Philipp Plein's wife, personal life. Interview with Philipp Plein designer Philipp Plein broke up with Andrea Sasu
Philipp Plein is a fashion designer from Germany, known throughout the world. Under his name, women's, men's and children's clothing lines are produced, as well as a collection of jewelry, accessories and interior items. Among his clients are Hollywood stars of the first echelon, famous musicians and actors. His clothing models are distinguished by boldness, luxury and some kind of challenge, and the main elements of the decoration are skulls and Swarovski crystals.
Childhood and youth
Philipp was born in the German city of Munich in 1978. From childhood, the boy's parents (father - a cardiologist, mother - a housewife) were engaged in his creative development. Even at preschool age, Philip often visited museums, exhibitions, went to the theater. The family was wealthy and traveled a lot around the world. On trips, the boy learned the culture of other peoples, was inspired by the architecture of cities and the beauty of nature.
True, when Philip entered a gymnasium in the southwest of Germany, in the city of Baden-Württemberg, he was especially interested not in the humanities, but in mathematics. After graduating from school, the young man continued his education at the Faculty of Law of the University of Erlangen. By profession, he was going to become an economist with knowledge of jurisprudence. And would be, if not for one accident.
Fashion and design
As a student, Philip got himself a true friend - a dog. To make the resting place of his beloved pet even more convenient, the owner decided to purchase a special lounger for him, but Philip did not like the assortment presented in the stores, then he did not come up with anything better than making a chair for the dog himself.
The work turned out to be chic: a laconic metal frame supported the base of the seat, covered with exotic leather. It was not a bedding sewn in an amateurish way, but a real design performance. The dog liked the new resting place, but Philip's friends especially appreciated this piece of furniture for animals, who wanted the same mini-sofas for their four-legged pets.
Feeling the demand for his work, in 1998 Philipp Plein opened a workshop for the production of furniture and home furnishings. The career of an economist fades into the background, but mathematical skills help a novice designer to calculate the already impressive sales income. Sofas and armchairs were in particular demand, the frame of which was made of rare woods, and the upholstery was sewn from leather, velvet and silk.
In 2003, the furniture designer was asked to work on the Moet & Chandon lounge at Düsseldorf Fashion Week. Creating furniture and equipping the interior of the room, Philippe decided to make a nice addition for the guests. He had expensive fabrics from seat upholstery and Plain made fashionable leather bags from them. The ladies were delighted with such gifts.
Then, at the next exhibition in Paris, Philippe, in addition to the interior, puts a mannequin on which he puts on a military-style parka decorated with Swarovski crystals. When visitors to the booth began to pay attention to the parka as much as to the furniture, Plein realized that it was time to create his own clothing brand.
Then in 2004 he launches Philipp Plein. The designer hires a team of professionals, with whom he creates women's and men's clothing lines. His models immediately become recognizable. Philip's favorite material is leather adorned with rhinestones. And inspired by the character Captain, Plain puts images of skulls on T-shirts, jackets and trousers.
2 years after the release of the first clothing collection, Philippe launches a series of jewelry called Dirty Diamonds (“Dirty Diamonds”). They pair well with Philipp Plein's leather, denim and cotton apparel with metallic finishes. In 2011, children's clothing lines were added to adult clothing lines. Tops and shorts are decorated with Disney and Marvel comics characters.
The main motto of the designer is "Everything but boring!". Plein himself says that when creating images, he focuses on young and successful people who have achieved a lot and are not afraid to show themselves and their individuality. In the women's clothing line, chic and sexuality are in the first place, in the men's - brutality, and in the children's - enthusiasm.
Plain was also noted for creating a luxurious outfit for the world's main fashionista Barbie doll. In collaboration with an American toy company, Philip performed a chic evening dress - a black fitted dress, elegantly decorated with rhinestones. The dress was accompanied by a light cape on the shoulders in the form of a thin coat without fasteners.
