Interview with JEREMY SCOTT

Jeremy Scott is so punk. If you think it's punk to take the piss out of fashion by, say, daring you to take seriously a lady in a sexy, flowing robe-gown fashioned to look like a piece of pizza, and I do, I do think that's punk. He sends models down the runway wearing faux mahhole covers on their heads like dramatic Dior New Look chapeaus, the models all smudged up like they'd snaked their way through some pipes to get there. Another show was modeled after The Price is Right, with giant-haired women posing next to various appliances - a grandfather clock, a sad little blender, an exercise bicycle. Here's one from that show, which I love:
Club Fags love Jeremy Scott, which is why his designs showed up on bon vivant Jonny Makeup in his spot on Cazwell's I Saw Beyonce at Burger King video (that song will stick in your head like a leech on your brain, open link with supreme caution). Avant-garde jocks love Jeremy Scott, for his line with Adidas that has become instantly iconic thanks to the winged Mercury high-tops. Here's an iridescent pair for 2010, plus the triple-tongue sneaker:


Flashy rappers like Kanye West and Lil' Kim love Jeremy Scott, and all sorts of pop stars - he made Brittney's airline stewardess dress for her Toxic video, and Madonna, Bjork, Lady Gaga and Beth Ditto frequently are wearing his designs on and off stage. Here's Beth at Coachella a couple months ago wearing a piece from his Fall 2010 collection that is less campy and more gorgeous - a Cathedral stained-glass window with a hint of Mom's lucky Bingo sweater. You know, the one with the jewels she bought at Micheal's and sewed on herself while chain smoking and watching her favorite program:

The motorcycle jackets Scott designs for Schott NYC are some of my favorites. Motorcycle jackets are formative for me and I'm so happy they're back that I feel anxious already at the inevitability of them going away again. But pieces like Scott's does a lot towards helping them stick around for a few more fashion minutes. I love the pink and scribbley Keith Haring - and I really, really love, in a million corny sentimental ways, that Jeremy Scott is using Keith Haring's designs - and I love the Troll Toile du Jouy:
Toile, that blue and white pastoral pattern from France, is actually one of my favorite patterns in the whole world, so much so that I am always half-wondering how I can get a Toile tattoo. So, if Toile is my favorite pattern, and rompers are my favorite piece of clothing, can you guess how crazy I am about the Jeremy Scott Troll Toile romper?



Right? I love this piece so much. I love the model, too, her poufy pompadour and glasses. And I fucking love that bow. I often hate bows, a lot, unless I love them, and then I really love them. I like a psychotic bow, like if you're going to do a bow, do a bow, and Jeremy Scott knows how to do a bow, AK-47-style, as seen in his Fall 2010 collection:
That is a bow. I would kill a loved one for that dress. I'm not proud of this, it's just the way it is. Also, that model is Natalie Hockey. She's fifteen years old and was discovered while sneaking into a Narciso Rodriguez show. Lucky!

Anyway, I can't even believe Jeremy Scott let me talk to him! And by talk of course I mean email. He is so, so busy!



IRONING BOARD COLLECTIVE: Hey, what were you like in High School?

JEREMY SCOTT: Well, I had so many styles and tastes in High School, it would require a dissertation to describe all the looks I was into! I've always loved hip hop, I've always loved formal clothes and have been very interested in punk and African-influenced dress, to name a few. I did certainly make and re-make some clothes from thrift stores in order to create a look from which to express myself.

Lilo in a piece from Scott's Men at Work collection.
Photo by Jeremy Scott, too.

IBC: What was growing up in Kansas City like?

JS: I had a very happy childhood. I grew up on a farm in my Elementary School years, and came back to the city for Junior High and High School. I was fortunate to have the freedom to find and follow my imagination wherever it took me, from creating pottery out of clay I dug up from the ground to photographing my Star Wars figures in setups created from my favorite scenes in the film. I love to visit home and I just enjoy seeing the wide open land and the big blue sky on a summers day there.


IBC: Reading anything inspiring right now?

JS: Sadly, I don't find much time to read. I have been trying to finish a biography on Walt Disney for ages now, to no avail. My fourth show was inspired by some passages in the book Holy Fire. I was very interested in the idea of nostalgia for the future.


