From Beyoncé to Britney: David Blond on leveraging NYFW to win celebrity clients

Summary

The Glossy Podcast: Episode Summary

Title: From Beyoncé to Britney: David Blond on Leveraging NYFW to Win Celebrity Clients
Host: Jill Manoff
Guest: David Blonde (One half of the design duo, the Blondes)
Release Date: February 9, 2025

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Introduction to the Blondes’ Journey

In this engaging episode of The Glossy Podcast, host Jill Manoff sits down with David Blonde, one half of the renowned design duo, the Blondes. Celebrating nearly two decades in the fashion industry, the Blondes have carved a niche with their ultra-glam, high-drama styles that resonate with A-list celebrities and high-profile clientele alike.

David Blonde shares, “We’re going on 20 years, actually. We’re gearing up now to celebrate that next year” (01:07), highlighting their longstanding presence and continuous evolution within the competitive fashion landscape.

Couture Excellence and Exclusive Clientele

The Blondes specialize in couture-like, one-of-a-kind pieces tailored to a select group of clients, including pop stars like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, JLo, and Britney Spears. Their creations are designed for special occasions, ranging from Sweet Sixteens and milestone birthdays to high-end weddings and elegant receptions.

David Blonde explains, “Our clothing is more. It's very similar to the couture aesthetic. So we, we do everything mostly as one of a kind, is typically geared toward a particular customer” (01:40). This bespoke approach ensures exclusivity and maintains their status within the luxury fashion sector.

Evening Glamour: The Signature 9 PM Shows

A hallmark of the Blondes’ presence during New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is their strategic timing of fashion shows at 9 PM. This unconventional scheduling aligns with their glamorous aesthetic and transforms their shows into vibrant evening affairs that double as celebratory events.

David Blonde elaborates, “We definitely like to have our shows later in the evening. We feel like it works with our esthetic the best, and then we can just sort of roll into celebrating with everyone” (02:46). This timing not only enhances the theatricality of their presentations but also caters to their global clientele who often have packed evening agendas.

Crafting Memorable Fashion Week Moments

The Blondes have mastered the art of creating unforgettable moments during NYFW. From unexpected celebrity appearances to thematic partnerships, their shows stand out in a crowded fashion calendar. Notably, they’ve hosted cameos by personalities like Paris Hilton, adding an authentic and spontaneous flair to their presentations.

David Blonde emphasizes authenticity, stating, “These are never really planned because a lot of times either these people who participate in the show and are our clients, their schedules are obviously insane. So whenever that opportunity happens and the stars align, we end up doing something fun like that” (03:56).

Inclusive Invitations and the Big Show Audience

The Blondes advocate for inclusivity in their fashion shows, inviting a diverse audience to experience their vision. Their philosophy, “Anyone can have fun with fashion. Anyone can be a blonde,” (04:27) underscores their commitment to making high fashion accessible and enjoyable for all attendees.

Behind the Scenes: Preparation and Production

The week leading up to a Blondes’ fashion show is a whirlwind of activity. From meticulous detail work and casting to fittings and final adjustments, every element is orchestrated to tell a cohesive story. Each show narrates the journey of a "glamazon globetrotter," blending sharp, edgy designs with bursts of color and glamour.

David Blonde details the process, “Each show is a story that we're trying to tell. This particular season, it's about this glamazon, again, as I mentioned, who sort of a global globetrotter that has a number of events to go to” (04:43).

Celebrating Partnerships and Exhibitions

Over the years, the Blondes have engaged in numerous high-profile partnerships and exhibitions that have solidified their reputation. From collaborating with the Moulin Rouge cast during a themed fashion show to participating in exhibitions with SCAD and the Brooklyn Museum’s Solid Gold exhibition, their work seamlessly blends fashion with other artistic realms.

David Blonde recounts, “We did a few things like mixing the fashion show with the cast and sort of played into that idea and the theme of it when that show opened” (05:30), showcasing their ability to integrate fashion into diverse creative settings.

