Category: Interviews

Interviews from the Kevan Hall Fashion Show at Universal Studios Backlot, October 17, 2009

October 17, 2009 was the chic fashion event of the season. The luxurious setting at Universal Studios backlot was the perfect backdrop for Kevan Hall’s couture fashion show. With a bevy of top models, diamonds, luxury handbags, high fashion eyewear, and beautiful footware, Kevan Hall created a coveted collection of fashion art in its most perfect form. I had the opportunity to interview some of the key players that evening—Gregory Arlt (MAC Makeup), Tod Hallman (runway show producer); and celebrity guests Tammy Farrell (Miss California 2009), and Natasha Henstridge.

Interviews by Kaylene Peoples (bolded)

Miss California 2009 Tammy Farrell (Pre Show)

What designer are you wearing tonight?

Kevan Hall naturally. I love his designs! I’m really looking forward to the show.

What was it like as your reign as Miss California?

I stepped into controversy with Carrie Prejean. It’s been a huge honor with all the media attention. It has helped me in so many ways than it would have had I won on my own. I was able to be an advocate for causes that I really believed in. For the first time we had world news. The world was watching what was going to happen with this pageant.

What are your plans now?

I just finished my screenplay and I’ve been shopping that around. I am working on my second one now. I’m also an actress. I started filming my first movie, and I hope there will be more to come.

Gregory Arlt – Director of Makeup Artistry for MAC

What are you doing for the Kevan Hall show?

It’s really based on the 40s. She’s sort of a well-traveled woman, ultra chic, absolutely perfect. And she might have been driving in her convertible. So she has a little bit of a wind-swept look. The hair might have gotten a little shape from being in the car. The makeup might have gotten a little stronger. So we gave her a really chic cat eye and a very strong, deep rich blood-red lip.

Any makeup trends for this winter coming up?

Absolutely! There are so many that we’ve seen. Two of the strongest trends I think are definitely a lip. We did see a lot of reds on the runway, a lot of burgundies, wines, sometimes bright orange lips . . . definitely a stronger mouth, sort of 50s—a cleaner eye. And then the opposite direction, we thought definitely a smoky eye. But it wasn’t your typical black eye. It was a little more sort of gray. We saw almost a metallic gray or ashy gray, kind of light your beautiful eye shadow, which I love. But it was a little bit more undone—it wasn’t perfect. Kind of like a smoky eye but still really chic.

Runway Show Producer – Tod Hallman

I’ve known Kevan, going back to when he was at Halston in New York. And when he came back to Los Angeles, he did his first show, and I was a guest. I was like, “I want to work with Kevan!” So I have been producing his shows since 2005.

What is the inspiration for this show?

Since we’re at the Rusnak reveal of three North American luxury cars—the Rolls, the Porche, and the new 4-door Pandemera . . . it is just breathtaking—I spoke to Kevan and I said, “Since we’re going to be working on the show, we needed to combine your inspiration in the end to the auto theme.” So he decided on Elizabeth Parke Firestone. She was the daughter of the son of Firestone Tires. She was a magnificent dresser, breathtaking. And she felt it was important for her to look great because she was always on her husband’s arm. Kevan has moved forward the classic look that she wore back in the 50s, 60s and 70s for today’s modern woman. And when Kevan comes up with his inspiration then my wheels start churning, about what I can do visually. I am a concept person, so it’s always great working with him.

Interview with Natasha Henstridge (Post Show)

What did you think of the show?

I’ve always been a fan of Kevan Hall’s work because I think he cuts so beautifully for the figure of a woman, which I have. I loved all the opalescent, iridescent, classic, gorgeous, unusual colors that he used in this season. Colors, that I’d never even seen before, but in a beautiful, classic, subtle way. I think it’s a fun, nice thing to see come back. What I really enjoy about fashion are things that are classic with a modern twist. I saw a lot of that in this collection.

I kind of agree with you, the way that he does design for women with curves.

You don’t see A-Line in Kevan Hall’s stuff, and I’m a big fan of A-Line things, flapper things. But you have to know what works for your body, and his fashion and his styles work for a woman’s body.

Do you have other designers that you are a fan of as well?

I do have a few. I love Zac Posen; Versace also cuts for a woman’s curves; Dianne Von Furstenberg. Again, these are just designers that work for me. There are so many designers that I adore that don’t work for my body.

Tell me what you’re working on now?

