Elie Tahari: No One Screws with Me (But Anna)
Oct. 27 2008, Published 7:07 a.m. ET
DRESSED DOWN Tahari
Even for a fashion mogul who's as rich as Croesus, having a confab with Vogue editrix Anna Wintour is a big deal. Or so says designer Elie Tahari, a former mechanic in the Israeli air force whose first digs in New York consisted of a Central Park bench and who now rakes in a cool $500 million in sales annually.
Tahari sat down with Lloyd Grove to discuss getting into Wintour's pages (and affections) after three decades in the business.
Though he had previously lashed out at fashion's queen bee for neglecting him—"I guess I'm not important enough," he told the New York Times—after a breakfast meeting earlier this fall, Tahari was feeling much more fond of Her Iciness, hedging, "I think she's an amazing lady. And this is not buttering up or anything. I mean, I can see it's a very difficult position to be her and just to be able to juggle it and have a normal life. It's a challenge we accept."
We have to say we prefer Tahari when he is less diplomatic—the garmento who faces each day with the mantra "I get out of bed, and I look around and say, 'Don't you fuck with me today.'" Us too, Elie, us too.