Who tours and records a song in each state in the United States of America and gives each song a title after the state? If you were able to name anyone other than Netherfriends, we will give you a bone. He is working on Austin, Texasright now.
Last night, I called Shawn Rosenblatt (the man behind Netherfriends) and he briefed me on his next big show coming up Tuesday, October 9 at Shea Stadium in East Williamsburg and how practice makes for a perfect live show.
After stepping out of a noisy coffee shop to interview, he disclosed that he performed and recorded a song in all fifty states in one year and that this is the first full-length from that project.
“What was touring and recording in all fifty states like?” I asked.
“It was exhausting”, he replied.
“I could imagine. Was recording in all fifty states something that you decided to do before starting the tour or was it sporadic?”
“I thought about it for a little bit, but I didn’t really have a choice. It was either work a job that I didn’t want to work or figure out a way to do music full-time. Just give up your apartment, break up with your girlfriend and just go on tour for as long as you can”, said Shawn Rosenblatt.
When asked if he gets down and dirty during his live sets:
“People always tell me that they really like my dances. To show that you are confident on stage is one of the hardest things a musician can do,” he adds.
“I think after playing for strangers long enough, (I have been touring nonstop for three years) I think I figured out what it takes to play to strangers that are there to see their friends play. That’s the one thing I can brag about. I’m never going to brag about the songs or my music ability, but the one thing I’ve figured out is confidence on stage and just putting on a good show. I learned how to entertain a crowd and that’s just from practice.”
Before pressing play, what should we expect from ‘Middle America’? What is it like sonically?
“Sonically, it is very heavily layered. It has all sorts of genres of music. It’s the first record that has a little bit more Hip-Hop influences. More percussion, a lot of breakbeats that I did by beatboxing or playing a simple drum beat and looping that and manipulating it, but on top of a banjo, acoustic guitar and piano and lots of harmonies and vocals.”
Which songs are your favourite to listen to in headphones and your favourite to perform?
“I like to perform the first song on the album (which is called ‘St. Louis, Missouri’). It is way different live than the recording. I plan on recording the song live because a lot of people who hear that song ask for the recording and when they listen to the recording they say, ‘this isn’t the recording to the song.’”
I loved the way he answered that question. Netherfriends is so adorable but in an adult way.
Next week Tuesday, October 9, Netherfriends plays one of the last few shows of his tour at Shea Stadium (Brooklyn). ‘Middle America’ is out now on vinyl via Kilo Records.
Presently, Netherfriends is working on a bunch of other “crazy sample projects” with rappers in Chicago. He also shared that he wants to sample Woody Allen movies and famous Beatles songs and call it “The Most Expensive Record Ever Made”. You’ve heard it here first.
Dominique Larue links up once again with D/Will to finish Seize the Day. “diem.” is a follow up to Miss Larue’s 2010’s “Carpe” and all she states in her interview with GrungeCake it’s her “favorite work to date.”
Haz Solo, a Milwaukee-based emcee and producer exports more music than most of your favourite [independent] artists weekly! Lately, Haz Solo releases new music every Sunday at 6pm CST on his SoundCloud. Join fellow fans in listening to the soft-spoken Milwaukeean converse about his new projects “Cover Letter” and “Résumé” set to release this Fall.
A few months ago, I decided to embark on a search to find the vocalist in charge of spewing her beautiful voice all over my favorite records. The search began when listening to “No Problem” by Diplo. The second I heard it I screamed: “Oh my God! That’s the same girl from Tiësto and Cobra Starship’s song! I have got to find out who she is!” The search was a success, needless to say.
Kay Bouitilier, a dazzling young lady from Canada singing her soulful pop and spitting her wicked rhymes, completely won me over when I listened to her self titled EP “My Name Is Kay”. Want to shake your booty, hear a good hearty vocalist and bob your head to some Hip-Hop flows? Then, “My Name Is Kay” is the girl for you! I got the chance to have a chat with her and learned what makes her tick and where she gets her fashion sense. So, if I were you, I’d stick around! Take some notes.
For the readers who aren’t familiar with you, who is My Name Is Kay?
