Dear iDEALS, I met German Thomas Behrens about a month ago during my visit to Villa Noailes for the 28th Edition of the Hyeres Festival. Though Thomas was not one of the contestants, he opened his heart to me and shared his plans and personal goals, his new collection and dreams. A multitasker by nature, he started his career as a stylist before he moved to design, in 2005.
He is now preparing to present his collection in Florence as a PITTI UOMO participant. Here's what he told me.
FilepMotwary: So Thomas, which experiences helped you form your own aesthetics?
ThomasBehrens: It developed by making fashion. Before doing this collection I did a collection free from any boundaries. In a way, I wanted to test me. How far can I go creatively and technically... At the end it looked like an army of future amazons. But by trying this and organizing a guerilla presentation in front of the fashion tent during the fashion week, I learned a lot about myself, and what I want to say.
It has become a process that thankfully keeps going.
FM: What is your new collection about?
TB: Oh, my new collection started with an experience I had. For a job I had seen a building of Richard Neutra in which an old, really nice lady lives in. He only built a few houses in Germany only because his construction method is corresponding more to a warmer climate. I was impressed about the symbiosis of the interior and the surrounding nature, just separated by a glass wall. Outside you had water basins and when the sun comes up you see all the reflection on the walls and the wooden ceiling inside.
The idea of stepping out of bed, feel the carpet pile under your naked feet, open the panorama window, walk over the grass and jumping in the pool was fascinating.
FM: Why did you choose menswear and not womenswear?
TB: During my studies I made both. But now I decided for menswear. I like the technical part of it and also that menswear has boundaries, you can respect or slightly move a bit further. Menswear also is pays a lot of attention to the details.
FM: In your opinion what are the differences between men and women?
TB: This is a complicated question. In clothes there are differences and I like these differences. For example there are just a few men which are looking good in skirts.
But there is a lot of changing in the understanding of mens and womenswear. Recently Andrej Pejic could be seen as a physical expression of this new idea. The dream about androgyny, to break with established roles is reemerging. In my vision man and women come very close to one another, but not that they adopting the fashion of the opposite sexes, it is more an expansion of boundaries. This could be the choice of the fabric quality, the fit of a shoulder etc..
FM: What makes a designer important in your opinion in order to last? How does really longevity mean in this business?
TB: Longevity means a lot but it is getting rare in this business. But there are houses where the designers are coming back and I appreciate this and this keeps me up, because it shows that there are costumers following the designer. And I think sometimes to separate the company from the designer of different reasons isn't the right solution, because it dilutes the message.
And what makes fashion interesting is for me the diversity.
FM: How did you form the hero/the man you dress?
TB: Maybe he is a character from a novel of Thomas Mann. At the moment he is on holiday, on a road-trip threw America. He is someone who loves the ritual of dressing. He is not loud or aggressive, maybe his provocation is about showing his vulnerability without any precautions.
FM: Is there any tension between the idea and the execution, in terms of the time that separates them?
TB: Yes, because in this collection I wanted to do something really natural, a relaxed look. But to create a soft fit blazer, is something not so stress relieving. There is a lot to think, which construction you use underneath, always with the fear to loose the spontaneity you had in your mind at the beginning.
FM: You are now preparing for Pitti. How do you imagine Pitti Uomo?
TB: I have never been to the Pitti before, but I heard that the atmosphere should be nice and not like a typical fair with little boxes where people siting separated like birds in cages.
FM: What are your expectations?
TB: I hope to meet interesting people and maybe selling some pieces.
Eugene Rabkin is the founder of www.stylezeitgeist.com and the editor of StyleZeitgeist magazine.We met about a year ago during a visit to Florence to attend the POLIMODA fashion events week as guests of Linda Loppa and be part of Momenting the Memento, the Salon Fashion Talk that took place at Villa Favard
EugeneRabkin: So we are both working on the
weekend.
Filep Motwary: I was supposed to have a
tattoo this afternoon, but I guess it’s not the day.
ER: Speaking of tattoos, Thomas Hooper
designed the cover of the upcoming issue of StyleZeitgeist magazine. We are all
very excited.
FM: Oh so nice. So what it is you want us
to talk about?
ER: The zeitgeist, of course!
FM: Hmm, I feel it’s a very complicated
period, as this polyphony is now a scream, a rather violent one. There is too
much information. It seems that we have less and less time to observe and
digest.
ER: I absolutely agree and that is exactly
what has been on my mind for quite a while. The issue is two-fold, I think.
There is too much fashion, and too much information.
FM: It seems like someone is running after
everyone of us, though this someone, if you put it down is non-existent.
I mean, its not like we are in the post war
60's, we are not in the Vietnam period, there's no Woodstock, disco, Michael
Jackson. It’s a new era! (I mention facts
of post-war American history)
ER: I think that today curation is becoming
increasingly important, as people will rely more and more on those who are able
to edit all this information down. And I think that's what both of us are
trying to do in our own way.
FM: But my question is whether there is
time for those designers who deserve to be recognized? Is there any space left
for anyone new?
ER: I think there is, but they will not be
recognized on the large scale. I think, rather, they will be celebrated in
disparate venues. For example, there is the CFDA in America,
who keep giving awards to the same people every year.
FM: Exactly what I wanted to say.
ER: But then there are other venues, like
StyleZeitgeist or your blog, that celebrate other designers. There are more
voices with their own audiences. And I think that's healthy.
FM: Combined with my own obsessions you
mean!
ER: Yes, but if your obsessions have an
audience, that means other people share them. For me, it's the most gratifying
aspect of doing StyleZeitgeist, that I am not alone, that there is a community
of like-minded people who learn through me and from whom I have learned so
much.
FM: But everything has been normalized for
a few years now.
ER: How do you mean?
FM: There are no real surprises, things to
keep you excited.
I was recently talking with Rick Owens and
he mentioned how, for example, being gay has become such normality, how gay
people suffered during the 70's or 80's, excluded in their own bars thus now
they can get married, have a happy life with their companion, adopt. Finally!
Yet, I would say, there was a romantic aspect about this struggle of identity
back then which does not really exist today.
ER: Yes. But isn't it the case with all
struggles? You fight for what exactly? For acceptance, you rights. And once you
get those rights, life becomes rather placid - vacations, shopping, dinners.
FM: Yes. But what I am trying to say is,
life has become a bit of a bore with regards to fashion, there this
Americanized approach on everything where something completely trashy becomes
an ode to style, and how something fragile or iconic becomes vulgar through an
interpretation of a pop diva that hired a stylist to pull it off while she
works on her music... The general impact of America on the rest of the world.
ER: I believe that new design talent will
come. It will just be more difficult because so many things have been done
already. But it's not impossible. Though another Rick Owens quote comes to mind
about how designers are the new rock bands - everybody wants to be one.
What we need now is support for young
designers and I don't see it in New York or in Paris. I think that London is in
the best shape today and that the British Fashion Council is making all the
right moves.
FM: Still, too many big things happen at
the same time. For example, when I am in Paris my schedule is so hectic and so
precise that there is barely time to see anything else apart from the designers
on schedule. I go from one show to the next using the shuttle bus and
sometimes, I want to see something new but there is no time and if I have a
backstage pass say at Balmain at that specific time, I’m not missing it for the
world if you know what I mean. And then the final day of the fashion week comes
and finally some time to check my emails and there are so many things I have
missed.
ER: I think we have a bit different
experiences because I go to Paris for menswear, which is less hectic, but even
I am stretched thin there. I agree, there is little time to see anything new. I
always apologize to all the New York designers in advance that I will not be
able to see them in Paris. I used to go for 7 days, now I go for 9, and that's
with only 5 days of shows, out of which I do 4 and very selectively. But I also
pay attention to the work of many designers who do not do runway.
FM: Sometimes it can be disappointing as
well. For example, you are on good terms with a press office and they invite
you to the shows they represent, and of course you go. Last time I had this
early morning show of a designer I didn’t really want to see, but I went
because I love his PR. So I go there, I’m sitting in a third row, which makes
it impossible for me to take any pictures, the show starts and its as boring as
hell, I run to get the bus, and I open the invite of the next show only to
discover that I have a backstage pass that was impossible for me to get for 5
seasons in a row, and I miss the chance, because I AM LATE, and it’s so frustrating,
because I did not want to see the previous designer to begin with.
ER: I understand. What is frustrating
further is that journalists have been displaced by celebrities and socialites
that don't have much business being at a show in the first place. My colleague,
Veerle Windels, the most celebrated Belgian journalist, wanted to write an
op-ed titled "I never see the shoes," because she's stuck in the
second row most of the time.
I think this would be a brilliant article.
FM: It would be a great one! The other
thing I don’t get is particular in-House PRs sending me everything you can
imagine for a whole season and then when fashion week starts, I request for a
photographer's pass and they say sorry, next season. I think it’s hilarious.
ER: Journalists and bloggers should
organize and start pushing back. PRs are having too much power these days and
bloggers squander their cachet too cheaply. I think the backlash against
Saint-Laurent is an important step.
FM: Saint Laurent has entered a new era right
now. Without the Yves word, it is something new and it has no connection with
what it used to be. It’s like a new company and I am not going to judge it as
something old. It wouldn’t be correct.
ER: Absolutely. It's Slimane's universe
now. The question is, will the rest of the world subscribe to it for more than
a couple of seasons.
FM: Well, it seems he is selling.
ER: Like I said, the question is for how
long.
FM: Well, let me put it this way. A key
journalist wrote the most scathing critique for the first collection. Then,
after the second season, the same journalist wrote an ode to Slimane. What
happened within the 6 months between the first and the second collection and I
wonder about what changed this journalist’s opinion? I’m not saying I agree
with the journalist, before or after. It just made so much impression to me,
the change of opinion from black to white.
