Fashion Forward Q&A's

Q&A with Robert Best

December 6, 2006

Robert Best is a busy man. We caught up with him this week to find out how things are going back at Mattell, what Barbie’s been up to, and all things Robert Best.

Bravotv.com: First of all, Robert, how are you?
I’m very well. No complaints. I’ve been busy traveling. I just got back from Milan and before that I was in Tokyo. So it’s nice just to be back in LA for more than a day.

Bravotv.com: That is a lot of traveling. What were you doing there?
Working with different licenses for Barbie. We do some licensed apparel that bears the Barbie brand. So we work with them to do different kinds of children’s clothing. All with a Barbie slant. It’s primarily young girls. We’re also doing a program in Italy with a design school called The Marangoni Institute. We have the students compete in a kind of contest, only it isn’t televised. It’s to bring some fresh ideas into the brand and it’s a good way of giving kids an opportunity. It’s part of a bigger program we do in London and with FIT in New York. It gives kids the opportunity to work on an actual product that will actually be made. The winning design gets to be made. They’re clothes made for kids. So that’s the challenge. How to capture the essence of Barbie and still be relevant and modern and cool and edgy and make something that kids would want to wear.

Bravotv.com:Do you design for kids?
No. But it’s just not something I’ve done yet.

There are seventeen comments so far. Add yours! Permalink

Comments

margot fernandez wrote:

robert I think your so talented as a designer, I hated it when you got the boot. You are so funny, you should consider being a stand up comic

posted on December 7, 2006 at 2:32 PM

Jennifer wrote:

I loved your thoughts on the country's current state of affairs...well said! Perhaps an Obama/Best ticket is in order for 08?

You were a hoot on the show--I'm from Oklahoma, so Kayne is my top fave but you really crack me up! Good luck in all that you do.

posted on December 7, 2006 at 9:41 PM

Janet wrote:

Hey, Robert -- loved your work with the delivery of the ice skating outfits. You were really hot in that uniform. OOPS! Just kidding. Actually, I thought it was a crime against humanity that the Mischief Gods didn't leave you among the designer crowd for the jaunt to Paris. About the experience there we got absolutely no soupcon of culture & fun -- it all just seemed like the daily commentary of people absorbed in their own inner monologues. Your take on things was always extremely multileveled and interesting. I think you should be drafted to do the commentary track on the Season 3 DVD. Otherwise I know I'm going to have one of those poopy days when the time comes to sit down with it.

posted on December 7, 2006 at 10:21 PM

Maria Lourdes wrote:

Robert, I love your sense of humor! The one question that was left out was...if you really met someone who was hotter online? I have been trying to find the t-shirt, any suggestions?

posted on December 8, 2006 at 2:21 AM

silly sally wrote:

Robert - as your name implies - YOU WERE THE BEST! Right from the first show -- I pegged you making it to the final. So they ended up with a bitter bastard with more drama than Barbie ever could dream up! But I digress -- if the recent rumors (what's WITH this alliteration??!) of Tim not being on the next PR season -- YOU MUST take his part! God love him but this season WITH LESS OF him -- (it needed more of him to give it some punch -- since Bitter Badboy clearly bored me to tears) -- let's get someone with WIT and CLASS like YOU!!

Loved your whole line of thoughts on the Celebrity "fashion lines" and especially on the horrible state of affairs of this thing called BUSH........ for the first time ever in 30 years of voting -- and like you, with no children -- I volunteered as often as I could AGAINST him. It helped in our COUNTY -- but ALAS -- dammital -- the rest of the State saw it differently . . . and we were a swing state ... (Swing this (finger) BUSH). (NOW who's sounding Bitter? It's Friday and 15 degrees . . . !)

Wait for the good man -- I am -- and keep getting the ones that would be better off for YOU -- so I'll send them YOUR way -- you deserve the classy one - so few available out there. I can't believe you are single - and then I hear that all the time about me . . . c'est la vie . . . Love to you and yours . . . safe travels!

posted on December 8, 2006 at 4:14 PM

westenera wrote:

Very enlightening and bullshit-free. I was somewhat indifferent to Robert on the show, but I have a lot of respect for him now. I completely agree with him about the constant texting-- why do people have to say "hi whatsup?" twenty times a day?-- and that fashion is more than a matter of sketching now and then.

My friend went to a portfolio review for Parsons. He was there for painting, but virtually everyone else was there for the fashion department. Not one of them had an actual garment in hand. People just brought a handful of sketches and called it fashion design.

I'm a writer, not an artist, but I can sort of relate. I can't stand it when people think their fanfiction or occasional haiku makes them a "real" writer or that they have talent because someone from livejournal read it and thought it was good. There's always more to the creative industries than people who aren't involved in them understand.

posted on December 9, 2006 at 11:28 AM

trixie b wrote:

Thanks for the interview Bravo. Robert was one of the few gems of the show not just as a good designer, and a witty, fun persality, but as a decent person. Unlike the majority of the contestants on Project Runway he thinks about the world beyond himself. He has something to say that is worth listening to. Bravo should put him on television again -- find ways to bring Robert back to the audience that so enjoyed watching him.

posted on December 10, 2006 at 6:56 PM

juju wrote:

Robert rocks!! What a totally passionate, informed, conscientious person. I completely agree with the comments regarding celebrities and their clothing lines. What's up with that? And the texting thing. Obviously we agree on pet peeves!
Thanks for the interview!

posted on December 13, 2006 at 9:44 PM

Dave in Australia wrote:

Wow, smart, funny, articulate, creative and sexy. What a great package... and interview.

posted on February 20, 2007 at 11:00 PM

Janet.W wrote:

Really miss you on Project Runway.

posted on March 25, 2007 at 4:41 AM

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