VOGUE TURKEY – SEPTEMBER 2013

SEPTEMBER 2013

THESE GIRLS HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. IN THEIR FACE THERE IS ANGER, POWER AND SO MANY FEELINGS. WHY USE THEM AS MODELS IN YOUR SHOW?

FASHION CAN BE RESTRICTIVE, RIGID AND SUPERIOR. I LIKED PROPOSING OTHER OPTIONS. THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS TO BE BEAUTIFUL, AND THE FASHION WORLD CAN SHOW ONLY A FRACTION OF THAT. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE BEAUTY OF UNITY, SPIRIT, CONFIDENCE AND PRIDE IN ONESELF.

BUT ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TRAITS OF ALL IS HUMOR. THE SCOWLS WORN BY THE DANCERS WERE WHAT IS CALLED 'GRITFACE' WHICH IS A TRADITIONAL ELEMENT IN SOME FACTIONS OF THE STEPPING COMMUNITY, MEANT TO SYMBOLIZE THE INTIMIDATION OF AN OPPONENT. I CANT TAKE CREDIT FOR INVENTING IT. IT'S OBVIOUSLY A CHEERFUL EXAGGERATION THAT CAN BE FOUND IN OLD DANCES GLOBALLY LIKE THE MAORI TRIBES OR KABUKI. I THOUGHT THIS EXAGGERATED ARTIFICE WAS VERY WITTY IN ITS DISMISSAL OF STANDARD BEAUTY.

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO SAY WITH THIS SHOW?

STEP DANCE IS SPECIFICALLY AMERICAN. IT WAS A RESPONSE TO THE STRUGGLE FOR RACIAL INTEGRATION IN AMERICAN COLLEGES OF THE 1960S.

OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A SENSITIVE ISSUE FOR ME TO PLAY WITH, BUT I THINK ALL OF US CAN RELATE TO FEELING OSTRACIZED AND UNWANTED AT SOME POINT ON A PRIMAL LEVEL. I THOUGHT STEP DANCING WAS A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE OF GRACE UNDER PRESSURE THAT COULD MEAN SOMETHING TO EVERYONE.

NOT 'FASHION BODIES.' WHY?

IT WAS A PERSONAL EXERCISE TO CONSIDER CURVES AND SIZE RANGES IN THE CLOTHES I SELL. THIS WAS A GREAT WAY FOR US IN THE STUDIO TO STUDY MORE WAYS TO MAKE CLOTHES AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE. IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS THAT.

WHAT DO PHAROAH HEADPIECES SYMBOLIZE FOR YOU?

COMBINING HISTORICALLY ICONIC SHAPES PRESENTS THE BIGGEST PICTURE I CAN COME UP WITH. WHEN YOU MIX A PHAROAH'S HAT, SKATEBOARDES SHORTS, A JULIET GRECO TURTLENECK AND A JOEY RAMONE SHOE IN A MONOTONE SILHOUETTE, YOU'RE THINKING OF YOURSELF ON A LARGER STAGE THAN JUST THE IMMEDIATE PRESENT.

AS YOU TOOK YOUR FINAL BOW FROM ABOVE SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT YOU TOOK ON THE ROLE OF GOD, AND THEY THOUGHT THEY HAD WITNESSED THE RESURRECTION. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?

I COULDN'T RESIST THAT THEATRICAL MOMENT! IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SILLY NOT TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE DRAMA!

FASHION GENERALLY IDEALIZES THE BODY BUT YOU DID NOT. CAN YOU THINK OF A FASHION WORLD WITHOUT SKINNY, WHITE BODIES?

I DONT MEAN TO TEACH ANYONE ANY LESSONS. THE FASHION WORLD IS RESPONDING TO GENERAL DESIRE, NOT REALLY DICTATING IT. I'M JUST LUCKY THAT I HAVE A NICHE THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYONE.

ANY SPECIAL WORDS FOR VOGUE TURKEY?