The Fashion Informer

Random Questions For…Daphne Guinness

Filmmaker-philanthropist-blogger Daphne Guinness is a style icon extraordinaire, muse to countless designers and, with the launch of her own shirt collection at Dover Street Market and an eponymous, limited-edition fragrance for Comme des Garcons, something of a designer herself.

Shirts and scents aside, the gracious, surprisingly down-to-earth Irish brewing heiress (and granddaughter of Diana Mitford) has always been her own best creation, famous for her delicate beauty, skunk-striped coif, eccentric haute couture ensembles, bespoke baubles and towering, one-of-a-kind Christian Louboutin platform shoes.

The Fashion Informer caught up with Guinness (who turns 42 on Monday and did, indeed, smell heavenly) during a recent New York visit to discuss her love of reading, old movies and the creative process.

So, Daphne…

What’s in current rotation on your iPod?
Regina Spektor, I think she’s great.  Andrew Bird, Bob Dylan, the Stones, Wagner.

 

What’s your favorite getaway spot? 
I haven’t gone away in such a long time.  I’ll tell you.  My dream is to… I love traveling and I love to explore ancient ruins and I also like to relax.  There’s so much to see in the world – I’m not somebody who really likes resorts very much. Life is a learning curve and carpe diem!

 

What are you currently reading?
I’m re-reading Ringworld by Larry Niven. I’ve been reading books on the crisis in Islam and things like that. Rogue Economics.  I’m reading The Razor’s Edge again by W. Somerset Maugham. I love that book. I’m always reading.  I’ll read a book I love 25 times - and Shakespeare I read a lot of.  I think that’s what I like doing best, is reading.

 

What movie has had the biggest effect on you?
Many movies.  I like old movies from the forties and fifties.  I love Gene Tierney.  I love Stanley Kubrick – Barry Lyndon is a great film.  2001: A Space Odyssey.  Dr. Strangelove.  The Women – the original version. Leave Her to Heaven.  Sunset Boulevard.

 

Where can we find your new scent?
It’s not available here yet.

 

Well, you need to fix that, stat!
I’m not in charge of that, really, all I can do is make it (laughs).  I think it’s going to be available here but it’s quite a small run, though.  It was great seeing them break down my scent. I’m all about layering and mixing it up.

 

When are you happiest? 
When I’m in the process of doing something creative.

[Guinness’ scent, Daphne, retails for $125 and is now available at the Comme des Garcons store in Chelsea.]

 

Stay tuned for Random Questions For…Carlos Falchi.

 

Random Questions For...Shelly Steffee

Celebrating the 10^th anniversary of her eponymous label, designer Shelly Steffee’s fall 2009 collection was inspired by the strength and power of thoroughbreds – as witnessed by sleek riding leggings, tees with a horse-spine graphic, padded vests with saddle-like trim and equine-esque headgear – all of which are displayed to great advantage in the strikingly appointed Meatpacking District store/gallery space (designed by architect Stephan Jaklitsch, the man responsible for Marc Jacobs’ boutiques) that Steffee and her business partner husband opened in 2001, way before the neighborhood became the retail mecca it is now.

For spring 2010, the Pennsylvania native – who studied fashion design at Drexel University and did a six-year stint at Anne Klein New York before launching her own line – was inspired by the architecture of fish (more on that next week). 

In the meantime, Steffee – whose designs provoke as much of an emotional, “I must have that now” response as an intellectual “that jacket’s ingenious!” one – took a break from her spring collection re-sees to fill The Fashion Informer in on her nightstand must-haves, favorite Fashion Week memory and what it is that makes Italy so damn special.

So, Shelly…

What's your favorite getaway spot?
Italy. The food and wine are great, the people are very friendly and the country is beautiful.

Coffee or tea? 
Iced tea with mint.

What's in current rotation on your iPod?  
Maxwell – Black Summer’s Night.

Who is your all-time favorite musician?
Prince. He is the full package - musician, dancer, visionary.

What is on your nightstand?
Pictures of family and facial/eye cream.

Name one thing I will always find in your refrigerator, and something I'd never find there.
Always - nail polish. Never - maraschino cherries.

What's your favorite Fashion Week experience/memory? 
The purging of one season’s concept and the birth of a new concept.

What one question would you like to ask God (assuming s/he exits)? 
"What’s next?"

What's your favorite form of exercise?  Least favorite?  
Favorite - Pilates. Least favorite - running.

Please look up and describe what you see. 
Lots of inspiration.... and lots of paperwork!

Best thing about marriage? 
Unconditional love and support.

Most challenging thing about marriage? 
Compromising.

What's your idea of a perfect meal? 
Tasty food and the company of good friends.

What never fails to make you cry? 
Abuse and oppression of any kind.

When are you happiest? 
When I am dancing all night long.

 

Stay tuned for…Random Questions For Daphne Guinness.

 

Random Questions For…Alexa Chung

She’s been an It girl in the UK for quite some time, thanks to her ineffably cool personal style and model/DJ/TV host jobs.  

Now Alexa Chung has become a fashion force to be reckoned with here in the States, since relocating to New York last April to host MTV’s It’s On with Alexa Chung (think of it as a revamped TRL).

During New York Fashion Week, we spotted her at several shows (Phillip Lim, Marchesa and Preen, among others) and Chung also graced the front row of the Topshop, Vivienne Westwood, PPQ, House of Holland, Twenty8Twelve, Luella and Burberry shows during London Fashion Week’s 25^th anniversary celebration a week later.

The Fashion Informer nabbed a minute with the leggy beauty at Milk Studios to talk about music, job perks and breaking the rules.

So, Alexa…

What’s in current rotation on your iPod?
The-Exies are on there and The Shirelles and Roky Erickson.

Biggest difference between New York and London?
The rules in America are very oppressive.  There are so many rules that people love to stick by.  Like ID’ing you all the time, not letting you bringing a coffee into this venue (laughs). People are just sticklers for rules and they don’t let you sneak a sneaky one.  Like smoking cigarettes…  It seems quite regimented.

Favorite getaway spot?
At the moment, England, I guess.  I don’t really have one since I never get to get away because I’m always working. 

Best thing about your job?
I get free clothes!

When and where are you happiest?
When I’m anywhere my boyfriend [Arctic Monkeys singer Alex Turner] is.

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For Shelly Steffee.

 

Random Questions For…George Esquivel

George Esquivel has been designing high-end custom made shoes since 1994.  The Los Angeles native, who learned his craft the old-fashioned way (by apprenticing to a local cobbler) claims Oscar winners, heads of state and “rock royalty” among his clientele, and he isn’t exaggerating: No Doubt, Janelle Monae, The Killers and Kings of Leon are just a few of his better known clients.  No wonder he cites rock and roll as the main inspiration for his rugged-yet-refined footwear collection, which is crafted from the same Italian leather used by Louis Vuitton but marries the luxe material with edgy silhouettes in unusual, hand-burnished color combos – an Esquivel signature.

As a kid, it was what he didn’t have that inspired Esquivel to want to design one-of-a-kind kicks.  “I think that what I experienced growing up pushed me in the direction of shoes,” he explained.  “Probably the main factor, even before I was able to really get into fashion or find my personal style, was the fact that I never had really cool or quality shoes. With my father always in and out of jail and spending all his money on drugs, we could never afford cool shoes. We always wore the fakes. I remember being very envious of the kids that had the cool shoes.”

In fact, he adds, “the first purchase I ever made with my own money that I worked for was a pair of burgundy Chuck Taylor high tops when I was 14 years old.”

Today, Esquivel can buy as many pairs of sneakers as he wants, and his dedication to his craft has earned him a 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nomination, an experience that fills him with “absolute joy, a sense of awe and an entirely new level of excitement.”

His A-list clients are equally excited about the fact that their favorite shoemaker – who still crafts all his shoes by hand in his SoCal studio - is being recognized by the fashion industry.  “I’ve known George for years,” Gwen Stefani told us during Fashion Week.  “I’m so happy for him because he’s so talented and he’s done so well.  I have a pair of Esquivel boots. They’re gorgeous and I wear them all the time!”

The Fashion Informer sat down with the talented, sweet natured designer a few days after his Fashion Week presentation to discuss footwear, fatherhood and the importance of family.

So, George…

Where is the most unusual/unlikely place you've found inspiration for your work? 
I remember sitting at a restaurant at an old table, and as I ate I started noticing how beautiful the grain and scratches looked on the table. Since then I have tried to match my soles to the image in my head of the table.

What is your favorite band/song of all time?
Much too hard of a question to answer; I love so many bands/songs for so many reasons. If I can list 20 then maybe I could break it down for you a bit better.

What was your childhood nickname, and what is your nickname today?
Growing up it was Georgie. I don’t have one now. 

What is the most rewarding - and challenging - thing about fatherhood?
Watching my kids grow up is the most rewarding and the most challenging. I also want to add that watching them grow up is also the greatest feeling - and at times also one of the saddest feelings - I have ever experienced.

