THE INSIDER: KELLY CUTRONE
People's Revolution's founder gears up for Fashion Week.
Public relations reps get a bad rap. People’s Revolution founder Kelly Cutrone, however, calls herself the Mother Teresa of the avant-garde, championing the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Agent Provocateur, Alexandre Herchcovitch, and Jeremy Scott. With fashion week on the horizon, we caught up with Cutrone to find out who she’s got her eye on.
What made you want to start People’s Revolution?
I already owned a pretty significant, prototypical PR company called Cutrone & Weinberg, which turned into Untitled, probably the largest management company in the country. But I can’t help myself because when I see something really good, I want to tell other people about it! So when I sold my first company and started People’s Rev, I decided that I wanted to make a company of the future—I told everybody fashion is the new rock and roll! I wanted a PR company that told the truth versus cheer-leaded, represented only things that I really believed in. It’s all very idealistic. I mean, the name itself, People’s Revolution, means the world will change when we change ourselves.
You’ve said that the designers you represent “express a message greater than just clothing.” Can you elaborate?
I’m really about communicating and about art. I couldn’t care less about Calvin Klein or Donna Karan. I mean, not that they’re not important brands, but I don’t understand what the message is. So I tend to find clients in a very narcissistic way. I’m into the underdogs and the periphery and the progressive. I’m like the Mother Teresa of the avant-garde. I really love Jeremy Scott because he’s a capitalistic pop artist. When I was 21 I married Andy Warhol’s protégé, Ronny Cutrone, and I was raised in a circus-like atmosphere in New York by the Warhol family, and Jeremy seemed to me like a modern-day Andy. He’s a visionary and taps into things that are iconic and translates them into a multi-tiered message.
Who are your personal favorite designers?
I mean, today I’m wearing Citizens of Humanity jeans, a pair of Old Navy—oh no—Target flip-flops, a Gap shirt, no makeup, and I haven’t combed my hair. But I like a lot of stuff: On the expressive, neo-pop side I really love Jeremy. On the kind of quirky/structural side, I love Westwood and Herchcovitch; On the minimal side, which is how I tend to buy and dress, I’m really into Margiela and Yohji [Yamamoto], and on the embellished side I’m into Sabyasachi.
You broke the fashion week tent record for most shows produced in 2002…
On the first anniversary of September 11th, no one wanted a show on this day, so we took every timeslot. We did Alexandre Herchcovitch, Rachel Comey, As Four, Jeremy Scott, Pat Fields. We literally had all three tents going twice! We were like, “We’re the People’s Revolution, and we refuse to grieve on a day like today. We’re gonna celebrate life and beauty.” At the end of the day, PR is really a service business, so you really have to want to serve!
What shows are you looking forward to this Fashion Week?
My favorite show is going to be watching my daughter go to her first day of kindergarten—to see if she wears Sonia Rykiel Enfant or J Crew! I’m always looking forward to Jeremy Scott in Paris, because I get to offend large groups of French people! I’m always looking forward to Herchcovitch, Grey Ant, and Sabyasachi ’cause I’m in love with him. He’s so brave for an Indian designer. And Andrew Buckler. He’s amazing—like if Diesel and Paul Smith f*cked and had a kid, it would be Andrew Buckler.
What else is in the works for People’s Revolution?
We’re going to do a Melvin Sokolsky retrospective, who is one of my favorite great photographers. We’re launching a clothing line with Marisa Ribisi (Giovanni’s sister, and she’s married to Beck) called Whitley Cross, and I’m gonna be in the D.J. booth with Beck! We’re also doing Nicky Hilton’s Chick line in Paris. I mean, I love all the shows we work on, I really do.
peoplesrevolution.com
What made you want to start People’s Revolution?
I already owned a pretty significant, prototypical PR company called Cutrone & Weinberg, which turned into Untitled, probably the largest management company in the country. But I can’t help myself because when I see something really good, I want to tell other people about it! So when I sold my first company and started People’s Rev, I decided that I wanted to make a company of the future—I told everybody fashion is the new rock and roll! I wanted a PR company that told the truth versus cheer-leaded, represented only things that I really believed in. It’s all very idealistic. I mean, the name itself, People’s Revolution, means the world will change when we change ourselves.
You’ve said that the designers you represent “express a message greater than just clothing.” Can you elaborate?
