Designer Jeremy Scott Chats Kate Middleton, Kim Kardashian And Meeting Rihanna

The American designer chats exclusively to Marie Claire abour Kate Middleton's style and meeting Rihanna

Jeremy Scott is the Amercian fashion designer who celebrities including Rihanna, Katy Perry, Rita Ora and Nicki Minaj have on speed dial when they want a wow-wow outfit. Famed for his outlandish and crazy but oh-so fabulous creations, the Kansas-born designer has now teamed up with Cybex to launch a collection of a strollers, carseats and carriers that certainly break the boring baby mould with their cheeky caricature patterns. So when we heard he was jetting in to London from LA for a few days we couldn't wait to catch up with him...

You’ve collaborated with ADIDAS, Smart cars and now your latest venture is with Cybex on a range of pushchairs, car seats and baby carriers. Why does collaborating with other brands interest you? I get really excited about how these different things touch people’s lives. The Cybex collaboration was different to anything I have ever done before. It was really fun to come up with a new fun aesthetic.

Would you like to see Prince William and Kate pushing your stroller? Absolutely, I would love that. They could work it!

What style advice would you give to the Duchess? She needs to throw a little colour in there. A little colour brightens up everyone’s day.

Does the same go for dressing children? The brighter the better? Yes! It’s a good escapism for the parents to go nuts and do things they maybe wouldn’t do for themselves.

What’s your opinion of Kim Kardashian’s pregnancy style? I see nothing wrong with Kim going for it. She’s dressing the way she feels comfortable. She feels good being done up. I feel very bad for her about it because people are being really mean. Why should she have to hide behind a tent? If she feels happy because she looks this way and it’s doing no one any harm, I think it’s great she wants to keep up her glam appearance.

What do you make of British style compared to LA? I love that people can dress however they want here and no one bats an eyelash. That’s a testament to English attitude about fashion. That’s why things can be so eccentric. In fashion the word ‘eccentric’ almost marries itself to English fashion and English designers. LA has definitely been branded with that boho look but there’s also a whole youth culture there that has it’s own wild thing going on and it is very eclectic.

Rihanna’s tweeted about how much she adores your designs. What was it like to meet her? I had dressed her several times for shows and events but we never met in person due to our crazy schedules. Eventually I got to meet backstage after one of her concerts. When she spotted me she ran over and hugged me. I was so surprised she even recognized me. She’s really cute. And she is so genuine. She just hugs everyone - my assistant, my seamstress when we see her. She has a radiance. She’s so warm and lovely.

So is she a dream to work with? Yes she really gets the references and the feelings I want my clothes to portray. She can visualize herself in a piece even when we’re doing fittings and it’s not finished. Some performers can’t do that. There’s a process and creative people get it, people in fashion get it. Musicians are creative in a different way so sometimes they don’t really understand it. But Rihanna gets it everytime.

Why did you choose Cara Delevingne to open your Autumn/ Winter 2013 show? I love her personality. I mean, duh, she’s beautiful, everyone can see that but her personality is so spectacular. She’s fun and cool and she has such a great, optimistic attitude. She loves interesting, cool, distinct fashion.

When did you meet? She sought me out. She came to my party at Coachella a year ago and she kept sending me tweets of pictures like ‘look I’m wearing your glasses!’ I was like who is this girl, she is so special and unique. I love the way she wears my clothes and how she puts it together. She’s got slight tomboy-esque attitude but at the same time is like porcelain perfect. I don’t know how anyone couldn’t look at her face and be like ‘wow, you’re beautiful.’

You’ve got masses of fans that interact with you on social media. Do you enjoy that aspect of your job? Absolutely, I think it’s really important. For me, maybe more than other designers, I do this to communicate with people. It’s a nice link. I love knowing what excites my fans and how happy it makes them. It makes me want to do more. It’s motivation. I think: ‘I have to do better for these kids. I have to do something more exciting.’

Do you use a moodboard when designing? It’s been several years since I’ve used one. Everything is now floating around on my phone and iPad. I’ve got loads of images saved everywhere.

Do you ever switch off? Yes, I actually don’t keep my phone or iPad in my bedroom. Everything has to be elsewhere or I can’t sleep. I think it’s unhealthy.

When are you at your most creative? Late at night, I’m definitely a night person. I end up staying awake for hours. It’s a bit like a drug. It’s intoxicating. What gives me life is creating. That flow, that moment, that energy. The last thing I want to do is stop it or break it. I just want to continue.

The CYBEX by Jeremy Scott Collection will be available from June 2013 at selected retailers. Visit www.cybex-online.com for more information.

LATEST FASHION NEWS