Catching Up With Courtney Love

The Fashion Informer ran into Courtney Love at the Marc Jacobs show, where the former Hole front woman was happy to dish on why she loves British Vogue and Marc Jacobs, how she came to have such a covetable designer wardrobe back in the ‘80s, and what she’s looking forward to seeing during Paris Fashion Week.

COURTNEY LOVE:
I love British Vogue. It’s the only Vogue I read. Why? Because it’s more on-trend – though I hate that f---king phrase; it’s like piece-y, for hair. It’s just…I believe it more. I mean no offense to Anna Wintour or US Vogue, it’s just UK Vogue is more, “Oh, yeah, that’s me! Oh, I want that! Oh, I want that! Oh, I want that!” I just really, really relate to it more.

And what is it about Marc’s clothes in particular do you like?
Well, a lot of things. I mean, there’s always a hint of – I’ve been studying a lot of fashion lately – there’s always an homage to Yohji but the way he does it is really accessible (no offense to Yohji). But he’s able to make something that would look like a giant cloud on somebody else, really wearable. Oh, speaking of Japanese designers, I’m going to Fashion Week in Paris to see this kid. He sent me his whole collection from Tokyo. His name is Suzuki Takayuki. It’s all whites, it’s all creams, it’s amazing. I mean, he sent me the whole thing. It’s gorgeous. He’s showing in Paris and I’m gonna work his clothes. He’s, like, 24, a genius. The swing coat has muslin in it and cheesecloth…it’s almost like a Ric Owens, just in terms of integrity and then like…[turns to friend] Dennis, what did you think of Suzuki’s clothes? There was a Ric to it, but there was also like a Japanese sensibility, as well. But wearable. Really wearable. This is, like, his second collection. But I’m pretty fast. Like, I found Sophia Kokosalaki before she had a collection. By the way…I gave her a two-piece Victorian that I got on Portobello so she still owes me a dress out of that. So you can tell her if you see her! I’ve been collecting Ric for so long. I went to my closet – I have one part of my closet that’s just devoted to Ric, but I found this weird old Ric Owens boob tube – from when he was still in LA – and the cotton was really rough; cause we have really bad fabric in LA. I’ve been researching fabrics cause I’ve been trying to make clothes and shit, lately...

For yourself or because you’re launching a line?
Cause I’m gonna do a line. And I know a lot of people are doing lines but my first job, other than stripping, was on “Mommie Dearest” as an assistant in wardrobe. My first boyfriend, his mother was a third generation wardrobe lady so she ran the Paramount wardrobe department, which was three hangars like this [gestures to the Lexington Avenue Armory space]. And I was in charge, some of the time, of throwing stuff out. I mean, they had four tiers of Mae West’s clothes that went on for, like, six racks.

Why would they throw out Mae West’s clothes?!
Well, they didn’t throw Mae West’s stuff out. But they’d get rid of stuff like Frances Farmer’s clothes and lace that was made out of 24kt. gold that had a little rip in it – so I had the best wardrobe in LA in 1986 since I was in charge of throwing stuff out. So I didn’t know anything about fashion and I didn’t know what a season was, but I knew what a mousseline was and I knew what a peplum was by the time I was 15, so… I’m experienced that way.

But you’re sort of an autodidact in all areas of your life, aren’t you?
Well, I’ve been designing clothes since I was a little girl. Even in my book that I put out – this little scrapbook – I wrote about how I was designing clothes when I was four.

And when is the new album coming out?
It was supposed to be coming out Valentine’s Day but I was just told today it’s not till March 1st, which really pissed me off. But that’s the deal. And I’ll be touring with my full British band – I took one Irish [musician] – they’re all 20 to 27. They’re great.

Photos © The Fashion Informer

Comments

[fashionholic]

great reading.. as always.. thanks :)