Q&A: Michael Kors looks back at his 30-year career—the trends, the tears, and the trunk shows
Michael Kors on celebrating his 30th anniversary, staying plugged in and becoming an adjective.
All-American. Spirited. Jetsetter. You can spot Michael Kors from a mile away. Over the course of his 30 years in the fashion industry, the man and the brand have become one and the same, morphing into a mega-empire that, as rumour has it, hit a billion dollars in sales this year. Not bad for a boy from Long Island, New York. Adored by Hollywood A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez, soccer moms and First Ladies alike (Michelle Obama wore Kors for her first official White House portrait), his rise to fashion royalty took off in 1981, when he launched his eponymous womenswear line.
Soon after came a menswear label, a first fragrance, an accessories collection, multiple awards, a stint as creative director at Céline, more fragrances, two bridge lines (Kors Michael Kors and Michael Michael Kors) and countless stores dotting the globe, including a new flagship store on Bloor Street West in Toronto. He’s even managed to bring an end to the gasps that traditionally followed certain (dirty) fashion words like “accessible” and “wearable.”
Today, at 52, Kors continues to create magic, both on and off the runway. In celebration of his label’s 30th anniversary, he churned out a spectacular Fall 2011 retrospective show. And with those infamous biting quips (“She looks like an Amish cocktail waitress”), he’s a favourite judge on the reality TV show Project Runway. All while looking as cool and carefree as his collection.
Has the Michael Kors girl changed over the years?
“The first thing that was ever written about me was by Anna Wintour. The quote from me was: ‘I plan to keep my collection luxurious, spare, comfortable and sexy.’ Obviously, I’m a man who likes to stick to his guns. The look has evolved, but I’ve been pretty consistent in my message over the 30 years that I’ve been doing this. The customer has definitely changed. If you said people would wear sequins for day, or you could live in Toronto and wear strapless in the winter, or live in Miami and wear boots, people would have said that’s crazy. The girl who has always interested me is someone who is a bit of a dichotomy: She’s a sexy tomboy, she’s strong, she’s opinionated, she loves fashion, but she’s never going to be a fashion victim. The reality is, though, that we have customers who are 14, who are 45, who are 55 and who are 80. Age is no longer an issue. And even size—we see customers of every size and type.”
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