Culture – Numéro Berlin

TO WATCH: “IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT” BY JAFAR PANAHI

Anna Klusmeier — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:49:42 +0000

A sound so distinct it throws you back into a very specific moment. A sense of repetition settles in, of reliving again and again. The experience keeps playing before your inner eye like a film with no ending. No ending that feels satisfying.

Vahid once endured the machinery of a regime that left marks no time could erase. A seemingly insignificant incident in the present opens a door to what was never truly over.

Consumed by the memories of torture in prison, it is precisely a squeaking sound that will sooner or later bring Vahid release. The squeak of his tormentor’s prosthesis. The sound that confronts him with a choice: to become part of the problem or to allow mercy.

In It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi, the question is one of morality. Can an individual confront the inhumanity of a totalitarian regime with the same rigidity, or is the preservation of (shared) humanity perhaps the stronger response?

Born from a simple accident, a story unfolds that is initially defined by anger. An inward-consuming anger that offers its bearer only a brief sense of comfort. A feeling one can escape into, one that understands, that always stays on the same side. Until that anger crosses from the psychological into the physical, risking the complete destruction of lives built with care. An anger that turns into revenge.

BETWEEN NOSTALGIA AND NOW: THE ART OF VANELLIMELLI BY ELLIE HAASE

Anna Klusmeier — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 16:36:54 +0000

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VANELLIMELLI HAS BUILT A CAREER ON TURNING SELF-EXPRESSION INTO ART. STARTING
OUT AS ONE OF GERMANY’S FIRST FASHION BLOGGERS, SHE QUICKLY DEVELOPED A VISUAL LANGUAGE THAT BLENDS NOSTALGIA, VULNERABILITY, AND A STRONG SENSE OF AESTHETICS. OVER THE YEARS, SHE HAS GROWN FROM ONLINE PERSONALITY TO CREATIVE FORCE —COLLABORATING WITH MAJOR BRANDS WHILE MAINTAINING A DEEPLY PERSONAL VOICE. WHAT SETS HER APART IS HER HONESTY AND HER INSTINCT FOR STORYTELLING: EVERY IMAGE FEELS LIVED, EVERY POST CARRIES EMOTION BEYOND THE SURFACE. FOR THIS ISSUE, WE PHOTOGRAPHED HER IN COLLABORATION WITH PRADA BEAUTY — A PAIRING THAT FELT EFFORTLESS, AS BOTH SHARE AN APPRECIATION FOR AUTHENTICITY, MOOD, AND QUIET TRANSFORMATION.

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ELLIE HAASE: BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND ART: WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FORM OF SELF-EXPRESSION?

VANELLI MELLI: I ENJOY A MIX OF PHOTOGRAPHY, MUSIC, AND VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE THE MOST. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON MY MOOD AND, OF COURSE, WHAT THE SUBJECT IS. MY GOAL IS ALWAYS TO CONVEY EMOTIONS OR A SPECIFIC FEELING. THAT’S PROBABLY WHY I USE SEVERAL PLATFORMS, SOMETIMES WITH DIFFERENT OUTPUTS.

EH: YOU’VE COLLABORATED WITH PRADA SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE — WHAT IS IT THAT YOU APPRECIATE ABOUT THE BRAND’S VISION?

VM: FOR ME, PRADA IS A BRAND THAT MANAGES TO COMMUNICATE VISUAL POETRY. AS SOMEONE WHO LOVES PHOTOGRAPHY AND DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM VINTAGE AESTHETICS, I’M FASCINATED BY HOW PRADA CONNECTS PAST AND FUTURE SO ELEGANTLY. PRADA WAS ALSO ONE OF THE FIRST BRANDS I DISCOVERED WHEN I FIRST BECAME INTERESTED IN FASHION AS A TEENAGER — EVEN BACK THEN, SOMETHING ABOUT THAT MIX OF INTELLECT, REBELLION, AND STYLE REALLY GRABBED ME.