My Name Is Kay is a lady from the east coast of Canada who loves pop music and chartreuse.
What inspires you as an artist? What influenced your decision to pursue a career in the music business?
I’ve known since I was 5 years old that this was my destiny. I have never had any other plans. Music is one of my most important relationships. I would never give up on someone or something I love, it’s weird. I’m not saying that there are not going to be let-downs and tough days because I have had plenty, but I think the fear of being “ordinary” sets in and I find a way to push through.
A lot of our readers are not only fans of your music, but fans of your style as well. Are you part of any endorsements or have a fashion line in the works?
Well, that’s awesome! I am in love with fashion. I think it has to be my second favorite thing. I am really blessed to have some good friends in the fashion business. I kind of live vicariously through them. My two best friends are the creators of Joy Rich and Laina Rauma. Check them out.
What 5 songs do you have on your playlist right now?
Actually, I’m listening to Justin Bieber’s new album. The entire thing is brilliant!
Upon doing my research, I see that you have done work with artists such as Cobra Starship, Tiesto, Steve Aoki, Diplo, Datsik, etc. With that said if you could choose you top 3 artists that you would love to get the chance to collaborate with, who would they be?
My top 3 artists I have yet to work with that I would love the opportunity to would have to be Drake, Maroon 5, and Dolly Parton. I love them!
So, what is next for [My Name Is] Kay? What should we be looking out for from you? Albums, performances, tours, etc.?
I am about to start releasing a lot more free music. A couple more music videos to watch out for and then right back on tour in September.
So far in your career, what has been the most memorable moment for you?
The most memorable moments for me are meeting people like Busta Rhymes and Drake and realizing that they are not only human, but they are some of the nicest people that I have ever met. It proves that being a good person is extremely important. The biggest stars are typically the nicest.
Okay, so upon hearing of our publication “GrungeCake” what were your first thoughts?
Honestly, I thought: GrungeCake, is that edible?
Ha! Since we’re on the topic of sweet edible things… What’s your favorite?
My favorite would have to be yellow birthday cake with boiled icing. UMP!
I really appreciate you giving us a chance to talk to you. Are there any last words you would like to leave with the GrungeCakers? The floor is yours.
Low Leaf, the multi-instrumentalist singer, talks to Mark Werner about the simple things in life. Spoiler alert: She likes the smell of armpits.
Low Leaf is a multi-instrumentalist singer based in Los Angeles, California.
Where is Low Leaf right now?
I’m in Venice Beach, drinking a green chiara kalusha drink.
Where was Low Leaf yesterday?
Laughing.
Yesterday, where was I yesterday… Oh yeah, I was a lot of places yesterday. I met a bunch of new energies down by Long Beach. I picked up my boyfriend from the airport & we kicked it together. [And] after a long day, [we] came home and we watched about three firework shows in the sky.
Where will Low Leaf be tomorrow?
I will be at work! I work at a recording studio. It’s extremely inspiring to be there. I like everyone I work with. It’s a pretty historical place; a lot of amazing musicians have created in that part of Hollywood and I get to work on my material sometimes as well.
Laughing.
That sounds unbeatable.
Yes, I’m embracing that and I’m grateful that I have a situation where I can find a balance to find the time to create as much as I know I can and how I should be.
Awesome, how’s that drink by the way?
Laughing.
Let me test it out again.
Laughing.
Umm, it’s potent, it’s good, it’s good… enough.
Where does the name Low Leaf derive from?
It’s an ever changing creature. If you understand the way that trees grow, you can understand the [way] in which you are meant to evolve on this planet as a being with consciousness that is geared serve others and as the seasons change, you stay rooted! But you still continue to develop into your full form. A tree will never be anything but what it is. I feel that the representation of the ‘leaf’ embodies all of that in me and ‘low’ because you have to stay humble, even though it’s just a leaf it’s not that without the whole. It’s a bunch of ideas like that.
I was a big fan of the clothing brand LRG in the early 2000’s mainly because they incorporated trees onto their products. Since then, I’ve been a fan of “Trees”.
