How do you make that your own? It’s the same with music. A button down shirt has seven buttons, one or two on the cuffs, the length is always the same, give or take an inch. John Varvatos: Fashion and music are very much a like in the sense that you have to make it your own. It’s sort of become the background music of humanity… Rock is style, music, fashion, language… it’s anthemic, it brings people together. Gene Simmons: You don’t want to be a follower of fashion, you want to be fashion. When it comes from your heart then you will fight against the odds. Because when you are 100% committed to something you won’t take no for an answer. If Kiss came on to the scene today, would we survive? Yes, absolutely. Anything that has merit will sustain and rise to the top, regardless of the time. It’s not about how big you are today – it’s what you are doing in 10 years time. Paul Stanley: The ultimate judge will be time. And it’s the same with Kiss, their sound is being knocked off. But now people are starting to say that other things are reminding them of Varvatos. John Varvatos: People always equate you to someone else in restaurant, music and fashion reviews. When I grew up, James Brown was the hardest working man in show biz, well we are the hardest working band in show business. Gene Simmons: The work ethic here is unsurpassed. Other bands on their level are just happy to continue as it is, but these guys just keep on making better and better music. John Varvartos: I’d say they are constantly raising the bar. You want to stand behind, in front of and in your work – whether it’s art or digging a ditch. And when Kiss puts on the shows of shows, it’s every show. The little Italian shoemaker on the corner – it’s a thing of the past unfortunately – but he used to take pride in every nail he put into the shoes so that he knew that, when someone wore them, they stood the test. Gene Simmons: Yeah, anything worth doing is worth doing well. It’s like great cooking where you mix great ingredients in the right proportions. That’s the beauty with style, to be able to be influenced by something without copying it. John’s clothes always echo back to many of my heroes in the 60s and 70s without looking retro. Fashion is useless next year whereas style is timeless. I love John’s clothes because they are timeless. The clothes are comfortable, they fit you like a good guitar. Paul Stanley: We’re just kindred spirits! I don’t see John as part of the fashion community, he’s part of the rock’n’roll community. One girl in her early 30s actually said it was one of the best days of her life, not just listening to Kiss but hanging out with the band. A lot of them had not seen Kiss before and they had their minds blown. John Varvatos: I was invited to a Kiss gig here in Milan last year. So how did they meet, and what’s the connection between the band and the designer? No-one else so seamlessly merge the two forms of expression, as proved by last year’s book, Rock in Fashion. Much of is down to Varvatos, whose rock-infused clothes define his own passion for rock. Singer Paul Stanley and bass guitarist Gene Simmons share a long standing devotion to rock, and the way they dress is a direct consequence of that. As the legendary American rock band take over from country star Willie Nelson as the poster boys of John Varvatos’ Spring Summer 2014 campaign, this trio of well-dressed music lovers sat down for a chat ahead of the Varvatos show in Milan.
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