BRITISH VOGUE – OCTOBER 2006

OCTOBER 2006

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WHAT HAVE YOU ALWAYS LOVED ABOUT LEATHER? 

OF COURSE I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED THE KINK FACTOR OF BLACK LEATHER. WHO HASN'T? IT'S KIND OF DELICIOUS THAT A SYMBOL OF LEATHER BARS AND PUNK ROCK HAS BECOME AN ACCEPTABLE PART OF OUR CULTURE. I LOVE A HINT OF CORRUPTION. BUT OF COURSE THERE'S THE ARTISANAL FACTOR. TO PRODUCE CLOTHES OUT OF LEATHER, EACH SKIN MUST BE HAND-CUT, UNLIKE METERS OF FABRIC THAT CAN BE STACKED AND CUT IN MULTIPLES. EACH SKIN IS UNIQUE AND THERE'S GREAT APPEAL IN FEELING THAT HUMAN TOUCH. MY TAKE ON IT WAS TO MAKE IT DRAPE. KIND OF A BLEND OF IGGY AND MADAME GRES. IGGY GRES. 

WOULD YOU SAY IT'S SOMETHING OF A RICK OWENS SIGNATURE? 

I'M PLEASED THAT IT SEEMS TO HAVE ENDED UP THAT WAY. 

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE TACTILE NATURE OF LEATHER TO ITS APPEAL? 

LEATHER IS ONE OF THOSE MIRACLES OF NATURE THAT CAN'T REALLY BE DUPLICATED. LIKE THE SMOOTHNESS OF MARBLE OR THE WARMTH OF WOOD, OR THE RICHNESS OF A FISTFUL OF EARTH. 

HOW IMPORTANT IS THE QUALITY OF THE LEATHER TO GIVE IT AN ELEMENT OF LUXURY? 

TO ME, SOMETIMES ALL THE PROCESSING IN THE PRESUMABLY HIGHER QUALITY LEATHERS SUCKS THE SOUL OUT OF IT. 

DO YOU THINK LEATHER CAN BE WORN BY WOMEN OF ALL AGES? 

HAVE YOU SEEN THOSE FAMOUS PICTURES OF MARLENE DIETRICH IN HER '50S IN BLACK LEATHER PANTS AND TUNIC? 

WHAT CLASSIC LEATHER PIECES SHOULD EVERY WOMAN OWN? 

UH, BLACK LEATHER PANTS AND TUNIC. OH, AND A JACKET. 

WHAT ARE YOUR OWN EARLY MEMORIES OF LEATHER?