What creates an emotional response for you in fashion today?
Fashion is at its best when it’s surprising. Surprise can evoke delight or horror. Like theatre, art or even love, any strong response becomes fixed in your memory. Joy or disgust – either is certainly better than boredom or indifference.
What are you most curious to know about how designers work, how a collection comes together?
When I work with designers on a collection, it’s always most curious just how unique everyone’s creative approach is and what they view as their purpose as a designer. This informs everything about how a collection ultimately comes together. I’m also very interested in how AI will shape design in the next ten years.
In what ways are you seeing progress in fashion mirroring progress in the wider world?
I’m hopeful at the ever-increasing awareness for expanded inclusivity and vital sustainability – although what mirrors the wider world most is that any strides toward real, lasting change seem far too slow and often feel like two steps forward and one step back.
If you could change one aspect of how we experience fashion today, what would it be?
Fashion creates far too much waste. There’s just too much “stuff” being produced for the sake of newness and a bottom line. My hope is for fewer, more thoughtful collections.
What stands out as the most potentially disruptive influence on fashion in the near future?
The role of the creative director will be interesting as it continues to evolve in the immediate short-term, especially as we see Pharrell’s collection for Louis Vuitton unveiled this week. More broadly, AI will completely upend the design process and I’m fascinated to see its impact.
