When was the last time you marvelled over something in fashion?
Unfortunately, in recurring phases every 2-3 hours.
Where do you look for new ideas or voices in fashion?
Ideas usually come from questioning my own decisions, but I like reading secondary literature, print magazines and take notes of my favourite editors.
In this attention economy, what or who has won over your attention right now?
The most fascinating people are those who are capable of dedicating themselves to what they do, creating repeatedly without expecting external validation. They're the only people who still inspire me enough to watch a screen for more than 30 seconds.
AI will continue to impact how we live and work. What excites you and what concerns you?
AI is a great tool to use in the very last step of creation, currently it seems to be marketed as a generative tool for innovative ideas. I have yet to see a purely AI-driven work that I enjoy.
How do you think fashion can spark and sustain desire with so much else going on in the world?
Fashion is not an excessive hobby that comes to life once things go well. It is a part of our culture, it gets influenced, but it also keeps challenging it. The desire remains, when we don’t try to extract it out of culture, but keep it as a part of it.
Do trends still matter?
They matter as an explanation of our current habits, and they can fuel relevant conversations. But they don’t drive innovation. If fashion innovation is a pyramid, they occupy the very bottom of it.
Who are your fashion heroes?
Nicolas Ghesquière, Miuccia Prada and Jil Sander: the holy trinity.
What are you most curious to know about how designers work, how a collection comes together?
Ev-er-y-thing! But certainly the thought process and emotions before the very first hand reaches for the pen.
What stands out as the most potentially disruptive influence on fashion on the horizon?
The pursuit for less. The love for more.
If you could change one aspect of how we experience fashion today, what would it be?
Kill mobile phones during the shows.
Tell us something surprising about how you got to where you are today?
Be kind, patient, work hard and don’t trust anyone’s opinion but yours.
What has been a highlight of your career so far?
My closet.
Is there any fashion show — no matter how far back — that you would have loved to attend?
The mandatory starting point is Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga Fall 2003 show.
This interview has been lightly edited.
