Fashion Month with Mel

0:03Hello and welcome to Fashion People. I'm Lauren Sherman, writer of Puck's fashion and beauty memo line sheet. And today with me on the show, we have interview editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg to talk fashion month's greatest hits on and off the runway. Let's get started. Happy Friday, everyone. Hope you had a great week and a great fashion month. I am back in LA for a quick stint. And then Monday morning, I'm off to New York for the launch of my book, Selling Sexy, Victoria's Secret, and the Unraveling of an American Icon. I wrote it with my former colleague, Chantal Fernandez. I'm going to be promoting it all week next week.

0:46I'm going to be super annoying. Feel free to mute me during this period or, you know, at least buy the book. I'd really appreciate it. Buy it from wherever. It doesn't matter. I don't care if you buy it from Amazon. I don't care if you buy it from bookshop.org. As long as you buy it, I'm happy. This week in line sheet, there is a lot. The main thing on Thursday was that I had a bunch of details and analysis on LVMH's Off-White offloading. They sold Off-White to Blue Star Alliance, which is one of these licensing firms. I mean, to be honest, look, like, does LVMH, should LVMH own Off-White at this point?

1:26Probably not. But one thing I do believe is that Virgil Abloh's legacy needs to be preserved. And I think putting this in a licensing firm isn't, isn't a great idea simply because they're not going to manage the brand properly. I almost think, look, it still makes a good amount of money I'm told, but you know, it could always just like close it for a while. I don't know. I don't think that it's, it's worth it to do it this way, but you know, there's, I'm sure 25 % of the story that I know there's 75 % that I don't. And maybe someday I will. And if I find out, I'll let you know. But it's a complicated situation and just sort of a bummer.

2:11There's also just lots of news and scoops. LVMH is just making all these moves. They are selling stuff. They are potentially buying stuff. There is obviously all the executive changes and lots going on over in Paris. So obviously the Eddie Celine departure, Michael Ryder coming in. We're all very excited. But like, what's Eddie up to? Today it was all about he bought a place in Milan and he's going to go work at a big house there. I'm not even going to say it because you know what? This is it's too out of control. Let me do a little reporting and I'll let you know, hopefully on Monday, what I hear.

2:50I'm really excited to have Mel on to talk about all the crazy fashion week stories and not so crazy fashion shows. I think this was a pretty tame week, nothing revolutionary I can think of, but some fun stuff. And Mel's fun. I like chatting with them when we're sitting in the seats. I like chatting with them other times too. So we'll have a good time. Also, he made these jeans for Redone and they're just really good. I just ordered a pair actually in two sizes to see which ones fit, but they're like the exact jean that I want right now. Medium wash. I think there's a lighter wash too, but I got the medium wash.

3:30Mid-rise, based on a 80s 505. They're really good. He wears the best jeans, so I'm excited to try them. We're going to talk about how you make jeans and what he thinks about American style. So I hope you enjoy it. And hit me up if you have any tips or comments or concerns or you want to harass me, I'm happy to receive it. We'll talk soon. It's a good phone with Mel. Mel Ottenberg, welcome to Fashion People. Thanks, Laura Sherman. How you doing? I'm good. How is Paris post-Fashion Week? I did a two-day outdoor night shoot in the two nights after Paris Fashion Week, so I'm a little destroyed right now, but I'm happy.

4:17how late is a night shoot is that like you start at 11 uh i worked from like 8 30 a.m to 1 a.m one day and then i worked from 2 p.m to 2 30 a.m the second day outside and you know um but it was and it was actually really fun so it's all good but uh but yeah i'm definitely a little destroyed from a big month of no days off, planes, shows, blah, blah, deadlines, closed an issue of interview, launched a jeans collab. There's just a lot of stuff. But that's the name of the game. We're going to talk about all of it. So before we get started, we usually ask on the Friday show what you had for breakfast.