EH: THE CAMPAIGN PLAYS A LOT WITH THE BANANA MOTIVE. IN WHAT MOMENTS DO YOU FIND IT EASIEST TO BE “TOTALLY BANANAS” YOURSELF?

VM: EITHER WHEN I’M SURROUNDED BY MY FAVORITE PEOPLE, OR WHEN I PLAY GOOD MUSIC REALLY LOUD – THEN THERE’S USUALLY SOME WILD DANCING AROUND THE APARTMENT, A LITTLE BIT “GAGA.”

EH: WHICH ASPECT OF THE BANANA LIP BALM IS MOST “YOU”?

VM: THE TWIST BETWEEN PLAYFULNESS AND LUXURY

EH: ON YOUR INSTAGRAM, IT’S PRETTY BALANCED, BUT DO YOU PREFER SHOOTING IN COLOR OR IN BLACK AND WHITE? AND WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT CHOICE RESEMBLE FOR YOU?

VM: I PREFER SHOOTING IN COLOR. MOST OF THE SUBJECTS THAT END UP IN FRONT OF MY LENS WORK BEST WITH NATURAL LIGHT, AND I LOVE HOW THAT LIGHT INFLUENCES COLOR AND MOOD. THIS MIGHT SOUND A BIT CLICHÉ, BUT I ALSO JUST LIKE HAVING THE CHOICE – I OFTEN DECIDE DURING THE EDITING PROCESS TO TURN A COLOR PHOTO INTO BLACK AND WHITE.

EH: ON YOUR INSTAGRAM, IT’S PRETTY BALANCED, BUT DO YOU PREFER SHOOTING IN COLOR OR IN BLACK AND WHITE? AND WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT CHOICE RESEMBLE FOR YOU?

VM: I BASICALLY GREW UP WITH FILM AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD A FASCINATION FOR IT. WHEN IN 2017 I DECIDED TO WORK ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY WITH ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY, THE MAIN REASON WAS THAT ON INSTAGRAM EVERYTHING LOOKED THE SAME – EVERYONE USED THE SAME FILTERS. I WANTED MY PHOTOS TO STAND OUT. NOW, OF COURSE, SHOOTING ON FILM HAS BECOME COMMON AGAIN, BUT I’LL STAY LOYAL TO IT, MAINLY BECAUSE I THINK SKIN TONES LOOK SO MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL ON FILM.

EH: YOU HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF AESTHETICS. HOW MUCH DO THE EXPECTATIONS OF YOUR FOLLOWERS INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

VM: HONESTLY, TOO MUCH IN THE PAST FEW YEARS. ALTHOUGH… IT’S NOT JUST THE FOLLOWERS’ EXPECTATIONS, IT’S ALSO THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE INDUSTRY, THE BRANDS, AND MY OWN EXPECTATIONS OF MYSELF. I’VE BEEN PUTTING A LOT OF PRESSURE ON MYSELF THESE LAST YEARS. BUT RIGHT NOW, I’M REALLY TRYING TO MOVE IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION: TO DO WHAT MAKES ME HAPPY AND ALSO JUST WHAT I PERSONALLY WANT TO SEE.

EH: YOU AVOID LABELING YOURSELF OR YOUR WORK. HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT DECISION IN SHAPING YOUR IDENTITY TODAY?

VM: NOT FORCING MYSELF INTO A SINGLE LABEL WAS CRUCIAL FOR ME. IT GAVE ME THE FREEDOM TO MOVE BETWEEN MEDIA, STYLES, AND MOMENTS WITHOUT HAVING TO EXPLAIN MYSELF. THAT FREEDOM HAS SHAPED MY IDENTITY AS AN ARTIST: CURIOUS, OPEN, AND ALWAYS READY TO REINVENT MYSELF.

EH: HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO TRY TO PUT YOU OR YOUR WORK INTO BOXES?

