METAL – OCTOBER 2008

OCTOBER 2008

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CAN YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU STARTED BEING INTERESTED IN FASHION? WHAT WAS THE TRIGGER? 

I THINK IT WAS WHEN I SAW MUGLER'S ADS FOR HIS METROPOLIS COLLECTION IN THE '70S. HIS HEROIC, EXAGGERATED FIGURES IN PSEUDO-FASCIST UNIFORMS ON MODERNIST BUILDINGS. THAT AND BOWIE, KLAUS NOMI AND DIVINE. 

DID YOU BECOME A DESIGNER BY ACCIDENT OR WAS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY WANTED TO DO? 

I WENT TO ART SCHOOL TO BE A PAINTER BUT CHICKENED OUT. I THOUGHT I'D BETTER LEARN A TRADE SO I WENT TO TRADE SCHOOL TO LEARN TO MAKE PATTERNS. I WAS INTERESTED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CLOTHES, AND, THINKING PRACTICALLY, I'D ALWAYS BE ABLE TO GET A JOB AS A PATTERN MAKER. I STILL FIND A CERTAIN COMFORT IN THAT. 

WHAT WAS IT LIKE DESIGNING IN L.A.? WAS IT AN EXCITING TIME FOR YOU? 

IT WAS GREAT. I HAD A QUIET ISOLATED LITTLE CORNER OFF OF HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD AND COULD BLAST IGGY POP ALL NIGHT WORKING BY MYSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. 

A WHOLE GENERATION OF DESIGNERS GAINED PROMINENCE IN THE MID '90S, CHANGING PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION OF FASHION AND DRESSING. DID YOU, AT ANY POINT, FEEL PART OF A GROUP OR MOVEMENT? 

I FEEL PART OF A NATURAL EVOLUTION. 

IS FASHION PURELY SUPERFICIAL OR DOES IT HAVE A DEEPER PURPOSE? 

IT'S ONE OF THE MOST DIRECT WAYS OF COMMUNICATING WITH EACH OTHER. AND SINCE WHEN IS THE PURSUIT OF BEAUTY SUPERFICIAL? IT'S ONE OF LIFE'S GREATEST REWARDS. BUT MAYBE THE PACE THE FASHION SYSTEM HAS TAKEN ON MIGHT CONSUME IDEAS AND PEOPLE MORE THAN IT SHOULD. 

ARE APPEARANCES ALWAYS DECEIVING? 

I DON'T KNOW. I RARELY LOOK. 

WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR WORK? AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS YOU COULD REALLY DO WITHOUT? 

I LIKE CONSTRUCTING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING, QUIETLY AND ALONE. 

COMMUNICATING TECHNICAL DETAILS CAN BE TEDIOUS. 

YOU HAVE USED FUR AND ANIMAL SKINS FOR YEARS AND I LOVE THE WAY YOU'VE TAKEN ALL THE BOURGEOIS CONNOTATIONS OUT OF THEM. HOW DO YOU APPROACH SUCH MATERIALS? 

I PICTURE BRANCUSI'S STUDIO, JOSEPH BEUYS' INSTALLATIONS, MADAME GRES' TURBAN AND THEY TELL ME WHAT TO DO. 

WHAT DOES LUXURY MEAN TO YOU? IS IT ONLY MATERIAL OR DOES IT HAVE MANY FACES? 

LUXURY TO ME IS A COFFEE BUZZ, FREE TIME, OPEN SPACE AND LITTLE BAGGAGE. 

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH FASHION'S SCHIZOPHRENIC WAVES AND STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF? 

I LIVE IN MY OWN LITTLE SELFISH BUBBLE. 

IS FASHION GOING TOO FAST? ARE WE CLOSE TO BURNOUT? 

I HOPE SO. BURNOUTS LEAD TO THE REBIRTHS. 

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WERE NOT DESIGNING? 

A BITTER ALCOHOLIC PAINTER. 

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE LIFE-SIZE STATUE OF YOURSELF IN THE PARIS STORE? WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? 

