The fashion wheel rarely stops spinning, but it at least slows somewhat at points during the year — August, certainly, not to mention the end-of-year holidays as a new year looms and the wheel kicks back into high gear.
And the holiday season invariably stirs memories of the past — after all, even designers were children once — while hopefully creating new ones for the future.
So what do designers remember most? WWD asked a mix of New York’s emerging and established names to share some of their most cherished holiday memories and how they will celebrate this year.
For Dennis Basso, an Italian American, the “feast of the seven fishes“ is a highlight. “My mother always set an elaborate dinner table and to this day I like to follow that tradition,” he said. Guests invited to his Water Mill, N.Y., home nosh on lobster tails and stuffed clams using sterling silver chargers from Joan Rivers’ estate.
Meanwhile, those dining with Lela Rose do so on ceramic plates of her own design. She first created the 12-set pictured here as a wedding gift for her brother. Each one is hand-painted with a gift from the 12 Days of Christmas, and at her table “the designs act in lieu of place cards,” she said. Looking to expand the lifestyle arm of her brand, Rose is now producing them for customers.
Focusing more attention on the food than the means used to serve it are Michael Kors and Theory’s chief creative officer Jeffrey Kalinsky, who both like latkes for Hanukkah, but “reing a true southerner,” the latter added, “we always serve ours with fried chicken.” Kalinsky and his partner will ring in the New Year in either South or Palm Beach, Fla.
Also seeking out sunnier climes are Rachel Scott of Diotima who will return home to Jamaica for rum-fueled escapades, and Tommy Hilfiger, who is keen on taking the whole Hilfiger clan to Mustique. On the agenda are volleyball games, hikes, picnics and group swims, but the best part, he said, is “having all the kids together, for several days of uninterrupted time.”
After all, family is what the holidays are about, and they marked some memorable firsts for designers with children. Elena Velez gave birth to her two-year-old son Atlas on Dec. 21, but it wasn’t until he was released from the NICU on Christmas Eve that she held him for the first time. Meanwhile, Carolina Herrera’s creative director Wes Gordon took his first trip with son Henry in tow to see the tree at Rockefeller Center last year. “I’m hoping this will become a tradition now with him and our baby daughter, Georgia,” he said. Raul Lopez recounted a special moment at the New York landmark as well: ice skating with his mother, which ended up inspiring the theme for his recent Luar “Baddies on Ice” holiday party.
Still, other designers found the most cheer with their fashion family. Brandon Blackwood reminisced about his Christmas campaign photoshoot, after which he and his team told stories and baked cookies, while Anna Sui had just as much fun crafting ornaments with her store employees in 1994.
Also a fan of decking the halls is Tory Burch whose tree growing-up was always topped with an angel to bring good luck. Perhaps the year she took this photograph sneaking a peek at the gifts Santa left underneath it was a lucky one.
Other memorable gifts include Sergio Hudson’s toy guitar and a leaf given to Henry Zankov by his yoga teacher. “At this time of the year, it is lovely to be reminded that the most meaningful and powerful gifts are the simplest ones,” he said.
While they looked back on holidays of yore, Melitta Baumeister chose to look ahead. The 2023 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner submitted a mirror-selfie wrapped in a furry snow-white coat, saying: “The best holiday is the one we take in the future.”