5:11What did you have for breakfast today? And also, So do you eat breakfast during Fashion Month? I absolutely eat breakfast during Fashion Month. Breakfast is an essential meal. I never skipped breakfast, and I definitely never skipped breakfast during this whole thing. What I usually do is I wake up and I order an American coffee, hard-boiled eggs, some berries, and maybe some bacon. and that's it and sometimes i go jogging and sometimes i don't it sounds perfect it's this time it's been pretty good yeah i gotta say that's like the exact right food as well you know because the new thing other than protein is fiber and berries have a lot of fiber okay that's great to know i was oh by the way i was eating sometimes i was eating uh uh some bread with butter.

6:14I am on a serious no sugar thing. I think I have 65 days off of sugar right now. But sometimes we need carbs during fashion month. It's like you can't. You do. It's gone. You really do. I mean, I tend to not do any running because I'm walking everywhere. And And I used to, the crazy thing is, have you ever trained for a race during fashion month? I have not. I have. And you end up doing like 35 ,000 steps. Right. Like half marathon marathons. And it gets a little bit crazy, but because I'm walking so much, but like, it is amazing to me how I never to, I'm never like full. I'm always hungry. all fashion month because you're just going constantly.

7:10I have a really good thing going with my driver, Arash. He is my rock and he feeds me nuts and figs sometimes in between. And he really helps me find like good restaurants that I can eat at in peace by myself that are real local restaurants. And that is just, oh my God, Arash is the best. And that really helps me stay sane, eating. It's important. These are important details, Mel. So let's start from the beginning. Let's start in New York and maybe go through and talk about our favorite shows and your favorite moments and maybe some of the other stories that were brewing during this time that had nothing to do with the runway or maybe something to do with the runway.

8:00but what in new york what did you start with did you start with alaya and and go on or proenza i was at alaya and i oh my god new york seems like such a blurb because we were we were closing we're always closing our fall inner i'm better than she of interview and we're always closing our um fall issue during new york fashion week so i'm always really trying to do as much work in the office with my team as humanly possible because i'm going to be leaving this time it's our 55th anniversary issue that we're closing and it's a huge issue so it's like more more insanity than usual uh we had some big shoots during new york fashion week kind of always do so it's so it's like all that and it's so hot which i really i don't love but um it's it's always hot the weather is always a big problem for me during new york fashion week it's is brutalizing me in a way that that is fundamentally depressing i think it was so much better this time and i think that's why it was better why people left happier and i had basically packed the weird thing coming from la now is that i have to pack for that time period in new york and it's the word it's not a great time to be in new york you want to be in new york a month later but yeah i packed like summer clothes and i ended up i had to buy a jacket had to buy a jacket i was happy that the weather was better but anyway i was barely able to go to shows but i went to some i went to alaya i went to the alaya dinner that was great it was like a really heavy duty dinner and um at the brand foundation and um i I don't even remember what else I did during your crash week, except for work.

9:56I was also working on all of my stuff for my redone launch. I did a collab with redone, Mel by redone. I was working on all of that there. So all I remember doing is working. What other shows did you go to? What did I go to? I went to everything and don't remember any of it. I think my last show was Michael Kors, which I love him and think I can't wait for, this merger to happen so that these companies can move on. He had giant. I think you were. Did you go to that? No, I was working that day. He had like giant bulldozer rocks as like they must have been sculptures or something. But the but the message I felt like was like these companies, he can't do anything because these companies are stuck in stasis.

10:43And so it was just funny that it was these big, big rocks. I don't know if that was a subliminal message or not. I didn't ask him, but I mean, it looked lovely. I just was like, damn, it's, it really sucks. You need to get your, cause the, I think that the trial to fight the FTC wants to block this merger with Capri and tapestry and Capri owns Michael Kors. And it started, I think the first day of New York fashion week. And like Michael had to testify and talk about like how much his brand needs to be changed. It was like very stressful. And so I thought he had a good, he, he did his best given the crazy circumstances, but it was like one of the only examples of the real world sort of seeping into, to the runway.

