Photographed by Julia Restoin Roitfeld herself, the daughter of French Vogue‘s newly ex editor-in-chief looks stunning in Ford‘s collection.

Julia sat down to interview Ford for the magazine:

JULIA RESTOIN ROITFELD: What made you decide that this was the season to return to fashion?

TOM FORD: I told myself that I would not come back to ?women’s fashion until I felt I had something new to say. I feel that fashion has become too serious and that the actual customer’s needs have not really been addressed. Fashion needs to make one happy. It is a luxury and should enhance one’s quality of life.

LINK LOVE: V Magazine

Check out these questions I had for him!

FASHIONINDIE: How did you start StyleNoir? Being that your background is in music, when did fashion become your primary interest?

JAMES: In my mind, there is no difference in my goals whatever industry I’m in. The bottom line is that I want to inspire and motivate people to achieve what they have only dreamed of before. Taking that into account, all industries are governed by the same four parts, the seller, the buyer, the product, the producer. So in reality there really is no difference between the industries. I suppose if I am honest, the music industry rejected the changes it was going through and tried to ignore them, we used to sit in the studio and brain-storm every day on how we could revolutionise things, then one day I was talking to one of the guys from Sony and asked the million dollar question, what are they doing to beat the problem? The answer was just to pump more money into their biggest band at the time. To me that was the biggest lack of imagination I’d ever heard, I didn’t want to be in a pond where the biggest fish couldn’t take the courage to leap to the sea. A decade later and they still haven’t figured it out. The giant of the fashion industry knows how to adapt, I saw companies embracing change and taking risks and I wanted in.

FASHIONINDIE: What were you doing before StyleNoir was born? Ever work any horrible jobs?

JAMES: Since I was very young, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial streak. Whether it was selling the latest craze in the school-yard, or dare I use the word, hustling, I knew that I wanted to do things by myself. I had a horrible and admittedly, embarrassing job at a grocery store when I was a kid. So when I was 14, I started out with t-shirts, within the 12 months it was producing £10,000 a year. At that point I knew I was capable and I didn’t look back.

FASHIONINDIE: Sometimes you cover some pretty sensitive subjects (Fashion Indie’s own pro/against Tavi’s blog comment argument, cats as fashion accessories), does this ever get you any hate, and does that bother you?

JAMES: I never started this for popularity. I couldn’t care less if you love or hate me, I find it hard to not speak my mind and maybe that is a failing of mine. But seriously, if a blog states “blogs are disposable” that sets alarm bells off in my head, that seems strange to me, something has to be said. I keep thinking that our time period is one that seems to be losing that desire for pioneering and advancement, so at Stylenoir we want to make people think, whether they agree or disagree is far from the point. The point is to make people think for themselves, come up with their own opinions and standing. Hopefully inspiring people to make a difference while they have the time.

FASHIONINDIE: Where do you come up with the ideas for your original pieces?

JAMES: I suppose it’s not so much where but how, and that how is listening. It’s astonishing how much you can pick up if you really pay attention to what is going on around you. It’s almost like producing music, you listen to what your audience is asking for, create that hook that will draw people in and run with it, putting your own passion into the final creation.

FASHIONINDIE: How do you choose which spreads you feature on the site each month?

JAMES: We look for the artists which inspire us the most, if it really blows us away, then we will feature it. It doesn’t matter who it is. Creativity, the message it is portraying and the meaning behind it are main factors. This is why Elias Wessel is one of our highly featured photographers, some how he takes this outstanding imagination he has and puts it in still images. It really is incredible, I truly believe if you could look into his mind, it would be nothing less than becoming a real life Alice in Wonderland.

FASHIONINDIE: What do you plan on doing next with the site? Any plans to expand StyleNoir.TV?

JAMES: We just launched a complete re-design of the site which is all very exciting. We wanted to create a more interesting experience for our readers so we added interactivity, with a great Facebook comment system, as they say participation is power! Stylenoir.TV is soon to become Stylenoir Films, we hope to produce some hard hitting documentaries in the near future, but you will just have to wait and see, I can’t give everything away, where would the fun be in that?

FASHIONINDIE: Any advice for hopeful journalists?