ER: Well, not everyone is like that. Of
course, also not everyone is in the position of privilege of working for a
major publication with no ties to advertising, like Cathy Horyn.
Another thing, in the fashion world we
don't give enough credit to consumers. I'd like to think they have agency and
are not mindless sheep and at some point they will bulk at buying $700 cut off
denim shorts just because a certain name is attached to them.
FM: But they do buy! I am quite linked with
the market and know what sells and when. For the past two years I photograph
the most luxurious brands in the industry, 22 thousand euro jackets. The other
day I observed this lady who bought a jacket for 19 thousand euros. She could
give the money to charity, but yet it’s the jacked that she wanted.
ER: On the flip side, if people could not
afford to buy fashion, we would not be witnessing a lot of magic that fashion
creates. We need beauty in our lives.
FM: True, but why does prêt-a-porter
compete with couture? This I don’t understand.
ER: In terms of pricing?
FM: And making. Is there a line separating
the two anymore? I don’t think so. Apart from Givenchy and Chanel, the rest of
couture is more prêt-a-porter these days.
ER: Because it can. I have long resigned
myself to the question on high fashion pricing. Designers will charge what the
market will bear; it's simple economics. The only sad thing about it is that
it's often those who appreciate fashion most that are now priced out of the
market. I'd love to see the most passionate fans wear what they love and not
just the rich who merely consume latest trends. The fans are the ones that do
fashion justice, because it takes a certain “je
ne sais quoi” to pull of many designer pieces.
FM: Personally, I cannot afford everything
I like and its natural.
ER: Yes, but fashion is meant to be worn!
FM: Exactly. And to be seen. And this is
where the street blogs come in.
ER: Yes! What did you think of the debate
that Suzy Menkes started in her New York Times article in February?
FM: Hmm…I feel she shouldn’t have touched
that subject as we have entered a new era and the borders between bloggers and
journalists are no longer valid with the power of the Internet and since some
of these bloggers have made a chapter of their own. It’s time for them to be
finally accepted. Just like in any profession, there are good and bad bloggers
as there are good and bad doctors and so on. As friend would say “live and let
live”.
ER: I'm of two minds on the topic, perhaps
because I am both an editor and have a website on which personal style is
displayed and I know many bloggers.
I think what people must accept is that
bloggers often approach fashion in terms of personal style and the fashion
critic sees fashion in itself. The typical blogger may have in mind more "Would I wear this" and the
critic may think, "Is this beautiful
in itself, relevant, does it push the envelope, etc."
Where I agree with Menkes is that like you
say, often the bloggers are not very good. Also, they become personalities as
opposed to observers.
FM: Yes, not every blogger deserves to be
considered as important, yet, someone who is a blogger, covers his own expenses
to attend the fashion weeks, invests on equipment, a camera etc, does good
pictures, writes well, etc is probably much more important than someone who has
everything paid, has a driver, a hotel suite and travels business class.
Because the first definitely has passion …
ER: To me it all comes down to meritocracy.
Is your coverage good? That's all there is to it. Whether you write for
style.com or your blog should not be important. I liked what Leandra Medine
said in response to Menkes, that because
many of us could not get those cushy jobs, we have created our own.
FM: Yes, I couldn’t agree more. I started
my blog in 2006.
ER: The year I started StyleZeitgeist!
FM: And you know, I'm not sure what I would
become if it weren’t for the blog. It has opened so many doors for me. Plus it
was a way to discover I can do more than clothes. I started as a designer for
women; today I do photography, interviews and so many other things that I never
imagined back then.
ER: I went through the same experience. I
was fired from my god-awful job and I swore that I would never have an office
job in my life again and StyleZeitgeist was just gaining steam. I never hoped
in my wildest dreams that I could do this for a living. Now I wake up every day
with a feeling of gratitude to the world, and especially to all the forum
members, which has allowed me to do this.
FM: Of course. So what about magazines?
Where do you think fashion publications are heading?
ER: As Tyler Brulee of Monocle said, "Differentiate or die!"
FM: Yes!
ER: For a new magazine, I think if you
don't have a clear vision you just become another pretty magazine and there are
plenty of those.
FM: But really, do you think paper is now
powerless?
ER: Absolutely not! The Internet will never
solve some basic problems.
FM: Like what?
ER: One, the problem of browsing. Try
browsing for movies on Netflix; it's a nightmare. With the Internet we live in
a world recommended by those who THINK they know what we want. We have less
power. You used to go to a video store and stumble upon a movie you forgot you
loved. You cannot do this with Netflix.
Two, is the issue of longevity. Everything
moves fast on the Internet. Disappears into ether. That's why we have a print
magazine and an online arm of it. In print we do very long profile type
articles that are timeless and I hope that the readers keep the magazine for
years to come because the articles remain fresh.
And with sz-mag.com we do time sensitive
stories. So we cover both.
What about your experience at Dapper Dan?
How do you find it working at a print publication?
FM: I love it, as it is very precise, with
a very clear vision on what the magazine is about and the editors are more
consistent, issue after issue. It offers what any magazine should, INFORMATION.
ER: I feel like most magazines are too
heavy on the visuals these days. They are like picture books. But I want to
read articles.
FM: DD is about articles, and this is why I
like it.
And I love books. I always enjoy stepping
in a bookstore. The other day, I was in Paris walking with a dear friend of
mine and we entered the Assouline shop in Saint-Germain and they had this
enormous book on couture on display and we started flipping through the pages
and we stumbled on a dress by Dior and she said "Oh that’s the dress I wore on that show" as she used to
be Galliano’s muse. And there is a whole story behind that dress, the fittings,
the making, the styling, the show and finally becomes immortalized in a book.
And I thought, this is a good reason why
one should love books.
ER: See, and this is exactly the problem
the Internet cannot solve, stumbling upon.
The best solution to this problem the
Internet has offered is communities of like minded people who can make
recommendations to each other. That's why I think forums are important. I have
learned so much on StyleZeitgeist from other members.
FM: Like a circle of friends.
ER: Exactly. You know the reason I started
StyleZeitgeist is because I could not find people in my so-called "real
life" to talk about fashion. I'm from the New York’s Russian immigrant
ghetto whose ideas of high fashion, let's say are a little different. But now I
have found a whole universe of like-minded people from all over the world.
That's why the Internet is so important. Especially for the people on the
periphery.
FM: I can so relate to that. Where I was
born there was nothing about fashion. All I had was my mom's magazines, a show
on the national TV every Saturday that would feature a three minute special on
fashion which was basically a collage of random videos that I am sure the host
didn’t know shit about. And then, when I was 13, the national TV opened a
second channel and they had Fashion File with Tim Blanks and
that’s where everything started.
ER: I never saw the show but I always hear
about how influential it was.
FM: It was indeed. First because of Tim
Blanks and the fact that he would present brands like Prada. Back in the 90's
Prada was the answer to grunge. Grunge set the line for a new aesthetic. As
then it was interpreted by brands like Chanel and became something new. I think
that Marc Jacobs was chosen for Louis Vuitton, because what he was doing for
Perry Ellis was so American. But then Lagerfeld comes with models like Eve
Salvail, who was previously used by Gaultier and voila, street becomes polished
and a new era is here. And I remember his show was separated in 5 parts, 5
minutes each. The last part was always dedicated to a model, the hot girl of
the moment.
I was so fascinated at that time by all
that was happening, but everything had a meaning, and a continuation, and a
reason. Now everything seems so disconnected. Just look at the Met Gala
appearances the other day. There was nothing punk about it. I’m sure the Sex
Pistols would laugh at it drinking beers.
ER: Oh, this was such a degraded,
perverted, meaningless spectacle! It had as much to do with punk as elephants
do with tutus. Just another parade of egomaniacs. And for ego only the self is
important and nothing outside of it. I tried watching the live stream but I
turned it off after the host praised Tory Burch as punk. That was enough for
me.
FM: LOL. Still, I am shocked at how it was
embraced.
ER: Was it though? I heard a lot of
backlash against it. But, then, again, I don't follow much the media that gets
paid to write pleasantries.
FM: It was funny, all these older stars in
ball gowns.
ER: I was hoping Marc Jacobs would show up
in plaid boxers. That would've been brilliant.
FM: But this is what I was talking about,
how something so beautiful and strong like punk becomes Americanized and ends
as product that is no longer relevant to its true origin.
ER: Do you think that there is something
especially American in decoupling form from substance from a cultural movement
and watering it down for mass consumption?
FM: Of course.
ER: Can you elaborate?
FM: Well, Tom Ford, for example. He is an
American who worked in Paris remained American, failed in Paris, went back to
America and now is praised by the Parisians. Do you see my point?
ER: Not exactly. Do you mean that America
still holds a very strong influence on the global culture?
FM: Of course. Look at music. Beyonce is
considered chic, Gaga a style icon. And there’s such lack of knowledge of what
is beautiful and elegant that people receive all this information, accept it
and never compare it, because the Internet era is very recent. Most part of the
real modern-fashion evolution that took place 10-15 years ago remains
underexposed.
You can follow the fashion history through
the Internet now and this has been going on for the past 8-10 years, but what
about what happened before the Internet? I mean you can find a lot of
information on fashion but some of these little details, a true fashion lover
knows about are missing and you cannot explain them or share any story about
them because most of these facts contain emotion that is shared by those who
lived them.
ER: But that's why a true fashion lover is
charged with at least trying to explain, through words and images.
FM: I feel some elements are missing. So,
again we go back where this conversation started. There is not enough time. I
remember when I used to know all the models by their name, what each girl
represented, their origin, their age. Today, I don’t care. I don’t have time to
know them, because they don’t last. Models are a good example of how fast this
industry is moving now. Prada had Kirsten Owen and Esther De Jong in her show
for winter and they were so perfect for it! Both models she used to work with back
in the 90’s.
I am sure only a few people remembered and
knew who they were.