You don’t really know why, but you were drawn to that symbolism. Actually, that’s what I liked about LRG. It’s like what are they trying to say about trees? I never looked into [it] to[o] far, but it was cool that they had trees in their sh*t. But I’m still there in a sense, to keep growing, yeah.
Explain to me your aim when your making your music.
Generally, I try to make sure that my intentions are pure as to why I’m creating what I’m trying to say at the time. These days my aim is to spread something honest, spread love, awareness, and consciousness, and to spark something new to whoever may be receiving the sound. I like when music is visual and takes me to a place that I’ve never been before.
How long do you plan on making music?
Oh, until I pass on into the next form. I don’t think that I’ll ever stop. There’s not necessarily a point where I want to reach and then stop. I am working to get to a point where I can use my endeavors to help sustain myself, you know? But music is just a part of living, so I’ll creating music as I move towards the grave. It’ll all be in a different place, a different sound and I may not be making music for people necessarily. I honestly imagine myself getting old one day and making crazy, meditation, transcendental, kind of music.
When I play your music around people, quite a few of them could help but notice the different sounds throughout your music. How significant is it for you to incorporate those instruments and sounds into your material? Is that the basis of Low Leaf?
It is the foundation. I started out on the piano. Before I found Electronic music, I was writing compositions with my guitar, and playing the harp and doing singer-songwriter type things. It’s super important because that is the root of it. The electronic gives me a dimension in which I can utilize certain production curves. It adds a whole other prism that I can incorporate with my instruments. That’s like Raw Soul!
Let’s talk about your most recent project, Giga Gaia (Giga-Guy-a).
It’s mostly like beats. It’s not what I’m trying to do or what I’m trying to say. It’s more like a silly thing. I felt like that material needed to see the light of day because they were a part of my process these last couple of years while I was in college.
So, it was more like a collage? Of different pieces at different times?
Yes! Yes! Collage! Exactly! Great word to describe it.
‘Collage’ sounds absurdly cool. Collaaage…
Collaaage….
Laughing.
Have you heard the alternate way to say Target as in the department store? It’s Targe’.
Laughing.
Yes, my mother says it like that. I thought that was just her thing, that’s funny.
So where does the name Giga-Gaia come from?
Giga represents all that of mechanical, Gaia is of the earth. An unifying sound. As I mentioned earlier I came from instrumentations and later on when I was about 18, I started making beats. I always thought there were two distinct different sides to myself in which I could express. I was always interested in bringing them together, that was the intention.
That’s an ill title!
Ahh ok. Thanks! It has 3 G’s and 3 A’s in it.
Laughing.
Do you mind if I go around saying Giga-Gaia?
No, go for it.
Laughing.
Going back to your Chrysalis EP, what was your inspiration for that project?
I spent a year and a half to two years of isolating myself from Los Angeles. I was living with my parents, I was re-evaluating my intentions of why I was making music. I thought really into meditation and trying to find myself for real. It’s called Chrysalis because I was like really in a cocoon that I created for myself and I was using my instruments to build my own wings in a sense. I was experimenting with the instruments I around me, the piano, harp, cello.
When performing live, which one of your songs do you mostly enjoy performing?
I love performing Change Your Frequency because when I perform that live I play the harp while I sing and there is actually no harp in the recorded version. But I would say I love performing Pure Love because when the sound is on point, it makes people happy!
Laughing.
Have you ever played overseas?
Yes! I just did last month. It was my first show outside of California. I went to the Philippines and played a festival and a show, and connected out there. And I’m a Filipina, so it was a beautiful experience for me.
It was almost like a homecoming for you then.
Yes, it felt like that. I was returning to the mother land. I was raised out here in California, so I always felt a bit disconnected with my roots, but that’s a whole other conversation.
Laughing.
…2 more things before you go.
Tell me one unique thing about Low Leaf aside from the 186 instruments you play?
The Movement Electronic Music Festival features: five technologically-rich outdoor stages; more than 100 artists; free Wi-Fi access on the grounds; a posh VIP setting located up and behind the main stage; dozens of official afterparties around the city; an interactive technology center featuring the hottest gear in the industry; and several art displays to stimulate the senses. Over 107,000 people from around the globe attended the 2012 festival.
