Nick Wooster couldn’t picture life today during his ‘60s childhood in Salina, Kansas. His father was a mechanic and his mother stayed at home, not knowing that her eldest son who played with dolls and was allowed to speak candidly, dress himself as a kid and request cashmere sweaters as a teenager would someday turn into a lucrative professional with a career in the world of fashion after studying journalism and advertising at Kansas State University in 1978—back when in-state tuition was $350 a semester.
At the start of the ‘80s, Wooster, with $10,000 he saved from his retail job at Joseph P. Roth & Sons, left Dorothy behind for a life in New York moving to what would be his first apartment at 111 E. 60th St., where he paid $417 per month to share a room. This new life was expectedly exciting but unexpectedly heavy. New York in the early ’80s was thrilling, but as history has shown, it also had its dark side, particularly the AIDS epidemic and drugs.
His career in luxury fashion started in 1987 as a buyer for Barneys New York when it was still a single store in Chelsea. He worked there for two and a half years. By June of 1989 and much to his delight, Bergdorf Goodman recruited him as their men’s designer collections buyer. Later in 1993, he became the director of retail at Calvin Klein.
By 1995, he was working in concept design at Polo Ralph Lauren, and shortly after in 1996 with John Bartlett for five years until 2001. Due to 9/11, the man who had no idea he would become a menswear staple found himself in Los Angeles and back on the retail floor at Barneys. After seven months he was rescued from retail and ultimately became the director of creative services at Splendid and Ella Moss. In 2010, after a three-month process, he became the men’s fashion director at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, but by May of 2011, he’d been fired. This time though, thanks to his newfound fame, the West Village dandy turned street-style magnet had three job offers the next day. His final corporate position would be at JCPenney in 2012 where he was responsible for bringing back the cool for 49 weeks.
Nick, who tailors every T-shirt, short, and gym outfit, speaks openly and says, “I work around fashion more than in it.” He tells the CFDA how Nickelson, who was a child when homosexuality was illegal and segregation was legal, became Nick Wooster; what he’s been up to and his feelings on the current state of menswear.
Before we get into the thick of things. I read you started in retail at 16 because you wanted a cashmere sweater, so who were you in high school?
It’s a tale of two Nick’s. I was in high school in the ‘70s from 1974 to 1978. The first two years I was in the disco era with purple bell bottoms and platform shoes. Before I found myself even working in retail, the dawn of the preppy era had begun, and I ended up adopting that lifestyle and look which has since stuck with me.
So, when did you discover your style?
After my first trip to London in 1981, during the summer before my senior year of college, I went to stores and started trying on clothes. Now, I don’t mean to sound disingenuous, but the truth of the matter is I was born this way. I will always remember when I was a youngster, even before I began kindergarten, my mother couldn’t pick out clothes for me; either when it was time to buy or at home getting dressed. I was like, “no, this is what I’m wearing,” and I would say things like, “I don’t like the way this T-shirt fits.” She would look at me and say, “What the f#$k are you talking about, it’s a T-shirt; you’re five, it’s fine.”
You have this new collection with ONITSUKA, and I remember your days at GREATS, so it’s apparent that you’re still moving and shaking, but what else are you doing?
Yes, I launched The Onitsuka collection at Tokyo Fashion this March. In addition, I started working again with Paul and Shark, so I was in Milan last week. I’m launching a collaboration with the Japanese brand “Kuon” this summer, and I have an ongoing collab with the Italian shoe brand Scarosso. My current projects consist of a combination of retainers, one-off projects, and Instagram posts. I have two new partnerships that I am currently working on but cannot discuss. I want to be busier, but I am also happy to be semi-retired too.
Earlier in your life, you resided in Los Angeles; what took you back?
COVID altered my circumstances, as it did for everyone else. I was in a pricey apartment in New York. I probably should have moved earlier, but I waited, and when I realized that I would have to downgrade in New York or could relocate to Los Angeles, I said, “F#%k it, I’ll move to LA.” Although I adore Los Angeles, I do miss New York; in any case, I miss what it used to be.
What do you think of the current state of men’s fashion?
What has been so uninteresting about menswear, or perhaps all fashion, in the past five years? I’m not trying to say that this is wrong or bad; however, I believe that streetwear, such as hoodies and sneakers, replaced tailored clothing, shoes, and boots, which was a problem for the menswear industry. I don’t mean hoodies are terrible or that they aren’t stylish, but it takes a whole different skillset to make a tailored jacket than it does to cut and sew fleece to produce a hoodie.
The issue for me is that the institutional history and knowledge are disappearing, tailors are dying out in front of our eyes, and a lot of young people are not choosing those careers. Getting pants tailored or shortened is sometimes more difficult than ever. The fact that this is taking place is not beneficial to the industry or business.
