I hosted a holiday party and a guest said to me that she has seen my silver sequin Alexis Mabille trouser on me before. Yes, she had and I was repeating. The Duchess of Cambridge being a good English woman has repeated well-documented outfits with pride. Kate, the fashion icon of many around the world has made it very IN to repeat. When good design does not date one cannot toss out the piece as in this case my Alexis Mabille trousers (a favorite designer of Carla Bruni) It has to be worn and worn again. I find this to more to be the case as with the trend of the “vintage look” is repeating someone else original look so why not your own. For 2012 take a look back into your closet to find, restyle, accessorize an old favorite to wear it as Kate would.
Your vision is unlike any other. We have to ask – where do you find the inspiration?
Somewhere behind my blue eyes my inspiration comes. It comes from many difference sources; art, politics, nature, economics, cinema, poetry. The one thing is doesn’t come from is fashion, the dead art. Inspiration is your philosophy. It is a combination of everything you take in and its an interpretation of that, it is constantly moving and constantly changing.
All of your jewelries are unique yet there is a thread that unifies them all. Do your designs shift based on mood or season?
It has been said that I am a difficult man, but I think I’m quite pleasant, so how wrong can you be? The thing is…one of my girl friends said this, “I love you because its like waking up with a different man every morning.” Things constantly change and it transforms into your work. I would hate to be constant, like one of those French guys that never change their haircut. I’m not that kind of bloke. Its a challenge to compete in one’s self, it keeps me in a state of constant flux so nothing is safe.
When designing, do you imagine what outfit a woman might wear with your jewelry?
Hopefully nothing at all. Clothes are the new accessories. I have to thank the designers for the lovely frocks that go with my jewelry.
You recently created printed tees for Matches. Do you have any plans to eventually create a full fashion line?
I wold love to do all kinds of things, but I am a bit stretched fighting off the wolves. What we have created here, dare I call it a ‘brand’ but the look we have created here would be easy to interpret into all kinds of product. We are a small independent company and it is difficult to dabble in to all these different arenas but the ideas are strong enough… how difficult can it be?!
As a high-end designer, would you ever consider developing a capsule collection, a la Versace for H&M?
I am not against it but we have not yet had the opportunity. There are many interpretations of my ideas out there by who knows who. I would like the opportunity to exploit the ideas that I have been working on for the past 30 years.
Tom Binns’ fans run the gamut from Lady Gaga to Michelle Obama. Can you describe an archetypal Tom Binns woman?
She is a woman who exudes independence and can step up to the plate to take it on and not care what people think. Someone who knows how to radiate as beauty radiates, it is not obvious. It is much deeper than that and if I can lend my work to the sparkle of a woman’s presence that I find very rewarding.
Your partner, Cristina Viera Newton, was a former model and fashion executive. Is your relationship more yin and yang or Bonnie and Clyde?
No, its more itchy and scratchy. She encourages me and eases the pressure of the constant irritation of life which allows me to function creatively.
If you had to choose, what song would you pick as the title track to represent the Spring 2012 collection?
It would be a song from The Cure called, ‘In Between Days’
Do you have a favorite piece?
Well, there was this Italian girl in a movie that I’ve seen recently, she is my favorite piece.”