Here’s some coverage on Movement Detroit 2012 from yours truly. We attended and this is what our experience was like:
From The Editor:Joop, often stylized with capital letters, is the real name and stage name of disc jockey and producer from The Netherlands. Though, we are sure he smells good all the time, he is not to be confused with perfume: Joop! The contemporary clothing and cosmetics company founded as a designer label by German Fashion Designer Wolfgang Joop. Just at the puberty-stricken age of thirteen, Joop started playing music in a youth community where he taught himself how to mix with vinyls and we find that rather amazing. Years later, he is the same Joop. Just taller.
Click the image above to vote DJ Joop for DJ Mag Top 100.
Dutch powerhouse Joop released his brand new single entitled “Just One Night”. Armin Van Buuren, Leon Bolier and W&W are among those who have embraced the song with radio support. Joop who rose to fame as winner of the ID&T Talent Award in 2001 has been headlining major festivals ever since. After becoming a dad, he took a little time off, but now he is back in full force and surprising us with a string of quality material.
Labeled as “The Peoples Rapper”, Jon Connor is a third generation musical talent with the triple threat abilities of writing, producing, and performing. Jon Connor’s innovative style of music using unique beats merged with raw emotions, and clever lyrics is a talent that cannot be silenced. His music conveys genuine purpose and individuality, rare qualities in contemporary rappers.
Where is Jon Connor from?
Jon Connor was born and raised in Flint, Michigan, about an hour away from Detroit, Michigan. Michigan-born and Michigan-bred.
Is Jon Connor your real name? If not, then, how did it originate?
No, my government name is Jon Freeman. Jon Connor came about because I’m like the biggest movie nerd of all time. When I was in 12th grade, I would watch The Terminator movies back to back to back and thought it was really dope to see how the producers put the movies together with that character whose significance was to maintain the existence of people. I wanted that to be how important I am to Hip-Hop and how important I am to music. Also in relation to that character, he couldn’t escape his destiny which was to help people to exist and I feel I can’t escape my destiny which is to help people through my music so I just really really related to that character.
So Jon, what influenced you to write your first rhyme?
Aw man, what influenced me? That’s crazy! [Laughs] When I would ride the bus when I was little, I had two friends that would battle and for the longest they would try and pass me the mic. So one day, I was like you know what? Forget it! I’m just gonna write a rap, spit it and shock everybody on the bus. And at 3 o’clock after school on the bus, I spit probably the worst bars I have ever [wrote] in my life, but we were all little kids so the whole bus went crazy. So what influenced me; was to do something that I didn’t think I could do and it was on after seeing all the kids on the bus going crazy. I knew that this was what I wanted to do!
So, I take it you were heavy on the lunchroom scene with rapping and beating on the tables?
Aw man. Aw man. Yes, after that first instance of me rhyming on the bus it was on beating on tables and all that. Just listening to Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, Pac, Pun. I was a big No Limit fan, so I became slowly engulfed in Hip-Hop after rhyming young. Anywhere they were trying to listen, I was rhyming.
When and how was your first performance/show?
My first performance was at a school talent show. I went to St. John Vianney in Flint. It was my two friends that got me to rhyme on the bus and me. We did the show, one of my friends were on the drums, and my other man had a verse, he was garbage too (laughing). We spit. It was terrible. We might have even got booed. We were 11 or 12 in the sixth grade, so it was a learning experience and that propelled me to go home and study this craft even more.
Well, the world knows now that you’ve certainly progressed.
Aw man Mark, thank you, man.
No doubt. So, how much planning goes into the direction of a song when you’re writing?
I approach original albums and mixtapes totally different. When I’m caught in a song I make sure I execute it the way that it is in my mind. I don’t harp too long in it but I definitely make sure it’s thought out. It’s crazy! Someone once told me that “your first mind is always your right mind” and when you start overlooking things that are like putting doubt into your mind as well as your idea.
Let’s jump into some of your previous projects and material… What inspired you to create the Best In the World mixtape series?