The year 2012 was marked by another interesting project for the designer, for a football team from Italy he created a capsule wardrobe, including shirts, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, coats and trousers. As well as shoes, bags and accessories.
Since 2004, Philippe has been producing casual clothing lines, and since 2008, ready-to-wear collections have also been published. The brand is currently headquartered in Switzerland. The production and tailoring of clothes take place in Italy. Philip pays special attention to the quality of fabrics and tailoring skills.
Among the regular customers of the Philipp Plein brand are Johnny Depp, and other celebrities. Brand boutiques are located in more than 40 countries of the world, in Europe and Asia, America and Australia. Philip regularly participates in fashion weeks. In 2016, the German magazine GQ awarded Plein the title of "Person of the Year" in the "Fashion" category.
Personal life
Philippe is famous not only for his bold fashion collections, but also for his numerous novels. As the designer himself admits, he does not drink or smoke, but his main “bad habit” is his passion for beautiful women.
For some time, Philip met with a Hollywood actress (she was also the advertising face of his brand). For several years he had warm feelings with a model from Brazil, Fernanda Rigon. From this novel, Philip had a son with the romantic name Romeo. Now the boy lives with his mother, and his father regularly comes to visit him. Almost immediately after the birth of the child, footage began to appear in the press where Philip spends time with a pretty brunette named Oksana (according to rumors, the girl is from Russia).
After his chosen one was a model from Italy, a Romanian by origin,. The girl is 10 years younger than Philip. She has not had an affair with a celebrity for the first time, before that she was in a relationship with Hollywood actors and.
The relationship of the couple developed rapidly. Their pages on Instagram were filled with joint shots. The lovers got the same tattoos on their fingers, and during a trip to Paris, Philip made an offer to Madalina. But something went wrong and in 2016 the couple broke up.
Philipp Plein now
Plane is not alone - on his page in "Instagram"“hot” shots are regularly posted, where Philip is hugging a brunette with a model appearance.
Philipp Plein's life is very busy: he works hard, develops his brand, recently launched a new Sport line. At the same time, the designer regularly travels the world, being inspired by the culture of other countries and applying new knowledge and experience in his collections.
Condition assessment
According to SNC experts, Philipp Plein International Group earns up to $230 million a year. Its owner has two large estates in France and Switzerland. Plein's main residence is a 3-story, 17-room residence in Switzerland, where the fashion brand is headquartered. Philip's second (after women) passion is expensive sports cars; his garage has supercar models worth $300,000-400,000.
Python skin, a million rivets, Swarovski crystals and, of course, skulls in different shapes and designs - that's what is presented at the mention of the Philipp Plein brand. Recently, Philip himself invited us to Milan, to his showroom, where his new works are presented: the couture collection shown
at Milan Fashion Week, whose face was actress Mischa Barton
Photo: Jan Coomans
We are used to the fact that Italians, French, Belgians and, of course, Americans are successful in fashion. Much less is heard about German designers and brands, and almost no one ever talks about the style of German women. That is why everyone was expecting calm lines, gray-black-beige colors, and the right cut from the designer from Munich, Philipp Plein. And he is absolutely not like that. Thin blue-eyed Philip with a charming smile and prudent approach of the king of fashion marketing creates clothes for sexy, self-confident girls and boys who are not afraid to stand out from the crowd and for whom the main thing is to be in the spotlight. He is adored by rock and pop stars for his python skin leggings, black leather biker jackets and breathtaking stilettos. “Last season's hit was our denim shoes, with a 14 cm heel, but comfortable thanks to the platform. Of course, with Swarovski crystals,” Philippe smiles with satisfaction during our conversation at Milan's Bvlgari hotel. When asked about who and how deals with pricing policy in his company, he smiles. “I control everything myself. And that's why all my things are expensive. If you don't like paying for super stuff, there are plenty of shops like Zara where you can build a nice wardrobe. But these things are faceless ... "Philip often visits Russia and is sure that he has a good future in our country:" Russian girls are not afraid to look sexy and do not try to dress like gray mice. In his showroom, we noticed the very girls for whom Philipp works, there are even those who wear the Philipp Plein total look. Which, in our opinion, is, of course, overkill, as well as overkill - to dress "only in Cavalli" or "only in Dolce & Gabbana." The combination of brands is much better: more freedom and, as a result, a more interesting image.Philip, doesn't it upset you that many people expect rather stereotypical things from your shows - all kinds of images of skulls, for example?