I just finished a movie. It’s a little sweet family movie, a Hallmark movie called You Lucky Dog. I’m kind of trying to be “Mommy and Me,” but on a much lower budget (she laughs). It’s very sweet. Kind of like a dog bringing its family back together. Before that I did Eli Stone, Crazy Keeper for a couple of years. Crossing my fingers to do another TV show. I like to just kind of stick around and be in town.

EM & Co’s Eveline Morel: Los Angeles’s Pied Piper Who Spreads the Word about Local Talent in Fashion and Art

Eveline Morel is the owner of EM & Co, and she absolutely loves anything that has to do with fashion and creativity.  She hosts local art openings and local fashion shows and supports local talent in whatever they do. She spreads the news. Morel has always lived with fashion, fabrics, and fibers. She learned to knit when she was eight. Her grandmother was a dressmaker and pattern maker who taught dressmaking at one of the local schools.

“I pretty much just grew up under the table playing with the scraps of fabric.” -Eveline Morel

Eveline was born in Romania and lived there for the first eight years of her life. She learned her first sewing terms in Romanian. She knitted her first scarf when she was eight, and in high school she knitted her own sweaters and made her own skirts. Deciding she didn’t want to be a starving artist, Eveline went to school and got her MBA; but even in business school, Eveline’s nickname was Miss Fashion. In the 80s, she would take a business suit and make it stylish and fashionable. After learning the ins and outs of business, which involved learning how to run a business, working with creative people, putting events together, etc., she started making clothes for herself, and people started asking her where she got her clothes and could she make clothes for them. She decided to take those pieces to a store. They sold and she realized that she could design for a living. Eveline’s experience went from working in showrooms, to buying outfits, to working with designers. She realized that she needed to launch a collection.

How did you move into owning a boutique?

It was a fluke, essentially. I ended up becoming a partner of a boutique not too far from here. That was my first experience. I realized how important it was to have that direct contact with your customers. With boutiques, it’s about the space and how it inspires people. That includes lighting and everything else. That just grew on me. I felt right at home. Then I decided to open my own store and really have the vibe that I wanted and make sure I had enough space to host artists. And that’s kind of how it all started.

What are some of the exciting things you’re doing now?

This is the seventh season that we are hosting a fashion show. We do it every LA Fashion Week. The name that stuck is “Up Next – Emerging LA Designers.” They are always LA designers because it’s important to really support local talent. And there is a lot of talent in LA. We feature anywhere between three to five designers. When we see a designer that has that je ne sais quoi , we love spreading the word! And we’ve gotten pretty good at spreading the word. People are listening to us. We have over 4,000 people on our mailing list alone. So every time we send out something, more and more people get to hear about it.

What are some of the other things you host?

Every month we host local art openings. We feature designers, everything from photographers, to installation, to painters and artists. That’s something we’ve done for the last three years. In between that we also work with our customers and make them look fabulous.

What’s special about EM & Co as a boutique?

It’s really about the mix. It’s a mix of local and global designers, one-of-a-kind pieces, and pieces that are handpicked. We don’t just go into a store and get the top selling items and just buy those. We look at what’s going to fit the customers . . . what’s going to look good . . . what’s interesting. That’s how we approach things. It’s about the service, too. We make sure that people feel comfortable, that the store feels inviting, that you feel at home here. We always have a bottle of champagne in the fridge, and we keep it fun.

I attended a few events at your boutique . . . a Vivienne Westwood trunk show, which I really enjoyed . . . they’ve been pretty exciting with DJs and celebrities. Where do you see EM & Co in five years?

We always joke about it—and maybe there’s a little bit of truth in that—world domination! (Eveline laughs.) Actually, in the short term, we’re launching our online boutique. And eventually we are going to have stores in other locations. We’re probably going to have some pop-up stores in the US and a few locations around the world. But we’re always going to keep the same values and to keep what drives us, which is “think global and act local.”

Is that your logo?

Yes, it’s pretty much our mantra. Think global, find the best designers from all around the world, bring them under one roof, but at the same time always support the local talent: musicians, artists, designers. It’s important to do that. I know because having been a designer myself, I think it’s not just important to look outside, but to always make sure that you’re taking care of what’s in your backyard.

You’re unique as a boutique owner. I hate to even call you that because you’re so much more. You’re an entrepreneur and a businesswoman, you have the experience as a designer, and you know what goes into creating a piece and the work that goes into creating a collection. You’re able to run a successful boutique in a time when our economy is so unstable. What is it about you that makes you able to do all of this and keep it thriving?

