He's proud to be a heterosexual, rock n' roll fashion god from Detroit.
Playboy contributing editor Rob Tannenbaum played 20 questions with John Varvatos for their September issue and he had some curious things to say about his status in fashion world.
The issue is on newsstands today in case you want to pick it up. Even the thought of that is nutty to me. Do people really just pick up a copy of Playboy and stroll to the counter with the magazine and a soda? I guess it depends on where you shop.
I don't shop in those places, so it's always amusing to get the press releases from Playboy on its fashion coverage. They have a fashion editor and everything, which seems ludicrous for a publication that specializes in nude photos, but it's true.
I even worry about going to the website at work, but I'm honestly reading it for the articles.
Here are some highlights:
On being a straight menswear designer: "It's a little bit of a weird thing in our industry, because I'm one of the few straight designers. Maybe that's why we're successful, because my clothes are very masculine. Most designers, their products are more feminine. They're made for a little skinny boy. When designers talk about male models they refer to them as ‘boys.' I never do that."
Why buy Varvatos: "When you shop at Banana Republic or the Gap, it's a good basic product, but it's not defining your personality. In my clothes, guys feel more confident, stronger, sexier."
His fashion advice for men: "My number one thing is bad shoes. I won't mention the brand, but I still see guys wearing square-toed shoes. I see guys in suits two sizes too big, like the ones David Byrne from Talking Heads wore in the 1980s. He doesn't even wear those suits today. Young guys shouldn't wear pleated chino pants. It doesn't mean pleats can't be fashionable but not those pleated Dockers. And I don't like polo shirts with sleeves below the elbows. That's not even appropriate for the golf course....[And] if you're going to wear flip-flops or sandals, you'd better do something about those toenails, man."
On his early interest in fashion: "In 10th grade I was very interested in girls. And I noticed that when I wore certain things, it made a connection with girls. I started wanting to be more rock and roll."
On designing for men: "Guys are essentially lazy. It's not Garanimals, by any means, but we make it uncomplicated."
On his second life as a rocker: "I've been onstage playing guitar and singing with Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, ZZ Top and Guns N' Roses. Axl Rose saw me singing on the side of the stage, pulled me up and gave me the microphone.
On his unfashionable hometown: "Detroit is a complete zero from that end of it. It's as far from being fashion-oriented as anything. It sounds kind of rude, but Detroit is a bit lost in time - it's still in the late 1970s and the 1980s. Michigan has massive unemployment, so people are more about survival than fashion."
A little extra info on Varvatos for those who don't already love him, because you should. This is how Playboy summed it up:
The designer sharpened his skills under fashion icons Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. He is a lover of both fashion and music and is known for fusing those two passions. His Bowery store in New York sits in the space that formerly housed the seminal underground music club CBGB. His ad campaigns have featured legendary music gods such as Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, ZZ Top and Velvet Revolver. And he even hosts a monthly rock show on SIRIUS XM called Born in Detroit.
This strapless Oscar de la Renta gown has a great dramatic sweep, but it looks fluid and flowy rather than stiff. And it's hard to pair a strapless dress with a thick cluster of jewels, but this works beautiful.
So does her hair ... long and loose with a variety of highlights makes this a glamorous success for the uber-talented nerd from "Glee".
Applause to Michele for not going with a staid and boring updo.
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