KUKI DE SALVERTES talks to Filep MOTWARY, introduction by LYDIA KAMITSIS

«Graduate of Esmod in 1982 majoring in fashion and fashion illustration, and costume and fashion history of the 18th, 19th and 20th century. Kuki de Salvertes debuted as press attaché at Moschino, where he was in charge of the European market until 1989. From 1989 to 1991 he assumed the responsiblities of internatinal press attaché at Vivienne Westwood, all the while free lancing on the the side since 1984 with Marcel Marongiu and Alain Mikli, since 1984 As of 1992, at the center of Totem Press Office, created with Patrick Girault, he contributed to the launches and to the notoriety of numerous avant-garde designers: Jeremy Scott, Olivier Theyskens, Benoit Méléard, Raf Simons, Veronique Branquinho, Bernhard Willhelm, Walter Van Beirendonck, Bruno Pieters, A.F. Vandevorst, Haider Ackermann,Christian Wijnants. Fueled by a genuine passion for design and creation, he regularily detects new talents even before they’ve finished their studies, notably at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in of Antwerp, fertile grounds from where avant-garde fashion stems.
Certain events realised for more institutionalised clients at Totem have permitted the large public to associate and discover the creation of the most inventive fashion."
Lydia Kamitsis, Dictionnaire international de la Mode. Ed. du Regard.

FilepMotwary: Kuki, thank you for accepting this interview. I wanted to ask you about the impression you have regarding the Hellenic Fashion Week?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : The Hellenic Fashion week is much contrasted: a very strong will power and effort to make it international and make things go round. A little bit of awkwardness, some good collections, some less. I think that there is a lot of effort and work to do to make it extremely successful in an international point of view, but the basis is here. There are a lot of good elements that need to be supervised and pushed to a higher level.
FilepMotwary: What potentials do you see in Greece’s fashion future? What’s the strategy that needs to be followed?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : I think that what’s very interesting in Greek fashion is its sea side, a little bit exotic (not in a bad way). It’s that difference that has to be cultivated in an international way without copying the other brand. That’s how the Greek fashion will be noticed.
FilepMotwary: You are head of Totem, one of the most recognized press offices-showrooms in the world. Was it hard for you to start and finally reaching the level you are on today?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : It was a lot of work since 25 years. It’s all about choices: make the right ones from the start in order to be positioned how we want to be. Then, never change from the starting point. On my side, it has always been about working with brilliant designer: the commercial and mass market products never interested me. I built Totem the same way as an art collector.
FilepMotwary: What’s an agent’s responsibility? During the Fashion Week in Athens, I witnessed your care for the people you represent, the guest designers of Athens, and also your positive energy and help to make everything work..
KUKI DE SALVERTES : My responsibility is that everything work,: That the people for who I work are glad and the journalists are interested in what they come from. In fact, it’s all about not disappointing people.

(Photo Thierry Dreyfus)

FilepMotwary: What are you looking for in a designer’s work?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : What I’m looking for is surprise, astonishment. You have to know that I work full-time in fashion since more than 25 years now. I’ve seen a lot of things so I became more and more demanding about that.
FilepMotwary: How do you choose who’s right for Totem and who’s not? I wanted to know how democratic can you be between the people you represent?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : Each client is treated the same, I can’t make it another way. I choose each designer, and continue to do so, in an equilibrated balance between creativity and business potentials. FilepMotwary: How important is teamwork for you?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : It’s very important of course: alone, we always have limited capacity. Teamwork allows multiplied strength and possibilities.
FilepMotwary: Out of all the creators you represented so far, who remained loyal to your collaboration and vice versa?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : You have to understand that fashion is a very changing environment, and so unfaithful. It’s better to make that report very soon, so you won’t be disillusioned. To answer your question, people like Walter Van Beirendonck, Raf, Simons, Veronique Branquinho, Bernhard Willhelm or AF Vandevorst are loyal to me.
FilepMotwary: What happened to Yazbukey or Taralis for example? When and how does collaboration stop for you?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : At a certain point, paths split for multiple reasons (financial problem, opinion differences…). It has been this case for Yazbukey or Taralis.
FilepMotwary: Where is fashion going?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : Fashion goes badly! The collections are boring, too much commercial, marketing. All the collections look the same, only the label changes. Fashion has to change, find its freshness and creativity, so people will be interested in it again.
FilepMotwary: Most of the designers you represent are anything but French: Marios Schwab, Willhelm, Arora, Vandevorst? Why? What makes them so special apart from their work?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : The problem is that there was no incredible French designer that came out since 20 years. French fashion school are from a very disappointed level and nothing good come out from them. That’s why I searched everywhere else but there.
FilepMotwary: What is Fashion Intellectualism for you?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : Nothing, it’s a very pretentious formula that I found particularly ridiculous. For me, Fashion is an applied art, and has nothing to do with intellectualism.

(Photo Jens Boldt)

FilepMotwary: What is Totem’s profile? How hard it is for you to keep a valid existence in a world that is changing so fast?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : Totem is an international press and public relations, very creative that represents a selection of the best designer of the moment, for the best magazines, stylists and photographers. The only way to continue is to keep an eye on what’s going on and refresh regularly and complete the selection of designer that worth to be highlighted.
FilepMotwary: Do you think technology helps the fashion industry?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : A lot! Fashion needs to take in count all the evolution of new technology to be more successful and sharpened it’s a fundamental thing.
FilepMotwary: VIKTOR&ROLF or Chalayan use technology in their work quite often. Could all these mechanical clothes become the protagonists of the future?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : Certainly not has these two designers proposed it, but I think that reasonable declensions will be realistic in the future.
FilepMotwary: Are you afraid of the future?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : Certainly not! In a general way, I’m a quite unsatisfied person so I put a lot of hope in future.
FilepMotwary: If you had the chance to be a spectator of your own life, what would you see, think about you. Who are you in your own words?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : I think that I would see somebody that had worked too much, that gave too much time and energy to his work and not enough for himself.
FilepMotwary: What is the difference between clothes we see in museums compared to what one can see in a showroom?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : It’s just a question of editing, context and presentation. The clothes remain the same.
FilepMotwary: What is love and friendship for you?
KUKI DE SALVERTES : Two things that I had never known how to manage.

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