twins are exacting and crystal clear about what they want and what they think a very select group of wealthy women desire — understated and refined designs of exceptional quality. Garments that exist in the rarified air above trends, fast fashion or everyday attire. Instead, pieces from The Row reside outside of sartorial time. They do not age. They do not become obsolete our out of touch. They do no relinquish their evergreen grace for anything. And that is why they have become some of the most “major” designs of the modern age.

A version of this exclusive interview first appeared in the pages of the 13th issue of ODDA Magazine.

THE ROW

The Exceptional is the Rule

Can you talk about how the luxe minimal nature of The Row‘s aesthetic came about… is it just an extension of your own personal tastes, did you see space in the market for this style?
Mary-Kate Olsen: The Row was inspired by quality and fit. What we wanted to wear, but was not available in the market at the time. The concept that quality product can sell even without a logo.
Ashley Olsen: The Row started with the idea of the perfect t-shirt. We saw a need in the market for essential pieces that were the perfect fit and of the highest quality.

You have a “store” in LA and one in NYC… but I put the word store in quotes because both spaces feel less like boutiques and more like homes. Why did you take this approach to presenting your oeuvre?
MKO: Architecture is another passion of ours. Our spaces dictate our stores, the stores don’t dictate the spaces.
AO: We wanted to take the opportunity to present The Row to our customers in the way that we had envisioned. It was never just about shopping, but the experience you have within the world of The Row.

You have opened your world to include other brands in the store… what was the thinking behind that… with even the artwork on the walls for sale.
MKO: We have a strong appreciation for all forms of art. It was part of the narrative, thus we felt strongly about incorporating these elements into the spaces.

Can you talk about how you work together. Do each of you have a part of the business that you excel at or enjoy the most?
AO: We both do everything together.
MKO: There is a balance – a ying and yang relationship.

What was the thinking behind the decision to support high-end fashion manufacturing in the US?
AO: Localization is very important to us. The
craft to create quality pieces exists in the United States. With this, you also have efficiency. –
MKO: Overseeing and nurturing the samples until we deliver the garments gives us more control over fit and quality.

With so many talented top tier brands now showing in Paris (and I know you have presented in France in the past) is it still important for you to continue to present your work in the United States?
MKO: It’s important for The Row to be true to our clients and customers. We show internationally when it’s the right time.
AO: When we present our collections, we show within a context that makes sense for that season and for our clients, wherever that location may be at the time.

What would you say sets your brand apart… there is a sort of stealth understated elegance to it?
MKO: Consistency. We don’t look to trends. We don’t believe we are trendy. We do what we do and constantly look ahead.
AO: We are owner operated and have a very consistent mindset when designing. We practice restraint.

You now have ready-to-wear, eyewear, handbags and footwear. Are there any other lines you would like to develop?
AO: Yes.
MKO: All in a matter of time. Doing collaborations with other brands is a big trend in fashion right now.

Is that something you would like to explore…and if so… what brand would you like to creatively team up with?
AO: We have partnered with other brands in the past and will do so again in the future when it makes sense.

Can you tell me a story about a time when you saw someone wearing one of your designs out in the street. What was that experience like?
AO: During our second market in Paris, I saw a woman wearing the leather leggings outside of a restaurant. It’s always a very humbling feeling. There are many options for women, so I never take it for granted.
MKO: Every time I see someone in the brand, whether it was 10 years ago or today, it makes me smile.

Random question… what is your favorite fabric?
MKO: Hard to answer. When fabrics are treated well there are many fabrics that are considered favorites.
AO: It’s hard to pick one.

Besides making covetable clothing do you both have any other hidden talents that you excel at?
MKO: It’s hard to excel if you can only do something part time.
AO: What she said.

Jessica Michault 1/26/18 Jessica Michault 1/26/18

🎙️ Stephen Jones

There are some people who work in fashion that you could just listen to for hours. Their knowledge about the industry, both institutional and anecdotal make them treasured sources of information and education. And if there is one person working in fashion today who does this, pretty much better than anyone else its Stephen Jones.

Stephen has been a milliner for 40 years and during that time he has become the go to hat maker for…well…just about everyone. From fashion designers and celebrities to rockstars and royalty, Stephen has created the finishing touch for thousands and thousands of outfits. Clients include everyone from Boy George, Mick Jagger and Madonna, to Beyoncé, Victoria Beckham and Rihanna. Not to mention all the royals who have donned one of his designs including Diana, Princess of Wales.

But it is via his numerous collaboration with fashion designers that Stephen has been able to let his creative imagination really run wild. The hats he crafted for John Galliano during his Dior years, the headgear he has created for Thom Browne and headpieces he has concocted for Rei Kawakubo to complete her Comme des Garçons collections are the stuff of legends. They are often gravity defying designs that are objet d’art in their own right.

Stephen’s talents have been recognized by Her Royal Highness, Queen Elisabeth II. She bestowed on him an OBE for his services to fashion, and his work has been the subject of fashion exhibitions around the world.

But as extraordinary as all his hats are, Stephen himself has a very distinctive look. Yes he is always dapperly dressed, but it’s his balled head, which he started shaving back in the 1980s, that makes him instantly recognizable in a fashion crowd. Stephen decided to make this dramatic choice when he discovered that his head was the perfect stock size, which instantly made it easy to test out all of his hats…on himself.

Getting to chat with Stephen about his life’s work as a milliner was such a treat for me. And I know you will be tipping your hat to him too by the end of this podcast.

Jessica Michault 12/19/17 Jessica Michault 12/19/17

🎙️ Angela Missoni

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Angela Missoni’s reign at the head of the family owned Missoni house. During those two decades she has proven over and over again that there is always room for creativity, even within the confines of a house that has such an iconic DNA.

In the case of Missoni, the brand’s hallmark colorful knitwear, in zigzag shades, has been the upbeat foundation for countless collection. Each one a master class in color blending, knitwear innovation and feel good fashion.

Speaking from first hand experience, having attended pretty much every single show that Angela Missoni has done over the past two decades, I can attest to the fact that she has been incredibly agile and adept at adapting the signature style of the house to the ever evolving fashion tastes. But what I appreciate even more is how this matriarchal house, founded by Angela’s mother and father Rosita and Ottavio, has flourished in her hands and how her own children have also joined the family company. Bringing with them the knowledge of a third generation that are digital natives and are helping bring the brand’s message to crop of consumers.

Angela has also become something of an activist and has focused her energies on finding ways, including her own Missoni take on the Pussy Hat revolution, to empower women. Something that in today’s climate, is resonating even more profoundly than ever.

I spoke with Angela at the Missoni headquarters in Milan as she was in full swing of preparing her commemorative 20th anniversary show. It was a time for reflection for the designer, where she took stalk of everything she has accomplished so far. But also a moment for making plans and getting clear about what she wants to do next.

