We unveil the private obsessions of some of fashion's famous names
AnOther Magazine A/W14 is here at last, starring Kate Moss in four mesmerising stories, and is tied around the theme of obsession. Obsession can take on many different guises but most frequently manifests itself in the desire to collect and accumulate objects relating to the focus of one's interest or the search for fulfillment in the relentless pursuit of a hobby or skill. So to celebrate the magazine's release, we’ve compiled a list of the private obsessions, collections and fixations of some of fashion's most notable names, from Dries Van Noten's love of cooking courgettes to Rick Owens' weird and wonderful waxworks.
Dries Van Noten is obsessed with gardening...
Tending to his beloved garden at Ringenhof, his 1840s estate near Antwerp provides Dries Van Noten with a much-needed escape from the stress of the fashion world. He particularly likes growing vegetables and boasts that he knows around 50 different ways to prepare courgettes.
Rick Owens is obsessed with waxworks...
Walk into many of the cult designer’s stores and you will be faced with a grotesque waxwork of the man himself, presiding magisterially over his creations. Owens says that his use of waxworks in his store design is a parody of the aristocratic tradition of the paterfamilias hanging portraits over the fireplace.
"Dries Van Noten loves growing vegetables and boasts that he knows around 50 different ways to prepare courgettes"
Alasdair McLellan is obsessed with Morrissey...
Growing up in the north of England, Morrissey was a major influence on the young Alasdair McLellan. The Mancunian bard is responsible for shaping the distinctive elements of McLellan’s aesthetic, in particular the way in which his photographs blend realism with romance and melancholy.
Nicolas Ghesquière is obsessed with Star Wars...
When Nicolas Ghesquière joined Instagram in 2014, one of his first posts was of a Stormtrooper figurine. He’s since gone on to collaborate with Jean-Paul Goude on a Star Wars themed shoot for Harper’s Bazaar.
Peter Copping is obsessed with Chantilly plates...
Copping is an avid collector of 18th century porcelain, which he buys from auction houses and Parisian flea markets. Of particular preference are Chantilly plates, which he both buys and puts to practical use as serving vessels.
"Edward Meadham collects Meyercord decals – kitsch drawings of animals that were hugely popular with housewives in the mid-20th century"
Stephen Jones is obsessed with animal-shaped Scandinavian ceramics...
Milliner Stephen Jones is known for taking inspiration from the natural world and applying it to his flamboyant creations. In his south London home, he keeps a collection of animal-shaped Scandinavian ceramics.
Edward Meadham is obsessed with Meyercord decals...
One half of exuberant designer duo Meadham Kirchhoff, Meadham maintains an expansive collection of Meyercord decals. These kitsch drawings of teddies, lambs, birds and bunnies were hugely popular with housewives in the mid-20th century. Transferable onto surfaces with water, they were used to adorn furniture and household items.
Jason Evans is obsessed with wooden spoons...
Photographer Jason Evans has collected wooden spoons from over 40 different countries. For him the variants in the spoons’ designs, wood types and manufacturing processes “reverberate with multi-faceted humanity”.
Benjamin Kirchhoff is obsessed with early plastic products...
Benjamin Kirchhoff collects products that are made from early forms of plastic such as Bakelite and celluloid. For him, “finding a nice object is a source of distraction”.
Simon Foxton is obsessed with Rooster ties
The celebrated stylist’s house is full of bric-à-brac and curiosities picked up from car-boot sales, most notably vintage, square-ended ties made by the American firm Rooster, who started producing them in 1957. Rooster ties were well known for their use of novelty prints.
Justin Smith is obsessed with woodwen puppets...
Milliner Justin Smith’s atelier is full of curiosities that he has collected from around the world. He has an extensive collection of wooden puppets, including 1920s skeletons, circus horses and Pelham puppets, which he keeps strung up on a high wooden beam, out of reach of his Italian greyhound.
The latest issue of AnOther Magazine themed around obsession and starring Kate Moss is out now – buy it here.
Text by Max Fletcher
