NYC's Public Library.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
AmFar's Inspiration Gala - June 2010
A JB Sateen Suit with Military Details used recently on the catwalk of the Inspiration Gala at
NYC's Public Library.
NYC's Public Library.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Gay New York Weighs in on Wooing LeBron James - Seen in Details
BY LAURENCE LOWE
JUNE 24, 2010
At least half a dozen NBA teams are expected to come a-courting when LeBron James, a.k.a. The Greatest Basketball Player in the World, becomes a free agent at the stroke of midnight on July 1.
Yet no one's shown a greater willingness to sacrifice their time, their livelihoods, even their dignity, to curry King James' favor than the long-suffering fans of the New York Knicks. Count among the supplicants Mayor Bloomberg ("As the good book says, lead us to the Promised Land—and that's a quote from the King James version!"), Police Commissioner Ray Kelly (who advocated the use of bribery), the general manager of Scores (lap dances for life), and, most creatively, Moishe's Movers, which set up a mobile storage container in the parking lot across from Madison Square Garden for fans to fill with tchotchkes and personal messages before delivering it to LeBron's palatial home.
Still, we couldn't help but notice that there's one enormously influential sector of NYC's population that has yet to be consulted: gay New York. "With teammates you have to be trustworthy," LeBron said soon after John Amaechi became the first former NBA player to come out of the closet in 2007, "and if you're gay and you're not admitting that you are, then you are not trustworthy." One thing LeBron can trust: The offers below are ready to be redeemed.
MICHAEL KOKELL, Commissioner, New York City Gay Basketball League
"Where else will pink #23 jerseys fly off the shelves? Come to New York and see your gay fan base explode! Sure, many of us are impressed by your play on the court, but who do you think is really buying all those shirtless photos of you online? Gay New Yorkers! So, at the risk of hearing my partner's father (and Cleveland resident) complain about NYC buying more championships, come to New York! Don't tell Derek Jeter I said this, but you'll have a great shot at unseating him as NYC's hottest athlete and, more importantly, inspiring an entire community of gay athletes."
SPLASH BAR
"As one of the NBA's top scoring players, we would like to offer you the opportunity to position your well aimed balls at some of the most enticing baskets in the USA."
NICO MUHLY, Composer
"What you clearly need in New York is appropriate music. It can follow you around: a leitmotif to be folded into any context. I'll write a brassy fanfare, a thundering bass line for the club, a subtle thing for the morning time, and something to be blasted during games. And if Jean-Georges' double-chicken extravaganza is too much, we'll take you on a sea urchin crawl."
JOHN BARTLETT, Menswear Designer
"Dear LeBron, please come to the coolest city in the world. As a men's designer, animal activist, and yoga freak, I can promise you three things that make the Manhattan man! I can hook you up with my tailor, who's made suits for two presidents and Michael Jackson. I can find the perfect shelter dog to keep you warm at night. And because New York can be a bit stressful, I can hook you up with the most smokin' hot yoga teacher around!"
TOM KELLEY, Director of Operations, Nickel Spa for Men
"To get LeBron James to come to NYC and join the Knicks, we have created the new LeBron James NBA-Style Sports Massage with Hot Pepper Oil and will offer him unlimited treatments for his entire life at the spa!"
JONATHAN ADLER, Interior Designer
"Dude, if you come to New York I will decorate your phat pad and make it insanely squishy for entertaining all the fab people you will meet here. You can't be a true metrosexual in Cleveland! Also, New York has a range of fab tattoo-removal facilities, should you ever choose to pull back a bit on the ink."
PARKE & RONEN, Menswear Designers
"NYC is fit for a king—just look at all the queens we have walking around! If you come here we can offer you a limited edition LeBron James bathing suit—with drop crotch to accommodate."
HARRY ALLEN, Interior Designer
"I've come to the honest conclusion that I just don't care if LeBron James moves to New York. I know very little about basketball, and I don't like team sports in general. I would certainly help him decorate his apartment, or supply any of my design services, but he would have to pay like everyone else. Besides, most of the people I want in New York are already here."
