If you’re still in a holidaze and having difficulty focusing at your desk right now, prepare for a shock that will pull you right out of your funk — John Malkovich (yes, that Being John Malkovich, John Malkovich) just announced that he’s decided to become a full-time clothing designer. (If you just automatically mouthed “What?” we did too.)
Yep, the beloved and critically-acclaimed actor is switching gears at 63 years old to pursue a career in fashion design — and he recently launched the site JohnMalkovich.com to prove it. His website has the lookbooks (and shoppable links) to his latest collections, which all feature traditional pieces (suits, sweaters, T-shirts and lots and lots of scarves) accentuated with a unique design or whimsical print that is sure to be the star’s signature aesthetic.
On the website it states that Malkovich is focused on making sincere designs because he believes fashion is all about self-expression. “Fashion is about putting something together, and defining and transporting yourself,” the website reads. “It’s about being bold and discreet at the same time. Above all, it’s about focusing on what you want and not worrying about what others expect you to be.”
If you think this has come out of left field for the actor, he says he’s been interested in design since he was a kid. He’s done costume design for theater productions (and studied it in college) and even dipped his toes in high-fashion collaborations in the past. He walked the Comme des Garçons runway in the ’80s and posed for Prada, Antonio Miro and Armani campaigns. And he’s recently worked on design collaborations by creating a print for Liberty of London and collaborating with Bailey Hats, Pirelli and the watch brand, Richard Mille.
Still skeptical? Well, the actor actually merged his two careers into one for a short film called “Journey” which explains, in depth, the lengths he went to create this new path for himself.
The film follows his “journey” from his beginning sketches to the fashion show debut of his line and acknowledges the setbacks he’s faced along the way. When one friend asks him, “Quite a gamble, isn’t it?” Malkovich responds, “Yeah, but everything I ever did was a gamble.”
We’re cheering this particular gamble and hoping for a womenswear line next (if only for the fact that we can say we’re Wearing John Malkovich).