But I have to admit that I enjoy that so
many people gather each season to celebrate fashion during fashion week.
ER: So we are back to too much information.
But what about too much money? I read an interesting interview with Guy Trebay,
the New York Times journalist where he commented on how the big conglomerates
have taken over as the driving forces of fashion. What seemed really scary is
his point about how brands hire talented designers in order to build the brand
until the brand becomes bigger than the designer at which point they simply
fire them.
FM: But, of course. Everything has a
different meaning now. Fashion is only business. It used to be 90% emotion and
10% business. Today it’s 99% business and 1% emotion.
ER: I think emotion falls to the smaller
designer whom we must champion in order for them to survive.
FM: I am happy when a designer makes me cry
at a show, like Comme Des Garcons or Rick Owens. I always cry at their shows. I
can hardly take a picture. I wipe my eyes and push the shutter button
Sometimes, when I’m with the photographers
on the podium, I hear their comments on the show and they are so right,
especially the older ones that have been around for 3 decades or more. They are
the best fashion critics that no one credits because fashion grows in them by
virtue of them observing it for so long.
I will never forget last season, at the
Haider Ackermann show, how excited they all were. They were whispering “Bravo,
Bravo!” 50 photographers, ALL OF THEM. But no one paid any attention to them because
all heads were turned to the other side when Haider came out for his applause.
ER: Culturally, fashion has become much
more important. Why is that?
FM: Because fashion is exciting, it gives
you the feeling of belonging especially now that everything is uncertain. Of
course belonging today is an illusion still, humans love illusion and fantasy
and fashion is about both these elements. Less and less, as time passes but
still…
ER: But wasn't it like that in the 90s
before big companies with big marketing budgets came along?
FM: No, most people saw fashion as a party
for the rich.
There was no Zara or H&M.
ER: Now fashion is at museums and we have
magazines like Industrie that features stylists and heads of PR companies. People that nobody outside of fashion
professionals used to know or care about. A glossy magazine about the fashion
industry, now that is certainly a sign of the times!
FM: Well, indeed. But it’s only fair. All
these people in the past made so much work that nobody gave them credit for. We
live at a time that everybody gets his chance and we should me grateful things
have turned out so open. Do you know Walter Pfeiffer? The photographer? The guy
waited for some decades, more than four actually, until someone in fashion said
his work is fresh and now he works for the Vogues. But he never stopped
working, even when he was rejected. Someone said, you would always get your
chance if you work in fashion.
* Eugene Rabkin is the founder of www.stylezeitgeist.com and the editor
of StyleZeitgeist magazine.
Born and raised in Denmark, Anne Sofie Madsen graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design. She then trained under John Galliano for Dior in Paris and worked for trend forcasters Peclers, before moving to London to work for Alexander McQueen as a Junior Designer. In 2010 she established her own brand and has had runway shows in Copenhagen, London, New York City, and Saint Petersburg. She also had been asked to showcase her work with Italian Vogue in Milan.
Along with the firm she has been giving lectures, in line with being an external examiner, at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design. She has lectured about the design process and the generation of innovation. Along with the development of two annual clothing collections, Anne Sofie Madsen also works as an illustrator, and her work has been published in a range of Danish and international magazines and books.
FilepMotwary: You worked with two legendary British designers, John
Galliano and Alexander McQueen, before you launched your
own brand. How was your experience within each of the
Houses, considering of how powerful they were at the time
in both presenting truly innovative ideas and magnificent
conceptual shows?
Anne Sofie Madsen: I’ll guess one the two places where as different as night and day but for me an extraordinary thing they had in common was the art of storytelling.
I also learned something very important about myself - the greatest motivation for me
as a fashion designer was to have my own name on the neck label.
FM: How did those experiences helped you form your own
aesthetics?
ASM:I learned something very important about myself - the greatest
motivation for me as a fashion designer was to have my own name on the neck label.
If not formed, clear your own vision towards design and
fashion in general.
The point, where fashion replaces the body with something abstract – an idea or ideal
instead of an organism, fascinates me. I am interested in the way a silhouette can
affect the body and the surrounding space and how materials, shapes and proportions
are able to generate a body language.
The idea of Animism always plays a role in my collections - to capture and save
something like soul in each style.
I am really interested in the contrasts and borders between “primitive” and “civilized”
- between nature and culture. I suppose it reflects our relationship towards body and
sexuality.
FM:Also, I find your illustrations very impressive. Do you still
practice drawing?
ASM: I really like to draw and I still work as an illustrator. I mainly do graphic novels
and youth books and have had 8 books published since 2011. I work a lot with
illustrations in the prints as well. I used to do fashion illustrations for different
magazines, but at the moment I can’t find the time.
FM:How difficult it was for you to launch your collection in such
a difficult period?
ASM: I’ll guess it has been difficult and will be for a while. My company is still developing
and resources are limited, but over the last two years I have seen a growing interest
from both press and buyers.
FM: What makes a designer important in your opinion in order to
last? How does really longevity mean in this business?
ASM:You have to dare to be original and at the same time always dare to reinvent yourself.
FM: Why did you choose to work with women and not men?
ASM: I am not sure. I suppose all my fashion heroes where womenswear designers, when I
became interested in fashion.
I must admit it has changed since then - where I come from, some of the most
interesting designers are menswear designers.
FM:How did you form the heroine/the woman you dress?
ASM: She is a mixture between different female characters that fascinates me. At the
moment she is part Princess Mononoke (the heroin in Hayao Miyazaki’s animation
film), Sibyl wane (character in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey) and the
anonymous child junkie and novelist Christiane F.
FM:How do you think fashion responds to the financial crisis-if
there is one? Is this the moment of great creativity?
ASM: I thought it was supposed to be. But I am not sure it is.
FM: What is your new collection about, the inspiration lets say.
ASM: Inspiration for this collection comes from Jesper Just's art film,
Sirens of Chrome (2010) that centers around four women driving
through an empty Detroit and end up at the Michigan Theater ruins which are
currently used as a parking lot.
This collection depicts a female that is regenerating from human to
half monster and half machine. She is a siren - a female monster
and the outcome of a post-apocalyptic city where mechanics have
begun to mend with the human.
The theater ruins reflected in the car has inspired the motifs for the
digital prints and show decayed marble and rusted surfaces. The
accessories are hand crafted molded leather inspired by monster
elements. Other techniques include fur being shaped by using hair
remover and cut in graphic layers to make it look artificial yet
animalistic.
The materials in the collection are both hard and tough as metal
and leather, yet smooth as fur and silk. Car interior fabric has been
printed, laser cut and braided to create some of the pieces to
represent the machine.
As for the silhouettes, they are developed from distorted
proportions and abnormal features while facial jewelries are used
to accentuate this look.
FM: Is there any tension between the idea and the execution, in
terms of the time that separates them?
ASM: I always try to match my method with my inspiration. It is a challenging and exciting
way to control the process. And at the same time it creates a meaningful link between
the inspiration material and the final product.
FM: How did you start designing it, what was your research
about?
ASM: After watching the Film Sirence of Crome I started looking for sirens – female
monsters. I searched in everything for mythology books to puppet films and computer
games. I also watched different documentaries about Detroit and found some amazing
pictures both from photo journalists and art photographers.
FM: What is so fascinating about the unknown?How can one
suspect the next trends for example?
ASM: For the first part I would say that our biggest fear and greatest longing. Secondly, intuition.
FM: Where is your collection available?
ASM: Browns in London.
Dada in Milan.
Ssence in Canada.
H. Lorenzo in L.A.
D-mop in Hong Kong.
Alter in Shanghai.
Opium in St. Petersburg.
Holly Golightly
and B56 in CBH.
FM:Are your Danish roots reflected in your work? In what
way?
ASM: Yes and no. I think from a design or fashion perspective they are not. Our tradition
is very functionalistic, very protestantic. But I’ll guess I have been influenced by
other parts of maybe not Danish but at least Scandinavian culture. Like The Mumins,
Ingmar Bergman, Henrik Ibsen and Edward Munk.
Pierre Debusschere’s new project premiering at Hyères Fashion & Photography Festival, an installation featuring original photo and video, “I know simply that the sky will last longer than I.”
Pierre Debusschere, Portrait by Filep Motwary.
Is this your first solo show?
I did small solo shows before but i like to think of this one as my
first one because it is the first time the work has been thought of for
an exhibition medium.
How does it feel exhibiting alongside someone like Guy Bourdin? It is already an honour to be present at the Villa but even more to be next to Bourdin.
Your subjects-models are worked in a way to look like paintings, what is your aim exactly?
The painting, the Flemish painters are a big influence for me, there is
no specific aim linked to the painting besides the connection to my
inspirations.
The technique that looks like paint that you are referring to is there
more in the idea layers, different layers that gives the image different
steps of reading.
Photo by Pierre Debusschere.
Your show’s theme is beauty versus ugliness. What are your true influences? Is it connected to the work of Umberto Eco ?
Beauty versus ugliness is one of the themes worked in this show, the idea of what is beautiful or ugly today. Yes it is linked to Eco’s work, reading his book
on ugliness helped me a lot in this show.
Your work is tied to the digital medium.Can you imagine yourself working in a previous era ?
For sure I can see myself working in a previous era, it is not about digital, it is more about the medium that fits the time, the idea of NOW.
Photo by Pierre Debusschere.
You have created yourself a whole structure with 254 Forest, which allows you to do an original photo series, a book, an installation and a film… How important is organization to be an artist today ?
Yes I would not have been able without my team to create the photo-series, the book, the installation, the film, the soundtrack and the website !It is always about Team work for me and I’m really grateful to have them besides me.
Organisation is a big part of the work, even more for project like this when we created all this body of work in 2 months. Today you need to be able to react really fast because of the technology era we live in, so that’s why a team is important too !
