The New York Times | December 6, 2007
Proenza Schouler Interview Chloë Sevigny
When we were asked to interview some of the people who have been of inspiration to us, Chloë Sevigny was at the top of our list. Chloë seems to be able to use fashion as a form of self expression while somehow making it look effortless. This sense of confidence and willingness to take risks is a fascinating quality that has somehow enabled her to become one of the most iconic personalities of our generation.
Chloë, most of your decisions - whether they are your choices in projects or your choices in clothes - seem to stem from a desire to explore things from a very personal perspective and not necessarily to please the masses. Is this a conscious decision?
Making myself happy and not doing things for other people or because of what they’ll think is how I mostly make my choices. Some have not been so good, but learning to live with them has made me a stronger person. Do I sound like Ashlee Simpson?
Do you feel the pressure to sacrifice what you believed was good knowing that perhaps this would be the most “popular” decision?
Popularity and mass appeal have never been a concern of mine. My parents and older brother had a huge influence on me - they always pushed the motto of being a leader and not a follower. The type of fame that comes with such commercial projects scares me, but if I was offered a blockbuster that I found interesting I would probably do it. A home upstate sounds nice at this point in my life.
Hollywood has a way of stripping people of their “street-cred” rather quickly. You are a part of that system but have always remained completely yourself, which we think is why you seem to be an inspiration to many. How does one stay true to one’s self?
The opportunity to sell out - to cash out - especially these days, seems easier and easier. This causes me many sleepless nights. I feel like I have sold out so many times already, mostly doing campaigns or public appearances for ridiculous amounts of money. Sometimes it’s very hard to resist a paycheck for an afternoon’s work, which the average American would take a year to make, if that. I try to be as selective as possible, only working with companies I admire for one reason or another. I try to balance it with charity work - either through local organizations, or buying art, clothes from friends, etc.
How important are clothes to getting in character? Is “looking good” ever a consideration, or is it completely based on the needs of the character? We feel like we know, but tell everyone how much Chloë is in your “Big Love” character, Nicolette Grant?
Wardrobe and hair and makeup are hugely important. It’s always the best way for me to discover who a character is. Style can say so much about a person. Of course, you always want to look good, and film is a heightened reality, so certain liberties can be taken and should. So many contemporary films look ugly to me. What’s wrong with these people? As for Nicki: she and I share a joint love of high waists. That’s where the love stops.
“Big Love” is such a great show, by the way. We’re totally hooked. What attracted you to this kind of material? Are you involved in the costuming of your character?
Any type of cult lifesyle in America is very intriguing to me. The whole Mormon fundamentalist polygamist lifestyle is so alien, yet there are so many aspects of the character that I can relate to. She’s one of the best parts I’ve ever read and am so lucky to be playing her. I only read the pilot and signed my life away to H.B.O. for six seasons, filming in L.A., so you can only imagine how much I loved her and was committed to the project.
The costumes are always a struggle. I don’t remember any costume designer I’ve ever gotten along with. I always think I could do it better - sorry, it’s true. Being so opinionated, I’d like to think my ideas have had a bit of an impact on Nicki’s wardrobe, but if everything were up to me she’d still be on the compound.
How did you end up acting? Briefly, what events led you to where you are now?
My first professional job as an actress was around age 8. I made a brief appearance in a Voltron commercial as the pink lion. I think you can see it on You Tube. I had been going to a summer theatre camp since I was 6, inspired by a trip to Broadway to see the show “Annie.” My mother made the trek to Manhattan for go-sees one too many times- I think we both found it a bit sick -so my career as a professional child actor came to an abrupt halt.
But every summer and in every school play I was always cast in a juicy part;thus my love for acting grew more and more, till high school when I got my first boyfriend and strong group of friends. Everything then fell by the wayside till I was cast in the movie “Kids.”
Some people out there might not know that you are now designing a collection. Why now? What are the ideas behind the collection?
This is actually the first time anyone has seriously approached me to do one. I was asked at an event by Fashion Wire why I hadn’t done one, and if I was to collaborate with anyone who would it be, and I naturally responded: Opening Ceremony. Humberto Leon, the owner, and I met up a few days later and decided to do it. I was on hiatus from “Big Love” and wanted to stay at home in New York. So this was the perfect thing to keep me busy, to be creative and do something I’ve always wanted to do with a company and people I love. The idea was to make cute, young, affordable clothes with a bit of an edge. I wanted everything to be able to mix and match and appeal to a large range of girls. The commercial appeal was very important to me.
What about fashion makes it so interesting to you? Is it another form of self-expression, of creating a character?
The huge amount of talent in fashion always blows my mind. There are so many perspectives and opinions. I find it limitless, and that’s what’s so fascinating. Plus, I love beautiful things.
If you weren’t acting or designing clothes what could you picture yourself doing?
I don’t think a career in fashion design is for me. I don’t have enough of an ego. Please don’t take offense. No one else answers for the clothes but you; there’s no one to blame. I like to hide behind a collaborative effort. Designing my new line I was going crazy always second-guessing myself - your confidence has to be extremely high. It’s also way too time consuming. Who wants to work that hard? Ha. Costume design is still something I think about doing all the time. I would have no problem switching careers right now if I could. But I don’t think other actresses would go for it, they’re way too competitive.
