NEW YORK, USA
KELLY CUTRONE Single Mother & Sassy CEO
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talent for “talking all day and putting that’s out there thinking everybody’s ligion the [concept of the] feminine got set my work and my home up in the seven days, forty hours and thirty two people together.” Her party-girl life- against women. I have been put in a po- kicked out. Before that, we had Mother same space, and that got rid of a lot of minutes deleting unread emails.” So for style mirrored the (less violent) pages of sition through my work and through Earth and Father Sky, and we had the the panic of having to get up and leave me, being a good mom, it was really im- American Psycho, with restaurant reser- being in the public eye where I’m one of male/female Shiva Shakti, and in most and go somewhere and then not see my portant for me. If you want to be a hero vations and club appearances being the the only people who’s on TV where you religions, the feminine gets separated daughter when she came home, like a in the workplace and a loser at home – conclusive tokens of status. see a woman work in a sense that when away from the male. In most cases, [the lot of New York moms. I’ve also raised I’m gonna be a hero at home and a loser Known for owning up to a breed of you look at Sex and the City characters female] is made less than [the male] or a bohemian child, so I let her stay up in the workplace! I felt like I had a lot to nasty superlatives, Cutrone has crash- – those are !ctionalized characters; and not given the power to speak and repre- later than most parents probably let give and a lot to learn, so to me it was landed in every venture she’s taken on. you look at Suze Orman. That’s all an sent. We look to the animal world. We their kids stay up on the weekends, for like a proper teaching, a proper path. What she learned early on was how older generation. All of a sudden, you look at a mother wolf, for example, or sure! She doesn’t go to sleep until 9:00 Wanting to be a good parent, never to to pick herself back up, which could see this one [woman] working – peo- a bear – they’re !erce; [they possess] all or 9:30 during the week, which can yell, never to be abusive, and not to hit very well be the reason this renaissance ple are like, “Oh, she’s a bitch. She’s a the aspects of the feminine: !erceness, be seen as a little late, because I like to my child, to really listen to her with an woman has docked on The New York witch.” Meanwhile, if you watch a foot- ruthlessness; [they’re] com- open heart. Times bestseller list, rede!ned reality ball coach or an Olympic coach running passionate, abundant, fer- I have lots of friends elly Cutrone and Naomi Campbell were television, and succeeded in raising her a team on the !eld, they’re seen as be- tile, loving. in New York who have headed to The Vault, a club in New daughter, Ava, while heading People’s ing these amazing coaches going to take raised really cool kids. I’ve York’s Meatpacking District, which, in Revolution, the PR company she found- care of business and when chicks do it in Discovering she was preg- watched so many parents the late ‘80s, was an area known mostly ed when she was just twenty-two. fashion it’s like, “She’s a power bitch!” nant on September 10, in New York, people who Kfor its offbeat characters and transves- Cutrone !rst encountered sexism at I think it’s de!nitely hypocritical, for 2001 – a day before 9/11 have gone before me, and I tite population. That meant hailing a ten years old, when she decided the best sure. At times, I think if you went and – Kelly was delighted. The knew there was something cab wasn’t the easiest of feats. After way to hang out with all the cute boys you hooked a lot of people up to a lie de- notion of single mother- to be said for raising open- several cabs cruised by, the pair grew was to join them in their own game. tector test and you said, “Do you believe hood was intense, espe- “I think a lot of people hearted, outspoken, privi- increasingly impatient. Finally, Naomi She became the !rst female umpire in that women are inferior to men?” They cially since that week was leged New York kids. To managed to delay a driver long enough her town of Camillus, New York. The would say no, and then they would fail fashion week, and People’s treat them in a cool, bohe- to hear that he “doesn’t pick up drag moms booed her. the test. Revolution was producing hate powerful women. mian way, and to really be queens.” Naomi was furious, ran in She ran into this opposition again I think if people aren’t actually say- a record number of shows. with them and have a pact front of the cab, and – slamming her !st when she !rst appeared on MTV’s The ing it, many people hold it in their hearts Not to mention the father, Why do they? and be a pack, you know? down on the hood of his car – howled, Hills, where her !erce persona and no- and a lot of people in this world think Ilario Calvo, was overseas That’s what I do with Ava “Do you know who I am? I AM A SU- nonsense attitude polarized viewers. that to be feminine means to not talk after they had split three I think they buy into so it’s easy for me. I love my PERMODEL!” It was this particular This continued on The City, where she a lot