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Jessica Michault 12/4/17 Jessica Michault 12/4/17

🎙️ Cedric Charlier

Belgian designer Cédric Charlier is about to celebrate two milestones in his life, the 5th anniversary of his brand and his 40th birthday. Both dates have kind of snuck up on him. This is because he is a designer who is so incredibly focused on the work.

In fact, this has always been the case with Cedric, who studied at the famous La Cambre fashion school in Belgium and worked on the design teams at Celine during the reign of Michael Kors and perfected his craft alongside Alber Elbaz during his Lanvin years. From there he became the artistic director of Cacharel before the Italian fashion giant Aeffe came knocking at his door making him the dream offer to back the launch of his own signature brand.

Since then Cedric has built up a name for himself not only for his beautifully cut garments in attractive graphic designs that made real world clothing look and feel special, but also the way in which he approaches the fashion system itself. He presents his menswear and womenswear together, and has made the conscious decision to only product two collections a year…instead of the endless slog of pre-collections, runway collections, capsule, cruise or resort collections that have filled up every waking hour of most modern designers’ lives.

Instead he takes the time to be inspired, find interesting partnerships to build creative collaborations with, like his new t-shirt collaboration with Fruit of the Loom, and his choice shows his clothing in a presentation format so that buyers and journalists can have an up close and personal interaction with his work all underline that Cedric has his own elegantly understated approach to the business of fashion.

I caught up with Cedric as his favorite French bistro to talk about his career, the choices he has made and why being a fashion designer might not be a lifelong pursuit.

Jessica Michault 9/30/17 Jessica Michault 9/30/17

🎙️ Julie De Libran

Designer Julie de Libran has breathed new life into the iconic French fashion house Sonia Rykiel since she became the creative director of the brand in 2014. Her ability to reinterpret the codes of the label for a new generation of empowered women has made her one of the few designers who is able to honor a house's past while blazing a bright path into the future.

During this interview, Julie opens up about a childhood split between France and California, what she learned from working with designers like Gianni Versace, Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada, before joining Rykiel and what her goals are for the house.

Jessica Michault 9/11/17 Jessica Michault 9/11/17

💭 Riccardo Tisci for Exhibition Magazine

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

RICCARDO TISCI

Last year, after over a decade at the house, designer Riccardo Tisci walked away from his job as creative director of Givenchy. A brand that he put back on the fashion map, making it an epicenter of cool, street inspired ready-to-wear collections that brought an entirely new fan base to the house. And on the other end of the spectrum Tisci also designed cutting edge haute couture that gave a breath of creative fresh air to the sartorial art form. Along the way he dresses some of the most beautiful women in the world and became friends with living legends like Kim Kardashian, artist Marina Abramović and fashion editor Carine Roitfeld.
During his whirlwind career what has kept Tisci humble and his feet firmly planted on the ground is his family. He is the youngest of nine siblings and the only son to a mother who lost her husband when the designer was just four years old. This loss bonded an already close knit family even tighter together and the designer has often spoken about how his family has inspired him over the years.
Even after he left home at the age of 17 to study in London at the prestigious Central Saint Martins fashion school, Tisci found a way to recreate this sense of family through a close circle of friends who have been by his side since those early college years. Its these friends, as well as a handful that joined the group during his time at Givenchy, and his family that have been the focus of Tisci’s time over the past year.
When we spoke Tisci had just finished lunch with his mother who had recently been released from the hospital after a health scare. The event had the designer in a very reflective mood about his life, what he wants to do next and why now having a son has become something very important to him.

You had a rather unique environment growing up, surrounded pretty much exclusively by women. How do you think that shaped you during your formative years?
Well this is the only thing I have ever known. And I think it just really showed me very clearly how powerful women are. I think I really learned from my sisters and my mom is how to deal with problems. Because life is beautiful, but sometimes we have to deal with difficult situations, this happens to everybody, and it shapes who you are. And I find that women are very brave when it comes to facing problems in life, but they also approach them in a positive way. Something that I think men, now that I am grown up and have had more time to interact with men as well, that they tend to be more pessimistic.
So I grew up with nine very strong women, in a poor family from Puglia. When I was young we moved from the south of Italy up to Como in the north, and at that time there was a real prejudice in Italy between people from the north and south. Anyway, as you know, I lost my father when I was four years old. So we all had to pitch in and we all started working when we were very young. I would see how my sisters would deal with society and their work and the people around them. And I remember they were so strong, like warriors, very tough. And then at night they would come home, it was like they would take off their armour and they would become these sweet creatures. Very funny and open, just completely different than how they were when they were outside the front door of the house. It was like, if somebody had a problem then everybody got involved to help. They were very collaborative. I don’t agree when people say that women don’t collaborate well together. I think actually, when a lot of women all come together they can really solve a lot of problems.

So, you were the youngest child, with 8 older sisters. How did you create a space for yourself among all these women? Did you try to differentiate yourself and stand out?
So I might not have had any men in my house, but to be honest, my mom she is like a man. She is a real tough woman and she is the toughest one of all of us. So my mom was my reference. And my sisters, I have to be honest, they never treated me as a kid. They always spoke to me, and treated me, like an adult. But then of course I would find a different connection with each of them. One of them is like my mother, one of them is like my friend, one of them you can play games with, I would find a different thing about each one of them that we would build a connection through.
But we are all very collaborative with each other.
Everybody talks with everybody else, we all pretty much get along with each other. In our house there wasn’t any difference between men and women. And this is why I just naturally grew up as a feminist. I remember when I started working I was so surprise to discover how the world treated women differently. It was a real shock. Because in my house there was no difference. I was washing the clothing, my sisters were fixing things when they broke in the house, taking care of the garden, they did everything and there was never any question about if they were capable of it. They just did it.

What do you think, for somebody who grew up not seeing any difference between men and women, about this whole Time’s Up movement and the floodgates that have opened in terms of the issue of sexual harassment?
I think it is really good that it is happening. I think society will only become stronger when women have a bigger voice. The only thing we can thank Donald Trump for is that he galvanized women to speak up and stand up for themselves and each other. And I only hope that in the next decade we will see less and less discrimination between men and women, different cultures and different races. Because the world is facing a lot of problems that we need to deal with together. Like humans are destroying nature, so we need humans to start working together to try and fix the damage they have done to the environment. We are all on this planet together.

It has been over a year now that you walked away from your job as the artistic director of Givenchy. What has it been like to have this time to reconnect with family and friends?
Everyone thinks that I took this sabbatical year to rest after time at Givenchy. But I have really been working non-stop since I was 9 years old. I didn’t want to look back on my life and have regrets. I took it off because of my family. I could always find a bit of time for myself while I was working. But I realized that my nieces and nephews were growing up so fast, and my mom was getting older, and yes I spent time with them over the years, but it always felt like that when I went for a visit or we went on a holiday that there was always this clock ticking away. I was always watching the clock, that I couldn’t ever just be there with them one hundred percent. Because of all the success at Givenchy my job became a 24-hour thing. So I wasn’t able to have the quality time I wanted to with my family.
So this year I just took the time. The time to do simple things like go shopping, see my sisters kids in their Christmas play, go to the movies. To just sit and talk about everyday things, to talk about life. When I get older I want to have these memories. I know they will sustain me and they have made my relationship with my family even stronger.