I COMMISSIONED IT AS A PORTRAIT WHEN I BOUGHT MY HOUSE. TRADITIONALLY, WHEN A MAN REACHES A CERTAIN AGE AND SECURITY, HE IMMORTALIZES HIMSELF AT HIS PEAK. THE IMPLICATION OF COURSE IS THAT FROM THERE, IT'S DOWNHILL TILL DEATH. I LIKED THE IDEA AS A SILLY EXERCISE IN VANITY AND MORTALITY. AND SENTIMENTALITY. IT WAS MY VERSION OF MY PORTRAIT OVER MY FIREPLACE. PITTI IMAGINE INVITED ME TO DO AN INSTALLATION IN FLORENCE, AND IT SEEMED AMUSING TO SHOW IT THERE, ALTHOUGH ORIGINALLY ITS INTENT HAD ONLY BEEN FOR MY HOUSE. AFTERWARDS, IT SEEMED TO SUIT THE PALAIS ROYAL LOCATION, SO I JUST KEPT IT THERE. 

ARE ALL DESIGNERS CONTROL FREAKS? DO YOU FIND IT EASY TO DELEGATE? 

I FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DELEGATE. I'M A TOTAL CUNT, AND I'M ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE AS I GET OLDER. 

YOU HAVE RECENTLY OPENED STORES IN NEW YORK AND LONDON. WHAT WAS THE CONCEPT BEHIND THEM? 

THE PARIS STORE IS COZY, INSULATED AND HIDDEN IN A BEAUTIFUL GARDEN. CONTAINING OF COURSE MY 'CORPSE.' THE NYC STORE IS IN A BLEAK AREA NORTH OF TRIBECA WITH A LOT OF SPACE. I INSTALLED A FOG MACHINE WALL TO 'CAPTURE' AN ELEMENT OF DREAMY DRAMA IN THE SPACE. THE LONDON STORE IS VERY CLASSICAL AND WILL HAVE A WAX HEAD ON A PLATE IN HOMAGE TO MR. WILDE'S FAMOUS PLAY 'SALOME.' 

DO YOU STILL GET NERVOUS BEFORE SHOWS, OR ARE YOU FAIRLY CONFIDENT IN YOUR VISION? 

I USUALLY SAY NO, BECAUSE AT THE SHOW I FEEL PRETTY CALM AND HAVE A GOOD TIME, BUT I REALIZE THAT I DO WAKE UP AND CHAIN SMOKE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT FOR THE 2 WEEKS BEFORE. I'M MORE NERVOUS ABOUT THE TIME THAN THE RESPONSE, THOUGH. 

WHERE ARE YOU ACTUALLY BASED? DO YOU HAVE HOMES IN SEVERAL CITIES? 

NO, I JUST HAVE A HOUSE IN PARIS. I THOUGHT ABOUT GETTING A PLACE IN ITALY, BUT DECIDED I PREFER HOTELS. 

JOURNALISTS OFTEN REFER TO AN 'AMERICAN SENSIBILITY' IN FASHION, COMBINING SPORTSWEAR, CLEAN LINES AND COMFORT. DO YOU RELATE TO ANY OF THAT? 

TOTALLY. 

WHICH CITIES INSPIRE YOU? AND WHY? 

I GO TO VENICE A LOT—IT WAS BETWEEN SETTLING DOWN IN VENICE OR PARIS.
I LOVE GOING THROUGH THE TRAIN STATION IN MILAN.
I LOVE THE SUN IN TANGIER.
I LIKE THE GREYNESS OF BERLIN.
BUT I ALWAYS FEEL I'M IN THE RIGHT PLACE AS I'M CROSSING THE BRIDGE FROM THE PLACE DE LA CONCORDE TO MY HOUSE ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE AIRPORT. 

YOU'VE PUT MEN IN STACKED HEELS, AND YOUR WOMEN'S CLOTHES ARE OFTEN ANDROGYNOUS. IS GENDER STILL RELEVANT IN FASHION?