VM: OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS, I’VE LEARNED THAT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO PUT YOU IN A BOX, THEY’LL DO IT ANYWAY. IT TAKES TOO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY TO CONVINCE THEM OTHERWISE, SO LET THEM PUT ME IN A BOX! [LAUGHS] I KNOW I CAN OPEN A LOT OF THEM!

EH: WHERE BETWEEN INSTAGRAM, TIKTOK, AND YOUTUBE, IS THERE STILL ROOM FOR MEL?

VM: ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE. SOMETIMES I MANAGE TO FIND TIME FOR MYSELF BETTER THAN OTHER TIMES, BUT SINCE MY ONLINE AND OFFLINE SELVES ARE BASICALLY THE SAME PERSON, WITH LOTS OF OVERLAP, I REALLY CAN’T COMPLAIN. IT GENERALLY ALL FEELS PRETTY ORGANIC.

EH: WHAT SIGNIFICANCE DO YOU ASSIGN TO VISIONARIES? DO YOU HAVE ROLE MODELS YOU WOULD DESCRIBE AS VISIONARY?

VM: VISIONARIES INSPIRE ME BECAUSE THEY PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT’S FAMILIAR AND MAKE US SEE THE WORLD DIFFERENTLY. YES, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT ROLE MODELS FROM FASHION, ART, AND MUSIC. I THINK OF ARTISTS WHO RADICALLY EVOLVE THEIR AESTHETICS, WHO TURN THEIR BACKS ON THE MAINSTREAM AND PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THAT, CREATE A NEW VISUAL LANGUAGE.

EH: TELL US ABOUT YOUR VISION FOR THE FUTURE – IN GENERAL OR PERSONALLY.

VM: MY VISION IS TO CREATE SPACES THAT FEEL DREAMY AND
ATMOSPHERIC – TANGIBLE. PLACES THAT SLOW US DOWN AND MAKE US REFLECT. FOR MY WORK, I WANT TO CONTINUE DISSOLVING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN MEDIA, GENRES, AND MOMENTS, AND KEEP FINDING NEW WAYS TO EXPRESS MYSELF. IN GENERAL, I DREAM OF A WORLD WHERE CREATIVITY IS FREE AND NOT BOUND BY EXPECTATIONS
– JUST LIKE I TRY TO LIVE IT THROUGH MY WORK.

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TO WATCH: “THE STRANGER” BY FRANÇOIS OZON

Anna Klusmeier — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 11:36:19 +0000

To exist in a life without great changes. A life shaped by indifference toward others and toward oneself. Meursault moves through his days without resistance, without the need to hold on to anything. The world unfolds around him, and he registers it without assigning it meaning.

He lives in Algiers. Between work and acquaintances, who consider themselves closer to him than they truly are, he seeks the presence of the sea. The only place capable of drawing something from him that resembles emotion. Relationships fail to take root, conversations pass without leaving a mark, and gradually he drifts into a situation that no longer concerns only himself but begins to carry weight in the world around him.

François Ozon, who brings Albert Camus’ novel The Stranger to the screen, does not dwell on psychological depth. His focus rests on a single question: what remains of a person when language and emotion no longer align?

The film’s world is sharp and uncompromising, ruled by a logic of black and white. And yet it does not dwell on inner turmoil but on distance. A man observes the world without adjusting to it. Decisions arise not from drama, but from moments, and each of these moments carries consequences that cannot be undone.

Perhaps the power of this film lies in the fact that it does not tell us how a person should feel but asks why feeling matters at all. It presents an existence without judgment, leaving the viewer to find their own meaning within it.

TO WATCH: “FRANKENSTEIN” BY GUILLERMO DEL TORO

Anna Klusmeier — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:01:21 +0000

To exist in a life that was never meant to be yours.
A life forced upon you.
A life without an ending.
Assembled from memories and experiences that do not belong to you.
Condemned to rejection, driven by other people’s fear of difference and their lack of faith in goodness.

