Why do people think that chic means you have no sense of humor? I think it’s the oddest thing. And I think it’s the same thing in a space. Either you walk into most retail stores and it’s so quirky that you can’t see the product. Or you go the other way around and it’s like a Zen temple, and it has no sense of humor and it also has no sense of comfort. Here, people hang out. At the end of the day, if I think the best clothes are the frame for the woman, the best store is the frame for the clothes.WWD: It’s been quite awhile since you left Celine. Do you miss working in Paris?
M.K.: I don’t miss doing two shows. Do I miss spending more time here? I love spending time here. Paris truly is the crossroads of fashion. Fashion is still the national sport of France. In New York, when the shows are going on, you’re never going to hear a cabdriver say, “Oh, Michael Kors’ show just let out. They’re all going to Proenza.” In Paris, everyone knows everything. You can get into a dissertation with a waiter, who will say, “The Rykiel anniversary was fabulous.” It’s just part of life here. So, of course, for a designer, to be in a place where people love fashion that much and they’re not shocked by it or depressed by it, that I miss. But doing two shows every season, I do not miss.
WWD: You’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of Michael Kors with a dinner at Ambassador Rivkin’s residence, and in New York, you chose a party at The Carlyle. You’re so good at being you. You didn’t want to go to the Top of The Standard.
M.K.: I think the greatest thing about being around for more than a nanosecond is really knowing yourself, knowing what makes you tick as a person, as a designer. I always joke, when I started having fashion shows in the Eighties, we all put our name up on the back wall.