"FASHION IS THEATER,THE RED CARPET IS SIMPLY A STAGE"

- Sam Ratelle

When bringing this elaborate display to life, Ratelle and Porter got to spread their wings both literally and figuratively. “I loved it because I really got to exercise my abilities as a director, which is what I am first, in a public forum,” Ratelle told, “and in a way where people were able to understand the art that I can create.” In addition, Ratelle’s work received keen support from the high priestess of fashion, Anna Wintour, who is also the Gala’s curator.

Ratelle was grateful for the opportunity to showcase how fashion and theater are intertwined on the red carpet, fashion’s greatest stage. “It allowed me to play into the narrative that fashion is theater,” Ratelle said. “...The red carpet is simply a stage, and it was so special to me that we got to champion the theater community with that.”

With great art comes immense work and dedication, and Ratelle credits Billy Porter’s 2019 Tony Award look as the most challenging of his career. “It was really because of functionality,” Ratelle said. “We literally took the Kinky Boots curtain and made it into a dress, and we had limited time. So that was a little bit of a trickier one because of what the fabric was like, but still just as impactful and super super fun.”

While Ratelle and I chatted about his remarkable portfolio, I couldn’t help but bring up Billy Porter’s blue sparkly getup at the 2020 Grammys, which is my all-time favorite look he has created. Porter donned a crystalized blue suit from Baja East embellished with silver fringe, and fully crystallized silver Coach boots. The most shocking aspect of the look was a blue and silver fringe hat that opened and closed mechanically, brought to life by Smooth Technology and hat couture mastermind Sara Sokol. Take one look at the getup and you will be completely stunned. “My goal is to entertain and create shock value wherever I go, ” Ratelle said, “whether it’s on the red carpet, on stage, in a music video How can we retain your attention and allow you to have fun for a second?…I really really loved that moment. I did not expect it to go viral all over the world.” Ratelle touched on the importance of relationships in the fashion industry, and these connections drastically impacted the brands and designers he frequented.

When a pre-existing brand deal or ambassadorship is not a factor, Ratelle is fond of working with Coach, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, Giles Deacon, and The Blonds. However, the complex landscape of fashion directing, specifically with a VIP whose body becomes advertising space, taught Ratelle where his career intentions lie “Sometimes it’s not always your choice, and that’s part of the reason that I don’t do it anymore, ” Ratelle said. “I’m at a point in my life where I don’t want to be half of something. I want it to be my choice. If you ’ re creating editorials for fashion magazines or costume design for film, you'll still have to answer to the director, but more so than anything you have your own section where you're able to play."

Taking the notion that "fashion is theater" to the big stage, Ratelle has directed his creative and fashion work towards theater and costume design

When seeking inspiration, Ratelle takes a comprehensive approach, involving research, mood boards, consuming pop culture and film, reading magazines, and more He compared the process of drawing inspiration to that of composing on the piano. “Everybody gets to use the same set of keys, there’s only a few of them, and they recycle,” Ratelle said. “Your goal is to take all of these tools and resources that you have and make something new with it.”

After learning about Ratelle’s career path, talent, and triumphs, you ’ re probably feeling just as I did: I wish I could be dressed by Sam! Well, while most of us don’t have red-carpet budgets, fear not, because we got the scoop from the icon himself on which trends to shop and which to drop. Ratelle’s first favorite is monochrome “I think the monochromatic thing is absolutely amazing,” he said. In addition, Ratelle is a proud proponent of couture and smartly investing in quality pieces. “I think we ’ ve kind of exhausted fast fashion and people are really trying to get invested into custom work,” Ratelle said. “Couture is having a moment. I love to thrift shop, but I like to spend my money on things that are going to last me a long time: heirlooms, jewelry, accessories, and scarves. ” However, that doesn’t mean expensive always equals high quality. “Am I going to pay $700 for a pair of jeans?” Ratelle said, laughing. "No. I'll buy a pair of Levi Jeans somewhere for $45 and call it a day because they’re going to look just the same as an expensive pair.

In couture, Ratelle admires the wild spirit that couture houses are taking on, noting Jean Paul Gaultier and Balenciaga as favorites. “Other favorites of mine within the couture world are Schiaparelli, Valentino, Guo Pei, Chanel, Iris Van Herpen, Giambatista Valli and Stéphane Rolland,” Ratelle shared.

To top it off, Ratelle added the denim trend and the resurgence of Western Wear to his list. “I really love the trend in menswear, where there’s definitely more sparkles, more color, more femininity in all of it,” Ratelle said. “I think that is something I was able to contribute to within the fashion world, which is to build those visual representations of more of the things that seem “feminine” in menswear. ”

Reflecting on his constantly growing career filled with red carpet sensations, impeccable creative direction, and boundary-pushing work, Ratelle imparted his advice for anyone looking to dive into the vibrant world of fashion “My advice would be to really spend time figuring out what exactly it is that you ’ re good at, and expand from there,” he said. “I always say to master one thing and then go to the next…You have to work hard. It is not an easy business.”

Ratelle time and time again has highlighted the value of connections and finding any way to truly im yourself in the fashion world “Get a wonderful internship and be amazing at it,” he