JAMES: Work, hard, and do what you love. Seriously, in 2010 there is no reason to do anything you hate. But you need to work, if you want the fancy parties and the exclusive interviews you need to put in the effort. Get your iPhone and your laptop and hit emails, social networking, cold call, I don’t care. It might sound aggressive, but there really is no better advice that to just DO. I run into people all the time ready to discuss at length their plans in media or journalism but the simple fact is planning is good, getting results is better.

–

Check out Stylenoir, one of the coolest sites on the web (and they’re from the UK which is +1 for me!) and follow them, and James on Twitter!

LINK LOVE: Hillary Bankz

The folks at Lookbooks.com just interviewed me about the joys of Fashion Indie. Read it.

As part of Justin Tranter’s spot as guest editor of FashionIndie.com, we interviewed a few of his closest friends and confidants on New York City style, their passions in fashion and of course their thoughts on Justin.  LaQuan Smith, a 20-year-old stylist/fashion designer with a rising number of calaber clients and the amazing ability to create looks that satisfy the Semi Precious Weapons front man’s ever evolving style. The Queens native gave us the 411 on his most covetable pair of footwear, teaching the boys how to strut in heels, and three workds he’d use to describe Justin Tranter.

FI: Imagine you’re a nobody New Yorker looking to turn some heads. Which “It” shoe do you wear and why?

LS: The “IT” shoe I’d wear would be the Nina Ricci platforms (No-Heel 9inch platform, see in attached file). The only reason I’d wear these is to change everyone’s life. That’s exactly how momental they are!

FI: In one sentence, teach the male population how to walk in heels.

LS: Utilize your strength with amazing posture while glidding softly with a touch of storm!

FI: Give me 3 Words to Describe “Justin Tranter”

LS: Sexually Rock & Roll

As an added peak into the faboulous friends of Justin Tranter, check out these spectacular leggings designed by LaQuan Smith and worn by Justin Tranter on stage at Semi Precious Weapon concerts throughout the world. They are truely rock glam chic and are available only by special request.

Our friends over at Frillr got a chance to sit down with Mr. Geller and talk some fashion. The interview is great, Robert Geller talks about everything from influences and how he got his start, to how the economy is effecting his company. Check out the full interview here.

Tom Ford recently spilled his 10 rules of style to Men’s Style, and they are worth taking a glance at. My personal favorite:

3. When mixing patterns, don’t think about it too much—just throw it together.

Here is the link to the Men’s Style article.

Carri Munden, the designer behind Cassette Playa, recently sat down to talk a bit more about the collaboration she did with Nike. The shoes come out on Saturday, so go get in line with the other one million kids who want a chance to snag these custom kicks.

Thanks Highsnobiety

We Are The Market recently got a chance to sit down with the men behind PEGLEG NYC, and talk a bit about the brand. Here’s a little sample to get you guys drooling.

What do you think makes the PEGLEG brand stand out? 
H: We are committed to our unique aesthetic and produce interesting items every season. 
B: Many things. But maybe more than anything else, the character behind the garment.
N: See Harry’s answer, sums it up pretty well…

How was PEGLEG formed?
H: We are close friends that went into design/business together.  Highly explosive. 
B: Over a fresh pair of merino gym socks, a rubber strawberry dog toy, a stainless steel juicer, blood, an ironing board, a lifetime supply of asthma medicine, scratch and sniff stickers, sweat, a million dollars in nickels, a soft serve frozen yogurt machine, jelly sandals, tears, an inflatable alligator, and a snakebite kit. Family.
N: The world may never know.

For the rest of the interview head over to We Are The Market.

Hey guys, I got an awesome chance to talk with Chris, the man behind I Heard They Eat Cigarettes. I had a few questions, he had a few answers, short, sweet, and to the point stright up. Hope you like it! Oh and all you dirty little indies better check out their website!

Fashion Indie: How did I Heard They Eat Cigarettes come to be? 

I Heard They Eat Cigarettes: Originally I Heard They Eat Cigarettes was going to be only jeans. I wanted to create a completely original pair of jeans with it’s own unique design features. A year or so down the track I found myself with some spare time and decided to design some shoes, and then t shirts, rings, leather hoodies and eventualy a whole range.

FI: What music is currently coming out of your speakers?

IHTEC: Operation Ivy

FI: What are your biggest inspirations? 

