E! to Air STYLEMAKER: MICHAEL KORS Tomorrow

By: Nov. 17, 2014
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Michael Kors sits down with E! exclusively to talk about his journey from a fashion-focused childhood in Long Island, New York to reigning over his own empire that includes handbags, footwear, sunglasses, watches, jewelry, beauty and fragrance. Michael, born Karl Anderson Jr., divulges stories of his early brushes with fame, like appearing in a "Lucky Charms" commercial at the age of 4, realizing fashion was his calling and getting his first big break in the industry. The American sportswear design icon developed his brand while working as a creative director for the French fashion house Céline, and later became instantly recognizable to the masses through a hit television show. Always one to give back, Michael partnered the World Food Programme to fight hunger, and with God's Love We Deliver, which provides freshly prepared meals and nutrition counseling to people living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and other life-altering illnesses, who cannot shop or cook for themselves. The 30-minute special also includes interviews with Kerry Washington and Blake Lively, who have long been the designer's friends and muses, as well as Anna Wintour and Vera Wang, early champions of his talent. "Stylemaker: Michael Kors" premieres Tuesday, November 18 at 8:30pm ET/PT on E!

Some of Michael's closest friends spoke to E! about him, saying:

"The first time I met Michael, I was working at NY Magazine, I was the women's fashion editor and he came up to see me riding on the subway with a little bag of clothes, six or seven pieces. It was a complete one man show. And he was positive and enthusiastic. What Michael stood for is very clean American sportswear." - Anna Wintour on meeting Michael Kors for the first time.

"He is really supportive of somebody's fashion evolution and cultivating a sense of style. He's dressed me for a very long time when some other designers wouldn't, and I've always been very grateful." - Kerry Washington on Michael Kors.

Michael himself offers up some incredible insights on how his passion for clothing, theatrics and decision-making exhibited themselves at an early age:

"I was going to have this new last name 'Kors' and my mother said 'Do you want to have your nickname Chuckie forever? Or do you want to start fresh?' So I became probably a rare kid who gets to pick out their name and I thought Michael sounded very adult." - Michael Kors on choosing to change his name from Karl Anderson Jr. at the age of 5, when his mother remarried.

"I told my grandmother how to wear her hair for the wedding and what color eye shadow she should wear and I realize now in retrospect, it was a pretty powerful thing to have these adult women let a 5-year-old boy give them fashion advice." -- Michael Kors on being a fashion authority from a very early age.

"When I did a Lucky Charms commercial, I was glued to the TV and I didn't realize it was going to be on that frequently. Every time It would come on I would just start screaming 'I'm on! I'm on! I'm on!' Then I think my mom, she saw that you know , I was almost in a strange weird way , too comfortable doing this and I think she thought you know what You've gotta have a little bit more of a regular child's life." - Michael Kors on his short-lived career as a child actor in commercials.



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