Production Team and Operational Insights

Maintaining a tight-knit team is pivotal to the Blondes’ success. They operate out of a factory on 37th Street and collaborate with overseas vendors for specialized embroideries. This streamlined approach ensures high quality and efficient production, crucial for their bespoke fashion line.

David Blonde shares, “We keep a really tight knit team. We have a factory that we work with here on 37th Street... and then we have a small team that works here with us in the studio” (08:56).

The Centrality of New York in Their Brand

New York remains the epicenter of the Blondes’ fashion endeavors. Despite exploring other global markets, they prioritize NYFW due to New York’s status as a fashion hub. This commitment ensures they remain at the forefront of industry trends and maintain strong connections within the fashion capital.

David Blonde states, “New York is the center of everything, so I feel like showing here is probably the most important” (09:38).

Bridging High Fashion and Accessibility through Collaborations

While primarily focused on high couture, the Blondes occasionally venture into more accessible fashion through strategic collaborations. A notable partnership with Disney allowed them to create fan-friendly items, such as custom leather jackets and themed accessories, broadening their appeal beyond elite clientele.

David Blonde explains, “We've done other partnerships, one in particular with Disney that was pretty major and we were able to create something that was accessible to the fans” (10:06).

Resilience and Optimism in the Luxury Market

The Blondes exhibit unwavering optimism regarding the future of luxury fashion. They believe their business is resilient to environmental, political, and economic fluctuations, thanks to their affluent and stable customer base.

David Blonde confidently remarks, “I think it's only going to get better. Honestly. We've never really had an issue with things changing environmentally, politically, economically” (10:47).

Defining Success: Joy and Entertainment

For the Blondes, a successful fashion show transcends mere sales. It’s about creating joyful, entertaining experiences that offer an escape to their audience. Their ultimate goal is to inspire and empower clients to express their individuality through fashion.

David Blonde articulates, “Bringing joy to people, entertaining people, giving them an escape. That's really our goal at the end of the day” (11:18).

The Role of Music and Venue in Storytelling

Music and venue selection play crucial roles in the storytelling aspect of the Blondes’ fashion shows. Collaborating with the Misshapes, they craft cinematic soundtracks that enhance the narrative, while their choice of venues, such as the Fidi Banking Hall, complements their rich, opulent aesthetic.

David Blonde highlights, “Music, it is a very key component because a lot of our clientele is in the music industry. So we work with the misshapes every season and to come up with a soundtrack that we consider to be very cinematic” (12:37).

Looking Ahead: Future Plans and Continuity

As the Blondes prepare for their upcoming show, they remain dedicated to their craft, continually seeking ways to innovate and delight their audience. Their seamless transition from fashion show to after-party epitomizes their commitment to creating holistic, memorable experiences.

David Blonde concludes, “We’re just on the goal and hoping to make it to the after party for a cocktail” (13:17), underscoring their relentless pursuit of excellence and enjoyment in the fashion world.

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Notable Quotes:

• David Blonde: “We’re going on 20 years, actually. We’re gearing up now to celebrate that next year” (01:07)
• David Blonde: “Our clothing is more. It's very similar to the couture aesthetic. So we, we do everything mostly as one of a kind, is typically geared toward a particular customer” (01:40)
• David Blonde: “These are never really planned because a lot of times either these people who participate in the show and are our clients, their schedules are obviously insane. So whenever that opportunity happens and the stars align, we end up doing something fun like that” (03:56)
• David Blonde: “Anyone can have fun with fashion. Anyone can be a blonde” (04:27)
• David Blonde: “Bringing joy to people, entertaining people, giving them an escape. That's really our goal at the end of the day” (11:18)

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This detailed summary encapsulates the essence of the conversation between Jill Manoff and David Blonde, offering insights into the Blondes’ illustrious career, their strategic approach to NYFW, and their unwavering commitment to glamour and exclusivity in the fashion industry.

Transcript

[David Blonde]

Foreign.