How has it been over this past year with your fashion family. The band of friends that you build for yourself over your career? How have those relationships evolved?
Well, there are two things I have two say. I left Italy I was 17 and I went to London and I build my own sort of family of friends there. You know that most of these people who work with me I have known for 20–25 years. These are people who knew me when I was nobody. Then when I got to Givenchy I build another sort of family, a bigger, broader family with people like Marina Abramović and Carine Roitfeld who I now get to see and talk to more than I could before. You can call them a group, or tribe or whatever you want, but to me these people are family. They are the people who stick with you no matter what. For better or worst I am a very faithful friend. If I have a problem with someone I always try and work it out. When I consider a friend is part of my family I don’t drop them. I fight for them, I always try and find a solution and I always try and share my successes with them. For me, not so many people know how to live as a family with friends.

What does you look for in a person? I mean, you have already a ton of friends…
There are three things that really attract me to people; honesty, humour and intelligence. And when I say intelligence, I am not talking about someone who has a great education or a lot of culture. For me intelligence means people that have a strong personality, who are very open and honest about things. This is what I grew up with, in my family we have always been honest to each other. We’ve always been trying to be positive. I considered my mom and my sisters intelligent because they survived and they are survivors, they have an emotional intelligence.

I know that your mom just had a bit of a health scare and I know how close the two of you are. Did that experience put your life in a new kind of perspective?
It has always been my fear to lose my mom, you know. This time, when she had a heart attack on the 1st of January, it was a trauma for everybody. I rushed back from my holiday in Brazil to be with her in the hospital. And I spend all day and night with her. I was looking at her while she was recuperating and I was thinking a lot. I think you need to prepare yourself, parents are not immortals. At some point everyone is going to die so you should try to find time for the people you love, you should forgive people who made mistakes in the past, make the time to help the people you love because life goes by so fast.
Of course it breaks everybody’s heart when you see your parents getting old. But I think that if you can live this moment in a way that you really see the best in them, everything they gave to you, then you will live the rest of your life with beautiful memories. I have friends who fights with their parents, and I tell them “ one day you are going to regret it”. Parents make mistakes, they are humans, we are all. Be a parent is not easy. You need to see them as the people they are, not just your parents.

What about you? I know you have lots of nieces and nephews but have you ever thought about being a father yourself?
Yes. I have been talking about this for a long time.
I know some people have kids without a husband, without a wife.
I am ready. I am 43 I want to be a father very soon, for two reasons. Reason one because I love kids. Second is because I am the only boy in my family, the only one who can carry on the Tisci name in my family. So the name Tisci is going to stop if I don’t have kids of my own. So I was telling my mom and my sisters very very soon I want to have a boy. I hope it will be a boy because I want to give him the name of my father, who I never met when
I was a child.
I never had the figure of a father in my life. But I do love it when I see around me boys with their father who are also such good friends. I think to be a good father you also should be a good friend. You need to have a fantastic communication with your kids. But I like this idea of raising a son, and showing him the right way to live, to give him the right education about life and how to live in this world. I think the moment has come in my life that I want to do this, that I want to share what I have learned about life with my own son.

Well now that you are thinking about having a son, what role will the world of fashion play in your life in the future? Or is there some other sort of creative field you would like to explore instead?
You know during my career my job was never just about designing clothes and beautiful bags, jewellery and make-up. I explored a lot of things, I did a book, I worked in the theatre, I worked with many different artists. In this sabbatical year, I think personally it was the right moment to take a break. Because I am a very positive person and it felt like fashion was becoming very negative and it was going through changes. Now I am ready to come back and I am sure 2018 is going to be the year I return. But I want to come-back in a different way.
I don’t want to be a workaholic like I was in the past. I now have enough experiences and have grown enough that I feel I can delegate to people and just focus on being a creative director one hundred percent. When I was at Givenchy things were growing so fast and I didn’t have the time to learn how to delegate and be smarter with my time and where I spend my energy. The year away has really helped me get clear about a lot of things and now I am really ready to come back.

Il y a un an, le designer Riccardo Tisci quittait la direction artistique de Givenchy, après plus d’une décennie passée au sein de la maison. La marque lui doit un retour en gr'ce dans le paysage de la mode, avec des collections prêt-à-porter d’inspiration urbaine qui ont fait d’elle une référence en la matière, et ont contribué à renouveler en profondeur son image et son public. À l’autre extrémité de la gamme, le travail novateur de Tisci en matière de haute couture a donné un souffle créatif à l’art vestimentaire. Son parcours l’a conduit à habiller quelques-unes des plus belles femmes du monde, ainsi qu’à se nouer d’amitié avec des légendes vivantes telles que Kim Kardashian, l’artiste Marina Abramović ou encore la rédactrice de mode Carine Roitfeld.

Dans le tourbillon de sa carrière, cependant, ce sont les relations familiales qui ont permis à Tisci de garder la tête froide et les pieds sur terre. Dernier né et seul garçon d’une famille de neuf enfants, le designer avait quatre ans lorsqu’il a perdu son père. Les liens familiaux, déjà forts, se resserrent encore à l’occasion de ce deuil, et Tisci a souvent évoqué sa famille comme une source d’inspiration au fil des années.
Lorsque Tisci quitte le foyer maternel à 17 ans pour aller étudier à la prestigieuse école Central Saint Martins de Londres, il emporte avec lui ce sens de la famille, qu’il recrée avec un petit cercle d’amis. Ceux qui ne l’ont plus quitté depuis avec une poignée de nouveaux venus rencontrés à Givenchy et, bien sûr, sa vraie famille ont été le cœur de ses préoccupations au cours de l’année passée.
Quand nous l’avons rencontré, Tisci revenait d’un déjeuner avec sa mère, récemment sortie de l’hôpital où elle était soignée pour un problème de santé. L’événement avait rendu le designer pensif, le conduisant à s’interroger sur sa vie, ses projets d’avenir et son désir devenu très important pour lui d’avoir un fils.