Guillermo del Toro’s creatures often function as vessels for human longing, loneliness, and otherness. Frankenstein follows the same emotional path. It is a story about not belonging and about the dehumanization of a being capable of feeling. Feelings, no different from those of any other character in the film. And yet the creature is never allowed to truly become part of their world. It remains an “it.” Because without a name, there can be no humanity.

This process of dehumanization does not begin with society. It begins with the creator himself. Victor Frankenstein, the obsessive scientist, who thinks only of the moment of creation, never of what comes after. The first heartbeat is not followed by care, but by shock. Not by responsibility, but by abandonment. For the viewer, this absence of empathy becomes a source of frustration.

Built from the “best” body parts of fallen soldiers and executed criminals, Victor creates something that stands in complete opposition to nature. A human being assembled by hand. To his own surprise, one who feels, who carries empathy, desire, and the ability to form genuine human connection.

Perhaps the true monstrosity does not reside within the creature but within a society that punishes people not for what they do but for who they are.

Editors Letter: A Note on Love, Courage, and Leaving Places Better

Anna Klusmeier — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 15:23:16 +0000

Love is not about agreeing.

It’s not about being right.

It’s not about winning an argument or proving a point.

Love is about respect.

Respect for the fact that every human carries fear, history, wounds, and stories we do not fully see.

Respect for the fact that we don’t have to understand someone completely in order to treat them gently.

So much in this world is not broken because love is missing

but because fear is louder than love.

Fear of being seen.

Fear of being wrong.

Fear of saying “I’m sorry.”

Fear of taking the first step.

Fear of dropping the mask and showing what is real.

And so we build facades.

We defend opinions.

We protect our egos.

We hold onto being “right” instead of being kind.

We let our minds create stories that feel real, even when they are not.

Our brains are excellent storytellers

and not all of their stories are true.

The real work of life is learning when not to listen to the noise,

and instead choose action over thought,

courage over comfort,

love over protection.

Sometimes the bravest thing is not to argue

but to apologize.

Not to explain

but to listen.

Not to wait

but to step forward.

Especially now, when the world feels tired and divided,

when it’s easier to withdraw than to connect,

the most radical act is simple:

To offer love.

To offer forgiveness.

To offer softness

even when it feels risky.

To friends.

To strangers.

To people who disappointed us.

To people we disappointed.

Because in the end, life is not measured by how right we were

but by whether we left people, moments, and places a little better than we found them.

Every conversation.

Every relationship.

Every city.

Every room.

A little more honest.

A little more open.

A little more human.

The world does not need more certainty.

It needs more courage.

And courage, most of the time, is simply love that decided to act.

FIGHT ISSUE VOL. B – WILLY CHAVARRIA

Anna Klusmeier — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:46:20 +0000

MORE HEART WILLY CHAVARRIA: HOW WE LOVE IS WHO WE ARE

Willy Chavarria on love being eternal, and the foundation of his work. The American fashion designer believes that the ﬁght we have to engage in shouldn’t happen in the dark, but rather with beauty, grace and love.

It is 7 PM in Paris when Willy Chavarria—exactly on time—appears on my computer screen.
With his increasingly busy schedule, the 30- to 40-minute interview is a precious gift. Chavarria is in New York, busy preparing for the big Met Gala day, but the stress and pressure don’t seem to faze him. Balanced, grounded, and extremely humble, Chavarria sets the tone of the conversation within the first few seconds, addressing me by name and creating the feeling that we are long-time friends. This one-of-a-kind creative revolutionist grew up in Fresno, California, in a conservative immigrant com-munity, with his father of Mexican descent and his mother of Irish descent. His commitment to celebrating Latinx culture, as well as the impact of immigration on a larger scale and queer culture, originates from witnessing deep layers of structural exclusion.

