Michael Kors – on Being a Visionary at Age 5 & the ‘Project Runway’ era

Summary

Podcast Summary:

Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Michael Kors: On Being a Visionary at Age 5 & the ‘Project Runway’ Era
Date: June 2, 2026
Location: Café Commerce, Upper East Side, New York City
Guest: Michael Kors (fashion designer & Project Runway judge)
Host: Jesse Tyler Ferguson

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Episode Overview

Jesse Tyler Ferguson sits down with iconic fashion designer Michael Kors at one of Kors’ favorite New York eateries for an intimate conversation spanning Michael’s early start in fashion, his experiences as an industry leader and television personality, stories from ‘Project Runway,’ and his advocacy for LGBTQ and AIDS-related causes. The dialogue flows with warmth, wit, and a deep appreciation for New York, creative longevity, and social impact.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Life & Fashion Awakening

• Michael grew up an only child in a family obsessed with style: “Fashion and style was dinner conversation.” (09:20)
• Kors recounts his mother’s wedding dress fitting at age five, where his critique led to real alterations:

  “My mother’s looking at herself in the mirror, and she said to the tailor, ‘Maybe it does have too many bows.’” (11:44)

• His creative vision surfaced early: as a teenager, he’d design his bedroom after Bloomingdale’s display rooms and collect coffee table books:

  “Who has coffee table books when you’re 12?” (15:51)

2. New York as a Muse

• Kors reflects on New York’s unmatched inspiration:

  “This is the greatest inspirational city in the world… I always laugh and I’m like, could I just put a chair on a sidewalk and just saddle up and just watch the parade?” (04:39)

• Contrasted LA and NY culture, noting NYC’s constant public interaction fuels his creativity. (05:16)

3. On Building a Career and Creative Longevity

• Michael delivered his first collection to Bergdorf Goodman at 22 and struggled with impatience for overnight fame:

  “I couldn’t understand why at 25 I wasn’t a household name… Now, of course, I realize how lucky I was.” (17:27)

• He discusses balancing trends with personal style, acknowledging both the drive for innovation and the necessity of staying true to his design ethos:

  “Are there things that I find intriguing that are appropriate, that I feel I can add something to… and if not, leave it behind.” (32:39)

4. The ‘Project Runway’ Experience

• Michael describes initial skepticism about blending fashion with reality TV:

  “I remember thinking, I don’t know… are they going to eat insects?… I don’t want this to be a joke.” (02:26, 20:09)

• The show’s focus on genuine creative process surprised and delighted him:

  “You saw from nothing, the sweater comes alive. You’re like, where’d it come from?” (22:11)

• Noted its broad appeal, even referencing Quincy Jones as a fan:

  “Rashida Jones told me that her dad watched Project Runway… he just thought the process was cool to watch.” (23:09)

• Reflected on how TV fame changed his daily life, as predicted by Jane Krakowski:

  “You do know you’re on television now. Everything’s going to change.” (21:07)

5. Fashion’s Public Image & Pop Culture

• Kors laments that Hollywood often stereotypes fashion as “frivolous, nasty, ridiculous,” while ‘Project Runway’ captured its reality. (23:19)
• Regarding The Devil Wears Prada, he acknowledges its exaggerations but calls it “so much fun” and laughs about the numerous early references to his brand and Meryl Streep wearing his suit:

  “I said, well, at least I was in the first five minutes… Anna [Wintour] said it was good placement.” (24:46-25:13)

6. Recognition, Brand, and Hilarious Encounters

• Finds it surreal seeing strangers with his branded products, recalling doodling his logo as a teenager:

  “What we used as our logo for handbags is a cousin of what I doodled originally.” (28:33)

• Shared a comical story about signing a woman’s jeans (“her ass”) at a Macy’s event, under Anna Wintour’s bemused gaze:

  “Anna looked at me and said, ‘What are you gonna do?’ I said, ‘I’m gonna sign her ass.’” (30:28)

• Loves hearing about customers cherishing longstanding pieces, such as a 15-year-old jumpsuit in Amsterdam. (32:07)

7. Personal Life, LGBTQ History, and Activism

• Kors speaks poignantly about coming of age during the AIDS crisis, the loss of friends, and the escapist energy of Miami in the early ‘90s. (34:48–36:01)
• His work with God’s Love We Deliver began with wanting to make a “concrete difference” when he had little money but much concern. He highlights the human connection beyond just meals:

  “You’d walk into someone’s home… the food was a big part of it. But it was also human interaction and connection.” (36:07–37:50)

• On the importance of LGBTQ spaces and memory, particularly Stonewall, reacting with Jesse to recent political threats about the rainbow flag:

  “Wouldn’t it be great if we could actually teach people what happened here?” (39:41)

• Announces the forthcoming LGBTQ museum at New York Historical Society (opening 2027), with exhibits traveling nationwide:

  “It’s shocking to think that we don’t have an LGBTQ museum. Well, guess what? We’re going to have one.” (41:41)
  “I said, guys, I don’t want this to just be Los Angeles… we’re going everywhere.” (42:17)

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Notable Quotes

• On Early Vision:
  “My mother always told me later that she knew I was sort of always observing things.” (11:44)
• On Longevity & Innovation:
  “Do you want this to be something that has longevity… or do you want it to be quick?” (19:06)
• On Trend Chasing:
  “I was so crazily trendy when I was a teenager… but then literally the minute I started my own business… I don’t want to have to think about what I’m wearing.” (32:39–33:37)
• On Activism:
  “If you’re not wealthy, what do you do?... I can deliver a meal. I can do that.” (36:07)
• On LGBTQ Museum:
  “It is going to be not only here in New York, but the exhibits will actually travel… to these cities… Not just LA.” (41:42)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:26 – Michael’s early skepticism about reality TV & Project Runway
• 04:39 – Michael on New York’s creative inspiration
• 11:44 – The wedding dress/bows anecdote (age 5)
• 17:27 – Early career, impatience, drive
• 20:09 – Project Runway doubts and evolution
• 23:09 – Quincy Jones & unexpected fans of Project Runway
• 24:46 – Devil Wears Prada, brand placement, and Anna Wintour
• 28:33 – Doodles as logo, early branding thoughts
• 30:28 – Macy’s event: autographing a fan’s jeans with Anna Wintour’s reaction
• 32:39–33:37 – Philosophy on trends versus enduring style
• 34:48–36:01 – Personal memories from the AIDS crisis and finding community in Miami
• 36:07–37:50 – God’s Love We Deliver, activism, and human connection
• 39:41 – Stonewall, its meaning, and preserving LGBTQ history
• 41:41–42:17 – Announcement of the New York-based—and nationwide—LGBTQ museum

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Memorable Moments

• Michael’s family letting a five-year-old critique a wedding dress.
• The joy (and incredulity) at seeing people globally wear his designs—and the story about being mistaken for an employee at his own brand.
• The Macy’s jeans-signing episode with Anna Wintour, illustrating both fashion’s reach and Michael’s humor.
• The emotion and historical resonance tied to Stonewall and the upcoming LGBTQ museum.

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Tone & Style

The episode is warm, candid, and down-to-earth. Michael’s humor and directness balance perfectly with his passion for fashion, New York, and activism. Jesse brings affable curiosity and camaraderie throughout, keeping the conversation thoughtful yet lively.

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This episode offers an inspiring, funny, and deeply insightful portrait of Michael Kors as a designer, New Yorker, and activist—a must-listen for anyone interested in creative longevity, inclusivity, or New York’s unique place in American culture.

Transcript

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

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[Molly Sims]

Hey, guys, this is Molly Sims, host of Lipstick on the Rim. So I have a little bit of a pet peeve that I think you're going to relate to this. I'll be having a great day, feeling good, and someone will say to me, you look tired. And I'm like, I promise you I'm not really tired. But here's what I've learned. My eyelids, they do sit a little low. And once my doctor explained that to me, it actually kind of made a lot of sense. She prescribed me Upneek, the first and only FDA approved prescription eye drop for adults with low lying eyelids. One drop per eye. In the morning, and I notice my eyes look more open, awake within minutes, and it's like just one simple step. That's it. And the results, guess what? They last up to eight hours. Learn more about upneek.com that's u p n e e q.com or talk to your doctor. Just a little quick safety note about Upneak oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.1%. Tell your doctor your symptoms and medical history, including blood pressure, blood flow issues, and heart, brain, or eye disease. Drooping eyelids can be caused by other more serious conditions, such as a stroke. Do not touch the tip of the upne vial to your eye or any other surface. This is not a complete list of risks.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Hey, it's Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Today on the show. You know him from his iconic fashion brand, his work on Project Runway. It's the icon himself. It's Michael Kors.

[Michael Kors]

When I was doing Project Runway, I remember thinking, I don't know, like, reality television, fashion, you know, are they going to eat insects? What are they going to do? You know, I don't want this to be a joke.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This is dinner's on me. And I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. So today we're at Cafe Commerce on the Upper east side. This place is very New York. It's very chic. There's only 15 tables inside. Chef Harold Moore has done an incredible job of combining American classics with a French twist. So, you know, it's like, going to be the best sandwich you've probably ever had. I'm eyeing the chicken salad. I've also heard legend of this birthday cake that I might have to order. It also happens to be one of Michael Kors favorite places to come. So I thought this would be a great place to sit down and have a conversation with the New York icon himself, Michael Kors. All right, let's get to the conversation. I don't know if I ever was able to properly thank you for the flowers you sent over the summer for Shakespeare in the Park. That was so classy of you.