11:34Uh, but I loved a lie. I thought it was great and it gave that week such an amazing energy and i was so happy that i was there i love tori birch which was they like did this basically tiled space that looked like a pool like a indoor like an indoor swimming pool really beautiful tiled pool and and the clothes were fun too but it like i swear to god it smelled like chlorine it was very fun tori and michael you know I love you both and I'll be at your show next season this is just like this season I think Laya was one of the only shows I was able to go to because of um my schedule but I I mean I mean I love Michael Kors and I want whatever happens to be in his favor it's gonna it's gonna be I think so yeah I think the world is I think the world is moving in the right direction for fashion like good things are happening so did you go to burberry i did not so you so you started in milan i started in milan wait let me pull up my calendar one second i also didn't go to burberry and but i'm gonna try to go next year well i like going to burberry because i like it's a nice i didn't go to Burberry what what I ended up doing was I flew to Barcelona and I shot the Jacquemus campaign which came out literally 10 days later fun yeah and so that um was so fun how long have you been working with them um you know I have known Simon since since he was working at at Dover at Comte garçon and was like oh my god that guy's such a star clearly that so i guess i met him 10 years ago but this is the first time i worked with them and i i styled this um campaign i styled this football superstar jus conde it was so great and so anyway i was i was in barcelona did that i had a weekend in barcelona was closing interview and then flew to milan so my first show i'm gonna tell you right now right about now wait what day was that was it like the 14th no the first show was Fendi on the 17th okay yeah yeah Fendi Marnie Boss Prada Moschino Emporio Todd's Valentine Gucci Gucci Versace.

14:17Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. So where, what did you love in Milan? Well, my favorite thing of the whole season was a look at the end of the Bottega show that was like, it was a long sleeve black top and a black skirt. I think it was like below, it was a below the knee black skirt with a matching long sleeve black top and that had these matchsticks, embroidered matchsticks that were flying off it. And I thought that is cool. That is luxury. That is new. That's taking the 80s vibe that we're all feeling and doing something really cool with it. I was so impressed. Nothing surpassed that excitement for me.

14:57A lot of, I liked a lot of things this season, but that was my favorite, favorite, favorite. I love that also. And I went backstage. It's almost like, you know, all those little, that like mouth motif that a lot of designers used over the years. I don't know if it started with Schiaparelli or not, but just like lips, red lips, like a tiny little red lips. Yes. Like it reminded me of that, but but new like it's at first I was like, is that what that is? And backstage he was talking about a lot. Matt, who was talking a lot about childhood and it was supposed to sort of be like kids dressing up like grownups.

15:36First day of school vibes, first day of work vibes. He talked about the first interview dress, but he said about that dress in particular, it's a dangerous game. And A, he's so good at those scrums backstage. It was so calm and he's so clear and he communicates so well, but it was, I thought it was fabulous also. During that week, you and I chatted because there was the whole like Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Lizza or Ryan Lizza, Olivia Nuzzi, Ryan Lizza gate that happened in RFK. As he gay. Yes. So what would you do if you're the editor of Interview? I feel like someday, would you like have her interview someone?

16:23Like how would you use this cultural moment? I can't tell you, but I have something. I've already made my decision about how to use the cultural. I mean, I'll tell you off the record afterwards. But I am. Don't reveal your trade secrets. Yeah, but I made a decision the day after that about what that inspired in me. I'll tell you afterwards. But I'll tell you right now. But I'll talk soon. I love it. I'm glad that I understand your work to know that this would be something you would be interested in. Okay, so that's what I'm doing. And then I was like, oh, duh. That's what I want to do. Moving on.

17:06I love, I mean, I was really enraptured by that. You know, when the Post, I do not agree with the New York Post and all their political stuff and it's all bullshit, but when they really grabbed me, they grabbed me and that story grabbed me. We also, I also didn't see, I didn't see Cheryl Hines at Bally, but wow, she was there and also looked great. Larry's wife. I spoke to her. I saw, I read that. I felt compelled. I felt compelled as the puck reporter in since we were leading on this story to speak to her she was very nice and also amazing well I also it's interesting because you know RFK Jr.