The Best In the World mixtape series? I was on the phone with my brother Sav and we were just talking and it hit me. It was an inspired thought that I looked at like “I want to be the best to ever do this. I want people to look back at my career and say that I was one of the greatest”. I felt what better way to do that then to pay homage to those who I came up listening to and who I feel [like] are the best in the world. What I did with this series is take their beats on my path to cover the greatest that have came before me and salute to them. I just wanted to do something that I haven’t heard before. With this series, I wanted to tribute and contribute a gem to Hip-Hop and no matter what I do I wanna make sure I’m not another rapper rapping because there are a million rappers. I always try and strive to something different from the rest.
What’s the next installment in the Best In the World series?
Man, you know what? (Laughs)
Or is it top secret? (Laughs)
I can’t even let the cat out of the bag until I come with it. I have an idea for the next two but I don’t want to put them out quite yet. When I do put them out, GrungeCake will be one of the first to know.
Can you elaborate on your song and video True Colors which was recently released?
True Colors is one of my favorite joints off of my Season 2 project which is all original material. I produced the joint. Honestly, we’re the voice of what’s going on in the “real world”. I try to use my voice to make people wake up and put the mirror in people’s faces. I’m not coming at people from a perspective of where I’m talking down on them or I’m their mother or father but shit is fucked up and sometimes we need a wake-up call. [We] need to look at the bigger picture and recognize the ugly truth of life and that’s what True Colors is. I don’t make a bunch of depressing music or a bunch of happy music all the time, I speak to the people and the video True Colors is just me showing people what’s going on and/or at least what’s taking place in Flint, MI. If we don’t address issues, these issues will keep getting worse and worse. Let’s be aware of what’s going on, not to harp on it, yeah let’s all have a good time, we can club and party because I like to club and party too, buts its like Yo, let’s be aware of what’s going on and through my gift and voice, I just want to make people aware and that’s more of what True Colors stands for.
To add on to that, I feel impelled to understand your movement whenever I get to see a performance of yours. The presence of your crew is tremendously felt and admired. It seems as if everyone that sports a Jon Connor shirt at your shows lives to help spread your message. That is rare these days. A lot of camps are cursed with disloyal crew members and individualism. I see none of that with your crew. I admire that!
And I appreciate that to the fullest. Thank you. And my crew, we’re all from Flint. From the bottom of the bottom, so when you grow up like that, it humbles you. It’s like whatever we have to do to collectively make this situation better, we’re going to do it! This crew is bigger than Jon Connor, more than music, we serve a bigger cause. We are family and that’s what keeps us focused and that’s what keeps selfishness and disloyalty non-factors within our crew.
I’ve pretty much covered all that I had for you, Jon. Oh, are you a fan of Dilla?
Ah, much respect! I’m from Michigan. Nothing but respect. Much respect, yes.
What’s the next thing for you Jon?
While You Were Sleeping, an all original project produced by my production team The Worlds Greatest Music slated for a July release. Dropping something every two months. I’m from Flint where we hold close to that blue-collar mentality, so I’m definitely putting work in.
I have just one last question… What was the first thing that popped into your head when you heard the name GrungeCake?
GRUNGECAKE? (Laughter) GRUNGECAKE… the first thing that I thought of honestly was Nirvana, the band. (Jon laughs again)
Today is June 8th and I’m mentally preparing myself for one of the biggest festival-party in the United States! In preparation, my friends and I went through the rave ritual of taking 4 hours to get ready. Fully equipped with enough neon accessories, glitter and tutus to keep a strip club in business for weeks, we got ready and “pre-partied”. The doors opened at 7:00pm, but we did not leave until around 7:30 because my home is about 10 minutes away from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Well, that 10-minute ride turned into a 2-hour ride.
