Do not call it the muse of Schiaparelli
Called to "Muse" is a backhanded compliment these days. "This means that you can not really do a job, you just float around," said Farida Khelfa with a laugh.
"Spokesman" was not good as the title, either. "Too little elegant," says model-slash-actress-slash-director.
No wonder it ambiguous, when the call came from owner Diego Della Valle, death, Hogan and Roger Vivier, and asks if she would be interested in helping spearhead the renaissance of the most anticipated fashion 2012: Schiaparelli.
It was fresh back from Tunisia, and a documentary about the Arab Spring ("I wanted to show something other than pictures of angry Muslims shouting that we see more"), and - his puzzle holder - now signed to project Della Valle: "As long as Elsa Schiaparelli are still relevant, it is the DNA of fashion -. a label that's magic. "
Khelfa is correct. But Elsa Schiaparelli - is much less than his contemporary, and (far from friendly) rival of Coco Chanel - or at Schiap as she was often called. Coco brand Schiap that "makes this Italian artist, the clothes." Coco Schiap dismissed as "those milliner." So much for brotherly solidarity.
Where Chanel was a minimalist and classic, reveled in Schiap beautification and deceptive games. She worked with Jean Cocteau (this Chanel) and Dali (not Chanel), enthusiastic involvement of Surrealism and Dada-ism in his designs (and thus that "the Italian artist" insult). Hats shaped shoes, clothes torso with lobster applications, from smoke-shaped bottles of woman (years before Jean Paul Gault started his IER), baptized his own color (shocking pink). Schiap was an original, with its square shoulders and squeezed in size, one might say, invented to suit the power, how useful have his time, women like Chanel Little Black Dress. In 1934, she put on the cover of Time magazine, and anointed it one of the most influential designers in the world. Chanel was nowhere in sight. No wonder they hated each other.
But in 1954, she was forced to close their business, failed to adapt to the changing tastes of the postwar period. Schiaparelli was primarily a name of the museum: a resource for designers as diverse as Azzedine Alaia, Viktor & Rolf, Gaultier, which all acknowledge their debt. Well, if he gets right to the Della Valle - all care is taken to do just that - it could be interpreted in this fresh century.
Take the magnificent 18th Century Parisian apartment where Khelfa enthroned and I, on a bed of white silk. Schiap once his gaze on the magnificent Place Vendome - meowing of a cat simply by what was in the house of Coco Chanel, in front of his shop, rue Cambon. Renovated with carpet, cubist sculptures by Giacometti and shocking pink sofas, that is, where are to be molded-PDD clients for clothes. The house will not be made now for ready-to-wear. It is on the seam and possibly survive the fragrance. Diego Della Valle has deep pockets.
The house is still missing the essentials: a designer. But Della Valle is not in a hurry. A source tells me that he did not make the same mistake as Rochas, who hastily hired a designer who was fired almost as quickly. Finally, he bought the label six years ago and was waiting for the right time to revive it. It is time this year, when New York's Metropolitan Museum Conversations Impossible, its blockbuster exhibition on an imaginary dialogue between Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli opened base.
Wild speculation about who get the top job: Now the fashion industry has brought to life their favorite game. The announcement is scheduled for September.
Until then, the public face of Schiaparelli only incredibly chic (obviously), strikingly intimidating (inevitably) Khelfa. When we meet, in the absence of Schiaparelli clothes new generation has this special group of Parisian high-waisted beige cropped, wide leg pants (Alaia, aged 80 years), with short black blazer, Gianvito Rossi electric blue pointy shoes, courts and exuberance of a declaration of gold jewelry (vintage, expensive).
She is also a corner. Isosceles tri-angle, and spotless in 10 hours, despite the launch party the night before, where they played host to many of the most influential journalists of fashion designers who came to honor Schiap you see - to paraphrase: Nora Ephron - your basic nightmare, except that he does not stop to laugh.
Maybe they can not believe his luck. One of 11 children (two died in infancy), was born in Lyon Khelfa, a strict Algerian parents. His father was a railroad worker, his mother stayed at home. It was not forgiven her face, a privileged childhood, "I had never heard of the Place Vendome." She left at age 16, "determined to be free."
Determined so it could not get the full address of an older sister who has lived in Paris. "I was just the street name, not the number, so I had to wait all night outside until she comes home. Fortunately, there was a small street. Flat" "Unfortunately, there is a very small", and her boyfriend of his sister was living there. Three was impossible.
Homeless, she made a decision inspired and directed at the Palace night club, the head of Paris in the 70s. When they are large, dark, is "much more sensible than I am now," and wears black tights out, it is likely Palace regulars Jean Paul Gault and Christian Louboutin IER took about 15 seconds on his clock. Loubou tin offered to her parents' house for the night. They remained at the end of six months and they still are like brother and sister.
For 19 years she modeled - for Gaultier, Alaia, Thierry Mugler - Khelfa and North Africa as a fashion and fashion, they never lead article. "And I leaned a lot of good work with great photographers, not only because I knew who they were. However, I've done a great job, too." At 20 she moved in with Jean-Paul Goude, designer, photographer and director of commercials. "It's such a good person," says Khelfa. "And for me very useful. He understood all my neuroses." Another laugh.
Via Goude she gained the confidence to act, they made some 20 films, many of them light comedies - but not the latest, Paris, written by Cédric Klapisch. "I play a dominatrix." It's more the way she looks. But that's not the way it is. "If you have not seen yet, no!" A 27 year, she met Henri Seydoux, a donor Louboutin and the man she describes as "the love of my life." They have two teenage son. It took a year to break with them to recognize that family life was not for them.
In 1996, she became involved Alaia - this time to help lead the business. "By Azzedine you do anything -. Answer phones, make tea," She stayed for seven years. Was paid? "Put it this way, I have a very good service Alaia dress." She then became director of the Center Gaultier couture. "The idea is that you are creative inspiration, but the truth will always follow the ideas of the designer and you have to respect that."
Two years ago, she asked Tom Ford, the first show of the new women's line to open. "I came from Beyonce and Julianne Moore." A few months later she was back on the podium - for Gaultier. "Is not it great that the designers realized that they can not sell 15 years to older women?" Now, at 49 (the secret of youth is the massage of the face), she has the dream job - or career.
"Muse", "face", "Ambassador" or "director" - whatever they decide to call it Khelfa pro-vide is dedicated to a sparky creative counterpoint to this great new designer-label long the fall. Whoever it turns out to be.