Designer Interrogation: Yoko Devereaux's Andy Salzer

(All photos courtesy of Yoko Devereaux)

If you've heard the name Yoko Devereaux, you're way ahead in the fashion game. If you've ever met Yoko Devereaux, however, you're a liar—Ms. Devereaux is the creation of designer Andy Salzer. Although she's imaginary, Yoko Devereaux has created a life all her own in a Weird Science kind of way and carved a niche for herself in New York City's fashion scene.

Devereaux's err... Salzer's clothes blend street style with a tailor's sensibility (read: they're comfortable, youthful and refined). The resulting line appeals to anyone who isn't ready to wear a buttoned up suit and tie each day but craves a level of style that surpasses beat up jeans and a ratty t-shirt.

Stylelist interrogated Andy Salzer and made him spill his guts about Ms. Yoko Devereaux. Here's what we found out.

Who in the world is Yoko Devereaux?

She's my alter ego, of course. She's so perfect in every possible fashion media sort of way, that she can't possibly exist. She gets calls and emails all the time, which I live for.  I met this drunken media power player (who shall remain nameless) who was name dropping all over the place and insisted that she met Yoko Devereaux at a party.  Of course, I didn't have the heart to correct her—it was way too entertaining.

How did you come up with the name? How do you imagine Yoko?

Ana Matronic (of the Scissor Sisters) and I had a drunken evening discussing the fashion 'scene' in the early 80's.  Gloria Vanderbilt was thrown around a lot.  I vaguely remember her brand of jeans—it was part of that whole early 80's jean craze along with Calvin Klein.  Fashion designers  were elevating denim which was so cowboy or work wear oriented to the level of red carpet types.  The message to me was definitely that you didn't have to be all about couture to be a designer.

Contrary to what I hear every day, there is no connection in the name between Yoko Ono and Blanche Devereaux, as much as the camp value is so entertaining.  'Devereaux' is represents old American Southern money.  Rather than coming up with a first name that was as waspy as 'Gloria', we opted for 'Yoko''; a common Japanese girl's name.  The combination of Southern French American and Japanese just rolls so nicely.  And I’ll probably keel over the day I actually met a 'Yoko Devereaux'.

Is she a fag hag? 

Ana and I have her whole life story mapped out - I'll get into it over drinks some time for sure. 

Her live is pretty colorful and pretty amazing - I actually collect signed CD's by musicians dedicated to her.  My favorite is the one signed by Dolly Parton.  She signed it 'To Yoko:  You're my inspiration'.  So, yeah, Yoko loves the gays - and that's exactly how she says it.

How would you describe your line and the type of guy that wears it?

It's definitely evolved.  For me it's where uptown meets downtown.  I'm definitely a fan of classical menswear.  However, I always associate tailored menswear with my father's generation: striking, but usually too uncomfortable and too rigid to wear for many modern guys. 

I like to think that my customer goes from work to band practice to an art opening to dinner, etc.  So, there's not a lot of time to run home and change for every event.  This is why I create a variety of classical menswear silhouettes in jersey and fleece. 

Do you have a favorite piece in your fall collection?

Most definitely.  Right now I catch myself wearing the jersey dress shirt and a jersey tie a lot.  Both have that formality that I appreciate when worn together, but when I'm done wearing them; they simply get washed with my favorite t-shirts and underwear.

What's in store for fall? What inspired you?

Fall / winter 2007 was most definitely inspired by British street wear and the costuming in  'A Clockwork Orange.' The costuming in the film represents a larger American syndrome that's going on now where everybody is dressing more and more like everybody else around them.  So, the collection is definitely a commentary on the lack of interesting design that we're faced with right now in the states.

How is this season different than in previous fall collections?

The fall collection is the first full collection I've done where every item was made of jersey and fleece.  I really wanted to push myself to create a collection that carried all the elements and shapes you would see in a classical men’s wardrobe, but rather than twist them all by pushing into the territory of un-wearable design, I wanted the entire line to communicate comfort and masculinity.

Which designers do you look up to? Who are your fashion inspirations?

Wow. That's such a big question. Tom Ford's ability to completely redirect a brand and make it relevant to a whole new generation of people was an epic event.  Calvin Klein, Karl Lagerfeld, Helmut Lang and Andy Warhol.