Vous avez grandi dans un environnement assez particulier, exclusivement entouré de femmes. En quoi cela vous a-t-il façonné ?
À vrai dire, ce que cela m’a montré, et c’est sûrement tout ce que je sais, c’est que les femmes sont extrêmement fortes. Je suis convaincu d’avoir appris de mes sœurs et de ma mère comment résoudre les difficultés. Car même si la vie est belle, tout le monde doit affronter des situations difficiles un jour ou l’autre, et ces épreuves font de vous qui vous êtes. Or je trouve non seulement que les femmes sont très courageuses devant les problèmes de la vie, mais aussi qu’elles ont tendance à les aborder d’une manière positive. Maintenant que je suis plus vieux, et que j’ai eu l’occasion de connaître davantage les hommes, je les trouve généralement plus pessimistes.J’ai donc grandi avec neuf femmes très solides, au sein d’une famille pauvre des Pouilles. J’étais jeune quand nous avons quitté le sud de l’Italie pour nous installer à Côme, dans le nord. À cette époque, les préjugés des gens du nord à l’égard de ceux du sud avaient encore la vie dure. Et puis, comme vous le savez, j’ai perdu mon père à quatre ans. Donc nous avons tous dû mettre la main à la p'te et nous avons commencé à travailler très jeunes. Je voyais la façon dont mes sœurs appréhendaient le monde extérieur, le travail, les gens, et je me souviens qu’elles étaient vraiment très fortes, de vraies combattantes, dures. Mais quand elles rentraient à la maison, le soir, c’était comme si elles avaient quitté leur armure : elles redevenaient des anges. Drôles, ouvertes, complètement différentes de ce qu’elles étaient à l’extérieur de la maison. Si l’un de nous avait un problème, tout le monde s’impliquait pour l’aider. Elles avaient un sens aigu de l’entraide. Je ne suis pas d’accord lorsque j’entends dire que les femmes ne sont pas solidaires entre elles. Au contraire, je pense que beaucoup de femmes peuvent résoudre ensemble des montagnes de problèmes.

Vous étiez le petit dernier, entouré de 8 grandes sœurs. Comment avez-vous aménagé un espace personnel au milieu de toutes ces femmes ? Est-ce que vous essayiez de vous démarquer d’une manière ou d’une autre ?
Peut-être qu’il n’y avait pas d’autre homme à la maison, mais en réalité, ma mère était comme un homme. C’est une femme très dure et la plus robuste d’entre nous. Elle était ma référence. Quant à mes sœurs, si je devais être honnête, je dirais qu’elles ne m’ont jamais traité comme un enfant. Elles me parlaient et se comportaient toujours avec moi comme avec un adulte. Ensuite, bien sûr, j’avais des affinités spécifiques avec chacune d’entre elles. L’une était comme ma mère, une autre comme une amie, une autre une partenaire de jeu… avec chacune, la relation se construisait sur quelque chose de différent.Mais nous nous sommes toujours entraidés.
Tout le monde se parle et nous nous entendons tous assez bien. À la maison, il n’y avait aucune distinction entre les hommes et les femmes. C’est donc naturellement que j’ai grandi en étant féministe. Je me rappelle que lorsque j’ai commencé à travailler, la différence de traitement entre les hommes et les femmes m’a beaucoup étonné. C’était un choc, car chez moi cette différence n’existait pas. Je lavais le linge, mes sœurs réparaient ce qui se cassait dans la maison, elles s’occupaient du jardin, elles faisaient tout ce qu’il y avait à faire et la question de leur capacité à le faire ne s’est jamais posée. Elles le faisaient, point final.

Vous qui avez été grandi sans voir de différences entre les hommes et les femmes, que pensez-vous du mouvement Time’s Up et du flot de questions que cela a entraîné autour du harcèlement sexuel ?
C’est une très bonne chose. La société entière ne pourra être que plus forte quand la voix des femmes sera davantage entendue. S’il y a une chose pour laquelle nous pouvons remercier Donald Trump, c’est d’avoir galvanisé les femmes en les poussant à parler et à prendre position, pour elles-mêmes et collectivement. Tout ce que j’espère, c’est que dans les années à venir nous verrons de moins en moins de discrimination entre les hommes et les femmes, entre les différentes cultures et les différentes couleurs de peau. Car le monde est confronté à de nombreux problèmes qu’il nous faudra résoudre ensemble. Les êtres humains détruisent la nature, et c’est donc à eux de travailler ensemble à réparer les dég'ts qu’ils ont infligés à l’environnement. Nous vivons tous ensemble sur cette planète.

Il y a maintenant plus d’un an que vous avez quitté la direction artistique de Givenchy. Comment avez-vous vécu cette période de reconnexion avec votre famille et vos amis ?
Tout le monde pense que j’ai pris cette année sabbatique pour me reposer après Givenchy. En réalité, je ne me suis jamais arrêté de travailler depuis l’'ge de 9 ans. Je ne voulais pas avoir de regrets quand j’aurai à faire le bilan de mon existence. J’ai pris ce congé pour ma famille. Quand je travaillais, j’arrivais toujours à dégager un peu de temps pour moi. Mais je me suis aperçu que mes neveux et nièces grandissaient très vite, que ma mère vieillissait, et même si j’ai quelquefois passé du temps avec eux ces dernières années, quand je leur rendais visite ou que je partais en vacances avec eux, c’était toujours avec une montre dans la tête. J’étais sous la pression du temps en permanence, et je n’arrivais pas à être pleinement avec eux. Avec le succès de Givenchy, je me suis mis à travailler vingt-quatre heures sur vingt-quatre. Le temps que je passais avec ma famille n’avait pas la qualité que je souhaitais. C’est ce temps-là que j’ai pris cette année. Le temps de faire des choses simples, de faire du shopping, d’aller voir les enfants de mes sœurs à leur spectacle de Noël, d’aller au cinéma. Simplement s’asseoir et parler des choses de tous les jours, parler de la vie. Quand je serai plus vieux, je veux me souvenir de ces choses. Je sais que ces souvenirs vont me nourrir, et qu’ils auront rendu les relations avec ma famille plus solides.

Comment les choses se sont-elles passées cette année avec votre famille de la mode, la bande d’amis que vous avez constitué pendant votre carrière ? Comment les relations avec eux ont-elles évolué ?
J’ai deux choses à dire. J’ai quitté l’Italie à 17 ans et je suis allé à Londres et j’ai construit ma propre famille d’amis là-bas. Comme vous le savez, je connais les personnes avec qui je travaille depuis parfois 20 ou 25 ans. Et eux me connaissaient quand je n’étais personne. Puis, quand je suis arrivé chez Givenchy, j’ai construit une autre sorte de famille, plus large, avec des personnes comme Marina Abramović ou Carine Roitfeld, que maintenant j’ai l’occasion de voir et avec qui j’ai le temps de parler davantage qu’auparavant. Appelez ça un groupe, une tribu ou ce que vous voudrez : pour moi, ces gens sont une famille. Ils sont de ceux qui restent à vos côtés en toutes circonstances. Je suis très fidèle en amitié, pour le meilleur et pour le pire. Lorsque j’ai un problème avec quelqu’un, je m’efforce toujours de le régler. Quand je considère que des amis font partie de ma famille, je ne les abandonne jamais. Je me bats pour eux, je trouve des solutions et je t'che toujours de partager mes réussites avec eux. Je crois que ce n’est pas si fréquent de savoir traiter ses amis comme une famille.