What is the one grooming item you cannot live without?
 My hair clippers, I love getting a hair cut.

Beverage of choice?
Cranberry juice and sparkling water.

Favorite getaway spot?
The hills near my home, I enjoy mountain biking. It helps clear the mind and lets me blow off the cares of the world for a few hours. 

How do you relax/recharge after a long, hard day?
Hanging out with my wife and kids and experiencing the everyday duties of family life is very relaxing to me.

Tell me about your best friend.
My best friend has shared with me all of the tough times and great times. She has supported me when it was tough to find people that did. She encouraged and had faith in me when other people didn’t. I can count on her for anything. She is a loving, caring mother and an amazing wife. She is a beautiful person inside and out.  Her name is Shelley Esquivel.

What is the greatest/most important lesson your parents taught you?
My father, as crazy and wild as he was, I learned a lot from him. I learned what type of man/father and businessman not to be. He was very dishonest and loved to take what wasn’t his and he hadn’t worked for. I knew at a very young age that I never wanted to be that. My Mom was a very honest woman. She taught me to work hard, treat people fairly, stay humble and love your fellow man. She also gave me the best advice I have ever been given: Trust in God, work hard and everything will turn out all right.

What is your personal favorite item of clothing/jewelry and why is it so special to you?
I have a Seiko diver’s watch that my then-girlfriend, now-wife gave to me on my 19^th birthday. It has a lot of character from scratches and dings from all the years of wear. This is the same type of watch that I saved my money to purchase when I was 14.  I wore it for a few months, then my father asked to borrow it. He pawned it, I never got it back and he most likely used the money for drugs.

What would you like to be doing if you weren't designing shoes?
I used to think that I only had one other thing I might love to do instead of working with shoes and leather:  Work with wood building tables, chairs, desks etc. But I recently took a tour of DreamWorks and watched the animators create the characters I was thoroughly impressed. Should I have it to do again, I think I would try that path. In the future I would like to get more involved and support causes that help at risk youth and single moms that are in bad situations. 

What's the last book you read, and would you recommend it?
Walking Dreams, a book about Salvatore Ferragamo. I enjoyed it and I would definitely recommend it. Amazing what he accomplished in such a short period of time. The Success of Robert Fitzgibbons is a children’s book with a great lesson to be learned.

When you were 9, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Growing up, I didn’t have dreams or aspirations of who I wanted to be. The role models I had were not positive and nobody told me that anything was possible. I knew what I didn’t want to be. It wasn’t until I was about 20 years old that I became more driven and started searching for things that might interest me and I could do as a profession.

What type of shoes do you like to see on women?  On men?
My first choice is always my shoes, but if it’s not my shoes…  On women, I would say something unique that fits their personality. That may be a broken-in riding boot, a vintage cowboy boot or a sophisticated court shoe.  As long as they wear the shoes and the shoes don’t wear the woman. On men, I like unique shoes that show they invested some time and energy in seeking out something special. What I don’t like to see on men is clunky, black, square toed, rubber soled shoes or shoes and boots that are so adorned they should be worn by parade cowboys.

What freaks you out?
People that try too hard: head-to-toe in one brand or with logos on every piece of their clothing and accessories. When I see people dressed like this they remind me of cartoon characters. You don’t notice the person you notice their outfit.  

When are you happiest?
When I fall asleep and when wake up in the morning, I have the same feelings:  Knowing I’m about to fall asleep next to my wife and my kids are down the hallway asleep. In the morning I get the same joyful feeling knowing I just woke up from sleeping next to my wife and my kids are down the hallway asleep. Growing up, things were so chaotic that just going to bed and waking up was crazy and unstable. As time has passed I’ve learned to appreciate the simple things in life.

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For…Alexa Chung

Random Questions For...Gareth Pugh

The first time we experienced Gareth Pugh’s genius up close and personal was at his show in London in February 2007, when he wowed us with his fantastical harlequin/club kid fashion fairytale (and made us giggle at the sight of Anna Wintour almost getting conked in the head by a floating black balloon, which was deftly deflected at the last possible second by Hamish Bowles).

Black balloons continue to figure prominently in Mr. Pugh’s imagination, as witnessed by his latest outing, a video installation directed by Ruth Hogben that debuted at Milk Studios during New York Fashion Week, which we covered here last week and which you can see here at SHOWstudio.

The Fashion Informer caught up with the always charming Pugh backstage at said installation, where he was seated in a very official, Meet the Press-style antechamber off the pitch black video space, outfitted with director’s chairs and sleek black leather lounges, upon which sat Suzy Menkes, Susie Bubble and a host of other London-based well-wishers.

But before the Brits descended en masse, we nabbed a few minutes with our favorite fashion Goth (sorry, Rick!) to talk music, movies and manscaping must-haves.

So, Gareth…

WHAT’S IN CURRENT ROTATION ON YOUR iPod?
I don’t have an iPod.  Controversial [laughs]!  I don’t listen to anything when I’m in transit. In my studio I’ve got a laptop.  I’ll give you four songs I’m kind of into:  Joan Osborne’s “One of Us,” The Cranberries “Zombie,” Lucinda Williams, “Come On.”  And Hole, “Violet.” Top four!

WHAT WAS YOUR NICKNAME WHEN YOU WERE A KID AND WHAT’S YOUR NICKNAME NOW?
A nickname when I was a kid?  They were all really offensive because I got picked on really badly in school [laughs].  Now…do I have one?  I don’t know.  Maybe you want to ask my friends.  I don’t know.  They’re in there [points to other room].

WHAT MOVIE HAS MADE THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON YOU?
Quite a few that I’ve seen that are quite beautiful.  These are very difficult questions.  My group is so surprised that I’ve never seen 2001: A Space Odyssey.  But I’ve never seen it.  Favorite films…  I love The Color Purple. I love The Color Purple. 

WHAT GROOMING OR BEAUTY ITEM CAN YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT? 
There are a few [laughs].  I live and die by MAC Studio Fix.  Amazing.  Crème de la Mer.  I recently gotten given some and I’m very, very pleased about that.  Black eyeliner, black nail polish.  I got given some KO Knock Out – it’s a new brand, and it’s matte.  It’s amazing.  Although I haven’t got it on today.  I think the guy who invented it’s in New York so I’m going to try and stock up before I go back to London.  It’s completely black, like blackboard paint.  It’s amazing.

WHAT FREAKS YOU OUT? 
In a day-to-day way?  The one thing I really can’t stand – it really puts my teeth on edge and even to explain it makes me feel a bit weird – is that sound when you open a freezer door that hasn’t been defrosted properly and it sounds like [he makes a creaking, sucking sound]?  I can’t stand that.  I have to leave the room.  [He shudders.] That’s one of my pet peeves.

WHEN ARE YOU HAPPIEST? 
Probably when I can have a lie-in with my boyfriend and I don’t feel guilty about it.  It’s kind of nice because if I take any time off, I always feel guilty about it, so it’s nice to have guilt-free time off.

Stay tuned next for Random Questions For…George Esquivel.

 

 

Random Questions For...Philip Crangi

Q: What do you get when you combine steel, gold and a myriad of constantly evolving historical/architectural influences?

A: Seriously cool jewelry that walks a razor fine line between tough and tender.

Meet Philip Crangi, the man behind said jewelry.  Crangi studied jewelry design at RISD and worked for William Lipton, Japanese artist Mariko Mori and sculptor Michele Oka Doner before launching his own eponymous fine jewelry line in 2001 with the help of his sister/business partner, Courtney, followed by Giles & Brother by Philip Crangi, a line of lower-priced silver and costume jewelry - which includes our personal faves: the Tiny Mustache earrings, which wink to Crangi’s signature upper lip decor.

Since then, Crangi has also designed runway pieces for Phillip Lim, Vera Wang, Shipley & Halmos,Sue Stemp and Jason Wu, among others.  He won the CFDA Swarovski Award for Accessory Design in 2008, designed a line of art deco-inspired jewelry for Atelier Swarovski for fall 2009, is designing the spring 2010 jewelry for the upcoming Michael Bastion, Boy/Band of Outsiders and Shipley & Halmos New York Fashion Week presentations and will be opening his own store in the Meatpacking District next month.

The Fashion Informer caught up with the always-charming mustachioed marvel at the tail end of summer to discuss his love of Led Zeppelin, his eccentric grandpa and the importance of good grooming scissors.

So, Philip…

What is your favorite off-duty activity?
My lawyers advise me not to answer that question.

What would you like to be doing if you weren't a jeweler?
I was actually just thinking about that very thing.  I would be an archaeologist.  I love digging in the dirt and finding buried treasure.

Coffee or tea?
Both.  It depends on the weather.  In the winter I love tea and in the summer, anything iced. 

When you were 9, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an architect.  I was inspired by my grandfather who was a Buckminster Fuller inventor type, who lived off of the grid in the Everglades.  I loved that he lived on a compound building things literally in the middle of the Everglades.  He had a David Koresh-ian messianic quality to him – people would congregate around him despite the fact that he was very much a hermit. 