IHTEC: Where I live ( Melbourne ) I think Melbourne has the best fashion / music in Australia.  Because of the cold weather the kids usually have to wear layers of clothing to keep warm when they go out. One of the things that I am inspired by is what the kids are wearing on a cold night out in Melbourne.

FI: Who Is your favorite superhero and why? 

IHTEC: Fatman, cos he don’t care what nobody think.

IHTEC: clothes

Thanks Anthem Magazine

The folks over at Happy People Don’t Complain recently got a chance to sit down with Gareth Moody. The former Ksubi designer started Chronicles of Never back 2007, and the Australian brand has been taking off ever since. I love the company so I was obviously excited to read the interview. Here’s a little snipet of the conversation.

HPDC: Tell us something about your background and your role at CON?
GARETH MOODY: I was born in Sydney Australia, I also happen to currently live in my place of birth. Actually have not studied beyond my years at school, I decided to tackle things in a trial and error type arrangement, to date it seems to be working. My role atCHRØNICLESØFNEVER, well I’m the founder, director and designer, so I suppose I’m multi-tasking at present.

HPDC: How do you create your designs?
GARETH MOODY: I’m more of a hands on character, I’m also a little old fashioned, I illustrate everything by hand, pencil to paper. I prefer this method of design.

Be sure to check out Happy People Don’t Complain for the rest of the interview.

The Fashionisto recently got a chance to sit down with creative director for Halflife, Joey Gray. The interview is one that I think shows a more accurate side of the fashion industry than most. I think the reason I like the interview so much, is because I can feel like I can relate to Mr. Gray. In the interview he talks about Halflife, and how he got his start in the industry.

The Fashionisto: How did your interest in fashion start?

Joey Gray: I’ve always been interested in fashion, though not always from an insider’s perspective, more in the sense of fashion as an art form or an act of expression. The way people dress says so much about who they are, or really who they’re trying to portray themselves as. It wasn’t until about two years ago, when I began Halflife that I ever really became aware of fashion as it relates to culture and how definitive it could truly be to a time or a social movement. That inspires me.

TF: What is your fashion background?

JG: I don’t properly have one! I know that sounds ridiculous, but truthfully the first time I ever actually sat down and sketched and patterned a garment was for the first HL collection. It’s strange now to think that my first experiment with design became a reality and was manufactured and sold. I’ve always been the type of person who feels they can do anything they set out to do. I guess I’m an all or nothing guy. One of my greatest fashion idols is Helmut Lang, not only for the innovation and genius of his designs but because he was autodidactic – I admire him for that.

I strongly recommend reading the whole interview, it is one of my favorites to date. For the whole thing check out The Fashionisto here!

The Fashionisto recently got a chance to meet up with Thomas Engel Hart and talk about his upcoming Spring 2009 collection. The interview is great, they discuss inspiration, his design aesthetic and the goals he has for his brand in the future. 

TF: What goes into styling your look book?

TEH: About 45% glam rock, 25% Japan, and a healthy dose of last minute brilliance, courtesy of my team and the models!

TF: What does this collection express?

TEH: It was about a 1970s glam sensibility with strong Japanese influence. I was thinking about Kazuo Ohno, Lindsay Kemp and David Bowie. And always, how to well use the fabrics and create some extra- cool clothing.

The entire interview is short, precise and definitely interesting. Head over to The Fahsionisto for the whole scoop.

Back in 2003, Chrissie Miller started her now infamous NYC brand Sophomore. Since then the company has sky rocketed, and has become the object of many fashionistas and fashionistos across the city. The lucky folks over at Happy People Don’t Complain recently got a chance to sit down and chat with Miss. Miller. Here is a little sample of what Chrissie had to say.

HPDC: Tell us a little bit about the early days of Sophomore - how did you get things started?

Chrissie: I made some shirts for some friends and my friend Charlotte Ronson sold them at her store. A friend of mine wrote about them and we got lots of store orders, so it became a job. Last year I wanted to expand the line in to a full sportswear collection. I metMadeleine von Froomer, who was designing at Proenza Schooler at the time. She was a perfect fit.

HPDC: How did you get your label off the ground?

Chrissie: It was very organic, we expanded as we grew. We stared with one t-shirt and as we sold them we made more and more and so on…

HPDC: When did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer?