Why shouldn't I like it? In a way, this is proper marketing if my stuff gets recognized. Another thing is that we have not only this. We create things in the style of rock and roll, because I myself am like this: I love life, I love to take risks, I need emotions, crazy actions. But in the couture collection that I showed in Milan, there are, for example, stunning floor-length dresses, you can hardly guess from them that this is Philipp Plein.
You feel free to send customers to other stores if they do not agree with your pricing policy...
(interrupting.) Yes, because I have design plus quality. Any thing in my collection is a thing with a twist. Either it's a crazy lining, or Swarovski crystals on the heel of seemingly ordinary moccasins, or another one of our hits - pink pipe jeans. If they are exposed to heat, they become snow-white. And after a couple of minutes - again pink. This is such an approach to things - they should give the buyer a bonus, because everyone makes jeans, and no one likes them. Fashion should have a sense of humor, you can't take yourself too seriously.
How did you get the idea to work with Mischa Barton?
For me, she is the embodiment of real rock and roll, she has an interesting history, destiny. I did not want to take just a beautiful model to represent my new collection. There are so many beautiful girls! I wanted the collection to be presented by a girl with an interesting fate. No less important is the fact that Misha loves my brand, she is not just a model who does not care where to work, as long as she gets paid.
Is it the same story with Pierre Sarkozy, the son of the President of France? He's going to be the face of your next collection, and he doesn't seem to be doing it for money or fame.
In fact of the matter. He is generally a super DJ and a wonderful guy, we get along very well. He suits me perfectly as a model: Pierre Sarkozy personifies the type of people for whom we work - if he likes a thing, it will be something out of the ordinary, he knows how to have fun, as the Americans say. And me too.
You often visit Moscow. In which restaurant can you meet?
In the Big". All my Russian friends have dinner there. I also like Turandot.
Everything is "expensive-rich"?
If in Moscow you want really tasty food and good service, you have to understand that it will be very expensive. These are the rules of the game.
By the way, you entered the world of fashion by unusual rules of the game, first making a name for yourself on luxury items for the home, although usually designers make the casa line only after success on the catwalk.
Yes, when I had a casa, there was no Armani Casa at all. We continue to create expensive interior items, which, by the way, are very popular. But at some point I got bored in this area and I moved on.
In Russia, you are especially loved by pop stars...
(interrupting.) Yes, we are friends with Yana Rudkovskaya, with Dima Bilan. As I said, these are people who like to be noticed. These are not average, and high quality is important to them, in everything - from business class flights to leather trousers. I work for them!
Philipp Plein in his townhouse in New York
Philipp Plein was born and raised in Germany, but has long been a citizen of the world: transcontinental flights on a private jet are just the shortest path between personal places of power for him. And New York is one of them. The designer told InStyle in an exclusive interview about why Philipp Plein shows are now taking place in a new light, favorite addresses in the city that never sleeps, and his plans for the future.
I've been raving about New York since childhood and, having come here with my dad at the age of 14, he fell in love with this city completely and irrevocably. Over the past years, my brands - Philipp Plein, Billionaire, Plein Sport - have gained a strong position in Europe and Asia, and I felt it was time to conquer America. Now I show my collections not in Milan, but at New York fashion weeks, we have a separate office here, a boutique, a pop-up boutique will soon open in Soho - and I also have my own housing.
“New York is a huge international metropolis, but it’s easy for me in it. Maybe just because I'm used to living in several countries," Plein reflects.
