Derek Blasberg: "You can behave wildly, but very wildly - never"
Derek Blasberg is the editor-in-chief of Harper's Bazaar and V, the author of the best-selling "Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady", a real gentleman and a man who knows, perhaps, everyone in the fashion industry. Wonderzine met with Derek at the Metropol Hotel, at the invitation of which he came to the Moscow Biennale, and learned how to interpret the tips in his book, why drinking at parties is not comme il faut and where the border between a lady and a bore is.
DEREK, YOU ARE THE SPECIALIST IN WHAT THE MODERN LADY SHOULD LOOK. IN MOSCOW ALREADY FOR THE FIFTH TIME (FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS IN 2006); TIME WHEN STEREOTYPE ABOUT THAT RUSSIANS CARRY EXCLUSIVELY FUR AND DIAMONDS, STARTED TO RELAX, THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF A CITY AND THE FACE OF HIS RESIDENTS - CHANGE. WHAT DO YOU SEE ANY EXTERNAL EVOLUTION?
Even when I came for the first time, I realized that all these stereotypes of 10 years ago about girls with lush styling, decorations on the chest and sable on the shoulder have nothing in common with modern Moscow. When I stand at a party, I notice a couple of diamonds here, a couple of fur coats there, but that's probably all. Most of the girls I know here look great in a global context. Perhaps this is the impact of globalization, such international chic, because all the girls watch the same fashion shows, buy things from the same designers. For me, the most terrible thing is when girls dress irresponsibly. When I say "irresponsible," I mean those who do not want to spend time in order to clean up and present themselves. I believe that a person who looks good feels good. AT LEAST YOU ARE ALWAYS CONSTANTLY TRIP THROUGH WEEKS OF THE FASHION AND OUR POSITAL POSITIONS OF THOSE POSITIONS OF THOUSAND GIRLS, WHO WASTE THE TIME BEFORE THE MIRROR, NOT TO UNDERSTAND FEELING TO BE SURE TO BE SURE TO BE UNDERSTANDING TO THE SOFTWARE TO UNDER THE SAME FAMILY MODELS BECAME OEDSHIPS IDEAS GET ON THE MAIN STYLE.COM.
I am not at all inspired by the idea of dressing for the sake of your picture being in an influential publication. I respect girls who dress up because they love this process, they love fashion and these designers. Nevertheless, it is just pleasant for me to look at those who look beautiful and have good taste, and not to think who had any intentions. YOU PHOTOGRAPHY MANY OF THEM FOR YOUR MY BLOG MRBLASBERG.COM. AT THE PARTIES A REAGENT NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMES. HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR HEROES? Are they all your friends?
Not everything, for example, at London Fashion Week, from where I just returned, I saw Harry Styles. He is not my friend, although we have some old mutual acquaintances, but I still gathered my courage and approached, asking: "Can I take your picture?" He said: "Yes," and so it turned out in my blog. I do not consider myself a real photographer, I do not come to the party and do not start to think frantically: "Oh, I will photograph the girl at the window" or "God, where can I find heroes." When I take a picture, I just want to capture the moment, my friend, a ridiculous or stupid situation that just happened. I am a photographer in a very personal way, and my blog is a real diary, you just write it there to remember it yourself, and not to highlight the event. You can take pictures of a model in New York Fashion Week, and you can take pictures of your mom in the kitchen or your favorite dog.
A woman should not act in any clear direction, indicated, for example, by me
LOGICALLY APPROACH TO THE IMAGE OF A MODERN LADY. IN YOUR BOOK "CLASSY" YOU TELL ABOUT WHAT IT IS WORTH YOU SHOULD MAKE YOUR OWN GIRL IN THE SOCIETY THAT YOU DO NOT BECOME THE MOST "TRAMP" - A GIRL IN A PLAUSE SUIT WHAT YOU ARE TRAMP YOUR COURT COURT COUNTRY COURT COUNTRY COUNT CRAFT AT THIS, IN THE CHANGED STANDARDS TODAY, LADIES WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO CREATE A CREE CREE CREE A CREATING A CREATING A CREW ARE A COOL, AND A UNIQUE WITH A GLASS IN A HAND, WHICH ARE UNDERSTANDING A CREATURES
True, but such fake ladies have always existed. From time immemorial there have been women who look and behave elegantly, and women who do not know how to do it. The lady naturally behaves the way I tell in the book: reads daily newspapers, knows how to keep up the conversation, knows about many other things outside of fashion, is interested in both art and politics. She dresses intentionally: I want to say that she knows what looks great. No, she doesn’t have to get out every day, but at the same time she’s never sloppy to wear: ironed clothes, clean nails, such very clear things. And about the first - yes, she goes to parties, jokes, sometimes behaves wildly, but never - very wildly. She doesn't need to get drunk to be popular, but she will easily miss a couple of glasses on a date or meeting with friends. She knows all these simple things herself: how to set the table for dinner, how to enter the room gracefully. But most importantly - it follows these rules on occasion, when appropriate.
THEN THE OBVIOUS QUESTION. GIRLS CONSTANTLY SAY THAT THEIR BEHAVIOR DEPENDS IN A LOT OF DEPENDENCE ON THE MAN. WHAT SHOULD BE A MAN NEXT TO A MODERN LADY?
It depends on the girl. One will feel great with a musician, the other with a banker. I want to be understood correctly, a woman should not act in any clear direction, indicated, for example, by me. She should not do that and deny it. In my opinion, the idea of creating a type of women who will act in the same way is wildly boring. What I want to say is that we must be aware of our actions, commensurate with the public world in which we live and communicate. You can wear a short skirt, but you should not wear a too short skirt. For the rest of his life - a musician, a banker, great, what a difference. I do not try to create rules that every girl should follow. I just want to say that we need to be aware of our choice, keep track of what goes on the Internet, because the photos where you lie on the dance floor can hurt you when you go to college, find a decent guy (and I think the guys who I like to look at the pictures of a drunken girlfriend - they are not the ones the girl we are talking about wants to marry, and so on, along the chain.
Several years have passed since the book was published. Something has changed?
Since my book came out, the trends have changed, but my book has not been about trends, it has been about how a modern lady should dress, keep up a conversation, go out to people. I put enough effort not to make it too specific, time bound. Apparently, therefore, it still seems so relevant.
How to behave at a party
You really want to go to the party, but you are not on the list. Go / Do not go?
The second. I do not advise anyone to go to parties to which they were not invited, and I do not do that myself.
You were on the lists, you are already inside at the best party of the season, and suddenly you spill a glass of wine on a beautiful dress. Well, yes, the situation is a joke.
Behave as if nothing had happened, just ignore this stupid moment. Nobody knows that this is not a print.
You see your favorite musician / designer / artist at a party and you are wildly embarrassed to come up. Decide?
Accurately decide. There is nothing terrible in this: you just come up, introduce yourself and say: "Hi!" No need to come up with some strange ways to face or topics for conversation, the main thing is to feel confident, confidence is very attractive.
You are standing in the middle of the dance floor and you realize that you are starting to get drunk. Stay fun or go home?
To go home. Why - I will tell later.