Styleforum Interviews Nick Wooster at Pitti Uomo 86

[unbelragazzo]



This is fair, though I disagree with your first sentence. I don't really see that there is a direct connection between a private individual behind a brand and the brand itself such that criticism of one necessarily implies criticism of the other. His persona was his brand.

OR, if the brand/persona idea isn't clear, perhaps it's almost like criticizing an actor playing a role. We could say X actor was a wanker in a certain film, but that really doesn't carry over to who he "really" is such that we should feel compelled to apologize or feel guilty about our remarks when we find ourselves at the same dinner party.

I do agree, though, that he seems like a pretty genuine guy who loves what he does. I'm also excited to see SF getting notice and interviews with a wide range of designers and styles. I just don't think we need to tone down the rhetoric in order to be nice to our houseguests. Under or within all that cattiness often lies some fairly accurate analysis.

Anyway, enough of all that! Back to the clothes. I've always thought Lardini was a nice brand that deserved (terrible name aside) more positive attention. The pics I see in this collection aren't quite my style, but it might be a nice start to something bigger for the brand.

I think there's kind of a give and take as an interview that I'm very much still learning. Obviously I don't want to ask all softball questions that just allow the interviewee to recite all the same stuff as in their PR materials. But also I don't want to be completely adversarial - first of all because it's no fun for me, second of all because it might make people less likely to do interviews with me in the future, and third of all because it just makes people defensive and less likely to say revealing or interesting things. Whenever I see Jim Gray doing an interview, for instance, all I can think of is that I just wish he would stop being such a dick. I'm sure he thinks that he's being intrepid, but it's really just annoying and puts the focus of the interview on him rather than the person he's interviewing. I prefer to do interviews by more gently guiding the subject to things that I think readers would find interesting, and probing along the way where something is unclear or dubious. But basically it's their show, or at least it should look like that to them and the reader. Anyway what I mean is, you don't have to be an asshole in order not to be a nuthugger.

I agree on Lardini, and I think that's basically the idea behind this collaboration. I would guess that they don't plan to make much money on this collection itself, but hope that it generates some more publicity for the brand overall. Which it has - there was a huge press event at Pitti, coverage from the Times, etc etc.

 

[LA Guy]



This is fair, though I disagree with your first sentence. I don't really see that there is a direct connection between a private individual behind a brand and the brand itself such that criticism of one necessarily implies criticism of the other. His persona was his brand.

OR, if the brand/persona idea isn't clear, perhaps it's almost like criticizing an actor playing a role. We could say X actor was a wanker in a certain film, but that really doesn't carry over to who he "really" is such that we should feel compelled to apologize or feel guilty about our remarks when we find ourselves at the same dinner party.

I do agree, though, that he seems like a pretty genuine guy who loves what he does. I'm also excited to see SF getting notice and interviews with a wide range of designers and styles. I just don't think we need to tone down the rhetoric in order to be nice to our houseguests. Under or within all that cattiness often lies some fairly accurate analysis.

Anyway, enough of all that! Back to the clothes. I've always thought Lardini was a nice brand that deserved (terrible name aside) more positive attention. The pics I see in this collection aren't quite my style, but it might be a nice start to something bigger for the brand.

I think that your analysis is somewhat off the mark. It's criticism of a celebrity. Whether you feel that the criticism is warranted is another question altogether, but it is the public personal of a private person that is being discussed, not a wholly fictitious character.

Personally, I enjoy his balls to the wall way of dressing, and think that he usually looks good, especially in pictures. The guy has a great facial bone structure.

 

[vellarses]

seems like a relatively practical way to get that dapper hobo look. makes me think of william s burroughs in on the road

 

[rach2jlc]



I think there's kind of a give and take as an interview that I'm very much still learning. Obviously I don't want to ask all softball questions that just allow the interviewee to recite all the same stuff as in their PR materials. But also I don't want to be completely adversarial - first of all because it's no fun for me, second of all because it might make people less likely to do interviews with me in the future, and third of all because it just makes people defensive and less likely to say revealing or interesting things. Whenever I see Jim Gray doing an interview, for instance, all I can think of is that I just wish he would stop being such a dick. I'm sure he thinks that he's being intrepid, but it's really just annoying and puts the focus of the interview on him rather than the person he's interviewing. I prefer to do interviews by more gently guiding the subject to things that I think readers would find interesting, and probing along the way where something is unclear or dubious. But basically it's their show, or at least it should look like that to them and the reader. Anyway what I mean is, you don't have to be an asshole in order not to be a nuthugger.

I agree on Lardini, and I think that's basically the idea behind this collaboration. I would guess that they don't plan to make much money on this collection itself, but hope that it generates some more publicity for the brand overall. Which it has - there was a huge press event at Pitti, coverage from the Times, etc etc.

