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Kai Kühne

Every article about Kai Kühne these days is called something like "Wild Child Grows Up and Gets Serious!," "Tempestuous Bad Boy Makes Good!," or, as the New York Times titled their profile, "Can Fashion Forgive His Past?"

INTERVIEW BY AMY KELLNER
PORTRAIT BY MARCELO KRASILCIC

New York Times

Roma

Vice: I am not a fashion expert.

Kai Kühne:

Yes, you are. Now please teach me about fashion. Or at least about your fashion.

A leak?

Clap! Clap! Clap!

That IS very German.

It sounds like you’re designing buildings.

And you use mostly white and light neutral colors, also like houses.

Kangaroo leather!

Aw.

Let’s change the subject, please. Did you grow up in Germany?

ΔΙΑΦΗΜΙΣΗ

Why on earth were you studying economics?

Sighs

What kind of business is it?

Did you always like fashion even when you were little?

Were you a punk rocker? I picture you as a little shit-starter.

Sweet.

Congratulations!

She would look great in your stuff, really.

How did you become a fashion designer? Tell me how it all started.

You all lived together and slept in one big bed and were notorious for that.

You’re more mature.

Sometimes I miss the crazy As Four circle bags.

Do you ever miss those days? Do you think New York is still cool?

You’re still a fixture in terms of socializing, though.

Was it fun being in the tabloids and getting the kind of scandalous attention you got?

You don’t think it’s sort of cool? Most people are too scared to go wild, so they love to live vicariously through people who do.

But then everyone loves a good comeback, right?

Your studio is very pretty and white. And I love this area. It’s so scary and deserted at night—it’s like Blade Runner up here.

Do you still feel like you have to prove stuff like that?

Every review I read about you is glowing. I didn’t see a single bad thing.

What else do you like to do for fun?

Powder, she’s a legendary downtown celebrity dog.

I’ve never been there.

I’ll bet! Are there any designers you love right now?

OK, shoulders. Explain to me about shoulders.

What a fun job.

As somebody who has terrible style, can you please tell me how to get some?

Whispers

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Damn it.

No way. Look at my shitty ponytail.

Ah, an anti-style, you’d say?

Do you like designers who do outlandish stuff, like Bernhard Willhelm, for example?

Kai in his model days.

Kai’s dog