Welcome to GURU, the place tradition’s fairy godmother Mickey Boardman sits down with trade titans to unpack the secret to their sauce. This month, he chats with footwear kingpin Steve Madden.
Steve Madden is obsessive about footwear which is an effective factor contemplating he’s the shoe king of New York. He’s additionally a showman in the nice custom of NYC’s Florenz Ziegfeld and Hollywood’s David O. Selznick maybe that’s why you’ll discover a sequence of movies known as The Shoe Shrink on his web site. Madden is nice at placing out cute, hip, stylish footwear however he additionally sees the massive image of brand name identification and leisure. We’ve been followers, pals and collaborators for years and we had been excited to meet up with him at his enormous manufacturing facility/workplace/headquarters in Queens.
Read our full dialog beneath.
Steve Madden: Do you guys know who David O. Selznick was?
Staff: No.
SM: Really? I keep in mind studying about “Gone with The Wind ” and considering the director was an afterthought as a result of the e book was so highly effective, you recognize?
Of course.
It was Selznick. He was the PRODUCER of the movie. He produced it. He gave delivery to it! He took this e book and employed the actors. He employed administrators. He fired them. He stored firing the administrators! He made this movie occur. It was the biggest movie ever made. Up till like, the fucking Godfather. You know? It was wonderful. I keep in mind going after I was a little bit boy to see it with my dad and mom.
It’s lengthy. It’s like three motion pictures in a single.
I do not forget that was the first time there was a film with an intermission. I freaked out. They don’t have that anymore! You know what I’m speaking about—
I Do. I’ve been to a couple—
In Times Square! With my dad and mom!
Staff: Oh, that’s cool.
It was wonderful—and I mentioned “That’s who I am. That’s what I want to do.” I didn’t know it could be footwear. Not fairly the author. Not fairly the director. Not the actor, however the man that’s operating it. It’s very exhausting to elucidate that to individuals. So, I’d go round to see varied individuals trying for cash (to start out my shoe enterprise.) I couldn’t clarify it. I knew that I had one thing that I may carry right here and make one thing massive. Nobody funded me! Nobody would give me cash! They nearly did: Kenneth Cole, this man New York Transit, one other Israeli man, and the guys from Tulips—that was a cool firm in California, however they couldn’t get there.
Was this earlier than or after you began in the trunk of your automobile?
Oh, that is earlier than the trunk.
So, you’re a showman principally. Like Ziegfeld.
Yes! Like Ziegfeld. I’ve been doing it and I’m nonetheless doing it. It’s like making a film, however in fact, if you grow old you’ve gotten much less power.
No shit.
Even the nice administrators just about fizzle out younger if you concentrate on it. There’s only a few that—
Well, Billy Wilder had a fantastic lengthy profession though he did fizzle out a little bit bit at the finish.
All of these guys that had been nice in the 70’s, you recognize? The “New Hollywood” guys. Not Spielberg, not Scorsese, however the remainder of them. Like the man that made “The Exorcist.”
William Friedkin. Do you recognize Peter Bogdanovich? He made like 3 of the most wonderful motion pictures ever.
He was younger.
“Last Picture Show,” “What’s Up, Doc?” And “Paper Moon.” His spouse, Polly Platt, was form of the brains behind the operation. I’m obsessed along with her. He began fucking Cybill Shephard and after some time Polly stop working with him.
Oh, proper!
Polly Platt really casted Cybill Shephard in the film. She noticed her on the cowl of Glamour Magazine and mentioned “This is the girl who we should get to play Jacy“
Wow!
She did the hair. She scouted the locations. She did everything.
So you think she was—
It was all her. 100%
Oh God!
Later she worked for James L. Brooks. She actually got nominated for an Oscar for doing the scenic design for “Terms of Endearment.”
Brooks was wonderful.
She additionally found Wes Anderson, Cameron Crowe, she gave them their first breaks—
*To employees** Did you ever see “The Last Picture Show?”
Staff: I’ve seen The Last Picture Show however no—
SM: It was one in every of—
It’s wonderful.
Jeff Bridges first, ya know? “The Big Lebowski,” one in every of his massive issues with Cybil Shephard. It was wonderful.
The man who wrote “The Last Picture Show” additionally wrote “Terms of Endearment” paradoxically. Larry McMurtry he was sort of in love with Polly Platt. She was an alcoholic and problematic too I’ve to say. There’s a podcast— I can’t consider I’m a douchebag who’s recommending podcasts however, it’s known as “You Must Remember This.”
Oh God I’ve obtained to take heed to it—That’s it!
Staff: Me too! I’ve to additionally.
You know trigger I’m—you recognize what I’m listening to?
What?
There’s a podcast about Dominick Dunne
I’d like to take heed to that.
Yeah. It’s known as Done & Dunne.
