In Person

Luxury Project

From dressing the First Lady to nurturing young designers on Project Runway, designer Michael Kors defines American high-end fashion and looks to the future

By Michael Kors

Leaving the theater in London this winter, Michael Kors had a moment that many designers never experience. “We came out of the theater and we had emails from quite a few people saying, “did you see the official portrait?”

The item in question was the first official image released by the White House of First Lady Michelle Obama, in which she wore a sleeveless, black Michael Kors dress.

With that image, Kors' took his place among the highly regarded fashion designers for first ladies gone by including Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, and Oleg Cassini, and further solidified the award-winning designer's standing as one of the leading fashion minds of the day. The image was pleasin-and groundbreaking.

“I think Mrs. Obama is a very modern woman and I think the way she looked in the portrait was classically elegant yet modern, unlike really anything we've ever seen before,” Kors says. I think she's great for letting women know you can be smart, you can be accomplished, you can be busy, and you can still enjoy fashion. It doesn't suddenly turn you into a blithering idiot. If anything, you're smarter if you know how to play with it.”

DESIGNS ON STARDOM

There can be no doubt that Kors has fashion smarts. Known for his American design empire, which includes fashion, accessories, fragrance, and retail, Kors cut his teeth in the fashion business as a designer and merchandiser at the boutique Lothar's in New York City. Creating his eponymous collection nearly 30 years ago, Kors has gone on to receive success and acclaim-including the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) awards for womenswear and menswear. In recent years, Kors has become a household name thanks to his designs-and to his appearances as a judge on the television series Project Runway.

While he's mentoring future designers, Kors has also expanded his identity far beyond New York City and the fashion universe. “The show has been great for me in that I think that when you walk through a mall and you see the Michael Kors counter or the Michael Kors store, suddenly there's a face that goes with this name. I've always prided myself that we have so many different generations of clients and I thought I was full of myself thinking we had three generations we had from 20 to 70. The show has now brought children into the equation. Which I say is my insurance for my old age–all my nine-year-old fans!”

But he doesn't just get from the show. He gives back, too. These days, he is working on getting more accessories into the Project Runway arena. “We have an episode in season seven where it's the first time that we've had them customize some accessories. I keep stressing to them that fashion is really a head-to-toe thing,” Kors says. “It is not just the dress. A different pair of glasses or a different shoe or a different handbag or a different belt changes the whole look. This is sometimes what's going to be the fingerprint that people see even first before your clothes.”

EYES ON STYLE

When it comes to his own accessories designs, Kors blends his loves of fashion and function. “I'm kind of hardware obsessed. I always am intrigued by things that are functional, but at the same time, decorative. To me it turns into whether we're playing with buckles, with screws, hinges, all of those things that connect the dots in the accessories world.”

What's coming up for this season? “This last fall I wanted something that was a little tough looking and a little nasty, a little urban, and, suddenly, it was all about sculpture. You put on a pair of glasses and change your mood and it tells you the story.”

LOVING LUXURY

While the economy may be a little tough now, something Kors is constantly striving toward is bringing luxury into everyday life. “There's this weird idea of ‘No, that's my good shoe. That's my good handbag. What we buy that is beautifully made and has a sense of indulgence–well, frankly, I want to use that indulgence every day. So, if you buy an incredible pair of glasses, you know what? Don't be afraid of them. If you buy a remarkable handbag, wear it with jeans, wear it to work, wear it with an evening dress. Go for it!”

WHAT HE WEARS… Classic American style is a signature of Michael Kors' designs…and it's a look he lives when it comes to eyewear. The stylemaker, whose eyewear collections are produced by Marchon, has always opted for aviators or goggles. “I've been more consistent with eyewear than anything as far as what I wear. Solid color and eyewear have been my consistent thread.” But, Kors says his choice has not been static. The aviator stays with the times. “Even in an aviator, if you look at pictures of me, it's bigger, smaller; with a frame, without a frame; mirrored black or gold. It shifts.” He adds: “I think that stylish people have their vocabulary. That's very Jackie Kennedy. She really had a different look in each decade, but it was kind of the same. So that's kind of how I approach it.”

What's on the Horizon