Eighteen Questions For John Demsey- The GWQA

What is it like to be cancelled, literally overnight? Cast aside in the blink of an eye from the very pinnacle of Manhattan power, fashion and high society? And, lose your $10 million-dollar-a-year job over a misguided meme?  For prestigious Estée Lauder beauty pioneer John Demsey, who’s one of the most incredible and gentle creative geniuses alive, it’s a debacle that he will no longer sit at home and mope on. What’s done can’t be undone seems to be the mantra of this pedigreed creative who has always “had a deep sense of what consumers want before they want it.”

Demsey has grown to realize that there is a wealth of love and eternal support from friends and fans all over the globe. And he’s now found the perfect metier to come back in from the cold. Welcome to Behind the Blue Door, he confidently enthuses in the very first pages of the gorgeous coffee-table book dedicated to his incredible home. This is his “ultimate expression of my lifelong passion for Art and Design.” It seemingly weighs at least 50 lbs at 235 pages with

a fabulous set of Acknowledgements which is the perfect brulée to this must-own archival trove for any design junkie.

With words from Alina Cho and images from Douglas Friedman, the man who made RuPaul mainstream and then went on to help Tom Ford become a billionaire twice over now gifts the zeitgeist with an exquisite tribute to his remarkable eye. And so, it was time for John Demsey to face The Eighteen Questions.

GEORGE WAYNE – I forgot to ask you at breakfast the last time I saw you, who makes your signature lunettes? Are they Tom Ford?

JOHN DEMSEY – My signature lunettes are a combination of Tom Ford and a bespoke collaboration with Morgenthau. Frederic designed it just for me. They are called “The JD”; I have them in over 30 colors. Tom Ford taught me that eyewear is the perfect way to frame your face for a more youthful image as time marches on.

GW – Have you, or your fabulous curator BiBi, considered acquiring any First Edition classics from the Charlie Watts estate that just went to auction at Christie’s?  You could have bought his very rare copy of The Great Gatsby inscribed by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Who knew that the late Rolling Stones drummer was such a bibliophile?

JD – Bibi, my best friend and interior designer, has indeed been looking at the Charlie Watts estate. I hope that I have not missed the train, as he would be a perfect addition to my eclectic collection. I do have a photo of The Rolling Stones shot by David Bailey, along with about six images of Mick.

GW – Charlie Watts had a fascination with the written word, and John Demsey seems to have a fascination with the visual world. This house of yours hangs images from every important fashion and fine art photographer of the 20th and 21st centuries.

JD – I have always been a visual person. Pattern, color, art and design have always been my passions. Many of my friends joke that I am the ultimate luxury hoarder. It all began, I guess, collecting Matchbox cars as a little boy and making collages from magazines and posters. In fact, I got in big trouble with my parents for cutting up my World Book encyclopedia to make art. Before I had any money I would plaster the walls in my room with posters, comics, postcards and tear sheets. The first photo I ever bought was at twenty years old, in Paris. Brigitte Bardot as a brunette, is on my wall and also included in the Foreword of the book.

GW – This is one of the chicest, most visually titillating homes in New York City. But how can you also own eight dogs and allow them to roam freely?  Meandering, tails wagging through all the priceless objets d’art everywhere here!

JD – To be specific, I have eight dogs and two cats. I need a lot of emotional support, and I guess as a Maximalist, I took it pretty far. Yes, I let them roam freely, always with an ample supply of Nature’s Miracle! Liz Tilberis said she never trusted people who neither had kids nor pets. I guess I would agree.

GW – Of all the amazing nooks and crannies “Behind The Blue Door,” which is the most used and hence, the favorite?

JD – My favorite spots where I spend a great deal of time would be on the blue velvet Willy Rizzo sofa in the living room, surrounded by celebrity and fashion photography. My jewel of an office is adjacent to a map of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. My all-glam monkey bedroom is grounded in David Hicks, and my fifth-floor gym with the red leather equipment placed in the gaze of Daphne Guinness photographed by Steven Klein.

GW – This idea for the book, was it yours or your soulmate, Alina Cho?

JD – The idea of the book was the collaboration between, as you say, my soulmate Alina Cho, and Douglas Friedman. Vendome Press had approached me, and as I have been living through a very unexpected transition time, the project was deeply therapeutic in that it helped me to reframe who I am and who have always been through my unique, bold point of view.