I’m really about communicating and about art. I couldn’t care less about Calvin Klein or Donna Karan. I mean, not that they’re not important brands, but I don’t understand what the message is. So I tend to find clients in a very narcissistic way. I’m into the underdogs and the periphery and the progressive. I’m like the Mother Teresa of the avant-garde. I really love Jeremy Scott because he’s a capitalistic pop artist. When I was 21 I married Andy Warhol’s protégé, Ronny Cutrone, and I was raised in a circus-like atmosphere in New York by the Warhol family, and Jeremy seemed to me like a modern-day Andy. He’s a visionary and taps into things that are iconic and translates them into a multi-tiered message.
Who are your personal favorite designers?
I mean, today I’m wearing Citizens of Humanity jeans, a pair of Old Navy—oh no—Target flip-flops, a Gap shirt, no makeup, and I haven’t combed my hair. But I like a lot of stuff: On the expressive, neo-pop side I really love Jeremy. On the kind of quirky/structural side, I love Westwood and Herchcovitch; On the minimal side, which is how I tend to buy and dress, I’m really into Margiela and Yohji [Yamamoto], and on the embellished side I’m into Sabyasachi.
You broke the fashion week tent record for most shows produced in 2002…
On the first anniversary of September 11th, no one wanted a show on this day, so we took every timeslot. We did Alexandre Herchcovitch, Rachel Comey, As Four, Jeremy Scott, Pat Fields. We literally had all three tents going twice! We were like, “We’re the People’s Revolution, and we refuse to grieve on a day like today. We’re gonna celebrate life and beauty.” At the end of the day, PR is really a service business, so you really have to want to serve!
What shows are you looking forward to this Fashion Week?
My favorite show is going to be watching my daughter go to her first day of kindergarten—to see if she wears Sonia Rykiel Enfant or J Crew! I’m always looking forward to Jeremy Scott in Paris, because I get to offend large groups of French people! I’m always looking forward to Herchcovitch, Grey Ant, and Sabyasachi ’cause I’m in love with him. He’s so brave for an Indian designer. And Andrew Buckler. He’s amazing—like if Diesel and Paul Smith f*cked and had a kid, it would be Andrew Buckler.
What else is in the works for People’s Revolution?
We’re going to do a Melvin Sokolsky retrospective, who is one of my favorite great photographers. We’re launching a clothing line with Marisa Ribisi (Giovanni’s sister, and she’s married to Beck) called Whitley Cross, and I’m gonna be in the D.J. booth with Beck! We’re also doing Nicky Hilton’s Chick line in Paris. I mean, I love all the shows we work on, I really do.
peoplesrevolution.com
SAMANTHA GILEWICZ
This story was published on August 24, 2007.
CONTENT RATING:
( 28 )
( 28 )
jstar
08/27/2007
cool to see the inside view on fashion week, esp. from someone who is talking so honest. most would not reveal their unglam side.
TLLT
04/02/2008
I saw her mentioned on The Hills and was wondering what the company did and this was a great article, she is a very cool sounding person.
@-}
TLLT
http://www.theworldaround.us
Supri
04/03/2008
"so brave for an Indian designer"? What kind of crap is that? So much for a true people's revolution when that's the kind of small-minded glib person who's running it.
DIOYY
04/05/2008
SUPRI
-People’s Revolution, means the world will change when we change ourselves.
DIOYY
04/05/2008
SUPRI
-People’s Revolution, means the world will change when we change ourselves.
realstar
04/12/2008
that lady is a drugged out freak. she probably bites the heads off of bats before falling asleep. to liken oneself to mother teresa is completely appalling!
Abby
04/20/2008
Kelly is so lame and insignificant. She acts as though she is so above the mainstream and defies the typical fashion standards. Nothing is worse than someone TRYING too hard to step outside the box, just be. Maybe people did not want to show on 9-12-02 because it was a very sad anniversary that many needed to remember.
PAPERDOLL
04/22/2008
September 12th, ABBY?
Beth
05/17/2008
HONESTLY.......KELLY CUTRONE IS A FASHION PR ICON! SHE'S HONEST AND TELLS IT LIKE IT IS! MAKES U REALIZE THAT EVERYONE IS AN INDIVIDUAL....
