THE EXIT INTERVIEW: Before Carolina Herrera’s show Monday at The Frick, Olivia Palermo, like the designer, was very composed in delivering her own brand’s message. However, another showgoer, Kate Bosworth, opened up about a few life-inspired projects. And while her profession requires great memorization, in another way its creative process isn’t all that different from design, the actress said.
“There has to be some affinity with the character or some recognition of myself in the character. I would assume it might be similar with designers — there is something they need to have a connection with whether it’s their childhood, something they’re inspired by or something that’s innate in them. Then the things you go into really become an evolution of where you began,” she said. “It’s an expansion and not so much breaking off and starting anew.”
Bosworth just wrapped filming the BBC miniseries “SS-GB” with Sam Riley — essentially a what-if situation that takes place in 1941, based on the premise the Nazis had won the Battle of Britain and the SS infiltrated Great Britain. “It’s obviously very haunting and rooted in a very tragic history so there is a lot of understanding and respect around that,” she said. “It was a very Orwellian take on the time — neighbors spying on neighbors, you’re not quite sure morally where each character stands.”
Playing the role of a fictitious New York Times journalist, the actress said she had wanted to portray a character in the Forties for a long time and was eager to create the aesthetic from the era. “She’s tough. She’s the observer of the situation but she’s also there for the telling of this story. But I loved working with the director [Philipp Kadelbach.] Whenever you have a connection with the people you work with and then you leave them, that’s the hard part,” Bosworth said.
As unlikely as the series’ premise might seem, Bosworth said there are parallels to today. “There is a lot of talk about how ISIS is overtaking a lot of the cultures and kind of erasing that now, which is kind of devastating. So there is a timely connection to the axis of evil and yet here we are today in a very challenging and confronting time,” Bosworth said.
With that project squared away, the actress is back to season two of “The Art of More,” a behind-the-scenes look at a Christies versus Sotheby’s-type rivalry that shows the deception, greed and lust that goes along with the art world. “It’s an interesting world that we haven’t pulled the curtain back on yet,” Bosworth said of the Crackle TV series.
Soon off to shoot in Montreal, the actress said her own art purchases are on hold since she is building a new home. “I wish,” she said of buying new pieces. “But that will be the next step.”
Before Karlie Kloss took her first spin around the museum’s reflecting pool, Palermo gave some thought to her own lifestyle entrepreneurialism and social media appeal. With 3.1 million Instagram followers, she has no shortage of brands pitching away, but Palermo said first and foremost she must connect with a brand before she considers spotlighting or selling the label on her site. Jonathan Simkai, a friend she grew up with, made the grade but all in all, she is pretty selective.
“With Oliviapalermo.com. we have such a wonderful international platform that we really try to focus on emerging designers,” she said. “I’m very clear about the designers I like to work with. I enjoy going through all the different cities, all the different markets and seeing what’s out there. Fashion is constantly changing. You have your main fashion houses that you support like CH, DVF, Valentino and Tibi and whatnot…”
As for her own appeal, Palermo was uncertain as to why she resonates with people. “I don’t know. I just try to do my job, and act like an editor and get the job done.”
As the guest creative director for the London-based beauty company Ciaté, Palermo is building up that component of her career. The “very affordable” Olivia Palermo x Chelsea 28 just launched with Nordstrom and her Olivia for Max & Co. junior collection recently debuted in 272 stores in Asia. The latter led to a lot of air miles in Asia. “I love Asia, specifically the Japanese market. I just love the culture,” Palermo said. “And China is huge — there’s a lot of learning and growth to be done there. I have not been to Seoul, I would love to go to Seoul and they have an incredible beading market.”