17:51is hot and Olivia Nuzzi is hot and really smart and I really like her writing and also she's a babe so yeah and also while I am not into RFK Jr. in any way shape or form besides what he looks like I think he's hot so you know I'm clicking the link in bio and look she also has a very particular style which I feel like is interesting to hook into like you're doing an interview and you're wearing your sweater off the shoulder you're 31 years old and you are that like made up and put together i think it's it'll it's very interesting for all our listeners who don't know what we're talking about google n-u-z-z-i l-i-z-z-i-r-f-k and you'll get all the news um the thing that i found interesting l-i-z-z-a L-I-Z-Z-A, yeah, sorry.

18:56The thing that I found interesting about it was just zooming out and looking at page six and how they cover things. They really do do an incredible job at sending these breaking emails about very minor things. But for some reason, do you get their emails? I don't get their emails, but I definitely feel like they, Instagram knows that I want all of the New York Post and Page Six Instagram posts as immediate as possible. Because whether or not I agree with them, which again, I don't. And a lot of their stuff is like, let's throw this out there to ignore this crazy Trump stuff or Vance stuff or anti-abortion stuff or whatever.

19:45Or anti-pro-choice stuff. that you know what I mean they'll like throw this stuff up very effectively right yes for sure and it's with the emails it's like yesterday they sent one let me just look it up and I was just like you know what yes I really did need to know this and it was something about Dave Grohl go something about Dave Grohl not wearing his wedding ring. Exclusive. If I could handle one more email, I would sign up for page six emails. You really should. And the thing is, they are so, they don't stress me out because it's always something really minor. It's never, I mean, if someone dies, if a celebrity dies, that gets one too, but it's always like these very small incremental updates and they believe it's worthy of an email.

20:42So what you're saying is it's giving you the small incremental update and all the information right there in your email. Yes. And I don't even need to open it. Okay. So I do need that. It's very calming. Okay. Message definitely received. Because I also like that I can open an email. I can open an email from you, Lauren Sherman, and read the line sheet without clicking the link. You know, the link clicking. It's, you know, I already have to do so much. That's a big reason why we bully people about forwarding. Because we're giving this very luxurious experience where you don't have to click through.

21:17So why forward? We're giving it to you all in the email. I agree. I think it's, I like that too. And it makes it also that I, even though obviously I write a lot, it makes it so I restrain myself. Because I know that people are going to just only be able to read the email. Right. Which helps.

21:40Hi, this is Jill Schlesinger, CBS News Business Analyst, Certified Financial Planner, and the host of the Jill on Money podcast. With the new year upon us, there's no better time to take control of your financial life. And the Jill on Money podcast is here to help. It's your questions that make it possible for me to provide unconventional, and I hope entertaining insights on your money, and more importantly, on your life. Follow and listen to Jill on Money wherever you get your podcasts.

22:13In Milan, was there anything else? Did you like Bali? What do you think about Bali? I'm a big fan, so. I think Bali is interesting. I think I'm interested in seeing where Bali is going. I'm interested in seeing where Todd's is going. And I also really liked Prada a lot. I liked Prada in the show, and I loved how they had reworked the room. You know, people, it's like the Prada show is always in the same place, but it always looks different. This time it was very, very different because we were like right up close to the clothes. You could hear the metal banging against each other. There was a lot of hardware.

22:52and I really like the mix of Prada Basics, of which I am a consumer of, mixed with extreme fun fashion, like retro futuristic fashion. And I liked it even more when I went to the showroom and really looked at it and saw that, you know, every look had a different handbag, every look had a different shoe. I thought it was really cool. And Bali, I don't know, I thought that was cool and there were really cool people there and it was a cool vibe. And I, you know, I talked to some people that really liked it and some people that didn't really like it. That was my first ballet show. And I will definitely that's 100 percent on my list now.