Bands from the New York punk scene (Blondie, the New York Dolls) always excite me; they made such a huge statement without all the extraneous production value.

What, in your opinion, are one or two mistakes that guys often make when getting dressed or shopping?

Everybody is so guilty these days of trying to take on the look of somebody else.  We're so inundated with media images that stylists call all the shots. The Worst Dressed List is such a scary place to end up for so many people.  Nobody wants to be made fun of - I get it.  But, everybody seems unable to simply laugh at themselves. Getting dressed should be fun, not a nightmare.  Everybody has a day or two with a really bad look - but you have to be willing to take a risk. You can buy all the cool clothes in the world, but if you don't feel good in what you're wearing, you're just somebody in cool clothes.  That's so boring to me.

What are your three must-haves for fall?

Definitely a cardigan—they're totally comfortable and you can rock them in so many different ways. 

How did you get your start in fashion?

Like many independent designers, my background is not design (I have a degree in Art History).  I didn't go to design school and honestly, I didn't aspire from a young age to be a designer.  Instead, there appears to be so many of us that started in fashion because of the *lack* of interesting design.  Before I started Yoko Devereaux, I think I had all the vintage pieces that I could deal with, a couple of favorite t-shirts, some favorite jeans and maybe a piece of Helmut Lang and Dior.  But that was it.  Of course, there was a ton of streetwear, but that wasn't really for me.

After looking around, I wasn't exactly alone.  In Williamsburg especially, there were so many guys that weren't really identifying with the menswear market: they wanted something a bit more dressed up than the average streetwear stuff, but definitely not the extreme formality of the older / more established brands, for sure. 

Simultaneously, there was a huge collision between the art, music and both fashion and graphic design communities.  All these creative’s were looking for ways to propel their ideas out to people and we all found that clothing is such a great canvas to get our statements out there. Yoko Devereaux started as an art project working with limited edition T-shirts and has slowly evolved into a full menswear collection.

What made you want to fly solo as a designer?

Honestly, there was nothing out there that really spoke to me personally.  And secretly, I didn't want to pay full retail for really good clothes.

What are your pet peeves about fashion these days?

There's a sameness in the US fashion scene right now and it really needs to get mixed up a bit more.  And the industry seems to be pushing a high / lo syndrome.  Either it's super cheap or super expensive: a total split down the middle.  The creative work and many independents are in many cases getting pushed aside because buyers are scared to take risks and buy items 'that won't sell'.  I haven't seen anything like this in my own lifetime, so it makes me a bit sad.  There are so many talented people out there and we'll never get to see their work because nobody will pick them up.  Europe and the rest of the world is totally a different story, but here it's tough.

Are there any trends that grate your nerves?

I hate fashion victims, so that's going to incorporate a lot right there.  People that open up a magazine or surf around online and have to have 'the whole look' is the dumbest behaviour ever.  It's all about personal style and letting people know who you are.  Of course, if you're a victim, I guess you're following that mantra:  you're letting everybody know that you're an idiot and lack a sense of self.

What would you like to see make a come back in fashion?

Hmmmm.  I feel like everything is making a comeback, like all at the same time.  It's like an overabundance of nostalgia.  It's comforting and it's easy, but really too referential and lacks individuality. That's why styling in many ways has become so important: it's all about how you wear your canal street knockoff sunglasses, with your big label bag, your converse sneakers and your this n' that: personality has been styled by mixing and matching all these different pieces.  But what would I like to see come back?  A sense of confidence.  You should always wear the clothes and don't let the clothes wear you.

Who has it easier when it comes to fashion, gay or straight men?

That’s tough - the lines between fashion for gay guys and straight guys are so blurry right now.  To be honest, the gayest looking hipster hot guys I know are totally straight.  And some of the hottest LES scruffy downtown guys I know are gay.  The point being that there's so much back and forth references in menswear right now that I think both gay and straight are probably equally challenged.  It sounds like a cop out of a response, but I see a lot of fashion challenged gay and straight guys and vice versa.  Again, people are so scared to just do their own thing that to be honest, both fashionable gays and straights aren't so far apart in how they look.

For more information about Yoko Devereaux and to get your hands on some of Yoko's goods, visit yokod.com.