and to be pretty, to be pleasant, months into the pregnancy. daughter so I enjoy spend- episode during which Kelly had an guided Whitney Port with business ad- agreeable, and to go along with things, After consulting a doula ing time with her. I’ve never epiphany, a moment of clairvoyance. vice and background cheerleading. Then and to look nice and I think that those (read: birth coach), Kelly the concept that taken a vacation without She knew then and there that she had Kell On Earth, her own reality show are all adjectives and concepts that are focused all her energy on her. I’ve never been like, ‘I absolutely no sense of self. Her whole that exposed of!ce dynamics and was a associated with what it means to be a becoming a single mother, women should be seen need to get away from her!’ life was based on, “Hi! What do you true showcase of her talents of wheeling ‘good girl’, or a ‘nice woman’. If you are and brought her daughter On New Year’s and Christ- do?” At that point she sold her company and dealing. Now, with a stint as a judge a woman who speaks up, you’re a witch, Ava into the world all on and not heard. “ mas I want to be with my for a nominal fee, and packed her bags on America’s Next Top Model and a a bitch or a dyke. If you look at some- her own. Ava is now ten child. I want to be with her for a journey of self-discovery. couple of New York Times’ bestselling body like Anna Wintour – who’s accom- years old, and Kelly has in the summer, to go swim- Fast-forward to a two-year stint as a how-to’s, she is not only powerful, but plished so much. You look at someone managed to juggle owning ming with her, hang out tarot card reader on Venice Beach – her is remunerated for sharing her cut-and- like Steve Jobs and then Anna Wintour. and managing her company and go shopping with her. answer to the revelation of her mid-life dry opinion. You look at the dialoguing about Steve while being a mom. Sometimes I love going out crisis. She describes what was missing Jobs and the dialoguing about Anna with my friends and not from her life as “a relationship with the Trey Taylor: You once said, “I think Wintour. Anybody who works for Steve Trey Taylor: You’ve man- having my child there but Divine”. As with everything that she has that people hate women. And I don’t Jobs knows the guy was a killer and that aged to be both a mother for the most part we do a lot taken on, Cutrone became an excep- think they like powerful women…” he ran his team into the ground, right? and a top professional for a of stuff together because we tional reader and soon began consulting Why do you think people are fearful of But he was like, “A genius! Amazing! good portion of your career. A lot of fe- spend quality time with her when I get like each other’s company! for high-rolling Hollywood housewives powerful women? He’s Steve Jobs!” Then Anna Wintour, male professionals sacri!ce a lot of time home. The thing about it is that you just Trey Taylor: Has Ava ever done any- who conferred with her about whether Kelly Cutrone: I think a lot of people “She’s a bitch! She’s a devil! Ooh, she’s to either get to the top or maintain their have to shift things around – you have thing that has really surprised you? or not she thought they should leave hate powerful women. Why do they? cold! She’s ruling the fashion industry!” positions. How do you manage to main- to reorganise your use of time. You can Kelly Cutrone: The two things that their husbands. I think they buy into the concept that Trey Taylor: What does it mean to be tain that career-woman title and be both do whatever you want – it’s just about she said that were really surprising to After moving to New York at the age women should be seen and not heard. feminine? mother and father to Ava? how we use our time. So much time is me were, “Mommy, I think I might be of twenty-one with a cheque for $2000 I think it’s taught, isn’t it? Isn’t sexism Kelly Cutrone: To be feminine for me Kelly Cutrone: Well, Ava has a dad, wasted. a Republican.” I was like, “What?!” and a 1987 red Toyota Corolla, Kelly and racism something taught? I don’t is to bring back all the aspects of femi- so I’m not a father to her. She has her I’m trying to think about how much They were studying the Republican and stumbled into public relations; a chance think it’s something that we’re inher- nism that I think were aborted and am- own father [laughs]. I do a lot of both time I’m going to spend before I die de- Democrat parties in school. She didn’t meeting with Vanity Fair art critic An- ently born with. I just want to be really putated with the creation of religions. jobs when her dad’s not there. For me, leting unwanted emails. I’ll be on my like the Democrats because they sup- thony Haden Guest led her to realize her clear that I’m not the kind of person It seems to me that in all organized re- I’ve made a lot of changes in my life. I deathbed. God’s gonna go, “You spent ported an increase in taxes. She didn’t
