Interview

DC: Was it a big jump to go from there to Gucci?

FC: Huge. A woman with a strong French accent called. I thought she wanted to sell me prints. She said, "I'm a headhunter." I said, "So why are you calling me? I'm so happy here." She wanted me to see somebody, but she wouldn't say who. So I said, "Thank you very much." A week or two later, she called back and said, "It's Gucci. I have an appointment for you with Tom Ford at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning, and you have to meet him." I didn't even have a portfolio, but I went to Tom the next morning. He said, "I'd love you to come in with me. Get a lawyer." [laughs] It was quite exciting, obviously, because it was a complete departure. But mind you, what he was looking for was the exact opposite of what I thought. My first collection for him was Cher-inspired. It was flower trousers, California, hippie cool, all the stuff I did at Oscar. It was making me sick. I wanted to see the other side of the spectrum. Tom was always very secure about the way he did things, so it was quite interesting for me.

DC: How would you contrast your way of working with his way of working?

FC: You can't compare us, but I do think that Calvin influenced his way of working. Calvin created this whole aesthetic with imagery-the whole sex thing. I can see that Calvin influence on his work. What Calvin has created is untouchable. My legacy, whatever it is I'm doing here, is miniscule compared to what he has done. It's just like an update deal.

DC: Today all these influential designers work at houses where the name of the house is better known than their own. How do you feel about your name not being on the house?

FC: It's a great thing. It's so hard to actually find that niche for yourself. It's like when Nicolas Ghesquiére found Balenciaga. I hate to sound esoteric, but there is something about a house that leads you to that one chair, that one corner, where you just sit and feel comfortable. I feel very comfortable at Calvin. My name is associated with it enough, and we have a fantastic team here. You think of luxury when you think of Calvin. He created this lifestyle that's really desirable, so our whole project has that quality of being lasting.

DC: Some say you should never go work at a house where the designer is still alive. Do you feel pressure in that respect?

FC: I only do what I do. For me, it is a craft. It's got to be my own thing-otherwise, I would never be successful. I could easily go to the archives and pull 1987 or 1991. But when you look in there, you realize that it was never about one piece. It was about the collections as bodies of work.

DC: Everybody seemed to really like your fall collection a lot. What was that about for you?

FC: It's really about maturity and taking the texture, fabric, and all that to the next level-making a product that's more substantial, more joyous.

DC: Who is your customer?

FC: She's mature, intellectual . . . the kind of woman who wants to be on top. She has a fresh, young approach, but she's very sophisticated. Think of Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour [1967]. . . . She is collected. . . . She's smart. She's sexy and she's getting sexier. . . .

DC: The appeal of Belle de Jour is that it presents a woman as an entire creature.

FC: That's the spirit. I would love to see these clothes 10 years from now, because the fabric is so amazing. They have that kind of strength that you carry through your life.

DC: The Calvin Klein runway presentations are always sober and understated. Do you ever envy someone like Marc Jacobs, who has these grenade-launching shows?

FC: No. The runway presentations are modest, but there's substance behind them. Hopefully the clothes will speak louder. At times, you do dream, because when you think of Calvin, you think of the luxury of spaces. I do wish that we could do a show in some sort of open space. We'll do it someday.

DC: And are you glad to not be doing florals?

FC: I love floral. I should quote Calvin here. "There is nothing good. There is nothing bad. It's that everything you do is within a context." We have tons of florals from Calvin himself. I just don't think this is a floral moment for us.

DC: What was it like to work with Calvin? You didn't overlap too much.

FC: A year. It was fantastic. He loved fabric. Our first fabric selection with Calvin, there were about 15 suitcases of uncut blankets. He had one pattern done in five different blend mixes, and every blend mix had 12 colors. It took two or three weeks to make one selection. It was marvelous. These fabric developments were really the core of the business. You have the same silhouette, but really vamped in fabrics. It is something that few companies did. Calvin has fantastic taste.

DC: He is also an amazing provocateur. Do you desire to be provocative?

FC: The more work we do, the more room we have. My interest is in this company, a huge corporation. I'm not saying that we have limitations, but it's not the same freedom.

DC: Are you a big orchid fan?

FC: It's a signature of the house, but at home I like greens more than flowers. Green. I'm a Taurus.

DC: You love book shopping, too, right?

FC: I don't love reading so much, but I love book shopping. [laughs] It's just because I don't have much time. When I came back from Maastricht [the European Fine Art Fair, in the Netherlands], I went to this amazing show and bought 25 books.

DC: The work at Maastricht is incredible.

FC: It is. Of course, you can't touch anything.

DC: Do you prefer Maastricht to Art Basel Miami?

FC: Actually, Miami Basel feels over-the-top.

DC: Are you a Miami person?

FC: Not really.

DC: Do you ever feel like people expect you to celebrate Latin things more?

FC: I think perhaps people are surprised that I don't. I don't think I put myself in a category. You know, I like cold. I really like to go to cold towns.

DC: And do you like gray?

FC: I love gray. I love winter.