IBC: You've dressed Beth Ditto, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Rihanna, really every big pop star. What is that process like, is it collaborative?

JS: Working with each performer is different and individual. Working with Beth is very easy as she is so fashion-friendly and loves trying new looks and prints. She inspires me so much, I find such a feeling of pride when I see her wearing my clothes. I have been blessed over my career to be working with and dressing some of the most amazing and inspiring musicians the world has ever seen!

Beth Yabba Dabba Ditto, SS10

Lady Gaga, in my Jeremy Scott seashell bathing suit.
You're welcome, Gaga.

Does Jeremy Scott get some sort of prize
for getting Rihanna to wear a shirt
that says AVANT-GARDE?

IBC: How did you wind up designing an outfit for Miss Piggy?

JS: I had to sign a full, complete confidentiality contract regarding my work with the illustrious actress and Muppet diva Miss Piggy. All I can say is that I'm very proud to be the first designer to ever dress her, and I find her to only get more beautiful over time.

This pig's got secrets.

IBC: Adidas threw you a giant party at Coachella this year, renting out Frank Sinatra's old mansion and placing an ice sculpture of you in an Adidas track suit in the pool. Did you have fun or are events like that super stressful?

JS: I had a great time! It's always fun to see my friends while I'm at Coachella, and the team from Adidas makes sure that everything is set, so all I have to do is worry about my outfit! I have now worked with Adidas for over eight years, and ore recently have had the collection I design for them become a larger and more important part of my work. I enjoy working with them as it's like a large family. I love the brand and what it stands for, and how receptive they are to new ideas and moving forward. I feel blessed to have found a partner like them and have many new things in store for the coming seasons!

Things like this Jeremy Scott for Adidas matador sweatshirt?
Bring it, please.

IBC: What are you channeling right now for your next collection?

JS: That's a secret!

Like Miss Piggy and Jeremy Scott, I too have fashion secrets. Last winter I rode the coattails of Beth Ditto into the show for Scott's Mousetrap collection in Paris. All the first row seats were topped with a beautiful Jeremy Scott for Longchamp tote bag, red, covered with the designer's pattern of heavy black telephones and curling cords. I did not have seats in the first row, but Beth did, and when she sat down paparazzi swarmed her. What front row regular wants to risk an epilepsy seizure triggered by the exploding of five hundred flash bulbs into your eyeballs? The seats next to Beth remained vacant, and then, suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the tarp was being pulled off the runway, and Toni Basil's Micky came through the speakers, and models began catwalking their way toward us in all the designer's finery. I sat down quick on a vacant seat, landing on my dream bag. I hugged it to my chest and vowed to punch anyone who tried to take it from me, unless it was the designer himself, in which case I would just cry and tell a pathetic tale of being a struggling writer or something. But nothing of the sort happened. I got out of the building with my very own Jeremy Scott for Longchamp tote, which I love so dearly, and get ridiculously excited to tug it around town, as if it is alive, as if it is a small puppy I am holding and not my computer and 500-page work-in-progress.

Stolen goods?

Also, I was at the Adidas Coachella party, and left with a fluffy beach towel emblazoned with the image of Jeremy Scott as an angel in a baby blue track suit. There was a shit ton of them, so many I was layering them atop a gang of partygoers rolling on Ecstacy - oh, how they loved the flutter of the beachtowel as it came down over their heads! - and it seemed like if I hung around they surely would be gifted to us partygoers, but alas I had to leave early, totally missing Lindsay Lohan getting into a fight with that poseur tranemy (Tranemy = Enemy of Transpeople)
Katy Perry. I am disturbed at the thought that I may have not one but two pieces of stolen merchandise from one of my favorite designers. But not disturbed enough to do anything about it. I am going to be the hottest fag hag in all of Provincetown when I pull my Jeremy Scott towel out of my Jeremy Scott tote on the beach, hey!

Now, back to our interview . . .

IBC: What's your astrological sign, and do you feel like it?

JS: I'm a Leo, and yesssssss!

He's a Leo.