EDC Day One Was Like:
On Friday, we made our way to see quite a few dj’s. On the main stage kineticFIELD, we had the chance to see Knife Party, Afro Jack & Kaskade. In between seeing them spin I went on a few carnival rides, purchased an insomniac refillable water bottle, lost every last person I came with, [laughs] picked up some new friends, traded kandi, found one of my friends and purchased some seven dollar lemonade. The atmosphere was amazing there was so much love in the air everyone was being so hospitable holding doors open, the please’s and the thank you’s it was awesome, One of my favorite things on Friday is the big bamboo structure insomniac put together as one of their ambient art pieces, it was huge there were easily hundreds of people sitting on the fixture and the base of it listening to its smooth heavy bass filled tunes. At the stage circuitGROUNDS I was able to see Gabriel & Dresden, I really enjoyed their set and the amazing visuals that went with the music, the lighting was pure perfections and the effects were awesome as well, at one point the whole background of the stage was generated from a large scale camera panning out the length of the audience so we saw ourselves on the screen.
EDC Day Two Was Like:
We got to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway around 9:00pm but the d j we wanted to see wasn’t spinning until 11:00pm so we decided to explore what insomniac had to offer for the wondering eye. The first art installation that I noticed was a very large butterfly that was trimmed in bright neon lights that strobed and created different designs and also opened and closed its wings. Then we got on some more rides, we finally found the tilt and whirl (it’s an edc ritual for my friends and I to ride it ) at this time its almost 11 so we head back over to the circutGROUNDS stage to get ready to watch Rank 1, we get there rank 1 is amazing as always the sound was on point really clear I love that, it got pretty packed at that stage it was madness people jumping and screaming everywhere. Then we head over to kinticFIELD to go catch Calvin Harris. And this is when the night started to get crazy. My friend and I are fighting our way to get through to even hear Calvin Harris bc there are sooooo many people its crazy so at first we just fight through the crowd but we don’t make it that far in when my friend says “ something is wrong” and Im wondering what shes pertaining to and she said its not right over here, I know you really want to see Calvin Harris but we have to get out of here, So I listen to her and we start “trying” to make our way out of the massive crowd. Well half way out the music stops completely and Calvin Harris gets on the microphone and says “ there are way too many people over here and its getting too crazy so were cutting the music” everyone starts booing and screaming it was pretty frightening so we are now fighting along with everyone else to make it from the main stage and as we do we walk by the Qdance stage and notice that there is no one there the music is off everywhere and all the stages are being cleared by seas of neon green uniformed officers. They are telling everyone that we need to get off of the flat top and into the grandstands for our safety and this all started around 12:45am. So we make it up to the grandstands and sit, and sit and sit as this guy on the microphone keeps repeating, “please everyone to the grandstands for your safety this is a temporary situation and we will be up and running as soon as the winds die down, thank you“. So at this point more than half the people that were there have gone it started out with over 300 thousand guest but after hours of no music the crowd reduced to about 80 to 90 thousand and at around 3am there was a little miniature boat fixture that was brought out into the grass where everyone that was not in the stands were sitting and markus shults took the stage and started spinning for the die hards that stuck it out. Everyone was so happy and excited to finally hear some music we started pouring onto the grass it was awesome like an old school party just kicking it, then after markus shults went on steve aoki also took too the makeshift stage the night ended on a high note even though more than half the artist book for Saturday night never got a chance to make it to the stage.
EDC DAY THREE WAS LIKE:
LAST DAY OF EDC !!! We are on a mission to party to the highest potential after the way Saturday turned out we def had to make up for it. We got the the speedway the earliest out of all three days it was about 730ish when we arrived so we hung out in the parking lot for a little bit chatting up strangers and drinking monster energy drinks to help us make it though the night. Our first order of business is to see Bunny of RITM on the discovery STAGE (side note Bunny is creative director for insomniac so all the dancers, stage performers etc he played a big part in bringing to life) Bunny went on at 9:00 and OMG HE WAS AMAZING the stage show was the craziest one I’ve seen all weekend girls came out in all silver outfits with bunny ears and gas mask with 2 big balls of fire on chains and started flailing them about in only the way a professional could. And while all of that is going on, on the stage down in the audience with us there were navy blue uniformed girls on roller skates with led lit edc signs on their back skating through the crowd. Very large colorful animals dancing, an orange jumping cactus out shaking his groove thang with all the ladies there was just so much going on at once it was crazy. Then once bunny’s performance was over we went back over to circutGROUNDS to catch the tail end of Dash Berlin and the whole Ferry Corsten set. Both did a super job I love love loved Ferry’s set it was perfection. Once we were done over there we went to cosmicMEADOW for what we thought was going to be Carl Cox not relizing we stayed too long for ferry and completely missed him but we made it in time for Danny Tenaglia at 4:00am am and pretty much stayed at that stage until the sun came up, We were sitting in the grass chatting it up with people trying to prolong the moment because we were relizing that this magical weekend was coming to an end.