23:31And I definitely want I definitely will be buying the black men's boots. They're so cool. They're just exactly what I want. They're exactly. I love it. I think it's like a very. It's a very particular carve out niche of person who is into it. It's like someone who's a little preppy, but who likes high fashion. And so there's a sort of the first season. I remember I tweeted. I was trying to still like post fashion show looks on Twitter, which I've stopped because what is the point? But I remember I think Joe Ellison DM to me and was like, yeah, this is really good. Penny Martin really liked it from the beginning.

24:17and my friend Becky Malinsky and Jacob Gallagher from the journal, we were all like really into it, but it's also all of us would wear it and it's our things. So it's this thing of like, I think they have, he has interesting ideas and it's also just kind of hitting the nail on like a particular aesthetic of a person who works in fashion. And because you love classic American looks or classic clothing, I could see you getting those boots for sure. They're very good. The boots are mine if they come in my size. But I'm interested. The clothes made me interested in trying them on too. So I was interested.

25:02I'm intrigued by the whole thing. I thought Prada, I really liked it as well. The interesting thing about the two of them is you can really, especially her, but both of them, You can really like see how they're feeling through the clothes that they designed, which I mean, is the point of fashion, but most designers can't do that. And I got the sense that they were like really going at it this time, like back and forth, a lot of debate. And it turned out to be this amazing collection. And backstage I said to her, I was like, it looked like you were ticked off about something. Like, are you mad about something that's happening in the world or whatever?

25:41And I think she kind of thought that I meant she looked annoyed in that moment, which I didn't. But their answers were interesting about the reason they did a different pair of shoes for each or a different completely different look for each person was this idea of like fighting the algorithm. Right. So we're going to just like and I thought that was interesting. It was very like we're it felt like they were pushing back against something. And again, like when do you go to a runway show and feel like you can actually see an intellectual idea in it? It's it's pretty rare. Sign me up again and again.

26:20I mean, I'm I'm always into it, but I really, really enjoyed this one. And I think the clothes look great. Looked good. I really do. So then we got to Paris. Did you go home at all or no? Oh, no, no, no. When would you go home? Well, a lot of people go on Sunday and they don't come back till Friday. If they want to skip Saint Laurent and Dior, they will do that. Why on earth would I skip Saint Laurent and Dior? It's true. Well, first of all, those are two of my big advertisers. But also, I need to go to those. First of all, I wouldn't skip anything. I would never skip Bacchera to the end. I love Paris.

27:02Paris loves me, Lauren. It's always treated me well. and like i just love going to paris and i love soaking up the vibe so i wouldn't want to be missing i don't want to be i mean i go to as much as i can humanly handle i was listening to you talking about you know your mental health skips like i'm not i'm not someone that needs to go to every single thing but i need to go to every single thing that i'm excited about that is essential for me it's hard enough to do this and then like miss some of the big vibes you know i I want to get really the real. True. And I also feel like you wear a lot of hats.

27:42You're the editor of a big magazine. So yes, you have to show face and be in the mix. But you also style a lot of commercial things. And also you have this collaboration. You're just like a fashion online personality. And so you, I feel like your presence, if you're not Advocara, to to sort of add to the vibes it could be you know i'm just psyched to go because i'm interested and um well thank you uh but also i really i really want to go and also in parent paris it's a good idea to just get out there and go to stuff and you know i again i've got my my driver arash and he takes me everywhere. He told me we did 110 rendezvous during Paris Fashion Week.

28:35And I just love like zipping all over the place and seeing stuff. So what did you see that was under the radar that you really, really loved? Is Jerome Lantick still under the radar? Because I absolutely loved it. I think enough. Yeah. I mean, like other than the big, big brands, like the more indie designers, what did you see that you loved? Duran? Yeah, I mean, I loved Duran Lantink. I think he is so talented. And I think that he's really doing something interesting. And he's playing with all these avant-garde shapes in a way that's compelling and convincing. And also funny and fun. But everyone takes it seriously.