[Michael Kors]

The show. Listen, I have to say, I don't understand that fashion people aren't theater addicted. Yeah, but I think fashion people have very short attention spans. Really, it's really tough and really tough to tell people that they have to be in a certain place at a certain time, and you have to turn your phone off. But to me, it's the greatest thing in the world, you know, to see live theater. First off, to me, live performances, you know, it's what we do when we put on a fashion show. But I loved the show. It's magical to be in the park. Nothing to me is more magical than on a gorgeous summer night. Sort of just. Even the walk in and the walk out is so great. Yeah, so great. It's, you know, it's a little different than, you know, we go to the theater all the time, but when you get out of the theater in the theater district, it's not exactly pretty magical moments. That's right. You know, but walking out of the Delacorte, what are some of your other,

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

like, things in New York that you just like? This is something that's so special and unique to New York.

[Michael Kors]

Listen, I think the most Amazing thing, you know. Of course, just got back from Amsterdam. We travel a lot.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

But New York is. For someone who's visual, this is the greatest inspirational city in the world. Partially, I think, because the mix of people in a small area is just so inspiring to me. I always laugh and I'm like, could I just put a chair on a sidewalk and just saddle up and just watch the parade?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I know, it is great for people watching.

[Michael Kors]

It's the best, you know. And in la, you know, I love la. My family, you know, I grew up, I grew up on Long island, so I grew up in New York, but my family lived in LA since I was a teenager, so it was kind of back and forth between the two. And I love California, but everyone's in their car, so it makes it your own space.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

Whereas here it's just, you know, you never know who's going to pass who. Yeah. You know, and I kind of feel like the two cities that do that for me are London and New York.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I agree with that. Did you come into the city a lot when you were a kid?

[Michael Kors]

Oh, my God, like crazy.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

I mean, I think. What's funny about it now, I think, you know, when I was really young, I did some child modeling.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Michael Kors]

And so I, we, you know, I would mostly television commercials and we took the train in together. And how crazy is this? A five year old. I had to go to a casting, but she had to go to a casting also. So she put me in a taxi by myself, gave the cab driver the name of the address where I was going to the casting. Right. And then this is nuts. Then I get there, the agent, my agent is there, the agent walks me in. And then my mom got there like 20 minutes later or whatever.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right.

[Michael Kors]

If you did that too.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, no.

[Michael Kors]

You'd get arrested.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, absolutely.

[Michael Kors]

Yeah. Child abuse. Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's crazy. Child abuse.

[Michael Kors]

But I was so. I was, I grew up.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But I hear these stories, like I have friends who grew up in New York and they always refer to New York as kind of like their playground. And like, I mean, listen, I mean, being put in a taxi is much different than like being on the street and like having the doorman of the building sort of like keep an eye on you. Oh, yeah, yeah. But, you know, there was a sense that it was a community. The taxi thing is like.

[Michael Kors]

The taxi thing was weird. And then I think I. It's so funny, the suburbs. Sometimes people are afraid of the city. They're like, oh my God, you're gonna go to the city, like, ooh, you're in trouble. And I started coming by myself with my friends when I was probably around 12. Wow. And you know, New York in the 70s, it was rough.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. You've been here before, right?

[Michael Kors]

Michael, I love this place.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You love this place.

[Michael Kors]

Except, you know, at lunchtime, we're not gonna split a giant chicken with foie grasp.

[Molly Sims]

Why not?

[Michael Kors]

Why not some wine and then go back to work and pass out? Right.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

So you do like the chicken with the foie broth?

[Michael Kors]

Chicken's delicious, but it's intense.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Okay. I don't know if I could do that before Dinos.

[Michael Kors]

Yeah. And then I just have to say the one thing that's kind of crazy. Tell me. You could come here and have. For dessert, have your lunch. Could be dessert. Cause they have birthday cakes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I see this.

[Michael Kors]

And the birthday cake is nuts. No, but no, Jesse, the birthday cake, it's huge. It's like this big. And they always, like, walk over and they go, did you want to take that home with you? You're like, it's stuff cake for 10 people. It's a great chicken club if you just want something light.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I like that. The chicken salad also sounds good.

[Michael Kors]

Chicken salad's delicious. And you know what's delish? It might sound odd at first. Scallops with leeks, mushrooms and escargot butter. Oh, it's very delicious. And you already know what you like.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I think we do.

