MARCH 2002

L’OFFICIEL / PLAZA

IS YOUR APPROACH TO DESIGNING MORE STRATEGIC OR MORE INSTINCTUAL? 

PROBABLY A MIX OF BOTH. 

I SUPPOSE EVERY DESIGNER HAS A REASON THAT GOT THEM INTO FASHION. WHAT WAS IT FOR YOU? 

I DIDN’T HAVE THE BALLS TO BE AN ARTIST. NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT IT TAKES MORE BALLS TO BE A DESIGNER; YOU’RE TESTED AND JUDGED MORE OFTEN, AND HAVE TO BE RELEVANT AND COMMERCIAL AT A MUCH FASTER PACE. ARTISTS CAN AFFORD TO BE SUPERIOR, SARCASTIC AND CONFRONTATIONAL. AS YOU CAN SEE, I’M A LITTLE ANTI-CONTEMPORARY ART RIGHT NOW. 

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST FASHION SHOW? WAS IT ONE OF THOSE COME OUT AND GRAB-THE-WORLD-BY-STORM COLLECTIONS THAT IMMEDIATELY PUT YOUR NAME ON THE MAP? 

JUST THE FACT THAT I WAS ENDORSED BY VOGUE MADE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE. I THINK THERE WAS A LITTLE MOMENT IN FASHION WHERE I HAD SOME SPACE AROUND ME THAT MADE ME NOTICEABLE. AT THE TIME, I WAS TOO DUMB TO KNOW WHAT IT REALLY MEANT. THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT NOBLE ROUGHNESS THAT IS MADLY ATTRACTIVE. 

I GUESS ONE HAS TO BE REALLY CAREFUL WHEN CREATING SOMETHING SO IT DOESN’T GO TOO SMOOTHLY. DO YOU BELIEVE SMOOTH PERFECTION IS A RATHER BORING THING? 

SMOOTH PERFECTION CAN BE BREATHTAKING. THAT’S JUST NOT WHAT I’M GOOD AT. 

COULD YOU DEFINE “THE LUXURY OF NOT CARING”? 

FREEDOM. 

IN THE BEGINNING OF YOUR CAREER, YOU USED TO COPY PATTERNS OF DESIGNER CLOTHING FOR KNOCKOFF COMPANIES BASED IN L.A. NOWADAYS IT’S PROBABLY SAFE TO SAY THAT QUITE A FEW BRANDS “PAY HOMAGE” TO YOUR DESIGN BY NIPPING AT YOU LIKE GOLDFISH. DO YOU FIND IT FLATTERING OR AGGRAVATING WHEN PEOPLE TAKE YOUR IDEAS AND MAKE THEM CHEAPER? 

I THINK IT’S SOMETHING IN THE AIR, AND I DON’T OWN IT. 

THE UNQUESTIONABLE FOCUS OF YOUR FALL/WINTER 2009/10 COLLECTION?
THERE IS OFTEN A DARKNESS TO YOUR THEMES. AS YOU ONCE SAID, YOU ARE “ALL ABOUT DEAD LILIES.” THIS SEASON YOUR DARK PRINCESSES WERE JOINED BY THE PALE ANGELS OF DEATH (WHO ROB MEN OF THE VITAL ENERGY AND COURAGE TO DIE).
 

I AM ONLY MISSING THE SERPENTS OF TERROR AROUND THEIR HEADS. 

ARE YOU EVER TORMENTED BY DEMONS? 

OH, GOD, NO. I DON’T HAVE THE PATIENCE FOR COMPLEXITY AND SUFFERING, ALTHOUGH I LOVE THE DRAMA OF IT. FROM A DISTANCE. 

DO YOU EVER THINK LIKE: “A SHOT OF COLOUR IS JUST WHAT THAT LOW-KEY DRESS CALLS FOR”? 

I SUPPOSE SO, IN MY OWN WAY. IT WOULD USUALLY TAKE THE FORM OF ANOTHER TEXTURE, OR WHITE ON BLACK, OR BLACK ON WHITE. 

WHICH PIECE OF THE COLLECTION WAS ONE OF THE MOST TECHNICALLY COMPLEX CREATIONS, IN SPITE OF ITS SIMPLE APPEARANCE? 

