Images By Sophie Sardari
The Blonds turned 20 this season, celebrating the milestone for S/S 27 with their signature grandeur and tons of Swarovski crystals to match. Designer Phillipe Blond opened his own show in true Blonds fashion, transforming the runway into a drag race as celebrity walkers and queer icons, including Aquaria , Susanne Bartsch, Gigi Gorgeous, and Dominique Jackson, followed suit, with Paris Hilton closing out the sartorial spectacle. The Blonds take an unconventional approach to casting. Rather than choosing models who are cut out for the job, they cast their own muses:, pop culture legends who already embody the brand in their own right, personalities who are natural citizens of the world Phillipe and David have been tirelessly constructing over the past two decades.
Blonde, as the pair defines it, is more than a physical attribute. Blonde is a performance, a confident caricature of unapologetic femininity that begins on paper under David’s creative direction and comes to life through Phillipe’s designs, much like the runway itself begins backstage. There was a buzz of camaraderie and communal respect among the cast as everyone prepared to put on a show alongside the brand’s North Star, Phillipe. Models.com contributor Sophie Sardari went backstage at the brand’s 20th anniversary to discuss this season’s mosaic of color, how the cast was a testament to the bold beauty of diversity, and how blonde can be an iconic affirmation.
Images By Sophie Sardari
You dress a lot of musicians; your work was born for the stage. Does sound play a role in the creative process, and how?
David: Absolutely. I think especially with this soundtrack, we really try to incorporate all of our different influences from every different genre, every different decade. We work with The Misshapes every season on our soundtracks and it’s always an incredibly intense creative process because we really try to do something cinematic. That’s one of our core inspirations and this season was even more so because this is our fourth time working with Motorola and we’re celebrating their newest phone, the Merlin, and it was unveiled by, you know, the other ultimate blonde, Paris Hilton.
Phillipe: It has Swarovski stones in the back, very quilted, very gorgeous, I love it. Serves with my outfit! So yeah, music inspires the collection inspires our soundtracks are like facets, they tell a story, it’s kind of storytelling from the beginning through end and you have to listen to the lyrics, you have to find out about the artist, you have to find out about the details and The Misshapes do such a beautiful, incredible job at that and we couldn’t be happier than that.
Looking at the outfits, Phillipe, you look the part; you walk your own runways. In what ways do you continue to serve as your own muse, your own inspiration, and especially for each other, since you both live in the world that you’ve created?
Phillipe: Well, I’m very much about protecting my art and protecting my heart and it’s just about staying consistent. I think my strength lies in being consistent and I think that’s how I’ve made it this far.
David: I think we find inspiration from many different places and from each other;, one of us will find something, and then we’ll discover new things constantly together.
Happy 20 years to The Blonds. What is a look you consider to be the most definitive representation of the brand?
Both: I think [Phillipe’s] tonight.
Phillipe: It’s completely all Swarovski crystals, my shoes are custom Christian Louboutin, Swarovski, all of it, my belt is custom Creepyyeha, [feeling at his necklaces] I’ve got my machete, I’ve got my Blonds, I’ve got my lakshmi, all of my favorite jewelry pieces, [pointing out a locket] my David, yeah. This is like the ultimate right now. It’s so heavy. When I came out, I, like, struck a pose and I felt the whole suit, like, shift and I was like “ah!”
Where do you see The Blonds in the next 20 years?
Phillipe: Wow, well, there’s a lot going on for The Blonds right now. Not much we can talk about, but pretty soon you’ll see. I won’t have to say anything.
Is it going to be a different phase, a different look? You said you’re consistent.
David: There’s so much more to do and so much more to explore.
Phillipe: There’s so much more to explore and this is the beginning. I’ve discovered myself at this point, so now that I know who I am, there’s so much more to explore. I’m very excited for the future and actually new music, too, I listened to a lot of new music. Tonight there were a lot of artists that modeled in the show, like ZTVZ, pronounced Estévez, a duo of two brothers who come from Puerto Rico, just like me, so it’s so exciting, and then there’s Snow, who’s from Mexico. We have Daiky, who is a DJ and a singer at the moment and modeled in our show tonight, that rose gold leather jacket. It was a moment, I’m just very happy also to celebrate my culture and my Latin roots and have all my Latino friends around me tonight to celebrate… Like I said, there’s a lot of facets to this story.
Images By Sophie Sardari
