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270 THE FASHION DESIGN REFERENCE + SPECIFICATION BOOK
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Where do you start with the design process (research, sketching, sculpting) when
developing a new collection?
I sketch to begin with, then when the ideas start flowing I’ll get started on the collec-
tion. Once you have something formed, it’s much easier to see the collection coming
together.
What drew you to millinery?
I believe in beauty and elegance and communicating thoughts and dreams in a
visual way. I started designing hats fifteen years ago while a student at the Royal
College of Art. At the time, hats were perceived publicly as something worn by ladies
of a certain age and as something from a bygone era. I thought this was totally ri-
diculous and simply believed that since we all have a head, anyone can wear a hat. I
love to work with my hands making something from nothing. Turning two-dimensional
materials into a three-dimensional object is the ultimate moment of creativity of my
craft.
How have you developed successful partnerships with fashion designers?
It’s exciting to work with strong designers because they let you interpret their style.
Some designers are specific, but many designers that I have worked with for a long
time give me free rein to design with their collections in mind. I am not trying to be
diplomatic, but I’ve worked with so many that I really can’t choose one designer
above another. It was fun to work with Valentino, because there’s only one Valentino.
The same holds true for Karl Lagerfeld or Alexander McQueen.
Did you have a mentor in the fashion industry? What did you take away from that
relationship that serves you today?
Isabella Blow was the first extraordinary person I met in this country when I moved
here from Ireland. Isabella had something common to all of us, but unusual in fash-
ion: a big heart. Her dilemma was that she worked in the fashion business, but was
more interested in the fashion than the business. She lived for the art and drama
of fashion. She would attend a show with six hundred people dressed in black, and
she’d be wearing a lobster hat and a Nell Gwyn–inspired gown. Everyone would sit
there all serious, she would be the only one to woo-hoo and clap. She didn’t care!
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PERSPECTIVES: PHILIP TREACY
MILLINER
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I was so inspired by how she wore my hats. She wore them like she was not wearing them, like
they happened to be there. She gave me my first commission while I was still a student at the
Royal College of Art. I remember someone said to Isabella, Why is this student making your
wedding hat when you could have anyone in the world make it? She didn’t give a f*** what
they thought. Her focus was creativity. When you were in her focus—and this includes Alexan-
der McQueen, Stella Tennant, and Sophie Dahl, whom she also discovered—it was like being
in the middle of a love affair. She was never a snob; she believed in talent, no matter where
you came from. I’m a baker’s son, Alexander McQueen is a cabdriver’s son.
Everybody loved Issy, but she didn’t always love herself. She had ovarian cancer and she suf-
fered with depression—it was all too much for her. In twenty years I have met all of my heroes,
and nobody in my honest estimation has surpassed her. She was incredible. I used to think
there must be others like her, but there weren’t; everyone was boring in comparison. I will
miss her laugh, her passion, and her humanity. I went to my studio today and Isabella is every-
where. In every hat I’ve made, every corner I turn, she is there.
How important is the history of fashion to your creative process? What are your references?
People always ask me if I would have preferred to live in a more “hat” era, such as the 1920s
or 1940s. But I think it is much more exciting to work today. I use contemporary influences, be
it sculpture, or art, or whatever is going in the world at the moment.
Philip Treacy
Photograph by Chris Jackson/Getty Images.
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So many designers dream of showing in the tents during New York’s biannual Fash-
ion Week. What would you include on a must-do checklist for designers who want to
participate?
Designers must have a complete collection, be tied in with a showroom, and be able
to sell the collection. They need a good PR firm to get the right guests invited and in
their seats. They should also have a vision and a talent that “deserves” to be seen
on the runway. Finally, they have be properly financed, so that the runway show be-
comes a part of their marketing budget and expenses.
Fashion is by definition about change, so what do you see as the future of Fashion
Week? Does that direction include technology? What part do industry publications
like fashionweekdaily.com play?