[Jill Manoff]

Thanks for tuning in to this New York Fashion Week edition of the Glossy Podcast. I'm your host, Jill Manoff, and today I'm sitting down with David Blonde, one half of the design duo known as the Blondes. Known for their ultra glam high drama styles beloved by the entertainment industry. In the fashion industry, they're also known for their 9pm fashion shows that feel like a party. So I wanted to ask David how the Blondes built their A list client roster, which includes Rihanna, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, JLo, Britney. The list goes on. I also wanted to ask about their preparation for Fashion Week and whether stress exists in the Blondes universe. But thanks, David, for being here. Welcome.

[David Blonde]

Thank you for having me. I'm so happy to be here.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my gosh, David, I tell you what, circle back to my early days as a St. Louis based fashion editor. You are one of the first shows I got access to. I don't think I snuck in, but I just remember there were wigs backstage and it was just like this amazing glamazon universe, and I was so in awe. Tell me, how long have you been doing fashion shows now?

[David Blonde]

Well, we're going on 20 years, actually. We're, we're gearing up now to celebrate that next year. So that would be, you know, 20 years of doing the shows that we've been known for. We had dabbled in a few things before we really found our place in the fashion industry. And, you know, I feel like we've just been on a stride ever since.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Well, tell me why a fashion show makes sense for you, because I know you do a lot of amazing custom work. But yes, in terms of, we're typically used to seeing it obviously ready to wear collections. Tell me.

[David Blonde]

Our clothing is more. It's very similar to the couture aesthetic. So we, we do everything mostly as one of a kind, is typically geared toward a particular customer. You know, there are a handful of people in the world really, that, that wear our pieces. And again, it's, you know, you have the bread and butter, which are the pop stars and entertainers, but then we also have a private clientele that, that we work with on a regular basis that, you know, anywhere from the age of 16 on up to 60.

[Jill Manoff]

I love that. What are they typically shopping for? It's a, It's a sweet 16. It's a, it's always an event.

[David Blonde]

Yeah, always an event. It's always a special occasion. You know, I mean, we've gotten, like I said, you mentioned the Sweet sixteens, the 40th birthday and anniversaries. We do. You know, we've done a few brides, which are pretty tough. We like to focus on the reception when they get to relax and have fun and wear something cute. So. Yeah.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Well, I know You've had this 9pm placement for quite a while in the. On the fashion calendar. Tell me about what other kind of, I guess, Fashion Week habits, traditions that you guys hold.

[David Blonde]

Well, we definitely like to have our shows later in the evening. We feel like it works with our esthetic the best, and then we can just sort of roll into celebrating with everyone, and it just. It just fits. And specifically with this collection we're doing now, we're really honing in on this idea of servicing our clients who are sort of global travelers that always have something to do in the evening. And it could be in the city, it could be, you know, in a tropical locale. So we want. The first half of the show is going to be sort of sharp edges, black leather, crystals, fur. You know, it's got this whole esthetic that's really geared toward a chilly climate, but, you know, you still want to look glamorous, obviously. And then the second half is going to end up having this burst of color and lightness to it, but still just as high watt with the glamour.

[Jill Manoff]

Fantastic. Well, I know you've been in the past, and a way that you've kind of cut through the noise of the whole Fashion Week is you've had a great cameo by somebody like Paris Hilton on the Runway. Is it necessary to have kind of a flashy moment? Whether it's a person, I don't know, other extravaganza, we always try to keep.

[David Blonde]

It very authentic to the brand. So if things like that work out, a lot of times those things are just very organic, and they just happen. That person happens to be in town, we start the conversation, and then they end up in the show. These are never really planned because a lot of times either these people who participate in the show and are our clients, their schedules are obviously insane. So whenever that opportunity happens and the stars align, we end up doing something fun like that.

[Jill Manoff]

So fun. Well, who's in your audience? Who do you invite?

[David Blonde]

We try to invite everyone. Everyone's invited. The whole idea and the whole premise of our line is that anyone can have fun with fashion. Anyone can be a blonde.

[Jill Manoff]

I love it. So it's crunch time. What does it look like the week before the show? What are you working on today?