[Michael Kors]

Yeah. We're decisive. Quick and easy. I'll have a chicken club. Okay. No problem.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And I'm gonna do the chicken salad.

[Michael Kors]

Chicken salad.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

[Michael Kors]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Your mom was in. Your mom was in fashion?

[Michael Kors]

Well, she was. Listen, my mother, I grew up, like, in this crazy kind of insane family. Only child. Only child. Not only just with my mom, but in my whole family. There were no other kids. There were no cousins. There was nothing. So it's just lots of adults. Me and adults pretending that a 6 year old was 26. And they were the kind of people who love to debate everything. And fashion and style was dinner conversation.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And you. And you started. I mean, I've read this before, but like, that you started designing clothes like age five. Like, didn't you, like, sketch your mother's wedding dress?

[Michael Kors]

I didn't sketch it. I didn't sketch it. Listen, man, I know what my 5

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

year old would draw.

[Michael Kors]

They had a lot of faith in me. But no, I didn't. No, no. She. My mom got remarried when I was five.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

And she had ordered this elaborate Wedding gown. And my mom was having her fitting. The dress arrived. And so my grandmother and I went. And we're sitting in the fitting room, and my mom puts the gown on. And my grandmother's like, oh, that's so beautiful. You look perfect. She's like, oh, she's so. And I'm sort of stone faced. And my mom was like, what's the matter? And I said, I don't know. My mother's like, do you not like it? And I was like, it's a little busy. And it had. Originally, the dress had bows, little fabric bows that were appliqued all over the dress. And my mother said, what don't you like? And I was like, I don't understand all those bows. Why do you have all those bows? So my grandmother was like, the bows are beautiful. And my mother's looking at herself in the mirror, and she said to the tailor, maybe it does have too many bows. So my mom said, can you snip a few of the bows off? So they snipped a few off. And I still was sitting there. And then she said, you know what? I think he's right.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, my God.

[Michael Kors]

And the next thing you know, they took all the bows off and the dress ended up with one bow. That was it. And I think my grandmother was kind of ticked off because she was like, why are you listening to a child? What does he know? And my mother always told me later that she knew that I was sort of always observing things. Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Michael and I get into why Project Runway captured the attention of everyday people outside the fashion world. And he tells me his reaction to the Devil Wears Prada. Okay, be right back. Right now, our family is living that New York theater life. I'm performing in a play right now called Tru, where I get to play Truman Capote. And the kids are here with me. And I'm working in the city, which is amazing. I love it so much. It also means I'm juggling a lot between rehearsal schedules, school drop offs, figuring out dinner in between shows, and then making sure everyone has what they need. It's hard enough just getting through the day, let alone plan, planning ahead. And while we're here in New York, fully immersed in this, you know, this season of life, it got me thinking about how our place back home is just sitting empty. If you're going to be away for a while, like me, listing your space on airbnb can be a great way to put your space to use and earn a little extra cash while you're gone. And the idea of doing it all by yourself. See, now that, that just feels like too much. That's where Airbnb's co host network comes in. You can partner with a local vetted co host who can handle all the behind the scenes details. So host feels manageable. Even when your schedule is as packed as mine might be, Co hosts can create your listing, manage reservations, handle guests communication, and even provide on site support. So you're free to focus on the busy season ahead. If you're ready to get started, find a co [e-mail] host good sleep is everything.

[Molly Sims]

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And we're back with more dinners on me.

[Michael Kors]

I drove my mom crazy because literally at the time in the 70s, they used to have these model rooms at Bloomingdale's and they would unveil them. It was a big thing. You'd be like, bloomingdale's has new model rooms.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

What does that mean?

[Michael Kors]

They would set up like a living room, a bedroom all decorated, and you would go to get ideas.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Got it. Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

And it was sort of like the beginning of like this sort of loose, very ethnic kind of, you know, big pillows on the floor, ceiling fans, you know, big wicker peacock chairs, all that. And I was like, I want my bedroom to look like that. And my mom was like, you're 12. I know, it's like not happening. But then she let me, like put a coffee table out. That is so cool. Or I think I had some weird kind of glass and chrome etagere that I had like books on display, coffee table books. Like, who has coffee Table books when you're 12.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's so great. And did you flip through them?

[Michael Kors]

Of course. Oh, no, no.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's like, wow, you needed that sophistication.

[Michael Kors]

I was dying.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

Magazines, like, all on display, all my Vogues, Interview magazine would come, and you'd be like, what's Andy Warhol gonna teach us?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right.

[Michael Kors]

You know, and, you know.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

I feel very fortunate that I had the access and, you know, when I first went to school

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

at fit, I

[Michael Kors]

went to fit, and I was sort of one of the few people in my group who grew up with access to the city.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

A lot of people were transplants.

