Louis Vuitton’s creative director has no regrets about choices he has made in the past – including his now infamous grunge collection for sportswear label Perry Ellis, which led to his dismissal from the brand in 1992 – and believes designers need to stick to their gut instincts rather than worrying about being a commercial success.
Discussing the incident, he told Stylist magazine, “I never looked at the down side. It taught me that you have to trust your instincts and do what’s in your heart. I didn’t set out to be a rebel but there’s a kind of integrity that’s much more rewarding than any kind of negativity.
“You sleep better at night when you do what you feel rather than doing something you think someone else might like.”
His offbeat collection might have been a flop at the time, but it is still referenced in the current ’90s revival, although he strongly disagrees with the new trend.
He ranted, “Now it’s just style with no substance. At the time, when we did grunge, there was a real reason, there was change – it felt substantial, like punk.
“Now people have Mohawks and have no idea what the social significance was. So grunge has joined the ranks for punk in a way.”