You need to be present on every aspect of production at the same time ! But then we can not forget sometimes that we need to disconnect ourselves ;)
AntoineAsseraf: Along with Industrie Magazine and the rise of the fashion blogger as a class, your blog has drawn attention to a lot of work, which was heretofore considered a bit peripheral to a designer's raw talent. What do you make of a place like Hyères that still somehow naively stresses the belief that talent will find its own way?If you were to create a Business of Fashion competition/festival, how different would it be?
Imran: At BoF, we firmly believe in the power that lies at the intersection of creativity and business. Both are essential to a successful fashion enterprise, and one can't work without the other. It's a true symbiotic relationship. If we were to do a BoF festival therefore, it would be a combination of creative fashion presentation and business plan pitches, and the judges would come from both sides of the industry.
FilepMotwary: It seems to me that many of the young designers who dream of a future in fashion are unaware about “the business” of fashion in general. Should they worry of how things have evolved, and turned the industry into this huge marathon of task, values that need to be constantly re-valued, trends that suffers from the lack of longevity etc…?
Imran: I tell my students that once they start their own business, they will spend 90% of their time managing the business, and only 10% of the time designing. This balance is not something that has necessarily changed in recent years, but it's true that there is more and more for a young designer to do in the global, digital fashion world in which we live today.
Sean Santiago: The internet and its popular content-sharing platforms, i.e. Tumblr and Pinterest, are destabilizing traditional revenue streams faster than new ones are being created. How will original creative output find funding in the future and do you see crowdsourcing methods such as, for instance, a Kickstarter campaign, possibly becoming necessary to the creation of original artistic output? Or will a big brand always foot the bill when it comes to fashion-related content?
Imran: Brands and designers could certainly fund portions of their businesses -- say specific collections or products -- via crowdsourcing platforms. But ultimately, I suspect that they will need to turn to traditional forms of fundraising (selling equity or taking loans) in order to fund the business over the long term. A young fashion business is highly cash flow intensive, and therefore will likely require stable and planned funding in order to fuel growth and expansion.
MalibongweTyilo: BOF is recognized as one of the boldest voices in fashion writing, often publishing pieces that might not be appreciated by some PR people. Considering how important PR has become to design companies, how does that affect how the design businesses deal with you?
Imran: We are bold, but I believe we are also fair and balanced. Part of the role we see for ourselves at BoF is to surface and shed light on important industry issues that merit wider discussion and debate.
If we can do so in a way that is balanced and fact-based, then most PR professionals seem to respect us for that.
Certainly, there are some who would prefer to control all the communication about their clients, but this is misguided and unrealistic.
Paris-based Floriane De Saint Pierre needs no introduction as today she considered as one of the ten most powerful women in fashion and beauty.
She set up Floriane de Saint Pierre & Associés back in 1990. Twenty three years later she is the person all important Fashion Houses turn to in search for help to find an executive or designer. The list of successful matches consists from Bailey in Burberry, found Elbaz's first creative director position among so many others. This year, she serves as jury member for the 28th edition of the Hyeres Festival.
MalibongweTyilo: Having been responsible for hiring some of the biggest names, what would you say is the most common quality amongst designers who are able to head these successful mega brands?
Each of the designers has a crystal clear vision of their personal aesthetics. The most important factor for them has been their ability to look ahead of their time and translate their vision into something that you identify with.
FilepMotwary: How relevant is creativity to the way the fashion industry functions today?
We can draw a parallel between the street photography of fifty years ago and what we see in fashion and design bloggers today- there has always been creativity, but what we are seeing is a huge shift in its expression. The expression of creativity is effortless today.
However, creative design has never been more relevant and necessary than it is today. From fashion brands to Apple and Evian, etc. global brands absolutely recognize the importance of design as a factor in strong-value creation.
AntoineAsseraf: Does your work end once a designer has been selected and hired - or do you stay involved somehow ?
We always stay in touch.
BrunoCapasso: Today the world imposes a new way of thinking, a reinvention in fashion, what new thing do you search in the new designers? How far does the media influence and disrupt your choices?
Designers must possess a personal aesthetic that resonates not only in fashion, but functions as a global creative proposition.
Everyone today associates themself with a creative tribe and they are very demanding with the integrity- design, quality, services, and reputation- of a brand.
Media is great for this- it is what gives design talent the chance to become visible and if there is genuine talent there, the media will be very supportive and loyal.
SeanSantiago: The disconnect between Hedi Slimane's last collection for Saint Laurent Paris and the work of his predecessors couldn't be more striking or controversial. When judging these young designers based on their creativity and ingenuity, do you find yourself reconsidering the standards to which you hold a commercial designer like Slimane?
A product today makes sense only if it captures and reflects or even anticipates the profound sociological evolutions of its time. Hedi Slimane is a designer who thinks globally and very much ahead of his time. He knows what Saint Laurent means today.
VogueGermany: Is there any candidate you're already keeping an eye on ?
Yes, of course!
Dear iDEALS, GROUND-ZERO was launched by the designer duo, brothers Eri and Philip Chu back in 2008, with current focus in fashion.
The brand's name, is a literal
translation of the duo’s thoughts -- everything has to start from zero, where possibilities of paths are unlimited
and anything is possible, all one needs to do is to take a leap. “Zero could be everything.” I had a brief converation with Philip this morning. Here's what he told me.
Philip Chu backstage at Ground Zero, photography by Filep Motwary.
FM: So why did you choose fashion to begin with?
PhilipChu: Initially I wanted to do music, wanted to start a company based on multi media involving all aspects of creativity... gradually the designs developed into T-shirts, and led us into fashion.
FM: Now that you mention this detail, music is indeed reflected in your clothes
Somehow.
PC: Yes definitely, we insist on making our own music for the shows. For SS13 show soundtrack, we were lucky to have collaborated with Chan Fai Young, famous Hong Kong composer.
FM: This is amazing so, you launched Ground Zero with your brother. How do you separate your roles in the brand?
PC: Eri creates the graphics, the prints whereas I'm more involved with art direction and media.
FM: How difficult it was for you to launch Ground Zero in such a difficult period?
PC: Looking back now, it was a very stressful time. We didn't realize how hard it actually was, as it all happened so fast and we enjoyed the whole process. There were often times where for example we had to budget so only one of us go to Paris for trade fairs etc.
FM: What makes a designer important in your opinion in order to last. How does really longevity mean in this business?
PC: Determination. You have to believe you can do it. Often you get mixed feedback, you have to focus on the good and carry on.
FM: What is the most important thing you always carry or follow when working?
PC: My iPhone
FM: Why did you choose to work with women and not men?
PC: Because we like women. Womenswear offers more to play with, regarding silhouettes, color, detailing etc. We are very graphic based, women feel more comfortable to wear print more than men.
FM: How different are women compared to men in your opinion?
PC: Relating to clothes?
FM: In general and in clothes in particular.
PC: Within fashion, women have more choices. They are demanding every season, looking for something new all the time. However men look for comfort and style, minimal and classic silhouettes.
In general, women are more emotional and allow themselves to express more. Whereas men are more contained.
FM: How did you form the Ground Zero, heroine/the woman you dress?
PC: We believe our heroine, in the future is a strong yet gentle character. Reflecting in our collections, we always put two extremes together. e.g. mechanical femininity in AW13
FM: How do you think fashion responds to the financial crisis-if there is one? Is this the moment of great creativity?
PC: Financial crisis definitely affects fashion like everything else. it's an inevitable cycle, we have to realize that it is happening and work around it rather than let it affect your designs.
FM: What is your new collection about, the inspiration lets say.
PC: In my mind, I imagine a time machine. A strong young woman walks out in armor, establishing her presence and identity..
FM: How did you start designing it, what was your research about?
PC: We watched a lot of cartoons such as God Mars, researched into space images, galaxies..
FM: What is so fascinating about the unknown?
PC: The unknown can be anything. There are no restrictions in creating within the unknown. It's intriguing.
FM: Where is your collection available?
PC: Hong Kong I.T, Restir in Tokyo, Tom Greyhounds in Seoul, etc
FM: And what’s next?
PC: Collaborations, we will be launching our first pre-collection, we hope to enhance our catwalk shows to another level
Dear iDEALS, Michaela Buerger began knitting long before she learned how to write, and so it is natural that she would return to this first love in order to create collections featuring clothing and accessories. Austrian origin Michaela, learned the fine art of knitting from her mother, an obsession that led her to study theater and fashion design at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, where she had the chance to be a student of Raf Simons.
It was in 2006 when she moved to Paris and worked for Veronique Leroy, only a while before her one collection of womenswear and accessories was introduced. Her work is recognized around the world and it is available, among others, at Colette, Opening Ceremony and others.. Hers what she told me.
FilepMotwary: How did you form the Michaela Buerger, heroine/the woman you dress?
Michaela Buerger: I like to be chic, comfortable, and confident, but I love to laugh at the same time witout making too much of an effort. I think that could describe one approach to my personal sense of style. And I think, that besides glamourous red carpet looks, that this is what modern fashion lovers nowadays look for. Trust and smile, would describe it in 3 words, well, and love !
FM: And who is this woman?
MB: Gena Rowlands, in « Gloria », or « Opening Night » by John Cassavetes, is somehow my ultimate muse. She is somehow a classical beauty, but she has something in her, that could make her explode from one second to the other. Something very deeply anchored, but on the same time super fragile. When she is wearing an outfit, whatever it is and even if it is not perfect, her attitude and her allure make it impossible not to admire her. In France there a a few young actresses, who are really interesting and beautiful, like Ana Girardot, Clothilde Hesme and the United States, I find Kiernan Shipka is amazing (especially for her age !)
FM: What is the most important thing a designer must never forget?
MB: Exigency in all you do, without loosing your ease. This sounds like an artistic higly acrobatic peformance. And of course : beauty.
