designer interviews

At a special preview of Isabel Marant's latest, and possibly greatest, store in Paris, I met the designer responsible for years of fashion obsessions (ahem, wedge sneaker, anyone?), and was not that surprised to meet a designer as genuinely cool and effortless in real life as her namesake collections. Dressed in skinny gray jeans, high-heeled booties, a loose tee, and a fitted leather jacket, Marant was jovial and easygoing, which was extraimpressive in light of the fact that her Spring 2013 show was only two days away. Over croissants and fresh-squeezed juice, I got to check out the store — a gorgeous old building surrounded by bamboo on the busy, shop-filled Avenue Victor Hugo — and speak with Isabel to get her thoughts on style, her goals, and why the craze around her wedge sneaker is such a double-edged sword.


Marant created the wedge sneaker, one of those genius "why didn't I think of that" creations that melded our need for comfort, our love for sportiness, and our instinct for anything with a heel. It became one of the biggest trends in footwear, spawning dozens of knockoffs. Said Marant, "I cannot say I'm surprised, because I worked a very long time to achieve it. It took a long time because when you have a wedge in the shoe it can be very bulky. When I finished it, I knew it was going to be a hit, and that it would be copied." And how does she feel to see those dozens of knockoffs? "Sometimes it's a bit too much for me. Seeing all those ugly copies — that really breaks my heart, because very often it gives a very vulgar twist [to the sneaker]. I'm not very fond about that."

But there are brighter spots to focus on, and Marant lit up talking about her forthcoming LA store (slated to open in December). "The store in LA will be one of my favorites," she said. "I love the space; I was about to keep it as a house for me," she added with a laugh. Of choosing a space, she compared it to her art. "I have to fall in love with a space, there must be something happening. I'm very attached to location, to the feeling and atmosphere of a space."

With so many stores opening around the world, and a brand that is coveted by cool girls everywhere, what else could Marant want? I asked her about her goals for the future, and opening stores was not one. "Working less and spending more time with my family — woman things, like being a mom. I'm working a lot, and my son is asking for me," she said with a big laugh. With that she said goodbye, donned a helmet, and hopped on her scooter outside, jetting off to her office to prep for the big Spring 2013 show.

Check out FabSugar's Instagram feed for pictures of Isabel Marant, her store, and much more from Paris Fashion Week!

Who doesn't love Rebecca Taylor's soft, feminine clothing and bold styling? The New York City-based designer has an uncanny ability to make leopard feel new and fresh every season; she's also got a way of making us feel girly without compromising sophistication. Basically, she is one of the coolest chicks we know, and we got the inside scoop on her favorite things about Fall — right before she debuts her Spring 2012 collection at New York Fashion Week.



Favorite Part of Fall: I love watching the seasons change in New York — my favorite part is the brisk air and changing of the leaves, it's very picturesque! Coziest Weekend Outfit: Jeans and a Lanvin striped tee layered with a Rebecca Taylor chunky cableknit oversized cardi. If I Weren't a Fashion Designer: I would be a makeup artist if I had a more steady hand! My Foolproof Styling Advice: invest in items that are transitional and can bring you from Spring to Fall.

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Alice Temperley has been lighting up our radar so much we had to learn more about the British designer, who is riding a serious wave of worldwide popularity right now thanks in part to the loyalty of two rather well-known British sisters we know as Pippa and Kate Middleton. Kate has been spotted several times in Temperley, in pretty dresses and recently in a frilled shirt from Alice by Temperley on her North American tour, while Pippa wowed the world in the emerald green gown she wore to the royal wedding reception. The successful British designer has been creating her feminine line of clothing for a decade now, inciting romance via Temperley collection and channeling London's rock-n-roll heritage with a feminine twist within her contemporary line Alice by Temperley. With the release of her latest Resort 2012 collections, we are as obsessed as ever. Alice's delicate, detailed dresses and separates inspire the fun-loving romantic in us, and they also make us a little obsessed with Alice herself. We caught up with the designer to find out what's jazzing her up right now.

Read more to get the scoop on Alice.

Oliver Peoples defines understated cool. They're not flashy sunglasses, and never will be. But somehow, the line based out of LA has become super fly, for the best reasons: the shades are really well-made and always seem to hone in on just the right shape. So just who is Oliver Peoples? We spoke with founder and creative director Larry Leight to get some good dirt on this quietly awesome brand. Here are five things you didn't know:

• Oliver Peoples was a man before a brand
  In 1986, optician Larry Leight purchased an estate collection of vintage, American-made eyewear, which included beautiful filigreed frames and clip-ons from the American machine age. With this purchase was a receipt signed by "Oliver Peoples," who was presumed to be the original owner. According to the estate seller, the man had no known living family, so Larry decided to name the store (and later the wholesale company) Oliver Peoples in his honor.

More cool facts about Oliver Peoples after the jump

In the middle of Manhattan's Meatpacking District, Tommy Hilfiger launched his 60-piece Prep World capsule collection inside a Cape Cod-inspired beach house that had been specially built solely to serve as the Prep World pop-up shop. We caught up with the designer inside the beach house and got his tips for crisp Summer style, and learned about his not so preppy past.

FabSugar: I love your outfit. Were you always this classic, preppy guy?
Tommy Hilfiger: Well, no. I went through a hippie stage in the '70s: I had long hair and wore bell-bottoms. In the late '70s or early '80s, I went back to preppy because I was sick of the hippie stuff. I cut my hair short, and that's when I designed this line of cool, preppy clothes.

FS: Were you inspired by style icons at the time?
TH: James Dean, Robert Redford, you know, American Hollywood. And then there were the Kennedys. They've always been an inspiration.

FS: What are five basic Summer essentials every woman needs in her cool, preppy closet?
TH: A nautical stripe, navy-and-white long sleeve tee, colored chinos, madras shorts, a man-tailored navy blazer, and a ribbon belt. With some cool docksiders or flip-flops.

FS: What's your favorite piece from the Prep World collection?
TH: I love the men's tuxedo jacket.

FS: The pop-up house is only spending a few days in each city. Why such a short time?
TH: We picked the choicest locations in each city — LA, Paris, London, Madrid, Milan — and so there are limits to how much time we can spend there. Plus, it keeps it exciting. If it's in one place too long, people get tired of it.

FS: If you could put this beach house anywhere for one Summer, where it would be?
TH: Nantucket, on the beach.

Last night, Armani Exchange and 944 magazine hosted an incredible neon carnival in Palm Springs for Coachella attendees complete with Ferris wheels, bumper cars, and fun carnival games. Somewhere between ring tosses and bolder rolls, we caught up with Nicky Hilton — sporting a super cute blue tie-dye dress and Balenciaga bag — during the festivities to talk to about her Coachella essentials, favorite performances, what she has in the hopper with her latest jewelry collection, and more. Listen up to what Nicky has to say:

FabSugar: What are your Coachella essentials?

Nicky Hilton: Definitely sunglasses, flat shoes, and a big purse.

FS: What have been your favorite performances so far?

NH: DJ Steve Angello and Arcade Fire.

FS: How would you describe your festival style?

NH: Colorful and comfy!

FS: What can you tell us about your latest jewelry collection?

NH: The new line will be very deco, Elizabeth Taylor-inspired.