Thursday, June 24, 2010
SideWalk CatWalk
The "Sidewalk/Catwalk" project was just unveiled today on Broadway in the fashion district. The mannequins are designed by various American designers and will be outside on display through the summer.
To check out the John Bartlett Mannequin, it is located on Broadway between 40th and 39th Street.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
At Home with John Bartlett - Vevant
by Lauren David Peden
Designer John Bartlett has been putting his signature spin on menswear since launching his eponymous collection in 1992. The Cincinnati native – who studied menswear design at FIT after receiving a sociology degree from Harvard (you know how you do) – subsequently went on to win two CFDA awards, was named Creative Director of Byblos and Liz Claiborne’s men’s collection, and took a year-long sabbatical in 2002 to study Ashtangha yoga and Buddhism in Thailand and Cambodia (you know how you do) before relaunching his namesake line a year later, and introducing womenswear for fall 2010.
Three years ago, he opened a store in the West Village, just around the corner from the duplex apartment he shares with his partner, John Esty, and their three dogs, Huff (a Bernese Mountain Dog), Millie (Jack Russell/Chihuaha/Cujo) and Tiny Tim, the three-legged mutt – “I think he’s a Rottweiler/Shepherd/Pit Bull mix, but everybody has a different opinion” – who serves as the official John Bartlett logo (that’s Tim’s handsome visage on JB’s store window, shopping bags and t-shirts).
Vevant recently stopped by the duo’s chic lair, and the always-charming designer took a break from working on his spring 2011 collection, preparing his mannequin for Seventh Avenue’s upcoming Sidewalk Catwalk project and getting ready to accept the American Image Awards’ Designer of the Year prize, to give us a tour.
BOY MEETS BOY
When John [Esty] and I moved in here, he and I had both been through very rustic, Adirondack, Stickley – for me, Joseph Beuys-ian –periods, but when we moved, our aesthetic became a little bit more colorful and eclectic. And it’s definitely a combination of weird, early seventies Regency with a lot of handmade artisan details.
When John [Esty] and I moved in here, he and I had both been through very rustic, Adirondack, Stickley – for me, Joseph Beuys-ian –periods, but when we moved, our aesthetic became a little bit more colorful and eclectic. And it’s definitely a combination of weird, early seventies Regency with a lot of handmade artisan details.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
After living and working in Italy and traveling around the world for so many years, my goal when I turned 40, was I wanted to make my world smaller, not bigger. So I wanted to live in the West Village. I wanted to work in the West Village. I wanted to have a store in the West Village. And John Esty’s framing shop is right next door, and this place became available through his landlord. So he actually designed the whole space; it was a raw space. John recommended that they raise the ceilings, he created the wall dividers. They gave him free rein. He did work here every day; it was probably a six-month project. And once the architectural plans were finished, he designed my store, too. So he’s a man of many talents.
After living and working in Italy and traveling around the world for so many years, my goal when I turned 40, was I wanted to make my world smaller, not bigger. So I wanted to live in the West Village. I wanted to work in the West Village. I wanted to have a store in the West Village. And John Esty’s framing shop is right next door, and this place became available through his landlord. So he actually designed the whole space; it was a raw space. John recommended that they raise the ceilings, he created the wall dividers. They gave him free rein. He did work here every day; it was probably a six-month project. And once the architectural plans were finished, he designed my store, too. So he’s a man of many talents.
SITTING PRETTY
This chair [gestures to a green leather chair on a white circular base] is from a company called Espasso in Tribeca, which represents Brazilian furniture designers. I was able to go in and pick which acrylic material I wanted, and which leather color I wanted. So I was able to really personalize the chair. I love it. It’s on a swivel and it’s kind of a two-person chair or a human-and-a-dog chair. These shoes are ours. We wear the same size shoe and we do share. The horns were a Christmas gift from John and came from one of my favorite home stores, Mantiques on West 22nd. The owner finds a lot of industrial, really heavy, unwieldy objects. I’m drawn to anything that’s pointy or you can hurt yourself. Anything that you can, like, impale yourself on, I love. And we wanted to have more color so John designed these industrial rugs. He got to really use color blocking, with the fuchsia, the brown, the orange. They’re great for the work space and they’re great for the dogs.