What movie can you watch over and over again?
Stardust Memories by Woody Allen.  The first time I saw it, I was way too young (in 1980 at 9 or 10 years old), and have seen it dozens of times since.  The story really resonated with me, as it is about the creative journey.  Also, the actress Charlotte Rampling is at the pinnacle of her beauty in this movie.  And she’s the most beautiful woman that has ever lived.  So…

How do you usually begin your creative design process?
My process either starts with a specific technique or a specific material, but it certainly can be both.  From that starting point, things begin to materialize.  Ideas and techniques find each other in the ether of my mind.  My fine jewelry collection is very much about pushing the limits of what materials can do, while the material informs me of what it wants to be.  

What's your idea of a perfect summer day?
Lying on the beach and smoking a joint. 

Any special challenges/rewards in working with a sibling every day?
It is almost all rewards with Courtney.  We know each other so well, both the good and ugly parts.  Because of our relationship, we are able to work together to build something bigger than ourselves. 

Do you have any hidden talents/abilities?
My favorite super power is that I have an impeccable sense of direction. 

What is your must-have grooming product?
My mustache scissors.  

What is your favorite work of art or piece of music?
I’m very fickle with that, as I have so many constantly sliding favorites.  I’m always surprised by Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth.  Every time I see it, I think he is my favorite painter.  There is something so sad that permeates everything in his work.  I can’t help but lose myself in his artistry and craft.  He shows miles of landscape with 3 splashes of color on a white field – it’s brilliant. 

In terms of music, I always go back to favorites.  My favorite albums of all time are Tusk by Fleetwood Mac and Led Zeppelin II. 

How do you keep your 'stache looking so fly?
With those mustache scissors!  Learning how to properly sculpt was a long and arduous road that I had to take by myself.

What one item of clothing/jewelry has the most personal meaning to you?
My circa 1930’s Zuni sterling and turquoise cuff.  Growing up, my parents owned tons of that kind of stuff because they were hippies.  I always hated it, and then when I was about 35 I became obsessed with that style of jewelry on my own.  I then starting looking and looking for it at Brimfield – and when I finally saw my bracelet, the person who made it started singing me a song.  It’s my power bracelet. 

How old were you when you got your first tattoo, what is it and what is its personal significance?
I got my first tattoo when I was 17 - the number 22 in red, given to me by my best friend.  It was the first tattoo he had ever given as a tattoo artist.  It looks like shit, but it remains one of my favorite tattoos.  22 is the day of my birthday and my lucky number.

What makes you nervous?
When I’m not inspired, and the fear that I will never be inspired again.

When are you happiest?
In the height of inspiration.  I feel most fulfilled when I’m working on something. 

Photo © Cass Bird 

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For…George Esquivel.

 

Random Questions For...Norma Kamali

Invent the sleeping bag coat and high-heeled sneakers? Check.  Design iconic swimwear and make jersey and parachute nylon the fabric of the seventies and eighties?  Check. Partner with mass retailers years before your competitors, launch a line of olive oil-based beauty and wellness products and make sports-inspired active wear an everyday part of mainstream culture?  Check, check, check.

New York native Norma Kamali has done all of the above since founding her eponymous label 41 years ago – and she was one of the first designers to take to the internet way back in the nineties, ditching traditional runway shows in favor of online video presentations as early as 1996 (take that, Karl Lagerfeld!) and offering a “try before you buy” service to her Web clients.

These days, Kamali, 63, has been making headlines for her recent collaboration with Wal-Mart, which features beautifully designed, well-priced women’s, kid’s, home and wellness collections, created with the motto “Timeless style is everything but fashion” in mind.

The Fashion Informer sat down with the inspirational CFDA Award-winning designer (who spends her spare time mentoring New York City public high school students), to talk books, beaches and breakfast.

So, Norma…

 

What is your idea of a perfect getaway?

Being near water and warmth with a sketchpad.

 

What's your all-time favorite work of art?

Anything by Michelangelo – an expressive use of the human form in stone or paint.

 

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

Green tea and oatmeal.

 

What would you like to be doing if you weren't a designer?

Inventor.           

 

What's the biggest difference between designing your own line and doing a line for an outside company such as Everlast or Wal-Mart?

None, it has the same integrity.

 

What are you currently reading - and would you recommend it to others?

Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin; it’s the second time.

 

What is your favorite time of day?

5AM – Another chance to try to get it right.

 

Tell me about your best friend.

I have very few close friends, but there is not one [I like] more than the other.  They are all friends for many years.  Trust is a big part of the dynamic.

 

Do you keep a journal?

I have but I do it at different periods.

 

What do you see, right now, when you look up from your computer screen and glance around the room?

Sunlight!!!

 

For what would you like to be remembered?

Hummm...

 

Why olive oil?

The best oil on the planet: nutritious, medicinal, enhances good health and beauty and has been used forever.  It’s biblical.

 

What prompted your decision to start a web site, originally, and what was the inspiration for the new Skype/social networking initiatives?

I worked for SN Airline in the office in the sixties and I worked on the first computers, called Univacs.  So I had an early introduction to the possibilities and am very grateful.

 

Is there any difference between the customers who come to the bricks and mortar store and the customers who shop online, in your experience?

No.

 

What's your idea of a perfect summer day?

The sound of the ocean, the warmth of the sun.

 

What never fails to make you cry?

The list is too long.

 

What makes you happiest?

New discoveries - some as simple as a new design that made it from paper to finished product.

 

 

Stay tuned for Random Questions For…Philip Crangi

 

Random Questions For...John Varvatos

Detroit native John Varvatos has been putting his unique, rock and roll spin on menswear for more than 25 years, first at Polo Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein and, since 2000, as the head of his own eponymous label – one Varvatos’ describes as being “functional, timeless clothing that is created to be lived in,” which earned him a Perry Ellis Award for New Menswear Designer the same year it launched.  He won a CFDA Award for Menswear Designer of the Year just one year later, and was awarded the prize again in 2005.

Today, the music-loving designer (and self-proclaimed “shoe junkie”) also puts his signature stamp on a highly successful collection for Converse, his own line has grown to include skincare, fragrance, denim, eyewear, knits and watches, and he routinely dresses the rock stars (Aerosmith, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick) he grew up listening to in Detroit Rock City way back when.

The Fashion Informer was able to grab a few minutes with the elusive Mr. Varvatos between opening new stores (eight and counting), unveiling his new fragrance, Artisan, and announcing the launch of a new “younger, funkier” footwear collection for fall 2009 – part of his Star USA bridge line - to talk snacks, serum and music (natch).

So, John…

 

What's in current rotation on your iPod?

A few of my current go-tos are Alejandro Escovedo, MC5, The Stooges, The Hellacopters —and over 35, 000 others in rotation!

 

What did you have for lunch today?

Toro and Hamachi Sushi with Miso soup.

 

Other than Converse All-Stars, what do you consider a quintessential classic American fashion item?

Vintage motorcycle boots.

 

What was the first fragrance you ever wore?  What is your signature scent these days?

I really can’t remember… Hai Karate?  My signature scent is a new fragrance I recently created called Artisan.  It just came out.

 

Tell me about your favorite item of jewelry or clothing and why it's so special to you.

I still love my vintage motorcycle jacket from high school.  Also, I collect watches, so I am really psyched about creating my first timepiece, which is coming out this year in partnership with Ernst Benz. 

 

What's the one grooming aid you cannot live without?

The Eye Serum from my Skin line saves me when traveling extensively or after a late night.

 

What's the first concert you ever went to? Most recent?

First concert: 1969 Led Zeppelin - enough said!    My most recent concert, which blew me away, was AC/DC – they came out and hit hard like a freight train for two mind-blowing hours!

 

What do like to do for fun? 

My favorite pastime is hunting for vintage vinyl – no matter where I am.

 

Tell me about the last trip you took for pleasure.  Would you go back? 

I escaped to Mustique and found it to be one of the few places I can relax and recoup.  So yes, I intend on returning.

 

When it comes to snacks, do you prefer salty or sweet? 

Salty - hands down.

 

What's your favorite holiday?

Thanksgiving, as it is a special time to be with family and friends.

 

What one question would you like to ask God, assuming s/he exists?

When is the economy going to turn around? 

 

What never fails to make you cry?

Onions!

When are you happiest?

When I spend time with my wife and my new baby daughter.

 

Stay tuned for Random Questions For…Norma Kamali

 

 

 

Random Questions For...Reem Acra

Beloved by celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Halle Berry, Beyonce and Catherine Zeta Jones, designer Reem Acra’s uber-feminine red carpet creations are defined a sophisticated silhouette, rich color palette, ornate embroidery and lush fabrications.

Although the Lebanon native studied fashion design at FIT in New York and Esmod in Paris, she spent more than a decade working as an interior designer before launching her eponymous bridal business in 1997.  Acra launched her evening collection in 2003, and ready-to-wear followed in the spring of 2008.

