From designing dog beds to driving the fashion Lamborghini: the excessive world of Philipp Plein | Culture

They say that a house is a representation of its owner, and Philipp Plein's (Munich, 46) mansion in Los Angeles is a good reflection of the fashion designer's personality and rise. The home, named Falconview Castle and formerly owned by Howard Hughes, sits atop a hill in Bel Air, with sweeping views of the California metropolis on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other . In its hall stands an enormous marble statue representing a tattooed angel. Entering further into the house, the visitor encounters another figure, that of UFO Robot Grendizer, one of the characters of the creator of the Mazinger animated. The complex is designed to avoid the slightest constraint: gigantic chandeliers, golden ceilings and 25 rooms. But Plein's plans don't stop there. I [designed] this house as a rehearsal for the big house. When the other one is finished, this one will be intended for the guests, explains the designer in an interview. What for any other mortal would be the height of excess, for him is only the beginning.

The big question is how Plein, the son of a doctor who left his family and a Bavarian housewife, came to run a fashion empire that branched out into jewelry, luxury watches and NFT, generating a fortune that the German edition of Forbes estimated at $800 million. There's no simple answer, but perhaps the closest thing to deciphering the riddle is that the German designer has unconditionally embraced the most excessive vision of our current moment and presented it to consumers who want to show off their wealth to the world. Another possible explanation lies in Plein's own public statements, which include disavowals of the fashion world and claiming that his own idol is none other than Elon Musk. A traveling representative of his brand, Plein is a cross between tech entrepreneur, rapper and professional athlete.

From the right to the dog designer

Fashion was never part of Plein's plans, which were initially based on his law studies at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Looking for a source of income that would allow him to become independent from his mother and stepfather, he came across an article about the booming dog accessories industry. Taking advantage of the money he had inherited from his grandfather, Plein set out to design a dog bed inspired by a Corbusier sofa. The success of the product convinced Plein to abandon academia and devote himself first to designing furniture, then clothing.

In a world as competitive as that of fashion, and without prior experience in the field, Plein bet on the most generous path possible. Inspired by the maximalism of Versace and Dolce & Gabbana, German designs were not driven by reinterpretation of trends, but by purely commercial parameters. I realized I needed a different product, so if I put a Fuck you all cashmere sweater in Swarovski crystals, I could sell it for $5,000, he explained in an interview with The New Yorker. The business model is really very simple. Simple, but effective: in 2022, his company achieved $228 million in turnover.

Plein's path to success was also traced thanks to his public persona, always photographed with celebrities from the world of music and sports, who forever wear his own clothes. His loyal customers include Cristiano Ronaldo, Nicolas Cage and Floyd Mayweather, an exclusive list to whom the designer offers the luxury they need, and not just in the form of clothing and accessories. Through its various business combinations, Pleins manufactures jewelry, watches, perfumes and is working on opening its first hotel, in Milan. In 2016, he acquired the Italian brand Billionaire and, as a good enthusiast of the world's leading technology entrepreneur, made forays into NFTs and the metaverse.

The anti-fashion designer

Of course, his way of understanding fashion led Plein to be seen by many as a nerdy, attention-seeking upstart. But that didn't stop him from maintaining a constant presence at Milan Fashion Week, a stage on which he cemented his image of excess and luxury. It was there that he organized what is still known as one of the most expensive fashion shows of all time in 2015, for which he installed a roller coaster and featured a performance by rapper Azealia Banks. Plein never hides his cards. HAS Interview magazine, he made his intentions clear: I am a maximalist and I'm proud of it.

This excessive, exhibitionist opulence earned him fans like rapper and actor Ice-T, who once defined the brand as the Lamborghini of clothing and who became a personal friend of the designer. One of the artists' favorite items of clothing is a T-shirt with a diamond skull and bones. If they try to stop me at the door, I think it's an $800 T-shirt, back off, he joked in an interview.

But Plein has also aroused some reluctance, particularly in circles which consider ostentation to be a sign of bad taste. In 2017, Ferrari sued Plein for using some of its cars in a parade. Two years later, the Italian company asked the designer to stop sharing images on Instagram in which his automobiles appeared alongside his sneakers.

The German has made this type of rejection a badge he wears with pride, taking every opportunity possible to display his contempt for the fashion industry. The fashion world was against us from the start, he said GQ. I've been through all this before. When I arrived at boarding school as a teenager, I had long hair while all the guys had short hair and wore cargo pants and polo shirts. I tried to fit in, but after a few months I realized that it wasn't me and that I didn't have to fit into a system that I couldn't stand. That's how I run my business now, I work in the fashion industry.

Plein embraces his role as a fashion outsider, seemingly capable of selling any product imaginable thanks to his strident personality and aura of excess. I learned how difficult it is to sell a chair and how easy it is to sell a jacket, he continued in the GQ interview. I don't have rich parents. I don't have any investors. I don't have bank credit. That's what I'm really proud of. I remained independent and built all of this with my own hands, without anyone's help.

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