fan boy

Nicola Formichetti is a stylist, consultant and all round creative force to be reckoned with - just today he was named as the new Creative Director at Thierry Mugler, and he was partly responsible for Lady Gaga's meat dress at the VMAs (he's part of the Haus of Gaga). That's him in the photo above, in the middle. New Zealand based stylist and friend of So Much To Tell You Dan Ahwa spoke to Nicola last year, just after he had worked with Gaga for the first time. Here's the conversation...

Hi Nicola, how are you today?
Great thanks. I'm in a car going to Narita airport. I’ve been here for a week, working with Uniqlo on their next collection and yesterday I styled Lady GaGa for her first Japan concert as a Japanese Gothic Lolita. She looked amazing. I love Japan so much, all my friends and family are here so I'm very lucky that I get to come here all the time.

Thanks for taking the time to chat; hope you don't think I'm a stalker. Do you get asked quite a lot these days to do interviews?
Yeah I do and I try to answer as much as possible when I get a moment. I'm not so good at this so still hope I'm making sense!

What do you do to unwind in your spare time?
I work really hard and play really hard too. I love partying with friends, going clubbing, and to gigs. On a more calm side, I like to meditate and just relax and do nothing!

What are you wearing right now?
Black sweat hoody and pants, all by Uniqlo (including underwear and socks!).

What are you most thankful for in life?
To be doing what I really love everyday.

Your father was a pilot and your mother an air hostess, so you've been well traveled from an early age, and are obviously still doing a lot of traveling for work today. What does the idea of 'home' mean to you now?
I recently moved to New York City from London, where I based myself for 10 years. I never had a proper home because of travelling so I suppose it will always be like this!

What are some of your most memorable career highlights to date?
To be named the Creative Director of Dazed & Confused two years ago, from being a young student Dazed reader. Launching a new title, Vogue Hommes Japan, last year! I'm working with Vogue, can you imagine?! Working with Uniqlo, and influencing a huge corporate company is mind blowing. And recently I started working with musicians like Fischerspooner and Lady GaGa.

It took some time for my parents to fully grasp what I do as a stylist. How did your parents react when they found out about your chosen career path with fashion?
They are always supportive of what I do. They always believed in me even though they don't really get what I actually do!

When you got into styling, you had a lot of support from more established stylists such as Katy England and Alister Mackie. What were some of the most important things you learnt from these two in particular?
Katy and Alister were the most amazing mentors! They taught me to believe in myself and always do whatever you are happy with. They are true artists.

You have a boutique in Tokyo called Side by Side. How's business doing?
It was doing so well – it was the first shop in Japan to sell designers like Gareth Pugh and Marios Schwab, but I had to close it last year because I couldn't oversee it properly, I became too busy. I'm planning to do something similar in the near future with more people involved. I just love creating a space for young talent, it's so inspiring.

Your collaborative efforts with the likes of Hedi Slimane, Solve Sundsbo and Mariano Vivanco are timeless. Is timelessness something you try to achieve or consider when you work in a collaborative situation?
I don't really know. My work is about feeling. What I'm feeling at that particular moment... And its about group collaboration, we inspire each other. So I never think of the result...it's always whatever happens. And if you think that's timeless, that is great!