GW- So if a dog shits on the Liaigre couch, you don’t care?

JD –  I do not love when a dog shits anywhere. Thankfully, the orange Hermes leather Liaigre has been spared to date. I have so much leopard and pattern on the floors to be forgiving of my squad’s little accidents. CZ Guest gave me that home decor trick in the ‘80s.

GW – Behind The Blue Door is an immediate collectable.  So is your prestigious Vendome Press coffee table behemoth a “maximalist mantra”?

JD –  First, thank you for appreciating the book. I am very proud of it. My maximalist mantra is to explore and find the things that bring you joy and reflect who you are.

A good press agent friend of mine told me that what’s important is YOU BE YOU. For me, that’s living life boldly. My taste may not be for everyone. I swear my next one will be a minimalist symphony. What is important is to embrace your passions and beliefs in life.

GW – Would you consider yourself an eclectic?

JD – For me, “eclectic” is a noun, adjective and verb. I am an eclecticist, to the max!

GW – “Behind every door, every room, every object, there is another story,” you perfectly tell it. Your life has been mostly perfect apart from one cataclysm hiccup.

JD – My life is the sum of the work and friends I have been true to my entire life. Nothing and nobody in life is perfect, and neither am I. I have always been a kind, loving and inclusive person who has embraced the good in everyone. I am moving forward as I am a positive person. What happened to me is in the rearview mirror. I am sorry that people made snap judgements about who I really am. Everyone who knows me knows the truth. I am excited to hear what GW thinks is next for me. I am not done, and I have a lot more to say and do.

GW – You were raised with a silver spoon in your mouth. A proper boy with Midwest values. “Son of stylish, remarkable parents,” you say yourself.

JD –  I’m so lucky to have had such loving, stylish parents. They instilled in me a work ethic and a humanity second to none.  My 91-year-old mother is a painter whose work is on view at The Spaceless Gallery at Bergdorf Goodman. She is chic, bold, outspoken and a force. My late dad would often say he was not surprised by my success as he and my mother raised me to be unique. also, our flatware was stainless steel, not silver.

GW – Do you still detest Fabrizio Freda for firing you from Estée Lauder?

JD – My time at Estée Lauder was the greatest opportunity of my life. I want to focus on the future, not the past.

GW – Do you think Aerin Lauder will buy this fabulous book for her armoire?

JD – I worked with Aerin for many years at Estée Lauder and also when she created her own brand. I’m sure she would buy a book, but of course I will be sending her one. In fact, in November, I’m doing a book charity event with God’s Love We Deliver. She is on the board and was very supportive of the idea.

GW – Anyone who has known John Demsey for the more than 28 years that GW has had the pleasure, knows there is nothing racist or even disingenuous about him or his life’s work.

JD – GW, we have known each other for a very long time. You have a good idea of my integrity and character. In our social media-powered world, many people do not know me nor are aware of what I have done and why I have done it. I need all the love and support I can get. GW as my advocate, is a dream come true.  I live for and am inspired by pop culture. Viva Glam was an extraordinary opportunity to raise money and awareness of HIV and AIDS. I got to work with over 35 legendary pop culture idols, raised over $500 million and made a difference. It’s the work I will always be most proud of.

GW – As Teri Agins, the pedigreed and wonderful fashion journalist, made it clear. “John was more culturally attuned from day one when it came to inclusivity.” There is no denying that fact.

JD – Terri Agins is a real friend. She told me everyone loves the comeback. Get ready, world. I’m back.

GW – What do you think of the brand new MAC Cosmetics re-branding?

JD – I will always love MAC. It’s hard to judge something you were so close to for nearly a quarter of a century. The world and business have changed so much. Drew Elliot is a great creative director. He embodies the values and voice MAC needs now.

GW – Not to harp on it, but what would you do if you ran into Leonard Lauder on a bathroom break at opening night of the Lincoln Center opera? Would you avert his glance?

JD –  For the record, and shout it from the rafters, Leonard Lauder is my friend and role model in life. I love him and consider it an honor to have built so much of Estée Lauder with him.

GW – GW loves you, Johnny Demsey. Thank You!