It’s the passion for beauty and the passion for working for people. It makes me happy, literally brings me to tears just to hear a customer say they got so many compliments from [something they purchased here]. We’re touching someone’s life in a way. It’s not just selling goods and making the money, but it’s really abouttouching someone’s life. Clothing is a necessity, but it’s also something that inspires. It’s art. A lot of it is also just focus and looking at what is important—at the end of the day, what is it that we have achieved. Where do we want to go and how do we get there. I’m a pretty focused person.

Highest High

When I went to the Yelp page and read the reviews. All of a sudden reading what people were saying about their experience at the store, I nearly cried. Here’s someone writing a page on her experience and how positive it was. So that’s when I realized that we were making a difference and people are actually hearing some feedback. Of course we have a lot of fun, so everyday pretty much, there’s always a high or a good thing happening . . . pretty much everyday.

Lowest Low

There hasn’t been a time I can say. It’s just part of doing business. You’ll always have some times that aren’t exactly what you expected, but that’s all just a part of owning a business. When things happen, I ask, “What can I learn from this?” I see them as lessons or temporary setbacks to maybe alter the course. So far I don’t really have a low, and I hope I never do.

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to own a boutique?

It’s all about the mix and that it’s serious business. Ultimately you have to be able to approach it as a business and give it the necessary structure and business approach. At the same time, everything has to work together, the product and your knowledge of the customer.

EM & Co is located at 7940 W. 3 rd Street, Los Angeles, CA. Visit their online boutique at www.emandco.com.

Barbara Rosin of Ventidue: A Creator of Unique Leather Designs with Her Own Unique Flair!

“I’m a very determined person. If I’m not doing something for myself, what a waste! With all my resources, I thought, this is the time!” -Barbara Rosin

Barbara Rosin is the creator of the leather label Ventidue. She recently came from Verona, a city in northeast Italy, near Venice. This is a part of Italy that has been involved in creating and cultivating leather products for years. New to designing, Rosin just started making her leather collection about a year ago, and her garments are refined and edgy. She uses metallics and uniquely and skillfully treated leather. Rosin combines leather with jersey, cotton, and organza to create her own unique flair. According to Barbara, the leather has a memory and keeps the shape of the wearer’s body. For example, a leather jacket keeps its memory forever. She loves leather for this very reason.

What is your design process?

The process is really simple and natural. I love to design and I like a simple style, while at the same time I love the combination of some particular fabrics, in this case leather, jersey, cotton, organza, etc., combined with metal.

Metal, now that’s different. I noticed you have metal studs on your handbags.

Yes, especially metal. I use it with the leather to create more detail. Everything is completely different if you use materials that are unusual.

Do you make your own patterns, like your pleated skirt, for instance? I’ve never seen a leather pleated skirt before.

This is actually a big job I did with Eveline from EM and Co. It was an amazing combination. I think it’s a particular skirt that everybody can wear. It looks one way in cotton and a completely different way in leather. You can play with the look by combining a simple white tank top or a blouse to make it more elegant. With leather it’s versatile. For instance, a leather jacket is something you can wear everyday. But if you put studs or wear with metallic leather pants, or even accessorize with shoes or bag, it can pull the look together. I love this collection for this reason. Every single piece you can put your personality and play with it a lot!

What would you say is special or unique about your particular designs?

I try to give more personality to my pieces. We did leather leggings in metallic. There are particular materials I use to make my pieces more unique.

I hadn’t seen very much metallic in leather before I saw your collection. How did you come up with that concept?

It’s because I come from a part of Italy where they have been working withleather for a really long time. I’ve been around this material all my life. It’s very natural for me.

As I look at some of your handbags, I don’t really know how to describe them. It’s leather with an edge. Tell me about how you came up with that idea.

As I was cutting leather for something, there was all this excess material that was just going to waste. Why did I have to throw all this beautiful excess away? The kind of ageing of this leather is fantastic. So we took the excess, put metallic on top, and it was amazing. This is the reason that my handbags were born.

So it’s kind of almost like being “green,” recyclable.

Yes, and I love the idea because you can customize it more because of the room inside the bag. You modify to [accommodate] what you need. For instance, if you need something very short for evening, or if you need something very big for daytime, you create it accordingly.

You left Italy to come here. Are you permanently living here now, or do you go back and forth?

How can you play with this kind of leather? I have to go back and forth because the quality of leather is difficult to get here. Unfortunately, you cannot have this kind of effect—it’s a different kind of labor. In Italy they do amazing stuff with leather to make it very soft, like butter. You can have these kinds of effects only with Italian lamb.

Did you have any obstacle while trying to create your designs?

I’m lucky because I received great feedback when I presented my pieces. Economically speaking, it is not a good time to start a business, but I’m very strong and very determined.

What are some of your price points?

