INTERIOR, STYLE & SUCCESSFUL
"People often say that such individuals have a talent from birth. But how many do you know who, having a natural gift, not only understand their calling and develop it throughout their lives but also skillfully monetize it?"
I recently saw the interior of Michael Kors's apartment in Greenwich Village, New York.
Honestly? It made a colossal impression on me. Before that, I wasn’t particularly interested in his fashion and aesthetics, but after seeing the interior, I went through all the “latest” collections, studied his biography and interviews. I wanted to understand how he developed such taste and style.
Analyzing the code of aesthetics helps us understand the specific pieces that make up a person’s unique taste and style. People often say that such individuals have a talent from birth. Yes, it plays a role. But how many do you know who, with a natural gift, truly understand their calling, develop it throughout their lives, and also skillfully monetize it? In reality, there are very few.
LUCKY People often say that such individuals are "lucky." There’s some truth to that. He was born at the right time, in the right place, and to the right people. These factors gave him the motivation to grow and a love for money, success and everything stylish and beautiful that began in his childhood. Let’s break it down in detail! |
There’s nothing superfluous—just plenty of space, clean forms, minimal color,
and tastefully selected art pieces that Michael brought back from his travels.
Let’s break down the key elements that have shaped the personality
and brand of this famous designer:
Now, take a look at the apartment’s interior:
The warm reddish wood in the furniture and wall finishes, the black furniture with large, clean lines—almost as if the furniture holds its shape like fabric hugging the body. And the numerous vintage items, collected from travels and flea markets, are all strictly minimalist, large, and mostly beige or reddish hues, resembling the large glasses of his mother in retro horn-rimmed frames.
She’s a model, his best friend, and his muse, and of course, she’s the first key element in Michael’s code. Michael’s parents divorced almost immediately after his birth, so he grew up surrounded by strong, vibrant women who spent hours discussing nail polish or dress styles. This had a significant impact on his choice of career.
Here’s what Joan Kors herself says: “My son and I have the same taste, though our styles sometimes differ. Our homes are similar: white walls, ivory or black-and-white upholstery, always the same white sheets. Color accents are mostly red or camel. The only difference is in the tables—I like wooden ones, while Michael prefers black.”
This helps explain the foundation of Michael’s fashion collections. He appointed his mother as the guardian of the KORS brand’s code and philosophy within his corporation, and she trains stores on the basics of Michael’s collections.
Do you understand? He doesn’t have any doubts like, “Is this really me? Will this suit me?” It’s a crystal-clear understanding of “I know exactly who I am and what I truly want.”
MINIMALISM, CONCISENESS AND WHITE COLOR
When Michael was just five years old, his mother married businessman Bill Kors for the second time. Michael, at that young age, criticized her wedding dress for being overly detailed and adorned with bows. As a result, following his recommendations, his mother and grandmother redesigned the dress into a minimalist version. The white wedding dress, both as his first project and its color, has been a thread running throughout his entire career.
Interestingly, it was also she who suggested changing his name from Karl Anderson to Michael Kors.
How did he achieve this? Michael skillfully reinterprets the style and shapes of ultra-luxury brands. Many of his handbag designs closely resemble those from Prada, YSL, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, etc., but are priced significantly lower. Even if the designs don’t exactly replicate the high-end brands, they evoke a sense of familiarity.
Officially, there’s been no confirmed information about plagiarism. As the saying goes, “Nothing personal, just business,” which is likely why his commercial success has been so significant.
Michael’s passion for fashion and design. Although he initially considered architecture
and automotive design, he became deeply interested in fabrics, especially cotton and cashmere.
Michael is a fan of textures rather than prints, which is evident in both his fashion collections
and interior designs. His interiors feature a range of tactile textures—from fabrics to stone
and wood—while avoiding any prints entirely.
In his interiors, this artistic flair is reflected in his extensive collection of original photographs and artworks by well-known and distinguished artists.
Michael Kors’s theatrical side is evident in his open bathroom with massive windows.
He even had a friend check from neighbouring rooftops to see how visible the details
of the bathroom were, and the friend confirmed that nothing was visible.
Given Michael’s flamboyant and artistic nature, he probably wouldn’t have
been too concerned if the answer had been different!
The design features movable partitions that allow the space to shift into an open-plan layout, echoing the classic New York lofts and his cherished Greenwich Village.
Michael Kors describes his home as embodying "everyday grandeur," striking a balance between practicality and indulgence, comfort and formality.
When he talks about grandeur and formality, he means the "air and space" that are considered luxurious in New York, where apartments are usually quite compact. His American style is also reflected in the use of large furniture and decor elements—big, yet minimalist in design.
A huge part of Kors's code is nostalgic glamour from New York in the early '80s, especially the iconic Studio 54 nightclub and its famous guests and parties. If you Google it, you'll see it's a very specific and emblematic venue from that era. I've found some of the tamest photos from that club =) After browsing through many pictures, I’d say that almost every major star over 55 today was there.
Although Michael Kors is dubbed the king of American glamour, there’s nothing in his home that fits the conventional notion of glamour. This underscores how complex yet simple his manipulation of his code's facets can be. Despite his youthful revelry in style and lifestyle, he now distills only the most refined essence from each part of his code without veering into extremes. Glamour, in this context, represents a "golden" culture fueled by its extravagant and vibrant style, driven by celebrities, but fundamentally rooted in people, names, and the social scene.
The same applies to his interior design. Besides the photographs, the space is filled with renowned designer names and brands in furniture and decor. This, too, reflects a commitment to glamour and luxury.
Allan Tannenbaum
Ron Galella
Filippo Fior
Courtesy of Michael Kors Collection
Alessandro Viero
Getty Images
Architectural digest