The Fashion Informer caught up with the always-gracious designer just after the holidays to get the low-down on her beauty must-have, her fantasy splurge and her devotion to dance (cha, cha, cha).

So, Reem…

 

What did you do for Christmas/New Year's?

I went to Dubai and then to Lebanon. I saw 20 friends from my middle school class; we were really excited to see each other after so many years. This was the highlight of my trip this year.  

 

Tell me about your most memorable New Year's Eve.

They are the times when I get to spend quality time with my family.

 

What is your favorite city in the world?

Beirut - it energizes me and brings back memories of my childhood.

 

How long does it take you to get ready to go to work in the morning, and what's your usual routine?

My hairdresser comes almost every morning and does my hair.  While he is working, I am on my Blackberry emailing the office and friends overseas and also phoning too.  I'll spend another hour to get ready and continue to intermittently email and speak on the phone.  

 

What's the one beauty/grooming item you cannot live without?

A hairdresser.

 

If you could only shop in one store for the rest of your life, what store would it be?

A flea market.

 

What do you like to do to relax in your off-hours?

I love dancing and take lessons a few times a week.  I've taken cha-cha, salsa, and hustle lessons.  I love it.

 

What's your favorite sport to watch?  To participate in?  

Ice skating.

 

If you found $15,000 cash, how would you spend it?

I'd spend it on vintage dresses or one nice antique piece of furniture or item.

 

What one question would you like to ask God, assuming s/he exists?

I always thank him for what he gives me every day. Interestingly, I came across my diary from when I was 12.  In it, I wrote a prayer, thanking him for my beautiful future that I foresaw for myself.  

 

What is your favorite mode of transportation?

Car.

 

Do you have any hidden or unusual talents?  

Well I have a kind of sixth sense.

 

What are the different challenges you face when designing your bridal collection, vs. your ready-to-wear line?

Each one is different and I have to remind myself always they both require different moods and styles, even if it is the same customer.

 

What freaks you out?

Lying.

 

When are you happiest?

Always. I have found my true meaning a long time ago which most struggle to find. I am happy when I make an impact and a difference in people's lives. Being part of their most momentous and significant days in their life - we become friends!  

 

Stay tuned for Random Questions For…John Varvatos

 

Random Questions For…Daniel Vosovic

Daniel Vosovic’s career went from zero to 60 in 2006, the year he became a finalist on Project Runway’s second season. 

Since then, the 28-year-old Michigan native and FIT grad has styled clothing for the online edition of Bonfire, the fictitious magazine edited by Lipstick Jungle character Nico Reilly, designed a capsule clothing and accessories line for NYLO hotel (including the staff uniforms), and penned Fashion Inside Out, a thoughtful overview of the fashion design process from start to finish, with interviews by folks such as Todd Oldham, Diane von Furstenberg, Tim Gunn, Nina Garcia and (full disclosure) yours truly.

Pretty impressive, considering Vosovic has not yet launched a collection of his own.  But that will change in February 2010, when the designer plans to unveil his first collection.

“Currently, my days are filled with all of the prep work that happens when starting a company: solidifying my business plan, costing production and samples accurately, deciding who my core team is and beginning the interview phases, looking at new, larger studio space and getting it up and running,” Vosovic told The Fashion Informer just after the holidays.

“I'm elated that this is all happening when it is,” he added. “If this offer had been proposed to me immediately after Project Runway I may have been tempted to take it, but now, having taken three years to step back, prepare myself, gain more experience and build a solid team, I feel like I'm ready to begin on my own terms.”

The Fashion Informer caught up with the always-charming Daniel V (as he is known to the Project Runway faithful) during some very rare downtime to get the skinny on his family’s recent visit, his after-work routine and his favorite Project Runway memory, among other things.

So, Daniel…

How did you celebrate the holidays?

For the first time, my parents flew in from Michigan to spend Christmas with me here in NYC! The five or six days went relatively smooth, especially considering how much time was spent in enclosed spaces due to the frigid weather (though ultimately we were able to survive with cabs and cashmere).

The highlight would have to be a "lost boys" Christmas dinner hosted by my boyfriend and I, prepared almost entirely by my amazing parents, complete with a menu that rivaled even grandma's best try! I can't think of a better way to end the year then with 20 of your closest misfit friends all boozed up and with bulging bellies.

What's your favorite winter food?

Chili or anything Italian - pasta is like crack to me. Oh, and since you asked, the grilled polenta with melted Gorgonzola at Supper in the East Village is to die for.

What was your childhood nickname, and what's your nickname now?

Thankfully, "Dan the man" was the worst they could do in elementary school. I don't have a nickname now that I'm an old man.

 

What was the first movie you remember seeing as a child?

Two popped into my head simultaneously for two very different reasons, the first was because it was so horrific and gave me nightmares for years later. Stephen King's Silver Bullet was about this wheelchair-bound kid who hunts down a bloodthirsty werewolf after it committed numerous murders in a small New England town. All I can say is that my mother must have been gone for the evening, and in an attempt to stop our pleas my dad must have let my sister and I watch it with him. Seriously, I'm still a little freaked out by it.

The second movie is The Goonies, which is still one of my favorites. Any movie that includes kids defying authority, hunting treasure, and a Cyndi Lauper song is fine by me.

 

What's your favorite store in the world?

When I was living in Italy, a tremendous advantage was being able to travel so easily from one great city to the next. Siena in itself is a truly stunning part of the world but a delightful sweets shop by the name of Pasticceria Bini won my heart at first whiff! It's located on Via dei Fusari and I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have visions of their delicious concoctions come drifting through my day dreams.

 

What's your favorite Project Runway memory?

Walking into the main tent at Fashion Week before anyone else had come in yet... completely empty, completely exhausting, and full of possibilities.

 

What was the most rewarding - and challenging - thing about writing Fashion Inside Out?

They're actually one and the same: aiming to bring all of these huge ideas into one cohesive, thorough, interesting, beautiful package.

Fashion design is no small thing and it was a struggle to choose how deep to delve and how broad to go, but it also was an introspective process for myself, having to put into black and white the decisions I make when working and then explaining why. I guarantee that a vast majority of creative people never want to explain themselves! Ha ha!

 

I know you have several roommates.  Who's responsible for cleaning the apartment?

It's every man for himself. I ain't no one's mama.

 

Please look up from your computer (or wherever you're answering these questions) and describe what you see.

I'm looking at the bookshelf holding my classics section: Dickens, Twain, fairy tales from Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm, and more. There is also a black-and-white print from Sally Mann's Immediate Family.

 

Tell me about your favorite item of clothing/jewelry and why it's so special to you?

A sterling silver bracelet that my sister gave to me a few Christmas' ago that has "Ancora Imparo" [I am still learning] engraved on it; I wear it every day as a reminder to myself.

 

When was the last time you wrote a letter?  Received one?

I sent my grandmother one of my books for Christmas and I included a letter with it. The last one I received was last week from one of my favorite Koreans of all time, my dear friend Ellee Lee, who has since left me in NYC and has gone to conquer the architecture world in London.

 

What's the greatest or most important lesson your parents taught you?

It's OK to dream big.

 

What's the first thing you do when you get home at night after work?

I check the mail.

 

What's the worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Any gift is a welcomed gift... even if it is a close-up photo of a hairless cat in a cheap, rhinestone frame - because I actually did receive that this year.

 

What never fails to make you cry?

The scene with Meryl Streep and Claire Danes in The Hours when they're lying on the bed and Meryl says to her daughter "I remember one morning getting up at dawn, there was such a sense of possibility. You know that feeling? And I remember thinking to myself: So, this is the beginning of happiness. This is where it starts. And of course there will always be more. It never occurred to me it wasn't the beginning. It was happiness. It was the moment. Right then."

 

That scene always makes me appreciate the moment.

 

When are you happiest?

I know this sounds so sappy but it's true.  Rain or shine, waking up next to my loving boyfriend Kieran I'm honestly at my happiest.

 

Stay tuned for Random Questions For…Reem Acra.

 

 

Random Questions For... Lyn Devon

New York native Lyn Devon launched her eponymous label in 2005 after studying at Brown and Parsons, interning with fellow Manhattan wunderkind, Zac Posen, and honing her chops designing women’s ready-to-wear at Ralph Lauren.

 

It was during her tenure at the latter than Devon began designing custom clothing out of her living room for private clientele.  Her polished American sportswear attracted an immediate following (clothes for grownups, yea!) and in 2007, Fashion Group International awarded her their coveted Women’s Designer Rising Star prize. In 2007, FIT included her in their “Arbiters of Style: Women at the Forefront of Fashion” exhibit, alongside heavyweights like Coco Chanel and Claire McCardell.  And earlier this year, Devon won the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award for women’s wear.  Not bad for someone who’s not yet 30.

 

The Fashion Informer dallied with Devon a few weeks before her stunning fall 2009 show to dish on a few of her favorite things.

 

So, Lyn…

 

What's your favorite time of day?

The morning. Right when I awake. It’s a fresh new day. Anything is possible.