[David Blonde]

Today we're doing a lot of detail work. We've Started our casting. Tomorrow we'll start fittings. So we kind of draw on, like, casting girls that we've worked with seasonally. Whoever's in town, we always like to have them back because they kind of understand what we're trying to say with each show. Each show is a story that we're trying to tell. This particular season, it's about this glamazon, again, as I mentioned, who sort of a global globetrotter that has a number of events to go to. And, you know, she. She didn't get mad. She got everything. And she wears it.

[Jill Manoff]

I love that. Tell me about some great memories you've had over the years. Did you show in Bryant park and, like, what's been your kind of. Yeah. Over the 20 years, some. Some standout moments.

[David Blonde]

Yeah, well, we've had a lot of amazing partnerships that we've done. We showed in the theater with Moulin Rouge. We mixed the fashion show with the cast and sort of played into that idea and the theme of it when that show opened. So that was an incredible experience to get to do that. And then we had. Recently, we've been doing exhibitions. We did one with scad, and that was a full exhibition. And then we're a big part of the Solid Gold exhibition that's happening right now at the Brooklyn Museum.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, so awesome. I didn't know that.

[David Blonde]

Perfect timing for Fashion Week if you want to go see something amazing.

[Jill Manoff]

Is it your first museum exhibition? You've done this before?

[David Blonde]

We've had pieces in various museums, like, all over, but this is something that we're a larger part of because it's up to. It's 13 pieces.

[Jill Manoff]

Cool.

[David Blonde]

From different points in our career. And obviously, we're in love with the color gold, the material, all aspects of it. So it made total sense to be a part of this with the Brooklyn Museum. The curator there, Matthew Yakubowski, did such an incredible job of curating these things and putting it's like, medieval, you know, pieces that are armor. Next to, like, a chainmail dress that we. We did for Rihanna. There is like, another headpiece that's like an Egyptian inspired headpiece that ended up on Janelle Monae on the COVID of Rolling Stone. You know, there's all these different amazing things that sort of mix together in such strange ways.

[Jill Manoff]

So cool. Well, obviously, a fashion show is such a marketing moment. Over the years. Has your approach to, I guess, amplifying that moment changed what's up this season? Do we live stream and all the things.

[David Blonde]

I think that fashion shows are really important in order to get your message across. It's the one time that the actual creative director and or designer has the most control over how they're speaking to the consumer. For us, we feel like it's a direct extension of what we do. It presents to all of our clients kind of what, how they can utilize the clothes. You know, we try to inspire and empower them to do and be what they want to be. And then it inspires them to then take one of these ideas and then translate it into whatever they're doing for their concert tour video. Sometimes they'll come to us with a concept and they'll say, well, I like this, but I'm in this world. So we'll change the color, we'll change the treatment, we'll customize it and tailor it to whatever their needs are.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my gosh. How much time in advance are you working? Like, say somebody wants to wear your. Your look to the Grammys, they need to give you months.

[David Blonde]

It depends. It depends on what, what it is, the treatment. That's all. But I mean, it's typically like four to eight weeks, depending on the piece.

[Jill Manoff]

Cool.

[David Blonde]

We start working on things right after we finish, or these are things that we've had in mind for years, and they'll just kind of fit in with whatever mood we're in at the moment.

[Jill Manoff]

What advice are you. Would you give? I'm sure you hear from a lot of buddy designers about, like, how did you get it? How did. How did you get to where you are now? What would you say?

[David Blonde]

Ignore all the noise and work, like, create, work. Take whatever is around you and create. That's the main thing. You just have to keep it moving. And, you know, there's going to be a lot of people who tell you you're crazy or that, you know, it's not worth doing. But if, if it's something that you love, in my mind, it's not work. It's. It's, you know, it's a joy to do. So it's no longer work?

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. How large is your team these days?

