Robert Lee Morris .. a living legend of fashion

ac·ces·so·ry  …….noun \ik-ˈse-sə-rē, ak-, ek-, -ˈses-rē, also ə-ˈse-\

: something added to something else to make it more useful, attractive, or effective

art by Mahyar Kalantari

Apparently Robert Lee Morris has defied the dictionary definition of what constitutes an accessory. Mr. Morris is perhaps a pioneer or maybe the founding father of what has become an enormous and integral part of the fashion business on an international stage…. 

Once considered “bridge jewelry” or semi-precious, he single handedly elevated its status by showing the world that sterling silver jewelry could stand on its own as a category and not just as a means of enhancing apparel or as a sub category to fashion jewelry. His enduring career was solidified in 1978 when he opened Artwear in Soho and has remained a timeless presence in the world of jewelry and accessories ever since.

During his illustrious career he has contributed to the collections of Kansai Yamamoto, Calvin Klein, Anne Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Michael Kors, the Olsens and Donna Karan. Most notably is his long lasting collaboration with Ms. Karan.

In my opinion Robert Lee Morris is a living legend of the fashion business and it is my pleasure to have had the opportunity to “get inside” his head. One more in my series of meet and greet sessions with great personalities who dwell in the world of fashion.

1-What is the most treasured possession in your wardrobe?

Most treasured possession in my wardrobe: my oversized down coat from Donna Karan’s men’s line from years ago. It is the best winter coat ever.

2-What is your most sterling trait and what trait do you treasure most in your friendships?

My most sterling trait from myself and in my friendships is the ability to become a light of inspiration and love to whoever is around me.

3-What is your bliss?

My bliss is my work, my “job” of designing and making with my own hands, jewelry that comes to me in clear visions out of the blue.

4-What is your guilty secret?

My guilty secret is a passion for Cronuts.

5-Where is your ideal home?

My ideal home would be on the edge of the cliffs overlooking Chama River and facing Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu New Mexico.

6-If you could not be a designer/retailer/etc.: what would you be

If I could not be a designer, I would be a writer.

7-What is on your bedside table right now?

On my bedside table right now is a cluster of crystals. The Convoluted Universe by Dolores Cannon

8-What do you wear to bed?

I wear nothing to bed. I strangle myself in p.js undies or t-shirts.

9-What if any, book are you reading now or last read?

I am reading, feverishly, the amazing The Convoluted Universe by Dolores Cannon

10-What’s your advice to the “newcomer?”

My advice to any “newcomer” is to research deeply the field of fashion you are interested to grow into. Know what has been done before to avoid unintentional plagiarism.

11-Who or what is your inspiration/style icon?

My style Icon, source of masculine inspiration is Paul Bettany.

12-What is the best advice you ever received?

The best advice I ever received was from my original art dealer who told me to use my whole name (including the Lee) as my brand name. There already existed a famous Robert Morris artist when I entered my career in NY.

13-In 3 words or less, describe the current state of fashion.

The current state of fashion is MULTIDIMENSIONAL

14-If you were a retailer; would you wear your own designs or shop in your own store? Or where would you shop?

If I were a retailer and I am, I would and do wear my own men’s jewelry.

15-If you won a $200,000,000 power ball (lottery), what is the first thing you would buy or do?

With a $200,000 lottery prize I would buy gold coins and put them in a small treasure box so I could run my fingers thru the coins every day. Like Uncle Scrooge.

16-If you could invite up to 4 people for dinner, who would they be…dead or alive?

I would invite the following people to dinner Oscar Wilde, Picasso, Jennifer Lawrence and Ru Paul.

 17-What is your favorite movie /or movie star?

My favorite movie star is Cate Blanchett, and my favorite movie is Lord of the Rings.

 18-What is the one thing you would change about yourself?

The one thing I would change about myself is my attitude about exercise…I would begin to do it.

19-Whose opinion do you value most and why?