This chair [gestures to a green leather chair on a white circular base] is from a company called Espasso in Tribeca, which represents Brazilian furniture designers. I was able to go in and pick which acrylic material I wanted, and which leather color I wanted. So I was able to really personalize the chair. I love it. It’s on a swivel and it’s kind of a two-person chair or a human-and-a-dog chair. These shoes are ours. We wear the same size shoe and we do share. The horns were a Christmas gift from John and came from one of my favorite home stores, Mantiques on West 22nd. The owner finds a lot of industrial, really heavy, unwieldy objects. I’m drawn to anything that’s pointy or you can hurt yourself. Anything that you can, like, impale yourself on, I love. And we wanted to have more color so John designed these industrial rugs. He got to really use color blocking, with the fuchsia, the brown, the orange. They’re great for the work space and they’re great for the dogs.
LIVE TO WORK
My work, to John’s dismay, has slowly found its way into the the dining room area. This worktable used to be there [gestures to the adjoining room], and then one Thanksgiving we had a big dinner and we moved it here and it stayed. It’s an incredible worktable. It’s a reproduction of a bricklayer’s table from a company out of Atlanta called BoBo. I like the rustic feel.
My work, to John’s dismay, has slowly found its way into the the dining room area. This worktable used to be there [gestures to the adjoining room], and then one Thanksgiving we had a big dinner and we moved it here and it stayed. It’s an incredible worktable. It’s a reproduction of a bricklayer’s table from a company out of Atlanta called BoBo. I like the rustic feel.
CHIC HAPPENS
My style [as a designer] has evolved over the years, but it is always a personal reflection of where I am in my life. It’s very American. It’s very sensual and sexual. It’s moved away from being for, like, the fashionista kids and is much more reality-based, great clothes for guys. I get a lot of really cool, young families who live in the Village, and the wife is kind of pushing her husband to take a step forward. It’s a nice way to take a step forward without him feeling silly. And with the women’s collection, it’s pretty much the same idea. A lot of it is made in America. There’s a lot of tailoring, great cuts – something that you want to just throw on every day. And my woman is very strong and very independent.
My style [as a designer] has evolved over the years, but it is always a personal reflection of where I am in my life. It’s very American. It’s very sensual and sexual. It’s moved away from being for, like, the fashionista kids and is much more reality-based, great clothes for guys. I get a lot of really cool, young families who live in the Village, and the wife is kind of pushing her husband to take a step forward. It’s a nice way to take a step forward without him feeling silly. And with the women’s collection, it’s pretty much the same idea. A lot of it is made in America. There’s a lot of tailoring, great cuts – something that you want to just throw on every day. And my woman is very strong and very independent.
TEXTILE TALK
Right now I’m working on spring ’11; I’m in the early throes. Basically I go through and see every vendor, every mill, and then I start putting down all my [fabric and inspiration] boards. It’s always like creating a meal where you have all these ingredients but you don’t know what it’s going to be like until the last minute. So I have an idea of what I want and then hopefully the pieces will start coming together. I always have loved camouflage and military’s always been a part of my inspiration, so I’ve developed a Tiny Tim camouflage, which is really cool [shows us a dog-print camo fabric]. Isn’t it sweet? I worked with a guy, Tom Cody, who’s got an amazing print studio, and he took my logo and color ways, and we played around. It took a while to get the right dimensions. I always circle around the same ideas. I think it’s what most designers do. One of my earliest shows was based on Hare Krishnas. I love orange and pinks, obviously, and I really get very inspired by Eastern dress, and a lot of dress that people in different spiritual movements wear. So the whole Hare Krishna thing I love. And my guy, you know, he loves military details. So I’m working on a combination of the two. We’ll see where that goes.
