John Varvatos Talks Fashion Star and Las Vegas Style

He bounds excitedly from his favorite office chair, a low, two-tone leather number that looks as though it may have enjoyed a former life as the front seat in an insanely cool vintage car. After negotiating the stacks of music books, a trio of electric guitars, and an assortment of framed vintage rock images (Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Jimi Hendrix), he sits at his desk to look up some statistics. Welcome to the universe of John Varvatos, where fashion and music are forever intertwined.

At this moment he’s all too eager to bypass the “organized clutter,” which represents only a minor portion of the museum-quality rock memorabilia he has passionately collected throughout his life, because I have asked him how well his label is doing in Las Vegas. For that, a quick check of sales figures on his computer is required. “Our Forum Shops business is on fire right now,” Varvatos says as he surveys the numbers for that location, now approaching its 10th anniversary at Caesars Palace (a second store opened in September 2009 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino). “For the month of November [2011], for example, I believe Forum Shops represents the biggest increase in sales of any store we have. There’s a lot of competition in Las Vegas, so that really speaks to the appeal of our brand there.”

Varvatos’s aesthetic—casually elegant suiting, tough-but-chic leather jackets, and for Spring 2012 in particular, a more romantic attitude in flowing shirts meant to evoke 1970s-era Mick Jagger or Jimmy Page—indeed seems most appropriate for the nightlife-driven Vegas consumer. “We’ve developed a really strong local business in Las Vegas, but we also excel at catering to the clientele who visits maybe two or three times a year,” he says. “We have an amazing team who’s great at follow-through, reaching out to customers, sending out new pieces for their consideration. It’s a strategy that’s worked really well for us.”

If Varvatos sounds like he has hit upon the ideal balance between the creative and business sides of any fashion label, it’s precisely this kind of pragmatism that makes him an ideal choice for Fashion Star, which premieres March 13 on NBC. Varvatos appears as one of three mentors on the show; together with Jessica Simpson and Nicole Richie, he’ll guide 14 aspiring designers through a competition with a $6 million prize package, including the possibility of a capsule collection at Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, and H&M. Throw in Elle Macpherson as the host, and one can’t help but marvel at a mix of personalities that touches on a variety of demographics. “What we share,” Varvatos says, “is that we’ve all dealt with creating, selling, success, failure, and fighting to remain true to what you want to do.”

Varvatos notes that saying yes to Fashion Star was far from automatic. “We talked a lot around here about whether or not I should do it, because I do have a fulltime job that I really love,” he says. “On the one hand, I think people are going to become much more aware of our brand and the personality behind that brand. On the other hand, you’re a little less anonymous, and we also had to figure out how we were going to make it work day to day.” Ultimately, producers arranged a shoot schedule that primarily took place on weekends in Los Angeles, allowing the designer to remain in his New York offices during the week. “It was a really terrific experience,” he says. “I was blown away by Jessica and Nicole, who were lovely and funny and very intelligent and studied about their businesses.”

Production wrapped in August, and by December Varvatos was engrossed in a variety of new projects, from a boys’ collection that will launch for Fall 2012 (“It’s been really fun seeing some of our men’s pieces miniaturized, right down to our Converse sneakers”) to plans for a homecollection debut in 2013. And his excitement is palpable as he flips through photos for his Spring ad campaign, which call to mind the iconic Charles C. Ebbets photo Lunch Atop a Skyscraper, although it’s doubtful the three stars in the photos will ever need to take on construction work. “We shot Green Day,” Varvatos says. “They’re one of the biggest bands in the world, with a great spirit and also a really broad demographic. For us it was a big honor, especially because they seemed so excited to be a part of it.”

Green Day joins a wide range of musicians who have signed on to appear in the campaign, from The Roots in 2011 to Iggy Pop and Velvet Revolver. Why do bands love John Varvatos? Likely the affinity is rooted in the clothes, which the designer says for Spring evokes “a return to elegance, but with a younger spirit and different kind of edge, a casualness to that elegance.” And perhaps because musicians see a little part of themselves in the work he does. “Ultimately, if you’re passionate about something, you figure out a way to make it happen,” Varvatos says, noting that this, above all, was the lesson he tried to impart on Fashion Star. “In this business, passion goes a long way.” Forum Shops at Caesars, 702-939-0922; Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 702-693-6370