spotlight
Simon Doonan
Style, Wit, Savoir Faire and… Beautiful PeoPle
by bill biss
“I think now is a great period of eccentricity
[in fashion] and a lot of it is coming from musicians.
People got bored at looking at these singers who all
sort of looked like Jessica Simpson.
Now, we have Lady GaGa and Katy Perry
and Adam Lambert.”
After tremendously enjoying the first two episodes of the American bought the rights to it and Newline and they are still sort of trying to figure
broadcast of Beautiful People on LOGO, I had to go buy the book written by Si- out what to do… the rights expired and other people have looked at it. Those
mon Doonan that was the inspiration for the series. One of the true pleasures things typically take a long time to get to the silver screen or television.
in reading any book is when something is written that causes immediate [Beautiful People] was just one of those extraordinary pieces of luck which
“laugh-out-loud” hilarity. Simon Doonan has the ability to create those mo- took me by surprise. It’s like a real delight.”
ments and more in his autobiography of the same name. Beautiful People is The chemistry and acting between the cast members on Beautiful People
almost surreal in the fact that it is not fictional. “I’m very happy to hear that. is fantastic. Simon agrees and adds, “When my book launched in England, I
That’s what I love to hear!” Simon says speaking with me from New York after went over and we had a party at Paul Smith’s store which was really fun. Jon
my compliment, “My torturous life unfurled for your delectation. I’m glad Plowman brought all the cast members and he said, “This is your sister and
you enjoyed it and that the show inspired you to get it. That’s the magic of this is your gay best friend, this is you when you’re old and this is you when
being gay is that we deal with sadness and obstacles but we deal with them you’re young.” It was completely hilarious. We had so much fun and then we
with resilience and often with humor. Not always, because that’s not always all went out for dinner. I fell in love with them all. They are all really talented
appropriate. Being resilient and having humor, that’s the strength of the gay actors. They all have great resumes. Brenda Fricker (playing Simon’s Grand-
people that I know. That’s very groovy and this is music to my ears. Thank mother) was nominated for an Academy Award. There are major thespians
yo u.” in that production.”
In the television series Beautiful People, producer Jon Plowman (Abso- Simon Doonan is not only a talented author; he is also renowned as the
lutely Fabulous) and writer Jonathan Harvey decided to move the decade of creative director of Barney’s New York and known around the world for his
Simon’s childhood from the late 1950s to the year 1997 to present his child- amazingly creative window designs. I inquired about his latest window.
hood memories. This shift in time still works really well for the show. Doonan “Right now in the window… we did this thing. I guess we call it “Junk heads”
elaborates, “Yeah. I think that was a smart move. A lot of people are going where you get tons and tons of crap that’s lying around the display studio
to resonate more with the pop culture material that is around it now like and make it into a giant wig and put it on the mannequin’s head. They are
the Kylie Minogue and Posh Spice kind of thing. That resonates more with sort of like found objects made into giant headdresses. They look really, re-
people than it would be if they kept it in the 1950s and ‘60s.” ally fun. They’re great (laughter). They are completely insane and they don’t
How did his book—originally titled Nasty morph into a hit show for the make any sense at all but graphically they look amazing.” Barney’s is such an
BBC? “Like a lot of those things… it’s just serendipity, you know? The right institution in New York with the very first store opening in 1923. Doonan’s
person handed the book to the right person. Jon Plowman read it. He was at position as creative director accounts for much more than window design.
the point where he was looking for a new project and bingo! Six months later Simon playfully explains, “They made me creative director in about 1924
they’re shooting it. It was one of those things,” Simon continues, “With my (laughter all around) not long after it opened. No, I got my job in 1985 and
first book, Confessions of a Window Dresser, Madonna’s company Maverick I went to work there in 1986. That’s sort of 24 years almost. My responsibili-
44 RAGE monthly | June 2009
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