HIGHLIGHTS
Stages/Lighting Effects
Size of stages
Carnival Rides
Kaskade’s Statement “ I will never ask you to make some motherfucking noise, I let the music speak for itself”
Cooling Stations
Water Refill Stations
Ferry Corstens Set
Insomniac letting people with Saturday tickets come back on Sunday, Free of charge.
Not So Highlights
EDC Shutdown on Saturday
No toilot paper in the bathrooms
No signs to find anything
Water refill stations had no lights at all
Until we all meet again, under the electric sky.
Peace, Love and GrungeCake from Las Vegas, Nevada. This is Jazzlyn Kirkland.
Image: Stephen Sullivan (WWD), Originally published via this link
Last night at 92Y, I listened to Michael Kors talk about his beginnings in the fashion business, his marriage to Lance LePere, working with celebrities and his start with reality television show “Project Runway”. With all mentioned and more than I was unable to catch, he believes that there is such thing as balance in the business and that one can truly have it all. I find him truly inspirational.
Michael Kors, born Karl Anderson Jr., grew up in suburban Long Island and worked at WWD, a magazine that he remembers on the newsstands in Merrick.
He sold his first sketches to his friend’s father who owned UFO Jeans.
Kors recalled his friend’s father “Can we buy those sketches?”
He bought the sketches and Kors was paid on the spot. He was just 16-years-old.
It really goes to show it is really about who you know.
It wasn’t as easy thereafter. Throughout the night, Kors repeatedly noted that it was the right timing that aided him in his career.
He explained, “Being 17-years-old in the disco era… I was an insane fashion freak!” Instead of going to prom, he went to Studio 54. I think that’s clutch. He talked about what seemed to be an ostentatious outfit that permitted entry on prom night. He recalls knowing that Studio 54 was a special moment in time. He could feel it.
He went to FIT in 1977. He studied design, but not for long. He had been sketching for a long time. He fought with teachers. He started working part-time selling clothes on 57th Street in New York City. When asked if he regret not staying in school longer, he didn’t respond with a “yes”. He cannot sew.
He is a Leo. When asked if he still had connections with friends in the past, he said that the Creative Director of Menswear has been his friend for over 30 years. He added, “Leos are very loyal.”
He remembered a teacher telling him that “you need to be out there in the world and work!”
During his years of working on 57th Street, he pulled Jackie-O’s boots off.
“It was an educational experience”, Kors says. In fact, the advice he gives to aspiring designers is to work in-store in the sales department to understand why certain customers buy what they buy, how to sell and operate a store, etc.
If you want to succeed in this business “you have to be able to add something”, says Kors. “The pie is the pie. Ideas have to have longevity.”
“Whenever you have a singular tend, it can die.”
A Bergdorf Goodman buyer found him in dressing windows in 1971. The buyer came to him and said that they’ve never seen the clothes he used to dress the mannequins, then asked who’s clothes were they? He replied, they are my clothes. They are your clothes and you are dressing the window?
Vera Wang was an editor at Vogue magazine. She came into the store to shop and during her shopping she asked Kors “Do you want to go with me to the Met for the Costume Institute [Gala]?”
He agreed. They attended. He didn’t mention what he was wearing, but he did mention that it snowed that day and he asked why the lights dimmed. It was the night John Lennon was killed.
He mentioned that when he started quality [of your clothing] had to be great. Had to ship on time. It was a different time from today.
He talked a little bit about designers that he hired. Mainly Derek Lam and Lance LePere, now his husband. Kors said over the course of five years, Derek Lam was an intern, worked in Collection Design and ended up freelancing for him.