Que recherchez-vous chez les gens ? Après tout, vous avez déjà des tonnes d’amis…
Il y a trois choses qui m’attirent vraiment chez les gens : l’honnêteté, l’humour et l’intelligence. Et quand je parle d’intelligence, je ne parle pas d’avoir fait de grandes études ou d’avoir une immense culture. Être intelligent, pour moi, c’est avoir une forte personnalité, être ouvert et honnête. J’ai grandi avec ces valeurs, dans ma famille nous avons toujours été honnêtes les uns avec les autres. Nous avons toujours essayé d’être positifs. Je considère ma mère et mes sœurs comme des femmes intelligentes parce que ce sont des survivantes, et qu’elles ont une intelligence émotionnelle.

Je sais que votre mère vient d’avoir des ennuis de santé, et que vous êtes très proche d’elle. Cet événement vous a-t-il fait voir la vie différemment ?
Perdre ma mère a toujours été ma grande crainte. Cette fois-ci, la crise cardiaque qu’elle a eue le 1er janvier nous a tous beaucoup choqués. J’ai écourté mes vacances au Brésil pour être auprès d’elle à l’hôpital, où je suis resté avec elle jour et nuit. En la regardant se rétablir, j’ai beaucoup réfléchi. Il faut se tenir prêt, car nos parents ne sont pas immortels. Tout le monde meurt un jour ou l’autre, et c’est pourquoi il faut trouver du temps pour ceux qu’on aime, pardonner à ceux qui ont fait des erreurs dans le passé, prendre le temps d’aider ceux qui nous sont chers, car la vie passe très vite.Bien sûr, c’est une douleur pour tout le monde de voir ses parents vieillir. Mais je crois que si l’on arrive à toujours voir le meilleur en eux, à voir tout ce qu’ils nous ont donné, alors on peut vivre le reste de sa vie avec de beaux souvenirs. J’ai des amis qui sont en conflit avec leurs parents, et je leur dis toujours : « Un jour, vous le regretterez. » Les parents font des erreurs, ils sont humains, comme nous tous. Ce n’est pas simple d’être parent. Il faut aussi les voir en tant que personnes, et pas seulement comme nos parents.

Et vous ? Vous avez beaucoup de neveux et nièces, mais avez-vous déjà songé à devenir père vous-même ?
Oui. J’en parle depuis longtemps. Je sais qu’il y a des gens qui ont des enfants sans nécessairement être en couple. Je suis prêt. J’ai 43 ans et je voudrais devenir père bientôt, pour deux raisons. D’abord, j’adore les enfants. Ensuite parce que je suis le seul homme dans ma famille, le seul qui puisse faire perdurer le nom de Tisci. Ce nom va se perdre si je n’ai pas d’enfant. J’ai donc dit à ma mère et à mes sœurs que je souhaitais avoir un petit garçon très bientôt. J’espère que ce sera un garçon, parce que je veux lui donner le nom de mon père, que je n’ai pas connu quand j’étais enfant.
Il n’y a pas eu de figure paternelle dans ma vie. Mais j’aime vraiment voir autour de moi les amitiés qui existent entre des garçons et leurs pères. Je crois que pour être un bon père, il faut aussi être un bon ami. La communication avec ses enfants doit être excellente. L’idée d’élever un fils me plaît, lui montrer comment bien vivre, lui donner une bonne éducation et lui apprendre à vivre dans ce monde. Je crois que le moment est venu pour moi de partager avec mon fils ce que j’ai appris de la vie.

Maintenant que vous voulez devenir père, quelle place va occuper la mode dans votre vie future ? Y a-t-il un autre domaine créatif que vous souhaiteriez explorer ?
Vous savez, au cours de ma carrière, mon travail ne s’est jamais limité à dessiner des vêtements, à faire de beaux sacs, des bijoux ou à créer du maquillage. J’ai exploré de nombreux domaines, j’ai fait un livre, j’ai travaillé pour le thé'tre, ainsi qu’avec beaucoup d’artistes différents. Maintenant que j’ai pris cette année sabbatique, je me dis que c’était vraiment le bon moment pour faire une pause. Je suis quelqu’un de très positif, et j’avais l’impression que la mode devenait très négative et commençait à changer. Maintenant, je suis prêt à revenir et je suis sûr que 2018 sera l’année pour cela. Mais je veux revenir de façon différente. Je ne veux plus être accro à mon travail comme je l’ai été jusque là. J’ai eu assez d’expériences, j’ai assez grandi maintenant pour me sentir capable de déléguer et me concentrer entièrement sur la direction artistique. Quand j’étais chez Givenchy, les choses allaient si vite que je n’ai pas appris à déléguer ni à gérer mon temps et mon énergie de façon plus intelligente. Cette année de pause m’a permis d’y voir clair sur de nombreux points, et maintenant, je suis vraiment prêt à revenir.

Jessica Michault 9/10/17 Jessica Michault 9/10/17

🎙️ Leaf Greener

To the ill-informed she might be seen as just another concrete catwalk celeb with a bright smile and bubbly personality who looks great in her eye catching outfits. But Leaf is so much more than this.

Leaf Greener is a fashion force of nature.

After a six years as the senior fashion editor of Elle China She launched her digital magazine " LEAF", which she publishes on the leading Chinese platform WeChat. A move that helped transform her into one of China’s most influential independent fashion editors.

She is endlessly being courted to consultant leading western luxury houses on how to work in China and has made a business out of educating her compatriots on the art of fashion while she continues to fight for more creative freedom in her home country.

But what I like most about Leaf is how unabashedly frank she is. She speaks from the heart and says what she thinks…damn the consequences…which is a rare and refreshing thing in our industry.

So get ready to experience a real fashion treat as, between puffs on her cigarette in her hotel room, Leaf lays down the law about what is working and not working in this industry that we both love.

Jessica Michault 8/21/17 Jessica Michault 8/21/17

🎙️ Joanne Palmaro

Joanne Palmaro is a budding actress of Italian and German descent who looks like a modern day boho version of Peggy Lipton with just a soupçon of Bridget Bardot. This twenty-something is in the ingénue phase of her career having had just a few acting roles under her belt in some short French films like "Errance" and the TV mini series "Addict". And she has been featured in short films for brands like Miu Miu, Armani, Jour/ne and H&M.

But like any good contemporary feminist she is taking her future into her own hands. She has already written a short film called “Fille Dentaire” in which she stars and co-directs. And she has also started working on a new script for a full length film, where again she plans on playing the protagonist.

We sat down to talk about her career, how fashion effects what she does and the impact her grandmother had on Joanne’s choice to become an actress.

Jessica Michault 7/21/17 Jessica Michault 7/21/17

🎙️ Marie Mas

Marie Cabirou is the talented woman behind the fledgling French fine jewelry house Marie Mas. She has the pedigree and the skills to become a leader in luxury jewelry design. Cabirou studied at the prestigious École Duperré and the IFM (French Fashion Institute) in Paris. And you probably already love her work, if you took a shine to the artistic and asymmetrical jewelry that was a hallmark feature of the Dior shows during the reign of Raf Simons at the house.

