Dirk Standen, editor de style.com (fashion web por excelencia), se dedico a juntar a una pequeña porción de las personalidades más importantes de la industria, aquí un extracto de la entrevista que le realizó a Alber Elbaz, director creativo de Lanvin.
Elbaz es uno de nuestros favoritos, después de despertar a la firma francesa de un letardo, llegó para redefinir la marca gritando en cada temporada: "draped, draped, draped!" algunas veces más que en otras, pero siempre presente en cada colección.
Una entrevista muy interesante que nos deja ver la diferencia entre lo cool y lo relevante, la importancia de los blogs de moda y lo que el como líder de la industria, piensa.
The Future of Fashion Part Six: Alber Elbaz
interview by: Dirk Standen.
interview by: Dirk Standen.
I’ve been asking everyone this question, but I’m particularly interested in your perspective as a designer. What role does a fashion show still play in delivering your message?
It’s almost like asking someone what is the role of a table if you want to serve dinner. Of course you can have some dinner in bed and you can have it also on a plate and just on the floor, but I think that when you put it on the table, it’s the most pragmatic. There are certain things that I guess are essential and this is one of them.
He estado haciéndole esta pregunta a todos, pero estoy particularmente interesado en tu perspectiva como diseñador, ¿Que papel desempeña una pasarela al momento de transmitir tu mensaje?
Es casi como preguntarle a alguien cual es el papel de una mesa si quieres servir la cena. Claro que puedes cenar en la cama y usar un plato, o en el piso, pero pienso que servirla en la mesa es lo más pragmático. Hay ciertas cosas que creo que son esenciales y esta es una de ellas.
What’s the balance between refining the signature of the house each season and doing something new? It seems to me there’s tremendous pressure now to do something completely new every time.
You know I [said to] my partner a few months ago, “I have a question.” He said, “What is it?” I said, “Do you think we’re still cool.” And he said, “Alber, we were never cool.” And you know what? I prefer being relevant to being cool, because if you’re cool, you’re also cold the next day. So it’s more about being relevant. The one thing that always scares me is to be like the Miss America of the moment, because next year there is a new Miss America
You know I [said to] my partner a few months ago, “I have a question.” He said, “What is it?” I said, “Do you think we’re still cool.” And he said, “Alber, we were never cool.” And you know what? I prefer being relevant to being cool, because if you’re cool, you’re also cold the next day. So it’s more about being relevant. The one thing that always scares me is to be like the Miss America of the moment, because next year there is a new Miss America
¿Cual es el balance entre refinir el sello de la marca cada temporada y hacer algo nuevo?, Pienso que debe ser una presión tremenda hacer algo completamente nuevo siempre.
Sabes, le decía a mi pareja hace algunos años, "Tengo una pregunta". Le dije, "¿Cual es?, me dijo, "'¿Crees que aun seguimos siendo cool?". Y el me respondió: "Alber nosotros nunca hemos sido cool".
¿Y sabes algo?, Prefiero ser relevante que ser cool, porque si eres cool, al otro día también, te conviertes en alguien que ya esta frio. Entonces es más sobre ser relevante. La única cosa que siempre me ha aterrado es ser la Miss America del momento, porque al siguiente año aparece una nueva.
Talking about instant successes, have you followed the rise of the fashion bloggers?
I have to tell you, I love bloggers. And I’m not telling you that because I’m [trying to] bribe them. Every morning I wake up and I see the blogs. There is something very innocent. There is something very honest. You can say, OK, they didn’t have the experience of seeing things. But again it’s another medium. That’s their opinion and it’s interesting to see how politically incorrect they are. Of course, when they say, “Oh my God, I love it,” I’m extremely happy. And when they say, “Oh my God, it’s a piece of shit,” I hate it…We are living in an instant society, so everything has to be quick and everything has to be big and everything has to be now. And I think this is also a reflection of society, so it’s not something that we can sit and judge and say, well, I think it’s right or I think it’s wrong. It’s the reflection, the mirror of our society, and [the same applies] to what we are doing. We are being accused that some models are anorexic, but we as fashion designers cannot be blamed, because you know, when I talk to women around the world, rich and poor and young and old and intellectual and not, what they want to be is skinny. You ask them, what is your dream? It’s to be skinny. That’s all they want, so this is something that’s happening in the world. And you know what? Me, as a designer that is not exactly skinny, all I want is comfortable clothes. All I want is beautiful. I mean, I like gray hair, I love wrinkles. But this is me. That’s why our logo is the mother and the daughter. I always feel that I have the ability or I have the luxury to design for younger and for older and for skinnier and less skinny. I feel more versatile about it.
I have to tell you, I love bloggers. And I’m not telling you that because I’m [trying to] bribe them. Every morning I wake up and I see the blogs. There is something very innocent. There is something very honest. You can say, OK, they didn’t have the experience of seeing things. But again it’s another medium. That’s their opinion and it’s interesting to see how politically incorrect they are. Of course, when they say, “Oh my God, I love it,” I’m extremely happy. And when they say, “Oh my God, it’s a piece of shit,” I hate it…We are living in an instant society, so everything has to be quick and everything has to be big and everything has to be now. And I think this is also a reflection of society, so it’s not something that we can sit and judge and say, well, I think it’s right or I think it’s wrong. It’s the reflection, the mirror of our society, and [the same applies] to what we are doing. We are being accused that some models are anorexic, but we as fashion designers cannot be blamed, because you know, when I talk to women around the world, rich and poor and young and old and intellectual and not, what they want to be is skinny. You ask them, what is your dream? It’s to be skinny. That’s all they want, so this is something that’s happening in the world. And you know what? Me, as a designer that is not exactly skinny, all I want is comfortable clothes. All I want is beautiful. I mean, I like gray hair, I love wrinkles. But this is me. That’s why our logo is the mother and the daughter. I always feel that I have the ability or I have the luxury to design for younger and for older and for skinnier and less skinny. I feel more versatile about it.
Hablando del exito instantáneo, ¿Has seguido el de los fashion bloggers?
Tengo que decírtelo, amo a los bloggers. Y no te lo digo porque este tratando de alentarlos. Todas las mañanas despierto y reviso los blogs. Hay algo muy inocente, muy honesto. Puedes decir, ok, no tienen la experiencia de ver las cosas, pero de nuevo..es otro medio. Esa es su opinión y es interesante ver cuan políticamente incorrectos son.
Claro, cuando dicen: "Dios mío, lo amo", soy extremadamente feliz. Y cuando dicen: "Dios mío, es un pedazo de mierda", lo odio...Estamos viviendo en una sociedad instantánea, entonces todo tiene que ser rápido, grande y en este momento. Y creo que eso es también, un reflejo de la sociedad, no nos podemos sentar, juzgar y decir, bueno pienso que esta bien o mal, es el reflejo, el espejo de nuestra sociedad y lo mismo aplica a lo que nosotros hacemos. Hemos sido acusados de que algunas modelos son anoréxicas, pero nosotros como diseñadores no podemos ser culpados, tu sabes cuando hablo con mujeres alrededor del mundo, ricas, pobres, jóvenes, viejas, intelectuales o no, lo que quieren, es ser delgadas. Les preguntas, ¿Cual es tu sueño?..Ser delgadas.
Es todo lo que quieren, entonces es algo que esta pasando alrededor del mundo. ¿Y sabes algo?, yo como diseñador que no es exactamente delgado, todo lo que quiero es ropa confortable. Todo lo que quiero es algo bello. Digo, me gusta el cabello gris, amo las arrugas. Pero ese soy yo. Es por eso que nuestro logo es una madre y su hija. Siempre he sentido que tengo la habilidad o el lujo de diseñar para mujeres jóvenes y mas grandes, delgadas y no tan delgadas. Me siento más versátil respecto a eso.
