Worldwise: Fashion Designer Nigel Curtiss’ Favorite Things

“We want to make small portions of the incredibly finest clothes,” Curtiss suggests. “We want every thing that is built to be worn and cherished and stored and handed on to the upcoming technology. This is not rapid style it is arduous, passionate, and beloved fashion.”

Curtiss has been a style designer for over 30 years. He commenced out as a textile designer in London, offering fabrics to
Vivienne Westwood
and
Paul Smith.
In the 1980s, he made menswear for Comme des Garçons, working along with designer
Rei Kawakubo,
and even further honed his expertise doing the job inside of the manner houses of Yves Saint Laurent and Kenzo. Curtiss designed tailor made outfits for
Mick Jagger
and
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
which led him to developing his possess eponymous brand.

Curtiss’ trademark is thoughtful fashion. He is identified for crafting cozy items from luxury cashmere, silk sourced from eco-welcoming farms, and denim dyed with a all-natural, plant-primarily based indigo made in photo voltaic-driven factories. In brief, all solutions are produced in modest quantities, and the group helps make an effort to perform with regional factories, organic and natural materials, recycled yarns, and eco-pleasant packaging.

His most up-to-date line is a wide variety of garments encouraged by the punk ethos of London in the 1970s—using loud styles, dramatic designs and daring colors—which is fulfilled with an upscale class. “It’s tongue and cheek, the spirit of the 1980s,” Curtiss suggests.

“Our largest success is our silk pajamas, which you can have on out to a cafe,” he points out. “It’s multi-functional pajamas, they are for gentlemen and women—everyone is made use of to putting on dishevelled, free clothes, it seems to be neat and has a retro vibe, solid prints with an tasteful component to it.”

Past November, he expanded into all set to use clothes alongside his company husband or wife and wife,
Monica Mitro,
a former govt from Victoria Magic formula. Some of the talents he has dressed contain Close friends star
David Schwimmer,
Duran Duran’s
Simon LeBon,
supermodel
Lily Aldridge,
and actor
Mickey Rourke.

Curtiss a short while ago shared some of his preferred issues with Penta.

My most loved matter about London is… I’m from Brighton, I couldn’t wait around to get out. In London, I appreciate the Connaught Resort, which is in Mayfair and absolutely exquisite, and just close to the corner from it, Scott’s, the seafood cafe.  

My 1980s style icons include…
David Bowie,
Versace,
George Michael
is enjoyable,
Holly Johnson
from Frankie Goes To Hollywood,
Simon Le Bon
from
Duran Duran,
the new romantics seem.
Steve Unusual,
the co-founder of the Blitz club in London, far too.

My favored neighborhood in Tokyo is… effectively, I spent 13 a long time dwelling in Tokyo, and I however can not get sufficient of it. For me, I enjoy the quieter section of Roppongi.

My aspiration vacation is… Ischia, an island near to Capri, off the Gulf of Naples in Italy. I like being at the Mezzatorre Lodge & Spa, they have amazing treatments. It does not have the selection of travellers that Capri has, it’s silent and there is no cruise ships.

My favourite put to grab a drink in New York is…
Casa Cipriani,
a member’s club on South Road in the Money District of Manhattan. It feels like you are on a cruise ship from the 1930s, and the views are stellar. They have a wonderful jazz club there. You get to blend with the persons you want to blend with, it’s a location to satisfy your buddies.

My beloved art museum is… the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

In my art assortment, I have… artwork by unknown artists. I would really like a piece by Banksy, and its powerful political messaging. I derive a great deal of my inspiration from material archives. For my recent selection, I went to Lake Como and visited the factories that developed silkscreen prints that have been in small business for hundreds of decades. For me, it’s like remaining inside of an art gallery. If you can obtain a hundred-yr-outdated paisley print and I can get 100 yards of it, which is my variety of art.

My favorite merchandise I possess is… I have a hundred-year-old Japanese screen on my wall in my flagship boutique in the Meatpacking District. It’s from Thomsen Gallery, which is on the Higher East Side. It’s my preferred New York art gallery, which to me, is a greatest kept mystery.

The most deluxe factor about vogue is… clothes that feel as if they ended up built just for them—from the match to the material and the style. Regardless of whether you are acquiring ready-to-wear or tailoring for a distinctive event, deciding upon clothing ought to experience like a own discussion in between the shopper and the brand name, and which is what we are enthusiastic to supply with my model.

The finest suggestions I ever got was… ‘don’t give up,’ in particular when you operate in a inventive area. So lots of individuals arrive to me and say, “I want to be a vogue designer,” and I say, there’s so a lot rejection. It is this sort of tricky operate. It’s tough, but if you have acquired it and you maintain hoping, you’ll get there in the finish. It’s so worthwhile, it is this sort of a entertaining business to be in.

A enthusiasm of mine that couple of folks know about is… biking. I totally appreciate driving my bike through the Hamptons in the summer time.

If I could have a drink with anybody in the earth, it would be…
Keith Richards.

My favourite arrondissement to walk by way of in Paris is… the Marais in the 4^th arrondissement. There’s so quite a few minor boutiques and stores there, it’s an eclectic slice of charming Parisian culture. This kind of good electricity, so considerably to do. It’s my favored in Europe, by considerably the most stunning 1 but I would not want to stay there.

The thing that gets me up in the morning is… my puppy Max, he comes right up and rolls into my deal with and wakes me up. He’s a rescue mutt. He does not do it to my spouse, while. Only me. 

This interview has been edited for size and clarity.