FM: Michaela, why did you choose to work with knitwear.
MB: Well, I started knitting at the age of four, and I have never stopped doing it ever since, so it was a quite natural choice. There was only one period in my life I did not knit : during my studies of Fashion Design Under the guidance of Raf Simons.
Until today I am always impressed in how many different ways you can do knits and crochets, the technical and artistic univers is inexhaustible.
FM: What makes a designer important in your opinion in order to last. How does really longevity mean in this business?
MB: I think it is very important besides a strong talent and character to have your eyes wide open regarding what the market is asking for, and having the ability to nourish and surprise the demand with your designs, with your interpretation of today’s style. But to be honest, I am not sure if there is a 100% for sure recipe, but that is also what the fashion business is : there ain’t any warranties. That also gives you a drive, a sleepless rhtythm for ceative dreams to try to make the futures reality more beautiful.
FM: And how different are women compared to men?
MB: I’d wish I could say there ain’t a difference between men and women in the business anymore, but I am afraid that total Equality has still not found response in all fields. To be honest, I think Women have to do almost the double job to achieve the same standing. So far to this point.
In style questions : men do dare already much more as we generally know since a few years, but though a womens wardrobe has always been much richer in fantasy, color, cut, material. Men are dressing themselves in kind of repsecting a business status, a show-off dress-code, including a rolex of course. Funnilly women are more free seen from this perspective.
FM: What is your new collection about, the inspiration lets say.
MB: The new collection is about a romantic grunge girl.
She could have had a victorian education and grown up at the beginning of the 90's listening to Pearl Jam.
On one side, she has some grungy touches as the torn jeans, the hoodies, some casual sweaters, and on the other side, the torn jeans are patched up with Crochet white webs, the hoodies are bicolored and feminine and the sweaters are heart shaped crocheted.
The big news of the season is that I've worked on sweaters mixed with knitwear or crochets which makes the collection more casual and easy-going.
I also made a collection hand in hand with Wrangler. I always wanted to do jeans in combination with crochets, so I am very happy that I have the opportunity to do this together with Wrangler.
I especially love the fringed denim jacket, that has a little hippy romantic mood.
FM: How did you start designing it, what was your research about?
MB: I always have some kind of mood that I am carrying with me for a certain time, until it’s becoming mature. As already mentioned in the last question : this time it’s a mixed mood of watching the movie pretty baby with Brooke Shields, listening as soundtrack Nirvana’s "Smells like teen spirit" and at the same time and trying my new skateboard in my living room…
This describes quite well in which directions my research eyes stared. from somehow romantic, ruffled crochet patterns for victorian inspired collars, matched to sportive sweatshirts for instance. Feminie techniques matched to more masculine shapes.
FM: Can other factors, as you mentioned for example music, become part of the collection? What else?
MB: Music, yes definitely, and my music Library can be really called as eclectic. Movies, artd are very important as well.
What I do love are people magazines from the 70's, celebs those days have been quite wilde, fun and generous in their style.
And I love to research crochet and knit techniques in all corners of the world.
FM: How do you think fashion responds to the financial crisis -if there is one? Is this the moment of great creativity?
MB: Well, I think yes : the crisis (yes, I think there is one, though I might not feel it directly, but I am aware that I do live in quite priviled conditions here in Paris) made somehow a tabula rasa for great creativity. you must take a creative risk, and i am sure that this risk-taking finds a positive écho. People do want to spend their money on things that really touch them, that speaks to them, in a very individual way. When you already have tons of handbags : what is really the reason why to buy a new one ? you need to fall in love !
FM: How does your background, your roots reflect in what you do?
MB: Hmmmm….. I grew up in a tiny village in the south of Austria. No cinéma, no Mc Donalds, no Playstation….. We kids have been playing outside all the time, inventing somehow our world as we wanted to have her. Maybe I function still like this somehow, though I admit that you cannot escape reality, smile.
FM: Where is your collection available?
MB: I am very proud and happy to count Colette as one of my most loyal clients here in Paris. With this fall/Winter the collection will be also available at Galeries Lafayette, Barneys New York, Ron Hermann Tokyo, to mention a few…
Thank you Fabien Guyon Credits of the lookbook:
Photographer: Edouard Plongeon
Stylist: Marine Braunschvig
Model: Imogen Newton @ VIVA MODELS
Dear iDEALS, proud for being Greek, model Paraskevas Boumpourakas recently collaborated with Franck Glenisson for an exclusive story, first presened on Un nouVeau iDEAL.
A hero of his own will, Paraskevas counts collaborations with most of the Houses others would always dream to work for, photographers and stylists as well as most of the top publications in fashion. In his own words :
"I was born in Tyrnavos. It s a small town between Larisa,
the city of ancient warrior Achilles, 40km away from the Olympus mountain, the home of Zeus. By 18, I had abandoned my home and entered a trip of adventures, search and survival, changing many different jobs until I became 28.
It was then when I decided to travel the world and explore the world of modelling. For the last 12 years I continue to travel all over the world as a model, a job that requires intense passion and thirst for experience.
Since then, I discovered other mediums that interest me. When I have time, I find myself in Asia or other interesting destinations taking photographs. When in Athens, I spend my time with my girlfriend and our two dogs, Lucy and Ben.
Paraskevas has already published a book about well-being and fitness as will as a photo-exhibition with photographs from his travels..
He is working on two new projects, soon to be announced
"Today, January the 23rd, is a wonderful snowy day in Paris.. "
FilepMotwary: I met you many many years back, while we were both working in a nightclub in Athens. Things of course changed since then.. How is life for you now? What it is you are seeking for?
ParaskevasBoubourakas: Oh yes, really long time! Of
course most things in my life have
changed, but I believe that
"Paraskevas" as a person, remains the same. It's hard for me to analyze the changes in my life and how it is now.
Generally, for the past 12 years working as a model, I feel like a citizen of the world
with lots of traveling,
creativity and most importantly,
as denoted by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus: "There is a constant
movement ..", that keeps me
awake, and allow me to say fresh, full of zest for
life, and thank God in my
forties I
have my health and I
fight my life straight.
FM: What do you think makes you successful as a male model?
PB: I believe that these characterizations type successful, are relative. This is my work over the last 12 years, which I love and respect. A job that needs a lot of love, dedication, discipline, effort and most important, perseverance and patience.
FM: What about you as a person, your face, your body? What makes you successful? As opposed to the other millions of great-looking guys.
PB: The most important in this job I think is to be yourself and keep your own unique personality. Success is one of many factors hodgepodge whatever external features. It is the result of hard work, discipline, perseverance, patience and most importantly mental strength, to keep you during any long course, only if and when you do this job consciously and professionally.
Regarding my face, my career is divided into two phases: first the clean face and second with long beard and long hair, which emerged in the last 4 years of my personal travels in Asia.
FM: What was the most beautiful and the hardest thing about your childhood and teenager years?
PB: I really have no bad memories of those years. The most beautiful thing I remember from my childhood is the ultimate freedom I had as a child from my parents and endless hours playing football in alana in the St. Catherine, in the city where I was born, Tirnavos
FM: How did you imagine fashion before you got involved in it?
PB: I'd say not imagine, because I had nothing to do with fashion. I almost knew 2-3 brands.
FM: So, after all this experience, what is fashion for you?
PB: Fashion is creating. Personally I think its roots and birth come from literature, poetry, painting, cinema, music, following a relentless repetition.
FM: Is there a way to be creative in this job?
PB: Of course! I feel like a chameleon, like an actor according the job and the concept each time. I transform and change expression using emotion
FM: Do you think you've grown as a person on the inside from leaving home?
PB: I left home at 18, the second day after I finished school, from where I began my journey in search of adventure, survival of any form. Thank God, in these 22 years wandering first on the mainland and then around the world, I feel full of experiences having realize most of my childhood dream.
FM: What is your new collaboration with Franck Glenisson about?
PB: He's an amazing photographer, shows a serious person who knows what he wants to work and I'm sure that he will march. And I would like to thank him, who took part and photographed for my project "Respect"
FM: In your opinion what is it about you that fascinated designers like Gaultier, Maison Martin Margiela (and so many others) to work with you?
PB: Obviously, because each time I represent the image and style their collection is probably about.
FM: Do you feel beautiful? What is beauty for you?
PB: Beauty is purely female subject ... The man is distinguished for his manhood, his courage, his bravery in all forms.
For style and of prudence.
FM: Are you ever worried whether your unique looks will stand the test of time?
PB: It's the only thing that does not matter at all because I feel myself very nicely with the look I have now.
FM: What is next for you?
PB: I do not like to make long-term plans especially nowadays, I try to give the best of myself and be focused on my work and my family. Simultaneously when I have free time, I work on various personal projects, such as photography from my travels in Asia, writing a book about well-being and nutrition, collecting and elaborating wood gathered from beaches or islands creating art-sculpture. Finally my last project, a blog titled "Respect by Paraskevas" which is about Greece.
So I keep my balance and I am constantly alert mentally and physically with the help of God
Dear iDEALS, Charlie Le Mindu's first Parisian Haute Couture show was titled "Metal Queen" after his muse Lee Aaron’s heavy-metal hit.. A haunting collection in black-and-white fusing Japanes leather pieces and of course natural hair .. Here's what he told me.
FilepMotwary: Hello Charlie, first of all, I would like to know one thing: how does it feel presenting your work as part of the Couture week in Paris?
CharlieLeMindu: It is nice I think since I feel more like I have my place at couture in Paris rather than during the Pret-a -Porter week. Its something I always dreamed of, showing during Couture as it fits better with my brand.
FM: How different is Couture compared to Pret-a-porter for you?
CLM: There are so many rules to follow and though it feels old-fashioned to some, I like this tradition. Also the press is different and the people coming to these shows are different. They seem much more relaxed and it is intimate as well..