Fashion is always changing, and technology makes the images available instantly all
over the world through a wide variety of devices, from computers to phones to Black-
berries. At the same time, nothing replaces seeing the clothes in person on models
on a runway, seeing them move, and seeing how a professional audience responds
to them. Technology will, of course, continue to play an evermore important role, as
will fashion websites, blogs, and publications like www.fashionweekdaily.com that
have a unique point of view and audience allegiance.
Based on your experience, what advice would you give designers about standing out
in the crowded roster of shows during Fashion Week? How important is the buzz
around celebrity associations for a designer?
Be true to your own spirit, work hard, and put the very best effort forward. You have
a quick shot—maybe fifteen minutes—to make an impression, to give the audi-
ence a sense of your vision, a sense that this is a collection, and that there are
many more ideas in your head to pursue in future seasons. Don’t try to shock to get
gratuitous media coverage. Celebrities are great for exposure if they make sense,
if the designer knows them, and they are, or potentially would be, the right type of
customer for the clothes.
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PERSPECTIVES FERN MALLIS:
SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT, IMG FASHION
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As a global leader in fashion event production, what does IMG look for in someone interested in
pursuing a career in fashion show/event production?
We look for someone who is bright, eager, and passionate, and able to convey all that. Some-
one who will be the first to arrive and the last to leave. Someone who comes dressed appropri-
ately for a job in fashion (and is never chewing gum). Someone resourceful who can research
and write. Not someone who sits at the computer all day, checking his/her Facebook pages or
shopping online.
Fern Mallis
Photograph by Shawn Ehlers/WireImage.
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What advice can you give a designer about reaching out to the press?
Reach out when you have a collection that’s constructed in a professional and pol-
ished manner (seams finished, fit appropriate) and when you truly understand the
story you mean to tell in your collection. Your inspirations will vary, but you should
have an overarching vision of who would wear your clothes that’s consistent from
season to season. In terms of a how-to on contacting the press: Mail or e-mail a
short bio (two to three paragraphs, max, should suffice) and a look book or website
link. Afterward, follow up with a call. Even if an editor doesn’t immediately respond
(and that’s pretty common), politely keep in touch. A good way to do it is by updating
publications each season with five or six images from your latest collection. Edit it
down to the best pieces rather than sending everything. Choose images, too, that
would be most relevant to the publication—take into account whether the fashion
they feature is edgy or mainstream and whether they need to stay under a certain
retail price. Editors will also want to know where you sell your goods. If they are a
city-specific or regional publication, they will want you to have a store, or a website
at least, where readers can go to purchase your designs.
What makes a designer newsworthy?
A designer can be newsworthy for a number of reasons: they’re getting buzz from
influential retailers who sell their goods, they’ve developed a taste-making clientele
that’s seen or photographed regularly in their outfits, or simply because they have
a dynamic vision for dressing that they’re presenting in a fresh and relevant way.
Writers are interested, as well, in collections that are unusual in concept or trying to
reach new niches. An eco-friendly prom dress collection, for example, would be more
newsworthy than a beaded earring collection or contemporary denim line. Fashion
press will also consider whom a designer has worked with (on any level—even an
internship counts) in the past when considering whether the person merits coverage.
What are some of the most important things to consider when writing about fashion?
It’s important to describe the overall mood of the collection, rather than just a string
of individual pieces. It might be “washed cotton pieces with a gentle, beachy mood”
or “structured cocktail dresses with an emphasis on asymmetry, knife-edged pleats,
and stiff, ornate fabrics.” Tell readers about the strongest pieces, who might wear
such garments and on what occasions. Both consumers and retailers who might
wish to carry a collection will want information on pricing (for example, “T-shirts start
at $35”) and where the pieces are currently sold. As in all writing of any kind, avoid
clichés! Lots of aspiring designers dressed dolls—Barbie, paper, or otherwise—as
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PERSPECTIVES KATHERINE BOWERS:
FASHION WRITER AND CONTRIBUTOR TO WOMEN’S WEAR DAILY
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