A leather jacket or leather skirt retails for $400, bags are around $400, and leather tops around $180. Shipping it from Italy, you have to pay extra; so I think it’s reasonable.

Highest High

I was really impressed with the people who have helped me. Not to take away anything from Italy, but here in the United States and particularly in Los Angeles, a lot of people are really nice and amazing. Everybody was super helpful. I was like, wow! I’m so happy. There was so much support.

Any Lows?

The economy is bad, but if you believe in yourself, you can keep going. When you get low, you just need to wake up and go for it with everything you’ve got. Because if you believe it and if you are lucky enough to have a partner, don’t think about the negative; just be strong and remember that tomorrow is another great day.

How has the economy affected your designing?

Everybody thinks that the leather will cost too much. I just explain that it’s something new, so it doesn’t have to be expensive.

What advice would you give to an aspiring designer?

Do it. Sit down, make your design, try to speak with a lot of people and try to make your project happen. If you take the time, you can meet with the kind of people who can help you. So, if you feel you have something . . . do it! I love that my pieces can make women happy all around the world.

Which designers inspire you?

My inspirations come from everywhere—my family, traveling, Italy. I do love Thierry Muegler, but I consider everyday life an inspiration.

You can find Ventidue at EM & Co in Los Angeles, CA. Also visit www.emandco.com to purchase Ventidue online.

Tatiana McLane: A 16-Year-Old Fashion Designer of the Victorian-Inspired “Queenie 4 Ever”

“To other teens out there who would like to be a fashion designer like me or have a dream or passion, keep going until the end, because you can make it as long as you believe in yourself. This was once my dream, but because I pursued it, it is now my reality.” -Tatiana McLane

While most 16-year-old girls are hanging out at the mall, Tatiana McLane, the designer of Queenie 4 Ever is creating beautiful Victorian-inspired clothes for the upcoming seasons. Tatiana started designing at nine years old. It’s hard to fathom, since I was skateboarding and still playing with Barbie dolls at that age. I certainly couldn’t design an outfit, much less sew a hem. I always found it fascinating when my mother would make me a dress from a pattern and watch it materialize. But to imagine a child of nine creating an outfit from scratch, and bringing it into being, that is a sight to behold. Tatiana has had her vision for seven years and has been quite successful at keeping that vision alive. Her designs have been worn by Jessica Simpson, Hilary Duff, Missy Elliot, Macy Gray, and others. She has been featured in several publications: La Weekly Style Council, East West Woman, Music Connection, and Skratch Magazine. Her mother, Venice Wong, is the co-creator of the Queenie 4 Ever label and a huge support to Tatiana.

What made you want to start designing clothes?

It all started when I was nine years old. My parents are both music attorneys, and so they work in the music industry. I would go along with them after school when they had meetings. My mom helped [the clients] rearrange their outfits. I always thought it was really cool, and I wanted to help.

A lot of designers I’ve interviewed have told me they used to sew clothes for their dolls. Did you do that at all?

Not really. I had Barbie dolls, but I mixed and matched their clothes.

Are the clothes that you wear to school things that you make for yourself?

Well, I have to wear a uniform because I attend a private school. But I do design my own clothing.

How do you go about designing an outfit?

First, I do research. I find pictures. I roughly sketch it, show it to my pattern maker, and pick out the fabric.

Can you tell me what makes Queenie 4 Ever unique? Who inspires you?

I’m inspired by Japanese and Victorian fashion. I like Audrey Hepburn. I really like Vivienne Westwood because her designs are really cool and she uses plaid and I like plaid.

You’re wearing a very adorable pink taffeta, black lace dress. What would you call it, and how did you come up with that design?

I just found the fabric and I really liked it. So I started with the fabric and I thought of Victorian tea parties and how they spend time during the spring.It has an exaggerated bow . . . I really like bows. Right now I’m showing my spring collection.

You have to come up with a collection twice a year. What inspired your spring collection?

Victorian-inspired collection that has ruffles and lace bows. I just choose a color and decide what would look good with that.

You said you’re in a private school. How do your friends accept youbeing a designer?

I was featured in my yearbook. It was called “Hidden Talent.” There were three students featured, one who flies airplanes, another one who did river dancing, and then me, a designer. A lot of people found out about me through that. I thought it was pretty cool that they recognized that I was a designer.

Could you walk me through your first outfit that you designed atnine years old?

