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I’ve seen Victor Glemaud out for years at fashion functions, gay bars and late night hot spots, but I never knew exactly who he was or what he did. Always impeccably dressed, usually with a cigarette in one hand, cocktail in the other and scandal pouring out of his mouth in an international jet set accent.
I’ve heard whispers of work at KCD, Tommy Hilfiger and his own eponymous line of knitwear. But what was the real story?
Then one weekend I was invited out to the Chelsea, a new hotel in Atlantic City with a club created by the Beatrice Inn boys. We spent a wild night featuring dance party mayhem, naked English boys rummaging through room service platters and a sunrise on the beach in golf carts. The next afternoon I found myself laid out by the pool where Victor was holding court with Hanuk and other Beatrice buzzworthy boys. It was high time I got the bottom of the legend of Victor Glemaud.
Born in Haiti, he moved to New York City with his family when he was three. He kicked off his career as Patrick Robinson’s design assistant and later became a public relations guru at KCD handling clients like Versace, Alexander McQueen and Gucci. Today he burns the professional candle at both ends. He’s a menswear designer for Tommy Hilfiger as well designer of his own line. Launched in 2006, Victor, always fond of a smart cardigan, began cutting up his father’s old sweaters and created his now signature double cardigan. Victor is constantly inspired by the smoldering looks and chic swagger of French 60’s film icon Alain Delon. His line has steadily grown, garnering attention from stores such as Odin and Colette. Keep an eye out for Victor this fall; he’s working on a new collaboration with Earnest Sewn.
-CATOR SPARKS
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It’s been a long time since I’ve been in love with Paris. My last several visits have entailed rotten taxi drivers, queeny waiters and begging gypsies yanking at my cravat. But there’s something to be said about Paris during fashion week. There’s a snap in the air! Every building, street and monument sparkles. Maybe it’s because handsome editors, buyers, models and clothes, are constantly inspiring me. Yes, in Paris everyone dresses better. As my friend Anna said, “They God damned well better or they aren’t getting into the shows wearing trainers like they can in NYC!”
Besides the shows, there are always the little things about Paris that inspire. Take the font of the Café Charlot. It’s a dream in rouge and whimsy. And speaking of, look what they’ve done to The New York Times- A frites wrapper? Even with Obamamania reaching new heights here, they still find ways to take a jab don’t they?
Last night, after the Raf Simons show, I had drinks in the Defender Bar in the Hotel du Louvre. It was as close to stepping into Diana Vreeland’s Billy Baldwin-designed scarlet red living room, as I will get. Even the water came with a dash of red currents in the bottom of the glass. The experience was heightened by the jazz quartet that was jamming while we drank. Classic standards like Night and Day and My Love Is Here To Stay, wafted through the air. The music, the décor and the cocktails had us in nirvana until the bill came; 80 Euros for three drinks. I guess the recession hasn’t hit Paris yet. No matter, we paid and dashed out to a nearby café for a nightcap where we ran into Tim Hamilton. Tim is in town with his crew presenting his Fall collection. We’re taking a peak on Sunday. When the last White Russian was sipped we dashed back to the Marais. An early night was much needed as tomorrow’s gonna be a late one at the Pony Step party. What does one wear to such an event? Riding Boots?
DOWN SO LONG PHOTOGRAPHED BY GUY AROCH for thecontributingeditor.com
What comes first, the music or the fashion? The Young Lords, New York’s new smokin’ band has been regaled by the fashion flock over the past year and been receiving buzz for their trendy Saturday night parties. But is it all just skinny jeans and fop top hair that is getting them noticed? Hardly. The band’s raw vocals with a tinge of Southern Rock has been getting the boys lots of hype at SXSW and CMJ as well as the opportunity to open for UK band, The Fratellis. But getting to know the boys a bit better, music has been in their blood long before the PBR was.
Growing up in Austin, Texas a city well known for it’s artistic side (the unofficial town slogan is ‘Keep Austin Weird’) brothers Blair and Reed van Nort’s parents encouraged them to check out new music. As lead singer Blair explains, “I was a weird kid, I collected old jazz records. My mom would buy them for me at the used record shop. Of course there was always a country element to what we were listening to growing up in Texas too. Then one day she gave me The Clash and Bruce Springsteen and it really opened my eyes to what else was out there.” Reed grew up more of a punk kid but soon began listening to the country tracks his brother was digging and they decided to start their own band. Having a band in Austin is as unconventional as Sbarro in a strip mall but these boys knew they had something and kept on going with it.
Blair met bassist Max Kamins when he came to New York City for school. Max is a born and bred New Yorker. He demurely explains that he too grew up surrounded by music because his father was a DJ. What he leaves out is that his father Mark Kamins, is a DJ hall of famer who helped Madonna out with her first tracks and produced The Beastie Boys first single for Def Jam. Although he admits that the house music genre has never been inspiring for him, the fact that music has always been in his life has certainly helped. When the boys met out on the town the brothers explained to Max how they were starting a band. Max was working on his own band and they decided to meld their ideas and hit the ground running. Guitarist Adam Gerard came into the mix when Blair met him at The New School and the newest addition to the band is Grant Anderson on drums, an old Austin friend who decided to move to New York.
With the lineup well in place they were ready to rock. Unfortunately the industry was a bit slow on the uptake. “We had two or three people say they would help us out on tracks and everything just fell through,” laments Blair. They finally got some tracks laid down and things started happening. Living in New York has certainly helped them acquire buzz. Blair agrees that, “In some ways the fashion crew in NYC have more of an eye of what’s cool than the music industry. Fashion editors hear us perform and then call us up.” He continues, “the music magazines aren’t going to review us because we aren’t on a big label so we started our own.” How is that going for them? They opened for The Fratellis at Irving Plaza to a sold out show. “That was an amazing night for us. It was funny we were not nervous at all. I guess playing in your basement for so many years gears you up to be ready for the big time,” joked Reed. The Young Lords also host a hugely popular dance party at Home Sweet Home every Saturday night that has been voted one of the best in the city. Next up for the boys between touring is a Tuesday night gig at Webster Hall Studios where they will forgo the weekly dance tunes for a real rock and roll throw down.
Giving even more love to the fashion flock, the boys all agreed the rowdiest party they played was for a Danish fashion magazine at Santos Party House. Blair tells us that, “it was such fun because fashion kids love to get wasted and rock out. Sometimes we perform and everyone just stands around. Some people who are really into music are so focused on the band, sound and vocals they forget to have fun. That is definitely not the case with the fashion crowd.”
CATOR SPARKS INTERVIEWS JUSTIN GIUNTA IN HIS MANHATTAN HOME PHOTOGRAPHED BY TREVOR TONDRO
We all know the baroque and bling-ridden pieces that have shot Justin Giunta into accessories stardom and created copycats galore. But this Renaissance man has a lot more under his sleeve than baubles, bangles and a devil may care attitude. His home is an exotic landscape of his own massive paintings and jewelry scattered about but also full of eccentric finds he has picked up on his travels around the world.
Recently I sat Justin down (which is harder than you can imagine) and dug deeper into the id of Mr. Giunta. Learning more about the man, his love of art and his obsession with four-horned goats.
Cator: I know jewelry wasn’t aways what you had in mind for a career. You are an artist at heart right?
Justin: Yes. I went to school at Pratt in 1997 on a full scholarship for art. Then I gave that up and headed to Carnegie Mellon on another scholarship citing a lack of stimulation! I graduated with a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts and a Minor in Critical Theory. For my senior year I headed across the pond to the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam where I studied Textile Design and Painting.
Why Textile Design in Amsterdam?
A large part of my work at Carnegie Mellon was melding painting with fashion and making my artwork into clothing. So I went over to learn more about patternmaking and textile design while also honing in on my love of Dutch still life painting.
And when you graduated?
I came back to New York City and couldn’t get a job to save my life! Everyone thought I would get bored too quickly. They were right! I started making t-shirts and chandeliers to get by. I was just a boy from Pittsburgh with a suitcase and a dream…
Well when you’re from Pittsburgh you have to do something.
Ha ha. Yes, Mame said it best.
Your apartment is steeped in old world charm. Tin ceilings, brick fireplace, and great hardwood floors. Do you know the history of the building?
Well I do now that someone posted a photocopy of the history of this building in my hallway. Thanks Landlord. It was George Gershwin’s office. Built in 1840 in what was then
Tin Pan Alley. Now it’s the Flower District as well as the knock off jewelry district. I now have the honor of seeing my previous seasons work recreated in plastic in the wholesale shop three doors down from my house.
Tell us about your artwork? These massive floral pieces rock.
The florals are a marriage of Dutch baroque made with contemporary art materials including office supplies such as white out, carbon paper, Sharpies, highlighters and other things of questionable archival integrity.
I notice lots of portraits. Friends?
Yes, sometimes when I am in the mood its fun. I have friends over all the time and since I can never sit still it’s fun to do while catching up. It’s always a challenge but people are usually up for it. One skill I have developed is to draw anything inanimate but to do a portrait with someone staring at you is sometimes an uphill battle.
Do you have a gallery now?
For four years I showed once a year at a gallery in Paris and Pennsylvania. But I don’t have a gallery now. At the moment my focus is on jewelry but my passion is painting. I need a gallery since I have too many pieces in my house! I do sell a fair amount by word of mouth and from what people see in my home and studio. Any takers?
How did you get into the chandeliers?
A moment of divine inspiration! Also I have a serious love of opulence and decadence. The construction light cages struck a chord for me and enhancing them with old chandelier crystals or Swarovski pieces is like looking backwards into art history and paralleling it to being part of modern art. Recently I have been commissioned to do one offs one for Lauren Santo Domingo and for Kelly Wearstler.
What’s up with the lampshades in the fireplace?
They stem from another moment of making nothing into something. While working as a painter doing some faux finishing in a condo at the Dakota I ended up rummaging through the trash and found a six foot tall Chanel box and a pile of old lampshades. While the decision was hard I took home the shades and left the Chanel box for the next dumpster diver. The different shapes sizes and textiles make an excellent floor light that oscillates between cabaret lighting and a landing strip.
And tell us a bit about the German hunting lodge theme on your wall of stag horns and taxidermied animals?
All gifts from friends and family! I’m an Aries and a goat in the Chinese zodiac so I have always had an affinity towards an animal with built in defenses. Hence my love of the horn.
So people see an old skull or dead animal and think of you? Charming.
I have become ‘the bone collector’. I get arm bones from Egypt, jaws from God knows where and antlers from my brother. All I want is a full set from a four-horned goat. I saw one on a recent trip to a ranch in Texas and have been dreaming of mounting one on my wall ever since.
Any favorites?
My godfather shot the birds so they are family mementos. Also my friend Stefan painted the one skull referencing an old Austrian tradition where graves would be dug up as a town grew and needed more space so they would save the skulls and paint laurels and the persons name on them.
I notice you don’t have a TV. What do you do to unwind?
What’s unwind?! I rarely sleep. But when I do have time on my own I like to paint. I also take classes at Parsons for etching. I loved Albert Durer’s and Goya’s etchings so I thought, why not me? I always enjoy learning.
What is on Justin’s iPod at the moment?
My musical tastes are as diverse as Mos Def to Patsy Cline with The Kills in between.
You’re home is such a den of warmth and coziness every time I stop by. As much as people see you out at social and fashion functions are you more of a homebody?
Absolutely. My home is my bunker. I entertain at home as much as possible.
And by the way what is that scent that is always wafting through the air? Besides cigarettes!
The now cancelled Diptyque Cyprus that I adore. It smells like pot without even lighting up. But I guess it’s cheaper to go to Italy and smell it for free than buy all those candles...
And you are quite the cook. How did that come about?
It’s a part of who I am. A tradition passed on from my Mama. My brothers and I are all very competent in the kitchen. The love of food is from our Italian heritage but my mother’s knowledge of cooking really instilled it in us.
