spotlight
(Pictured L-R): Meera Syal (Aunty Hayley), Sarah Niles (Reba), Luke Ward-Wilkinson (Young Simon Doonan), Gary Amers (Sacha), Samuel Barnett (Adult Simon Doonan),
Sophie Ash (Ashlene Doonan), Layton Williams (“Kylie”/Kyle), Olivia Colman (Debbie Doonan), Aidan McArdle (Andy Doonan) (Photo Credit: Logo/BBC)
ties have sort of evolved over the years. I’m involved in advertising, copy writing,
special events… all the fun image-related things. I have a fantastic job. I can’t ever
imagine not being involved in retail. Some journalist recently called me from Eng-
land and said, ‘I don’t get it. You’re a writer but you work in a department store?’
She was implying that that made me sort of less authentic, I think, as a writer. I said
to her, ‘Well maybe if Virginia Woolf had gotten a job working in the shoe depart-
ment at Harrods a couple days a week, it would have gotten her out of the house
and she wouldn’t have killed herself.” There was a stunned silence on the other
end of the phone.”
Simon’s ability to use his creative talents in various media—even writing his col-
umn “Simon Says” for The New York Observer newspaper—is what makes him such
an interesting person. “I’m lucky. I think it happens to a lot of people where you get
to a point in your career that you need to diversify. When you do, it reinvigorates.
Starting my writing career made me love my work in retail more. To be more enthu-
siastic and more engaged with it, a couple of days a week, I’m sequestered with my
writing projects and then I go back to a more interactive and creative visual work.
It’s very different but the two things sort of feed off each other.”
(Pictured L-R): Samuel Barnett (Adult Simon Doonan) and Gary Amers (Sacha)
His column’s slogan for The New York Observer aptly says, “In life, you can be a test. I was on Fashion Police once and they never invited me back. I’m not good at
New York observer or you can be a pathetic piece of shit.” After giggling, Simon being disdainful. I like it when people take risks and have fun with their clothes.”
explains the origin of creating that bold statement and says, “Yes I did. Those kinds Continuing Simon says, “I think now is a great period of eccentricity and a lot of it
of things just come to me off the cuff. They come over to my house and they say, is coming from musicians. People got bored at looking at these singers who all
‘we need to do eight of them.’ We bang it out an in an hour, I’ll do eight of them and sort of looked like Jessica Simpson. Now, we have Lady GaGa and Katy Perry and
make it up as we go along and edit them. (laughter) I’m glad you saw those. We Adam Lambert. There’s a real move toward eccentricity in rock, which is great. I
shot the commercials on a balcony that hangs over our living room in the apart- thoroughly applaud that. I think the only real crime in fashion is not expressing
ment I share with Jonathan Adler.” yourself and not looking like who you are. Having said that, I think fake tans are
It wouldn’t be fittin’ when speaking with Simon Doonan, if we didn’t talk a bit strange… spraying yourself orange. That’s peculiar to me. It’s really, really
fashion or at least fashion seen through the eyes of Simon Doonan. Some of his funny if you overdo it. It can be hilarious (laughter).”
more brilliant observations follow. “Madonna’s outfit that she recently wore to In closing, we spoke of New York. A destination I’ve yet to see. Simon describes
the Costume Institute, I saw a picture of it and I thought, ‘How great. How fun.’ his thoughts on The Big Apple. “For a gay person, it’s fantastic. Gay people are
I loved that outfit and I think it made all the girls standing around in bias-cut welcome and given opportunities here. It’s a good place for a gay in New York City
gowns look really frumpy and very last century. Then there’s Madge rockin’ a fun and fun and easy, breezy CoverGirl. Why don’t you come for Gay Pride? I’m doing a
look. To me, that is what fashion is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be surprise, book signing at the Barney’s on 18th Street on the Saturday of Gay Pride. You can
experimentation, self-expression… it’s not supposed to be passing some kind of come and pinch my ass!”
46 RAGE monthly | June 2009
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