Right now I’m working on spring ’11; I’m in the early throes. Basically I go through and see every vendor, every mill, and then I start putting down all my [fabric and inspiration] boards. It’s always like creating a meal where you have all these ingredients but you don’t know what it’s going to be like until the last minute. So I have an idea of what I want and then hopefully the pieces will start coming together. I always have loved camouflage and military’s always been a part of my inspiration, so I’ve developed a Tiny Tim camouflage, which is really cool [shows us a dog-print camo fabric]. Isn’t it sweet? I worked with a guy, Tom Cody, who’s got an amazing print studio, and he took my logo and color ways, and we played around. It took a while to get the right dimensions. I always circle around the same ideas. I think it’s what most designers do. One of my earliest shows was based on Hare Krishnas. I love orange and pinks, obviously, and I really get very inspired by Eastern dress, and a lot of dress that people in different spiritual movements wear. So the whole Hare Krishna thing I love. And my guy, you know, he loves military details. So I’m working on a combination of the two. We’ll see where that goes.
MIRROR MIRROR, ON THE WALL
John made that in, like, an hour [gestures to a geometric mirror]. I think it’s inspired by a designer he likes. It actually cracked a couple of places, but he just threw it together one day. I mean, I’m all thumbs. But he can make anything.
John made that in, like, an hour [gestures to a geometric mirror]. I think it’s inspired by a designer he likes. It actually cracked a couple of places, but he just threw it together one day. I mean, I’m all thumbs. But he can make anything.
CERAMIC CHIC
This is kind of our ceramics setting. The [owl] is a ceramic porcelain piece, made by an artist named Jon Rappleye. He worked with John Esty in his frame shop, and he’s become an incredible artist on his own. He had gone out to Kohler – the porcelain/bathroom people – and they taught him how to work in porcelain. So while he was there doing that, he created these very eerie images. And I love John Derian’s work, but I loved these plates especially because it’s all different types of men from different cultures. And my friends have a company called Carter & Cunningham and create really interesting mirrors. They take antique, re-found mirrors, and develop really beautiful ceramic tiles that are inlaid into them. So they create all these different thematic mirrors; this is one is more Moorish.
This is kind of our ceramics setting. The [owl] is a ceramic porcelain piece, made by an artist named Jon Rappleye. He worked with John Esty in his frame shop, and he’s become an incredible artist on his own. He had gone out to Kohler – the porcelain/bathroom people – and they taught him how to work in porcelain. So while he was there doing that, he created these very eerie images. And I love John Derian’s work, but I loved these plates especially because it’s all different types of men from different cultures. And my friends have a company called Carter & Cunningham and create really interesting mirrors. They take antique, re-found mirrors, and develop really beautiful ceramic tiles that are inlaid into them. So they create all these different thematic mirrors; this is one is more Moorish.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
I was up late last night trying to find a vegan cooking school because I’m trying to move towards veganism, and I know I’m going to end up eating salads and vegan cookies. The vegan thing is new and I’m trying to figure that out. What I’m finding that makes it even more important, is how the environment is so affected by factory farming and that the plot of land that it takes to feed one meat-eater could feed ten non-meat-eaters because it takes so much water and so much gas. I mean, half the fuel and half the water that we use in our country is to fuel the farm factories – and the methane gas that these cows are burping into the environment [contributes to global warming]. It’s so fascinating how this is all connected – the environment’s affected, animals’ lives are affected, our health is effected – all these things. I had no idea.
I was up late last night trying to find a vegan cooking school because I’m trying to move towards veganism, and I know I’m going to end up eating salads and vegan cookies. The vegan thing is new and I’m trying to figure that out. What I’m finding that makes it even more important, is how the environment is so affected by factory farming and that the plot of land that it takes to feed one meat-eater could feed ten non-meat-eaters because it takes so much water and so much gas. I mean, half the fuel and half the water that we use in our country is to fuel the farm factories – and the methane gas that these cows are burping into the environment [contributes to global warming]. It’s so fascinating how this is all connected – the environment’s affected, animals’ lives are affected, our health is effected – all these things. I had no idea.
SO-FA, SO GOOD
John Esty designed the couches. The fabric is some kind of high-tech micro fabric that you can basically wipe down with Windex or whatever. We put this [inflatable air mattress] bed up about two months ago for a friend who was staying and I refuse to take it down, even though it kills the room, because the dogs are not allowed on the couches. So Tiny Tim and I lay on this when we watch TV. John’s like, “That is going down.” I’m, like, “Okay, then the dogs get to go on the couches.” He’s like, “No.” I’m like, “Okay, then it’s never going away.” It’s unsightly, but I love it.