I value my wife’s opinion above everyone else’s. She has an uncanny knowing…

20-What store or which designer do you most like to shop in or wear?

My favorite store to shop is Uni-Qlo

21-What’s your take on magazines, books versus the internet?

I read nearly all my books digitally on my iPad or laptop, but not magazines. I enjoy the physical appeal of them.

22-Do you have a dream collaborator?

My dream collaborator is Donna Karan…dreams come true.

23-What is your crowning achievement thus far in your career?

My crowning glory achievement thus far in my career was the being awarded The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement award in 2007, my third CFDA award...

24-What’s your music library like?

My music library is heavily new age, meditation, exotic world music. I don't listen to much POP but certain massively  successful pop bands like Imagine Dragons, Dark heavy masculine sounds, emotional sounds like Staind, Depeche Mode, , joyful new age mixes like Alcyon Massive, Balligomingo, Lourde, or mournful soul of Band of Horses, but little of Beyoncé, Dr. Dre, JayZ, Rhianna, anything having to do with Kim Kardashian's world..., 

25-What and where is your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is Feijoada Completa, black rice and beans, with smoked and exotic Brazilian meats, with the odd white toasted flour called Farofa that you sprinkle on like sawdust...its hauntingly delicious and the mainstay of Brazil

 I went to high school in Rio and was served the best Feijoada, always accompanied with a cold Guarana' over ice.

The Filet Mignon was always called an "alto" because of the extreme highest of the filet as it stood on your plate, medium rare from Argentina....only in Brazil can you find these magical carnivorous restaurants called Brazilian steakhouses, Churascurias...a most distinctive flavor only found in Rio.

Donna Karan ..fall 2014 ..New York Collections

Hard to be believe that 30 years ago I sat on the bleachers in her new showroom at 550 7th Avenue and actually witnessed a piece of fashion history. It was her debut solo collection and yes it was a revelation for almost everyone who was there including me. This collection is a celebration of her 3 decade long body of work and it is testament to the fact that when Donna does Donna, she shines brightly.

For some odd reason, so many believe that Ms. Karan is most memorable for her dresses but in fact she is at her peak when she tailors and she had a tailoring festival within this collection. Make no mistake; this was a collection starring her jackets and coats. Yes she restrained herself and showed the best of the best even when it came to dresses. The overly draped pieces were absent and the sexy devorees and georgettes were front and center and yes, she even reminded us that jackets can be sexy evening wear as well.

I can’t say that this was a greatest hits collection as nothing looked as if it has been retread for the occasion. It was as polished, chic, urbane and uncluttered as she can be where she allows the clothes to truly take center stage. In essence … no tricks, no bells, no whistles just the clothes and Robert Lee Morris jewelry and presto... Fabulous. If there is regret, it would be that the sarong skirt did not appear in any manifestation as I do believe that would have iced the cake. Also it might be noted that almost every skirt was sheer and one can only assume that this was not the case once in the showroom.

Screw trends, let’s talk about clothes that resonate with a customer and can be worn without a road map to get into them or with a battery pack or pages of inspiration needed to explain away the ugliness of a collection! When Donna does Donna there aren’t many who can hold a candle to her and boy oh boy she did it this season!

PS.. I am just not sure if the little hats were a nod to Armani or just for kicks

NYFW Spring The Detritus

Collections

Michael Kors: being a fan of the designer brings me to the need of mentioning the collection for Spring 2014. Mr. Kors offers his clientele easy to understand clothes that can be chic, stylish and wearable all at once.  He operates under the awning of being … commercial and even though this has become a dirty word in the fashion business, it is what has propelled the brand and designer to stratospheric success as well great wealth.

Calvin Klein: Mr. Costa has certainly put his imprimatur on the brand and has certainly taken it far afield form tits original roots.  Yes one might say is indeed modern and pared down and then another might say it is simply unattractive and who wants to look like that... I am of the latter school.  What was once said to be an American Armani is now a second fiddle to like-minded European designers.