 

What websites do you read every day?

Style.com, WWD.com, Nymag.com, Gawker, Daily Beast, Real Clear Politics,

New York Times.

 

What was the best holiday gift you’ve ever received?

This year, my boyfriend carried home a tree for me. My first very own tree. (Though I had no ornaments!)

 

Do you typically make New Year's resolutions? Do you usually keep them?

Nope. Maybe I should start.  

 

What is your computer desktop pattern/screen saver and how often do you change it?

It’s a photo of Isabel and Ruben Toledo, the most elegant and artful couple. She’s wearing a beautiful cream tea length shirt confection and a pair of playful gold pumps. I change it whenever I come across an inspiring image that I feel I need to look at often, to be reminded of for one reason or another.

 

What's your favorite urban getaway here in NYC?

My mom’s house. Always a full house with yummy food, a fire in the fireplace. A cozy, warm winter refuge.

 

Biggest difference between working at Ralph Lauren and working at Lyn Devon?  

I’d say the biggest difference is that now, I am never off duty. I take my work home with me. Literally, my apartment is sometimes my showroom!

 

What's the one grooming//beauty item you can't live without?

Chanel black coal eyeliner (Le Crayon Khol Intense Eye Pencil). I wear it day and night. Makes me feel dramatic and expressive.

 

Tell me about your favorite pair of shoes.

My Hermes riding boots. The perfect chestnut brown leather. Well-worn, timeless, season-less (except in the heat of summer). I wear them every day, and I wear them hard. I’ve replaced the soles four times already!

 

What do you usually wear to bed?

Lately, my boyfriend’s perfectly worn threadbare plaid flannel shirt. Normally, nothing.

 

Brunch:  pro or con?

I like Sunday breakfast in bed. At about noon. So I guess I’m pro brunch.

 

Favorite fashion photographer?

Avedon. Because his work is so powerful in its immediacy, in its simplicity and in its control. There is nothing but the sitter, the clothes, and the emotion. Beautiful and classic and smart.

 

If money were no object, how would you show/present your upcoming collection?

Fall 09 dream presentation: A huge empty first floor venue on Madison Avenue. Walls and floor are covered in my Fall 09 signature oversized tweed print. The space is empty but for one model in front at the reception table with an oversized arrangement of pink poppies, to represent my other Fall 09 signature print, and one model at the far end of the room. This model wears key looks from the collection, changing herself behind a tweed printed screen every so often, meanwhile images of her (in this very same space and positioning) modeling the entirety of the collection are being projected onto the one bare wall behind her.

 

What never fails to make you cry?

Meeting my close friends’ newborn babies for the first time. It’s overwhelming and makes me understand why my parents’ close friends get all teary eyed and “I remember the very first time I held you…” Also the last chapter of Murakami’s book Norwegian Wood. One of my favorite stories.   

 

When are you happiest?

I’m happiest when I create something I know immediately is good, in my gut. And I don’t question it for a moment.

 

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For…Daniel Vosovic.

 

 

 

Random Questions For…Threeasfour

Despite their somewhat otherworldly personas (and we mean that as the highest compliment) and the breathless hype surrounding their launch eleven years ago – They live in a silver loft!  They share a bed! They stage art happenings in lieu of traditional runway shows! - Threeasfour designers Ange Donhauser, Adi Gil and Gabi Asfour are refreshingly down-to-earth.  Typical?  Hells, no.  Conformist?  Fuggedaboudit.  But grounded, charming and approachable?  Yes, yes and yes.

That the 2007 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists worship the natural world will not come as a surprise to anyone who’s ever seen a Threeasfour collection – what with their signature petals, shells and Mother Nature graphics – or peeped the Threeasfour human anatomy-in-reverse gown that was part of the Met Costume Institute’s Superheroes exhibit this past summer. 

Even the white shirts they designed for the GAP last year hewed to the natural side of the street, thanks to rounded silhouettes and curved seams (which mirror the shape of their infamous “circle bag”), and the trio’s spring 2009 collection evolved the man v. nature theme further vis-à-vis “typhoon” minidresses, “mantis” leggings and an “anemone” tunic. 

But the multi-culti designers, who hail from Lebanon, Israel and Tajikistan, have lived and worked in the heart of “open-minded” New York City since the mid-90s - Ange and Adi met as fashion students in Munich while Gabi honed his chops designing for Kate Spade - and they’re about as urbane as they come (though Adi has since moved out of the silver loft, leaving the now-married Ange and Gabi on their own).  

These days, Threeasfour has gone from designing nature-inspired collections to inspiring other designer’s collections (*cough* Helmut Lang and Diesel “cough*).  They recently collaborated with Sony on the launch of the new VAIO-P series computer and  were honored by the Villency Emerging Fashion Program.  For fall 2009, meanwhile, the trio say fans can expect a more sharply tailored collection with Swarovski crystal accents.

The Fashion Informer caught up with the forward-thinking iconoclasts over the holidays to dish on art, what makes for a perfect day, and how they unwind after a tough one (can you say s-e-x, boys and girls?). 

So, Ange, Adi and Gabi…

 

What’s your idea of a perfect day?

ANGE: In bed with my love to the sound of raindrops.  The moments after a show, all emotions pouring in and out.

ADI: Any day can be the perfect day. I guess it's up to me to make it.

GABI: Waking up with enough time to review your dreams, then sleeping when exhausted.

 

What is your favorite work of art? 

ANGE: Dreams and nature: infinite beauty and inspiration.

ADI: Mother nature - look around. 

GABI: Life. Because it is unpredictable.

 

Coffee or tea?

ANGE: Iced coffee all day and kombucha tea as a healthy treat. 

ADI: Coffee and tea. 

GABI: Coffee, black.

  

Tell me about your best friend. 

ANGE: My humor and melancholia. 

ADI: Which one? They are all individual. One-of-a-kind. 

GABI: I can trust she is telling me the truth.

 

What is your favorite form of communication? 

ANGE: Eye-to-eye, face-to-face and Eskimo style!!! 

ADI: Talking. I love the real thing, face-to-face. 

GABI: Telepathy.

  

When you were 9, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

ANGE: Mother Teresa of the animal world. 

ADI: Make beautiful clothing. 

GABI: Not old.

 

What is your dream occupation (other than what you are doing, of course)? 

ANGE: Goddess or James Bond.

ADI: This is my dream occupation. I couldn't imagine something else. 

GABI: Staying alive.

 

How do you relax and recharge after a hard day? 

ANGE: Some wine and making love. 

ADI: Spending time with my cats. We watch movies together. 

GABI: Get enough sleep.

 

What's your favorite holiday? 

ANGE: Thirteen hours of sleep. 

ADI: I like them all, from any religion. They are the best thing - maybe the only good thing - in religion. It is about people getting together.  Holidays are there for it. 

GABI: Every day, because there might not be a tomorrow.

 

What is your favorite store in the world? 

ANGE: Ebay and the farmer’s market. 

ADI: At the moment, a plant store on Centre Street in NYC. 

GABI: The deli.

 

Do you cook?  If so, what is your specialty? 

ANGE:  I love cooking for my loved ones and my pit bull Luna (seaweed omelet).  Improvised dishes, mostly pasta creations, fish and salads (I do not eat meat).  

ADI: Salads. 

GABI: No, but I love to make sandwiches.

 

For what will you be arrested (hypothetically speaking)? 

ANGE:  Too much smoking!!!!! 

ADI: Being honest. 

GABI: Self defense.

 

Is there any color or fabric that you'd never use in a Threeasfour collection? 

ANGE:  I don’t like kaka brown and orange.  And no more fur, please!!! 

ADI: Every color is welcome. Not every fabric… 

GABI: No. Never is momentary.

 

What freaks you out?

ANGE: Slaughter and religions.

ADI: Not too much. 

GABI: The abyss.

 

When are you happiest?

ANGE: I’m the happiest when I’m in love, when doing, working, making dreams come true. 

ADI: Good communication with my partners. To love and to be loved. 

GABI:  When in love.

Threeasfour will show their fall/winter 2009 collection on Saturday, February 14^th. 

Random Questions For…Steven Alan

Steven Alan opened his first eponymous New York store in 1994, selling a well-edited selection of unisex urban classics to an eclectic urban crowd.

He began representing the designers he sold in 1996 with the launch of the Steven Alan Showroom, and introduced his own line of menswear in 1999, adding womenswear a few years later.  Based on the idea of the perfect shirt (for him) and the boyfriend shirt (for her), Alan’s quirky-chic label became an instant cult classic, and is now sold internationally in stores like Barneys, Ron Herman and United Arrows.

Today, there are five Steven Alan boutiques in New York (including the new Brooklyn outpost), three in California, and one in Korea - and the retailer-cum-designer is gearing up for the spring 2009 debut of his Steven Alan for Uniqlo collection.

The Fashion Informer nabbed a few minutes with the globetrotting entrepreneur a few weeks before Christmas to talk travel, sports and the joys of fatherhood.