John Esty designed the couches. The fabric is some kind of high-tech micro fabric that you can basically wipe down with Windex or whatever. We put this [inflatable air mattress] bed up about two months ago for a friend who was staying and I refuse to take it down, even though it kills the room, because the dogs are not allowed on the couches. So Tiny Tim and I lay on this when we watch TV. John’s like, “That is going down.” I’m, like, “Okay, then the dogs get to go on the couches.” He’s like, “No.” I’m like, “Okay, then it’s never going away.” It’s unsightly, but I love it.
NOW SHOWING
I’ve done two fashion shows here. Fashion shows are really crazy expensive and when I started doing shows again, I wanted something that was very personal. I wanted to invite people into my space and make it very intimate. The reason I had to stop having them here was because the guest list kept growing, and I kept insulting people who wanted to come so it just became harder to do. But I loved doing it here because the guys got dressed over at John’s [framing shop]. I love that kind of homegrown, grassroots approach – and especially in light of the economy, it made so much sense. So I loved doing them here. It just felt like home.
I’ve done two fashion shows here. Fashion shows are really crazy expensive and when I started doing shows again, I wanted something that was very personal. I wanted to invite people into my space and make it very intimate. The reason I had to stop having them here was because the guest list kept growing, and I kept insulting people who wanted to come so it just became harder to do. But I loved doing it here because the guys got dressed over at John’s [framing shop]. I love that kind of homegrown, grassroots approach – and especially in light of the economy, it made so much sense. So I loved doing them here. It just felt like home.
GOING TO THE DOGS
I do a lot of work with North Shore Animal League; they’re an amazing place. We do adoption events with them three or four times a year; they come to the store with a big mobile unit. I’m good friends now with a lot of people there so we’ll talk beforehand and they’ll be like, “Okay, are there any requests? Somebody looking for a certain type of dog?” And they’ll hand-pick the dogs and cats that they bring. More and more now, there are a lot of purebred dogs that have been rescued from the puppy mills, and there’s a lot of people who have a specific breed that they love. Like [men's fashion editor/consultant] Michael Macko got his gorgeous dachshund, Crystal [at a JB/North Shore event], so a lot of people are able to find a breed that they love there, rather than going to a pet store. When I turned 40, I wanted to get a dog so I went out there and that’s when I met Tiny Tim. And when I opened the store, we came up with this idea of doing the adoption events. It’s my favorite day in the store because you get to play with all these dogs and I get to see dogs – and cats – find homes. It’s a win-win.
I do a lot of work with North Shore Animal League; they’re an amazing place. We do adoption events with them three or four times a year; they come to the store with a big mobile unit. I’m good friends now with a lot of people there so we’ll talk beforehand and they’ll be like, “Okay, are there any requests? Somebody looking for a certain type of dog?” And they’ll hand-pick the dogs and cats that they bring. More and more now, there are a lot of purebred dogs that have been rescued from the puppy mills, and there’s a lot of people who have a specific breed that they love. Like [men's fashion editor/consultant] Michael Macko got his gorgeous dachshund, Crystal [at a JB/North Shore event], so a lot of people are able to find a breed that they love there, rather than going to a pet store. When I turned 40, I wanted to get a dog so I went out there and that’s when I met Tiny Tim. And when I opened the store, we came up with this idea of doing the adoption events. It’s my favorite day in the store because you get to play with all these dogs and I get to see dogs – and cats – find homes. It’s a win-win.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Dressed for Success
"Try not to become a man of success but a man of value. " -- Albert Einstein
I often ask myself what success means and am I truly successful? Throughout my career I have had many successes: great reviews, amazing selling seasons, numerous awards, and celebrity fans. To the outside looking in, this would feel like success. But from the inside looking out, I feel that I have yet to be truly successful.
For years I have been haunted by what the fashion critics have said of my work (good and not so good), and how retailers have embraced or not embraced my brand. I have defined my concept of success from the outside, how others have viewed me. This is a trap, and it is only in the past couple of years that I have begun to understand what true success means (to me at least).
