Nick Wooster - A Fashion Legend

I was in my early 30s when I first bumped into Nick Wooster's face. There was something rough to his face that instantly gave me the chills. How Nick presents himself, even in a simple shoot, screams that he has walked a hard path, and the glamour that comes with being a trendsetter is beyond what Nick is. 

I followed Nick for the past ten years, maybe even more. He has walked different walks these ten years, yet I always enjoy coming to his social profile to get inspired. If fashion for men has a window you can peek into, that's the window you're looking for. And not in the way that you get a set outfit styled and fed to you with a spoon, but in a way that he exhales style from every pore of his body. His presence teaches you that class is coming from within, whether that's a fleece jacket with your jogging pants or a glam look to go out with your friends. 

Nick is a stylist, yet he is not. Nick is a business owner, yet he is not. Nick is a fashion icon, yet he is not. Nick refuses any label on his back and remains the Nick we all loved these past years, the one that happens to be all the above. For whatever reason you love him, he takes pride to give you that tiny fraction of joy, than a generic label that means nothing to him. 

I reached out to Nick to get a glimpse of his journey, the same journey I was just an observer all these years, and he happily allowed me to. Nick was the most approachable of all the celebrities I had the honour to talk with. The only one who was in an aeroplane after Fashion week, flying back home and apologising for being late to return the answers to my questionnaire, sat down to typewrite them and made sure I got them in time. And this takes a genuine, honest person who respects everyone he interacts with. Nick stays true to himself, which expands to everything he does. And for that, he got my respect and my heart for this interview. 

You are a designer, curator, stylist, company owner, influencer, trendsetter. What is the most challenging of these activities that you do?

None of the actual "jobs" are difficult. The most challenging part of my life is the coordination and timing of it all. Logistics are the hardest thing to manage!

One friend of mine said to me to describe you with a simple phrase, and I said: "He is fashion, within fashion". What is actually your first fashion memory? 

I just remember always being obsessed with clothes. By the time I started kindergarten, I would only wear what I chose...my mom could not force me to wear anything. I demanded to go shopping and pick out what I wanted. If she "tried" to get me things, I refused to wear them.

What sparked your interest?

I honestly don't know...I was just always obsessed.

What made you take fashion more seriously and make a career out of it?

It took me a while to understand that having a career in fashion was possible. I thought that because I wasn't "trained" in fashion design, I couldn't possibly work in fashion. But I knew retail, and I loved stores, so the idea of being a buyer was a dream for me. And to be able to be a buyer at arguably two of the most important and fantastic stores in the world [at the time], Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman.

How is working in fashion different today than from when you started out?

EVERYTHING is different. In 1987 there were so many more department stores, so many more specialty stores, so many more magazines, and far less power brands. It was, in a way, so much simpler, even though it didn't seem that way at the time. The number of amazing stores that don't exist today is shocking and super sad. Barneys New York Charivari, Henri Bendel, Martha, Linda Dresner, Carol Rollo Riding High, Romanoffs, Jeffrey, B. Altman, Lord and Taylor, Bonwit Teller, Bullocks, Marshall Fields, Burdines. The list is by no means complete, but it shows what a different landscape it was. And the list of publications that have become a shell of their former selves is super depressing.

If you could go back and tell yourself one thing before beginning your career, what would it be? 

Don't spend so much money on clothes.

How would you describe your aesthetic?

I have never really been able to describe my aesthetic, but I have always been interested in paring something classic with something avant-garde or something masculine with something feminine. I don't like everything to match. Although I am a big believer in dressing in one color!

How did you end up having such an influence on style trendsetting?

I have no idea...I guess I have been at the right place, at the right time...many times.

Do you follow trends? And if yes, which trends excite you at the moment?

I HATE the idea of trends...I think it cheapens the work of designers. I do believe and know that "things are always in the air", and when that happens, you start to see the same things everywhere. 