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Page_130-137.indd 132 06.11.12 01:56 Page_130-137.indd 133 06.11.12 01:56 like the concept of that! The other thing retreat in Toronto, Cutrone felt a deep of her teaching: in Eastern philosophy are like, “I’m going to get a gun and go Cutrone’s own foray into the world of decide: “Okay, I’m a daytime talk show she did lately is that she wanted to go to connection and knew her to be the Di- there’s a lot of teaching about the four shoot someone so I can get that coat.” fashion came about when she and Chris person!” I’ve been offered a couple tal- sleep-away camp and I said no because vine Mother. Since then, Kelly says, aspects of the goddess. So you have Ma- Things that are fun can bring out the Burch had a peculiar run-in that re- ent shows – I was offered that show The I’m not really into the concept of send- their relationship has taught her a great heshwari, who creates space. She’s al- worst in people. They can also bring out sulted in an even more peculiar partner- Chew, which I didn’t do, which comes ing my daughter up for a month of that. deal about recognizing the divine source most like the wings of a bird. Then you the best in people. There’s nothing gross ship. Taking a stroll around SoHo with on after The View. I just didn’t feel like I came home one day and she made a of energy inside herself and spreading it have Kali, who comes in and kicks out or wrong about the fashion industry. daughter Louisa, Chris Burch pondered it was a good !t. I’ve just been trying to ten-page power point proposal as to to those who surround her. all falsity and ignorance. She’s the one How people react to it and what they do the availability of Alexander Wang’s !nd the right !t. I’m still doing Ameri- why sleep-away camp is a good thing. It who always has severed heads bleeding with it – if they want to use it in an elitist new boutique on Grand Street, asking ca’s Next Top Model with Tyra [Banks]. was kind of surprising. The most shock- Trey Taylor: Tell us the single most im- and with her tongue out, and she’s usu- way – then that’s their problem. If they aloud if it was to let. Cutrone, eaves- I think I’m going to do a tour next year, ing thing though was, “I think I might portant thing that Amma has taught ally blue. She’s like, “Weehhhhh!” Kind want to use it in a sick and greedy way, dropping over a coffee, let him know it kind of like a master-class tour, which be a Republican.” I don’t think she is. I you. of like me. Then you have Lakshmi who that’s their problem. If they want to use was “not for rent.” Taken aback, Burch I’m working on right now. think she just doesn’t want to pay a lot Kelly Cutrone: Her main teaching, comes up from the lotus and she takes it in an egotistical way because they apparently retaliated with, “What are I think I’m going to do some singles, of taxes! which I really love, is there are two types what’s left after all that falsity has been have a Gucci shirt that was made in Chi- you, the mayor of New York?” like some how-to chapters, because I of poverty: one that’s caused by a lack kicked out and makes it beautiful. Then na, if they feel that it makes them better really don’t want to do another how-to Before her two-year sabbatical from of money, and the other that’s caused Saraswati puts it in its place. There are than people, is that Gucci’s fault? It’s the Trey Taylor: I was wondering if you book. People are like, “Hey, we have the world of public relations, Kelly un- by a lack of love and compassion. If we some teachings that say how every day, fault of the person who’s wearing it. could talk about your clothing line with a great idea. You should do a book on derstood on that night with Naomi that have love and compassion in our hearts, we should offer ourselves completely I’m sure there are plenty of people Chris Burch – is that still happening? how to get hired based on your favour- what she was missing wasn’t more mon- there’s no way we could live in a world and utterly to the divine. We should who drive a Bentley who are just happy Kelly Cutrone: Yes, it is. It’s called the ite !rings.” I’m like, “Oh god.” I think ey, or more success. She was missing a with poverty and homelessness. I think bring that pervading sense of peace like to have a nice car. I bet there are a lot of Electric Love Army and we are launch- what I might do is a bunch of how-tos: relationship with the Divine. A confes- that she has really taught me a lot about Maheshwari. people who drive a Bentley because they ing hopefully mid-2013. We’re looking how to produce your own fashion show, sion that she belonged to “America’s love and about being brave enough to We should take a deep, cold, harsh feel like shit about themselves and they for retail space right now. It’s a contem- how to get the word out about your number-one denomination: capitalism stand up and speak up for it, to !ght for look at all the ignorance inside ourselves feel that because they have that Bentley porary brand. I’m excited about it and I own brand. Build more on how-to type and ego”, exempli!es that. Her spiritu- it, and to command it in and around my and in our immediate surroundings. We it makes them better than everybody think it’s going to be cool. It’s going to things, and sell it [from] my website in-
“I’m trying to think about “There’s nothing wrong with bringing how much time I’m going to beauty into the world. spend before I die Just like there’s nothing wrong deleting unwanted emails. “ with a baker making cake. “
