What’s the sketch with Michael Herz? Our board member and editor of Vogue.com, Dolly Jones, interviewed the head of womenswear design for luxury British heritage brand, Aquascutum, to find out just that.
Dolly Jones and Michael Herz
The designer with a flair for “fancy drawings” trained in womenswear before undertaking a course in menswear at the Royal College of Art. His motive for diversification? To avoid “cheating” his way through his degree with his knack for illustration. “I knew if I did menswear then I’d be forced to learn.”
“I remember being aged 14, sat in the garden with my mum and telling her that I wanted to go and live in Italy and Paris” he said, and so it was. Michael’s aim was never to create his own label or indeed go to work for the high street…because that would be “a job”. His dreams had wings and a foreign tongue, and so he found himself settled in a cosy Italian bubble working for designer brand, Iceberg. That was until Marc Jacobs came on the scene and shook things up. Working alongside Marc reminded him of the bigger picture and Michael soon got the urge to move on.
Following employment with Daniel Hechter (a great learning curve), Michael was headhunted by Alber Elbaz to assist him at Guy Laroche in Paris. Both positions set him in great stead for his return to London where he took the helm for womenswear at Aquascutum.
Michael feels priviliged to be in a job where he can do whatever he wants to be inspired, and declared that if he did have his own collection then it wouldn’t be too different to what he’s doing now…well maybe not as many coats. How does he follow-up on his recent ‘blue’ collection? Dolly asked. “By working in the dark” he replied. Yes, literally. The team turned off all the lights and walked around the studio with head lamps focusing on textures for next season. Hmm, a day in the life…
Dolly and Michael in the centre with FBC co-founders & co-chairs, Alison Whelan and Courtney Blackman
Michael is now a member of FBC and if you have at least two years experience in the fashion industry then you can join too.  2009 speakers include Harold Tillman, chairman of the British Fashion Council; Alexandra Shulman, editor of Vogue; the Felder Felder duo, Kinarva Balfour, senior international editor of Daily Candy; and Diane von Furstenberg’s right-hand man and fashion designer, Nathan Jenden.
For information about membership, send an email to: membership@fashionbusinessclub.net
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Sarah Hardy Editor
Photos by Fabrice Lachant