When asked what did Lance show you that made you hire him?
Kors replied, “What did he show me?”
The audience grew hysterical with laughter.
In April 1991, he had a show – his first show on West 24th Street in New York City.
They would produce shows at random assorted lofts and spaces. He thought it was edgy. He talked about a mishap with one of those random spaces.
As he tells it, “Naomi Campbell was out there strutting her stuff… and there was an explosion.”
Naomi came and told him, “the ceiling just caved in.”
“The plaster just came down and hit a few people.”
Those people were fashion press from the Tribune and NYT.
Kors walked out, turned the music off and did the rest of the show with no music.
It was then he realized it was time to do shows at professional show spaces.
In his career, he created the male body suit. Soon after, he realized naps [?] and the male anatomy is not a good thing.
Later, the company Kors was licensed to went bankrupt. He filed for bankruptcy.
Kors on collections:
You have to want to wear it all. That’s how you make a successful line or collection.
Fern Mallis and Kors recall that March 1998 was a “heavy time for Americans in Paris” It was like the “Invasions of the Americans”. The world was changing. The world was global. It did not matter where you lived, life went fast” said Kors. With business(es) in Singapore and Tokyo and in tune with what’s happening around the world, he saw the power of accessories – a handbag works no what.
“Who didn’t want to be Steve McQueen?”
He had a collection called “Palm Bitch”. It was inspired by his time in Palm Beach, Florida in the 1990s.
“I love blending things that don’t go with everything.” Then, he went on to reference “the Park Avenue Jesus sandal.”
When talking about his fragrance with Estee Lauder “Michael” said he had smells in his head. It was an inculpating but light. A contradiction. Exactly the way Kors likes it.
“I was the boy wearing Opium which was unfortunate.”
Everything you do in fashion is a partnership.
When asked which celebrities he loved dressing, he replied that seemingly at vulnerable moments, celebrities go for Michael Kors. Jennifer breaks up with Ben Affleck, Michael Kors. It’s worst for them, because everyone is staring.
A lot of my fit models have turned out to be Victoria’s Secret Angels.
Instead of spending millions of dollars for advertising, Project Runway came about. Before beginning the show, he received a pitch phone call. He knew Heidi socially. He kept thinking ‘Survivor’ but eating fabric! Or thinking that its audience would just be fashion obsessed women, gay men and men who are obsessed with Heidi Klum. He was wrong. He said investment bankers were also interested. They watched with their families. Because of the show, he now has 12-year-old customers.
“We make a bar-mitzvah [shoe]. It’s like the training wheels of heels”. Three to four generations shop at his stores today.
He discussed meeting Dame Elizabeth Taylor and interviewing her for Harper’s Bazaar magazine. He loves to write. He said he wanted to talk to her about fashion, wedding dresses and jewelry. Her living room was filled with purple crystals. He made a lavender poncho for her to wear. She was funny, earth and opinionated. He showed her a picture of a kiss with Richard Burton and she began to cry.
Elizabeth said to Kors, “that’s a real kiss.”
Kors on Lindsay Lohan portraying Liz Taylor:
I don’t get the red hair. We’ll see.
Michele Obama wore one of his dresses.
He and Lance got married in Southampton, New York. He never had a fantasy of a wedding. He didn’t think it was going to be a reality. Before getting married, they asked each other what did they like. Answer: We love the beach, sunny day and privacy.
Literally after the wedding ceremony, the newly weds jumped in the jeep, enjoyed pizza at Sam’s and went to see ‘The Help’ at the theatre.
He was about to ring the bell at the New York Stock exchange and he remembered his mother telling him to straighten his tie. “It beat my bar mitzvah.”
“I knew early on that I loved this.”
He is on the Forbes: Billionaires To Watch List. There is a Kors-LePere trust foundation.
In a story about his life, he jokingly replied that if it was a big box office comedy movie Will Ferrell would play his role. I completely forgot the name of the other gentleman.
When asked what made him smile. He replied Lance. Fern Mallis and I (from my seat) agreed that it was a good answer. To watch the full video coverage, watch the video below:
