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| That said, what's the process involved where you go from some racks of clothes at the end of the fashion show to the first day of shooting for the campaign? |
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A:
Well the first step always starts with the designer. Sometimes
he or she doesn't immediately know exactly which direction
he's going to take. Sometimes it's totally intuitive. But
designers always have a strong feeling, or a point of departure
that is going to inspire him. We try to marry that with
whatever cultural trend might be emerging. So it's not just
the challenge of "following" trends, it's also
the test of being able to foresee a trend.
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R: You do have to listen closely to what the house is expressing. And that's not just based on the clothes. It's definitely connected to what is happening culturally that year; what's the feeling in the air; what kind of photography is going to best capture that.
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| You're known for your close working relationship with Steven Meisel. How did this evolve? |
| R:
I met Steven in 1992 when he started working for Vogue. I loved
his work. I think he's an incredible photographer. Once I left Vogue,
the relationship kept evolving. I had left for... it had been...
2 weeks and he called asking if I wanted to do an ad with him. And
that was the Versace / Madonna ad campaign! |
| Must have been great showing up on that first day of work. |
| R: (Laughter) We have a good time together. We respect the creativity of the process. |
| The
Fall 2000 Valentino campaign was amazing for its attention to detail.
As a sharp eyed observer pointed out, even the shadows of the liquor
bottles were placed, just "so". |
| A: We tend to work with people who are known to be obsessed with an amazing level of detail when it comes to creating an image. I think that's what separates the average from the inspired. The attention to detail. |
| Are
there plans to expand a | R to a larger scale shop, or to
go mass and global like a Saatchi and Saatchi? |
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A: That's a point of conflict at the moment. What we are concerned with right now is keeping the quality of our current clientele.
R:
We're focused on just doing great work,
which keeps coming and what the company
will evolve into will be an organic thing.
Right now it's not about scale, it's about
substance. And quality. Liquor, sports,
all that will evolve but only in its own
time.
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| A: All our clients are repeat offenders so you develop a familial feeling and that is priceless. |
| And that's the essence of fashion right there, isn't it? |
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a
| R:
(Laughter)
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