I was at a charity event my parents went to. They probably had clients there. I met one of the Back Street Boys, Howie Durrough. I started talking to him and I told him I was a fashion designer. I can make you anything you want. He said he wanted a jacket and a man’s dress shirt. I told him I could do that. My mom was pretty surprised that I did that. But I ended up making a sky blue pinstriped shirt and a jacket. We sent it out to Florida.We flew out after the package, and I got to see him wear it on stage. That was my favorite moment as a fashion designer.

Where do you see yourself in five years? Do you plan to attend fashion school, or do you even need to?

I want to go to Stanford to study East Asian language because I have a huge interest in Japanese. I take Japanese and I really love it. I want to use that to go over there and put my own boutique here and also in Japan. Because then I could speak both languages and it would help me in business.

What is your ultimate goal as a fashion designer?

My goal is to get my designs worldwide, and not just the internet. I want to physically be there.

What advice would you give a young aspiring designer like yourself?

You should follow your passions, and when somebody tells you that you can’t do it, you should prove them wrong because you will feel proud of yourself. And your family and friends will feel proud for you.

Tatiana also volunteers and sponsors several nonprofit organizations: A Place Called Home, P.A.L.S. Class Act (Musical Theater Scholarships), Dorough Lupus Foundation, and Angel Way Maternity Home, and more. Visit www.queenie4ever.com to learn more.

Vilaiwan Fine Jewelry – Semi-Precious Wearable Art That Complements a Woman’s Charisma!

When I put the right pieces on the right client and I know that is her piece, I get goose bumps because it will complement her face, neckline, complexion . . . it will frame her face and hair. When I put the right piece on, we both feel it and know it. It’s as if that piece was created just for her. That’s the highest point for me because I feel like I completed my job as a designer. It confirms for me that’s why I’m doing this! -Jo-Jo, Vilaiwan Jewelry Designer

Polthakorn Viboonviriyawong, aka Jo-Jo, was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand. He watched his mother start and build a successful diamond business. His earliest creative memories are of his mother (Vilaiwan) asking him to use his own designskills to help design new settings for her jewelry. As a result of this new-found passion, his mother sent Jo-Jo to the United States to turn that passion into a career. In honor of her support, Vilaiwan Fine Jewelry was born.

Jo-Jo received his Master’s from FIDM and graduated number one in his class. While there, jewelry became his passion. His vision is that jewelry is not just an accessory, but it is art that makes a statement of personality and energy. His designs are inspired by vintage styles. Vilaiwan designs have made the flower the centerpiece of its design and its signature. Jo-Jo hand-makes each piece and uses his relationships in the jewelry business abroad to secure the best materials. You will not find pieces like his anywhere else in the world. This also means that most of the Vilaiwan collection cannot be mass-produced.

Tell me about your background

I got my Master’s Degree in Interior Design. After that, I wanted to have something of my own before I was 30. I started to make jewelry. I gave a piece to one of my friends and she wore it to an art exhibition. Long story short, we made a connection, and we were able to put some of my jewelry in the museum store. Everything started from there. From the first to the third collection, I saw the opportunity. I created a website. We immediately got published in Dailycandy.com. Everythingblew up after that. We got 20,000 hits in two weeks. I was able to sell my first production in ten days. From there I started to learn about the business, like how do you connect to stylists, stores, you have to have a rep to deal with buyers, and people contact you from everywhere in the world.

So you had a fast snowball success!

It was something that happened at the right moment and the right time. Luckily, I ran into the right channels.

How would you describe your jewelry?

My jewelry is more of an art. It’s definitely not something that’s teeny-tiny with a small little sheen. I definitely create a statement. I design with my heart and my soul. You can definitely see it in the pieces—they’re like an art piece. It is jewelry, but it also complements your bone structure and your appearance. I put a lot of emphasis on the bone structure.

What are the materials you use?

They are all semi-precious. Luckily, I have the benefit of my family diamond business to help with that. We have very rare stones to mix in our one-of-a-kind collection. The structure part is plated with either 14 carat white gold or 22 carat gold. This way the client won’t have to worry about the pieces getting tarnished or creating a rash. We think about every single detail and every aspect of the jewelry.

I have seen the jewelry. It is very beautiful. You said you want to complement the bone structure, but you have some very interesting, intricate designs. Can you give me an example of what inspires that?

The pieces are inspired by nature: flowers, trees, leaves and their textures and colors . . . or even textures of stone and wood in flooring . . . even fountains and the rain. When I’m referring to the bone structure and the appearance of the client, how could I bring up those ideas and concepts’ shape and form, based on my inspirations and be able to collaborate and combine and create something that actually flows with the bone structure of a human being, and make it look like something that really frames your face or neckline? It raises the look of eleganceand complements the charisma of its owner. The answer is every piece has to embody something that complements those particular elements. That’s why it’s called jewelry. You want to wear the necklaces. You don’t want the necklaces to wear you.