Jessica Michault 7/12/17 Jessica Michault 7/12/17

🎙️ Felipe Oliveira Baptista

On the eve of the 85th anniversary of Lacoste, the company's creative director, Felipe Oliveira Baptista, talks about the special place Lacoste has within the fashion world, Novak Djokovic, the brand's new ambassador, and why he decided to close his signature label to focus all his energy on the renowned French house.

Jessica Michault 6/16/17 Jessica Michault 6/16/17

💭 Nicoletta Santoro for ODDA Magazine

Nicoletta Santoro is a fashion industry fixture. One of the most well respected stylists working today, her sartorial vision has appeared in the pages of Italian Vogue, French Vogue and Vanity Fair. She was also the International Fashion Director at Large for Vogue China before her current job as the Creative Director at large for Town & Country.

A version of this exclusive interview first appeared in the pages of the 12th issue of ODDA Magazine.

NICOLETTA SANTORO

Learn How To Fly

Nicoletta Santoro is a fashion industry fixture. One of the most well respected stylists working today, her sartorial vision has appeared in the pages of Italian Vogue, French Vogue and Vanity Fair. She was also the International Fashion Director at Large for Vogue China before her current job as the Creative Director at large for Town & Country.

Nicoletta, with her famous waves of blond hair and her devotion to wearing Prada creations, has travelled the globe to shoot fashion stories in some of the world’s most exotic locations. So in this exclusive interview, we thought she would be the best person to ask about how to look chic in any circumstances, even on a 24 hour flight.

*The 3 celebrities for the Town and Country June/July Philantrophy Cover*

Nicoletta what sort of flyer are you? Do you get to the airport early…do you have a fetish outfit you always wear on the plane… Do you have any sort of flying ritual?
I get to the airport promptly and I have a timetested travel uniform, which includes Prada denim jeans. My ritual is the narcoleptic one.

Do you find that you are flying more now then you did earlier in your career? It seems like there is always some major fashion event now in some exotic location.
When I was Vogue China’s Fashion Director I probably spent those years flying more than I ever have in my life.

How do you spend your time in the air? Do you try and disconnect from the world or is it time you use to focus on powering through work without being bothered by any exterior distractions?
Unplugging is essential for me. Sleeping pills or overdosing on the mediocre movies that play from the miniature screen in front of me are both helpful.

As a famous stylists I am particularly curious about how and what you pack. Can you give me a blow by blow of what is in your bag…and what is in your carry-on…just in case the checked luggage doesn’t make it?
I pack systematically with military-like rigor starting two days before departure, pairing looks with accessories. This is more or less the same frame of mind I apply to my fashion shoots. Having something go wrong is not an option!

Do you have a luggage brand that you are faithful to, and if so which one and why?
Tumi. I like traveling with wheels and their bags are sleek and dependable.

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What is the most luggage you have brought on a flight when you were doing a shoot?
Transporting seventeen trunks for a Vanity Fair Hollywood issue cover shoot with Annie Leibovitz.

How do you pack for a month of shows? Do you have things you plan on wearing shipped ahead of time?
I check what the weather will be like. And no, I don’t ship my clothes ahead of time. They’re just clothes after all, right? 😉

What makes an outfit for you? Suzy Menkes always told me to wear comfortable clothing and always have an amazing coat.
That’s good advice from Suzy. Me? I stick to a personal combo while trying to keep things unpredictable. I almost only exclusively wear Prada and I like mixing looks from past and present. Looking stale is the enemy.

I know some people love to always sit in the same seat, do you have any preferences, and if so what?
I always want the corridor seat. I’m a bit claustrophobic.

What is the secret to looking good and feeling good while traveling on a long haul flight?
Staying hydrated. I’m partial to lots of fruit juice.

Have you ever done a fashion shoot on an airplane?
I’m not crazy about the idea – it feels a bit cliché – although I once did a suitcase ad featuring Isabella Rossellini on a plane.

What do you always have to have with you when you travel?
My perfume. I’ve only changed scents three times in my whole life and each time was simply because the perfume got discontinued.

What do you love most about flying?
Being unreachable.

After long #fashionmarathon back home so exited ! 🌹🌹🌹

85 Likes, 4 Comments - Nicoletta Santoro (@therealnicolettasantoro) on Instagram: "After long #fashionmarathon back home so exited ! 🌹🌹🌹"

What can’t you stand about flying?
Ironically, also being unreachable.

Where do you stand on airplane food? Do you partake or do you bring your own?
I am vegetarian and I preorder my meals.

Which airline is your favourite to travel with?
I’m very fond of Virgin airlines.

What is your stance on shoes on a flight, must they always stay on?
I bring my slippers.

What is the best and worst thing that has every happened to you on a flight?
The best was meeting an old friend. The worst remains, and always is for me, talking to strangers.

Where is your favorite place to travel to?
I’ve been all around the world but visiting Milano, where I grew up, is always my favourite trip. I still stay with my mother in the same apartment I grew up in as a girl. The second would be Paris, where my husband and I started our family before moving to New York in the late 90s.

What should you never do on a flight?
Get angry. It can spread like a wave and affect everybody.

Jessica Michault 6/9/17 Jessica Michault 6/9/17

🎙️ Olivier Rousteing

Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of Balmain, talks about his new collaboration designing costumes for the Paris Opera house, the debut of his make-up line with L'Oreal, his childhood, his friendship with Kim Kardashian and where he wants to take the Balmain brand.

Jessica Michault 6/1/17 Jessica Michault 6/1/17

💭 Louis Vuitton Exhibition for VOGUE Japan

Louis Vuitton is taking its “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez – Louis Vuitton” exhibition on the road. Fittingly its first stop is Japan, a country that has been a font of inspiration for the house spanning its entire 162 years of existence.

This article first appeared in the VOGUE JAPAN June 2016 Issue No. 202.

LOUIS VUITTON EXHIBITION

The exhibition, which opens in Kioicho, Tokyo, on April 23rd, celebrates the work of the founding family and its unparalleled skills at creating bags, trunks, cases and accessories that helped their exacting clientele voyage around the world in style. To bring to life these objects curator Olivier Saillard and Artistic Director and Designer Robert Carsen decided to forgo a chronological recounting of Louis Vuitton’s illustrious travel heritage. Instead opting for thematic chapters such as automobiles, yachting and trains. While at the same time weaving in subtler, perhaps less well known, aspects of the house such as the art of writing, fragrances and the root of the business itself – the wood used as a framework to create those iconic Louis Vuitton trunks.

The exhibition is broken up into ten chapters, one more then the version of this show that was presented at the Grand Palais in Paris. They feature sweeping set designs that include the wings of a biplane covered in Louis Vuittton bags, the inside of a luxury train with the images of majestic landscapes whipping by and a boat deck, complete with mast and sail. The added chapter, which is called “Inspirational Japan”, is the final room of the exhibit. It was created so that Louis Vuitton could more fully explore and honor its long creative connection to the country of Japan.