After spending a decade in New York and working for brands such as Joe Boxer, American Eagle, and Ralph Lauren—where he spent five years designing hip-hop-infused preppy basics—and holding a position as Senior Vice President of Design at Calvin Klein, the 58-year-old founded his label in 2015, connecting ideas of community, fashion, and political activism in the most innovative and exciting ways. What started with his passion for nightlife in the mid-1990s in San Francisco was refined by his experiences in the fashion world, elevating his raver aesthetic and 90s streetwear designs alongside his firm political values. With his Fall/Winter 2017 collection “Harder,” Chavarria celebrated his breakthrough by referencing activist organizations and civil disobedience.

Chavarria’s social and political messages are holistically interwoven through his work.
His outstanding casting embodies the idea of cultural inclusion and redefines the toxic labels that society keeps on producing. Everything seems fluid in Chavarria’s work—masculinity and femininity, cultural origins, sexual orientations, power, and fragility, as if to say: “We are all one anyway, so let’s celebrate it.” Chavarria creates a look of true humankind, spiced with swagger that is not afraid of softness. Design elements originating from “cholo” wear—big, baggy pants cinched at the waist and bold in color—are examples of how his design aesthetic integrates his childhood memories growing up in a farmworker family. And his activist approach is evident in the staging of his collections, collaborating with organizations like the ACLU to raise funds for increased voter registration efforts or celebrating a moment of unity at his Paris debut.

It has been an incredibly successful time for the cultural visionary, being named CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year for two consecutive years, listed on the 2025 TIME100, debuting at Paris Fashion Week a few months ago, and designing Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl capsule collection—just to name a few accomplishments.
A conversation about what propels the designer through everything, how his dream movie would look, and why it is no time to be timid about our beliefs. How we love is who we are.

THE MET GALA’S THEME HAS A SPECIAL CULTURAL POWER THIS TIME. WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS ONE?

Well, I think for the first time ever, I’m very interested to see the full expression of all the designers, just know-ing that it will be the first time we see a lot of Black and Brown designers featured on the red carpet. It’ll be a really interesting thing to see.

LET’S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR UPBRINGING. GROWING UP IN THE SAN JUAN VALLEY, WHAT WERE THE MOST FORMATIVE EXPERIENCES FOR YOU?

I’d say, above all, living in a smaller community with simpler values and not a lot of complexities to life. I think I was very inspired by the basic elements of human nature. I was always interested in the aesthetics that people would create and nurture to identify themselves with particular groups or subcultures. I’ve always found this to be fascinating. Also, I loved the way we would take care of our clothes and honor the value of what we owned. Even though people didn’t have much, they took very good care of what they had and expressed their self-identity in a strong and beautiful way. I always found that quite intriguing. As I got older and moved to San Francis-co from a very small town in California, I really embraced the nightlife and the thriving club scene.

THE CLUB SCENE STILL HAS A HUGE INFLUENCE ON YOUR WORK. BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY ONE-SELF WITH CULTURAL GROUPS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST POWERS FASHION HAS. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE BIGGEST POWER AND POTENTIAL OF FASHION CURRENTLY?

Fashion has such a powerful and intimate way of touching people, and it can reach people in so many facets of their lives. I really see it as a way to communicate ideas and ideologies.
I feel there’s an opportunity to communicate the concept of love and being good to one another. I believe it can be done in a way that is not corny but still cool, chic and glamorous. Fashion reminds us of our own value and the value of those around us, emphasizing how important it is to embrace and support one another as humans. I think every brand and every designer has a message in how they pursue their storytelling. The idea that we want to make clothes and sell them because it makes us feel more valuable or more exclusive than others—
I believe that concept is outdated. That is one of the reasons fashion has become incredibly boring. There’s very little to be excited about. Among the fashion elite, there’s a shifting of designers in the top houses, but it’s the same names and the same types of people, and I feel that beyond those few fashion elites attending the shows, there is not much interest. Nobody really cares about that. So it’s almost as if the fashion industry is playing for its own demise.

