I don’t have many heroes as I don’t believe in idolising people. It’s really only a set of arbitrary events that merge to create somebody special…it could easily be you or me or Mary down the caf right? Given the right education, stage school or access to nepotism, anyone can make it. Not so…when you meet Kelly Cutrone you understand the difference. I reckon Kelly is my anti-hero hero. She is a whirlwind of frenetic energy, contrary opinions and incredible vision. Having belligerently landed on our screens through The Hills, The City and Kell on Earth, Kelly has challenged the status quo in fashion and cultivated an army of fans along the way.
Widely regarded for her killer put-downs, no-nonsense attitude and black-on black attire, meeting her in person is like being swept along in a forcefield. Kelly is assertive, commanding, an excellent storyteller, sincerely genuine, warm and embracing. And more generous then Brian Cowen at the bar. Alongside sharing anecdotes and insights, Kelly insisted on filling us with food and cocktails and magnanimously offered up her whole evening to What Will I Wear Today and Spin, before she headed over to London to do a book signing of If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You. Check out Aideen’s interview with her below, followed by the Cutrone Corner of quotes and of course check out new show Threads on Spin for the full, rollicking interview with Rory with the Story and Aideen.
I think I may be in love.
Kelly Cutrone speaks to What Will I Wear Today TV
Aideen Interviews Kelly
So Kelly what do you think of bloggers and how they add or detract from the fashion sphere?
Well the Internet has changed the face of the world and you know I think bloggers are great. The Internet and anybody’s ability to represent themselves in any way they want relatively and inexpensively has changed the face of most industries especially entertainment. The media and being a publicist used to be much more controlled. Control is the way imaging was built in the past, you wouldn’t let that many people in and you’d keep things super exclusive and only give it to so many people which would create this force of aspiration and then after 3-5 years it would then allow you to do a licensing deal which would be eyewear, boots, bags, whatever.
Now with the Internet bloggers or anyone can say they’re a publicist or a rock star or a journalist, so you do have this force now that you cant take away once it’s happened. You can write what you want. It’s not a fair representation of what’s actually going on with a company, not that it ever was but it’s out of proportion. And sometimes it’s great. I’ve seen with my own blogs and Twitter, and with my own brand it’s been a really big thing. I did ten minutes on the Today show about my book, which is unheard of. It’s unheard of to get a ten minute slot. It didn’t really move the meter for me with my book sales because my kids don’t watch TV. Bloggers have not only changed fashion…well they’ve changed fashion magazines…. Women’s Wear Daily used to be the fastest thing but blogs come out every minute so…
And street style blogs are really influencing fashion from the ground up aren’t they?
That’s always been the case though. The thing is that it’s all really a big trick. That’s a mean thing to say but it’s true. There are very few things in fashion that are original anymore. Even if you look at Paco Rabanne who I represented for 15 years who I love, he’s one of the most talented people in the world… he took his inspiration from the Knights Templar with chain mail. People were wearing chainmail before Paco dresses! He created that look because he felt with the invention of the pill that women were going to become a new type of sexual warrior. And he was right, it did changed the face of the women’s movement but still, chain mail… it’s been done before.
Who do you think is designing now that is very inspiring?
I love Jeremy Scott because I think he’s really brave, I know he’s my client but I think he’s alwas trying to communicate messages with his clothes. I love Dries Van Noten, I have to be careful I don’t get suckered by Dries though… his clothes are expensive! I try to be really careful about what I buy. I’m still down for Yohji (Yamamoto) because he’s the king of black, and I’m really disappointed in Margiela who I’ve lived for my whole life, but his collection… the silhouettes are too repetitive. I still love Sonia Rykiel, we have to give her props and Westwood! She’s great because she’s really into her world. Her world is not altered because someone might want to wear leopard print. She is “Vivienne Westwood” and every five years her world gets really interesting and her pirate boots will have some sort of renaissance….
Marc Jacobs is good, he has interesting messages in his clothes, but other than that it’s snoozeville! (At this point Kelly complements what I’m wearing and it’s all I can do to not scream like Ned Flanders when he sees those ‘purple drapes.’)
Kelly’s involved with cult makeup brand Illamasqua which is quite a leftfield brand of make up, artistically speaking, but Kelly thinks… “Brands have a responsibility to entertain and teach, and if they’re not gonna do that they’re not gonna make it. You know the mall and the store is the new movie theatre or the new Broadway show because people want to be entertained! And if you’re just gonna sit there with a boring white shirt and you think you’re interesting well… I think in fashion people do the same thing over and over again and it’s really boring.
What is style?
It’s when you get to a place where you you have learned a few things about fashion on your own, and other people’s opinions no longer really matter, and what you’ve put together and how you’ve put it togehter makes you feel really good. Like you’re expressing yourself and you’re gonna stick to that to the best of your ability. And its important that clothes don’t wear you, like Viktor and Rolf is really cool but their clothes are a real commitment!
It’s bad to wear labels (emblazoned on your clothes.) You shouldn’t be an ad for designers. They should pay you to wear their name not the other way round. To be stylish you need to advertise yourself, not the brands.
Listen to Full Radio Interview on Threads here
Cutrone Quote Corner
On being so nice to her fans:
“You shouldn’t become famous if you don’t like people.”
On the current state of fashion
“A lot of it is snoozeville.”
On being nice
“You don’t have to be nice to be a good person.” (In her book If You Have To Cry, Go Outside, one of Kelly’s memorable quotes is “You know where nice people end up? On welfare!”)
On the Hills
“It’s real…. and Audrina is such a sweet girl. I love Witney, she comes to my house for the holidays.”
Kelly’s big message is that you have to listen to your inner voice and find your tribe and run with them.
Rory asked her how do people know if they’re hearing their ‘inner voice.’
She said:
“The voice can be different things, we are inherently psychic and energetic. I believe when we know when things are going wrong. I know when I’m in the right place and the wrong place. Like the gym, I don’t like it, but I’m 45 and I want to wear pants again and I have to work out and that’s the way it goes. I’ve tried not eating, I’ve tried not eating before 7 but no! I’m 45 – I have to do cardio! I’m Italian that’s how it goes. When I’m there I inherently know Im the right place even though I don’t like it”.
Some other great Kelly-isms…
- Channel Princess Diana when posing for photographs – eyes up or eyes down.
- ALWAYS send the bottle of red back if it arrives at the table the wrong vintage.
- Eat as much carbs as you possible can before a retreat because you’ll be living on pure air for the preceding days.