Success is not only determined by milestones and bank accounts. It is not defined by how others perceive you because, believe me, people move on and find the next big thing quite willingly. And it is not even making your dreams come true, because even that can leave one asking “ok, what’s next?”
True success comes with maturity and appreciation for what one has in their lives. It comes with a sense of how our values shape our lives and how one lives each and every day. When you pursue “success” you rarely achieve it, for like everything in the material world, success is illusive, much like wealth, looks, and even that damn six pack that us gay guys worship as an ultimate trophy. The only thing one can count on is change and holding onto a concept of what success may mean today will hinder one’s growth and keep us locked in a definition of ourselves that disallows newness and expansion for tomorrow.
I remember my father's advice when I graduated from Harvard and wanted to pursue social work as a career. He said “John, if you do what you love, you will be able to effect more change than limiting yourself to traditional avenues of giving”. And he was right. Through my career and through my chosen field, I have had so many more opportunities to reach out to my community, whether that is the gay community, the west village community where I live, or the community of people, like myself, who are devoted to animal advocacy and ending the needless suffering of innocent animals.
I am heading to my 25th Harvard College Reunion in a couple of weeks and it will be interesting to see how "successful"I feel and how my classmates define success now, 25 years later. Conan O'Brien is one part of my graduating class and I would love to get his take on this elusive issue.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Style Guyde Interview with John Bartlett for Instinct Magazine
Written by Sean Krebs | Sunday, 25 April 2010
(Above: David Axell in a John Bartlett suit)
Within the first week of moving to New York City in the heat of the summer 16 years ago, I attended my first men’s fashion show. I wore a Jean Paul Gaultier cropped vest over a white linen tunic (both from his Spring 1994 collection) and a pair of high-waisted Dolce & Gabbana pants (from Filene’s Basement). Don’t laugh—it was 1994, after all—and my outfit was cool enough for Bill Cunningham (the man who single-handedly invented “Street Style” photography) to take my picture for The New York Times (sadly, it was the first—and only—time my picture would run in his “On The Street” column). The show was held in a raw, cavernous space (an empty warehouse?) in the far West Village on the edge of the now-fashionable Meatpacking District—and I was someone’s “plus one”. The show was John Bartlett.
I’ve attended many John Bartlett shows since—including one this past February for his Fall/Winter 2010 collection which was held during a major snowstorm (for that I wore a Ralph Lauren down-filled jacket and a Missoni cashmere hat). John (a Cincinnati native) has had a very interesting and exciting career since he graduated from Harvard in 1985—a career that has seen him launch his eponymous label in 1992 (after attending the Menswear program at the Fashion Institute of Technology), win two awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (the Perry Ellis Award for Best Newcomer in 1993 and the Best Menswear Designer of the Year in 1997), work as the Creative Director of (the Italian-based label) Byblos from 1998-2000, close his company in 2002 to take a sabbatical in Thailand and Cambodia (where he studied Ashtangha yoga and Buddhism), re-enter the industry at the end of 2003 and open his own store in the West Village in 2007.
Phew! Did you get all that? Well, it suffices to say that John is a super talented designer (and super charming too!)—and I am honored (and humbled) that he took the time out of his busy schedule to sit down and do “The Style Guyde Interview”:
What is your favorite piece from your Spring/Summer 2010 collection?
My favorite piece from Spring/Summer is my purple motorcycle belted jacket. It is cut from a glazed cotton linen. The purple is the perfect shade and you can wear it with navy, white and khaki! (See picture below)
What do you love most about designing men's wear?
What I love most about designing for men is that I am a man and I can relate to the pieces in a first person manner. Designing for women is more challenging because I have to rely on the women in my life to tell me what works and what doesn't. With men’s wear the experience is immediate and very personal.
Please describe "The John Bartlett Man."
The John Bartlett Man is ever evolving as I evolve. He is a smart dude, sexy but in a goofy sort of way, compassionate about the earth and animals, educated, and looks to his clothing to express himself not to define him.
What are the five items every man should own?
Every man should own a sexy pair of beaten up jeans, a gingham buttondown shirt, a denim blazer, a perfectly tailored navy pinstripe suit and a yoga mat!