[David Blonde]

We keep a really tight knit team. We have a factory that we work with here on 37th Street. We're on 38th Street. We get a lot of our supplies in the garment district, which is, you know, not doing great these days. But I feel like it's kind of coming back in certain aspects. And then we have a small team that works here with us in the studio, and then we have a couple of overseas vendors that we work with for the embroideries that get sent in and then we'll either apply them or they create the pieces there after we design them here.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Has there ever been a conversation or discussion about like, is it New York? Are we showing at New York this season in New York? Everyone's venturing all over the place, but yes. Why New York?

[David Blonde]

I think New York is the center of everything, so I feel like showing here is probably the most important. In other places it sounds like fun. We'd love to show in Paris, we'd love to show in other places and we have shown in other cities around the world and in other markets. But for us, New York is the absolute most important.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. Have you done collaborations where your, your looks, your styles are a little bit more like accessible for the every everyday fashion fan?

[David Blonde]

Occasionally we do that. We've done other partnerships, one in particular with Disney that was pretty major and we were able to create something that was accessible to the fans that was then carried online and it was carried in the park stores. Like we did our own version of the ears and we did some like leather jackets, T shirts, you know, there was like a whole section of it that we sort of merged into that show with the high level couture pieces like the halo inspiration by all the characters. But then you had a lot of things that were much more accessible to the client.

[Jill Manoff]

Nice. Well, we talk a lot about the state of luxury. What's your been experience in terms of your trajectory with the business?

[David Blonde]

I think it's only going to get better. Honestly. We've never really had an issue with things changing environmentally, politically, economically. You know, usually our customers aren't affected by that either. I have to say, you know, I'd like to service everybody but you know.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes, well, you're going to have a show here in a couple of days. What, when you look back at a show, what makes a show a success in your eyes?

[David Blonde]

Bringing joy to people, entertaining people, giving them an escape. That's really our goal at the end of the day and obviously to sell a few frocks. But other than that, that's really what it's all about. The enjoyment that we take and producing and creating these pieces and then for people to take them and enjoy them and entertain others with.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes, I really do feel like you take advantage of the moment more than others. Where like you. Are you working more? I guess. Is the, the music, the DJ a huge part of your presentation? I feel like you, you feel what you're trying to do here and it's very clear and the setting do you always use the same location or the location is also involved in telling the story?

[David Blonde]

Well, what's interesting is we now are branching out because there is no longer a New York Fashion Week hub. So it's kind of a twofold thing where, you know, it's a little bit more challenging, but it's more exciting in a way because now we get to find venues that have different character. We're working with for music, it is a very key component because a lot of our clientele is in the music industry. So we work with the misshapes every season and to come up with a soundtrack that we consider to be very cinematic, it's really intrinsic in telling the story. And so we kind of go over that and try to make that as impactful and unusual as possible.

[Jill Manoff]

Yes. What's your location this season?

[David Blonde]

We're at Fidi Banking hall, which is down right across the street from the stock exchange. And it fits perfectly with our sort of rich bitch aesthetic we've got going on this season. That is really, in a nutshell.

[Jill Manoff]

I want that to be my aesthetic all the time. Time.

[David Blonde]

You know, she just wandered around her enormous mansion and all of her jewels and furs and dresses and, you know.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my gosh, I love it. So if we. Any surprises, you can share and then I will let you get back to work.

[David Blonde]

Are you.

[Jill Manoff]

Are you literally, like, it's the grind at this point?

[David Blonde]

Yes. So we're just on the goal and hoping to make it to the after party for a cocktail.

[Jill Manoff]

After party immediately following. Yes.

[David Blonde]

Yes. We always sort of roll into the after party and spend a few hours there before we go back into our.

[Jill Manoff]

Coffins until next season. Oh, my gosh.

[David Blonde]

We don't see the light of day until the next season.

[Jill Manoff]

Oh, my gosh. David, thanks so much for being my guest today. Short and sweet, but I think we covered it.

[David Blonde]

Thank you so much. This was so much.

[Jill Manoff]

That's all for this episode. Our theme music is by Otis McDonald. If you liked this episode, be sure to share it with someone else you think would. Thanks for listening to the Glossy podcast.