I find it irresistible. Let me write down “Done & Dunne”
“Done & Dunne”
Oh my God. We’re podcast individuals! Well, have you learnt what else I like? Have you ever listened to Anderson Cooper’s podcast about loss of life?
Yeah!
Fabulous. When he had Amy & David Sedaris, that was the smartest thing ever in historical past. Let’s flashback to the starting, you had been speaking about the way you had been pitching individuals. Tell me how.
I’d pitch them however I couldn’t clarify it. It was like the entire David Selznick factor from “Gone With the Wind.” I couldn’t —I attempted and I couldn’t get them to— they didn’t perceive. They knew there was one thing there however they simply didn’t—
How did you give you the concept to do footwear?
I labored in a shoe retailer in High School. Then I went to work at a shoe firm. I used to be 22. I labored just about the entire 80’s in the shoe firm and realized the enterprise after which at the finish of the 80’s I went out alone. It was at that—88,89,90. That’s after I was trying for funding and it didn’t occur. Then I simply did it. I simply took no matter I had and simply went into enterprise.
Was all of it ladies’s footwear right now?
All ladies’s.
What makes a tremendous girl’s shoe? What are the elements wanted for it to be a wonderful shoe?
Wow. For many causes, we simply can’t perceive or codify. It’s like, what makes successful track? It’s the similar factor. We do—
Do they should be comfy? Do they should be attractive?
Some footwear are attractive. Some footwear usually are not attractive.
Do they should be accessible in value?
Well, all the things is necessary, however, we’re in the model enterprise. We’re in the hip enterprise. We should
be stylish and we have now to maintain making an attempt to come back out with the trendiest form of footwear.
Oh, I feel you succeed. When I consider Steve Madden, I consider very now, present, hip, cool.
We’ve been doing it a very long time. The tradition of the firm is; we’re enterprise individuals and we’re inventive individuals. We’re very targeted on hits.
You’re from Queens initially?
I’m actually from a city known as Far Rockaway which is in Queens. I used to be born in Rockaway Beach Hospital. Then I’ll have a cousin that may name me up and yell at me and say “You were not born in Rockaway!” You know, that sort of factor. My mom, we had been a really shut household. As many households had been 60 years in the past. Everybody lived in a single place. We had been very a lot a Far Rockaway form of household. I think about that house.
Why is what you are promoting in Queens now? Is it since you love Queens? Is it a random coincidence?
It was simply random. In the storage of this constructing, I began with a shoe manufacturing facility. That’s why I’m right here. Then we took over extra and we grew to become an importer and so the relaxation is historical past.
How did you promote footwear out of the trunk of your automobile? Did you park on the nook and promote them to strangers?
No. I’d drive round and look for shops. There will need to have been 50 shoe shops in Manhattan. So, you possibly can simply hold promoting footwear.
When did you begin—
There are not any shoe shops now. Do you notice that? The biggest shoe retailer simply closed. Harry’s on the Upper West Side. The biggest retailer ever. They bought the most wonderful footwear. Closed. It’s the craziest fucking factor.
Why do you suppose?
Internet.
Yeah.
People can get on their telephone and purchase their footwear. It’s simply the method it’s.
When did you go from promoting out of the trunk of your automobile to truly having your individual Steve Madden boutique?
I opened up a retailer about 2 and a half years after I began. I opened up on Broadway. I really feel prefer it was May of 1993. I don’t understand how I did it with none of the issues I’ve now. Looking again on it’s like wow. How the fuck did I try this? You know? It’s like—like I heard an interview with Bob Dylan and it was like “Could you write those songs again?” He mentioned “I don’t know how the fuck I did that!” You know? I don’t know the place they got here from. They had been so nice his songs.
Did you ever have a second that was like “Wow. I’ve really made it now.”
There’s been a number of moments. They occur. I suppose the retailer was a second for me, the first retailer. Hearing from people who my shoe, it was an elastic shoe, was the largest shoe in the US. It’s known as “The Slinky.” That was fairly good.
I’d say. How lengthy do you retain a shoe in the rotation?
We’re nonetheless making “The Slinky.” Yeah, 30 years later.
That’s wonderful.
I can’t keep in mind if it was ‘95 or ‘96. The internet keeps them longer. You know, dot com? I don’t even use the proper expression, do I?
Makes sense to me. What proportion of what you are promoting would you say is on-line versus in particular person?
In retail 2 thirds is on the web. We even have loads of shops. It’s great. Some days we do one million {dollars} a day. It’s thoughts boggling.
That’s fabulous. Are you a $2 billion firm?
I feel we’re shut to three now. We simply purchased a giant firm.
Which firm did you purchase?
We purchased an organization known as Kurt Geiger.
Oh, attention-grabbing.