FM: Who is this woman you presented?
CLM: I like my women to scare people, to get them exited and get horny even them. Women that are difficult to approach, to touch..
FM: What is so exiting about hair?
CLM: Well, first it is just an amazing material to work with, its a material I know since I was a kid and it works like a fetish to me. Its necessary as it keeps me working the way I do. With real hair you can play with color, shapes and textures..
FM: Where do you get your real hair since everything you make comes from genuine resource?
CLM: I get my hair from a company called "Hair Dreams" as quality is the most important ingredient in my work.
FM: How much time did you spend working on the collection?
What's in a name ? You can ask Kenzo Takada, Martin Margiela, John Galliano, Valentino Garavani or Helmut Lang – designers who, for various reasons, left the company which bears their name and must then make themselves a new name, in fashion or elsewhere. Or you can ask Monsieur Hervé Léger, the legendary French designer who took fashion by storm with his body-conscious designs, ultimately embodied by the "bandage" dresses. Monsieur Hervé Léger does not design for Hervé Léger, the company. Monsieur Hervé Léger designs for Hervé L.Leroux, a nom de mode suggested by Karl Lagerfeld. His new couture collection for Summer 2013 is on display in Paris in Colette, and on presentation in Monsieur Léger's new but history-laden atelier.
In cases where the coincidence is acknowledged, it's likely that the outcome is nothing but success. It was a wonderful evening in Paris and I was attending Catherine Baba’s collaboration with Pascal Humbert vernisage in Le Marais. Familiar faces were all over including my dear friend, stylist and muse Suzanne Von Aichinger. A cigarette and a glass of wine later, Suzanne introduced me to Mr. Herve Leger and of course an interview seemed like the right thing to ask and I guess the rest is history.
Photographer Rene Habermacher teamed up with Suzanne and created a story featuring the Herve L. Leroux Couture collection for Summer 2013 (presented in Paris on Thursday January 24th.2013) while I was asking him questions for the past present and future. Let’s discover the man behind the story and the story behind the man…
FilepMotwary: So, how is your day so far?
Mr.HerveLeger: Well its cool. I am peaceful today. Yesterday I was not, but today I am.
F.M: You are getting ready for your Couture collection no?
Mr.HerveLeger: Yes, you see I am a professional, I try to do everything in the right context and I do not like to keep my people work at night and we are trying to be efficient and of course we will be ready on time. You know I’ve been creating for a long time, but because I didn’t want to make shows, my comeback is under new conditions. And it figures that some people always followed me and now I sell worldwide. Business is good now finally again and I am pleased.
(In the meantime, Susanne and Rene are working in Herve’s showroom, photographing Herve’s garments),
F.M: I understand. Do you mind if you help me fill some gaps of your life’s storyline cause it’s out there but not fully completed…
So, it was during the late 1970’s that you started-off your career as a hat maker and hairdresser?
Mr.HerveLeger: (Laughs) It’s a crazy story…but ‘Ill try to make it short. I had done some studies like everyone, I went as a young man to the Beaux Arts in France though I only stayed for one year as it was the 70’s and France was all about manifestations at the time and intense political changes.
As students, we were on the streets demonstrating and I wasn’t learning a lot since everything was on strike.
I also wanted to be independent from my parents and wanted to do something by myself, to work. I am very good with my hands; I am a craftsman and can do everything with them in terms of creation so I decided to be a hairdresser.
Although I didn’t study anything on hair, I learnt the job very quickly by opening the door of a hair-salon telling them I wanted to learn. They took me and stayed there for a while. Then I started to make hats, after finding a book at my grandmother’s house, which was full of illustrations on how to make them. The first customers arrived and I was working at home.So there goes the “hat story”.
Then one day someone who was famous in the 1970’s asked me to do a very particular hat, a-giant-sort of “Belle Époque” hat with a lobster on it (laughs). The guy’s name was Tan Guidicelli, whom you probably might know. It wasn’t long enough until he asked me to make three dresses for his show because his atelier was very busy and his show was in three days. Although I never designed any dresses before, I said “Ok, I’ll do them” and when he saw them he said “ you got a real sense of fashion and you should stop hairdressing and come work with me”. So that was my first fashion encounter.
Of course I dropped hairdressing and started to learn sewing. Later I went into design. My second big encounter was Karl Lagerfeld.
The 1980’s were an easy time. You could easily meet someone. People were more open. Even during my days as a hairdresser, with my friends, you could end up having dinner with Claude Montana, Mugler, Lagerfeld etc. It was not such a big deal as it is today. It was proper dinners you know, not charities.
So at the time I met Karl at the house of a journalist friend and something happened immediately. We started talking about corsets (at the time I was fascinated by corsets). So that was on Saturday and on Monday my friend from “Woman’s Wear Daily” called to say “ Karl wants to see you”. So I went with a few sketches and he said, “ Well, I don’t care about your sketches, I’m looking for an assistant at Fendi in Rome” and I said “Yes!”.
So by next Friday I was on the plane flying to Italy.
Then I went to Chanel for one year and worked for him until I was fired.
I created my own label in 1985 but the bandage dresses came out only in early 1990’s. I don’t consider the beginning of my career started in the 80’s. My career, as I see it started in the 90’s.
F.M: Tell me about the bandage dress…
Mr.HerveLeger: The real story of the bandage dress is important as a fact of my work storyline. I was having a show at Angelina Tea Salon in Paris, and I wanted something glamorous for the finale. I didn’t have the fabrics. A few days later, I went to a factory and found some bands of metallic yarn, sort of lurex. I asked, “What is this?” and I was told “its for the garbage”. So I took that and I started to put one yarn next to the other and started molding the bands on the dummy, exactly like you do hats. And that’s how the first bondage dress was born. I did the show and it was a success.
I was hooked on these new for me materials and started to experiment. In the beginning, I did not want to put any zippers because I wanted to create a dress with no seams. The problem was that I did make the dress with no seams but when one of my clients got herself in, she couldn’t get out (Laughs)
Then came the presentation of nine dresses in the office of my press attaché at the time. The fashion journalists from American Elle made pictures and became a success very quickly.
F.M: This technique you are working on, the way you make your garments is really one of its kind. Allow me to say that I see them as dresses for women to please men…
Mr.HerveLeger: It’s true! Its because they make women look great. The fit is great because it shapes the body. For example, the body of a young girl is not my cup of tea. I like bodies with a bosom, with a waist, curves…My dresses can give a shape even to bodies that are not perfect. This is why I think men love them the same that women who wear them. They seem almost like a modern corset with no bones. The fit that a woman experiences at Herve L.Leroux is the fit I invented at Herve Leger.
Even in my Couture dresses today, I use the bands and my own technique, the one I invented then.
F.M: Herve, I want to ask you about the true story about what happened. How did you lose control of Herve Leger in 1999.
Mr.HerveLeger: People say that I sold it. That’s a lie, I mean I wish I would have sold it. When the bandage dresses started to be famous, a man that was fascinated by them approached me. He said to me” I went to a party in Caracas and a woman arrived in one of your dresses and everybody went crazy”. He “chased” and sent me some bankers asking to be my partner. Of course I said “Yes” because I wanted to develop this business and I didn’t have to run after any partner anymore…
It was a nice combination and it was Seagram, a very powerful group who invested money and soon Herve Leger became a major House.
Though I had to be very conscious about the number of sales, otherwise they would drop me.
The story is that the guy from Seagram decided to get rid of a few companies they had in order to invest on a bigger French company called Vivendi. At the end he sold everything, including me, although he assured me before that he would find me a new partner and he would help to finance the changes.
I had someone who wanted to buy the company from Seagram, they put the dossier in the bank’s hands and then they sold it to Max Azria. So he bought it, though I tried to make it work but it fact it didn’t. At the time I was only left with 5% of the company…
When people invest in a company, especially in the fashion industry, the designer or the name behind the company, has to stay part of it otherwise it won’t invest.
Some people like Donna Karan, did it in a very clever way for example.
I guess it didn’t work for me because I didn’t have good lawyers at the time..
I didn’t agree with the strategy and they fired me from the house I had created.
The worst of it all was that he didn’t know what to do with the House of Leger for a long time.
In 2007, which is quite recent I may say, at the same moment when I decided to do ready-to-wear again, he opened the archives he started to re-do my dresses from back then for Hollywood stars and the bandage dresses were successful again.
F.M: And what did you do?
Mr.HerveLeger: Wolford contacted me and they asked me to work for them…
Then came my shop. The problem was I couldn’t use my name anymore. It’s Karl Lagerfeld who came up with the idea of Herve Leroux. He said “ you’ve got red hair” so it has to be called Herve Leroux and put the “L.” in the middle, who knows one day you can do again “Herve Leger Leroux".
F.M: So, back to your collection. How did you start again?
Mr.HerveLeger: In 2000 I did a comeback with ready-to-wear and I had immediately lots of customers coming, especially from America. Then came another incident, the 9/11 Twin Towers in New York. No one came after that.
It affected everyone and the business went downhill. That’s when I decided to stop ready-to-wear as it was very expensive to create, have production control, distribution etc…
So since then, I focused on Couture until 2007, only for private customers and some shops that wanted to buy a few of my pieces. It was a difficult time but I survived.
It was in 2007 when my customers wanted my ready-to-wear again and it went very good. We are in Colette and a so many other prestigious boutiques around the world now. I am very satisfied.
F.M: You are a designer that works with Couture methods, a real artisan. How do you see the use of “future” references and approach in fashion in combination with technology?
Mr.HerveLeger: I think moving towards the future is good for this business, generally speaking.. Sewing a dress is always sewing a dress.
For me what is more important is that the clothes look good and made by good materials. I know nothing about technology whatsoever. I know that my clothes are very true; I use very particular techniques to make them. I am more of a Couturier rather than a stylist. I don’t go scouting for old clothes to re-do them, I don’t search for ideas around.