What is the biggest mistake men make when getting dressed?
Men either wear clothing that is way too big for them or way too shrunken. When a man is swimming in his clothes, he looks out of touch with himself. When the clothes are too tight or shrunken he looks like he is trying to dress too young for his age or he looks like Pee Wee Herman, which is not a sexy look.
Who are your style icons?
My style icons are very random and kind of out there—UPS men, Hare Krishnas, Charlie Brown and Forrest Gump (I told you they were out there!).
Who or what has been your biggest influence?
My biggest influence has been my Dad, who passed away a year and a half ago. He inspired me to always be true to myself and to understand that if I am doing what I love, that I can contribute much more to society than if I were doing things only for the financial gain.
If you weren't a fashion designer, what would you be?
If I were not a fashion designer, I think I would be working with shelter dogs, teaching yoga or washing windows on the highest floors of the Empire State Building (I love heights!).
Let’s talk favorites:
Movie? Fassbinder's Querelle
Book? Dancer From The Dance by Andrew Holleran—a gay must read about NYC and Fire Island in the early ’70s.
Vacation spot? Parrot Cay
What's the one extravagance you can't live without?
I can’t live without my beloved dog walker. My hubby and I splurge for her to come walk our three dogs twice a day, which really adds up. But knowing that the dogs are happy and have “done their business” is money well spent.
What's on your current Playlist?
Vintage Led Zeppelin
Vampire Weekend
Philip Glass
Stevie Nicks
What astrological sign are you?
Aries with Sagittarius Rising
What's next for you and the John Bartlett brand?
I am re-launching women’s for Fall 2010, which will be tailor-made for all the cool lesbian girls that continually ask me to make my men’s wear in their sizes. Maybe a book, a reality show or another store... who knows!
Photography: Greg Vaughan
Styling: Antonio Branco @ De Facto
Model: David Axell @ Click Model Management
Check out http://www.johnbartlettny.com for more information.
(Above: David Axell in a John Bartlett suit)
Within the first week of moving to New York City in the heat of the summer 16 years ago, I attended my first men’s fashion show. I wore a Jean Paul Gaultier cropped vest over a white linen tunic (both from his Spring 1994 collection) and a pair of high-waisted Dolce & Gabbana pants (from Filene’s Basement). Don’t laugh—it was 1994, after all—and my outfit was cool enough for Bill Cunningham (the man who single-handedly invented “Street Style” photography) to take my picture for The New York Times (sadly, it was the first—and only—time my picture would run in his “On The Street” column). The show was held in a raw, cavernous space (an empty warehouse?) in the far West Village on the edge of the now-fashionable Meatpacking District—and I was someone’s “plus one”. The show was John Bartlett.
I’ve attended many John Bartlett shows since—including one this past February for his Fall/Winter 2010 collection which was held during a major snowstorm (for that I wore a Ralph Lauren down-filled jacket and a Missoni cashmere hat). John (a Cincinnati native) has had a very interesting and exciting career since he graduated from Harvard in 1985—a career that has seen him launch his eponymous label in 1992 (after attending the Menswear program at the Fashion Institute of Technology), win two awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (the Perry Ellis Award for Best Newcomer in 1993 and the Best Menswear Designer of the Year in 1997), work as the Creative Director of (the Italian-based label) Byblos from 1998-2000, close his company in 2002 to take a sabbatical in Thailand and Cambodia (where he studied Ashtangha yoga and Buddhism), re-enter the industry at the end of 2003 and open his own store in the West Village in 2007.
Phew! Did you get all that? Well, it suffices to say that John is a super talented designer (and super charming too!)—and I am honored (and humbled) that he took the time out of his busy schedule to sit down and do “The Style Guyde Interview”:
What is your favorite piece from your Spring/Summer 2010 collection?
My favorite piece from Spring/Summer is my purple motorcycle belted jacket. It is cut from a glazed cotton linen. The purple is the perfect shade and you can wear it with navy, white and khaki! (See picture below)
What do you love most about designing men's wear?
What I love most about designing for men is that I am a man and I can relate to the pieces in a first person manner. Designing for women is more challenging because I have to rely on the women in my life to tell me what works and what doesn't. With men’s wear the experience is immediate and very personal.