[Michael Kors]

They were transplants from other cities, other states. So I was sort of the kind of the tour guide.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right. Have you ever felt like. And, I mean, I feel like I sometimes feel this way as an artist, but, like, you. You know, when you have a point of view and you're. And then you're getting information from just other people who do what you do in the industry, did it ever feel like it was clouding what you wanted to do or you were ever questioning your aesthetic or.

[Michael Kors]

Oh, yeah, sure, sure. I mean, more than anything, you know, I. As I said before, I am very impatient. It's just my nature. And, you know, I had just turned when I delivered my first collection to Bergdorf goodman. I was 22.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wow, that's so young.

[Michael Kors]

I was a kid. I literally. I didn't know anything. I didn't know the rules, whatever. But I remember, like, I waited three years for my first fashion show because I was like, I want to be ready. And I had this show, and I couldn't understand why at 25, I wasn't a household name.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

So. Because I looked around and I thought, oh, you know, isn't it my time? And I now, of course, realize how lucky I was that I wasn't a household man.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Who were the other people that maybe you were comparing yourself to at that time?

[Michael Kors]

Oh, at that time? Well, listen, I wanted to be Calvin Klein overnight. You know, I wanted to. You know, I grew up watching someone like Halston and, you know, but he put in his years, he put in his time. You know, Calvin, same thing. You know, these were sort of the bedrock of American fashion. And then you watch all the people that you come up with, you know, and it's. It's amazing. I mean, like, Marc Jacobs and I have known each other, my God, since we were kids. I mean, you know, I was at his Parsons graduation fashion show, and, you know, I was doing Celine in Paris. He was doing Louis Vuitton. We were sort of the American boys, like, eating cheeseburgers and cranberry juice in Paris. And, you know, so you see everyone's trajectory, and it's the same as what you do. Do you want this to be something that has longevity?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right.

[Michael Kors]

That you keep trying new things or

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

flash in the pan?

[Michael Kors]

Yeah. Or do you want it to be quick? Right. But of course, when I was, you know, like I said, when I was 22, I was like, yeah, it never

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

happens as fast as you want it to. When you have drive at that young of an age, of course, like, yeah, you want it to be white hot. But I do think that. I mean, I certainly am grateful for the way my career has unfolded and sort of simmered at the beginning. And, you know, I think that longevity is the perk of that.

[Michael Kors]

At the same time, you want to try new things.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

You know, how do you. So, to me, it's always been that

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

kind of tricky balance.

[Michael Kors]

Balance. I mean, look what you've done. I mean, I think it's so great that you jump into things that aren't, you know, what the mass public knows you for.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

How great?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. I mean, I feel like that.

[Michael Kors]

And you have the freedom to do it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's always easier to take risks after you've had success.

[Michael Kors]

For sure.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

But I think. You know what's so funny? When I was doing Project Runway, initially, I remember thinking, I don't know, like, reality television, fashion, you know, are they gonna eat insects? What are they gonna do? Well, I was like, this is right

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

after Top Model had taken off.

[Michael Kors]

Exactly. So I was like, you know, I don't want this to be a joke. Right. This is something that I love.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This is very important to you.

[Michael Kors]

It's your industry. It's important to me. I want to support the industry. I want to support the talent. And then the show came on, and it wasn't that. And people were really watching and watching the process and all of that. But then someone said to me, I think Jane Krakowski, Jane said to me, she said, you do know you're on television now. Everything's going to change. So I said, what do you mean? She said, people are in their underwear, eating ice cream, hanging out with you. Yeah. She said, there's. It's. She said, there's no.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

There's a shift. Yeah, for sure.

[Michael Kors]

And I said, no, no. He said, you'll see.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She's right.

[Michael Kors]

It happened.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

People would come up to me and say, how did you get rid of him? He was amazing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'm like, oh, yeah. I mean, what were your hopes when that show first started? You know, you talked about, like, wanting to not be one thing. But, I mean, what I was so as a viewer, what I loved so much about it was, sure, I know what fashion is. Like, I get magazines. I shop for clothes. Like, I know a baseline of what fashion is. What I loved about it was that you really pulled the curtain back, and it wasn't just about frivolous Runway shows.

[Michael Kors]

No. What goes into this? What goes into this?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Blood, sweat, and tears and just passion.

[Michael Kors]

I remember thinking, what was so interesting about the show?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

Do you cook? You're a good cook.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Love cooking.

