Sporty, Sexy, Glam

The road to success is not always easy. And Michael Kors can vouch for that. This jet-setting billionaire says that his mission is to transmit his own lifestyle to the world. He creates fashion that is easy, practical and accessible to the world. He acquired his sense of Parisian precision at the house of Céline and, today, he is the very quintessence of American style. It is important to understand the complex life of Michael Kors in order to comprehend his professional success and career path. LIFE’S LESSONS Michael Kors is a man who wears many hats. From his humble beginnings as a certain Karl Anderson Jr., born in Long Island in 1959, to the glamorous designer taking a bow after his ‘Jet Set’ fashion show in Shanghai where he celebrated the opening of his first Chinese flagship store last May, life has been an interesting journey. And he has never stopped for even a minute to take a breather. Karl who, you ask? Interestingly enough, at the tender age of five, Karl took on the name of Michael Kors, which has now become somewhat of a household name. This happened when his mother, upon her remarriage, gave him the option of choosing a first name that would go well with his new surname. He chose Michael David Kors. And the rest is history. At that age, after having appeared in an ad for a breakfast cereal, he took his first steps as a designer. He designed the wedding dress for his mother Joan, by infusing it with ribbons and stunning ornaments. At the end of the 1970s, he went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, which he left soon after, convinced that fashion is something that could not be learnt in a classroom. He says today, “My actual school was Studio 54.” He began to work at the Lothar boutique, which allowed him to showcase his creations. That’s when a buyer from the nearby department store, Bergdorf Goodman, noticed his creations and ordered a collection by the young designer. That’s when, in 1981, the Michael Kors brand was born.

GLOBAL MINIMALISM It took three years and a lot of word of mouth for Michael Kors to present his first collection, hailed by the Women’s Wear Daily as a collection of luxurious and classic sportswear, which is both chic and minimalist. This style soon became his signature. Along this upward curve of great reviews and brilliant press coverage, Michael Kors met with bankruptcy in 1993, making him suspend all work till the year 1997. That’s when he bumped into Bernard Arnault, who was in America to look for a creative director for Céline. Michael Kors explains how and why he was recruited. “It was the early stages of global fashion. Fashion was picking up speed. I was able to design quickly because I refused to intellectualise everything the way my contemporaries would often do at the time.”

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At the same time, he revived his own brand and began to question

2. karolina kurkova and hilary swank.

Personalities sporting michael kors, autumn winter 2014/15.

his basic principles. “When something wasn’t right, I would ask myself if my clothes were too simple or if I needed to make more extravagant collections. Then I said to myself, why would people go to a Michael Kors boutique for that? I therefore realised that I needed to continue to reaffirm my style.” This style soon became a doctrine of sorts, visible in all his future collections, including his most recent collection presented in a large hangar in Shanghai, with his private jet. His basic principle: Sporty, sexy and glam. His creations are simple and versatile. They go with almost anything and are always elegant. There is a certain cheerfulness to his collections, which might put off traditionalists. “For me, being labelled as commercial is not an insult. It urges people to buy. I am not apologetic about being realistic. I am here to sell clothes. That’s all!” LUXURY FOR THE MASSES Another strongpoint of the Michael Kors label is the need to make women feel ultra-sexy in whatever they are wearing. Brands like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent are his favourite examples. He believes that artificial elements on clothes are of no use, as they do not make a woman beautiful. It is only the designer who wants to stand out from the rest. This outlook is probably what has contributed to the brand’s success in the last ten years. Michael Kors has always wanted to make fashion more accessible. Luxury and glamour should be given to the public, according to him. Which is why, today, he has over 600 boutiques in the USA and across the globe. Interestingly enough, he had to wait till 2000, and almost 20 years of his career, to open his first store in New York. Inside each of these stores, are fastidiously displayed creations by Michael Kors, at affordable prices. And just so that every single person can get a taste of the Michael Kors lifestyle, he releases multiple collections, Michael Michael Kors, as well as different lines for watches, accessories, jeans, jewellery, bags and even a line of makeup.

As soon as the designer left Céline in 2003, his career took off towards new heights. These days, you will spot a Michael Kors bag on every second person. However, this success is not only because of the designer’s imagination, or his marketing prowess. It can also be attributed to the designer’s personality. In 2004, he joined the television reality show Project Runway, where, accompanied by supermodel Heidi Klum, he judged young fashion designers at the start of their career. People praised him for his amazing screen presence and spontaneity, which made him popular with the viewers. He became an indispensable part of the show till 2012, when he decided to quit and move on to other things. His stint at Project Runway made him an example for a generation of designers, far from the image of a mysterious and enigmatic designer, which he has never wanted to be. He has always given the most realistic advice to all the young designers. If someone asks him for advice, he will say, “If you want to be happy, sell your clothes!” 5. michael kors with katie holmes.

6. Karmen pedaru and Ming Xi.

8. Karmen pedaru, isabeli fontana, freida pinto, hilary swank, miranda kerr, Camilla Belle and rosie huntington whiteley.

9. vinoodh matadin and inez van lamsweerde.

10. catherine zeta jones and michael douglas 11. blake lively, freida pinto and rose byrne.

THE JET-SET: AN INSPIRATION, AN EXPERIENCE, A LIFE Michael Kors is not only a logo placed on millions of bags across the globe, nor is it merely a name that appears in gold letters on garment labels. Over the course of the years, behind the designer and the businessman, a public figure was born, in a way that only the Americans can best create. This visionary designer is proud of his origins and is known for his sincerity. He is always spotted with his aviators and a very 80s-style tan. His party animal image is not a façade. He is not apologetic about loving bling, in spite of his creations, which are timeless and easy to wear. According to him, being a jetsetter is not about having an extravagant and flamboyant wardrobe, it is more of a lifestyle: the fast life, travel, choosing to zip across the globe just to have a dinner and come back in time for bed, and, of course, having a wardrobe to match. His vision of luxury is to feel good in one’s clothes.

Needless to say, it is this passion for fashion that has made his list of contacts read like a star-studded directory. We’ve even heard people joke that his wall of fame could cover the entire carpet and upholstery of his private jet. Whether he designs for famous women (like Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge or Michelle Obama for her first White House official portrait), or for his regular customers who come to wish him behind the scenes at his show, one thing is for sure, Michael and his women share a relationship of mutual love and admiration.