Rodarte: if one wants to discuss going far afield from their original roots, the sisters will win the award and surely a booby prize for what they think is now a collection.  The Spring presentation was a laughable excuse for a collection and there is no amount of spin that can qualify these rags as retail worthy...at any price.  The media should eviscerate these women for giving American fashion a bad name and not tip toe around the fact is that they have little talent to produce collections season after season.

Norma Kamali: giving credit where credit is due... Alexander Wang... look at it!!! Ms. Kamali did it first, did it better and continues to do so.  She is one of those who should be recognized for her contributions to the world of fashion and not treated as an aside or after thought because of the newbies who only use her as “inspiration!”

Having had several discussions with veterans of the fashion wars, there are a few issues that should be dealt with when presenting a runway show.  What do you think would happen if one could actually see the clothes instead of them whizzing by you at breakneck speed?  What do you think would happen if a model impersonated someone who belonged in the clothes or even looked like she was happy to be wearing them or walking a runway?  A smile might warm up the peanut gallery instead of those blank robotic expressions that make one believe that these models are only thinking... Gee! I hope I don’t fall!  Then there is the problem that not one model knows how to turn or remove a jacket or do a 360 turn and no designer demands any of the above... how sad for all concerned!

Think about that it wasn’t all that many years ago when the CFDA and a very verbal Donna Karan fought to have NYFW positioned as the locomotive for the fashion train.  Back then there were issues with budgets so when stores had completed their European buys, the domestic budgets had already taken a bite out of the NY designers; all well and good except that there were specialty stores and there were department stores and not a handful of retailers as there are today.  Another huge problem seen by NY designers is that they were always accused of copying what had already been see in Europe and had already been established as trends… in essence, NY became a me too fashion destination with few exceptions.  As far as I can see, the only thing that has happened is that NY has shown itself to be unworthy of being that locomotive due to lack of direction and the constant need to please an uneducated media in order to get their 15 forgettable minutes.  NY has become a circus of commercialism; the thing they hate about collections is embraced in their presentation venue… sadly!

In my opinion, the saying goes why fix what isn’t broken except that NYFW is broken and needs fixing!

P.S. ... what’s with the epidemic of gum chewing and all of these people with their i-phones taking images ... are the photos used as proof that you attended a show .. why do so many people need these photos??  One last thing, why does anyone think it is acceptable to wear evening clothes at 11am?

Donna Karan NYFW Spring 2014

Well, it is Donna doing Donna... but not the sinuous sexy Donna but the tribal/jungle Donna.  Correct me if I am wrong but at least once a year she takes to her tribal/Zen roots and presents a collection with some sort of prints that whispers of African tribal themes.  Admittedly, I am usually not a fan of thee collections but this season she seems to struck a vein with me.

The clothes are that loosey goosey thing she does but she has combined that with some beautifully sexy and closer to the body pieces and it all works... well, most of it anyway.  The big top white shirt, which also came in chambray, will be a blockbuster for her and everyone else who copies it as here is a shirt that one can wear and actually feel comfortable wearing.  The problem will be that few will wear pressed and starched within a hair’s breadth of its life.

There are dresses of every kind and the layering is taken to extremes as only Donna can do.  The feel is most definitely relaxed and tends to be what one would want to wear once the temperatures climb and one does not want to feel constricted by tightly fitting garments of any kind.  The earthy palette is oddly appealing and extremely well done which is more than I can say about the tribal /ethnic jewelry.

Is this one of the best... well no! It is certainly a lot better than one in particular where everything had full circle skirts in a very harsh print and the overall feel was as bulky as a puff jacket on steroids.  It’s thumbs up for her this season which I am pretty sure her ladies will agree with.

P.S. the hats were a bit de trop and the collection is a reflection of Ms.  Karan’s own particular and personal way of dressing