I’ve never been one of those girls that gets star struck. I have my list of celebrities I must meet in my lifetime but most of them are on that list because of their talent or their style. This list is pretty short but substantive. The people I gush over are the fashion editors, writers and heads of fashion houses and departments stores. Rounding out my top five people I have always wanted to meet is Neiman Marcus SVP and Fashion Director Ken Downing.
If you subscribe to the Neiman Marcus email listserv, you will get emails on the latest trends, style tips and his must-haves from Ken Downing. I’ve always read a lot about this guy but never met him. Traveling solo this fashion week allowed me to pay attention to the clothes and the fashion insiders who make the decisions on what Americans would want to wear this season. I spotted Ken in the tents on the first day leaving the Elle Fashion Next show but was a bit intimidated to talk to him. By afternoon, I got the courage to walk up to him at the Christian Siriano show to say hello and ask for an interview.
I asked him a few questions about Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week’s new home at Lincoln Center, trends he’s spotted for Spring and what women need for Fall, as well as which designers to look out for.
On Christian Siriano:
“Our customers are crazy about his evening wear.”
On New York Fashion Week’s new location:
“But for the first day I think it’s substantial and a real step forward for the fashion industry. The buildings are terrific. They’ve executed it very nicely.”
On trends to look forward to this Fall:
On Marc Jacobs:
“Marc never fails to deliver a standout show that is widely directional.”
Video embedded. Click here to watch the full interview.
