Known for his role as a judge in the critically acclaimed television show "Project Runway," Michael Kors is recognized as one of America's preeminent sportswear designers and entrepreneurs.
The collection presented in the exhibition also is part of the legacy of Wendy Zuckerwise Ritter, said Dr. Anne Bissonnette, curator for the Kent State University Museum.
"It looks very put together because it's all from the wardrobe of one woman," Bissonnette said. "All of these are very businesslike. You aren't being flamboyant, you are a billboard for your company."
Bissonnette said that Ritter and Kors met when Kors was presenting trunk shows at Bergdorf Goodman, at the time when Ritter headed the Donna Karan boutique. When the Michael Kors flagship store opened on Madison Avenue in 2000, the recently married Wendy was asked to consider commuting between her new home in Dayton and Manhattan.
"She had developed an impressive clientele," Bissonnette said. "She had a knack for knowing just what her clients wanted. Michael asked her to come to New York, with her client list, when he started his store."
Between 2000 and her death in 2008, she commuted between Dayton and New York, according to information provided by the museum.
In 2010, when the exhibit will end, Michael Kors will celebrate 30 years in business, Bissonnette said. His namesake company, established in 1981, currently produces a range of products through his multiple labels and includes women's and men's ready-to-wear, women's accessories as well as fragrance and beauty products. In addition to his own labels, he designed for the French fashion house Celine between 1997 and January 2004, Bissonnette added. The 14 ensembles featured in the exhibition include garments produced for both his labels and for Celine.
"He makes things that are minimal, very simple but very well-made," Bissonnette said. "They are also very comfortable and chic. It's interesting for us to show this to our fashion students, who sometimes want to create these over-the-top garments that throw everything in. He pays attention to what people want. This is a business, and Michael has been in the business for about 30 years. He's not only a talented designer, but he's a good entrepreneur."
Bissonnette said that Kors described himself as "the oldest young designer in New York City."
According to information provided by the museum, Kors still participates in trunk shows where he spends time on the selling floor with customers, sales associates and merchants.
"I can make something beautiful, but if it doesn't work in real life, then to me it's a disaster," Kors stated in a media release. He stated his design and marketing strategies are not unlike those of Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan, whose shoulders he stands on. Even with his success, Kors remains cautious: "The minute you think you're there, you're done for."
Source: Aurora Advocate
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