The new issue of Mode Depesche has just been released. The cover of the fashion magazine features model and actress Marisa Berenson (granddaughter of famous fashion designer Elisa Schiaparelli). You may remember Marisa from her roles in Barry Lydon or Visconti’s Death in Venice. Of course there are many photos of her. I only want to point you to the cover of Vogue (July 1970), together with Helmut Berger.
Also, there is an interview with Peter Berlin done by Claus.

Anyway, at the beginning of July I did a short trip to Brussels to meet up with designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard to talk about his latest collections, French fries, obsessions and Madonna’s death.

Pictures of his work and an excerpt of the interview after the jump.

produzentin: You won the public and the 1,2,3 prize of this years Hyeres festival with your collection “Ich will ‘nen Cowboy als Mann”. Can you tell me a little bit about the collection and how it came together?

Jean-Paul Lespagnard: First, I found this fabric one year ago, and when you touch it you get the same feeling as when you are buying French fries wrapped in paper here in Belgium. When the wrapping comes in touch with Mayonnaise it becomes a bit transparent. And the colour of the fabric is a bit dirty at the same time. So I thought a collection about French fries could be nice.
Then I worked in Berlin for another project and during that time I saw a documentary about Gitte, who has this song “Ich will ‘nen Cowboy als Mann”. This is when I came up with the idea to combine French fries and cowboy stuff in the collection.
Finally, I found pictures of rodeo clowns on the Internet and as they were never used in fashion, I added them to the mix.

P: Can you tell me a little bit about Jacqueline? I read that you imagined her as a fictional character for the collection.

JP: Jacqueline owns and works at a French fries place and is dreaming about going to Texas to meet the man of her life. She is listening to “Ich will ‘nen Cowboy als Mann” at work. In her free time, she is creating this outfit to become a rodeo clown, to jump into the arena and protect the man from falling down the bull. This woman wants to protect her future lover. Jacqueline is very strong.
It didn’t end up in the collection, but I was planning on having t-shirts with the phrase “Save a bull - ride a cowboy”.

P: For every issue, Mode Depesche magazine has a theme and this time it is “beauty pageant”. I looked up a couple of questions that the final 5 contestants of the Miss Universe pageant have been asked over the years.
If you had to recommend a book to someone what book would it be and why?

JP: I’m not a big reader but in French we say “beaux livre”, which basically means book with pictures, which I like. I would recommend a book about traditions in different countries. In Belgium, we have a lot of traditions, like carnival for example. To me it is really nice to know about traditions; they are about history and things that go to the heart.

P: What one failure in your life did you most learn from?

JP: Wow. I can never be Miss Universe. A failure?! (thinking) I never failed (laughing).

P: What is the biggest challenge in your life?

JP: To fulfill my dreams.

P: What is one of the difficult situations your country is going through and what would you do to help solve it?

JP: I think it is the language. The Dutch and the French, they always fight about it. It is about different cultures. And I’m trying my best to mix them in my collection to show that Flemish and French people can be friends and hold hands.

P: If you could interview any female leader in history who would you interview and why?

JP: It sounds really cliché when I’m saying this, but a person that comes to my mind is Madonna. She changed a lot of things and did a lot of things for a lot of people. We were in the car driving to Hamburg for 5 hours and we couldn’t stop talking and laughing about what will happen when Madonna dies. It will be crazy.

P: Will it be as crazy as when Judy Garland died? Do you think there will be a Stonewall II?

JP: It will be worse (laughing). People will get really crazy. People will kill themselves.

P: Because Madonna died?

JP: Yeah, I mean, I will not. I have the feeling that for some people she is that important.

P: For some people that are really obsessed with her?

JP: Yes. We were talking about obsession and for me obsession is a good way to think but at the same time it can be dangerous.

P: Are you a Madonna fan? Do you listen to her music?

JP: I’m not a fan. I listen to her music sometimes, though.

P: What is your favourite song or album?

JP: I really like Secret from Bedtime Stories. I like Holiday. I’m not a fan. It is just as with designers. Sometimes, there is a collection I really like, sometimes there are pieces I really like but I’m not saying: Oh, I’m into everything that this person has done.
One can do really good things but then have really bad periods.

P: I have one last Miss Universe question. Give us three words that would describe you and why.

JP: I think that I’m a positive person, I’m trying to forget bad things that happened to me and I’m trying to translate them into good things. In a way, I’m obsessed with that I really want to reach my dream. And being personal.
And why? Because I think I can show the world that it is a good example for everybody. I think it is a nice mirror.

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