Please describe "The John Bartlett Man."
The John Bartlett Man is ever evolving as I evolve. He is a smart dude, sexy but in a goofy sort of way, compassionate about the earth and animals, educated, and looks to his clothing to express himself not to define him.
What are the five items every man should own?
Every man should own a sexy pair of beaten up jeans, a gingham buttondown shirt, a denim blazer, a perfectly tailored navy pinstripe suit and a yoga mat!
What is the biggest mistake men make when getting dressed?
Men either wear clothing that is way too big for them or way too shrunken. When a man is swimming in his clothes, he looks out of touch with himself. When the clothes are too tight or shrunken he looks like he is trying to dress too young for his age or he looks like Pee Wee Herman, which is not a sexy look.
Who are your style icons?
My style icons are very random and kind of out there—UPS men, Hare Krishnas, Charlie Brown and Forrest Gump (I told you they were out there!).
Who or what has been your biggest influence?
My biggest influence has been my Dad, who passed away a year and a half ago. He inspired me to always be true to myself and to understand that if I am doing what I love, that I can contribute much more to society than if I were doing things only for the financial gain.
If you weren't a fashion designer, what would you be?
If I were not a fashion designer, I think I would be working with shelter dogs, teaching yoga or washing windows on the highest floors of the Empire State Building (I love heights!).
Let’s talk favorites:
Movie? Fassbinder's Querelle
Book? Dancer From The Dance by Andrew Holleran—a gay must read about NYC and Fire Island in the early ’70s.
Vacation spot? Parrot Cay
What's the one extravagance you can't live without?
I can’t live without my beloved dog walker. My hubby and I splurge for her to come walk our three dogs twice a day, which really adds up. But knowing that the dogs are happy and have “done their business” is money well spent.
What's on your current Playlist?
Vintage Led Zeppelin
Vampire Weekend
Philip Glass
Stevie Nicks
What astrological sign are you?
Aries with Sagittarius Rising
What's next for you and the John Bartlett brand?
I am re-launching women’s for Fall 2010, which will be tailor-made for all the cool lesbian girls that continually ask me to make my men’s wear in their sizes. Maybe a book, a reality show or another store... who knows!
Photography: Greg Vaughan
Styling: Antonio Branco @ De Facto
Model: David Axell @ Click Model Management
Check out http://www.johnbartlettny.com for more information.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Renewal
For the past couple of months I have been experiencing a renewal like nothing I have experienced before. It has been extreme in its measures, but, it has been worth it and my whole core is vibrating at an entirely new level.
You see, after an incredible trip with my hubbie John Esty to Parrot Cay, an island resort off of Turks and Caicos, I felt the rumblings of an overhaul. For years I have been drawn to a more balanced spiritual life but have always gone in and out of it depending on my stress levels and attention span. When I finally got to decompress with my beloved in the holistic setting of Parrot Cay, I was able to jump start my yoga and meditation practice and felt inspired to start the journey of becoming vegan.
For those unaware of what being vegan entails, it is, simply put, not eating any animal products, including dairy. I had recently read Alicia Silverstone’s great book “The Kind Diet” and started to come to terms with the impact of meat eating on myself, on the animals who are being “factory farmed” and on the environment.
The personal renewal I have experienced through becoming vegan has been very powerful. I sleep better, feel better and am more connected to the world at large as well as to my inner world. With this change, I have also “renewed” my commitment to doing what I can to alleviate the suffering of others, which includes our beloved animal friends.
As a designer, I have always worked in leather and part of my identity in the fashion community has been associated with sexy leather styles. This part of my work no longer makes sense to me and I am foregoing further use of leather come September. The leather belts that I sell in my store and the leather styles I designed for my fall collection will be discontinued by then and I will seek out non-leather alternatives that resonate with my new found focus.
Becoming a vegan is obviously not for everyone and it is indeed extreme in its execution. For me, though, it feels right. My friends, who have seen me try on spiritual trends like hats, have been incredibly supportive hoping that this is not just another fad that I will abandon like last season’s must have! I promise to keep you posted…lovejb
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