When we were asked to interview some of the people who have been of inspiration to us, Chloë Sevigny was at the top of our list. Chloë seems to be able to use fashion as a form of self expression while somehow making it look effortless. This sense of confidence and willingness to take risks is a fascinating quality that has somehow enabled her to become one of the most iconic personalities of our generation.
Chloë, most of your decisions - whether they are your choices in projects or your choices in clothes - seem to stem from a desire to explore things from a very personal perspective and not necessarily to please the masses. Is this a conscious decision?
Making myself happy and not doing things for other people or because of what they’ll think is how I mostly make my choices. Some have not been so good, but learning to live with them has made me a stronger person. Do I sound like Ashlee Simpson?
Do you feel the pressure to sacrifice what you believed was good knowing that perhaps this would be the most “popular” decision?
Popularity and mass appeal have never been a concern of mine. My parents and older brother had a huge influence on me - they always pushed the motto of being a leader and not a follower. The type of fame that comes with such commercial projects scares me, but if I was offered a blockbuster that I found interesting I would probably do it. A home upstate sounds nice at this point in my life.
Hollywood has a way of stripping people of their “street-cred” rather quickly. You are a part of that system but have always remained completely yourself, which we think is why you seem to be an inspiration to many. How does one stay true to one’s self?
The opportunity to sell out - to cash out - especially these days, seems easier and easier. This causes me many sleepless nights. I feel like I have sold out so many times already, mostly doing campaigns or public appearances for ridiculous amounts of money. Sometimes it’s very hard to resist a paycheck for an afternoon’s work, which the average American would take a year to make, if that. I try to be as selective as possible, only working with companies I admire for one reason or another. I try to balance it with charity work - either through local organizations, or buying art, clothes from friends, etc.
How important are clothes to getting in character? Is “looking good” ever a consideration, or is it completely based on the needs of the character? We feel like we know, but tell everyone how much Chloë is in your “Big Love” character, Nicolette Grant?
Wardrobe and hair and makeup are hugely important. It’s always the best way for me to discover who a character is. Style can say so much about a person. Of course, you always want to look good, and film is a heightened reality, so certain liberties can be taken and should. So many contemporary films look ugly to me. What’s wrong with these people? As for Nicki: she and I share a joint love of high waists. That’s where the love stops.
“Big Love” is such a great show, by the way. We’re totally hooked. What attracted you to this kind of material? Are you involved in the costuming of your character?
Any type of cult lifesyle in America is very intriguing to me. The whole Mormon fundamentalist polygamist lifestyle is so alien, yet there are so many aspects of the character that I can relate to. She’s one of the best parts I’ve ever read and am so lucky to be playing her. I only read the pilot and signed my life away to H.B.O. for six seasons, filming in L.A., so you can only imagine how much I loved her and was committed to the project.
The costumes are always a struggle. I don’t remember any costume designer I’ve ever gotten along with. I always think I could do it better - sorry, it’s true. Being so opinionated, I’d like to think my ideas have had a bit of an impact on Nicki’s wardrobe, but if everything were up to me she’d still be on the compound.
How did you end up acting? Briefly, what events led you to where you are now?
My first professional job as an actress was around age 8. I made a brief appearance in a Voltron commercial as the pink lion. I think you can see it on You Tube. I had been going to a summer theatre camp since I was 6, inspired by a trip to Broadway to see the show “Annie.” My mother made the trek to Manhattan for go-sees one too many times- I think we both found it a bit sick -so my career as a professional child actor came to an abrupt halt.
But every summer and in every school play I was always cast in a juicy part;thus my love for acting grew more and more, till high school when I got my first boyfriend and strong group of friends. Everything then fell by the wayside till I was cast in the movie “Kids.”
Some people out there might not know that you are now designing a collection. Why now? What are the ideas behind the collection?
This is actually the first time anyone has seriously approached me to do one. I was asked at an event by Fashion Wire why I hadn’t done one, and if I was to collaborate with anyone who would it be, and I naturally responded: Opening Ceremony. Humberto Leon, the owner, and I met up a few days later and decided to do it. I was on hiatus from “Big Love” and wanted to stay at home in New York. So this was the perfect thing to keep me busy, to be creative and do something I’ve always wanted to do with a company and people I love. The idea was to make cute, young, affordable clothes with a bit of an edge. I wanted everything to be able to mix and match and appeal to a large range of girls. The commercial appeal was very important to me.
What about fashion makes it so interesting to you? Is it another form of self-expression, of creating a character?
The huge amount of talent in fashion always blows my mind. There are so many perspectives and opinions. I find it limitless, and that’s what’s so fascinating. Plus, I love beautiful things.
If you weren’t acting or designing clothes what could you picture yourself doing?
I don’t think a career in fashion design is for me. I don’t have enough of an ego. Please don’t take offense. No one else answers for the clothes but you; there’s no one to blame. I like to hide behind a collaborative effort. Designing my new line I was going crazy always second-guessing myself - your confidence has to be extremely high. It’s also way too time consuming. Who wants to work that hard? Ha. Costume design is still something I think about doing all the time. I would have no problem switching careers right now if I could. But I don’t think other actresses would go for it, they’re way too competitive.