designer interview

Let them eat (wedding) cake! Slicing through more than two decades in business, designer Monique Lhuillier’s eponymous label, which started in 1996, is coming up on 21 years.

When one thinks of the name Kenzo, images of bright abstract designs and an eye-catching colour palette instantly come to mind. After all, the French fashion house has long been associated with vibrant tones, zany prints and athleisure.

La Nuit de Bohème doesn’t just describe Anna Sui’s latest fragrance; it also pretty much sums up the fashion designer’s ultra-fabulous career. From famous friends to bold designs to her signature red lip, Sui is the sum of parts—a glittering past laced with a sense of adventure, a creative spirit who doesn’t shy away from statement looks. She’s like a storybook heroine, only her story doesn’t begin in some faraway land.

“We don’t look at being two creators as a challenge—it is a benefit. There is a dynamic tension at times, which is what is sometimes needed to bring a collection to the next level,” says Christopher De Vos, who sits at the helm of London-based luxury womenswear line Peter Pilotto, alongside his designer counterpart and the label’s namesake. “Together there is more of everything—more ideas, more energy, more support and more fun,” De Vos says, describing how more is more when it comes to their partnership.

“I go from the cheap, sparkling wine, up to a couple sips of Cristal,” says fashion designer Betsey Johnson, sharing her impartial love for the bubbly. “Champagne is very up. It’s like an energy drink.” If that’s the secret to the 71-year-old’s hustle, spunk, optimism and trademark cartwheel, we say pop that bottle.

This article originally appeared in the December 2017 issue of Real Style magazine by writer Heidi Hofstad. Become a Real Style subscriber and get the hottest fashion, beauty and celebrity news, enter exclusive subscriber giveaways and be the first to receive the full digital version of Real Style magazine every month. Click here to subscribe […]