INTERVIEW: ALEXANDRE HERCHOVITCH TAlks to FILEP moTWARY
Dear iDEALS, Brazil's fashion is proud for two reasons. The FIRST is Gisselle Bundhen and the second is ALEXANDRE HERCHOVITCH. I have decided that Un nouveaU iDEAL OUGHT to it's regular viewers the following interview as a special gift. I contacted the genius designer about four days ago and he made me very happy when he agreed to answer some questions for you all.
fILEPmoTWARY: Based on the great deal of information I have read about you from several sources, I was wondering what your relationship with being provocative used to be and what is provocation for you now. Do you feel it is necessary these days? aLEXANDREhERCHOVITCH: I DO NOT CONSIDER MYSELF PROVOCATIVE NOWADAYS, ONCE IN THE PAST I WAS MORE. I JUST TRY TO COMMUNICATE WHAT I FEEL THROUGH MY COLLECTIONS. MY COLLECTIONS ALWAYS GOES IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY IN TERMS OF TRENDS, IT COULD BE INTERPRETED AS A PROVOCATION, BUT IS NOT!I TRY TO WORK WITH THE INSPIRATIONS WHEN THE COME TO ME, IT DOES NOT MATTER IF IT’S LATE OR VERY EARLY TO WORK WITH
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fM:What was the greatest privilege of your youth back then and where are you standing today? aH: I ALWAYS HAD ENORMOUS SUPPORT FROM MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHATEVER DECISION I MADE. WHEN I DECIDED TO WORK WITH FASHION MY FATHER GAVE ME A SEWING MACHINE... ISN'T THAT A PRIVILEGE?
NOW I STILL COUNT ON MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS, MY MOTHER AND BROTHER WORK FOR ME AS WELL AS SOME FRIENDS THAT ARE WITH ME SINCE MY BEGINNING.fM: You started off very young. If you look back now at your older collections and try to compare them with your new ones, what is the difference that you spot, except the fact that they are new clothes of course. Are there any certain characteristics that you keep since back then? aH: I FEEL MYSELF MORE MATURE NOW. ALL THOSE YEARS I HAVE TRIED TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT PEOPLE IN GENERAL. MY COLLECTIONS NOW CAN BE WORN BY MORE PEOPLE THAN 15 YEARS AGO WHEN I STARTED ALL THIS. IN TERMS OF STYLE, I THINK I AM DOING THE SAME AS EVER. fM:There is a rumor that you collect fake skulls. How did this fascination start?
aH: A LONG TIME AGO WHEN I WAS A KID. I USED TO BE ATTRACTED BY THINGS LIKE SKULLS, SKELETONS AND ETC... SO I STARTED TO COLLECT FAKE SKULLS. NOW I HAVE ALL COLLECTION ( AROUND 200 SKULLS ) INSIDE A PLEXI GLASS CUBE AT HOME. THE FIRST THING I SEWED ( 1986 ) WAS A WHITE COTTON T-SHIRT WITH A BLACK SKULL PRINTED.fM: You are a man that is involved in an interesting number of different projects and companies. Naturally you must have many assistants.. The question that I wanted to ask you is whether you are afraid of losing you personal vision (since so many people are involved) or the direction you want to give things each time? aH:ONLY 2 PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED DO DESIGN AT MY STUDIO BESIDES ME, ONE OF THEM MAURICIO IANES WORKS FOR ME SINCE 1993 AS A CREATIVE CONSULTANT AND STYLIST, THE OTHER ONE IS BEING MY ASSISTANT FOR 5 YEARS NOW. THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT ME THAN MYSELF ! I AM VERY WELL ORGANIZED ABOUT MY TIME, SO I HAVE TIME TO REALIZE EVERYTHING I HAVE PLANNED.
fM:Sao Paulo is a paradise full of beautiful people..Are you happy in Brazil? Do you fall in love often there? aH:SAO PAULO HAVE RECEIVED INFLUENCES AND IMMIGRANTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD AS WELL AS BRAZIL. OUR PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE AN SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTIC, WE ARE A MIX OF EVERYTHING, I WOULD SAY THAT IS NOT A PARADISE OF BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, IT IS A PARADISE OF INTERESTING PEOPLE. I AM VERY HAPPY LIVING HERE, BRAZIL IS A HUGE COUNTRY AND THAT I AM DISCOVERING LITTLE BY LITTLE, THE LANDSCAPE, BEACHES AND FOOD ARE AMAZING!!! I FALL IN LOVE EVERY DAY WITH TRIVIAL AND ORDINARY THINGS...
fM: I was always wondering what was the effect to Brazil back then in the late 90’s, when Mario Testino decided to focus on all of those amazing bodies and transfer their stunning beauty onto the pages of French, American and English VOGUE’s fashion pages? How did this era reflect on you? aH: I HAVE WORKED WITH MARIO TESTINO AND CARINE ROITFELD WHEN I WAS CREATIVE DIRECTOR FOR ZOOMP ( IMPORTANT DENIM BRAND IN BRAZIL ). HE SHOT 6 CAMPAIGNS FOR US, SOME OF THEM IN BRAZIL USING BRAZIL'S LANDSCAPE. MARIO WAS AT THE TIME A KIND OF BRAZILIAN AMBASSADOR, SHOWING NEW THINGS THAT HE HAD DISCOVERED HERE SUCH AS MODELS, CITIES, BEACHES AND ETC... HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SHOWING BRAZIL TO THE WORLD AS WELL AS SOME MODELS LIKE GISELE BUNDCHEN AND SOME FASHION DESIGNERS.
fM:If I come to Sao Paulo, will you be my guide? Will you introduce me to your world? aH:FOR SURE, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO VISIT BRAZIL AND SAO PAULO.fM: Do you like “Un nouveau Ideal”? Is there a wish you would like to share with us or a song you would like to dedicate to your followers? aH: I LOVE THE SONG " BLACK MONEY " PERFORMED BY CULTURE CLUB. " UN NOUVEAU IDEAL " IS AN INSTIGATE NAME. fM:How do you want to be remembered in 2070? aH: AS SOMEONE WITH A FREE SPIRIT THAT HAVE TRIED A LOT OF THINGS DURING MY LIFE, NOT JUST FASHION. fM: Thank you so much Alexandre! I can't wait to visit Brazil
Note: Alexandre has a collaboration line with Judy Blame that is called "JUDY BLAME AND ALEXANDRE HERCHCOVITCH" and it is being sold at Colette as well as Dover Street Market/Comme des Garcons in London.
The pret a porter line cand be found at Touts les FIlles/ Paris. Also more boutiques with Alexandre in the U.S and Japan. Visit his website.
For Alexandre Herchovitch's greek fans, please keep in mind that his collection is available at RENATA boutique, Anagnostopoulou street in Kolonaki
Note2: COPYRIGHT of this interview is owned by FILEP MOTWARY/UN NOUVEAU ideAL. Any reproduction is not permitted without my acceptance.
Love your wep world.
Keep going
Matthew
(Comment this)
and now i decided to leave a comment
cuase... i'm like that
but..! a great interview forsure
i've been really into AH's work for a couple years now
and it's only getting better
peace
ron' (Comment this)