THE NEW RULES OF EFFORTLESS STYLE
Most fashionphiles know Michael Kors from his witty observations on US TV show Project Runway (and probably lamented when he resigned from his post at the end of 2012). Many would associate him with his ubiquitous jetset travel totes, even if they do spend more time at the bus stop than Biarritz. Others might know that Forbes declared him Fashion’s Newest Billionaire in 2014. Some would know him for his memorable stint designing women’s readyto-wear at Céline from 1997 to 2004. With his current 11 million-plus followers combined on Insta and Twitter, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t know of him at all. The thing is, he knows you, too.
More importantly, he knows exactly how you want to dress. Even if his all-american brand of sporty glamour hasn’t infiltrated your wardrobe yet, his easy elegance would have definitely influenced it. He’s most probably the one who made it okay for you to wear nothing but a silky slip dress under your tailored coat and quite likely responsible for making you think a tee and sandals worn with an evening skirt is totally acceptable. It’s the now-famous Michael Kors mix.
“In some cases, when I first started, people were willing to sacrifice one thing for another. You know, if you wanted to feel comfortable then that meant you didn’t want to feel glamorous. Or if you wanted to feel sexy, that meant you could only feel that way at night.” Not any longer. Kors gets that we’re not the kind to compromise. “It’s actually an interesting thing for me, after 35 years, to have the challenge to try to find this balance that women are looking for when they get dressed today. You want to be flirty and you want to have fun, you want to be feminine, you want to feel indulgent – but at the same time you want to be laid-back. You want to have personality and, yeah, you want to have a sense of ease. You want it all. I think it’s an interesting time for designers because of that.”
For AW16-17, Kors wanted the whole season to be a “celebration of individual style”. “It’s really all about the personality, that’s what I wanted to come through. The throwing things off is what really makes it feel modern; too polished and too perfect kind of feels like it’s from another time. I think most people are on the go, living a fast life, so the idea of being lacquered is just kind of old-fashioned – I wanted the runway to reflect that.” Little flirty cocktail dresses, cashmere sweats, feathered denim, faux chubbies – it’s all there, and all worn so effortlessly that it makes getting dressed in the morning look like a breeze. That’s the magic of Michael Kors, so naturally we asked him to share his tips.
Known for his way with a sweeping dress, a beautifully cut coat and pants tapered just-so, Michael Kors is loved the world over for his pragmatic take on what women want to wear. But there’s no way the charismatic designer is resting on his past success. On the occasion of his 35th autumn/winter show, we pin down the chief of American sportswear to share his guide to chic, laid-back style
evolution, not revolution
“When we think about women who are legendarily stylish – the ones we look up to – we think they’re very consistent. But in fact, women who are truly stylish have a point of view that’s always evolving. Refer to Jackie Kennedy or Kate Moss – these women ultimately have a connecting thread in how they dress but they’re still interested in what’s new and what’s not. The best way to approach design is to find the balance between something that’s unexpected – whether it be the silhouette, the proportion, the fabric, the detailing – and something that feels like an old friend. Because you have to have that kind of familiarity for it to be a piece you’d grab for. The best combination is when the piece lifts your spirits but it still functions. The women I know don’t want to have a complete revolution in their wardrobe every season. At the end of the day, if you fall in love with something you’re not just going to toss it, you’re going to find a new way to wear it and new ways to look at it.”
dress up: anywhere, anytime
“In the past when women wore things that were embroidered or beaded or feathered, that was always considered something that was for this unbelievable black-tie moment. You know, it was the red-carpet moment in a woman’s life. What I thought was, ‘Why not be able to have that extravagance and take it into everyday life?’ So to be able to throw on a pair of jeans that when you walk, the breeze catches the feathers. It’s really the best of both worlds – I wanted to take the preciousness out of indulgence. I wanted people to feel like they could have glamour and indulgence in everyday life… I’ve always loved to see runway turning into reality. Nicole Kidman wore [the above sequinned dress from the runway] and wore it very simply: didn’t add big diamonds, didn’t add a big elaborate hairdo. It had a real kind of ease to it. One of my other favourite looks in the show was a little white feathered tank dress with a white feathered skirt and a hoodie over it. Blake Lively wore it during the day. When she wore it, she took all the stuffiness out of it; she turned it into a glamorous daytime look. I think there’s something to be said that even the most extravagant [piece] feels as easy as a T-shirt.”
be seasonless
“We live in a world where the weather is upside down and very variable. Plus, my customer travels like crazy; she’s constantly on the go. If she lives in a very cold city it’s overheated inside, and if she lives in a very hot city she’s constantly with the air conditioner inside. I would say 75 per cent of what she owns is seasonless. She might have a few things for when the weather gets very warm, and she might have a few things for when the weather gets very cold. So I really approached [the autumn/winter collection] that way – we showed fabric I’d normally show for spring, we showed colours that are associated with warm weather, which makes them truly seasonless. And as far as when people shop, I feel like no-one has a separate wardrobe, like my grandma might have had separate summer and winter wardrobes. No-one dresses like that anymore. Take Sydney for instance, I feel like a girl could put on a cotton dress with bare legs and
a pair of boots, or then she might wear a wool coat and a pair of sandals and I think, increasingly, that’s how people dress and how they shop.”
it’s okay to break the rules... just not these ones
“I think the biggest thing, quite honestly, is that the old rules are there for a reason. I think if you’re showing a lot of leg, then cover up your arms. I think if you’re wearing an extravagant colour at night, keep the silhouette sleek. I think if you’re wearing a lot of glitter then keep the jewellery low-key. It’s about turning the volume up in one instance, and turning it down in another. When you see the volume turned all the way up and it’s bright, short, tight and bare, then it’s all too much.”
travel in photo-ready style
“Aussies are used to long-haul flights, so I have to look to Miranda Kerr, who always manages to look spectacular when she travels. Miranda knows the three musts when you arrive: a fabulous coat or a jacket gives you a sense of polish, even if you’re wearing casual clothes like jeans and a T-shirt underneath; a tote bag carries all the essentials but still manages to give you a bit of glamour; and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t benefit from a great pair of aviator sunglasses when they get off the plane. So we go back to Ali Macgraw and Jackie Kennedy and women of that era and it takes us all the way to today, to Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Miranda Kerr. These women understand it’s the punctuation point that finishes you off and gives you that element of polish, but still, what’s underneath is quite comfortable and casual.”
never overlook the classics
“In today’s world where everyone is in a rush and on the go, make sure you have neutral colours – tan, black, navy, white – that can make everything look tailored. Neutrals should be able to work with everything from jeans to a dress to even an evening look, so invest in them because they’re going to make everything look polished and upscale. I’m a big believer in fabulous white jeans; I like white jeans all year round. When you’re buying trousers and jeans, a lot of women think, ‘Oh, I don’t need to go to the tailor,’ but you know what, even if you need to tweak it a bit to make it perfect, make sure those jeans look good at every angle. I’m also a big believer in anything that can make your life a little bit easier, but at the same time give you a bit of glamour – that’s the best combination.”