John Varvatos

THE KING OF FASHION TALKS ABOUT HIS DETROIT ROOTS, EXPLAINS HIS SECOND LIFE AS A ROCKER AND TELLS MEN ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SHOES, FEET AND TOENAILS

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(continued from page 97) During that period the war was paramount. It was everything.

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PLAYBOY: While we're here, we'd like to get some free fashion advice. Tell us a few com­mon mistakes you hate to see men make. varvatoS: My number one thing is bad shoes. I won't mention the brand, but I still see guys wearing square-toed shoes. I see guys in suits two sizes too big, like the ones David Byrne from Talking Heads wore in the 1980s. Even he doesn't wear those suits today. Young guys shouldn't wear pleated chino pants. It doesn't mean pleats can't be fashionable but not those pleat wl Dock­ers. And I don't like polo shirts with sleeves below the elbows. That's not even appropri­ate for the golf course.

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playboy What about sandals on men? VARVATOS: If you're going to wear flip-flops or sandals, you'd better do something about those toenails, man. When we do a run­way show, the models come in with these curled-under toenails. Really, they look like pterodactyls. A woman once said to me, "Your feet are really decent. You either work in fashion or you're gay."

PLAYBOY: Do people assume you're gay because you work in fashion? varvatoS: When I met my wife, she asked somebody if I was straight or gay. And the

person said, "He's straight; he has kids." Well, that really doesn't mean much any­more. It's a little bit of a weird thing in our industry, because I'm one of the few straight designers. Maybe that's why we're success­ful, because my clothes are very masculine. Most designers' products are more feminine. They're made for a little skinny boy. When designers talk about male models they refer to them as boys. I never do that.

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PLAYBOY: How is designing for men difler-ent from designing for women? VARVATOS: Guys are essentially lazy. It's not Garanimals by any means, but we make it uncomplicated.

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pi AYBOY: Can a man be well-dressed if he shops only at the Gap and Banana Republic? varvatoS: Sure. I'd say you can look quite well-dressed by shopping at f. Crew. But in my clothes you don't feel as mainstream. When you shop at Banana Republic or the Gap, it's good basic product, but it doesn't define your personality. In my clothes, guys feel more confident, stronger, sexier.

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PIAYBOY: Varvatos does a very good busi­ness in fragrance. What about the wisdom that men should never smell of anything but soap and water?

varvatos: I grew up with fragrances like Brut and Ilai Karate. When I was three or four I would go into the bathroom and smell my dad's towel because I liked the way Old Spice smellcd. One of the reasons we've

been so successful in fragrance is because our products spark those memories.

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piayboY: How did you react when you started losing your hair?

varvai'OS: I used Rogainc for two weeks, prob­ably when it was Ux) late. I was like, "I don't like this shit. It makes my scalp itch." Alot of guys don't have hair, and some are pretty sexy.

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PIAYBOY: When you die, the New York Times obituary is likely to begin, "John Varvatos, the designer who invented the boxer brief when he worked at Calvin Klein...." varvai'OS: \lMugfis\ You can mention the boxer briefs and you can mention the lace-less Converse sneaker, which is a monster too. My company's 10-ycar annivcrsaiy is this fall. A lot of designers become hot, attend eveiy party, and then you don't hear about them again. We've created our own identity. You asked about Banana Republic and the Gap—they don't have their own personality. Ihey're followers. I spent a lot of years work­ing for Ralph Lauren, and he had so many copycats, from Ibmniy Ililfiger to Abercrom-bie 8c Filch lo f. Crew. Many people have followed us too and been successful.

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playboy: Who was more entertaining as a boss, Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein? varvai'OS: Ralph's bigger than life. I remem­ber being in London with him at a meeting with a very serious British guy, and we both burst out laughing. You know how you can be at a funeral and laugh so hard you start to cry even though you shouldn't? We had to get up and leave the meeting, like a couple of fourth-graders. It took me three months to leave his company because he would never accept that I was leaving.

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piayboY: There's now a John Varvatos store on the Bowery in New York where the punk rock club CBGB used to be. As a music lover, did you have mixed feelings about turning that space into a retail store? varvatoS: I drove from Michigan to see the Ramones at CBGB in the late 1970s. It was so dirty and electric and sexual. I saw the Clash there, and Talking Heads and Tele­vision. The neighborhood was seaiy. There was fighting in the streets. It was dangerous, and the dangerous part was what punk rock was about. After it closed in 200fi it sat empty for almost two years. There were rattraps all over. It was disgusting, okay?

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piayboY: C'mon, it was always disgusting. varvatos: Yeah, but it was worse because a sewage pipe had broken in the basement. People were angry with us for taking that space. As a store, it's not dangerous anymore, but you can feel the history. You can see the graffiti on the walls. Where else on a fucking Ihursday night can you go for free and drink free liquor and see Guns N' Roses or the New York Dolls? That's when I feel we're doing something right. There's still something dan­gerous about the music. It could have become a bank. It could have become a coffee shop.

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PLAYBOY: If we were to interview your ex-

assistants, how would they describe you? varvatoS: Motivated but laid-back at the same time. Sometimes a pain in the ass. Gen­erous. Sometimes a pain in the ass. Nonstop. Sometimes a pain in the ass. [laughs] We've set the bar pretty high for our people, and some take it as a pain in the ass.

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PLAYBOY: I low strong is your Cheek ancestiy? VARVATOS: My grandparents came from Greece, but my parents never had enough money to travel. The mayor of Athens invited me to do a runway show; when I was there I felt a little like a rock star. I wish my mother had been alive. And Greeks come out of the woodwork to tell me how proud they are. Some of them just want to sell me insurance. [laughs] That's definitely not pride.

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playboy: You told us that as a kid you

wanted to "be more rock and roll." Have you reached that goal? VARVATOS: I've been onstage playing guitar and singing with Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper, ZZ Top and Guns N' Roses. Axl Rose saw me singing on the side of the stage, pulled me up and gave me the microphone. My friend Matt Sorum, who played drums with Axl, said, "Fuck, I was on tour with the guy for four years, and he wouldn't even let me sing background vocals!"

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PLAYBOY: Would you trade your fashion career to be the singer in a big rock band? VARVATOS: 1 like being a fan. I like being in the audience. But 1 also like the VIP part of it—like when you go to festivals and it's 100 degrees, but if you can be backstage, it doesn't hurt.