Fashion Addiction: John Varvatos Interviews Perry Farrell

Looking for a lean model to grace his winter 2008 campaign, John Varvatos found the perfect slim hipster in former Jane’s Addiction frontman and solo star Perry Farrell. The designer and musician recently got together to talk about pop iconography, clever costuming, looking sharp and the eternal importance of washboard abs on sexy rockers.

JOHN VARVATOS: Playing at our Bowery Street store during Fashion Week was your first time performing at CBGB—what punk icons were on your mind?
PERRY FARRELL: The Ramones. Blondie. Talking Heads. Richard Hell & The Voidoids. You know, the first big-league manager that we had was Gary Kurfirst, who managed the Ramones, Blondie and David Byrne, so I was able to meet all those groups through him. Before that night, I never got to play CBGB, so it was really interesting to look out from the stage, having that view in that long and narrow room. I’d think, This is what Debbie Harry was feeling when she was standing there looking out at people, singing “X Offender” or “Rip Her to Shreds.” And it was a fun feeling. I’ve heard people say that they can’t believe you turned CBGB into a store, but I can’t believe you actually saved it—it’s like saving Yankee Stadium, and still having the Yankees play there sometimes. One of the things the record industry needs to be doing is including live performances in retail—which is exactly what you’ve got set up. 

What was your most memorable moment at CBGB before this?
I have to be honest with you—the first time I ever went to CBGB was a few months ago. When Jane’s Addiction was coming up, we played small places near Bleecker Street, like the Cathouse, clubs that were catering more to alternative music. CBGB’s heyday was before my time. The first night that your store opened, I was in town, playing with Tom Morello, Slash and a bunch of other cats. Tom had helped set up an event for Road Recovery, a charity that gives shelter to young runaways—a great cause. But, simple me, I thought, “Road Recovery, fantastic, we’re going to be covering the potholes in New York City.” So we went and did this show and then we heard that you were having an opening so we went down and performed. A few weeks after that, I got word that you wanted me to do your campaign.

What do your friends think of you being in my fashion ads?
They’re all really happy. If anything, they’re a little envious. I got an e-mail from two members of Jane’s. Eric [Avery] said, “You look really fantastic.” Dave [Navarro] said, “Man, congratulations.” And then, begrudgingly, “I always wished I was in one of those ads.” I remembered him writing that, so that’s why I brought him out to play with us at your store during Fashion Week.

What kind of clothes make you feel sexy?
I think a show is enhanced a good 25-30 percent if the performers are dressed and they’re wearing something that you can look at and say, “Wow, that’s a hot style.” I like to wear formfitting things because I work very hard to keep my gorgeous figure. I’m very happy to show it off and I honestly go to the women’s department often because I know I’ll find very interesting patterns and formfitting clothes. It’s an old rock ’n’ roll trick for guys to shop in the girl’s section.  I’ve recently gotten some great things at Miss Sixty, Betsey Johnson and G-Star. In the women’s department, I go for size large and in men’s, I go for small.

Is the key to being a rock ’n’ roll icon staying skinny?
Yes, it is the key. If you’re looking good and holding up, then what you’re saying to the world is: “I’m still in this game and I still own it.” If you let yourself go, what you’re basically saying is, “I was great when I was younger, but then I grew up and look what happened.” I’ve always considered myself to be a late bloomer, and in the end I will win the race. I didn’t have hair on my dick until I was about 16 or something crazy, and I was so skinny. The girls in high school would say to me, “You’re going to be so cute when you’re older,” and they would always hang out with the older guys. And I would say, “That’s okay, you’ll see. One day you’ll regret it.” I don’t do weights because weights make you look all bulky, and I could never get down with that bulky male look. I’ve always liked the androgynous look. And believe it or not, the girls like it best, too—at least the girls who tell me that they like it best. So I swim a lot, I do Pilates and I surf. If people would sing and dance as much as I sing and dance, they would be in great shape. Singing is so good for your stomach, it’s good for your heart and it keeps you young. It’s amazing what going out to a club and dancing will do for you the next day. You will feel like you’re 12 years old. My wife is a dancer and as much as we party, she’s very regimented. Before she goes to bed, she’ll do sit-ups.  I’ll do 100 sit-ups in the morning. It’s part of my job. And I eat. I enjoy myself. Food is so delicious, and I don’t want to base my life around starving myself. So I eat what I want, but I’m not a pig. I work out, so that balances it.

How much of what you wear affects the mood of the day?
I have children, and when I’m out with them I don’t want to wear pants that are too tight. I take care of my kids, I chase them around the playground, I’m sprightly, and I have a nice clean appearance. But once that’s done, and my day gets going, I start to go to the studios, and I’m hanging out with musician friends, and I’m going to be going out after rehearsal to my producer’s house, or a club, my clothes start to get tighter and my heels get higher.

What kind of rock star style did you aspire to when you first discovered music, when you were a young punk?
People like the Stones, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed and Iggy Pop. I think about those guys and how bold they were. If they wanted to wear a woman’s blouse, they could because who’s going to punch them in the face? They’re surrounded by bodyguards. They’re surrounded by women. And they’re surely going to get to their destination in style. 

What’s the most rock star thing about you?
Heels and shades. I love wearing sunglasses, especially to airports. Aside from my shades from you, Oliver Peoples is a great sunglass brand that I wear. My wife is a shoe maven. YSL is her thing. She just loves to drench her feet with YSL, and I kind of got swept into the whole mania myself. I have a pair of boots by you that you just gave me—they are patterned after a turn-of-the-century style, the 1920s, with little buttons on the side, up to the ankle. They’re kind of ankle boots. So it’s kind of a cross between what’s going on right now and what was going on back in the days when people would put their pants inside their soft boots. Right now, they are one of my hot things to wear.

What’s the least rock star thing about you?
I wear long surf trunks and a baseball hat when I go to the beach—it’s my casual look, my incognito look.

Have you made any style statements in the past that you’re now embarrassed by?
Sometimes I’m a little embarrassed when I look back at pictures from the ’80s, from when I first started, because I had no money then, and I was basically dressing myself from thrift stores or whatever I could grab from a girlfriend. But I’m glad because it gives me a chance to go back and remember that I was still putting it out regardless of whether I had money or not. 

How do music and fashion relate to where we are as a country—socially and politically?
The world has become very corporate and militaristic and everybody’s walking around with their battle clothes on. Everyone dresses like everyone else, and they dress down or baggy because they’re either afraid of standing out or they’re afraid of exposing their shape. I think something’s going to break. I don’t know exactly how it will play out, but I’m certainly going for it.

Satellite Party was your last project. What kind of music can the world expect from Perry Farrell next? 
We’re always recording. I just did a track with Mickey Avalon yesterday. I’m looking forward to working with Andy Bell from Erasure in the next week. And Satellite Party has a track in a film that’s coming out called Twilight. The song’s called “Into Twilight” and it’s a beautiful track.  We’ve got such good music coming and we’re performing all the time live around the world. So things are good for us everywhere.

Photography by Patrick Fraser.