[Michael Kors]

I can, like, grill things. I can arrange a platter. But, like, baking, for instance, to me, I find it. I'm very not scientific. So I don't understand. It's very precise. Well, I also don't understand how these things that look like one thing, how do the flour, the baking powder, the sugar and the egg turn into something totally different? And that's what Project Runway did. You saw from nothing, the sweater comes alive. You're like, where'd it come from? And that. I think that was pulling the curtain back, like you said. I mean, I remember Rashida Jones told me that her dad watched Project Runway, and I was like, quincy Jones watched Project Runway. That's the. The coolest thing in the world. And I was like, I'm amazed. Why? And she said, he just thought the process was cool to watch.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

You know, the funny thing is fashion. Hollywood has not done a great job with fashion. It always makes us seem frivolous, nasty, ridiculous. And there's very few films or, well, theater, Forget it. Television, not a lot where it really captures it. And I think Project Runway really captured it. And I think people are enamored of seeing the story of fashion. But then when it gets too arch and too crazy, everyone's like, oh, I hate these people. People, like, they're. They're horrible, you know, and there are some horrible people.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Well, what did you think of, like, for example, since you're talking about pop culture and just, like, half fashion represented, like, for example, the Devil Wears Prada.

[Michael Kors]

So much fun.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

So much fun.

[Michael Kors]

Right? But listen, I remember going to see the Devil Wears Prada, and Lance and I go into the theater, and the movie starts, and within the first five minutes, it's RSVP to the Michael Kors party and make sure the car is there. Ten minutes later, blah, blah, blah. And I had no idea. I had no idea. And I Remember the next time I saw Anna, I said to her, I said. I said, well, I said, at least I was in the first five minutes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And she laughed at me.

[Michael Kors]

And she said. She said, yeah. She said it was good placement.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, yeah.

[Michael Kors]

So I said, yeah, I'll go with that. And then Meryl was wearing a Michael Kors suit in one of the first scenes. You know, I think that the funny thing about the movie is obviously it's not a documentary. Right. Did it capture a moment in New York and the fashion world?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It did, yeah.

[Michael Kors]

When I think about Devil Wears Prada, the photo shoot that Stanley Tucci is, they're dressed up as animals in Central Park. Whatever. The reality is, like, there are these insane fashion shoots that have always gone on. And maybe it's not animals in Central park, but they're pretty wacky. And when you watch a shoot, like, whenever we're on location and we're shooting a campaign or something, and I always see, like, crowds will be gathering around, and I know that they all must be like, what are all these people doing? And, you know, the whole scene of, like, the belt, they're so different. Well, Lance and I sometimes laugh at work. We'd be like, I don't know, should the neck come in? Like, I don't know, like a quarter of an inch? And most people would be like, we've never done.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

What are you talking about? So, yeah, the movie captured that.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. Now, let's take a quick break, but don't go away. When we return, Michael shares an unexpected request from a fan, and we get into LGBTQ history and what he's doing to preserve it. Okay, be right back. So good, so good, so good.

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[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Fuel to start.

[Michael Kors]

Whatever's next. Quaker, official sponsor of FIFA World Cup 26.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Let's go. And we're back with more dinners on me. What does it feel like when you're just like out in the world and you recognize your pieces on people?

[Michael Kors]

Initially it was so bizarre, I can't even tell you.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Imagine. It's like being. I hear like, you know, singers and songwriters who hear their.

[Michael Kors]

In the elevator for the first time.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

In the elevator? Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

In the supermarket. Yeah. Well, seeing your initials.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

Like on strangers. Uh huh.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

Now, when I was a teenager and a very terrible student in high school.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Were you a student?

[Michael Kors]

A horrible. I would just sit and doodle all day long, drawing all day long. And I used to doodle a Michael Kors logo. I was probably 16. And I'd sit there like. And what we used as our logo for handbags is a cousin of what I doodled originally. So when I see it, when I first saw it, I'd be like, wow. Like, I can't believe it. And now it's enough. Time has elapsed. Do you know, I've had situations where someone like I was once, I was in South Africa and I had to give this woman my passport. And she looked at it and she said, how long have you worked there?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh my God.

[Michael Kors]

And I said, what? Worked where? And she said, you work at Michael Kors.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wow.

[Michael Kors]

And I said, no, no, I'm Michael Kors. And she looked at me and she goes, you're a person. She had no idea.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's incredible.

[Michael Kors]

She thought it's kind of like in Back to the Future when Leah looks and she thinks that his name is Calvin Klein.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Right.

[Michael Kors]

Like, no, there's a person.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Michael Kors]

And I do think people sometimes that's fake that you're just this brand and no, there's a person behind the brand. But I still get excited, I still get juiced. I still count handbags. You know, I'm walking through an airport, I'm like, oh, one, two, three. Okay. Shoes. I mean, I did. We had a thing that we did for a while was called Fashion's Night Out.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I remember this. Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

And we did like. I think we did it like three or four times. And some of it was wild. Some of the stuff we did was crazy. I mean, me seeing defying Gravity was not pretty, especially with Idina.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Like.

