Stay ConnectedThe Fashion Your Seatbelt podcast gives its listeners the rare opportunity to hear from some of the leading voices working in the fashion industry today. Each podcast is an exclusive one-to-one conversation with a creative who is crafting the future of fashion. Hosted by the renowned and award-winning fashion journalist Jessica Michault, this podcast is designed to take its audience directly to the heart of fashion and discover what makes it tick.
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There are some fashion insiders who call Alexandre Mattiussi “a one in a generation” fashion designer. And I would have to agree with that assessment. He is a bit of a fashion unicorn in that, not only is he a down to earth, friendly and gregarious guy who happens to be a very talented fashion designer, he also has a real head for - and a love of - both the business of fashion and the theatricality of it. Born in 1980 in the Normandy countryside, Alexandre studied at the Duperré fashion design school in Paris and decided to specialize in menswear design as he astutely saw that the market was much less saturated than the womenswear market at that time. Early on, back in 2002, he tried his hand at starting his own business, selling t-shirts he had designed but decided to press pause on that adventure to really learn his trade inside the walls of established menswear brands before stepping out on his own. To this end, he worked at Dior’s “30 Montaigne” menswear line and then joined Givenchy where for five years he built up real-world experience as he led the menswear design team before the arrival of Riccardo Tisci at the house. Following that, he had a stint designing for Marc Jacobs Men.It was while at Marc Jacobs, as he was working on some ultra-luxury menswear items, that Alexandre had his sartorial epiphany. The beautiful things he was creating, though he would never be able to afford to buy them, he wanted to create clothing that he would see being worn on the street –clothing that would make people happy as they went about living their lives. And so, in 2011 his brand, AMI, was born. The name, which means friend in French but is also the composition of his initials and the last letter of his last name perfectly encapsulates both the designer and his designs. He seems to be friends with everyone and everyone wants to be friends with him. And his clothing does act like friends for those who wear them. This is a brand filled with staple wardrobe pieces; the perfectly cut pair of trousers, the great chunky sweater and the evergreen outerwear– menswear that was so well done that women wound up flocking to his work, and also wearing his designs.Today, AMI has over 300 stocklists across the globe and online and has freestanding stores in Paris, Tokyo, London, and China. And last year he finally launched a “menswear for women” line in response to the high demand for his designs by women around the world. I caught up with Alexandre at his headquarters in Paris after he and I had both just returned from a whirlwind tour of Asia. I was attending Shanghai Fashion Week and Tokyo Fashion Week and he also happened to be there as well. He was showing his first collection outside of Paris in Shanghai at the same time as its fashion week, and then held an event in Japan during its fashion week. All of it was a way to thank his Asian customers and friends who have become a very big part of his business. What did I tell you, Alexandre, a savvy businessman, but an even better friend.
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When I began to do some research on Joey Zwillinger, the co-founder of the sustainable footwear brand Allbirds, it was hard not to notice the pull quote from Time magazine on the company’s website that referred to its Merino wool sneakers as “the world’s most comfortable shoe”, or when Refinery 29 said “we won’t blame you if never wear any other shoe ever again”. Clearly, the brand that Zwillinger, a biotech engineer, created with Tim Brown, a former football player from New Zealand, has fans, including the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio who invested early in the company – raising 2.7 million dollars in seed funding before it officially launched in 2016. Since then, Allbirds has become a shining example of sustainable style at its finest . The breathable temperature-regulating wool used to make the company’s signature sneakers uses 60% less energy than a typical sneaker. But, the brands sustainable initiatives do not stop there –It turned to recycled plastic bottles to craft the shoe’s laces. Allbirds came up with a brand new material that they call SweetFoam, which is an eco-friendly alternative to the traditional petroleum-based shoe soles, made from sugarcane off shoots. The company’s revolutionary material is an open-source technology so that other brands can also take advantage of the carbon negative material. Oh, and even the shoe boxes the Allbirds footwear comes in are made from 90% recycled cardboard. Currently, the company, which reportedly is now a $1.4 billion dollar business, is moving quickly to expand out from its original direct-to-consumer selling strategy. It already has 12 stores across the globe and intends to open another 20 in the next year. It has also expanded its inventory range, launching a weather-resistant collection called Mizzle that is also crafted from all-natural materials and the cleverly named Sole Mates socks that are made from TrinoTM –a new proprietary yarn that blends together the natural fibers of the brand’s Tree and Merino materials. Without a doubt, the company is riding the crest of the current sustainable fashion wave. But after speaking with Zwillinger, there is no question that building a globally successful business isn’t his primary goal but instead, helping to build a better world for the future is.