So your line is only three years old.

Yes, I feel really grateful for all the great response that I got, including all the press, clients, and fan base. I feel really fortunate for that.

You had a lot of success in a very short period of time. Where can we find your jewelry?

You can find it on our website. We do exhibitions with museums and high-end boutiques. Every 3-4 months we launch one-of-a-kind collections not announced on our website—only announce it to those on our email list. When I’m in Los Angeles, I schedule private appointments with my clients.

How do you go about actually designing these pieces?

I sketch, and every time I go back to Thailand, I get a chance to look at the stone market or the suppliers affiliated with my family diamond business. From there I can see if there are any stones that can fit what I’ve sketched. I will literally make at least one piece myself, and then I have a little team make a couple of the pieces. The maximum number of pieces per design is only five pieces. But every 3-4 months when we do our one-of-a-kind collections, that’s only one piece per one design.

Are they collectible or individually named?

Yes, we named them based on flowers in Thai or ladies’ names in Thai. It gives you a more meaningful association with the piece.

Is there anything challenging about creating your jewelry?

The challenging part for me is finding the right materials to match the design. Sometimes the structure’s not right or the number of the wiring was wrong, but once you complete it, it’s like a miracle. Because when it’s finished, you know it’s right. I get ecstatic every time I create and finish a new piece. I have to put each piece on a person, because I have to make sure it sits right on the neck. So when it’s completed, it’s a miracle to me. What can be challenging is making sure that the finished product actually looks like the picture I had in my head.

Could you list some of the semi-precious stones you use in your jewelry?

Yes. We use ruby, jade, quartz, emerald, rose quartz, yellow topaz, blue topaz, corals; and sometimes we even mix the stones, for example, ruby and emerald.

Everyone’s got inspirations, right? What jewelry designers inspire you?

Honestly, I don’t have any jewelry designers that inspire me. I see some of the pieces from other artists. I really admire them. But I am mostly inspired by different shapes and forms of art, like architecture or even a flower arrangement . . . even acolor scheme that moves me. I have been taking a lot of pictures lately of the floor with shadowing and different textures of concrete; the sand; the ways that nature grows; the odd shades of pink; etc. I prefer that to a real object or shape and form.

Highest High

When I put the right pieces on the right client and I know that is her piece, I get goose bumps because it will complement her face, neckline, complexion; it will frame her face and hair. When I put the right piece on, we both feel it and know it. It’s as if that piece was created just for her. That’s the highest point for me because I feel like I completed my job as a designer. It confirms for me that’s why I’m doing this!

Any lows?

Sometimes it can be challenging. I might have a design, but I can’t find the right stone for it. Or I found the stone, but the execution didn’t materialize the way I wanted. When those moments come, I just take a break, go for a walk or jog, and then return to it later. By the end, it always works out somehow.

My parents taught me that any job that you do, there will always be problems; but you’re lucky to get the chance to solve the problems in the business that you love and have a passion for. So for me, I have no complaints.

What advice would you give to another aspiring jewelry designer?

1. You really have to follow your passion. You really have to be honest with yourself. If you want to be a fashion designer, jewelry designer, or a singer, it’s what’s deeply inside screaming for you to do it. Follow that and never give up. There will always be obstacles where things aren’t as smooth, but just don’t give up. Be passionate about it; and in the end, it will pay you back. The difficulties are just a test to see if you really want to go through with it.

2. Be open-minded. When you become a designer, it’s like being an artist. You have an ego. But if you become an open-minded person, it will be much more fun while you are enjoying learning everyday from everything and everyone. There are a lot of things in this world that you don’t know and it benefits and can inspire you.

To learn more about Jo-Jo’s jewelry, visit his website at www.vilaiwan.com.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

Dr. Andrew Ordon of the Daytime TV Show, “The Doctors” – Improving the Quality of Life Both on and off the Show

“You better understand proportions and lines and contours. We are artists and the human body is our canvas.”—Dr. Andrew Ordon

Dr. Andrew Ordon is the co-host of the popular television show, “The Doctors”. He was handpicked by Dr. Phil McGraw, and works alongside his prestigious colleagues of varying fields, Dr. Travis Stork, Dr. Jim Sears, and Dr. Lisa Masterson. He affects the lives of so many people on a daily basis with their extensive medical knowledge. It’s no question that he was the obvious choice for the Emmy-nominated show now in its second season.