Actually, my life is an endless journey: today I am in Milan, two days later in Bucharest, then Prague and Berlin, then a weekend in Cannes, then I need to look at the headquarters of our company in Lugano, Switzerland, after that I fly to New York, from there to Los Angeles. The road is a way not only to work, but also to live. What can I call home in this situation? Home is where the heart is. I have an estate on the Cote d'Azur - "Royal Jungle", I'm building another one near Los Angeles, now I have a townhouse in Manhattan - it was just recently finished.
“I have been raving about New York since childhood. And when I first arrived in this city at the age of 14, I fell in love with it - irrevocably and forever.
Philipp Plein
With his appearance my girlfriend Morgan and I have become very comfortable in New York - now everything is close. We wake up, I go to the gym for training (my own, equipped on one of the floors of this townhouse), and she has coffee - she doesn’t like to train with me, and this is a real drama (just kidding!). Then a series of work meetings at home or in the office, and we love to dine at the romantic Italian restaurant Mello around the corner, on Madison Avenue. And we try to take a walk in the evening in Central Park. It is also very close, and this island of nature is a real thrill. It turns out that I start the day with a workout, and end with fresh air - this is how I recharge the batteries.
This 800 sq. m in the Upper East Side on 162nd Street in the north of Manhattan Philip Plein bought in 2015
A lot of people get their energy from hobbies, but I don't have one.. Rather, it's my job. For me, what I do is drive and pleasure, although fashion and the fashion industry in general is an extremely tough sport. Everything here is constantly changing and does not stand still, and you need to be creative, think innovatively, stay in the game. It is not simple. For me, the main source of strength is my girlfriend. I was lucky: she travels with me, takes care of me, helps, including in work. Good relationships are great happiness. It is very, very important to have an understanding partner nearby, ready to share your lifestyle with you and adjust to your rhythm.
Ours with Morgan my favorite store in New York is the Philipp Plein boutique, it's cool after all: everything is to your taste, the employees anticipate your desires, and you don't need to pay at the checkout. So I don't know much about local shopping, but I'm interested in local Auction Houses - you can find amazing lots. For me, in general, touching the creative life of the city is very important: it interrupts the routine. And what are the museums in New York! MoMA, the Guggenheim Museum, Whitney - I constantly follow their posters.
The Plein residence has several living rooms (in the photo - the so-called white one), as well as a special champagne room and an outdoor terrace
No moderation and prudence - this principle is true both for Plein's collections and for the interiors of his house.
Speaking of art, then contemporary art is closer to me. And not those artists who are already well-known, but those who are creating new things right now: recently, I have one super-talented guy, Alec Monopoly, who is engaged in painting, and now he has become interested in sculpture.
By the way, some prints for my collections and pictures for applications are drawn by my friend tattoo artist Romain, he is a Frenchman from Saint-Tropez and from time to time comes to the "Royal Jungle" to tattoo us with friends.
"Succeed here, succeed anywhere", - Frank Sinatra sang about New York. And it seems to me that the main difficulty here, a challenge, if you like, is to try to avoid challenges. New York is very forgiving. It's not about him, but about your own attitude, your character: what tasks you set for yourself and your life, what goals, ideas, desires and dreams you have.
Every city has its own character, like a person, but I am convinced that world-class megacities - New York, Hong Kong, Moscow - have a lot in common. By the way, I adore the Russian capital - I haven’t been there for a long time, but we will soon open boutiques on Nikolskaya and in Crocus in addition to the existing ones, plus two more Billionaire boutiques are planned. So wait, Moscow, I'll be there soon!
The designer liked the house, among other things, because it had several bathrooms. He decided to finish them as luxuriously as possible, abundantly using Italian marble, mosaics and mirrors.
The headboard of the designer's bed in his bedroom is adorned with a brass trellis bearing the NY162 monogram (in honor of 162nd Street, where this house is located)
"I agree with Sinatra: if you make it in New York, you make it anywhere"
Philipp Plein
If your life had gone differently and you hadn't become a designer, what would you be doing for a living?
