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The look is polished, his schedule is packed, the glasses are vintage, and I left thinking about tossing my cardigan with the frayed buttonholes. George Simonton is a fashion master! He keeps himself very busy (did you know he's also a teacher at the Fashion Institute of Technology?) But he is so on top of his game (and so impeccably dressed) I have to give him a hand. Read on for the full details!
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M: So we can get started now-tell me what is hot for fall?


G: What is hot for fall is updated classics. Recolored, and very luxurious-looking. It has to be luxurious. For a woman to spend money in this economy, it has to be something special. She has to say, “I have to have that.”


M: What makes a piece luxurious?


G: Well, the fabric, obviously. It all starts with the fabric. Fabric is very important. As an American designer, I love to be able to buy American fabrics, but there are no more mills here anymore so we're forced to go to Europe-which is not so bad-I go to Europe and I find my fabrics in Italy, France, and in England.


M: What colors are you seeing for fall?


G: It's really beautiful jewel tones. It's very saturated. Fuchsias are very important, deep purples. Black is still very important, and it always sells the best. But you have to accent black with beautiful jewel tones.


M: Tell me about your collection for QVC. How do your high end designs translate for lower price points?


G: Well, it's true; I'm in every major store. Bloomingdales, Nordstrom's, Lord & Taylor. What they asked me to do when I came to QVC was to capture that look at fabulous prices. And we're really able to do it! I've been here for four years now. I'm able to give women the total look at really great prices.


M: What inspires you when you're creating a new collection?


G: Well, what inspires me is, well-I'm also a professor at FIT. I teach fashion to my students. I've been there for 21 years-and I tell the students the most important thing to do is be very creative, but create something that a human being would wear. Because it is a business, and you can't lose sight of that. It's a very creative business, and it's something I love to do-I wouldn't want to sell toaster ovens, of course. But it's an emotional business and you have to create something that has a dream factor to it.


M: So what kind of woman do you design for? What is she like?


G: The image that I go for-I want women to be noticed when they walk into a room. I'm not designing for a kid or a teeny bopper. I always feel I want what I design to be youthful-looking, but not something so young a lollipop has to be worn with it. The woman I design for is very self assured and wants to be fashionable, but is not interested in super trendy, toss-away fashions that she'll get rid of next year. Updated classics.


M: What is the best fashion advice that you can give to the QVC customer?


G: Be very smart about what you purchase. I think sometimes women pick things that have too much embroidery, bells and whistles-you wear it once and then it stays in the closet. Pick up things that have longevity, but aren't boring! It must be made with good fabric, and good fit is important.


M: That's actually something that I need to learn, because I always buy things that are sort of outrageous, and then I don't feel like wearing them again.


G: Right, and then people will say, ‘Gee, she's wearing that thing again.' You don't want that. Don't wear anything too costumey. It will just look dated. I am very fortunate that I hear back from customers who say that they wear my things forever. And I've been doing this 43 years. I have women tell me that they still wear my things from the 80s and the 90s because the fabric is so beautiful. I'm really nitpicky about picking the right fabrics, buttons, and trims.


M: What is essential in a woman's wardrobe? What's key?


G: She should definitely start off with a beautiful jacket. And you know what's coming back in a big way-updated blazers. It really finishes and polishes off a look. Other things-the sweater, turtleneck, trouser are all important-but the jacket is really the key thing to start with. Then, she needs a white blouse. A sweater-turtleneck, a really great turtleneck sweater. A great skirt. Boots, great shoes. And you're building a great wardrobe. But the jacket is the thing that really polishes it off.


M: I agree-it can take you from sloppy to polished, and makes you look thinner too.


G: Yes. Exactly! And you can wear it with a pair of jeans too. And you know, I've been living in Manhattan for many years now, and I see the way women dress. I go to restaurants. Women on Saturday night, they do their hair and makeup beautifully, they put on a great jacket with a pair of boots and jeans, and they're dressed. The days of the ball gowns and the cocktail dresses are finished.


M: Really?


G: Well, the red carpet is good-but do the women really pay for the dresses on the red carpet? Let's be honest-no. What I'm telling designers today who go out to make a living is that they want to be able to get paid for their garments. It's about versatility with garments today.


M: That's very smart. Let's talk about trends. What do you like?


G: Like I said, updated classics, with an air of refinement. Beautiful fabrics and colors. And I think women are very into making sure clothing won't fall apart now. Buttonholes, for example. With all my garments, the strings are not sticking out of the buttons holes, and I think women are looking inside, too. They want something to be finished on the inside. Also, fit is very important.


M: What trends do you not like as much?


G: Things that are too costumey. Things that make a woman look like a fashion victim-that's really sad. You want people to see her-not the garment walking into the room. You don't want to see Big Bird walking in, you know, a big canary yellow something. You want to see her! I think what's very important these days is to wear something classic, but with a twist.


M: What do you see moving forward? Spring, summer?


G: I am very fortunate to belong to the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the CFDA, and one of the richest designers is Ralph Lauren, and he always does nautical looks every spring and summer. He always does them with a wonderful different twist. The navy, and the reds, and the whites-it's about the updated preppy nautical look. It's always a fresh look, but I think this spring it will be done with new proportions. Take, for example, a pea coat. A pea coat is a pea coat, but if you re-proportion it and put it in a new color-just like one I have on QVC-it's new. You should see what I have on QVC.com. Go to QVC and look under George Simonton because a picture is worth a thousand words. You'll see what I'm all about.


M: So what else are you busy with these days?


G: Well, I'm in couture department and the studio department of every major store, and I'm doing trunk shows across the whole country right now. In fact, tomorrow I fly to London for QVC, and then I'll come back and go to Chicago for Nordstrom's. Go to the couture department and studio department at Nordstrom's and you'll see my things-and it will even have my picture on it with my red glasses! That's my signature!


M: I'll look for it! I love those glasses, by the way.


G: Thank you, they're actually vintage. They're from Sean Claude Keely (blogger note-I apologize if I spelled this name wrong!), the guy that was the racer-the snow racer. You're too young to remember, but they are like 15 years old! I always have new lenses put in so I keep wearing them.


M: Ah, well they look great! And I think we're all set for today, since I know you're a busy man.
G: Well that was painless! It was a pleasure to be here!
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Classic with a twist! Deep down, every gal knows this is the best look. Keep it simple-but not boring. Look for versatile, timeless pieces-not super trendy. That's how to dress for stylish success. Just ask George Simonton!