Dr. Ordon is the author of Revealing the New You, A guide to Plastic Surgery, and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Plastic Surgery. He contributed to one of the best known textbooks in the field of plastic surgery, entitled Facial Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He also has an extensive list of papers, presentations, and honors to his credit. He has been a featured guest on major television shows, including 20/20, Entertainment Tonight, Inside Hollywood, BBC, 48 Hours, Phil Donahue, NBC News, ABC News, and Sally Jesse Raphael, to name a few. He has been quoted in articles in many of the top beauty magazines such as Allure, Mademoiselle, Redbook, Glamour, and Prevention.

How did you get involved with the show?

This is a spinoff of the DR Phil Show. DR Phil did it on the psychological side, and we did it on the medical side. We have to give credit to his son Jay McGraw, who really came up with the concept; and he is the executive producer. So it’s basically a talk show format for doctors, different specialties, talking about medicine and health topics.

Let’s talk about your specialty.

I’m a plastic surgeon. I guess I brought the right thing to the table. I was in the right place at the right time and they picked me to be the plastic surgeon on the show, and what is a plastic surgeon? I think a lot of people out there have a misconception that we’re just beauty doctors doing facelifts and noses all day long. We’re reconstructive surgeons. We’re trained in doing far more complex operations, cleft lips and pallets, burns, hands, facial trauma, so I’m the real deal. I’m a board certified plastic surgeon, also a board certified head/neck surgeon with seven years of training after medical school to be the specialist that I am.

What made you decide that you wanted to go into plastic surgery?

I knew you were going to ask me that question! Why did you become a plastic surgeon? That’s a very popular question. You know as medical students, we rotate through each one of the disciplines. We do some pediatrics, we do some psychiatry, we do some OBGYN. You feel what fits for you. It has to do with your personality. It has to do with . . . really what you want to do. And what I do is not as much saving lives, although sometimes I do that. It’s more about improving the quality of life. And the other thing is I knew I wanted to be a surgeon. I consider myself artistic, and I don’t think there’s any question plastic surgery is the one specialty that mixes art and medicine.

Do you feel that being on the show has broadened the scope for plastic surgery for you?

No question. Being on the TV show “The Doctors” has made me a better doctor. Just because I have to prepare for all of these shows that deal with a lot of medical topics within my field and outside of my field. So it’s like studying for midterms before every show to learn the latest. As part of the show we try to be cutting edge—what’s new, what’s the latest medicine? So, I’m staying on top of that. The show has made me a better doctor.

What are some of the questions you get asked on the show?

One of the more common questions is, “Hey, plastic surgery . . . I don’t think I’m ready to go under the knife. Surgery isn’t for me. What other things can I do?” It’s always a recurrent theme on the show; nonsurgical treatments starting with basic skincare, then going on to fillers, injectables, laser treatments, as well as some of the other non-invasive treatments.

As a plastic surgeon, if you see someone, do you automatically start calculating what kind of work they need on their face?

I would have to say yes. And it’s not like I would ever go up to somebody and say, “Hey you know what? I need to fix that nose.” Some doctors do that, which I really don’t think is right. But my eye is trained. I look at facial features. I look at the balance of certain facial features. I look at bodies. My eye is trained to do that. Maybe a decorator will walk into a room and the first thing they’ll look at are window treatments. My eye is trained to look at faces and bodies.

So it’s not like you can just turn it off. What makes a good candidate for plastic surgery?

As surgeons we have to know when to operate and when not to operate. It starts with a patient who’s doing plastic surgery for the right reasons. Although you’re changing physical things, the real operation is up here in your head. It’s just feeling better about yourself. It’s an emotional treatment as well as a physical treatment. The patient has to have realistic goals, meaning wanting a change that fits with the rest of their body that is natural, not creating something that is freakish or artificial, not trying to totally change the person that they are. I think those are all red flag reasons not to do plastic surgery.

What advice would you give someone who’s seeking plastic surgery? Like say you have a typical woman coming in. Maybe she wants breast augmentation or rhinoplasty. Are there things that she needs to do first?

For any person considering plastic surgery there are a couple of things they would want to go through on the checklist. And I touched on it briefly. Make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons, have realistic expectations, don’t expect it to change your life, don’t go looking for changes that are just so over the top that it’s going to change who you are. And then do your homework. Make sure you ask all the questions before surgery. Make sure your surgeon is board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, that he does a lot of the procedures that you are interested in having, that he has hospital privileges in a hospital and has the privileges to do all of those procedures.

What would you say are realistic price points? Are there general prices for certain surgeries?