So, Steven…

 

What's your favorite getaway spot?

Locally it's Spa Castle in Queens. They have around 10 different rooms of heat; one is even lined in gold. When I get away I like to go to places that I've never been. Anything undeveloped that makes me feel like the bustle of NYC is far away works for me.

Beverage of choice?

Lately it’s water with Emergen C. I've had to travel excessively.

Best thing about being a dad?

Watching my son Max grow mentally and emotionally. Yesterday he was at my sample sale and he saw a guy trying a sweater on and looking in the mirror and talking animatedly about it with his girlfriend. Max loved the whole scene and came over and asked me if I had an extra small size in that sweater. It fit him like a dress but he loved it. Now he only wants to wear that sweater.

Most challenging thing about being a dad?

Having to say no and meaning it.

What's the single best piece of professional advice you ever received?

Taking calculated risks and making sure to learn if things go wrong. Some guy on an airplane told me that when I was 11 years old. For some reason, I never forgot that.

What was your nickname as a child, and what's your nickname now?

I didn’t have one growing up. Now sometimes SA.

What's in current rotation on your iPod? 

I haven't uploaded anything since I got it two years ago. I have some Dylan and Blonde Redhead, I think, but I barely have time to listen to it.

When was the last time you rode the subway? 

I'm always on the subway. The last trip was on the A train going to the Upper West Side to see my therapist. It's filled with them up there. I’m always running into people I know on the train going to see their therapists.

What did you do last weekend and what are your plans for this 
weekend?

I just moved into my new apartment. This weekend I'm working at our semi-annual sample sale.

What was the first concert you ever attended?

Tanglewood. It was a classical concert that I went to in summer camp.

What's your favorite sport to watch and to participate in?

I don't watch any unless I need to nap. I snowboard and play tennis.

What never fails to make you cry?

Movies where kids are forced to be adults.

When are you happiest?

Watching Max have fun – and I’m also happy every time I start a new project.

 

Random Questions For…Hayden-Harnett

Never heard of Brooklyn-based accessories label Hayden-Harnett?  That’s about to change, thanks to the new, limited edition handbag collection the HH designers, Toni Hacker and Ben Harnett, just did for Target.

Reinterpreting the duo’s signature bag shapes – the Flight Tote, the Double-Flap Bag - in new fabrications for the masstige market (with a patterned bumbershoot thrown in for good measure), the Hayden-Harnett for Target collection is sure to bring Hacker and Harnett a little mass(tige) recognition of their own.

Not that they’ve been toiling in anonymity, mind you.  Since launching their line of modern classics on April Fool’s Day, 2005, Hayden-Harnett has been featured in the pages of every major fashion mag around and is now carried in retailers from New York (Barneys) to Tokyo (Tomorrowland). They even added a capsule clothing collection to the range not long ago, to great success.

The biggest difference between designing the Target collection and their own line?  Ummm, not very much, as it turns out.

“The thought, print development and design approach for the Target collection was exactly the same as for our own collection - style, quality, function and uniqueness,” said Hacker, who hails from Kentucky (her partner in crime hails from Upstate New York). “The only real difference is that we didn't do the Target collection production ourselves.”

The Fashion Informer nabbed some time with the creative couple a few weeks before Christmas to get the low-down on their unusual hobbies (prank calls, anyone?), unusually named felines, and fondest holiday memories.

So, Toni and Ben…

  

Why handbags and accessories?

Toni: I love leather and I love bags.

Ben: They're useful and they have a lot of different interesting aspects to their design.

  

Tell me about your favorite spot in Brooklyn. 

Toni: I love the piers in Long Island City across from the UN building. I love it because there's water, there's a gigantic Pepsi sign, I love the UN, I love seeing the city from a distance and the piers look super-cool and industrial.

Ben: I love Grand Army Plaza, and the Brooklyn Museum and Botanical Garden. I used to live around there. There's something great about Prospect Park and the farmer's market, and the whole neighborhood has a great feel there, very European almost.

 

What time do you usually get up the morning and what's your typical routine, from getting out of bed to the time you get to your desk?

Toni: Pywhackit wakes me up, so it's really her call.

Ben: I get up around 7, and work at home for a couple of hours before getting into the office to work more.  I get a lot done in the quiet of the morning with NPR in the background.

 

What's your favorite holiday?

Toni: Do I have to be honest? If I need to be honest, I will say none of the above. Can't we make up some new holidays? Like, #2 pencil day day!  I might get super excited about that one.

Ben: I actually love the Fourth of July.  It's pretty corny, but there's something about it.

 

When not designing accessories, studying painting and writing encyclopedias, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Toni: Photography and ebay.

Ben: I'm working on several paintings, and I have a huge stack of half-filled-in crossword puzzles that I refuse to look up the answers for.

 

Other than designing accessories, studying painting and writing encyclopedias, do you have any hidden or unusual talents?

Toni: I'm very good at imitating voices and make great prank calls.

Ben: There are a number of talents I don't have that I wish I did – like juggling, or singing, or tightrope walking.  I can play the piano reasonably well, and spent a long time learning to read and write ancient Greek.  I don't know if that's a talent.

How does life in Brooklyn differ from life in Kentucky/Upstate New York?

Toni:  I work a lot more and don't have to be home at 10.

Ben: You can't leave the door unlocked or the keys in the car!

 

You have two cats, Pywhackit and Daisy.  Could you tell me how they got their names?

Toni: Pywhackit J. Cat, our 13-year-old Siamese, was named in honor of Kim Novak's familiar from the movie "Bell, Book, and Candle.” Nobody knows what the J stands for...she just added it one day. Daisy, our two-year-old Brooklyn black and white tomgirl stray, was named by our art director, Mimi Eayrs. Her full name is now Daisy Lola Taco-Tico Alice Munro.

Ben: Well, that's about it!

 

What's your favorite Christmas memory?

Toni: The time my drunken Uncle David tried to shimmy down a faux chimney in a Santa outfit and became stuck. I was nine. It was Christmas. There was wood paneling and yelling.

Ben: Can't beat that!

 

Global warming:  fact or fiction?

Toni: fact

Ben: I think that may have been a legitimate question to ask in 1990.  Not now.

 

What music do you listen to while working?

Toni: I tend to design collections around a particular album or group of artists, so this varies. The fall ‘09 vibe is old-school Siouxsie and the Banshees, Grizzly Bear, Delta 5, Department of Eagles, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, and The Rolling Stones.

Ben: I'm pretty heavily loaded with Bob Dylan from his Christian rock phase. Odd, I know, but it helps me get work done.

 

What did you do last weekend and what are your plans for this weekend?

Toni: Last Saturday, packing shipments for customers at our warehouse. Sunday, brunch review/date with Ben for Page 6 at Clover Club.  This Saturday, recovering from the HH holiday party. Sunday, 12/14, was my birthday, which I proudly share with Nostradamus and Patty Duke.

Ben: Yep, that's what we did!  I cooked lasagna, and wrapped up Toni's presents.

 

What exotic locale would you most like to visit?

Toni: St. Petersburg, Russia because of the fantastic history, architecture and vodka.

Ben: I've always wanted to see the pyramids.

 

What never fails to make you cry?

Toni: Every time I see "The Color Purple,” it's a complete engineered breakdown.

Ben: I've gotten a lot more emotional these days, and I am not sure why.  I tear up at both the sublime and the most mundane things when I am reading or watching a movie.

When are you happiest? 

Toni: Playing Scrabble with Ben.

Ben: I sense a game of Scrabble in my future!

Photos courtesy Hayden-Harnett for Target

  

 

Random Questions For…Karen Walker

Since launching her eponymous label a little over a decade ago, New Zealand-based designer Karen Walker has shown collections inspired by Annie Hall, Amelia Earhart, pickpockets and revolutionaries, Ally Sheedy’s character in “The Breakfast Club, and 1930s comic book super heroines. 

The thread that ties them all together?  Walker’s coolly nonchalant aesthetic and devotion to unique prints - designed with her creative director hubby, Mikhail Gherman - and great tailoring, which results in fashionably effortless clothing that stylish girls (Sienna Miller, Cate Blanchett, Kate Hudson, Jennifer Lopez, Liv Tyler, Madonna, Kate Winslet) can’t get enough of.

In addition to her twice-yearly runway shows (which relocated from London to New York Fashion Weeks a few years ago), Walker also designs eyewear, cosmetics, jewelry and even a paint collection, all of which are sold throughout the US, UK, Asia, Australia and, of course, her native New Zealand.

The Fashion Informer caught up with the real-life fashion heroine a few weeks before Christmas to see how she manages to juggle motherhood, work and all the rest of it.

So, Karen…

 

Biggest different between living/working in New Zealand and New York?  

The physical isolation.

 

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Virginia Woolf's “Flush.” I love her and this is a tiny and slightly silly biography of her friend's spaniel. It's only 100 pages long but it's been on my nightstand for months as I very rarely get to read these days. My other book is “What To Expect Of the Toddler Years,” which gives a hint as to why I haven't finished the Virginia Woolf yet.

