OYSTER MAGAZINE – FEBRUARY 2009 – AMERICAN MYSTIC – BY PHILLIPE POURHASHEMI

FEBRUARY 2009

OYSTER MAGAZINE – FEBRUARY 2009 – AMERICAN MYSTIC – BY PHILLIPE POURHASHEMI</b>

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THE THEME OF OUR ISSUE IS 'DISTORTION.' WHAT DOES THAT WORD EVOKE FOR YOU? CAN YOU RELATE TO IT? 

TOTALLY RELATE TO IT. TO ME IT MEANS ALTER IT, ENHANCE IT, EXAGGERATE IT, EMPHASIZE IT, CORRUPT IT, CELEBRATE IT, OWN IT. 

YOU'RE FAMOUS FOR TWISTING CLASSICS, SUCH AS THE BIKER JACKET AND BIAS SKIRTS, GIVING THEM A NEW IDENTITY. DO YOU FEEL THAT WHAT YOU DO IS MORE TIMELESS THAN TIMELY? 

THAT'S WHAT I WAS AIMING FOR. TIME WILL TELL. 

THE CLOTHES THAT YOU DESIGN ARE REFRESHINGLY WEARABLE AND EASY TO COMBINE. ARE YOU INSPIRED BY WHAT YOU SEE ON THE STREET OR DO YOU FEEL DISTANCED FROM IT? 

I'M NOT ON THE STREETS THE WAY I USED TO BE, BUT I REMEMBER THE BASIC IDEAS: ANTI-CONVENTIONAL FLAMBOYANCE, EMBRACING THE GROTESQUE, FEELING IMMORTAL. AS I GOT OLDER I'D KIND OF GOTTEN IT OUT OF MY SYSTEM SO MY AESTHETIC GOT MORE RELAXED. BUT THERE REMAIN VESTIGES. 

CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH YOUR SPRING/SUMMER COLLECTION? 

IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WAS BOTH AUSTERE AND EROTIC. I WAS KIND OF THINKING 'HEALTHY, DISCIPLINED, HARD ELEGANCE.' 

THERE WAS A FEELING OF EASE AND COMFORT IN THAT COLLECTION. DO YOU THINK SIMPLICITY IS NECESSARY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES? 

ON THE CONTRARY, I THINK THAT DURING HARD TIMES PEOPLE ARE ONLY GOING TO BUY SOMETHING THAT TRULY ENGAGES THEM. AND IT MIGHT BE THE MOMENT FOR A FRIVOLOUS DEFIANT GESTURE. BUT I SUPPOSE ANYTIME'S A GOOD TIME FOR THAT. 

DID RELIGION INSPIRE YOU FOR THAT LAST SHOW? SOME ELEMENTS SEEMED TO REFER TO ANCIENT EGYPT AND PRIESTS. WERE YOU ATTRACTED BY THAT KIND OF IMAGERY? 

I DO LOVE A BIT OF MYSTICISM. I DON'T BELIEVE IN ANY BUT I'M SO ATTRACTED BY RITUAL AND DEVOTION. I RATHER GLIBLY DESCRIBED MY SHOW AS 'PRIESTESSES OF LONGING,' BUT IT SOUNDS NICE, DOESN'T IT? DICTIONARY LONGING IS SOMETHING EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO: SALOME'S LONGING FOR JOHN THE BAPTIST, GRIMLY DETERMINED HOURS AT THE GYM LONGING FOR HEALTH AND A PERFECT BODY, DRUG HIGHS LONGING FOR EUPHORIA. LONGING FOR VALIDATION. IT'S A TIMELESS, CLASSIC MOTIF. 

THE SILHOUETTE YOU CREATED WAS BOTH SOFT AND FLUID, EVEN WHEN YOU SHOWED MORE TAILORED PIECES. WHAT FABRICS DID YOU USE TO GET THAT EFFECT? 

ALWAYS MY GEORGETTES, CREPES AND SILK GAZARS, BUT THIS SEASON I HAD A FANTASTICALLY DRAPABLE SOFT FINISH FOR ALLIGATOR THAT I'M GONNA BE WORKING 'TIL YOU ALL GET REALLY SICK OF IT. 

THE FOOTWEAR WAS SLIGHTLY ODD. WHAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND IT? 

WAS IT ODD? HAVING WEIGHT AT THE END OF THE LEG MAKES LEGS LOOK SKINNIER AND KIND OF FLOPPY, AND HAVING THAT WEIGHT DRAG JUST ADDS A NICE NOTE OF ABANDON. 

I KNOW YOU LOVE KLAUS NOMI. HE WAS A MASTER AT DISTORTING THINGS, STARTING WITH HIS OWN VOICE. ARE THERE SOME OF HIS SONGS THAT YOU LOVE MORE THAN OTHERS? 

I PREFER HIS STRAIGHT ARIAS TO THE POP STUFF. THE POP SONGS DATED A BIT. BUT I STILL LISTEN TO HIS 'SAMSON AND DELILAH' AND 'DIDO AND AENAES' ARIAS. TALK ABOUT LONGING! THOSE SONGS SUNG BY A MAN IN ASPIRATIONAL MAKEUP ARE DRIPPING WITH IT. 

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? ANY EXCITING TRIPS TO LOOK FORWARD TO? 

I'M LAUNCHING MEN'S, DENIM, WOMEN'S PRECOLLECTION AND THE FURS FOR JANUARY SALES. BUT I'LL TAKE A WEEK OFF FOR SOME DISCIPLINED HARD ELEGANT SUN IN MOROCCO FOR CHRISTMAS. 

YOUR BUSINESS HAS GROWN SLOWLY BUT STEADILY OVER THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS. HOW DO YOU INTEND ON DEVELOPING IT?