Chrissie: I’ve always had a passion for fashion! It was something I was always doing but not really realizing i was doing it, sewing clothes remixing vintage dresses, making t-shirts. I think it found me.

The interview is definitely one to check out if you’re a Sophomore fan. For the rest of the interview head over to Happy People Don’t Complain, or just click here!

The Fashionisto recently got a chance to sit down and chat it up with the masterminds behind Stolen Girlfriends Club. The interview rules, here is a bit of it just to get your mouth drooling a little bit.

If the collection was a song, what song would it be?
Terror! by The Rakes!

If the collection was a person, which descriptive adjectives would you use?
If the collection was a person It’d be a modern day Bunker Spreckles. Rebellious, flamboyant, and fluent in 12 languages (including french).

For the rest of the interview be sure to drop in on The Fashionisto and say what’s up.

The folks over at Happy People Don’t Complain got the chance to sit down with the founder of Actual Pain TJ Cowgill, and talk a bit about his how things are doing with Actual Pain. Here’s a little sample for you fashion hungry indies!

HPDC: What inspired your Actual Pain?

TJ Cowgill: The blight of the world. Suffering, religion, metal, punk, injustice, politics, death, blood, bath, and beyond.

HPDC: What are you working on at the moment?

TJ Cowgill: Right now we are wrapping up the S/S 09 collection, and should be shipping it in Feburary. It’s called “Wild Life“. It’s about being wild, being free.

HPDC: So, tell us about Actual Pain S/S 09 Collection? 

TJ Cowgill: Like I said it’s called Wild Life, it’s based on the idea that life is dark and wild sometimes, but we should never forget to party and be ourselves.

For the whole interview head over to Happy People Don’t Complain.

Todd and Fergadelic of the brand Tonite recently sat down with Happy People Don’t Complain to talk about what they have been up to and what they have planned for the future. The interviews is lengthy and amazing and as much as I would love to put the whole thing up here for you, it wouldn’t be fair. Here is a bit for you to salivate over…

HPDC: So, can you tell us more about Tonite? How did you guys get started with Tonite?

Todd: This one’s for you Ferg…

Fergadelic: Tonite was a long time in the making. Through my connections with Slam City Skates, I got involved with a streetwear label that they started in 1993, called Holmes.

That was made by Sofi & Russell. They went on to make Silas – which I also worked on – & following the success of that they wanted to help me do my thing; I decided to start a T-Shirt label & I called it Tonite & it started in 2001. Now I’m working on expanding Tonite into a fuller range of products. Also, we’re working on moving up from being Super Underground, into being a Cult label. We’ll never be mainstream, but we’re going to grow a bit.

HPDC: Can you tell us a bit about what we can expect from Tonite S/S 09?

Fergadelic: The vibe of the collection comes from the time at the end of the eighties & the start of the nineties. The beginning of a decade is always an exciting time.

In that case it was the aftermath of the Second Summer Of Love (1988), when Rave exploded & changed the country. Even if you weren’t directly into that music, it had changed the youth culture – there was a positive energy. The next few years were charged with this energy & excitement. As a reaction to the excitement, to the Highs & the Partys, came a movement called Chill Out. My Spring/Summer 09 collection is called “Chill Out” in celebration of this movement & particularly in honour of the album by the KLF also called “Chill Out”. This is a musical masterpiece, conceived as a whole sound experience & journey – rather than just a bunch of songs – it actually works more like a DJ mix than a conventional Rock LP. It is especially relevant to Tonite because while it has an overall cohesive style, it is actually composed from elements of really quite different genres…it even has a snippet of Van Halen in there. I have happy memories of lying on a roof in London in the Sunshine on a Saturday morning listening to this album (& “Little Fluffy Clouds” by The Orb too, of course!) & I have tried to put this feeling into the clothes.

Todd: This range will be insane. You can expect the best of Tonite. I won’t give too much away but brace yourself for these designs:

Mega Mong – Mouth Of Truth – Hang Loose – Tonitenstein – Bones 4 Shortz – Out To Lunch – Party On – Paisley Punks – ToniteAdactyl and more! ha ha.

It’s gonna be a Tonite summer!

Henry Ng, the man behind Orri Henrisson, recently sat down with The Fashionisto to talk about his company, inspiration and future plans int he fashion world. The interview is great, here is a small preview for you fashion die hards. 

How did you get interested in fashion?