 

Sean Connery or Daniel Craig?

Daniel Craig. Going to see the new one on Thursday. Can't wait.

 

What's your favorite flower?

Frangipani.

 

What's your material of choice when sketching your designs?

2b pencil and a Zeta pad.

 

What did you do last weekend and what are your plans for this weekend?

Summer's just started here. Last weekend was beautiful. We had our first weekend by the pool at home and I swam on both days. Also did a little yoga, a mani/pedi, some cookie baking and had a few glasses of wine. Heaven. Next weekend, hopefully a repeat.

What did you have for lunch today?

A pumpkin and arugula sandwich.

 

How long does it take you to get ready for work in the morning (from the time you get up to the time you leave the house)?

About two hours. The baby wakes at 6.30 and from then 'til nanny arrives at 8.30 it's a crazy jumble involving toy boxes, steamed pear and raisins all over the floor.

 

Ocean or mountains?

I live in the mountains but I love the ocean, too, which thankfully is only 20 minutes away.

 

How do you relax/recharge after a long, hard day?

“Coronation Street.” It's one of the longest running soaps in the world, set in Manchester. I've been watching it since I was in the womb.

 

Please look up from your computer (or wherever you're answering these questions) and describe what you see around you.

Mountains.

 

Tell me about your best friend.

He leaves his socks all over the floor and has a terrible memory and isn't very good at unloading the dishwasher. He's also colorblind. But he's a genius and I love him.

 

Please tell me about your favorite item of clothing or jewelry and why it's so special to you.

My Karen Walker gold runaway girl pendant. I wear her every day and she brings me luck.

 

If you found $15,000 cash in a brown paper bag, how would you spend it?

Six months ago I would have said put it in the bank but now I'd say bury it in the backyard. 

 

What never fails to make you cry?

Mean things happening to puppies and kittens in movies.

 

When are you happiest?

Last weekend when I was having my first swim of summer.

 

 

Random Questions For…Koi Suwannagate

Pairing “femininity with imperfection” is Koi Suwannagate’s stock-in-trade, and since launching her eponymous collection in 2001, this modern approach has won the designer a legion of devoted fans, drawn to her ethereally embellished, hand-sculpted creations, which are equal parts girly and grrrr.

The Bangkok-born, Los Angeles-based designer made her New York Fashion Week debut in 2007 and, in 2008, was named a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist.  More recently, WWD included Suwannagate’s among their Top Ten collections for Spring 2009, alongside Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Dries van Noten, Lanvin and Giorgio Armani – pretty impressive company for an emerging designer to find herself in.

The Fashion Informer tracked down Suwannagate on the eve of the Koi website launch to talk food, travel and the importance of taste.

So, Koi…

 

What is your favorite getaway spot?

San Francisco, with good wine and seafood.

 

When you sketch your designs, what are your materials of choice?

Brown pencil.

 

What books are you currently reading?

Snack Yourself Slim.  I just learned that you can snack all day without actually gaining weight.

 

What is your favorite holiday?

Christmas because it's all about family, joy and laughter.

 

What three things are always in your fridge?

Organic milk, rice and chocolate.

 

Do you cook and, if so, what is your specialty?

When I have time I like to make a chicken stew.  When less time I'll make sushi rolls with cucumber.

 

What's your favorite holiday food & drink?

Hot chocolate by the fireplace and Cask 23 Cabernet from Stag's Leap.

 

What's your go-to mani/pedi color?

No color.

 

What, to you, is the most important sense (touch, taste, sight, smell, sound)?

Taste - it's consuming to one’s mind.

 

Brunch:  pro or con?

Definitely pro.

 

What magazines and newspapers do you read regularly?

Various fashion magazines, WWD, The World of Interiors, Los Angeles Times.

 

What never fails to make you cry?

Unconditional love.

 

When are you happiest?

When I am with my friends and family in the most beautiful place.

 

 

Random Questions For…Camilla Staerk

Danish-born designer Camilla Staerk capped off her well-received fall and spring runway shows by opening a boutique in the Little Italy section of her newly adopted city, New York, which showcases her moodily sensual collection – heavy on the black leather - to perfect effect.  

Staerk, like her namesake line (now also called Staerk), looks a bit – how to put it? -  foreboding upon first glance, but turns out to be anything but.  She originally launched her label in London in 2000 after studying fashion design at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication and completing a New York internship with Patrick Robinson at his eponymous label. 

Staerk’s senior collection was snapped up by Browns Focus and Maria Luisa boutique, and she went on to win Top Shop’s New Generation Award (the UK’s version of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund) three times, attracting a diverse range of celebrity clients, including Maggie Gyllenhaal, PJ Harvey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Julianne Moore, Liv Tyler and Helena Christensen, along the way.

The Copenhagen native relocated to New York two years ago after a dispute with her Camilla Staerk backers, relaunched the line as Staerk, and rediscovered her creative voice in the process, as can be seen in her fall 08 collection, dubbed “Bride of the Black Moon” in honor of that season’s muse, sculptor Louise Nevelson.

“Louise Nevelson showed me that there is another way of being an American and a New Yorker,” the designer has said.  “You channel the energy of the city through yourself, your own personality and obsessions.”

Staerk's personality and obessions can clearly be seen in her work – and her new boutique, both of which are equal parts austere and erotic.  Just like the designer herself.

The Fashion Informer caught up with Staerk last week to get the skinny on her favorite music, her weekend plans and her longtime love of black leather.

So, Camilla…

What is in current rotation on your iPod?

The new Portishead album “Third,” The soundtrack from “There Will Be Blood” and Patti Smith’s “Easter.”

 

How old were you the first time you wore black leather?

I must have been about 12 or 13. I think the attraction to this material comes from my horse riding background. I was on horseback daily since before I could even walk, and later thought to become a saddle maker.  Also, my appreciation and admiration for the furniture craft has surely played a role. This passion has run through my family for generations. My father and both of my grandfathers worked in the trade of Danish furniture.

 

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

Large soy cappuccino.

 

What did you do last weekend and what are your plans for this weekend?

Work and a walk in the city. Dinner and drinks with friends. Same thing next weekend, but quite a bit more work though.

 

What’s your favorite holiday?

Christmas. Because it is the only time a year that I actually take a holiday, and this holiday also symbolizes childhood and fond memories for me.  A Danish Christmas is very magical.

 

Tell me about your best friend.

Victor Glemaud. He is divine - that would be the best word to describe him.

 

What's your all-time favorite movie?

“Breaking The Waves” by Lars Von Trier is one of them. It touched me in such a big way that I have not been able to watch it since. That is powerful.

 

What's your idea of a perfect day?

Being with people I love. They all inspire me.

 

Favorite getaway spot?

The boutique resort 'Jakes' in Jamaica. My husband and I discovered this place in the spring of 2007. It is our ideal holiday, and we decided it was our late but real honeymoon. I love it, because it is so basic, relaxing and homey with great local food. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

What is the one question you'd like to ask God, assuming s/he exists?

Is everything planned in detail already?

 

What is your favorite sport to watch and to participate in?

To watch: Soccer World Championships (mostly when Denmark is playing).  To participate in: Equestrian Dressage sports.

 

Beverage of choice?

Dry vodka martini with olives.

 

What was your childhood nickname and what's your nickname now?

Mille (childhood).  Stærk, Starketta (now).

 

What never fails to make you cry?

Animals being mistreated.

 

When are you happiest?

Those inspiring and happy moments when it feels like it is all coming together, sometimes how you imagined, sometimes in a very unexpected way. And those moments in the company of my husband, friends and family - feeling that I do remember living life.

 

 

Random Questions For…Stuart Weitzman

Stuart Weitzman was born to design shoes.  Literally.  The Long Island, New York native comes from a long line of shoe makers and was folding tissue and packing boxes at his father’s shoe company before he hit junior high.

These days, the Wharton business school grad oversees the family business, which is now produced in Spain and has become synonymous with unusual materials and fashion forward design (not to mention the one-of-a-kind million dollar shoes Weitzman designs for one lucky Oscar nominee each year).

When he’s not mired in his shoe biz duties or working on behalf of breast cancer research charities, the long-married father of two enjoys a rousing game of ping pong and a steady stream of Diet Coke.

Weitzman expounded on all this and more when The Fashion Informer tracked him down earlier this week.

So, Stuart…

What's your favorite time of day?

Mornings, I’m anxious to get going.

 

When you were 9 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A baseball player.

Who is your favorite author of all time?

Edgar Allen Poe.

 

Coffee or tea?

Diet Coke.

 

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

What's breakfast?

 

What is your favorite city in the world?

London, England.  It feels good being there with the people, restaurants, theater, the history.

 

What would you like to be doing if you weren't a shoe designer?

NY Yankee first baseman.

 

I know you're an avid ping pong player - when is the last time you played, against whom, and who won?

In October with the head tennis pro at La Manga resort in Murcia, Spain.  After his being trumped, I'm sure he won't play me again.