IT HAS HONESTLY BECOME FUNDAMENTAL TO HAVE VISIONARIES LIKE YOU WHO ARE REALLY PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF FASHION AND DOING SOMETHING FOR THE CULTURE, ABOVE ALL. HOW FAR DO YOU WANT TO PUSH BOUNDARIES TO SHIFT VALUES AND CHANGE THE INDUSTRY, AND CONTRIBUTE TO A POLITICAL DISCUSSION?

I think we’re living in a time with no room to be timid about our beliefs. The younger generations understand that if you don’t have a strong point of view, you are simply going to disappear into the background. Unfortu-nately, I think we see many larger companies are afraid to take risks and stand up for human rights. They fear the actions we see from leadership around the world. I think those are the companies that tend to dissolve in-to the background, no matter how big they are. Right now, I believe that all of us working in fashion not only have the ability to create significant change, it’s necessary that we do so, because fashion is always evolving and needs to be exciting and revolutionary to have substance. I believe this is the moment to be revolutionary in speaking about our protection as humans.

SO YOU SEE A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN YOUR WORK AS A DESIGNER?

I believe we are on our way; I see my team and my brand growing. I don’t see ourselves as having finished our work. I feel like we’re just getting started, and I’m grateful that the messaging we incorporate into our work is embraced. When I started the brand in 2015, my ambition was to stay true to the idea that everything we did would uplift people and speak against some of the injustices happening—especially in the United States at the time. Many discouraged me from taking that approach, fearing it would lead to losing customers and isolating people. But even in that year, I was excited to realize that people do want truth, understanding, and emotional communication. They don’t want to see brands pretend that nothing is going on.

HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE STRONG SOCIAL MESSAGE WITH THE BUSINESS ASPECT?

I can still have a strong business while doing what I’m skilled at, which is design. I can manufacture beautiful clothes, create amazing looks, and make people look cool while embracing the art of it all. It just means that I believe we can do it with more heart. There are other great designers out there doing things with their art that aren’t addressing the social climate, and that’s fine. I’m not begrudging anyone for not doing that, but I do think there’s an opportunity, and I like to take advantage of it.

FOR ME, YOU ARE SHOWING A POWERFUL WAY OF FIGHTING WITH BEAUTY AND LOVE. FOR A LONG TIME, IT SEEMED TO BE DONE ONLY IN AND WITH DARKNESS. YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT YOUR BRAND IS FOR EVERYONE. WHAT ALLOWS YOU TO REACH SO MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE?

I love to include in my runways and presentations those who have not been included for so many years through-out fashion history. I know it’s refreshing for Black and Brown people to see themselves represented, but it’s also refreshing for everyone, as it reminds us that we are all in this together. Celebrating people who are often overlooked in film and fashion, in the glossy pages of magazines, excites all of us.

YOUR WORK ALSO OFFERS A VERY REFRESHING TAKE ON MASCULINITY BECAUSE YOU PLAY WITH THE CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE TOUGH EXTERIOR AND THE SOFT, FRAGILE HEART AND SOUL. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR VISION OF A MAN?

I love to embrace masculinity and femininity, religion and Catholicism, and so many things that are labeled tox-ic in our society. I really enjoy giving them new meaning and reinterpretation. I love having all the people I work with, as you saw in the photoshoot we did; they display a level of masculinity and femininity that is fluid across all characters. I celebrate masculinity as being sensitive, strong, loving, assuring, and openminded. This is some-thing to be celebrated because it doesn’t isolate people; it lets us know that everyone is welcome, even the masculine.

SPEAKING OF ISOLATION: DO YOU FEEL THAT THE EXCHANGE AND THE CONVERSATION HAPPENING THROUGH FASHION’S PRESENTATION FORMATS ARE SUFFICIENT? ARE YOU REFLECTING ON ANY NEW FORMATS TO PUSH THE CONVERSATION?