ality is a large part of her success and community and to start to make chang- should make ourselves beautiful as an else. It’s about what you put on stuff, have really amazing, cool fashion at a stead of doing books. I think I might do personality, which surprises many. In es. She’s blown my heart into outer offering to the Divine. We should be or- not about what the stuff is. It’s about really affordable price, which I think is a !ction book based on the real down- her book, If You Have To Cry Go Out- space! She just never stops. She goes all ganised and precise in our actions and what we do with it and what we do to going to be the most fun part. It’s going and-dirty !ction world and stuff I’ve side and Other Things Your Mother around the world. We should all be do- our ways. There’s nothing wrong with it, and how we use it toward others. to have killer music and the store design been through, which I’ve been too el- Never Told You, she addresses her spir- ing what Amma does instead of going to bringing beauty into the world. Just I’ve gone into places like Dress for Suc- is sick! I’m just trying to get it launched. egant to talk about in non-!ction books ituality and severs it from pleasantry. !ve star dinners and working in fashion! like there’s nothing wrong with a baker cess, and worked with battered women, There’s not much else to say except it’s – something really fun. I think it might “Being ‘spiritual’ and being ‘nice’ have I look at Amma and think, “Oh my god! making cake. Does it make a lot of peo- given them fucking beautiful shoes so going to be amazing. It’s going to be be called “Fiction/Non-!ction/Fiction”. absolutely nothing to do with each oth- I’m so lazy next to her.” She’s taught me ple obese and do some people use it as a they can go to a job interview for the huge! That’s kind of what I’m thinking about er… It’s faith that gives me the power to a lot about life. drug and does it bring out the worst in !rst time in their life and they feel like a Trey Taylor: Do you have any other pro- right now. speak my truth, and faith that makes me Trey Taylor: Is there ever a contradic- them and do they die of a heart attack million bucks. You know what? It gives jects in the works? I know you wanted Trey Taylor: Oh! A little bit of a para- !erce.” tion between PR and promoting con- because they ate cake? Yes. Do most them an upper hand. It gives them an to do a talk show for quite some time. dox. Kelly consulted on media and brand- sumerism, in a way, and what Amma people just enjoy a nice cake? Yes. Is edge in that they feel good about them- Kelly Cutrone: I’m still working on Kelly Cutrone: Yes, quite a paradox ing for spiritual guru Amma, “one has taught you about being compassion- fashion the same way? Yes! Some people selves. The fashion world can be an that! I have a deal with Dr. Phil – that
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10 “And when we have these ideas ourselves, maybe we should examine or draw them out like a beautiful piece of ribbon candy, instead of stifling them because we think others won’t get it. After all, so much of what we say or don’t say, and what we do or don’t do, is dictated by what others have told us or what people may think of us. This is not how we should be living – measuring ourselves against the mundane.”
9 “When you’re following your inner voice, doors tend to eventually open for you, even if they mostly slam at first.”
8 “I know you don’t feel normal, so why are you trying to act it and prove to everyone you are?”
7 “I believe that the universe constantly rearranges itself to support your idea of reality. If you’re always thinking, “Life sucks, and I suck”, you’re definitely going to see a lot of dismal shit out there. ”
6 “On the other hand, if your idea of reality is that you’re a privileged and elegant human being and every day you think, “I am a privileged and elegant human being”, then eventually you will become a privileged and elegant human being.”
5 “Your dreams are ballbusters; they’re not the yellow brick road, and you have to re- ally understand, most of our life we’re following this carrot to find out who we’re not. Allow yourself the chance to make a lot of mistakes. And after you do, pick yourself up and keep on trying, ‘cause if I quit every time I was bad at something, I probably wouldn’t have made it through high school, so keep going.”
4 “Even though I am sometimes perceived as a bitch or a witch, the office atmosphere I cultivate is nothing like the cultural stereotype of striving women clawing each other to death to get the queen bee’s job. Women have been taught that, in order to get ahead, we have to be secretive and plotting and manipulative, because a straightforward route to the top hasn’t always existed for us, and in many industries it still doesn’t. But I don’t believe in playing into these stereotypes. We don’t have to stab each other in the back, we don’t have to take things personally and break down when we’re criticized, and we don’t have to advance at each others’ expense.“
3 “It’s a leap of faith, not a baby step of faith.”
2 “You know where nice people end up? On welfare.”
1 “Average people love to be average because nobody bothers them.”
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