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The first thing you notice when you meet Arthur Arbesser, besides his head of floppy hair and big round glasses, is his upbeat attitude. He radiates nothing but positivity and you get the impression that he always has a sunny side view on the world. It’s a perception that is further supported by the fashion he creates – which is colorful, often with graphic motifs, and rich with artistic references that span many different fields, from architecture and painting to sculpture and ballet. His sartorial style is eclectic and original and it perfectly dovetails with his own creative history as a designer born and raised in Vienna, Austria, to go on to study at the prestigious Central Saint Martins College in London, and for many years now calling Milan his home. Arthur’s talent was right off the bat. Shortly after graduating from college, he was hired by Giorgio Armani and worked alongside the famed Italian designer for 7 years before deciding to launch his own signature brand in January 2013. That same year he was a winner of the “Who Is On Next?” competition in Italy, which is designed to highlight talented young designers. From this, Arthur’s work began to generate positive reviews by the likes of Suzy Menkes, and in 2015 he became an LVMH Prize finalist.Today, Arthur is balancing two creative hats on his head; not only does he design for his own brand but since September 2017, he has held the position of creative director of the esteemed Italian brand, Fay. In fact, we met up in the headquarters of Fay in Milan to do this podcast interview just as he was preparing for his next presentation for the house. It was there that he opened up about just how deeply architecture and design influence his old world approach to fashion and how not being an Italian designer helped make his mark in Milan, as well as what it takes to simultaneously design for two fashion houses. After our chat, what I took away from our conversation was that as much as Arthur is an upbeat fun loving person, he takes his work and his love of fashion very very seriously.
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I first met Law Roach in early 2018 at a Tommy Hilfiger show in Milan when he came up to me to say how much he liked the 60 Second Fashion Reviews I did on Instagram. I was instantly charmed by his warmth, his openness and, off course, his amazing outfit. I soon realized, although I didn't know it at the time, that I was a fan of Law as well. I had been appreciative of his work over the years as the stylist for actress Zendaya and more recently Ariana Grande, as well as Tiffany Haddish and Tom Holland. Additionally, I was most definitely impressed with the way he transformed Celine Dion into style icon almost overnight. For those who aren’t avid followers of the inner workings of the fashion industry, or didn’t spot him during his time as a judge on America’s Next Top Model, you’re first true glimpse of Law was most likely this year on the Met Gala red carpet where he, quite literally, was Zendaya’s fairy godfather. With a wave of his wand, Law turned the actress’ dove gray custom made Tommy Hilfiger Cinderella gown into bright blue lit up confection. But that is what Law has been doing for years now, transforming his clients into the sartorial best version of themselves. Ever since he moved from Chicago, where he ran a vintage clothing store, to Los Angeles to follow his dream to be a stylist, Law has been ingenious in how he gets his clients notices for all the right reasons. He has come up with some of the most original and eye-catching statement looks of the past decade. But more than that, he has also helped his clients connect with leading fashion brands and was key in brokering partnerships, most notably Zendaya for Tommy Hilfiger and Ariana Grande for Givenchy.Now after 10 years in the business, Law is looking for his next move. He is ready for his own transformation and during our conversation over breakfast at the busy Royal Monceau hotel in Paris, he looked back over his career and it became crystal clear that this is a man who will not only make it because he has got talent, but also because he has such a big heart.
