In living color
Libertine founder finds creativity in the quirky
If anyone dreams in glittery color, it’s Johnson Hartig, the founder and creative director of Libertine.
Hartig launched the quirky Los Angeles-based fashion brand in 2001. His ready-to-wear collections are bright, creative, crazy and fun, mixing art and graphics into wearable art. His celebrity fans include everyone from Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld to Cher and Taylor Swift. He even created an affordable collection for Target in 2007.
Next year, he’s set to create a luxury-apparel line to honor late guitarist Jimi Hendrix to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the musician’s “Electic Ladyland” album. The apparel will be sold at Los Angeles’ Fred Segal Sunset.
On a recent visit to Neiman Marcus Galleria, Hartig talked about the growth of his cult brand, his love for rescue dogs and how he comes up with his wacky color and print mixes.
Q: I’ve heard your clothes described as “joyful clothes.” Do you agree?
A: I hear that a lot, too, and I’m really glad to have the clothes associated with joy. I get told all the time from customers that even on the dreariest days, they sort of uplift your spirit. They are also great for starting conversations, which often lead to new friendships, which is joyful. Yeah, they’re colorful, they’re shiny, they’re interesting, they’re witty, they’re smart and all of those things. And I do think they are joyful.
Q: Would you call yourself a designer or an artist?
A: I guess I’d call myself both. I studied painting and drawing in school, and I could have gone in lots of directions, but fashion is what I fell into. I am a designer, but I am still an artist in my heart. I still practice my art all the time.
Q: How did you decide on the name “Libertine?”
A: I was watching a documentary on PBS about Mozart, and at one point, the emcee said, “Mozart was a true Libertine.” And I thought, “Oh, perfect name.” It’s free thinking and sexual deviant. All the things we love. (Editor’s note: By definition, libertine means one who acts without moral restraint, a dissolute person or freethinker.)
Q: Is there a pattern or color that you won’t put together?
A: No. We’ve done this for 17 years now, mixing the craziest things together. It’s a trend now, but it’s in my DNA. I always say my fashion education was “Style with Elsa Klensch” on CNN in the ’80s. And my favorites were always Christian Lacroix and Emanuel Ungaro, who were called the “mix masters.” They put patterns and colors together that clashed, and I think, really, I learned from the best.
Q: Not everyone can pull off the mixes, so who is your client?
A: My client is older than one would expect. The clothes are very expensive and prohibitive to some. Very sophisticated, world travelers, major art collectors and women who appreciate having something that they’re not going to see themselves coming and going. Our production is tiny compared to a corporate designer. We’re a small boutique company, and we have the most discriminating, chicest women in the world as our clients, so we’re so lucky.
Q: How do you keep it fresh and evolving?
A: It’s hard. I travel a lot. I’m inspired by different cultures, and by the planet, and by nature, and by art. I take three major trips a year. My last one was to China and Tibet. I’m going to Myanmar next month, and London and Bath this month. If I have to be somewhere like Paris on business, I’ll add on Cairo, Egypt. I’ll add on Uzbekistan. I’m dying to get to Uzbekistan to see their handcrafted textiles. That’s how I keep it fresh.
Q: With the holidays, many people try to find ways to give back. How do you do it?
A: We have a program at Libertine where we bring a group of kids in from underserved communities and tour them through Libertine and hopefully get them excited about their creativity. They all do a painting or silkscreen a shirt that they get to take home with them. It’s one of the joys to be able to give back the creativity that if I had had as a kid, maybe this all would have happened earlier for me.
Q: What has been the best advice you’ve received?
A: Just trust my instincts and know that I have something really important to offer. It took me a long time to understand that. I didn’t always have a lot of confidence. But I’ve seen every major brand be inspired by my little brand now. I know that I’m onto something and that I have the most loyal devoted customers of any brand that I know. I’ve tapped into a little niche market, and I am a really lucky person because it doesn’t happen to very many of us. Q: What brings you joy? A: Rescue dogs. We do a lot with rescue dogs.