Where do you look for new ideas or voices in fashion?
I read widely – newspapers, and the hard copies of the New York Times and the FT, rather than online – so that I’m not just diving into the fashion section. I am reading around the subject because fashion often turns up where you least expect such as an arts section story. I also never wear headphones, so when I am walking down the street, I really look at what people are wearing. I never copy anything I see, but I get inspired when I see someone really making an effort, rather than just dressing up in something that screams “latest.” I also talk to people who are less than half my age, like my assistant Sona Saldhana who is 23 and a student at Parsons.
How essential is heritage and/or a distinctive identity in contributing to a brand’s success?
It really depends on who has the keys to the kingdom. If a visionary is controlling a brand and knows how to sample something from the past to create the future, that can be worth gold.
What surprises you about the industry in 2025?
It’s lost the human touch. It used to be that figureheads who helmed the great brands were personalities who connected to the world around them. We knew what they ate for breakfast and wore to work. They talked to the press. Now that conglomerates control the messaging around fashion, it’s really hard to connect or know much about what inspires designers and what they put into the fashion they create aside from the materials.
What is something that you believe will change over the course of the year?
I think it’s safe to say that in this fashion age of “musical chairs,” there will be a new designer at Gucci and Jil Sander. Possibly Dior. And now that Tilda Swinton has stepped back from film for the rest of the year, she won’t be lighting up the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. Haider Ackerman will make Tom Ford brilliant.
What do you enjoy most about Paris Fashion Week?
Because Paris is the world’s fashion capital and the ateliers are unrivaled in terms of craft, I always admire the technical virtuosity that defines the clothing made by the greats.
How would you define chic in a contemporary context?
Subtle effortlessness.
There seems to be more overlap between fashion/entertainment and fashion/sports than ever. Thoughts?
I want it to be over. Or to change. There is too much fashion on screen in films. There are some celebrities whose images are so aligned with brands that it’s hard to put that behind when watching films, and brands rely too much on the power of celebrities. It’s often that celebrity image overpowers a young designer’s image. The red carpet is completely irrelevant at this time of dramatic upheaval around the world. I’m bored of looking at celebrities wearing clothes that look plucked off runways or assembled by anonymous design teams. In terms of sports, there’s lots to do, but I’d prefer to see a more natural alliance between these realms rather than situations that seem to be defined by paychecks.
Do trends still matter?
Yes, because they indicate how the world is responding to creative output.
What is your favourite way/word to compliment someone’s style?
I like your spirit.
Tell us something surprising about how you got to where you are today?
I work my ass off every day.
In what ways might you hope to have an impact on fashion this year?
I spend a lot of time mentoring young people. I’ve had a number of mentors during my career and it’s important to raise the next generation up.
Can you share a mantra that speaks to this moment in time?
“Today I shall judge nothing that occurs.” Deepak Chopra
This interview has been lightly edited.