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Jeremy Langmead is the Brand and Content Director of MR PORTER. Full disclosure, I have known Jeremy for over a decade and I have watched in amazement as he create, launched and grew the MR PORTER website into an award winning e-commerce platform created for men looking to have access to both the best fashion in the menswear market and the best editorial content designed to help those men relate to their sartorial choices on a deeper level. The platform’s “5 ways” series and “how it” articles have helped men around the globe educate themselves and given them the tools to make them more savvy shoppers and dressers. And now Jeremy is behind the new MR PORTER Health In Mind initiative, which is dedicated to helping men lead happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives.Jeremy is focused on creating an overall brand vision for MR PORTER and since he first joined the company in 2010, he has been able to find the sweetspot between great content and great commerce by blending product updates with MR PORTER’s weekly shoppable digital magazine, The Journal, its bimonthly newspaper, The MR PORTER Post, and its buzzy, ever updating, digital news source, The Daily.Before he worked at MR PORTER, Jeremy was editor-in-chief of Esquire from 2007-2010 and before he held the same job at the interiors magazine Wallpaper from 2003-2007. And I can confirm that his love of interior design is still strong, you just have to look at the interiors of his own home to realize that. And he also had stints working as the Life & Style editor of the London Evening Standard and as an editor of The Sunday Times Style magazine. Basically the guy knows fashion and style like the back of his hand.In 2014 Jeremy left MR PORTER for Christie’s auction house, where he developed editorial content for the e-commerce, digital and communication departments before returning to MR PORTER after a year to take up his current role at the company. And since then he has seen the menswear industry evolve drastically. Between the blurring of gender lines, the mixing of styles that see athleticwear and street style blending more and more, tailoring and the new trend towards menswear collections being shows with womenswear, well there was lots to talk about with Jeremy.So I took the Eurostar over to London to interview him at his company’s headquarters, where a tour of the building included looking out over a whole new section that had just been allotted to the ever growing MR PORTER team. And as we talked inside one of the glass walled conference rooms, the hustle and bustle of the busy company whirled on behind us was further proof that MR PORTER, and Jeremy, are heading into fashion’s future full steam ahead.
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I have followed the career of designer Marco de Vincenzo since his very first show when he started his brand back in 2009. And it has been a privilege to watch him grow into one of the most exciting Italian fashion designers working today.If you are doing the math, you now know that this year marks the 10 year anniversary of the launch of the Marco de Vincenzo brand. It also happens to be the year Marco turns 40 and the year he launches his first menswear collection. Somthing he will do later this month at Pitti Uomo in Florence. And beside running his own signature label he also juggles his gig as the creative head of leather goods at Fendi alongside his mentor Silvia Venturini Fendi.Marco’s aesthetic is very distinctive. The rainbow has almost become the trademark of his designs. Or maybe it's fringing. Or perhaps Lurex knits. Actually now that I think about it… it is all three of them. He is also very good at coming up with accessories that have launched a thousand copies. What is it they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? But besides those designer building blocks Marco’s work also has other important fundamental features like his true artisanal understanding of how to manipulate and craft leather goods and his ability to constantly revisit his Italian heritage in his designs in new, unexpected and heartfelt ways.The fashion industry’s confidence in Marco’s talent as a designer is underlined by the fact that LVMH signed a partnership deal with the designer back in 2014, taking a 45% stake in the company and this year a new partner, Marco Panzeri, has acquired a 35% stake in the business, with Panzeri coming in as the new chief executive officer of the company.All of which is to say I felt that now was the perfect moment to sit down with Marco for a good long chat. To take the time to reflect back on the first decade of his business, the challenges and the successes, and to lay out his goals for the future of his vibrant and upbeat fashion label.
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This year marks the 150th anniversary of the stealth wealth luxury brand Moynat. And just like the company, which is thought to be one of the oldest heritage French trunk-making houses in the world, the man behind the brand, creative director Ramesh Nair, is someone who likes to let the quality of his work speak for itself. But don’t let Ramesh’s soft spoken, unassuming appearance fool you. He might not be a designer who craves the fashion limelight but he is a man with a clear vision for Moynat - and he has the fashion chops to make that vision a reality. During his career he has worked with some of the most talented and creative designers living today. Not only did he work with Yohji Yamamoto and Christian Lacroix he spent 11 years as senior designer at Hermès soaking up everything he could from his legendary mentor Martin Margiela and later incomparable Jean Paul Gaultier. All of this before he was chosen in 2011 by Bernard Arnault, the chairman and ceo of LVMH, to breath life back into the Moynat brand, which had laid dormant for 35 years. Ramesh has had quite an impressive career considering that fashion design wasn’t a childhood dream and that he pretty much fell backwards into fashion when he applied to study at new branch that had opened up in India of the FIT New York, back in 1986, as an alternative to joining the army. Even he was surprised when he was accepted, and during his time at the school he learned that he loved how fashion could be used as a form of visual expression of self and he discovered that he was actually pretty fluent in the language of fashion and luxury. I had the honor and privilege of speaking with Ramesh inside the Moynat flagship store on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris. A location that is like an oasis of calm at the heart of the bustling city. And just like the company he represents Ramesh is the epitome of refinement and grace. He is all about celebrating the best that life has to offer. Be that great food, great conversation or great design…life is too short for anything less.