It’s totally different if you’re youthful and also you’re doing it however at the finish of the day, it’s all the similar shit. You go to mattress identical to everyone else you set your pants on one leg at a time. You look in the mirror you see a zit. I don’t have delusions of grandeur. I imply, perhaps I do typically, however largely I don’t. I want I did extra, frankly. I really suppose—is it a present to have the ability to suppose that method? I’m simply saying, yeah. I’m nonetheless at it. That’s actually it. I’m nonetheless at it and I do acknowledge that I’ve wealth now. Or much less, since this fool got here into energy. We’ll be okay. I’m not going to be homeless. When I say homeless I ought to actually make clear what which means. Obviously not homeless however there was a very long time the place I wasn’t paying my hire. Believe me I used to be a type of guys that used to attend.
I nonetheless haven’t paid final month’s hire.
In the previous days, after I was away for 3 months to go purchase after which they put a discover in your door. Then a months later they are saying we’re gonna evict you. I used to be by no means invoice payer.
Same.
Yeah.
We have a lot in widespread. We love Tuesday Weld. We’re dangerous invoice gamers. Did you in the finish really feel like going to jail was expertise or dangerous expertise? You’re very forthcoming and open about speaking about it.
It was completely horrible and painful. Of course, it doesn’t matter what I say as a result of I went to jail and I can’t undo it however I’m grateful for all the things that I’ve finished in my life and I’m grateful for the place I’m at the moment and a few of that may be a results of being at the backside. In the pit, in the darkness. I can’t converse for different individuals however there’s one thing about
being in that second of full darkness in the pit and coming by it. There’s one thing about
that. I’m not even positive tips on how to clarify it. Whether it builds character. Whatever the phrase is I’m considering of. I obtained to see highs and lows. The perspective I’ve gained is unbelievable.
Well, we don’t be taught something from success. I imply, from that sort of expertise, such as you simply mentioned, you be taught that your’e a survivor and you may get by something. After you’ve lived by that, it’s all of a sudden like, “Oh wait, they’re out of this color leather for the sandals.” That’s not such a disaster.
Or they ran out of Diet Pepsi. That sort of factor.
Absolutely, I’m grateful for the dangerous issues which have occurred to me. Although, I haven’t been to jail, however I really feel like I’ve realized. It made me respect life in a method that I didn’t in any other case.
Sure!
So then you definitely come out of the massive home and in that very same yr—
The hoosegow.
The hoosegow. Footwear News names Steve Madden the firm of the yr.
Is that proper? I don’t keep in mind. Was it that shut?
It was both the similar yr or very shortly after. Within the yr.
We got here out with a lot power.
Yeah, how do you clarify that?
It was 20 years in the past!
That’s so loopy.
20 years in the past—really, proper round now.
Well, there you go. Happy Anniversary. How necessary is it for celebrities to put on your footwear, or do you not care?
Oh, it’s a gasoline when anyone wears my footwear! It’s nice. I find it irresistible. You know. The movie star of at the moment is a unique factor. It’s the TikToker.
Are you on TikTook?
Sure, yeah. Not myself, however I watch all the things. Do you want TikTook?
I do—it’s a little bit younger for me, and a little bit frantic for me. I do go on it although. I used to have an account. I had an intern who made me do a TikTook on a regular basis. Like about my garments or—
How was it?
Grueling, exhausting, and never rewarding. So, what are your hopes and goals for the future? What is your interior David O. Selznick engaged on? Is it advert campaigns? Is it—
Oh God! I’m so over my head!
You are?
Yeah! You know, I work with actually nice individuals.
You do.
I do, and, you recognize, it’s totally different now. I’ve nice individuals I work with and the social media is so necessary. it’s powerful for me, however, there’s people who appear to have a knack for this.
They do, I do know.
We had a lady put on one in every of our footwear, this influencer. The shoe is doing nice. I can’t hold it in inventory.
How many various footwear a season?
Over 100.
100 new ones? Wow, that’s wonderful.
Yeah, we achieve this many. We have retail, wholesale, web.
What do you personally look for in a shoe? Do you put on the similar footwear day-after-day?
You know, I do just about put on the similar footwear on a regular basis. I’ve loafers from Steve Madden which can be nice. I’ve a number of of those that are superb for me. I’ve a pair of trainers that I can’t eliminate. I can’t discover a substitute for them. It’s been 15 years they usually have holes in them. It’s an engineer boot.
Are they Steve Madden?
No.
Is there one thing that the Selznick in you remains to be dying to do?
You know, I all the time simply need to make higher footwear. That’s it. That’s actually all I would like from enterprise. Is to have a season of excellent footwear. That to me is heaven. That could be heaven.
Have you ever had a season of excellent footwear?
I’ve come shut, but it surely’s exhausting. It’s actually exhausting.
Photography courtesy of Steve Madden