IBC: What's your favorite thing to wear yourself?

JS: Shorts, cuz I've got killer legs, if I don't say so myself!

IBC: Do you have any pieces of clothing or jewelry that are sentimental to you?

JS: I have a gold chain which my former gold fronts are now hanging from.


IBC: If you weren't a designer what do you think you'd have ended up being?

JS: I don't think about it, as this was the only thing I ever seriously set out to be.


IBC: If you were to fake your own death where would you go and what would you do?

JS: Oh, I love my life and I'd be sad without it!

So would we, Jeremy Scott!

LOOKBOOK.NU- Poses that NEED to Go!

Dearest readers, what's on the table for me in today's special message from Poor Little Bitch Girl is this:

* I fully acknowledge using LOOKBOOK.nu for (almost) daily suggestions of interesting ways to to use items already in my closet and

* Consider it understood that the majority of lookbook.nu "HOT" and "HYPE" models have a self-reported median age of 17, also

* I completely get that said teenage models are simply parroting the stances they've forever gleaned from high fashion magazines.

THAT said, the model and fashionista wannabes from Prague, Osaka, Wellington and Neptune (grrr) might consider avoiding the following acts when uploading pics to LOOKBOOK.nu. At least if they care about Poor Little Bitch Girl's opinion!


THE SLUMP.
It didn't work for Miley and it doesn't work for you.






THE PHOTOSHOP.
The world needs fashion help. Don't get cute with graphic design.





THE MELANCHOLIA.
Cheer up. You got hyped by enough fashion-watchers the world over to put you where you are.





THE OH BOLLOCKS I MAY HAVE STEPPED IN IT.
You didn't step in anything. You are wearing your favorite shoes and are in a photo shoot and are far too careful for such tomfoolery.



THE CRYBABY POSTER
You appear to have Histrionic Personality Disorder which will get you both everywhere and nowhere in fashion.




That said, Poor Little Bitch Girl would also like to note that I am so happy about the black and brown mixing that still at its antepenultimate moment in fashion because I love love love black and brown together and our girls and boys on LOOKBOOK.nu certainly demonstrate this.

That's all for now. Kisses.
PLBG

Strangeways Styleguide: A How-To for the Invisible Man

Style Icon: JT--He gets it right with just a little (well aimed) flash

So anyone who knows me knows that I seem to always find myself flapping in the wind of unsettled space. My gender identity is so complicated for others that there doesn't seem to be a word for me (I'm transgender-identified in a pretty broad sense, if it matters--and I don't think my gender is complicated at all).

Point is: my body presents unique challenges when clothing shopping (I've had top surgery but not taken testosterone, so my shoulders are narrow, my chest is flat, I'm thin and I'm 5'5--so I can basically not buy anything off the rack at 99% of boutiques, department stores and monster chains).

I appreciate, then, that "men's" (high) fashion occupies the often bizarre crossover territory of the hypermasculine (performance!) and the androgynous (art!). If I was a flashy dresser with a strong jawline and a trustfund, I think my closet would be full of Alexander McQueen + Prada + etc. + so on. I'd be like: ruffled shirts and manly short shorts! Whatevs.

However, to further my style troubles, I tend toward the classic--maybe it's my Libra moon--but I like feeling rebellious while maintaining a gentleman's sense of containment and an eye for details. Like this guy:

I realize I might not be the only masculine body out there challenged by a desire for stylish staples compounded by strange proportions/gender obstacles/etc. So I've put together this short yet handy guide of places to shop if you and I fit the same style bill.

First off, by necessity I've adopted a very European model of buying clothing--I shell out a lot for a few well-made items that last a long time. I have a tailor (more on Al next time) who has handcrafted me a suit, a shirt and two vests. It may sound decadent, but the sweet thing about having a tailor is that you pick out every detail and every piece is made for your body. Bonus: alterations for life!

My grey suit is solid and can be mixed and matched with both vests and the shirt. As Al often reminds me, I'm slowly building up a collection of gentlemen's garments that will look as excellent at a formal wedding as a beach bluff picnic.