I think it was a good interview and you did a good job keeping it interesting without coming off as a "fanboy." I'm glad that we are having more of these interviews and discussions, as they raise our profile while also giving us more first-hand information/primary source material. I'm also glad people are talking positively about Lardini... a brand I've always thought did nice stuff... without just making fun of the name (I remember in discussions past the inevitable "Lardassi" comments).

I think that your analysis is somewhat off the mark. It's criticism of a celebrity. Whether you feel that the criticism is warranted is another question altogether, but it is the public personal of a private person that is being discussed, not a wholly fictitious character.

Personally, I enjoy his balls to the wall way of dressing, and think that he usually looks good, especially in pictures. The guy has a great facial bone structure.

Fair enough; I guess where we might disagree is in the degree to which a celebrity status can also be a brand, and thus somewhat separate from the individual and open to various kinds of criticism without them necessarily being 'personal.' But, it's not worth derailing the thread more than it already is.

You guys have done a great job this past season with your interviews and choices... nice wide range of different styles and interesting viewpoints. I also like how many world designers have been profiled (Hashimoto, South Korean designers, etc.). Though the shows and market are still in Italy, I'd say most of the really interesting stuff is happening well outside the big centers.

 

[unbelragazzo]



I think that your analysis is somewhat off the mark. It's criticism of a celebrity. Whether you feel that the criticism is warranted is another question altogether, but it is the public personal of a private person that is being discussed, not a wholly fictitious character.

Personally, I enjoy his balls to the wall way of dressing, and think that he usually looks good, especially in pictures. The guy has a great facial bone structure.

I thought the most interesting parts of the interview were the parts where he discusses how to deal with his Internet fame on a personal emotional level, and how to monetize it on an economic level. I think he understands that by putting his name on a collection, he is now more open to criticism than ever before. When he said he doesn't care about what anyone else is wearing or what they think about what he's wearing, I got a little bit of a "doth protest too much" feeling. So I think he still cares. But he has resigned himself to the terms of his deal with the Internet and the public that it's part of what he has to accept in order to do the things he wants to do.

 

[archetypal_yuppie]



I'm sure he thinks that he's being intrepid, but it's really just annoying and puts the focus of the interview on him rather than the person he's interviewing.

That's funny... that's the reaction I had to some parts of this interview.

David Isle: First of all, thank you for following me on Twitter. I don’t know if you know this, but you follow me on twitter.

...

JL: I'm so glad we had made such an impact on you.

...

JL: Last question. I grew up in Colorado, my mom rides horses, we had tack pins all over the house - why the big blanket pins?

 

[unbelragazzo]



That's funny... that's the reaction I had to some parts of this interview.

Like I said, it's a delicate balance and I'm still learning. I appreciate the feedback though.

 

[kindofyoung]

The first two examples were obviously said with an element of humour, and the third was just a related thought presented before the question

Or anyway that's how I interpreted it

 

[rach2jlc]



Like I said, it's a delicate balance and I'm still learning. I appreciate the feedback though.

+1. For those reading these threads who have never done one, interviewing is REALLY hard. I applaud your candor here. When we read published interviews they often seem so effortless and conversational... but it's REALLY hard to strike the right balance on so many fronts. You want to chat but also get information. You have to be a strong voice but not overpower them so it ends up being 90% interviewer, 10% interviewee. You have to be prepared but also not so structured as to kill spontaneity. Etc etc etc.

As for Lardini, a lot of people don't realize they are a fairly big, well-established company. Probably most of us have a Lardini garment in our wardrobes, though we dont' know it (IIRC most of their work is through license for other big brands). As such, they definitely have a good foundation and base, so if they could get some notoriety for their namesake label it could work really well.... I could see them as sort of a "slightly more exciting and a bit more affordable Canali."

I remember a few years ago they tried to expand with a nice accessories line and some more casual stuff... but it sort of came and went in a flash. Too little, too late, in a saturated market when a lot of other brands were trying to do the same thing. What they lacked was a headline-grabbing or interesting name to get people looking. My only curiosity will be if Wooster has enough cache to get people looking; he was hired, remember, at JC Penny for exactly the same reason a few years ago and from what I saw it was hardly a stellar collaboration (though, admittedly, it was hardly his fault). Lardini is a different market of course, but an equally difficult assignment.

 

[rach2jlc]

So, just bumping this thread... but also to ask... do you think Herr Wooster is an SF member?

 

[mascherani]

loved the interview (very nice questions, btw) and the colaboration with Lardini. very fashion forward.

the woostmeister is really in the zone!