Background
Mr. Varvatos was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on August 8, 1962 and grew up in Allen Park. His father worked as an accountant.
Allen Park High School.
10th Annual John Varvatos Annual Stuart House Benefit 4, March 10, 2013.
Badflower Plays The Legendary Troubadour In West Hollywood, June 20, 2018.
Celebrities Visit SiriusXM, April 11, 2012.
Designer John Varvatos walks the runway during the John Varvatos Spring-Summer 2017 Fashion Show at The Django at Roxy Hotel on July 14, 2016 in New York City.
Designer John Varvatos closes the runway at the John Varvatos Spring 2007 fashion show during Olympus Fashion Week in the Promenade in Bryant Park September 11, 2006 in New York City.
Gene Simmons (L) and Paul Stanley (R) of KISS pose with designer John Varvatos at Fashion Rocks 2014 presented by Three Lions Entertainment at the Barclays Center of Brooklyn on September 9, 2014 in New York City.
John Varvatos SS16 Backstage.
John Varvatos and Machine Gun Kelly.
(In John Varvatos, the legendary designer reveals his pers...)
In John Varvatos, the legendary designer reveals his perspective on how rock & roll music and style have influenced his own designs and fashion worldwide. Varvatos’s personally curated collection of more than 250 images are some of the most provocative ever shot by top rock photographers from the late 1960s to today, from the Rolling Stones to the Kings of Leon. The featured photographers are among the world’s finest, including Mick Rock, Bob Gruen, Elliott Landy, Danny Clinch, Lynn Goldsmith, and more. Also included are select images from Varvatos’s own advertising campaigns, featuring artists such as Slash, Iggy Pop, Scott Weiland, and Miles Kane.
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Mr. Varvatos was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on August 8, 1962 and grew up in Allen Park. His father worked as an accountant.
John Varvatos attended Allen Park High School. Initially, he intended to become a teacher of science during his college years, however he ended up in retail business.
After graduating in 1980, he co-founded a menswear store, Fitzgerald's Men's Store, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Mr. Varvatos joined Polo Ralph Lauren in 1983. In 1990, he joined to Calvin Klein as the head of department for menswear and managed the launch of men’s line. During his time at Calvin Klein, Mr. Varvatos pioneered a type of men's undergarment called boxer briefs, a hybrid of boxer shorts and briefs. Made famous by a series of 1992 print ads featuring Mark Wahlberg, they have been called "one of the greatest apparel revolutions of the century." Five years later, he returned to Ralph Lauren as the design head for menswear for all the brands of the company and introduced the Polo Jeans line. His success led him to new positions inside the company. The young designer was transferred to New York, where his focus was design, merchandising and sales.
In 1999, John Varvatos founded his own company and debuted his first apparel line in New York at the end of 2000. The same year, he opened his first store in SoHo. Mr. Varvatos also tried to introduce a collection of women’s fashion inspired by the men’s line, however it wasn’t as recognized as his menswear. Despite this, the brand expanded its products and now has a collection of footwear, belts, eyewear, handbags, fragrances and watches. His collection is available at retail stores as well apart from his own stores. In 2001, he received a license to produce top-notch converse shoe line.
In the year of 2001 he partnered with the US shoe giant Converse to create Converse by John Varvatos. In 2004 Mr. Varvatos designed the laceless Converse Chuck Taylor slip-on. The design was widely adopted and imitated amongst competitors. In February 2006 John Vavatos launched "John Varvatos Star USA Luxe" an in-house label aimed at a younger demographic and lower price point than the main collection. The line aims to be more deconstructed, casual, and youthful. By March 2006 Converse by John Vavatos premiered the first ready-to-wear clothing line in Converse's 100-year history. A vintage-inspired line was also designed for a younger demographic, while respecting the heritage of the Converse brand.
In 2009 a radio program was launched on The Spectrum Channel by John Varvatos, in which interviews and songs from several artists were included, who inspired Varvatos throughout his professional life. The show was called New York Nights and the channel belonged to SIRIUS XM. It was not only entertaining and interactive but also communicated information about the designer from his own point of view. Moving on in 2012, he joined the celebrity mentor cast in Fashion Star show on NBC - a reality series in search for the next big fashion label. A year later, a Chrysler 300 limited edition was released in his name. Later in 2012, John Vavatos became the first ever fashion brand to partner with Patrón Spirits for a limited edition bottle stopper. Keeping with the rock'n'roll influences, the stopper was designed in the shape of a guitar head, complete with tuning keys.
The ad campaigns for the main collection, shot by Danny Clinch, have featured such musicians and bands such as Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Velvet Revolver, Chris Cornell, Dave Matthews, The Roots and Green Day. Music is also central to the brand's philanthropic efforts, including the Save the Music Foundation and an annual Stuart House benefit. In July 2014 it was announced that Ringo Starr would be modelling for the fall/winter advertising campaign, and that an associated charitable initiative would benefit The Ringo Starr Peace and Love Fund, in aid of the David Lynch Foundation.
(In John Varvatos, the legendary designer reveals his pers...)
Quotations:
"No matter what though, there's always rock & roll. There's rock 'n' roll in hip-hop, there's rock & roll in pop music, there's rock 'n' roll in soul, there's rock 'n' roll in country. When you see people dress and their style has an edge to it, that rebellious edge that bubbles up in every genre, that's rock & roll. Everybody still wants to be a rock star."
"Our philosophy is about reaching back to move forward. We have something different to say with a sensibility that is both old and new."
"It's not so much the color of suit as it is about the fit, cut, style, and, of course, attitude you have when wearing it."
"Success is a funny thing. It means different things to different people. For me, I am always pleased when people connect to your brand. It means you are executing in a manner that speaks to a wide variety of businesses."
"Bruno Mars is pretty fashionable. Gary Clarck Junior, who was also in our ad with Jimmy Page, is a super super stylish guy."
"Success is a funny thing. It means different things to different people. For me, I am always pleased when people connect to our brand. It means we are executing in a manner that speaks to a wide variety of businesses."
"You haven't seen me in my own ads. You don't see my logo all over my clothes. From the beginning, I wanted the clothes to stand on their own."
"Music has always been a dominant force in my life. As a young kid, it was a way for me to escape everyday life. Today, it's a source of expression. I enjoy looking at old photos of some of my favorite rock icons, but also get inspired from the younger bands that are coming up and really creating their own style, their own image."
"I believe that if you think about what style means, you won't become a fashion victim."