[Michael Kors]

And I kept saying to her, I can't do this. She's like, I'm covering you.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Don't worry.

[Michael Kors]

It's fine.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, my God.

[Michael Kors]

But we had one where I went to Macy's, but not Macy's here in Manhattan. I went to Macy's in Queensland, and we were supposed to, you know, meet people and sign, I think, perfume bottles or something. And a woman came up to the desk where I was sitting, and she turned around and put her butt in my face and said, please sign my ass. And I was like, what? And she said, I'm wearing Michael Kors jeans. And I was like, what? And Anna Wintour was sitting next to me. And Anna looked at me and said, what are you gonna do? I said, I'm gonna sign her ass. And I get a Sharpie, and I got a Sharpie and I signed her ass, and off she went. And Anna was like, is that the oddest thing that you have ever done? And I said, kind of, yeah. I said, but you know what? She's got a one of a kind piece now, right? It was amazing. It was crazy.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, my God. That's incredible.

[Michael Kors]

Yeah. But I do get a rush when someone says, you know, oh, I've worn this, and I've had it for 15 years. You know, while we were in Amsterdam, we came back to the hotel, and there a group of people were coming in at the same time. And one of the women looked at me and said, oh, my God, you're Michael Kors. And I said, yes, how are you? And she said, look what I'm wearing. And she had on a jumpsuit of ours that must have been 15 years old. And I was like. She said, you know, I've had this forever, and I love it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I love that.

[Michael Kors]

And it was great. I mean, it's great.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Well, speaking of, like, how do you. What are your opinions on trends? Like, when you see big things happening in fashion, like, are you wary of them? Are you. Do you embrace them?

[Michael Kors]

I think the. Again, you want to be aware, and you have to know what's. For me as a designer, are there things that I find intriguing that are appropriate, that I feel I can add something to, that I can put my spin on it, and is it appropriate to the people who wear what I design, and if not, leave it behind? I mean, I was so crazily trendy when I was a teenager and a young adult, and then literally the minute I started my own business, I really realized, I'm going to Spend my energy and time thinking about what everyone else wears. Right. And I don't want to have to think about what I'm wearing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But you still want to look fabulous.

[Michael Kors]

Yeah, I want to look great, but I want it to be fast, expedient. It has to work for me. And, yeah, there's subtle little shifts.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

You know, the shape of your jean changes. The lapel on your jacket changes. Although I think the jacket I'm wearing today is, like, 23 years old.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's a great jacket.

[Michael Kors]

Why not? But it's. It's. It's these subtle little shifts. And, you know, I've heard people say, oh, I'm never going to need another black jacket. And then suddenly you try a new one on, and you're like, oh, yeah, shape's different.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

Proportions different. I've never had this fabric before. Oh, actually, you just feel different when you're wearing it. You put it on and. And isn't that what it's about?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

Well, he's. He's gotta see it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

What. What do you want? What do you want me to see?

[Michael Kors]

You have to see a birthday cake.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, I want to see the birthday cake. Do you want any coffee or anything?

[Michael Kors]

I'll have another one of these.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'll take an espresso. Thank you. You and Lance met when again?

[Michael Kors]

We met in 1990.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Okay. So this is, like, right in New York. That was a crazy time. I mean, that was still.

[Michael Kors]

It was very 1990 to me. From a business perspective, I was really starting to come into my own. Yeah, but from a personal perspective, it was a very tough time.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I mean, AIDS epidemic was.

[Michael Kors]

I had. I was just losing so many people in my life. People who were friends, people who were colleagues. Everywhere you went, I knew people who were so, like, over just the fear and the sadness that everyone started going to Miami, going to south beach, because you could buy an apartment for, like, $45,000 and say, to hell with it. I'm gonna dance in my underwear and whatever. The world's gonna burn and. And have fun. And we started going down to Miami, and I was like, wow, you know, this is amazing. So there was that energy down there, which was so different than the heavy sadness that you felt in New York in the early 90s and late 80s.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But that's also. Didn't you also start working? With God's love, we deliver around that time?

