Articles
Below, are four excerpts of longer articles I have written. Two of the articles, “Designer Victor Glemaud Launches First-Ever Home Collection” and “KCD Paris Appoints Partner of Media Relations” are published on the Fashion Network website and one article is published in the book, “La Création en Liberté Univers de Denise et Paul Poiret at the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa”.
The three articles with interviews from Casey Cadwallader of Mugler, Peter Philip’s Director of Dior Makeup, Steven Stokey Daley, Winner of the LVMH Prize, I assisted with for the Editor in Chief of Fashion Network.
Designer Victor Glemaud Launches First-Ever Home Collection
Haitian-American fashion designer Victor Glemaud has released his first ever home collection in collaboration with the family-owned New York interior design house Schumacher, titled Cul-De-Sac. The collection includes velvet, botanical fabrics, wallcoverings, and trims in 14 different patterns and colorways, all named after women close to him. The styles reference both Haiti’s cultural history as well as the subtropic climate of the Caribbean.
The new collection’s standout, Toussaint Toile, pays homage to the artist’s Caribbean heritage, featuring historical scenes celebrating the liberator of Haiti, Toussaint Louverture. In addition, the print pays homage to the country of Glemaud’s ancestry by displaying a depiction of Haiti’s national bird, the national flower, hibiscus, lush foliage, and beautiful landscapes of the country. Schumacher has historically been linked to the world of high fashion and cognizant with what’s 'à la mode': in 1920, the company collaborated with the renowned couturier Paul Poitier, paving the way for a strong series of fashion-inspired collections such as with the surrealist Elsa Schiaparelli, and icon Karl Lagerfeld.
La Création en Liberté Univers de Denise et Paul Poiret at the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa
“Now you are yourself again, and my ideal.”
These are the words that couturier Paul Poiret used to refer to his wife Denise Poiret after asking her to change her white Minaret tunic with a Chinese inspired white brocade dress with an Indian-inspired green silk turban. Appearing in the article "the Prophet of Simplicity" on Vogue (1913), these words contain and evoke the peculiar relationship between M. and Mme. Poiret. The entire article is centered around this duo as the journalist, Anne Rittenhouse presents the work of Paul Poiret through a constant description and evaluation of Denise Poiret's body and persona.
The article is a celebration of Paul Poiret as a master of couture while it also helps to draw an identity of the figure of Denise. In the article, Denise Boulet (1886-1982) as she was known before her marriage, is described as a simple girl born in a French village with no connection to Parisian society, who has then been magically transformed into Mme. Poiret, Paul Poiret's personal muse. In the Vogue article, Denise not only appears as a model of Poiret's creations in all the images accompanying the article, but she is constantly addressed, defined and judged by Poiret and Rittenhouse without being ever quoted or voiced. She is defined for her simplicity, her "smooth skin", her being "exceptionally dark". Furthermore, she is defined by Poiret as "the inspiration" for his "dress theories".
KCD Paris Appoints Partner of Media Relations
KCD Paris, the public relations firm that works with an array of high profile, luxury fashion clientele has made a change in its leadership. The company has promoted Alexis Arnault from managing director to partner of media relations, succeeding Laurence Laure, who retires this autumn. As partner, Arnault will lead the KCD Paris office while developing and implementing strategic direction and vision for the agency alongside Chairman, Julie Mannion and KCD’s six global partners in NY, Paris, and London.
During his 18-year tenure at KCD Paris, Alexis has been an integral part of the Paris Media Relations team which serves as a European hub for the agency. He has led key accounts including Balmain, Mugler, Gap, AMI, Wooyoungmi, and Amazon Fashion. Most recently he has worked with Marine Serre, Brunello Cucinelli, and Iris Van Herpen, as well as events and initiatives for brands including Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta and Armani. As managing director, Alexis has been responsible for developing the Paris Media Relations team and growing new business for the Paris office and the KCD Media Relations Group worldwide.
Interviews Assisted With the Editor in Chief
The following interviews were conducted by Godfrey Deeny, Editor in Chief of Fashion Network with assistance by me.
Casey Cadwallader on Designing in Paris and Shooting in Paramount
Few designers have ever had a greater late-in-life comeback than Thierry Mugler; and few successors have rarely seemed so in synch as Casey Cadwallader, who on Wednesday unveiled his latest collection video for the Paris house.
“Manfred was always pushing forward. What’s the newest material out there? What’s the newest process? So, for me, it’s continuing the same sort of iconic Mugler constructions in general but finding new technology and fabrications to make the clothing new. As he would be doing. “
“I think the secret of Mugler is half refined, and half stripper,” Casey laughs loudly.
“We were kinda having more fun than usual and went quite wild on set. And sometimes the girls would say, ‘Oh Jesus! What are you going to make me do now?” chuckles Casey, who took over the helm at Mugler in December 2017. “We always make a joke in the design team because we look at haute couture… and strippers. It’s always really weird, slutty things we find on the internet, but we go, ‘Ah! We could make that more chic! But you have to be able to dive into that. You know he put gay porn stars on the runway. So, everything is okay here, everything is possible.”
Dior Creative Director of Makeup Peter Philips on Seville; Respecting Designer Visions; Lip Gloss and Being a Feminist
The quietly spoken Belgian joined Dior in March 2014, initially working with Raf Simons, and latterly with Maria Grazia Chiuri. It was the latest step in an impressive career that included creating makeup for Chanel and working with Karl Lagerfeld, no less. Philips got his start early, working previously with Raf Simons and collaborating with greats like Alexander McQueen and Dries Van Notes.
FNW: You were quite famous for your dramatic make up especially at Raf and Chanel. How have you tried to interpret your role at Dior?
PP: There are different paths at Dior. When I did the shows and when I worked for Raf it was helping to project his vision. With Maria Grazia, it’s her vision. With Karl it’s what he wanted. With McQueen it’s what he wanted. I adapt myself to support their vision and my creativity and my vision. Sometimes I do both and sometimes I hold back. It’s a balance game. Maria Grazia tends not to like to do too much make up. But I actually have done bold make-up for her. Always focusing on the eyes. It’s always black.
FNW: A bit like Maria Grazia, right?
PP: Exactly, a bit like her. It affects what she wants, her vision.
Steven Stokey-Daley on Winning the LVMH Prize, Theatrical Fashion and Working in Aintree
Fresh from accepting the techy golden LVMH award, we sat down with the 25-year-old Daley inside the Louis Vuitton Foundation to listen to his thoughts on fashion, inspiration and what he planned to do with the winning check of €300,000.
FashionNetwork: How you feel about winning the LVMH Prize, from the biggest luxury corporation in the world?
Steven Stokey-Daley: To be honest at first, I only just started to realize it right now. I wasn’t expected to win, so it's a big shock!
FNW: What do you plan to do with the money?
SSD: We have a healthy direct-to-consumer model. And so, I would love to invest some into that and to keep that as a primary focus. Then we will focus on building a wholesale model.
FNW: What was the experience of going before a jury of highly experienced, super-talented designers?
SSD: Who have inspired me personally throughout my life and education and career. It was intimidating, scary, exciting. They were really lovely, and I loved being able to introduce my world to them. It was a very big honor to do that sort of thing.
FNW: What sort of things did they ask you?
SSD: That’s a good question! They asked me about my production model, how we source fabrics, reference points, where do I see myself in the future? How do I think about the idea of growth?
FNW: Which of these designers have personally inspired you?
SSD: I’m London-educated and I think that Jonathan Anderson is a massive inspiration to me also. I think Jonathan really did push menswear in a different path. It's probably because of that that I'm able to do this today. He really sort of paved the way for that.
