February 13, 2013Johnson Hartig
Mention the name “Johnson Hartig” to a member of a certain shelter magazine–reading, design blog–perusing crowd and chances are someone will delightedly exclaim, “Oh, that house in Domino!” This despite the fact that the Los Angeles-based Hartig is a fashion designer, not an interior designer; in 2001 he co-created Libertine, a label that made waves from the get-go with its quirky-punk sensibility and the fact that nearly all the garments are made from reworked vintage clothing. Early supporters included Anna Wintour, Karl Lagerfeld and John Galliano, and in the last few years, Libertine has collaborated with the likes of Target, Converse and Goyard.
Yet as well-known as he is in the fashion world, Hartig carries more than a little sway in the interior design world, too, thanks in large part to that memorable 2007 Domino spread. Showcasing his snug Hancock Park bungalow, it highlighted his artful mix of Anglo antiques, Lucite furniture, flea-market finds and soaring white walls bedecked with kaleidoscopic Damien Hirst paintings. (Lest anyone think that recognition was a random blip, the house has also been featured in a handful of other publications from French Vogue to the Los Angeles Times, and his first home was in a 2002 issue of House Beautiful.)
Bright prints and patterns rendered in wool and tweed showed up in Johnson Hartig’s Libertine Fall 2013 collection, which debuted at New York Fashion Week last Saturday. All photos courtesy of Libertine
Early Influences
I remember watching my mother getting dressed for cocktail parties when I was little and being intrigued by the way a certain dress or pair of earrings could be absolutely transformative. My mother and grandmother loved to rummage through thrift and junk shops too, and I would often tag along. I believe this had a major impact and provided great training.
Big Break
Cliff Fong, then the men’s buyer from [the legendary Melrose boutique] Maxfield, saw me in some thrift-store pants I had reconstructed and asked me to make some for Maxfield; it turned out to be a really big chance for me.
Inspired By
Humble, talented people; good manners; old-fashioned quality; architecture; the Ottoman Empire; 18th- and 19th-century English Romantic writers; flower gardens; dogs; Islamic inlaid furniture; Magritte; people confident enough to be friendly; 1970s and early ’80s decoration; Palissy ware
Hartig arrayed his home, which has appeared in several shelter magazines, with works by Damien Hirst and Rebecca Morales, among others, and a “1970s Lucite table that launched a thousand imitations,” he says.
Libertine looks through the seasons, include, clockwise from top left: Spring ‘06; Spring ‘12; Fall ‘11; Spring ‘12; Fall ‘11; Spring ‘06
Current Playlist
Antônio Carlos Jobim, Mozart, Bach, Christian Death, Black Flag and the Pet Shop Boys
Blackberry or iPhone?
iPhone
Art
Always love, love, love Howard Hodgkin. Also having a deep Robert Rauschenberg moment right now, and, as always, Damien Hirst.
Designers You Most Admire
Lacroix, the most magically elegant poet; Ungaro, the most magically elegant colorist; and Karl Lagerfeld, who is out-of-sight magical, period
Favorite Vacation Spot
Rajasthan, India; London; Provence; Marrakech; Napa
Drink of Choice
If imbibing, Champers one-hundred percent, I get a real kick.
“I remember watching my mother getting dressed for cocktail parties and being intrigued by the way a certain dress or pair of earrings could be absolutely Transformative.”
Libertine’s Spring ‘13 line debuted at New York Fashion Week about two months before the November presidential election.
“We always try to encourage the models to be themselves and have fun,” says Hartig, backstage after his most recent runway show in New York.
Watering Hole
Hemingway Bar, Paris
Favorite Place For Dinner
Ammo or Lucy’s El Adobe in Los Angeles; in New York I love I Sodi.
On the Nightstand
Sum by neuroscientist David Eagleman: It translates lofty concepts of infinity and death into accessible human terms.
Uniform
Either long cut-off dress-pant shorts and a clever Libertine T-shirt or work-out shorts and a clever Libertine T-shirt, but always a clever Libertine T-shirt
Favorite Place in my Home
I like my bedroom, bathtub and backyard all for different reasons, but all equally.