Price points do vary geographically from coast to coast. Typically in larger city areas, prices may be a little bit higher. In an area where rents are higher, you have to pay employees more. These all reflect what a surgeon’s fees will be . . . higher fees in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, that’s pretty normal. With what’s happening in medicine, though, a lot of non-plastic surgeons are jumping on the cosmetic surgery wagon. And that’s where the consumer has to be really careful. Anybody can call themselves a cosmetic surgeon and I don’t think the public realizes there’s a difference between a doctor who does cosmetic surgery and a true plastic surgeon. You’ll see it in the paper: “Get your breast done for $3,999.” Well, I can’t do your breasts for $3,999. Somebody is doing that, and they may not have the same qualifications that I do. To charge that low amount of money, they have to be cutting corners. As a consumer, don’t just look at price because it is your body. Potentially, it is your life.

Has there ever been a question that you couldn’t answer on the show?

This is my 30th year doing plastic surgery. I’ve been asked some pretty wild ones, some pretty strange ones. I’m not going to say that I’ve heard it all. Because there’s always something different that’s going to come up. But what I’ve seen on the show, I’ve been able to handle pretty well.

You know it’s a really good dynamic of personalities on the show. How would you gage your overall experience on “The Doctors”?

I’m loving the experience. I have a real passion for what I do as a plastic surgeon. That’s the role I play on TV, being myself as the plastic surgeon. I try to bring that same passion to the TV show and even go to the next level because it is TV and you always have to keep thatenergy up and you have to project even more and you have to sustain it. It’s been a challenge and you have to sustain it.

I kind of liken you and your skill to an artist. Wouldn’t you almost have to be?

You better understand proportions and lines and contours. We are artists and the human body is our canvas. It is an artistic eye. You either have that or you don’t. It’s actually doing the procedure technically to achieve that goal.

Highest High

The reconstructive surgeries that I’ve done on kids—cleft lips and pallets, congenital deformities in children—I gave them a second chance that really will last them the rest of their lives. But I think the true highest high was the unveiling of my ultimate makeover on the show. This was a woman I did everything: face, nose, chin, body. She was a self-admitted ugly duckling. She wouldn’t go out of the house. She wouldn’t take pictures. I did this ultimate makeover and we had the reveal on the show. It highlighted everything I do, and doing it in that setting was the single biggest event I had as a plastic surgeon.

Have you had any disappointments in surgery?

Surgery is not an exact science. Complications do occur. You can’t always predict how somebody is going to heal. Having to go back and do things a second time is a part of all plastic surgery. There are complications and there are revisions.

Are there any particular medical conditions that if someone wanted to get surgery, you wouldn’t allow it?

Most plastic surgery is elective surgery, meaning it’s not life-threatening. You only do it when everything is the right conditions. You have to be healthy and cleared by your doctor: no healing problems; no clotting problems; diabetics have a greater risk for infection and poor healing; high blood pressure can affect surgical outcomes; and smoking . . . that’s a big one. Some surgeons will not do a facelift on a smoker because it does affect the blood vessels, which can affect the healing. As a consumer, if you’re at risk for any of those reasons, you should think twice.

Tell me about the cleft lip healings and your philanthropic endeavors.

So I’m in this Beverly Hills office with a great group of doctors. We all have our niche. Nasal specialist, eye specialist, and together as a group, we’ve formed a charitable foundation. It’s called Surgical Friends Foundation. It’s us as a group giving back our skills as reconstructive plastic surgeons and people that wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity. We do it here in our Beverly Hills office. We donate the office as well. Or we go to certain areas and actually do the surgeries. We have a couple of trips on the books going to St. Vincent the Caribbean, Cambodia next spring, so it’s gotten off the ground. We’ve already done a number of reconstructive cases and it’s all about giving back.

Is there any one specific case where you’ve helped a child you’d like to share?

I can think of one particular case. This was an orphan, a very sweet young lady. She was from South Korea, who was brought in by a church group. She didn’t have the opportunity to get this done in her country. We did a cleft lip and cleft pallet repair. She stayed a month during the healing with people through her church, then went home. She didn’t speak any English and where she came from was so different from the environment she was put in, and we were able to fix her problem, give her a new lease on life and then send her home.

You’re literally changing lives.

We recently did a case where somebody actually had bitten off the end of somebody’s nose. This person didn’t want to leave his house. He became extremely depressed. Giving him back this nose gave him back his life.

To learn more about the foundation, visit www.Surgicalfriends.org.

Also visit Dr Ordon’s website at www.drordon.com.

Get daily information about “The Doctors” at www.thedoctorstv.com.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples