Elizabeth Olsen says her stylist is indispensable, Raf Simons doesn’t want to be pigeonholed as a minimalist and Joshua Sculman has been named president of iconic New York department store Bergdorf Goodman.
The ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’ star – who is the sibling of fashion designer twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen – admits she is indebted to her stylist for helping her sift through trends and have fun with fashion.
She said, ”You literally have to use a stylist. There’s no way you can figure it all out, especially when you are working on a film.
”Now whatever you wear is like a huge statement to the world. So you have to have someone help you figure it all out.”
Elizabeth uses Cher Coulter – who was voted one of the Hollywood Reporter’s 2012 most powerful stylists – and she credits Cher with expanding her style horizons.
The actress added, ”I love clothes and my stylist Cher is so cool. I have a lot of fun with her. For a while I had no clue and I didn’t even like to wear dresses to begin with. Now it’s fun, like playing dress up.”
The Belgian designer – who was recently named as the fashion house’s new artistic director, filling the vacancy after the dismissal of John Galliano – says his own vision will not come at the expense of Dior’s feminine aesthetic.
He told WWD, ”I don’t think it’s wrong to call me a minimalist. It’s wrong to call me a minimalist only. I am also a romantic person. My main inspiration will be femininity…because it’s beautiful, endless and permanent.
”I’m interested in creativity, the evolution of creativity and the relationship between creativity and the times we live in. When I’m married to a house, I will fully embrace its original intention, its original heritage and meaning. I wouldn’t go to that place if I only had minimalism in mind. I’m very aware of what the environment is about.”
A spokesperson for the designer also confirmed his eponymous menswear line will continue as before, with Simons at the creative helm.
He told vogue.co.uk, ”The Raf Simons brand continues with no changes. The spring/summer 2013 show will be presented in Paris next June.”
The former head of Jimmy Choo and the Gucci Group admits he is delighted at his new job because he has a long-standing appreciation for the work of the New York retail institution and its parent company Neiman Marcus.
Joshua told WWD, ”I’ve been a vendor of Bergdorf Goodman and a vendor of the Neiman Marcus Group in my career over the last 20 years. I’ve always had an enormous appreciation for the culture of Bergdorf Goodman and the Neiman Marcus Group and for their focus on excellence in luxury retail.”
Jim Gold, president of speciality retail for the Neiman Marcus Group, said his two decades of experience would bring a new wave of ”knowledge” into the sector.
He added, ”Josh has been around the luxury business for 20 years and although he has been on the wholesale side, he has worked with department stores his whole career and gained an intimate knowledge of what it takes for a large store to work.”
Bergdorf currently generates US$600 million a year, and Joshua, 40, admits his job will be a change from his role at shoe empire Jimmy Choo.
He added, ”I would say they are very different roles. As CEO of Jimmy Choo, the business went from 55 stores in 2007 in 15 countries to 140 stores in 32 countries by the end of 2011. We diversified the brand by adding new categories like fragrance, men’s shoes and eyewear.
”I was involved in product development, managing the design process, managing the retail and wholesale businesses and being ultimately responsible for the financial side of the business. There was a very international scope. It was a very different role than being president of Bergdorf Goodman, but I would argue that there is a similar degree of complexity.”