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Robin Meason is a woman who has lived quite an amazing, globe-trotting existence. And the reason she has had such an adventurous life is because she always follows her heart.Following her heart is also what happens to make her one of the best fashion PR’s in the business. Robin was born and raised in Texas, where she studied European civilization at Texas State University, but she always had a thing about France, and Paris in particular. She might have lived in London, Los Angeles, Athens and Australia, over the years but she has always come back to Paris.It is in Paris that she launched her PR agency, called Ritual Projects, in 2013. And while in the past following her heart had Robin traveling the world, today her heart (and her head for business) is what makes Ritual Projects such an interesting company.Think of it like the rebellious cool kid at school, who always seems to know what is going to be the next big thing before anyone else does. The brands that Robin represents are the ones that are generating buzz for their creativity and are on the cusp of blowing up. They are also very loyal to Robin as she nurtures them from the jump - while the grow into brands, like Y/Project, GMBH, Ottolinger and AREA, that are coveted by those in the know in the fashion industry.But as good as Robin is at promoting her brands, she is not someone who likes to talk about herself. So getting to sit down with her, to hear her life story and get insights into how she works and how she spots talent, was such a rare treat, and I am so happy I get to share this moment with you.
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This year marks the 10th anniversary of the MSGM brand founded by Massimo Giorgetti. But when you meet the Rimini born Italian designer, it is hard to believe someone so open, outgoing and honest has been at the helm of a successful and growing fashion company for a decade, without getting jaded. But that is the case for this self-taught designer, who originally got a degree in accounting and spend his youth as a DJ, before he launched his company in 2009. He quickly made a name for himself- and his brand thanks to his use of bright and bold logo-clad clothing that had price points that made them accessible luxury to younger streetwear fashion lovers. Just a year in and MSGM had already won the prestigious Vogue Italia AltaRoma “Who Is On Next” award and then over the next five years the company gre into a 45 million dollar business with over 600 points of sale around the world. Giorgetti’s winning fashion formula garnered attention from investors and in 2018 he got a new minority investment from the private equity fund Style Capital. With this new influx of funds the designer has big expansion plans in mind with goals to double revenues over the next three years, making a big push into the Asian market and expanding the brand into new product lines. Case in point, and perfectly in keeping with the youth-centric focus of the house, Giorgetti debuted earlier this year a new line of MSGM underwear for men and women and there are plans on the horizon to unveil a full activewear capsule collection in June and a footwear line is also in the works.I caught up with Giorgetti at his headquarters in Milan. He is a man full of energy, ideas and positive attitude, which all bodes extremely well for the future of the MSGM brand.
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If you are a devoted follower of street style then you know that there are just a handful of photographers who you want to take your photo as you arrive at a show. Or at the very least stand outside at a show pretending to be super busy on your phone. One of them is the Brazilian born, Australia based, photographer Lee Oliveira. His visual signature is one of discretion. Unlike those concrete catwalk photographers that have you to walk across the same crosswalk over and over to get a shot, or ask you to stop and pose for them, Lee is more of a stealth snapper. Often you don’t even know that he has taken your photo until it appears in the Thursday style pages of the New York Times or on the newspaper’s official NYTimesfashion feed on Instagram. Just like the iconic Bill Cunningham, who was the godfather of street style photography, Lee isn’t interested in taking photos of celebrities, or head to toe branded outfits worn by influencers. Instead it is the composition of the image itself, how someone’s outfit is framed by its surroundings and environment that intrigues him. I caught up with Lee while he was in Australia covering Australia Fashion Week. And I have to warn you…and apologies…for the sound quality of the recording of our phone conversation. It’s really not the greatest…but what Lee has to say about his work and the fashion industry as a whole certainly is worth the effort.
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