Life lessons according to one of the most famous designers in the world...
You probably think you know Michael Kors. Perhaps it's because your at-home beauty table is lined with bottles of his fragrance, or that you're carrying a signature MK bag right now, or maybe, just maybe, you're lucky enough to be familiar with the man who happens to have of the most sanguine personalities in the business.
Yes, the man appears to be an eternal optimist. 'I don’t want to be around people who don’t find joy in what they do,', he explains as we sit down to talk about his new fragrance, Sexy Ruby. In fact, it seems like every sentence that comes from his mouth is either a positive affirmation, or a reminder that hey, we work in fashion, there are worse ways to be making a living.
In an effort to #bemoreMichael, take heed of his words of wisdom and try to invoke the Kors spirit that'll leave you feeling uplifted, energised and smelling so damn good...
On staying positive...
'I was lucky that I knew early on that I was doing what I loved - what I was passionate about - but also to be able to be successful doing it. Sure, you have some days that are too long, or you’re tired but -fashion people often don’t remember how privileged we all are to be surrounded by beauty and all of these wonderful things. You know what? The world is so complicated but what we do is lovely. So I say, "let's celebrate it!"...'
On being an individual...
'This last fashion show this spring, we worked with Orlando Pita doing the hair. And I said to him, "Orlando, I really don’t want to change their hair." And he said, "What do you mean?!" I said, "If they have curly hair, we’re leaving it. If it’s wavy, we’re leaving it. If it’s straight, we’re leaving it...." I just wanted it to be healthy. That’s it. And some of the girls were shocked because of what I wanted, but I wanted the hair to be natural. I think it’s about being honest with yourself.'
On staying relevant...
'You never stop learning. If you think you’ve arrived, then you’re finished. The fashion and beauty world is always evolving and it should reflect the world. So the moment you think you're at the peak, it’s finished for you. So the thing that I’ve learned as a designer, is that you always have to listen to your gut instinct. It’s the most important thing.'
On white jeans...
'Somehow, white jeans are automatically glamorous. I think white jeans make you not really care about the weather, there’s something very indulgent about them but at the same time, they’re practical (because hey, you can wash them).'
On why rubies are the new diamonds...
Shop now: Michael Kors Sexy Ruby Eau de Parfum for £90 from Boots
'We don’t see a lot of rubies in today’s world. There’s real depth to them and when you look into a ruby, you get all of those facets. So it's bringing the idea of power and sexy together into a fragrance. But I wanted it to be a fragrance that was surprising, so that when someone asks, "what are you wearing?", at first, they don’t really know what the scent is. It’s not a pure one note you know, it’s not a pure floral. It’s not a pure musk. That you take these sort of disparate things and combine them makes it more interesting. That makes it intriguing.