WELL, I HAD TO SEND THE BOOTS BACK A COUPLE OF TIMES. 

THE BEST ANTIDOTE TO GREY AUTUMN SKIES AND COLD DARK EVENINGS? 

A SATYAJIT RAY MOVIE WITH WARM CHOCOLATE CAKE. 

THE MOST INTERESTING RUNWAY TREND YOU'VE SEEN GROWING THIS SEASON? 

I’M GLAD TO SEE A SLIGHT IDEA OF FLAMBOYANCE CREEPING BACK INTO FASHION, STARTING WITH STRONGER SHOULDERS. I ALMOST DIDN’T DO MINE BECAUSE I WAS HESITANT OF APPEARING TO FOLLOW A TREND. BUT I HAD DONE THOSE PEAKED SHOULDERS IN MY 2001 COLLECTION AND THOUGHT THAT IF ANYONE SHOULD BE DOING AN EXAGGERATED SHOULDER, IT SHOULD BE ME. 

WHAT IS THE CLOSEST THING TO BROKEN GLAMOUR THAT YOU COULD VISUALIZE WHEN THE TIMES ARE DARK? 

TIMES ARE NEVER THAT DARK. 

ACCESSORY FOR A STRIKING INDIVIDUAL THAT SIGNIFIES A MAJOR FINGER UP TO ANY IDEA OF DEPRESSION? 

SHAVED EYEBROWS. 

ARE YOU IN AWE OF ANYONE WHOSE INFLUENCE IN IMAGE-MAKING HAS LONG FED INTO WHAT YOU DO? 

SERGE LUTENS, ROBERT DE MONTESQUIOU, SARAH BERNARDT, DIVINE, JOSEPH BEUYS, LUIGI MORETTI, JAYNE COUNTY, BRANCUSI, RUHLMANN, JEAN-MICHEL FRANK, PIERRE CHAREAU... I COULD GO ON FOREVER. 

WHO DO YOU HANG OUT WITH? 

MY BETTER HALF. I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING LEFT FOR ANYONE ELSE. 

IS SOLITUDE PART OF YOUR CREATIVITY? 

ESSENTIAL. 

NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE DRESSED IN ENTIRELY THE SAME LABEL. CREATIONS BY WHAT DESIGNER WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE TEAMED UP WITH YOURS? 

I COULD NEVER PRESUME TO SUGGEST SOMEONE’S PERSONAL CHOICE. 

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MUSIC INFLUENCES. 

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD: JOEY BELTRAM, LOU REED, WAGNER, JULIE LONDON, MONTSERRAT CABALLE, KISS 

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON FAMOUS PEOPLE BECOMING DESIGNERS? 

EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO TRY. 

… AND DESIGNERS DRESSING CELEBRITIES? 

I’M SURE THIS SYSTEM IS VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR SOME. 

HOW DOES THE WHOLE THING FIT INTO YOUR AESTHETIC OF BROKEN IDEALISM? 

I’M NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH EITHER OF THESE SYSTEMS TO JUDGE. 

EVERY BRAND HAS ITS OWN SPIRIT. AT TIMES THE SUCCESS OF ONE HOUSE CANNOT BE REPRODUCED AT ANOTHER. REVILLON STANDS FOR AN IMAGE OF A WOMAN COATED IN WEALTH, WHOSE WILDLIFE INTERESTS EXTEND TO EXOTIC COUTURE. DO YOU FEEL THIS COLLABORATION IS AS YOU EXPECTED IT TO BE? 

WELL, I HAVEN’T BEEN AT REVILLON FOR YEARS, BUT THE EXPERIENCE I HAD WAS VERY SELFISH, I’M AFRAID. I WAS ALLOWED TO INDULGE MY VISION OF FURS WITHOUT ADDRESSING ANYONE'S PRECONCEPTIONS. MAYBE THAT WAS A PROBLEM, BUT I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME DOING IT. 

DOES THE PRESS OFTEN PLAY INTO YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? OR IS IT THE PUBLIC RESPONSE THAT MATTERS THE MOST TO YOU? 