Even at moments when I wanted to copy someone, I just couldn’t do it you know? Other’s people’s clothes don’t inspire me. I am obsessed by my own ways of creation and I feel lucky to have customers starting from 16 to 70. I am never about trends; I see no use in them.
Today I have the feeling that it is all about money. Designers today don’t spend hours fitting a dress on a body. They do it on dummies. I feel comfortable with the way I work.
F.M: How were the 1980’s and 1990’s fashion scene compared to what we see today?
Mr.HerveLeger: Oh my God, things were so happy back then, so happy. The 70’s, the 80’s and the 90’s. People were passionate and they could make money from that passion. Bankers, investors or whatever you call them didn’t really exist then so designers were freer.
Only one thing Filep, the aesthetic of the girls then is what is mussing from today.
Or the power the shows had back then. Think of Montana and Mugler!! Oh my God, the girls were so beautiful, the way they walked. I feel lucky for living through that era working with all of them; from Linda to Cindy… I had them all. And they were so full compared to today that everyone is so skinny. And all my models loved the clothes; you know a lot of clothes would disappear after the show (laughs).
Even during fittings those girls would feel the clothes, they were posing.
Today my favorite show is Victoria’s secret because it’s a happy one. I am not saying girls are not beautiful today, I just think shows today have become boring and less inspiring. They look like robots and there is no charm.
I really wonder if I was to do a show today how I should do it and not look ridiculous and dated.
And sometimes I speak with journalists and they are bored of the current situation too.
Anyway, I am not ready to do a show now also because I am not a kid. If I do a show it has to be made the right way as a good show also costs a lot of money.
F.M: Maybe you could do a little show in a Hotel Suite like Couturiers used to do back in the 50’s.
Mr.HerveLeger: Hmm, yes. For this season I just wanted to show the work the way it is. Starting on Monday, Colette will have 5 of my dresses in the window and on Thursday I am showing another 12 pieces in my showroom as I have been invited by the Chamber of Haute Couture and it feels wonderful.
F.M: What is this collection about?
Mr.HerveLeger: You know I never start saying “I’m going to do this and that”. I just grab my fabric and start working. All I can say is that 80% of the collection is done and it looks like a walk in a Japanese garden. The drapes are very graphic in the sense of Japanese design…
F.M: Why does couture still breath? Is it merely a question of tradition? Why does it still interest people?
Mr.HerveLeger: Its exceptional I would say with an excellence. Although the world has changed and we are in the middle of a crisis, luxury is always surviving. What is luxury about today is another story than what it used to be. There are a lot of luxury Houses that produce clothes or bags in Taiwan etc but, there are still women who want to dream. I see my clients… And the movie stars I dress - of course they don’t buy the clothes (laughs)
There are still women who are not in the spotlight, not in the newspapers yet they prefer Couture because it is special. They are in search of the perfect fit and for me the fit is something important.
F.M: Why is Couture so personal as it requires the customer and the designer in a very private session?
Mr.HerveLeger: There are less and less Couture Houses as time goes by. Chanel is a real Couture house for example because they have the right hands to do the artisanship, Gaultier also as well as Dior. Couture has a certain way of doing it, it has its own rules, and also the fabrics are richer. Everything is on made on perfect scale. There are more and more rich people and the opposite, which I find very depressing. We can say there are people who are rich today and they are richer than what the term “rich” meant 20 years ago..
Those who spend, really spend…
F.M: What provokes the strongest emotions in you nowadays, compared to what made you emotional in the past?
Mr.HerveLeger: When I was “Herve Leger” I was never satisfied. Nothing was good enough and I always thought I could do better. Today, although I still want to do better I become emotional by looking at my own dresses, a feeling I never had before.
I am happier today because I don’t have anybody else involved in my business; I have a great team of loyal people working with me. Also what is very emotional for me is when I see women trying my clothes on.
F.M: What is next for you?
Mr.HerveLeger: I’m working on developing my business. A perfume that I am working on. I want to start doing accessories, shoes, lingerie and swimsuits. Also my customers locked me in my atelier designing dresses –at least I am famous for something (laughs)- but you know I am very good in designing suits, coats, pants and blouses…
B
asically when you are wearing Herve L.Leroux, is for the evening. I want to make day-wear too. Although every time I do they never buy it, but I’m going to push.
François Halard graciously agrees to an early-morning interview over the phone from New York. The French-born, continent-straddling photographer has been one of the world’s most highly regarded interior and architectural photographers practically since his teens, and his collaborative résumé is a roll call of legendary American and European artists, editors, fashion designers and art directors. The critic Vincent Huguet’s description of Halard’s work needs no translation: he photographs “en liberté, avec gourmandise, mais aussi avec une forme d’urgence, de nécessité”.
Villa Malaparte
FilepMotwary: For how many years have you been going back and forth from Paris and New York?
FrancoisHalard: Oh God, I think the first time I received a call from Alexander Liberman I was in my mid 20’s, so its been 25 years already; but first visit was at the age of 14-with my parents-and I found it shocking and at the same time it felt like it was my hometown.
FM: Mr Halard, how did everything start for you really? There is too little or vague-at times-information about how you formed your career and how everything begun?
F.H: Yes, there is very little information around only because I like privacy… I started photographing around 12 after witnessing Helmut Newton taking photographs at my parent’s home! At the time it was a very popular location among photographers, there was something very special about it indeed. I think its because my parents were very famous interior designers. I was a very reclusive as a kid and I didn’t talk that much, being very shy.
FM: You have brothers and sisters?
F.H: One big brother yes. So as I was saying, I had speaking difficulties in my early years. Having a life within which you had to “look” through a lens in order to make a living was really intriguing and in a way very protective, or at least this is how I saw it from a young age. Of course I don’t feel like those days anymore (laughs). I was thinking of owing a camera as a sort of protection from the outside world…
FM: So you are saying you were a “distant observer”?
F.H: Yes! Exactly. There were a lot of photography books in the house and I remember my dad used to make collages using fashion tear sheets in the dressing room. By the age of 14 I could see the difference between a page from Elle and a picture from Vogue.
FM: Such a habit normally would have been chosen by someone young like your age at the time, rather by someone like your father, it makes it even more interesting for me to hear this detail.
F.H: My parents didn’t want me to become a photographer.
FM: But they must have had a formed opinion on beauty in general, since the were working in interior design…
F.H: Yes. It was great. Every weekend we would visit museums, the flea markets, exhibitions…
FM: Did you feel the need to prove yourself to them?
F.H: Yes of course, yes. I wanted to prove that I would make it so I quit going on school vacation every summer instead I would call photographers asking them to hire me as an assistant. So I worked for free in order to learn.
FM: So was it naivety of youth or just thirst to actually get involved in this business?
F.H: I think it was both. At the time working in a studio seemed much more important than hanging out with kids of my age. Being not too social, it was a good way for me to learn and experience new things that would also secure the distance I wanted to keep from things I didn’t find appealing for my tastes. Also, I preferred being around older people than my age.
FM: So more specifically, was there a moment or a specific incident that made you realize that this is what you're supposed to do with your life?
F.H: It all came naturally. I was saving money to buy a camera and then I saved to get a better one and so on. There was never a doubt about this choice of mine.
FM: How old were you then, when you started with Vogue? Did you see it as an opportunity, were you aware of what you were getting yourself into?
F.H: I was 25 and I absolutely had no idea! (Laughs) My first job was to do a couture story, which of course is the highest one can get, you know?
At the time was living in a very small apartment in Paris on the 6th walk-up-floor with the loo on the corridor and in one day I had a driver… Alexander Liberman wanted to see me so he sent a concord ticket for me.(Laughs) I had no idea on how perverse the situation would be after. I was so naïve.
FM: What else were you looking for at that time? How would you describe that period of your life?
F.H: I started with a woman called Marie Paule Pelle, she was the editor of a new magazine at the time called “Decoration International” and from very early on she offered my first commissioned job after she saw some pictures I did for my parents company at 18.
She asked me to show her my portfolio.
Two months later, out of the blue, she called at home-as she was also friends with my mother- and informed me that “tomorrow morning” I was doing the cover of Maison Marie Claire…in a studio with lights, models, décor...
I said, “ I have never done this before” and she responded, “You’ll be fine”.
At the time when Decoration International was first released I was still a student at the The École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. She was looking for a guy to help the magazine’s art director with the layout like a photo editor etc. So, although I quit school, a job was already waiting for me.
At the time I was looking for being out in the world, I wanted to be free and to explore and discover. It was a very exiting period as I had the great opportunity of living my dream, working where I wanted to work among the best people around. I wanted to progress!
Then Marie Paulle moved to Vogue Decoration for which I contributed and at the time it was a really revolutionary magazine mixing décor, artists, portraits…
Really avant garde!
US Conde Nast was aware of my photography by then and Alexander Lieberman asked me to work for House and Garden. Then they launched Vanity Fair and asked if I wanted to work also for that!
It was also the time when the opportunity to shoot couture came and on a very naïve sense in terms of what politics involve, I said “yes”. Though before that, I always used to work in the lowest profile possible. I had no assistant, almost no camera, no studio and everything was in a little bag. So Vogue offered everything that was missing.
FM: You could have chosen any other type of photography, yet your work focuses on architecture and interior. This choice was a result of getting inspired by your parents then?
F.H: These days yes! I did fashion for many years and I truly loved it back then. I was the first one to shoot Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, shooting the Victoria’s Secret catalogues, big campaigns and things like that.
It was great to live fashion success very early on. What else can you do if you taste it all too early? Well, when you get all that accomplished the next natural phase wants you to do something more full and nourishing.
