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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