[Michael Kors]

Actually, in a weird way, you know, I was young. My business was small. I didn't have any money. I was kind of amazed by, you know, what were people doing about the AIDS crisis? How do you handle this? You know, act up was, you know, they were on the front lines, you know, chaining themselves to, you know, buildings and really trying to raise the noise level up. But everything seemed, I don't know, like that you couldn't make this concrete difference. And I kept thinking, there's gotta be something concrete we can do. If you're not wealthy, what do you do? And I heard about God's love we deliver. And someone said, started in the basement of a church. This woman, Ganga Stone, she had a friend who was sick, and he couldn't cook. He couldn't prepare food for himself. And she was like, well, maybe there are other people like him. And the next thing you knew, the kitchen started, and you're like, oh, I can deliver a meal. I can do that. And, you know, you'd walk into someone's home, and obviously the food was a big part of it. But it was also human interaction and connection.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Sometimes you're the only person they might have seen that day.

[Michael Kors]

They don't see anyone. And now when I see what's happened with God's love through the pandemic, through the AIDS pandemic, through Covid. And now we're opening in Brooklyn.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Incredible.

[Michael Kors]

We have the Michael Kors building in New York, which at the time we thought was enormous.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Is that the one off of six in SoHo?

[Michael Kors]

Yeah, it's on six. Six in spring.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

But when we first opened the building and renovated it, I remember thinking, wow, this is so big. This is gonna be. And then, of course, the need just exploded. And now we see there are families that, you know, if the parents are too ill to cook for themselves, they can't cook for their kids.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

So that's been a change.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I mean, you're bringing that same passion to something that I'm really worked up about right now with Stonewall, you know, that I just recently. With the. With the government taking the flag down. And, you know, I think what. What kind of breaks my heart so much about Stonewall specifically is I just feel like there's so many people that don't understand the history of what Stonewall is and its presence in New York, I think. And also the visitor center that is connected to it is so vital.

[Michael Kors]

Oh, when they. When we got approached, there was the discussion that the building where the Stonewall Inn is was going to be turned into a nail salon or something.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes, I remember this. Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

And they said, you know, wouldn't it be great if we could actually teach people what Happened here.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wow.

[Michael Kors]

Is that nuts? How nuts? That's insane. It's the baby slice. It's a sliver. All right.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Your podcast. I Wish for

[Michael Kors]

sanity.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Sanity in this world. Oh, my God.

[Michael Kors]

It's beautiful, isn't it?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Now, how do you go about eating it?

[Michael Kors]

No, they. Well, I think we could stab it or.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, do it.

[Michael Kors]

You do it.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But, God, no.

[Michael Kors]

The visitor center. Jesse was so important to teach people what had happened here. And then, I mean, listen, when marriage equality passed in New York State, Lance and I were sitting on the sofa, and I literally. It came across. The banner came on the television, and I always said, I'm not going to go to another state. I am a New Yorker.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Michael Kors]

And when it passed here, I literally was like, okay, let's get married. We called our best friends a couple, and we said, we're going to get married. You want to get married with us? Four of us? And they were like, sure, of course. Where did we go? Immediately? We went. We went. We went to Stonewall.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Wow.

[Michael Kors]

And so the power of. It's remarkable. And so to see the perseverance. Like, you want to take the flag down? No, we're going to put it back up. I mean, what I'm very excited about. We haven't really announced much of it yet. It's shocking to think that we don't have an LGBTQ museum. Well, guess what? We're going to have one.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Oh, incredible.

[Michael Kors]

It's going to be at the New York Historical Society on Central Park West.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Michael Kors]

And we are on the board. It's going to open in 27.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's great.

[Michael Kors]

And it is going to be not only here in New York, but the exhibits will actually travel.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's so great. It's so important. My God, that's so important.

[Michael Kors]

So we're pumped.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And are they traveling to these, you know, cities? Oh, thank God.

[Michael Kors]

I'm so Albuquerque. We're going.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's so important.

[Michael Kors]

Yeah, we're going. Because that's. That's the thing. We're like. Immediately my reaction, I said, guys, I don't want this to just be Los Angeles.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That sounds so great. So smart.

[Michael Kors]

So we're going everywhere.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's so important. Oh, this has been a fucking joy. Thank you for doing this. I mean, truly, thank you so much. This episode of Dinner's on Me was recorded at Cafe Commerce on Manhattan's Upper east side. Next week on Dinners On Me. You know him from the Big Bang Theory, and he's currently on the Audacity on amc. It's Simon Helberg, we'll get into his scene stealing brilliance on the Big Bang Theory and his transition from sitcom stardom to more nuanced characters on prestige TV and film. And if you don't want to wait until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinners On Me. Plus, as a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week early, you'll also be able to listen completely ad free. Just click Try Free at the top of the Dinners on Me show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today. Dinners On Me is a production of Sony Music Entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Behr engineered this episode. Hans Dale. She composed our theme music. Our head of production is Sammy Allison. Special thanks to Tameka Balance Kolasny and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.

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