 

What is your all-time favorite work of art?

My daughter Rachel's first CD cover designed and painted by her.

 

What is your favorite holiday?

July 4th, because I'm always reminded of why we celebrate.

 

Tell me about your pet(s).

It's a peve.  It has two legs, and always promises what it can't deliver.  Some people call it a politician.

 

What is your favorite mode of communication?

Face to face.

 

What magazines, newspapers and websites do you read regularly?

Men's Health and the International Herald Tribune.

 

What never fails to make you cry?

Hearing our national anthem at the Olympic gold medal ceremony.

 

When are you happiest?

6-Love, 6-Love - against a 22-year-old.

 

 

 

Random Questions For…Sigerson Morrison

All girls love shoes, goes the saying.  And perhaps none more so than Kari Sigerson and Miranda Morrison, the New York duo who have been designing their eponymous line of hipster-chic kicks since 1991, after having met as students at FIT.

Their shared design philosophy is, simply, “style, rather than fashion, is key” and it’s an ethos can be seen in their gladiator sandals, peep-toe boots and tough luxe flats, which have been spotted on celebs such as Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Watts and Sarah Jessica Parker, who sported a pair of mod Sigerson Morrison booties in the “Sex and the City” movie.

The Fashion Informer caught up with Madames Sigerson and Morrison just before the launch of their limited edition Target collection, which re-imagines their signature styles at more recession-friendly prices, thankyouverymuch, and will be available through December 26.

So, Kari and Miranda…

 

What is your favorite off-duty activity?

SIGERSON: Shopping for modern design.

MORRISON: Schmoozing my daughters, cooking, and/or puttering round my house and neighborhood (Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.)

 

When you were 9, what did you want to be when you grew up?  

SIGERSON: An Olympic gymnast.

MORRISON: A painter and inventor.

 

What's your idea of a perfect day?  

SIGERSON: Sleep late, slip into a bikini, and stumble down to the beach with family to meet friends.

MORRISON: It would start with a swim, maybe in a glassy sea. Then there would be a large swathe of work or purposeful activity. All followed by a massive party. I like a very full day, whenever possible.

 

Beverage of choice?

SIGERSON: Champagne.

MORRISON: Red, white or pink. Still or bubbly. WINE!  Close second: a good cup of Orange Pekoe with milk and about three grains of sugar.

When was the last time you rode the subway?  

SIGERSON: The 6 train uptown to Spring Street on my way to work this morning.

MORRISON: I ride the F train morning and evening, to and from Brooklyn and Nolita. I'm a subway addict, because I love to people watch, strap hang and do crossword puzzles, none of which you can do in taxis.

 

What's the best/worst thing about living and working in NYC?  

SIGERSON: This is the hardest working town on earth. Anything and everything is possible. This is the 'big show.’ It's all up to you.  You have to take the plunge and make every minute count.

MORRISON: NYC is well known to be the center of the known universe, and that cocky charm still makes me never want to live anywhere else. The worst thing is that we almost never stop for a civilized lunch.

 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a designer - and why accessories?  

SIGERSON: I was 14, living in Omaha, Nebraska, and my Dad sent me a course catalogue for classes at FIT.  I think I thought there was something exotic about shoe design.  Clothing was relatively easy to understand how they were made and put together, but shoes??!! Shoes were a mystery; only the coolest people knew how shoes were made!

MORRISON: In my early twenties, when it finally occurred to me that a painter/inventor might actually be called a designer. Shoes are perhaps the ultimate Man-Product love affair, which is part of why they are so gratifying to design.

 

What is your favorite holiday?

SIGERSON: I love the 4th of July - warm summer nights with spectacular fireworks lighting the sky.

MORRISON: I do love Christmas. From buying the first presents to eating cold turkey the day after. I love to cook, I am a total gift-wrap geek (yes, I get a lot of the supplies at Target), and since I love parties too, it's hands down my favorite holiday.

 

Tell me about your most memorable Halloween costume.

SIGERSON:  A couple of years ago, my husband and daughter and I were invited to a party and we got all dressed in our costumes - I was Elvis (white velvet flares, gold loafers, white cape with gold buttons, Elvis eyewear, black scratchy Elvis wig) – and we headed out the door and down the block and suddenly realized we were a day early for the party.  We quickly scrabbled home laughing all the way.

MORRISON: One year I made my older daughter a giant high-top sneaker costume. Then her little sister wanted to be the foot that fit the sneaker. They were hilarious.

 

What is the greatest lesson your parents taught you?

SIGERSON: That I could do anything - you just have to take the plunge and swim like hell.

MORRISON: To find humor in the absurdities of everyday life. To work at what you love. To see one's friends often. To open wine while you make the dinner.

 

Tell me about your best friend.  

SIGERSON: My best friend is my business partner, Miranda.  We are like sisters.  We work so hard, but we have so much fun.  We have everything and nothing, in common - it's kind of perfect.

MORRISON: Ah, how many of us get to work with our BFF? Kari and I have the longest-running jokes, the most polar-opposite temperaments and possibly the most complementary taste of any shoe design duo.

 

If you had the chance to ask God one question (assuming s/he exists), what would it be? 

SIGERSON:  So, what about that Fountain of Youth?

MORRISON: Were you kidding?

 

Please look up from wherever you are answering these questions and describe what you see around you.  

SIGERSON: An incredibly messy design office, with loads of amazing things for inspiration for our next collection.  Leathers, heels, prototypes, funny co-workers, tons of activity.

MORRISON: The still-startlingly-new surroundings of my renovated ground floor in Brooklyn. I am slowly deciding on where to hang the pictures, and what to add and take away. It is very light and airy, and opens onto a deck and a garden. It's a very happy work in progress!

 

What freaks you out?  

SIGERSON: Heaping plates of food - we are making ourselves sick with our mindless over eating. And pee on toilet seats.

MORRISON: Not too much. I'm very not squeamish!  When I am an uncontrollably late, I do freak out.

 

When are you happiest?  

SIGERSON On an airplane, surrounded by my family, and we are off on a new adventure together.

MORRISON: It would be between any of the following:  Waking up in my new bedroom, eating and laughing with family and friends, reading an engrossing novel, making things, mooching round a good hardware store.

 

Photos courtesy of Target

 

 

Random Questions For...Betsey Johnson

Betsey Johnson has been a regular on the fashion scene since 1965, when she began designing clothes for the groovy Paraphernalia boutique, where Edie Sedgwick was her house model and rockers like the Velvet Underground were regular clients (Johnson was married to musician John Cale at the time).

Johnson opened her own boutique, Betsey Bunki Nini, in 1969, and launched her namesake label in 1978 with business partner, Chantal Bacon.  Since then, Betsey Johnson has become synonymous with colorful, feminine, girls-just-wanna-have-fun clothing, and the line is as popular in 2008 as it was during the ‘70s and ‘80s, when every punk rock princess worth her bleach blonde faux hawk had at least one striped velvet Betsey Johnson dress in her closet.

Today, the indefatigable 66-year-old breast cancer survivor continues to expand her brand (she currently has 75 freestanding boutiques worldwide and is carried by more than 500 department and specialty stores across the globe), and she still does cartwheels at the end of every runway show.

The Fashion Informer’s Lauren David Peden caught up with the effervescent grandmother of two on the eve of her New York Fashion Week Spring 2009 show to dish on her childhood dreams, favorite movies and vegetable-induced crying jags.

So, Betsey…

What is your favorite time of day (and why)?

7:30 in the morning when I run downstairs to visit my two granddaughters. 

What's in current rotation on your iPod?

I don’t use an iPod.  I threw three of them out the window and don’t have one now.  It’s a shame.  Maybe in my next life I’ll use one. 



You consistently play some the best fashion show music I've ever heard; how do you choose which songs to include in a show?

We work with a great DJ, Rene Goulet, and it’s a fun collaboration that revolves around the theme of each show.  He leads the way and I throw some favorites and oldies in there.

When you were 9 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A Rockette.

What's your favorite movie of all time?

“The Women” for the fashion, “Blade Runner” for the early futurist, “Easy Rider” because the girls wore my clothes in it.  Anything with Cary Grant and Brigitte Bardot.

What is your idea of a perfect meal?

Fresh fish.

You celebrated your 40th anniversary in the business last month (August); what one piece of advice would you impart to your younger self if you had the chance?

Always stick to your guns no matter what. 


Tell me about your pet(s).

Lucy’s like my little girlfriend.  She’s the friendliest, sweetest Maltese you’ll ever meet.

What's the best thing about being a grandma?

Seeing the grandkids every day.



What would you like to be doing if you weren't a designer?

A Rockette, an interior decorator or a florist.

Beverage of choice?

Champagne.



Brunch:  pro or con?


I never eat brunch.

If you found $15,000 cash in a brown paper bag, how would you spend it?

I’d give it to my favorite breast cancer charity, the NBCFF. 



What never fails to make you cry?

When I cut onions. 



When are you happiest?

When I’m with my lover, and when I’m with my family.