- I went to law school, so I think I would become a lawyer.
And yet you have become a designer, and a successful one at that. Watching the collection show, I noticed that this time, in addition to the rock and roll wave, there were many hippie-themed elements on the catwalk. Personally, I really liked the sweater with the “peace” sign. Although in a sense, both hippies and rock and roll are positioned as free and licentious people. Are these directions close to you?
- I have always been inspired by the hippie culture, even when I was not a designer, but I have a different philosophy of life. I like their freedom, they so boldly follow their inner convictions and calmly break the rules - this is close to me, but only this. When it comes to my creative path, I like to take as a basis something that is opposed to the boring world, such cultures as punks or rock and roll. I like to mix the harshness of punks and the good nature of hippies. I love contrasts.
After the show, you always run. I doubt that you are in a hurry to the banquet after the fashion show, but still it seems that you are clearly in a hurry somewhere. Why are you running and not just walking fast, for example?
- I never asked myself why I run. It's so natural and just fits my spirit. I'm moving fast and growing fast, almost exponentially. Many things in this world are happening very fast, faster than you, and you have to move fast to keep up with this world and stay relevant. I don't rush or run, I just walk forward. Is always.
The women's collection, as always, is as sexy as possible. How to wear things, creating a sexy look, but not look gaudy at the same time?
- The inner class, the level of a woman, is responsible for the taste, and you cannot buy it or learn it. You either know how to dress with dignity, but at the same time sexy, or you don’t. The women who wear my clothes are the most self-confident, they are proud of their choice and based on their rules, and they have taste, of course.
What materials do you like to work with the most?
Of course, with leather! For work, I look for the best materials and I can safely say that I work with the softest and highest quality leather.
By what principle do you choose heroes for advertising campaigns? , Lindsey Lohan They're just classic bad girls
I know who it will be, but I won't tell you. I can say that I enjoyed working with Terry Richardson, so he will be the photographer for the next campaign.
You know, your collection is very Russian: it is close not only to modern Russia, but also to Tsarist times. Such an abundance of fur, glitter and luxurious materials. Are you inspired by Russia?
- Well, of course, inspiring! Russia loves me, and I love Russia. I am fascinated by the new generation of fashion in Russia. This mix of Russian traditions and modern boldness suits your fashion girls very well. Even in casual attire, they dare to wear creative designer clothes! I like that they do not blindly copy the European style, but create something new and do not lose their strong personalities behind fashion. I follow the evolution of Russian fashion very carefully and I think that Elena Perminova and Miroslava Duma are symbols of the new fashion era in Russia. I hope to see them again soon.
By the way, about the royal times of Russia. The royal table was served as luxuriously and plentifully as possible - from 70 dishes for one meal. And how do you eat? What cuisine do you prefer?
- I often visit Italy and I can safely say that this is the best cuisine in the world. But I try to keep myself in shape, I go in for sports every morning and I can’t afford to eat Italian goodies, although I really want to. So in this regard, the ideal outlet for me is Japanese cuisine, raw food with a high protein content.
Where and how do you spend your holidays? Do you prefer passive or active rest?
I recently bought a villa in Cannes, where I will spend my next vacation. I will enjoy parties with friends and just relax. And if you are far from a full-fledged vacation, but you have a free day, how will you spend it? I would spend this day at my home in Switzerland and visit my parents.
Philip, do you travel often?
- Often. The specificity of my work and the expansion of the brand allowed me to visit your beautiful country, and I am so glad that my collections have found their admirers in Russia. Over the past few years, we have opened three boutiques in Moscow and in October we will open the first mono-brand boutique in St. Petersburg. But now I spend a lot of time in Asia, where boutiques will open in Seoul and Macau by the end of the year. Besides, I really like Hong Kong. And, of course, we are opening a third showroom there.