I used to travel with great writers..etc
With the fact of my architecture and landscape photography, the magazines used to send me all over the world and I would come back with pictures- especially American Vogue-in India to shoot the architecture or the next day I would fly to Topkapi with free access to shoot anything I wanted.
For example, I remember once for Vanity Fair, when I was by myself with all Picasso’s sketchbooks in a room. Do you realize the freedom and opportunity this work has given me?
I was blown away by the opportunity of learning and the freedom to access the most obscure things; meeting all these great artists also or me, this was the best education I could ask for. Maybe this is why my style is a little different from the rest of the interior photographers, since many of them do not like photographing people.
I like to mix interior with people, you know, its something that really makes me feel at ease.
Today I’m doing a mix of both. Even when I am photographing an empty room, you can still feel the presence of the owner. I like this sense of life and I detest pure architecture photography because I think very often it comes out very cold.
FM: What is so fascinating about the human living space?
F.H: Homes tell a story. It’s like the autobiography of the owner in a way. For example I was recently photographing the house of Cy Twombly and you could feel what he would feel when looking at it. I like when I photograph a place to have the friends of the owners included. Its not only about the decoration, its about how everything comes to life with the energy of people and their reflection in the space.
FM: What would be your justification or definition for the ability and the fact that humans are connected with their residences, their homes?
F.H: It’s their protection, something that works like clothes, the way someone likes to dress, what they choose to read, what they collect and so on. A house tells a lot about the person.
FM: Is there a reason that makes the human relation to elements -things like furniture or decorative objects-an extension to his/her own being?
F.H: Yes! Most definitely! There are too many different houses, like the American home for example: which is more about collecting symbolic status and about its relation to the society, the art-world.
When you see an artist’s house, it tells you something more personal, the personality etc..
FM: According to your own experiences, what do all these houses you photograph, have in common?
F.H: Nothing actually. Well nothing really, though in my case I am always asked to photograph the best houses (laughs) so I am pretty privileged about it. I love it.
When I’m not photographing, I take care of my own space.
I collect objects and furniture. It’s really like a drug somehow.
FM: So what kinds of things you collect?
F.H: A lot of things!! I’m a collect addict. With the first paycheck I got I bought my first Modern art-piece, which was a lithograph by Cy Twombly, 25 years ago. Recently I bought an Egyptian sarcophagi of Horus.
FM: Oh, like a real one?
F.H: Not really. It’s smaller. Also a Greek 4th century stone sculpture. So my collection ranges. I still go looking for objects every week, anywhere I am. I love decorative art.
FM: Is your photography close to your life?
F.H: Yes, it is very close. It’s part of it, solidly.
FM: Your pictures always incorporate multiple layers; object compositions and it seems like a musical piece at moments. How do you react when a space does not work for your lens, your concept?
F.H: I work very hard to find something and make it happen, sometimes it is not easy but I always fight it. I try to see it, understand it, look around, and approach it in different ways. It’s easy when you do things that you have put together. But when you have such an “assignment” that does not work, you have to push your own limits.
FM: I want to focus on your portrait photographs. What do you look for in a face? How does it work for you when taking portraits?
F.H: Honesty! For example, I was very happy when Tate Gallery chose my portrait of Cy Twombly to use for all his TATE exhibitions. I am speaking for the portraits I do for myself though. For Vogue it’s a little bit different because you have to look at the fashion, put them in a smiley environment. But when I work for myself, I try to see “honest” and “direct”
FM: In your opinion Mr Halard, what is a photographer’s role in fashion these days? How do you perceive fashion today, since you have distanced yourself from it?
F.H: The business has changed tremendously.
FM: In what ways.
F.H: When I was a kid it was the time Newton, Bourdin, Deborah Turbeville, Penn, Avedon, Bailey… They all were following their own vision and style.
FM: So you are saying that there are no such originals?
F.H: There are a few. But now I feel weird when I see a story a new story based on something that was perfectly made in the 1990’s or 1980’s. There’s so much re-reference.
FM: Is it necessarily bad? Couldn’t a new interpretation of an old photo be better than the original?
F.H: For me the industry is lacking a sense of surprise at the moment, lets put it this way. My best friend was Katell Le Bourhis, head of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum, and also I used to collect dresses, my mother also wore couture. You could show me a painting, a magazine, a photo and I could tell you where it came from, the references behind it, the inspiration, all of that.
I could pretty much put a date on everything.
I worked a lot with YSL and all those people. It was a fabulous time and I remember my mother speaking about Dior… Back then, any time these people created a collection it was a true revolution…
Or even what Newton did for YSL, he took the clothes and created another version of the YSL woman, pushed it to another level, you know.
So, yes I must be frank.
I’m not surprised anymore though I wish I could say so.
Also with the digital aspect of fashion today, I don’t like it!
Sometimes I can recognize easier the “retoucher” instead of the photographer.
I prefer things to be a bit more raw. I didn’t become a photographer to spend my life in front of a computer screen correcting images.
FM: You’ve continued with your own way of photographing, for many many years now. Is it a matter of ego or being afraid of new things?
F.H: It’s a question of generation I think. It’s not about the technical. A lot of things work digital but I prefer to see the “human trace” somewhere.
FM: Do you feel more comfortable when shooting houses or humans?
F.H: Both! It depends on the humans and it depends on the houses. (Laughs)
FM: Men or Women?
F.H: Both!!! You know I love men’s fashion working at GQ for ten years. Women attract me and all feels like an experiment for me, as long as I get stimulated intellectually, aesthetically. I respect people and what they do.
FM: What is the greatest lesson you learned from someone else’s mistake?
F.H: That you always have to be fresh and you must have an instinct on how things need to be done.
FM: How do you justify fresh?
F.H: It’s important for me to treat each shoot like it’s my first one.
FM: Because “fresh” is a term only used by fashion people and in a way its something understandable only from those in the industry. Outsiders do not get what “fresh” means, if you see my point.
F.H: It’s difficult to explain! Fresh… Hmm… (Pauses for a while)
Something not too much done… Freshness means that something is still to discover.
It needs a certain approach to be revealed and looks as something new when finished.
Fresh means to be a “kid” in front of a candy.
I don’t like when I see people not connected with what they do. For example what I like about Hans Feurer, since you mentioned him earlier, is that he likes what he is doing and it’s always done in a fresh way. Il n’est pas blaze.
It’s not about repeating yourself; it’s about looking each thing from a different angle each time.
FM: I wish to ask you about art; in your photographs very often you focus on a painting, a sculpture, a photo on a wall. How do you perceive art as Francois and what does art reveal for someone’s personality or home?
F.H: Art speaks to me and I need to be surrounded by it. I like photographing, living, feeling it. Now I’m doing more and more exhibitions and I am trying to move a bit away from magazines and focus on projects like curating my own body of work. Sometimes its strange when you create your own art by photographing the art of somebody else, you know.
There is a fine line but I think there is always something very exiting to try.
Taste from taste differs. There are two opposite categories: the people who buy art because they love it and own an important body of art collection, the people who really feel it. You see what they have gathered and naturally they could become an art advisor for example.
Then there’s the other category that buys art for the personal appeal to the outside, and you can understand it immediately.
FM: From all your famous stories, my favorite and most outstanding on personal taste is the series you did of Villa Malaparte. I would like to know more about it. The time, the story behind this legendary architectural masterpiece.
F.H: Oh Yes!!! The first time I went to Capri, I was walking with an editor, friend of Alex Lieberman, Baronessa Beatrice Monti Della Corte Rizzori, who used to spend time with Malaparte in his house. Her father was a friend with him; they were in Africa together during the war.
I would always hear stories about that house and of course when Jean Luc Godard released my favorite movie I became fixated. It took me ten years to get a day’s permit ion in the Villa, ten years! I was craving.
It was like wanting to have sex with someone for ten years (laughs)
FM: Yes, by looking at the pictures I can sense that you where there but couldn’t believe it.
F.H: Yes, I was even shaking. I was emotionally moved and disturbed. It was something between dreaming a love affair and living it.
Sometimes I get physical when I enter a space that moves me, very emotional, especially when I try to capture it, dominate it. You also have to be very respectful about it. I rarely move things when I shoot.
FM: So how did you get the permission for Malaparte finally?
F.H: Well I got it on the 100th anniversary of Malaparte. At the time I was working for La Repubblica, the Italian newspaper. I used that connection to get me in for a day. I loved the house on a different level. Even my mom was a fan of Malaparte’s writing. I was a fan of his architecture. I also liked the fact that he named his house “Faites-moi une maison comme moi!”
He always considered his house as part of his own autobiography, an extension of him. You can see that. I’m happy when I hear that something that made me so emotional, made others emotional, like you.
FM: It felt the same for me a few months back when I first visited the notorious Villa Noailles.
F.H: Yes!! I photographed that also. I had a show there about a year ago. Before the renovation of the house I did a little movie story there in which I was trying to recreate some of the Villa Noailles Man Ray images in black n white Polaroid. So I did these series of Polaroids that will actually be included in a book that I am preparing. The Villa Noailles for me is completely mythological.
FM: How do you see the future of photography?
F.H: That’s a good question! The answer is my own question: “How I see the future of magazines? Well, they don’t know themselves and in order to survive, maybe they should be less safe.
FM: So you are saying that magazines today are predictable?
F.H: Yes, predictable, that’s the word!! Predictable, on what they show and the way they show it.
FM: Your next plans? Tell me more about the book if you can.
F.H: I continue to work for the magazines and I am also preparing the book with Rizzoli, which will be about my interiors, a bold publication. Actually 350 pages. For the next couple of months I will need to be in Arles and go through my archive, which will be a very long process. Maybe I have 2500 -3000 stories to look through. It’s the work of 30 years (laughs). It scares me a bit to dig into my past and see…
FM: What are you afraid of finding? Mistakes?
F.H: No, no! I am afraid only the amount of work it’s going to be.
Recent Comments