This is because brands and retailers and advertising agencies all use trend services and fashion weeks as a barometer or a weather vane...people are seeing the same stimuli at the same time, trends are bound to occur. I just don't want to look the same as everyone else. But I do find myself "falling" for "trends", just like everyone else!  

I definitely feel a movement away from hoodies and sneakers [although they will never go away]...I just want to wear more boots and leather shoes, jackets, wool coats and proper trousers. It feels new again.

Nick is a stylist, yet he is not. Nick is a business owner, yet he is not. Nick is a fashion icon, yet he is not.

What is your opinion about fast fashion?

I think some places like Uniqlo and Muji are phenomenal. They provide great design, taste and affordability to a very wide audience. I am excited to see what Brendon Babenzien will be doing at J. Crew. I do think that fast fashion has been great for young people to look stylish at a better price. But the overconsumption thing is definitely a downside.

If you could only wear one designer for the rest of your life who would it be? 

Comme des Garcons [any of the brands within the universe]

Why did you decide to start your own business, versus work for someone else?

That has never changed...I work for lots of people now, instead of just one. But being independent has been such a blessing in my life. I love to have the ability to make [mostly] my own schedule. It just felt like the next step for me. It has been the best thing I have ever done!

What was the most difficult part of starting your business?

Getting the cash flow to be consistent has been the hardest thing...but fortunately, it has been working out.

What has been the biggest sacrifice you've made in starting your business?

You definitely sacrifice the security of a regular paycheck. And in the US, individual healthcare is not nearly as good, as the type of insurance, you can have when you work for a large corporation. It's very boring to discuss, but this is the only disadvantage I have found so far.

I have always been interested in paring something classic with something avant-garde or something masculine with something feminine. I don't like everything to match

What's the most fun part of your job and what is the most challenging?

The most fun part of my life and work is travel [which has been picking up] and the most challenging is the scheduling and structure that a corporate job can provide. But I am not about to give this up!

What is your happy place? 

Any beach where the sun is shining.

Are there any types of clothing that you avoid wearing?

5 pocket jeans, super slim and fitted shirts or jackets, square toe shoes, big logos

What aspects of the fashion industry would you like to change?

First should be inclusivity... it's great to see more people getting involved in all aspects of the business. But for me, the thing that has to change is the calendar for when stores [and brands] ship and sell clothes. We don't need fall clothes ANYWHERE in the months of May, June, July or August. and We don't need summer clothes to be delivered in January, February and March. The sooner everyone realises this, the more profitable everyone will be.

What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?

I continue to be inspired by what I see on the streets, on Instagram and in magazines. They continue to amaze me.

If you were magically given 3 more hours per day, what would you do with them?

Sleep more!

What role do you think social media plays in fashion today?

Social media plays the most outsize role in fashion today. Unfortunately, magazines are not the only source for inspiration and authority. Now individuals wield some [but not all] of that power. It's like online versus brick and mortar. One can't exist without the other.

Is social media central to what you do?

I recognise that everything that has come to me, in the past 10 years, is 100% because of the internet and social media. Instagram saved my life this past year and a half.

You jumped from styling to actually designing clothes for several brands. How did that transition feel and do you think it is something we should expect to see more of you?

I actually made the jump from being a buyer in a multibrand specialty store to design. For me, it was a natural, but uncommon transition. After that, I was able to incorporate more styling work as it related to working more closely with brands on branding and marketing. For me, the ability to conceive a collection, and then realise it in a lookbook or show form, truly completes the circle. I would love to consult with more brands in the coming seasons.

There's so much pressure for designers to come out with their greatest collection season after season. What advice would you give to young designers just starting out and hoping to make it in the industry?

Learn on someone else's dime, then go out on your own. There are too many costly mistakes that young designers make, that could have been learned in working for someone else first.

What does the future of fashion look like?

I have no idea, but it will probably look somewhat the same, and somewhat different!

Favourite motto you live by?

Don't quit before the miracle.

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