CHANEL .. Resort 2015.. Dubai

Oh to be Karl! 

What a wondrous thing it must be to be Karl Lagerfeld. No one could be as lucky, as skilled, as adept, as manipulative, as sarcastic or as wildly imaginative as the Kaiser. He does what all else want to and what all else aspire to and alas no one, not even Raf nor Hedi, nor Nicholas nor can pull off because Karl never ever loses his sense of humor nor his ability to laugh at himself and his clients while running all the way to the bank.

If one tries to speak of this as strictly a fashion moment then one might just be unqualified to speak of it at all. This is a collection that plays to its audience as much as its locale. This is a collection that draws upon the mosaics of mosques, the indigenous wardrobes of the Middle East’s inhabitants and even native textile patterns. Karl also embraces  the “I Dream of Jeannie” aspect of Middle Eastern garb with harem pants and zouave pants which surely haven’t made a re appearance in the fashion continuum for some time .. with good reason!

This is a collection that only be marveled at in its dissection and while in the process you can see the prized possessions that are contained, if you are savvy enough, within the full body of an almost 100 piece collection! NO ONE has that kind of hubris or power or ability and no one could pull this off with the same reaction. Hubris in quantity and hubris in swatting fun at stereotypes and hubris in not caring one iota about what anyone thinks as I have said , Karl laughs at the pundits and dares them to make sense of it while he laughs about all of it  and at all of them !

And if you think that the gas can quilted bags are a joke …  see how long the waiting list will be and find out who is having the last laugh!!

Meet Michael Cinco.. the International Designer

Michael Cinco…. Look at the name and remember it as it will be the name you see in the very near future that will show the world that fashion is indeed an international and universal language.  He is a rare breed of designer who seems to understand fashion and haute couture like so many of the greats who came before him.

The collections are what dreams are made of and the inspirations are quite clear to the cognoscenti of fashion but it is so refreshing to see the artistry put to work with such great result.  When you see the clothes you are reminded of McQueen, Saab, Dior and possibly the grandeur of Charles James but this does not mean you see “knock offs” or literal translations from these great designers; instead you see how a designer designs dresses that interpret these fashion legends while creating his own signature.

Make no mistake, the man knows what Red Carpet means and he certainly knows his way around a dress.  He creates clothes for those who demand attention as well as for those who have a great personal style accompanied by a healthy dose of high drama.

His personality is engaging and I trust that everyone will take note of a designer who is destined to capture the attention of global  fashion media sooner than later…. Please meet Michael Cinco

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

----------- My first Tom Ford jacket that I bought 8 years ago. I love it and I still use it until now.

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

----------- Gratitude. I always thank people who helped me and treated me well. I like friends who are honest and have a sense of humor.

 3-What is your bliss?

---------- When I make couture clothes and people recognize that it's very Michael Cinco.

 4-What is your guilty secret?

---------- My doctor advised me to stop eating sweets. But I just can't stop eating chocolates. I think I’ll die if I stop eating sweets rather than die from diabetes.

 5-Where is your ideal home?

---------- I grew up in a small town that is surrounded by sea and mountains. So when I was a kid I always dream of the French Riviera. I built a Mediterranean villa in my hometown on a hill overlooking a beautiful beach.

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

----------- I'll probably be a fashion photographer. I wish I could shoot my own collection. I’m the only one who could understand my vision.

 7-What is on your bedside table right now?

----------- My crystallized trophy when I won Breakthrough Designer in WGSN Global Fashion Awards in New York. I put it beside me so I’ll be motivated every time I wake up.

 8-What do you wear to bed?

------------ My perfume IMPALPABLE.

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

------------ I read the book of DIOR a hundred times.

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

------------ Dream great dreams. Believe in yourself. Believe that anything in this world is possible.

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

----------- I love watching classic Hollywood films when I was a kid. I love Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Bette Davis. I first listened to opera music of Maria Callas when I was 12 years old and at that time I was inspired and I knew I will be a fashion designer.

 12-What is the best advice you ever received?

---------- My mother always tells me to believe in myself.

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

----------- I'll talk about fashion in Dubai. Couture...couture...couture.

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

------------ When I design clothes I always think about my fashion muses. The second person that comes in my mind when I create clothes is...ME.

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

----------- I'll open a couture house in Avenue Montaigne in Paris right across the atelier of Christian Dior. And I’ll buy taste and class and give them to women who don't have any...hahaha...

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

--------- I'll dine with Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld while Diana Vreeland tells us her stories about Vogue, fashion, love and tragedy. And of course I will invite Maria Callas to sing for us while we enjoy our caviar and wines.

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

-------- My Fair Lady. It's my first time to see the haute couture dresses of Hubert de Givenchy and Cecil Beaton. The first time I watched it I knew from that moment that I will create my own fantasy someday.

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

--------- My whole self. I’m not happy with my body.

 19-Whose opinion do you value most?

--------- I always ask for opinions from others. But I always follow my instincts. 

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

--------- I love wearing Givenchy, Lanvin, Rick Owens and Alexander Wang.

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

---------- They say print is dead. But I don’t like browsing fashion on the net. I always love to feel the pages from Vogue and Bazaar. I can't read fashion on i pads while I relax on a tub or a beach.

 22-Do you have a dream collaborator?

---------- Oh! How I wish John Galliano is drunk right now and he will call me and ask me to collaborate with him...hahaha...

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

---------- When I appeared as guest designer in US hit reality show America's Next Top Model Cycle 16 and showed my collection in the final runway of ANTM All-Star. It paved the way for my brand to be noticed globally. I was a guest judge in the first ever Asia's Next Top Model. One of my greatest dreams is to see famous Hollywood stars wearing my couture clothes on the red carpet. I became crazy when I saw Sofia Vergara wearing my gown in Golden Globes Awards, Britney Spears in Oscar's after party, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez. 

 24-What’s your music library like?

------------ A lot of pop stars like Rihanna, Madonna, Beyonce, Lana del Ray. But I still listen to my sentimental favorites like Billie Holiday. When I want to be inspired I listen to Maria Callas and Edith Piaf.

 25-What and where is your favorite meal?

----------- I love this small authentic Italian restaurant in the hotel where my atelier is located in Dubai. You can always see me devouring my favorite pastas during lunch.

http://www.michaelcinco.com

P.S. Thank You for being the 700^th article for The Examiner !!