When you’ve got impeccable tailoring down to a science, who needs all the hocus-pocus and tricked-out high jinks? This morning, Chadwick Bell kept things simple with an intimate showing at his Union Square studio, featuring 20 elegantly easy looks that will shave about 15 minutes off your morning routine. We nabbed the designer post-show to talk burritos, spending habits and his number one fan.
theFashionSpot: Do you have any design quirks?
Chadwick Bell: I stare. Way too much. Into space. It’s never-ending. I could probably win a staring contest. Somehow the stare creates something…
tFS: How do you like to procrastinate when you’re creating a collection?
CB: YouTube tangents. What happened with Ferguson really upset me. I’ve been watching a lot of bad cop videos.
tFS: What helps you get through Fashion Week?
CB: Not going to Fashion Week parties.
tFS: What do you eat when you’re stressed out?
CB: Burritos. I’ve had seven burritos in the past two days. I have to have a burrito by 4:00 p.m. They’re like coffee for me.
tFS: Carolina Herrera came to the show. How did you two meet?
CB: We’ve been good friends for a long time. The CEO of her company [Caroline Brown] is a good friend of mine, and she introduced us. She’s very special to me, and she’s always been supportive, taking me under her wing.
tFS: Do you hang out together outside of fashion-related events, or is it exclusively a work thing?
CB: We have an interesting relationship. I’ll say that.
tFS: What did you buy when you received your first serious paycheck?
CB: I don’t like spending money on clothes because I know how much it takes to make them. But I’ve been getting into Phillip Lim lately. His menswear is great. He’s like the American Hermes. Most of my money goes to making my space calm and easy.
tFS: What’s on your career bucket list?
CB: Hermes better hire me one day!