I think I have always had a thing for fashion. My mum used to work as a seamstress when I was a kid and although I was never interested in what she did, I was curious.

Growing up, I also had a thing for clothes. I had some pretty awful things which, I definitely would not wear now, but back then, it was a different story.

What is your fashion background?

I am actually from a Multimedia / Graphic Design background and have mostly picked up knowledge along the way since I started the label. A friend of mine does my patterns and she has absolutely played an important part in giving me ideas on fabrications, silhouette, contacts etc.

The interview is really well done, be sure to check out the rest of it here courtesy for The Fashionisto.

The Fashionisto recently got a chance to sit down and talk with the designer of Sucfusco, Roberto Scacheri. I love collection and hearing about where it came from makes it that much better.

Who are your fashion role models?

What can I say? So many people to me are role models. I look up to John Galliano and the likes of Vivien Westwood for their flamboyance and avant-garde design lines, but I love the precises cuts and sublime lines of Alessandro D’Aqua and Balenciaga…oh and Marc Jacobs is another.

 

What inspired you to start your own line?

• A lack of menswear
• Didn’t want to do a 9-5 job
• The excitement of an idea coming from the mind to paper to real life; like a living organism on its journey.  Fashion is like that for me. It’s born and evolves, only to become real once it’s on someone’s body.

How is the fashion scene in Australia?

Australia…we rock! I mean we have so many great designers who have really made it big, like Ksubi, Kirlily Johnston and heaps more, but what lacks in Australia, which makes it hard for emerging designers and new kids on the block is our consumers. I have to admit, the typical Aussie just doesn’t get fashion and being such a small population, its hard to gain exposure or gain a big piece of the market. We are slowly getting there, we just need more great fashion to be pumped out, so people eventually get the idea that it is great to dress up and fine to spend money on clothes.  Fashion is another part of your personality.

Definitely check out The Fashionisto for the rest of the interview.

The folks over at We Are The Market had the amazing oppurtunity to sit down with Alexis Holm and Anna Stenvi, the masterminds behind the shoe company Gram. Here’s what the design duo had to say:

Tell us – how did the Gram collection originate?
We blame organic growth for most of it. Started off as a modest 3 style collection in spring 2006 with only denim fabric and then mutated from there. No grand scheme at the helm, just two people doing what they think is good and true. Maybe we’ll bring back the denim when we get nostalgic…

You recently launched a collaboration with ‘Our Legacy’ on a collection of limited edition shoes sold at such retail posts as Blackbird, Beams and Aplace. What can we expect from this collaboration?
Jockum and Cristopher at Our Legacy are nice guys, they wanted a classic plimsoll for their AW08 collection, and we saw the chance to make a luxury edition of an often cheapened type of footwear. The result is great. Classy and relaxed, true calf leather matched with dry waxed cotton from British Millerain. We topped it off with an all white box, individual shoe bags, brush and shoe horn.

GramSE is your premium line of shoes. What design differences do you see between Gram and GramSE?
Well, we of course see more similarities than differences, but when viewed side by side it is obvious that we are dealing with two totally different  types of footwear. GramSE has a lot of basketball sneaker references that gram totally lacks, such as dampening and cushioned ankle support. In my mind as a designer what I set out to do with the gramSE was to create something that would have no equal, it is not a tired remake of a Dunk, it doesn’t utilize generic outsoles used by a trillion other brands before. This was built from the ground up, to be different, comfortable, indestructible and uncompromising. Kim Jones immediately snatched up a pair and proclaimed them to be his favourite sneaker, which is a good verdict considering his knowledge of shoes. Kanye West also keeps a pair in his closet for special occasions. And the beauty of it all is that when they are gone, they will stay gone, there won’t be any re-runs or comebacks for this shoe, when the last pair leaves our warehouse we will be kissing it goodbye. So get yours before it’s too late. Available internationally via www.gramstore.com

For the whole interview from Gram head over to We Are The Market! You’ll get a chance to hear about more upcoming collaborations and future plans Gram has in store for their customers!

“….”

Well.  I’m not really sure.

Luckily Time has a transcript of this Tom Ford / Karl Lagerfeld interview. Between the Kaiser’s accent and Tom Ford’s dreaminess, I felt dizzy watching the video clip.

The mens discuss menswear principles and construction.