“Japan is a place of boxes – wood boxes,” said Saillard about a fundamental connection between the country and the travel trunks at the heart of the Louis Vuitton house. “It is from that same spirit of wanting to be organized, to arrange, package and protect. That obsession for order and the art of order is a common thread between the two,” added Saillard who was once an honored artist in resident at the Villa Kujoyama.

Another possible connection can be found in the iconic Louis Vuitton Monogram. Georges-Louis Vuitton was captivated by Japanese family crest emblems called mon, it is hard not to see a strong link between those powerful motifs and what would become Louis Vuitton’s most recognizable symbol. While during his lifetime Gaston-Louis Vuitton would become an avid collector of tsuba, the decorated guards usually found at the base of the grip of bladed Japanese weapons.

Guests of the exhibition can see an impressive makeup trunk created by the head of the Special Orders Department Patrick-Louis Vuitton, the great great grandson of founder Monsieur Louis Vuitton, for a famed Kabuki performer. There is also a cabin trunk build back in 1883 for the Japanese dignitary Taisuke Itagaki on display. And let’s not forget all of the highly creative modern collaborations Louis Vuitton has worked on over the years with Japanese artistic legends like Takashi Murakami, YayoiKusama and Rei Kawakubo of Comme Des Garçons, whose work also had pride of place in the final room of the show.

The link between Louis Vuitton and the land of the rising sun has never been stronger. The country and the company are connected in their fundamental love of beauty, artistry, creativity and innovation, as well as the endless pursuit of perfection. This exhibit displays that steadfast relationship in an elegant and inventive way.

Jessica Michault 5/12/17 Jessica Michault 5/12/17

💭 Ken Downing for ODDA Magazine

Are you about to take a long haul flight to Australia Fashion Week or the Louis Vuitton cruise show in Japan? Ken Downing, the highly regarded Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus and self described global fashion ambassador, tells me all about how he has learned to travel in style.

A version of this exclusive interview first appeared in the pages of the 12th issue of ODDA Magazine.

KEN DOWNING

Travel In Style

Are you about to take a long haul flight to Australia Fashion Week or the Louis Vuitton cruise show in Japan? Ken Downing, the highly regarded Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus and self described global fashion ambassador, tells me all about how he has learned to travel in style.

Ken is a delightful storyteller, has an incredible talent for spotting fashion trends before anyone else has picked up the scent and is one of the most charming men to sit next to in the front row at a fashion show. In this exclusive interview, which first appeared in the pages of the 12th issue of ODDA Magazine, we thought that he would be the perfect person to give us his hard eared insights on the best way to travel and why he loves to travel to Australia.

Ken, you are a tall drink of water, how do you deal with the confines of an airplane?
At 6’3 (or 1.905 meters) I am indeed a tall drink of water, Premium Class is necessary on overseas flights to accommodate my runway length legs! I’m big on leg stretched and foot rotation in my seat to keep my blood circulating and voiding my legs and feet from falling asleep.

I know some people love to always sit in the same seat, do you have any preferences, and if so what?
I am a creature of habit and I love a window seat. It’s a view I’m very comfortable with as I spend more time in the air than on the ground. Although I’m most happy near the window, I am more than capable of adjusting to an aisle seat with pleasure.

What do you always have to have with you when you travel?
Always with me when I travel, my two iPhones, my iPad, Saint Laurent Chelsea Boots, a denim jacket, a biker jacket , skinny black ties, Sisley’s Sisleya antiage cream and Tom Ford Black Orchid.

Do you have any sort of flying ritual?
I am a very regimented flyer, a place for everything, everything in its place. My bags are a highly organized wardrobe of essentials, my carry all is my office, time in the air is time to catch up, I find the power source, plug in and get my work out! I love the feeling of getting things accomplished on a plane. I generally do my fashion writings for the Neiman Marcus Blog, and for The Book. The solitude in the air allows me to think clearly without interruption. It’s true bliss. But my ultimate flying ritual, my secret guilty pleasure… I power watch silly romantic comedies. I love, love, and there’s something about the high altitude of an airplane that’s makes the unlikely scenarios all seem possible.

What do you love most about flying?
What I love most about flying is knowing there is an adventure waiting for me on the other end. I’d be lying if I said my life wasn’t exciting. I work in one of the most interesting and ever changing industries imaginable. I love the sense of the unexpected waiting the me on the other side!

What can’t you stand about flying?
My least part of flying is security lines; I have TSA Pre-Check down to a science. I can strip out of my metal laden wardrobe in seconds flat and be redressed by the time most people at remembering if they have their keys in their pocket or in their bag. In the air…I can’t stand filthy lavatories. I’m a Virgo, cleanliness isn’t an option, and it is a fact of life. People aren’t terribly tidy in airplanes, my obsessive-compulsive nature finds me being the in flight bathroom attendant. Lol! But it’s true!

*Latest issues of “The Book” by Neiman Marcus*

Where do you stand on airplane food? Do you partake or do you bring your own?
Where do I stand on airplane food? Better to stand on it, than eat it! Short haul flights, I never eat. Long haul overseas flights, I find the food to be much better, so I look at it like a tasting menu. I sample and find sometimes I’m wildly surprised! The in flights soups can be very tasty. Fish in the air, I avoid at every cost. I like a good Bloody Mary, it’s part cocktail, part meal, satisfying at every level. A perfect aperitif, being a brunch beverage is very American, I like a good Bloody before a meal, very European.

Which airline is your favourite to travel with?
I often say, I pay my taxes in Texas, but live on American Airlines. Although I keep homes in New York, and Detroit, Texas is my home base as Neiman Marcus corporate offices are there. Ironically I spend more time in Manhattan than Dallas, and spend little time in either of my two traditional offices. With the advent of the digital era, my pocket has long been my office.

What is your stance on shoes on a flight, must they always stay on?
I have a very definite opinion about shoes on an airplane… always…ALWAYS, shoes on!!! It’s that Virgo clean thing.

What is the best and worst thing that has every happened to you on a flight?
Best thing that ever happened to me on an airplane; Hugh Jackman was seated in First Class in a seat across the aisle. Need I say more? Worst thing that ever happened to me on an airplane; I’m fortunate as a flyer, the better outward the bad, the worst, if not comical thing that ever happened to me was on a flight to Philadelphia from Dallas. On plane full of women returning from a Home Decorating convention decked out in winners sashes and tiaras, extreme turbulence bounced the plane back and forth, up and down causing the luggage compartments to fly open tossing bird cages, grape vine wreaths and other bric-a-brac to and fro! Cries, shock and sickness took over many of the novice travellers. It was like a scene out of a movie. Happily the plane landed with out harm or issue.

Where is your favourite place to travel to?
My favourite travel destination is easily Australia!!! I love the land, the people, and the weather! Australia is everything. I’m also a great fan of Paris for its architectural splendour, I’m so fortunate to visit that great city often because of my role as Fashion Director for Neiman Marcus. And of course, London! The inherent Majesty, history and heritage are spellbinding. I love the Brit sense of humour it mirrors mine. And after all I am a Downing, Ken Downing no less.