Beth
05/17/2008
HONESTLY.......KELLY CUTRONE IS A FASHION PR ICON! SHE'S HONEST AND TELLS IT LIKE IT IS! MAKES U REALIZE THAT EVERYONE IS AN INDIVIDUAL....
rochelle
09/04/2008
kelly loves the hills!!!
free publicity CUNT.
*Royksopp*
09/06/2008
This woman is so detatched from being a real human being its frightening. Its so strange that on this planet high fashion means huge stuck up attitude. Whats the point on going through life telling people they look ugly? She's the reason that dove soap had to come up with an ad campaign to make real people feel normal. Fake hag.
Kath
12/09/2008
I absolutely love Kelly Cutrone and everything she stands for. I think its great that she's an honest person and tells it like it is. Whether you agree with it or not, she's created an empire and you have to respect her for that
MKJ
02/17/2009
She is appalling. And just fired for putting that hooker friend of her's Ashley Dupre on the front row of a show then defending herself by saying "We're all hookers in one way or another"....No, we aren't....you trash. Get over yourself.
Esther
06/19/2009
I personally love what she does. She is one of the greatest PR's out there! And she wouldn't be smart if she didn't take free publicity {Rochelle} and everyone has a right to mourn on Sept. 11, but she was celebrating life and freedom {Abby. {Royksopp} I'm proud she's the one because now Dove makes everyone women feel appreciated. Stop hating on her!
People can talk all they want but she single-handedly built an empire and she rules!
billysweet
11/02/2009
This woman is a name dropping rude bitch who thinks she is special...one word lady, KARMA! Get over yourself and the bubble you call life and crawl back into your cave. People like her give NYC a bad name.
Andrea
11/29/2009
I absolutely love KELLY CUTRONE! She has an eye for things that many would turn against and she has the best attitude about everything-pretty much tell-it-like-it-is, and I think that is one of the reasons I like her. She looks at something and doesn't just see it as clothing, but as a statement and as an art form! She is brilliant as a PR fashionistia
anna
12/30/2009
She is DISGUSTING
Gonzobob212
02/02/2010
OK so in the first episode of the most unlikable group of people put on TV "Kell On Earth" She states that she was dumped while pregnant. What kind of Monster do you have to be to get dumped while Pregnant? I am guessing A VERY BIG ONE.
Saraita
03/02/2010
For people that don't like Cutrone: you really shouldn't have wasted your time reading the article, much less commenting/rating it.
xxoo
hopper
03/30/2010
So sad that Kelly uses Mother and the Auroville symbol for her own profit. Shame on you Kelly mere would be outraged. Get Friggin Real
hopper
03/30/2010
So sad that Kelly uses Mother and the Auroville symbol for her own profit. Shame on you Kelly mere would be outraged. Get Friggin Real
Dee
06/27/2010
Kelly Cutrone is one of the smartest, baddest "Bitches" in the game! I mean that in the most positive way! Her knowledge, honesty and kick ass style is what people envy her for the most. She is super intuitive and up in your face with the truth. Problem is, a high percent of the population likes being lied to and deceived so they feel she is mean because she gives it to you straight with no chaser. I love her because she is honest and you know what you are getting upfront. Normal people like fake ass reality. I like her and Whitney needs to keep Kelly on speed dial and stay up under her wing, because if anyone can get you to the top, it's Kelly Cutrone. Sorry guy's no room for hate here, Kelly rocks in my opinion! Keep doing your thing Kelly!
eli
11/19/2010
she is a kick ass person.period.
nnenne
10/16/2011
hay
STYLIST
08/31/2012
Anyone who has dealt with this HIDEOUS comapny, PEOPLE'S REVOLUTION, despises them. They are elitist, unprofessional, snotty awful people. Especially the guy who handles JEREMY SCOTT's account. A MONSTER. PERIOD.
Felicia Mosiane
10/29/2012
I simply adore and respect Kelly Cutrone. I look up to her so much! Anyone who doesn't like her should atleast respect what she and her company have done for their clients and fashion PR as a whole. I just love how honest and raw -but in a classy way- she is. Love the interview
yoyo
03/10/2013
That's pretty lame PR for you - paying people to make positive comments for you on a website. They are so gushy it is obvious they are fake, haha! Anyone who has seen how this woman speaks to people can see she is just plain old-fashioned RUDE. You can be edgy, different and forward thinking without relating to people like you are manners-challenged.
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