IF PEOPLE BUY IT, I GET TO KEEP DOING IT, PERIOD. THE PRESS HAS OTHER PRIORITIES, AND I RESPECT THAT. 

ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE GENERAL LEVEL OF FASHION CRITICISM? 

ARE YOU KIDDING? I’M SATISFIED JUST TO BE CONSIDERED MENTIONABLE. 

AS AN ART SCHOOL DROP-OUT, DO YOU BELIEVE IT IS RIGHT OR WRONG TO ELEVATE DESIGNER CLOTHES TO THE LEVEL OF ART? 

MY QUESTION NOW IS IF ART CAN BE ELEVATED TO THE LEVEL OF FASHION. CONSIDER THIS: A DESIGNER MUST PRESENT COLLECTIONS FOUR TIMES A YEAR AND BE JUDGED ON THE BASIS OF RELEVANCE TO THE MOMENT AND COMMERCIAL VIABILITY. THAT’S A REAL TIGHTROPE. AND WHEN I SAY RELEVANCE, THAT’S ABOUT A SUBTLE, INSTANT COMMUNICATION OF OUR COMMUNAL CONDITION REFLECTING THE TIME WE’RE IN AT THAT INSTANT. A LOT OF THE ART I’M SEEING THESE DAYS SUGGESTS AN ARTIST INDULGING IN ARCH COMMENT ON SOCIETY. WITHOUT A REAL DEADLINE. IT GETS A LITTLE SMARTY-PANTS FOR ME. 

HAS THERE BEEN ONE PIECE OF APPAREL YOU HAVE CREATED THAT YOU REGARD AS A TRANSCENDENT MASTERWORK? 

OH. PLEASE. 

THE MOST CLASSIC RICK OWEN-ISM? 

“KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID.” 

WHAT MAKES YOU MAD? 

UMBRELLAS. 

WHAT GIVES YOU PEACEFULNESS? 

CONCRETE. 

WHAT'S YOUR DIVA MOMENT LIKE? DO YOU THROW CLOTHES? 

I WISH I COULD. I WOULD BE TOO EMBARRASSED TO. 

YOU MUST HAVE SEEN A HUGE IMPACT ON YOUR COMPANY WITH CELEBRITY EXPOSURE, WHICH MUST BE GRATIFYING, AS YOUR KICK-ASS FASHION PHILOSOPHY HAS CULTIVATED A LOYAL INTERNATIONAL FOLLOWING OF LUMINARIES. I IMAGINE YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOCK ON ANYBODY’S DOORS AND RAM THINGS DOWN PEOPLE’S THROATS. ONE WOULD IMAGINE THAT YOU HAVE POWERFUL FRIENDS. ARE YOU ABLE TO WIELD POWER? 

I HAVE THE GREATEST POWER OF ALL: THE POWER TO WITHDRAW. I DIDN'T START OUT AS A BIG SENSATION SO I HAD A WHILE TO JUST BE THERE. AND NOW I'M JUST THERE. TOO OLD TO BE NEW AND TOO AROUND TO IGNORE, I SUPPOSE. THE MOST POWERFUL RELATIONSHIPS I HAVE ARE WITH MY FABRIC SUPPLIERS AND THE PEOPLE THAT CONSTRUCT MY CLOTHES. 

MOST PEOPLE WHEN THEY LOOK AT FASHION DESIGNERS, SEE THEM VERY TWO-DIMENSIONALLY AND BELIEVE FASHION IS THE ONLY PART OF THEIR LIFE. WHAT OTHER PARTS ARE THERE TO YOU? 

WHAT OTHER PARTS AM I MISSING? 

IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE NEW TALENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

GYMNASTICS. 

WHICH TOWN BEATS MOST FASHION MAGAZINES WHEN IT COMES TO INSPIRATION? 

I SUPPOSE I LIKE LONDON. 

YOUR FAVOURITE BEDTIME CLASSIC? 

“MAPP AND LUCIA” BY E. F. BENSON 

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR IMAGE GOING? 

I’LL PROBABLY START BECOMING A LITTLE RIDICULOUS. 

ANY NEW PROJECTS ON THE WAY? 

TOKYO STORE OPENING IN SEPTEMBER.