Reed Krakoff has pulled off some of the style world’s most dramatic reinventions. After early stints at Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, the Parsons School of Design graduate was named executive creative director at Coach in 1996 and transformed the leather-goods company into a $5 billion behemoth. As an avid photographer, he even shot the ad campaigns himself.
“I got a really good experience in taking a brand from being kind of irrelevant and a bit dusty to something pretty extraordinary,” the 61-year-old recalls. After running his own eponymous company from 2010 to 2015, he was appointed Tiffany & Co.’s first chief artistic officer in 2017, a role he held for five years.
Today, Krakoff serves as creative chairman for the jeweler John Hardy, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Among his additions to its roster is the Artisan Series, which updates the house’s signature silhouettes with stones of superior quality. “I’ve really learned what it is to grow a brand, to reach new customers, and make it something that maybe people wanted it to be but never imagined,” he says. That’s also true of the many homes he has renovated with his wife, Delphine, the founder of Pamplemousse Design. We visited their New Canaan, Conn., property to learn more about Krakoff’s winning point of view.
First thing you do in the morning?
I make coffee. Black, nothing extraordinary.
What apps do you use the most?
Instagram is sort of an occupational hazard. A lot of the auction houses. It’s the best way to see what’s happening in the art market quickly. I use 1stDibs occasionally. I use my camera the most.
What do you do that’s still analog?
I love a Pentel, a Sharpie, and a piece of Xerox paper. I spent most of my photography career shooting film. You definitely take a very different picture than if you’re shooting digitally.
Krakoff’s home library.
Weston Wells
What’s the most recent thing you’ve added to your collection?
A Thomas Houseago plaster mask sculpture. He’s a youngish artist whose work I really love.
How do you find calm?
A little bit of time with Delphine. Talking about the day, what we’re working on, what we’re doing together. Also, spending time with my kids—especially one on one. I love to travel with them, go fishing, and make ceramics together.
The most recent thing you regret not buying?
I don’t ever regret not buying something. But when I was in my 20s, I was buying these little Basquiat drawings. I wish I had bought more.
What’s the most impressive dish you cook?
Toast.
A bronze mask by Thomas Houseago.
Weston Wells
Who is your dealer, and what do they source for you?
Barry Friedman, who really is like my mentor for over 35 years, is someone who collected everything before everyone. The only time we disagreed was on Lalanne. That was the one time I was right.
How do you get to sleep?
I try not to be on a screen. I don’t bring my iPad into the bedroom. I try to read even a few pages [of a book] before I go to bed.
If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?
I’d probably be an architect. As many houses as I’ve designed, and I’ve done many, I’d love to understand light and form.
How much do you trust your gut instinct?
One hundred percent. I think that’s one of the gifts of being a bit older is that I know it’ll be OK. Anything can go wrong, and it’s OK.
An antique torso from his collection.
Weston Wells
What is your definition of luxury?
Time and freedom. Freedom to control your own schedule and vastly do what you love.
Where do you get your clothes?
Everything I have is like a uniform. Anderson & Sheppard, Turnbull & Asser, John Lobb, A.P.C. It’s been that way for a very long time.
Who do you admire most, and why?
Marc Newson for his ability to take his aesthetic, technique, and point of view across everything: airplanes, bicycles, furniture—really any aspect. Philippe Starck is another one.
A silver tea set he designed for Tiffany.
Weston Wells
What advice do you wish you’d followed?
Don’t care so much about what everyone thinks. That’s a hard one. I have teenagers, and, you know, I might as well be talking to myself.
Drive or be driven?
Be driven.
What’s your favorite hotel?
There was a period of time when I lived [at the Mercer Hotel]. There were so many people in fashion that came down and read their mail in the lobby, and it just felt like a funny home away from home.
What is your email etiquette?
I answer every email. Super short and sweet.
What’s always in your hand luggage?
My iPad.
What is the car you are most attached to?
A Jaguar E-Type. It’s just one of the most beautiful designs.
What’s worth paying for?
More storage on my iPhone.
A sketch of his design for John Hardy’s Spear cuff.
Weston Wells
Last film you paid to see?
The Roses. I thought it was bad.
Do you still write letters?
I’m a big believer in handwritten notes. I’ve always loved Pineider stationery.
Last streaming binge?
The entire series of Narcos.
What kind of music makes you happy?
Anything that reminds me of the ’80s. It was such a fun time.
Authors
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Abby Montanez