The Purple Suit: A Conversation

Q:  So you felt like something was imposed on you?
A:  Right.
Q:  Because of the purple suit?
A:  Look, I made history, okay?  I made history with a purple suit.  That particular style?  Nobody had done that.  And here I was at twenty-four making fashion history and two years later--only two years later--someone's asking me--and I'm twenty-six now, only twenty-six--they're asking me what's next?  And I'm going--What's next?  I made history.  What's next?  I don't know.  Are you expecting more history?  Because I got the feeling they were expecting--
Q:  More history.
A:  Right!  And I'm going--No, that's okay.  I've made enough history.  One historical shift, a revolution--yeah, I'm okay with that.  And they were sort of like--surprised by that.  That I wanted to, you know, not to attempt to do that again--to create more history.
Q:  You wanted to stop.
A:  I didn't want to stop making the purple suits.  I just didn't want to make anything else.  I assumed that consistency was enough.  I didn't realize that you're judged by how much you improve.  By how many vast fields you stretch across.  I thought, Okay, I did something worthwhile.  Now, my job is to follow through on it--to, I don't know, take that thing as far as it could go.
Q:  You don't think that your job as an artist--
A:  Artist?  I make clothes.
Q:  But you're--
A:  No, I'm not.  I'm not whatever it is you were going to say.  I'm not that.  I'm a designer.  I design.  Is there art in that?  Yes.  But I don't see a responsibility there--
Q:  Nobody said 'responsibility.'
A:  But you see, the implication is there.  This idea that I did something really great and now I have to do something else knowing full well nobody's going to like it as much as the other thing I did.
Q:  So your plan is to just stop creating?
A:  No.  I plan on creating lots and lots of purple suits.
Q:  So you're not worried about forward motion?
A:  Is making more of the same thing a negative action?
Q:  No, but it could be considered a neutral one.
A:  How?  In what way?
Q:  You won't be contributing anything.
A:  The suits themselves--
Q:  Practically, yes, but artistically--
A:  See!  There it is!
Q:  --Creatively, I mean.
A:  Look, it's a job.
Q:  A creative job.
A:  Maybe, but I was creative.
Q:  Creating should be something you used to do.  It should be an ongoing process.
A:  Who's making these rules?  You?  Are you making them?
Q:  I just can't believe you're satisfied with making one thing.
A:  When somebody cures a disease or an ailment, nobody asks them what's next.  They give them awards and let them go off and fade into history.  Nobody asked Salk what was next.  You make a purple suit--
Q:  A purple suit and the cure for polio are not the same thing.
A:  But what else am I supposed to do?
Q:  That's your call.  I'm just asking the questions.
A:  I feel that they're unfair.
Q:  Perhaps the fact that you're so defensive indicates that you might like to create something else.
A:  Then why wouldn't I?
Q:  You're afraid of failure?
A:  I'm not afraid of failure, I'm certain of it.  And when failure is certain, one should step back.  It's the only natural, instinctual survival method that still stands true--when you're going to fail at something you--
Q:  You're not guaranteed to fail.  You could do something even better than the purple suit.  Or you could make something half as good, which would still be an achievement.
A:  Or I could make a fool out of myself and--
Q:  Your original contribution would still be impressive enough.
A:  Of course.  The art is never touched by the artist's demise.
Q:  You were so happy when we started talking.  Now I get the sense that you're...in despair?
A:  I like being successful.  I want to continue being successful.
Q:  Success is a wet, slanted roof.  Impossible to stay on for very long.  And even if you could, why would you want to?
A:  It's safe?  The fall could be fatal?
Q:  You don't think you'll ever get tired of making purple suits?
A:  That's not what I worry about.
Q:  Then what do you worry about?
A:  I worry that it'll outlast me.  This achievement.  This thing that catapulted me into...I'm worried one day they won't remember me, they'll just remember the suits.
Q:  So then maybe that's the reason to keep creating?  To give them something else to remember?