Ken Downing of Neiman Marcus. Photo: Getty Images.
You’ve been in the fashion business for over 30 years: how have social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook changed the way Neiman Marcus thinks about fashion?
It’s an interesting question, because I think there are so many voices in fashion – from bloggers, to editors, to celebrities - but it simply boosts our voice of authority. You can’t love everything – we buy a lot of gorgeous things, but we have a message for the season which we determine early, and we want to make sure that what we’re talking about in social media is reflected in store. You have to connect the dots so what you’re talking about is represented. Authenticity is very important. There’s a lot of intelligence in what we present to a customer.
There was an interesting video that surfaced recently in which fashion bloggers were asked what they thought of certain designers who don’t even exist. I think it’s important that when you’re speaking about fashion, you’re doing it in an intelligent, engaging way. Customers want an authoritative voice so they know where their money is going.
A decade ago, people were not as engaged in fashion. Nowadays, you can get great shopping everywhere. It’s an amazing thing that no matter where you fall in the world, you have access to fashion, and social media has really been responsible for that.
More people should be better dressed though with all this access, shouldn’t they?! (laughs).
You obviously attend a number of fashion shows around the world: how much does street style influence the direction of the fashion market?
I did 115 shows this year! I see a lot of street style that is fantastic, and a lot that should never be photographed. A paper plate with a flower and a bow glued to it is not fashion. A really engaged fashion woman of any age wants to see photos of women that inspire them, not women that make them giggle.
Do you get ideas from people on the street?
I do, but I’m much more laser focused on what the editors are wearing in the front row. To me, it’s interesting to see a couple of trends emerge early in the first couple of shows, and the next day, every girl is doing it. You can watch the front row change quickly and dramatically. The influencers are the fashion editors. Often what I see as street style is just the beginning of a trend conceived by fashion editors around the world. The magazine girls always know how to do it right!
I do think when it’s fashion week though, there are a lot of peacocks who work overtime and it’s really more about the high drama and an over-the-top look just for the sake of being photographed. I’m not into that. It amuses me, but it doesn’t inspire me.
What are the top three items every girl should have in her wardrobe this summer?
It feels like the Northern and Southern hemispheres are really intertwined now; what we’re wearing up here is what you guys are below! We’re loving all the shades of pink that appeared on the runway this season, and I’m obsessed with white right now. The Little White Dress, or LWD, is super important this season, as is the white shirting that we saw at Alexander Wang: it’s the great mediator of the season.
A pleated skirt to the ankle is also big, whether it’s in linen, or cotton, or chiffon or organaza.
Yellow is another big colour for the season, as is that beautiful mint green that appeared on the runway.
The big bag of the season is the backpack, it’s officially replaced the handbag. I’ve been into them for a while, but as soon as I saw them on the runway at the Chanel show, I was like, ‘that’s it, I’m hooked!’
And painterly prints like we saw at Proenza Schouler, or that bare branch tree that looked like it was painted on the fabric. The abundance of floral prints look like they are hand painted. It made them feel touched by the human hand and therefore very special.
Summer booties are great in terms of shoe trends, as is the mid heel, which is great with short or long skirts. It has more of an ease, which I think really defined what we saw on the runways.
Then there’s the sheer trend, which we saw at Stella McCartney. I also loved Nina Ricci’s sheer collection in Paris, despite the protest that happened inbetween!
Miranda Kerr on the runway at the Stella McCartney S/S 2013/14 show.
Who are your favourite celebrity designers?
Rachel Zoe is a friend, as is Victoria Beckham, but I don’t see them as celebrities. It’s odd for me. I’ve known Mary-Kate and Ashley (Olsen) for a long time, and I’m great fans of theirs, but to me, they’re fellow fashion people.
Rachel is amazing though. We share the same birthday. We were sitting together at a Paris Fashion Week show when this dog of a dress came down the runway - and I won’t tell you which designer it was - but we both turned to each other and went, ‘really?!’ and then she nudged me and said, ‘what sign are you?’ and I said, ‘oh honey, I’m a Virgo,’ and she said, ‘so am I!’. (laughs) You’ll find there’s a lot of Virgos in fashion. Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Stella McCartney...we’re very detail oriented and we look for perfection.
You once said you consider fashion to be art...
I consider fashion to be craft, and art plays into that. But I do think it’s important for designers to realize that fashion is about functionality and design at the same time. It’s the art of dressing ourselves. Intelligent man has just figured out how to make it more decorative and creative. Manipulating fabric to me is a craft.
What’s the one show or moment in your career that’s really taken your breath away?
There have been so many! I often think, ‘now there’s something I’ll never forget’ and then I see something else that I’ll never forget.
Fashion is constantly re-inventing itself, and I like to think of myself as Karl Lagerfeld in the instance that I’m always looking forward.
I think the most recent standout for me would be Marc Jacobs final show for Louis Vuitton. It was his retrospective to himself and it was truly remarkable.
His departure was announced as the show was going on – I was like, “Marc, couldn’t you have done this after it was finished?!” (laughs).
Otherwise, there’s been quite a few remarkable moments in my career. Tom Ford’s last show for Saint Laurent – the oriental collection – with the opium perfume – that was one of the most spectacular things I’ve ever seen in my life.
But I’ve also been to Chanel shows where my breath has literally been taken away. The season where Karl bought the icebergs in for instance – with all the models slopping around in the bitter cold.
Then there are McQueen shows that have been spellbinding. We work in such an amazing, amazing industry.
I will tell you one last story...I had the great joy of being at Mr Valentino’s farewell weekend in Rome with Annie Lennox performing during dinner, with a party that went on until 5 in the morning. It was the most remarkable thing I’ve ever attended in my life. I mean you were literally shoulder-to-shoulder with anybody who was anybody – there was Mick Jagger with his girlfriend, chatting and laughing, supermodels everywhere, L’Wren Scott...
I remember leaving that party and thinking to myself, if this is the last moment of my life, I have lived it completely.
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