June 14, 2011 |
FROM THE VAULT (SUMMER 2008)
Fabien Baron: Editorial Director, Interview
So we were all sitting around Ten Towers the other day, talking about this little media players section and, in particular, Fabien Baron. Apart from the fact that he seems nice enough at shows and has three kids, we didn’t know much else. “He’s a hot bear,” was how one person summed him up, but – remembering that whole three-kid thing – I decided that angle was kind of creepy. Finally, someone made the declaration “Fabien Baron is selfish!”
It sounds kind of ridiculous, but you know what, it’s totally true. That guy has snapped up nearly every single hot job in fashion. And that’s not an exaggeration. Let’s see: his fashion clients include Balenciaga, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Miu Miu, Hugo Boss, Michael Kors and Belstaff, among others. Beauty-wise he’s tapped into Armani, Calvin Klein, Prada and Viktor & Rolf, among others. And when it comes to magazines, he’s on the mastheads at French Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Arena Homme+ and Italian Vogue, AMONG OTHERS. Among others!
But when he’s not sitting in front of a computer playing with images, he’s sitting in front of the computer toying with his design issues (he’s done stuff with Cappellini, Bernhardt and Elson). Since he’s got some other time on his hands, he’s taken up photography, too – and worked on a few books for folks such as Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana and the guys over at i-D. Damn it, Fabien, how do you sleep at night? Aren’t you going to leave anything for the other lowly art directors and struggling fashion folk out there? You’ve got to give them kids a chance. (I tease, I tease; I’ve had more than one friend work for you and they’ve all said you are quite generous with the projects.) At least you seem to know that your workload is seemingly inhuman.
The name of your company is Baron & Baron – but there’s no other Baron, Fabien. We’re on to you.
Next up will prove to be another big task for the famed fashion and art fan. He and Glenn O’Brien recently took over Interview magazine, a magazine title that many herald as a journalistic icon and prototype for the current state of fashion magazines. It won’t be the first time O’Brien has worked at that magazine, and it won’t be the first time Baron busts into a publication and peps things up (he did the same thing to Italian Vogue around a quarter of a century ago).
And oh, I just remembered: the guy has launched his own sunglasses line, too. Dude might need a nap.
by Derek Blasberg