I augment the expense of my tailor with regular trips to American Apparel who--for all their tacky advertising--is the only place stateside I can find a plain white t-shirt that fits me (xs! xxs!) There summer line is almost always awesome--rife with seersucker and fancy pants. And it's affordable!

My favorite new shirt for cocktail parties or beer on the deck:

White/brown seersucker

If I've got a little extra cash and time, I'll visit Topman's online store. Their XS or XXS both tend to fit this small guy well and I've found multiple sweaters, t-shirts and jackets that have been off the chain. My favorite drool-worthy items on their site are the blazers and jackets, which sort of toe the line between rock and roll and elegant modernist dinner party.

I've heard great things about Uniqlo, though I haven't yet had the opportunity to try something on. Generally, if I could buy only Japanese clothes I would be pumped: they've got the slim fit/small guy/well dressed situation down in a major way.

Finally, for accessories the world opens up a little. A great spot that I've found for all your dandy materials is Fine and Dandy, an awesome online store overflowing with pocket squares and tie jewelry. They also have a great blog with very dapper fashion insights (though occasionally I find them a bit costume-y, I appreciate their eye for "men on the street" like this guy):

Between my tailor and the few stores I know make clothes in my size, I have managed to put together a closet I'm proud of. Someday: a store where pants always fit. I'll keep you posted.

Dennis Hopper is Dead

I'll leave you to google for the details. The real question is, what's the best way to honor our dearly departed? Copy his style, duh. I did all the work for you. All you have to do is pick out which Hopper you want to be.


This is an easy collegiate look you can pull off with minimal effort. First get this shirt by J.Crew. Dennis is wearing a varsity jacket in the picture. I however have a hard time taking anyone serious wearing those things. This baseball jacket by Rugby covers the look without bringing patches into the mix. The red, white and blue might give you too much of an americana problem but it just is a good color combo. It comes in green too if you cant handle it though.











Finish this look off with slim fitting light weight chinos or dark 501's and some chukkas. A clean shave and a nice haircut wouldn't kill ya either.


Don't have a 9-5? I don't care, dressing well doesn't hurt anyone. Wear this out for cocktails or dancing. Too hot? Here in San Francisco it's cold at night. I hate wearing winter coats in the summer. A suit with a shirt and tie is an easy way to combat bulky coats and hideous scarfs. That's right I said it, scarfs off fools.




Although this tie is different colors then Dennis' I think it will modernize and summerize your look. Get it at J.Crew. Please resist the urge to get a collar pin with bulldog heads at the ends. Your wearing a collar pin that's enough kitsch on it's own. Keep it simple with this one offered by Nordstrom. And a lighter weight suit from J.Crew should keep you from complaining about heat.


Wear this look only if you can pull it off without looking like your wearing a costume. You know who you are.












This is an awesome Stetson hat I found for sale at Sheplers. This smaller brim is best for urban wear. Don't skimp on hats people. This shirt does away with tired roses on your western while staying old school. Plus, I prefer a flat pocket for bolo tie wearin'. It's a Panhandle Slims.

Please keep it simple with the bolo tie. You don't need a coyote howling at the moon, a simple stone will do. Here's one from Sheplers.

Combine these two Hopper's by adding this Pendleton coat. Don't you want it anyway? Kills me.

This is easy. Stetson black felt hat. Sharks tooth! You can find one I know you can. Levis denim shirt, Levis denim jacket. Various beaded necklaces? Go to your local hippy store.

Goodbye Dennis.

Sale Away

So I don't always love a sale. Often I feel like it's the remnants of a season past. It's not like the once-loved fabulous thrift store find that someone died to give up, it's more like the sad wallflower sitting, mismatched, in the corner of the already stressful department store (too many choices for this Libra). And it takes all this hunting to find, because usually no one who works there really cares about the sad left-behinds, it's not organized by size or brand or anything, and you have to do all this hunting, to still pay what is more than you're usually comfortable with. Not to mention the pressure of what my mom always called the "more you spend the more you save" mentality. Who can't resist that comparison of sale price to original price? However, must say that the recession changed all that. All sorts of shit went on sale when people simply stopped spending the money that maybe they didn't have anyways. My absolute favorite recession shopping vignette, poached from Page Six via Gawker (December 2008):

MARY-Kate Olsen has found the silver lining in the recession. A Page Six spy, who recently shared an elevator at Barneys with the diminutive actress, reports Olsen was excited about all the discounted merchandise for the taking. "It's really sad - the recession is everywhere. But at least they are having good sales," said Olsen, who pointed to her hat. "That's where I got this! The recession!" Olsen ogled a $410 menorah and pillows and throws for her bed, but didn't buy them.