29:15And you could think it's the dumbest thing on Earth, but still love it. I don't know. It's just got a lot going on for different people. And then I also really liked how he was also making stunning directions. he was doing all these extreme weird shapes but he was also making these stunning dresses so i was left wanting more from next season like oh i i'm interested in where this is going i'm interested in where he's going with like red carpet but it's his fantasy version of something i'm interested in these exaggerated shapes i see them developing i'm seeing someone that's taking their lbmh prize money i guess or they're or they're or people's interest in exciting it excitement in them and they're really stepping it up you know so i love seeing that it's fun to see that every season it's like more of a thing you know that's been a show that like i feel like everyone in paris that works in fashion has really decided all right can't miss this one they can't miss this like quote underground show you know and i really got a lot out of that also shout out to the carer because I feel like I was talking to them backstage being like, you know, five years ago, I remember being like, you need to figure out like one sellable thing that you could actually sell.

30:28And now they're one of the top brands of Dover Street and they're making a lot of stuff for many moods of many different people. I think that that's great. Yeah, they're so interesting because they I remember being backstage with them in New York and then someone asked them a story, a question about their business. And they were like, we have a three-tiered business, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, I was, I mean, I write about the business, but I was like, guys, we don't need, you don't need to have a three-tiered business. You just need to make interesting stuff at this point. But what I will say is they've been extremely like persistent and they made this change to show in Paris.

31:12And it's really impressive. I mean, the biggest challenge in fashion is just being able to like keep going. and so many designers give up or really fade off and it seems like they have managed to sort of dig into it and stick around in an environment that makes it really hard for these kids to to make it work i think that moving the show to paris was a good idea i don't think it's always a good idea for americans to move their thing to paris for them it's been a good idea and i was talking to Adrian Duffy about them afterwards and he's just very ecstatic about them and about the customer that they've created at Dover and I think that's so fat so what else is like an underground thing oh I was listening to to you on on an earlier this week podcast talking about waiting in line at the row for an hour and I was thinking you got to go to you got to go to husband because that's oh yeah oh we were talking about husbands actually we did I love husbands because I did go there and I didn't have to wait and I ordered some shirts.

32:17I just love ordering shirts from husbands. They look so good. I think I need to order a shirt from husbands. I think you do. That sounds really fun. I ordered five this season and I'm really into it. But anyway, I can't remember if I think that Duran and Vakira are my favorite undergrounds. Of the big shows, what did you really, really love? well actually funny enough my favorite collection in paris is celine not a show but when i went in to look when i went in to do a reesee i was really amazed at wow eddie really did a thing and really snap i just felt like one of those moments where he's really snapping and making just unbelievably good clothes that are so ham and they're just so good and these ones were you know all the street elements are taken out of it and there was i think 20 of the looks were couture and they just looked so good and there's this one leather jacket that i just can't stop thinking about so insanely good i also thought luwebe was so brilliant and i thought it It really excited me and made me love fashion.

33:35I love being at the show. Love the way the clothes look. I'm excited to work with the clothes. I'm excited to play around. I liked a lot of stuff. But those were, I think, the two big guys that I was most into. I think I would agree. Mew Mew 2 was just... Mew was fab. It was really fab. we talked about it after the show i think because we were at lacoste together who was that guy we were sitting next to wait what's his name he's so cute wait hold on i gotta look up his name he's so nice we just did something on the interview i'm almost sorry he's like a movie guy he like he's like selling people on movies all the time so i just started talking to him about movies because i i i knew but wait his name is hold on please i loved me i mean i always i'm a mew mew Fanimal they really know how to put on a show they really know how to get you there and make you really remember them so like the life like the last day of the shows and they're like cool collection great music very good for Brunt Row but we're gonna snap cast in a way that we haven't done in a while that's gonna remind you that we really got it going on yeah I thought it It felt really fresh.