Written by Shallom Johnson and Terri Potratz
Today we got to sit down for coffee with Kenny Ho, the UK’s top celebrity stylist who is now based in Manhattan – a place he calls “the gateway to the world”. Widely known for his previous work with The Spice Girls, Kenny has most recently been working in NYC on editorial and advertising projects, and will be styling a shoot with Jessica Stam this Saturday.
This season at NYFW Kenny has had his eye on the emerging designers, citing Frank Tell and Malaga-based David Delfin’s Revelations collection as rising stars to watch in upcoming seasons.
The story of how Kenny met the Spice Girls is a serendipitous one. While attending Wimbledon School of Art in London for Costume Design, he was already becoming well known for his skills at costume fabrication, taking on side jobs to make a bit of extra money. One day Kenny’s employer included his name on a list of references sent to The Spice Girls, and he was chosen for the job based on the fact that he was the only male on the list – his name simply stood out among all the rest. 4 days of work and a few well-placed business cards led to a phone call from Victoria (now Beckham, then Adams), and just like that Kenny found himself working as a top stylist to the UK’s biggest girl-group pop phenomenon. “It was like running away with the circus” he says of his nine months on tour. During his time with the girls, he took the opportunity to gradually introduce them to newer labels and a natural evolution towards a more high-fashion image occurred.
Around the same time, Kenny took on one of his most challenging jobs ever – designing and making costumes for David Bowie’s Earthling tour. Just before presenting his graduation collection at Wimbledon, he invited then-emerging Alexander McQueen to attend the show. McQueen was unable to attend due to time constraints, but when David Bowie needed a costume designer shortly thereafter McQueen sent in a surprise recommendation and Kenny received a very exciting phone call. For Ho, the challenging part of designing for Bowie was constructing clothing based only on faxed inspiration sketches and his measurements. He would then Fed-Ex his creations overseas, without ever having actually met the Thin White Duke. Eventually, though, Kenny did meet him and has only good things to say. Apparently Mr. Bowie is not nearly as much of a diva as his appearance would suggest – just the opposite, as Kenny describes him as kind, open and completely down-to-earth.
Another celebrity who Kenny always loves to work with is Cate Blanchett, whom he has styled for a few press junkets and editorial shoots. She is the only person with whom he has felt star-struck, he admits. “She can look natural in everything,” he says, “The clothes never wear her, no matter what she is wearing.” Ho spoke eloquently about Blanchett’s grace, and a beauty and confidence that exudes from within and affects the very energy around her.
Looking forward, Kenny will be escaping the summer New York heat with a 6-month stay in London, working on a newly revamped BBC classic series called “The Clothes Show“, where he will be keeping the UK informed about current trends and fashion industry news. He has also recently been appointed New York Editor for London-based Random Magazine, and is looking forward to extending their coverage to new faces and new places – quite possibly all the way to Vancouver.
Photograph by Shallom Johnson