Really, I guffaw when I read that. I flippin love that little troll doll.

All that being said, two of my absolute favorite shopping websites that you should be checking out anyways are having sales right now. Tobi (http://www.tobi.com/) is based out of San Francisco. They have great brands, and an excellent selection of womenswear and menswear. Shoes and all that shit. It's a go-to for me. Also Bird (http://shopbird.com/), a shop based out of Brooklyn, is having a great sale. They have Philip Lim leather shift dresses (Michelle! That's for you! You would look amazing in it!) and everything. Last fall I got 2 pairs of high-heeled Swedish Hasbeens clogs from them - they were half off so it was like buying one pair, and who would know that they would blow up like they have? Me and Karl Lagerfeld, that's who.

Hey, Watch it!

In a world where cats can Twitter (true, though somewhat boring, story), I find the Luddite tendencies within myself occupying more cerebral real estate. The 21st century spy in my ten-year-old self has given way to some brand of lady Don Draper. Don Draper appeals less for his stiff upper lip and disturbingly attractive philandering ways and more for his squarely analog office accouterments--his wet bar, his cigarette case that could hold gum for a non-smoker, his cuff links, his wristwatch. Jezebel recently posted an article all about your Don Draper/Liz Lemon fantasies that I should probably read more closely, but for now I think it's safe to say that I want to be Don Draper and his wristwatch is the reason why.

What time is it? I don't give a shit. I just want to see what sort of watch you're wearing. It's a ruse. Why? Because the watch makes the woman. Shoes used to be the sole snap determination of personality upon first meeting. A quick glance at the feet. I know, I know--shallow (shrewd). But if you'd looked at my shoes (wristwatch) you'd have already guessed (loved) this about me. In an age of iPhones, cellphones, blackberries, etc., a deeply considered wristwatch says a lot about a person.

I know what you're thinking:"what could a bunch of gears and whatnot really say about a person?" I don't like that you're thinking that, but I'll explain. It's not just about the watch and what you wear it with--it's about how you wear it. Unlike a pod, berry, etc. checking time on a watch comes with a whole host of bodily movements that belie the person beyond the clothes. It's the combination of watch style and accompanying body language that speak to the personality of the wearer.

Do you hold your wrist at eye level? Is your elbow bent at 90 degrees or just barely askew? Head slightly tilted? Don Draper holds his elbow at 90 degrees, tilts his head ever-so-slightly and closes his fist. Powerful, but with an undercurrent of sensitivity. Nice.
So, what can your wristwatch say about you?

1960s Sutton wristwatch :
She likely knows of a cocktail arrangement
not seen since the days of Nouvelle Vague.

Wrist held nonchalantly at waist level speaks to an ease of personality
(or a studied persona, 50/50 really).




Vintage Swiss Orion :
She very well might own a blimp. Befriend immediately.
Elbow out at 90 degrees, with relaxed wrist reinforces the blimp possibility.

1970 Prince Francois de Baschmakoff Jump Hour Watch :
She cares about the past and the future in equal measure.
A light shake of the wrist to move her sleeve
off of the face of the watch indicates a comfort with herself.




LIP Ladies Sculpture Watch :
I'm sorry,
I just passed out from the sheer awesomeness of the person wearing this watch.

Details, people! Details! It's the little things that make the outfit. Any one of these watches set the wearer apart in an ever-increasing sea of denim and t-shirts. Skip the bangles, gaudy 80s plastic, ironic this and that. All you need is a pair of oxfords, the same outfit you wear all the time and a really good wristwatch. Do you see it? That's success dancing your way. Success looks a lot like Don Draper, that old cad.