I do reflect on that because even with my brand’s beliefs, I need to share an evolution of ideas because it is fashion, and people want to be stimulated and excited by what they see. The topics I delve into change over time, but I see my work as eternal. I see the brand as eternal because it speaks of love, and love is eternal. It has a strong foundation based on our beliefs, coupled with our ideas of great craftsmanship and attention to detail. I’m also blessed to have such talented people on my team who are deeply dedicated not only to the phi-losophy of the brand, but also to the art of fashion, craftsmanship and fine tailoring.

ABSOLUTELY. YOU JUST MENTIONED THE DEDICATION TO FINE TAILORING. YOUR TAILORING IS VERY MUCH INSPIRED BY THE THIRTIES, FORTIES AND FIFTIES, BUT IS PUT INTO AN ENTIRELY NEW CONCEPT. HOW DO YOU SEE THE ROLE OF TAILORING IN YOUR BRAND AND AS A SOCIETAL FORM IN THE FUTURE?

I see tailoring as more relaxed, meant for all-day wear, and very gender fluid. I love a woman in a suit; that has always been one of my favorite things. I also love a man in a suit. There’s a beauty that happens when we wear suits. Personally, I love what tailoring does to a person’s identity; it’s like throwing on a jacket that ties it all to-gether. I appreciate how tailoring adds dignity to any look. While I love sportswear, activewear and jeans, and recognize the influence of street culture and athletics on contemporary dressing, I believe we need tailoring to remind us not to be too sloppy.

POEM: MIDNIGHT MEDITATION III – AIDA HURTADO

ADDING DIGNITY TO PEOPLE—THAT IS A NICE PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT FASHION CAN DO.

Yes, I love to make people feel strong and empowered when they wear my clothes. I love seeing people put on outfits and feel excited when they see themselves in the mirror. Tailoring embodies that; great leather does, too.

SPEAKING OF DIGNITY AND POWER, THAT LEADS NICELY TO THE THEME OF THIS ISSUE: “FIGHT.” TO LIVE IS TO FIGHT AND HOPEFULLY GROW THROUGH DOING SO. WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST STRUGGLE OR FIGHT IN LIFE THAT MADE YOU STRONGER AND WISER?

It was quite a battle for me to leave my small town and emerge into a world so far removed from me. I faced the challenge of being accepted by the community I left while moving into a new world that was very foreign to me. I felt like quite a foreigner in the fashion world as well.

WHERE DID YOU DERIVE YOUR MOTIVATION AND STRENGTH TO STEP OUTSIDE OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND FIGHT THIS BATTLE?

I believed—and still believe—that I have to be great at what I do in order to be okay.

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN AND PROTECT YOUR SANITY THESE DAYS?

Oh, well, one is that my zodiac sign is Cancer, so I love being at home and enjoy a very simple, calm life. The other is that I am blessed with an incredible husband who is also my business partner. He is my strength and backbone—my other half—and together we live a very simple life with my dog. These are the things that keep me grounded.

IS THERE AN ABSOLUTE DREAM PROJECT YOU’D LIKE TO REALIZE BEFORE YOU STOP WORKING, IF YOU EVER WILL (HOPEFULLY NOT)?

Oh, I don’t think I’ll ever stop working, but I do want to do a major motion picture.

WOW, HOW WOULD THAT LOOK?

It would be a drama and a romance—a combination of Wong Kar-wai, Francis Ford Coppola and Fellini.

QUITE ICONIC. WHAT WOULD BE THE TITLE?

It would be called “Hungry.” [long pause, then laughs]

WHO WOULD BE AT YOUR LAST SUPPER?

My last supper, oh my goodness! It would have Jesus Christ, Bad Bunny, Sade, my husband—oh gosh, I need 12 people for the last supper, right? Kendrick Lamar, Madonna. Well, I have a lot of friends, so they would all have to be there. Stanley Kubrick, young Sinead O’Connor, the designer Willi Smith, Dolores Huerta, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King.

WOW, OKAY. A WILLY CHAVARRIA LAST SUPPER—I WOULD LOVE TO WITNESS THAT.