What should you never do on a flight?
You should NEVER WEAR THE PAJAMAS!!!! You never know who’s looking 😉

When you travel for the shows do you always bring the same things and do you travel light? Or are you someone who brings everything but the kitchen sink with them when they start the fashion marathon?
When I travel for fashion collections, I pack as light as possible. I bring two duffles, a black leather from Coach and a grey flannel from Prada, and my Uri Minkoff olive backpack that becomes my overseas office. Skinny Jeans, Skinny Ties, Chelsea Boots, and lots of shredded and distressed denim with bombers, razor sharp tailored blazers and biker jackets. I always pack a shrunken Tuxedo jacket, perfect with jeans and failsafe in the event a black tie rears its head. My motto: if the lights unexpectedly go out, with no choice but to get dressed in the dark, everything should work together having an intrinsic cool. My style has always been part Rocker, part Surfer, with a hearty dose of School Boy gone bad.

I have one last cheeky question…are you a member of the mile high club?
A member of the Mile High Club!?!? Have you seen who’s on an airplane lately?

149 Likes, 5 Comments - Ken Downing (@kendowningofficial) on Instagram: "Trending: The New Neutrals! For Spring 2017 @neimanmarcus Endorsed by Mother Nature, because she..."

Jessica Michault 4/21/17 Jessica Michault 4/21/17

💭 Alberta Ferretti for ODDA Magazine

Alberta Ferretti is one of those warm Italian women who makes you feel like family the minute you walk in the door. The same can be said for the clothing she creates for her signature brand. They always convey a welcoming, feminine energy. When you wear one of her designs you just know it’s going to make you look, and more importantly, feel your best.

A version of this exclusive interview first appeared in the pages of the 12th issue of ODDA Magazine.

ALBERTA FERRETTI

The Feminine Mystique

Ferretti’s goal seems to be that people remember the woman, not what she was wearing. She is all about empowering women with her designs so that they can live extraordinary lives and look fashionable doing it. In this exclusive interview, Ferretti opens up about her passions outside of fashion, her lifelong admiration for Franca Sozzani and what she wants her legacy to be.

To someone who doesn’t know Alberta Ferretti the brand, how would you describe it?
Feminine, elegant, romantic, effortless, light? I dedicate this style to women so women can interpret the fashion with freedom and interpret the fluidity and the timelessness of what I do.

Your collections are always so colourful and romantic and yet you always seem to be wearing neutral hues yourself, why is that?
In truth I am a person that loves life, I love to go out, I have a great circle of friends; But when I work I like a certain neutrality in what I’m wearing. I like to dress myself to be more invisible to a certain extent, while I work, as I am not the protagonist of my clothing. I am the person behind them and the clothing is the protagonist.

*Look 22 from Alberta Ferretti Ready-to-wear Fall/Winter 2017 collection. / Imaxtree.com*

What’s your design process?
Obviously the first step is to have ideas and a concept. The first step is also the fabrication and the materials I love, the research that goes into the choice of materials we use. And then I love to combine those materials with the human body. I like to work on the mannequin or, even better, directly on the body. I like to see the evolution, the growth of the item on the body. Its only after I have worked the fabric on the body that I truly begin the design process. Then I will do the drawing and develop the design for the pattern makers.

What do you think about this current happening in fashion where we’re seeing a number of women designers coming up through the ranks to take on the top jobs and the top houses?
As we all know, there are endless cycles in fashion. Obviously women have more sensibility about the female body. But creativity really has no gender. It is both feminine and masculine it is up to each maison to make this choice of a designer based on the needs of their particular clientele.

Last year we went to Saudi Arabia together with Franca Sozzani….
Franca was a great friend. She had been a friend for many many years. To a certain extent she was a mentor and a protagonist in my life. Any time she asked me to be involved in any project, it was always yes because her projects were always interesting and her challenges to me were always important and very positive.
This trip to Saudi Arabia was obviously an important project because it brought something that is considered very private in Saudi Arabia – fashion – into almost a public domain. And bringing together a very important group of European women with a group of women from Saudi Arabia was very educational.
It also creates bonds between Europe and Saudi Arabia woman. Also its important to remember that men that were hosting us were really important prestigious men and just the fact that they were hosting an initiative like this is a symbol of the women evolution within Saudi Arabia.

What kind of advice as a leading woman in this industry would you give to young women designers, like those we saw in the Kingdom…or men for that matter?
You need a combination of characters: creativity, determination, passion and lastly, humility. Fashion is some
thing that you need to always be work on. It’s a career. It’s an everyday pursuit.

You have been working in fashion for many years now. What do you see as the biggest change that has affected this industry during that time?
It’s a challenge working in today’s world, with its current rhythm, the velocity of collections….Above all, a factory needs to be elastic while being structured. Ready to support new initiatives yet structured in making pret-à-porter with a certain level of quality, particularly Italian pret-à-porter. That’s why we have a capsule in the Alberta Ferretti collections because we need to give that type of spirit, of innovation, we need to respond to the see now buy now market but we can’t forget the ultimate message of quality. We have to maintain a certain level of integrity. Being a small group, we can move very quickly and we were one of the first designers to adapt to the new way people like to consume fashion.

You are a businesswoman with an Italian fashion empire that has a number of different brands in its Aeffe stable. What is your role in the company exactly and how do you balance it with your work for your signature brand?
Creativity is my number one focus. Obviously when we found Aeffe the concept was to become a network of manufacturing and distribution for a host of designers. We have adapted to the designers and adapted as a group to the market but creativity is the number one focus for me. My brother is the one who deals more with the business side of things, although I do pay attention to that too.

Where do you want to take Alberta Ferretti the brand and the group?
For me there’s no a real defined line ahead of me. More importantly I want to move forward with the same curiosity with the same energy with the same desire to create that I had throughout my career. As for the group, we have sensitivity and an elasticity that will provide for a very positive evolution of the group. And if we continue working towards the future with the same passion and the same dedication, I think we have a long future ahead.

What are you passionate about besides designing clothing?
That’s a difficult question because I am passionate about everything, certainly art, reading and music. I have a circle of friends and we are always up to something. Basically I am curious about everything.

Many years from now, what do you want the Alberta Ferretti brand known for?
When I think of what my legacy will be and what I want to be remembered for, I think of femininity, of movement, of timelessness and lightness. I strive to create each season.

What would be your motto?
You are the master of your own destiny.

SAIF MAHDHI

Fashion’s Wizard of Oz

THE ROW

The Exceptional is the Rule

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RICCARDO TISCI

NICOLETTA SANTORO

Learn How To Fly

LOUIS VUITTON EXHIBITION

KEN DOWNING

Travel In Style

ALBERTA FERRETTI

The Feminine Mystique

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