Television's top designer Todd Oldham also rocks his own house

Tag : Coated Fabric

NEW YORK - Half the fun of meeting Todd Oldham is getting to hangout in his Tribeca apartment, a quirky funhouse of bright colours,high-end artwork and kitschy knicknacks.
If you want a window into the psyche of Oldham, the multi-taskingdesigner known for his modern and playful style, you'd need only toscan the living room. The walls are coated in a pattern of yellowand orange vertical stripes, which clash harmoniously with the pinkand green oversized rugs, and an ottoman upholstered in lady bugfabric. Artfully arranged stacks of books coexist with stuffedanimals, including a sock puppet.
There's a blue bowl formed by melted plastic soldiers and a framedPlayboy photograph of a topless Bettie Page hanging a Christmasornament, signed by Hef himself.
The space is a little bit flea market, a little bit Pee-wee Herman- and all Oldham, who rose to fame in the '90s as a high-fashiondesigner before expanding his business into interior design andother endeavours.
"I don't try to describe it," he says of his personal taste. "Iguess if I put words to it, I don't know, it's maybe eclectic andcomfortable. ... I have more of a psychological and emotionalapproach toward design, just trying to make a place where peoplecan feel fantastic or exude some part of their personality."
The 46-year-old is the feel-good mentor to 13 contestants on theU.S. Bravo reality series "Top Design," (it airs in Canada on HGTV)which tosses aspiring interior designers into a series of rigorouschallenges aimed at whittling down the competition to one winningdesigner. The show began its second season this week.
Oldham - whose resume includes designing hotels, restaurants and aline of dorm room furniture for Target - said he wouldn't have theguts to compete in the series, which follows the structure ofBravo's "Project Runway" and "Top Chef."
"I would not want to be a contestant on this show at all," he says."It's just too brutal. I said it before, but this is the only showI know on TV that is a thousand times harder than what it looks. Itwas way, way harder than what it looked like."
Could he hack it?
"Oh, I could totally hack it! I'm just not up for it," said Oldham,whose favourite challenge was one in which his mentees wereassigned to make over bomb shelters.
The season brings back judges Jonathan Adler, Margaret Russell andKelly Wearstler. New to the series is leggy fashionista IndiaHicks, who replaces Oldham in the role as host (and utterer of theelimination catch phrase: "We can't live with your design.").
Oldham, who juggled hosting and mentoring duties last season, saidhis hectic schedule allowed him to reprise his preferred positionas the show's well-liked, neutral cheerleader - the Tim Gunn toAdler's Michael Kors and Wearstler's Nina Garcia.
The chatty, sunny Texas native - a regular guest on the former MTVshow "House of Style" - said he wouldn't feel comfortable on thejudges' panel.
"I understand how subjective design is. . . . I could promote bothsides and never come to a solution. I'm a bad fit for judging likethat. Pecking orders confuse me, so I don't think like that," hesaid.
One thing he is not confused about is how to multi-task.
The boyish designer has multiple plates spinning at all times,whether it's overseeing the design studio he founded in 1999,appearing on TV or tending to his most high-profile gig, creativedirector of Old Navy.
The clothing retailer hired Oldham last fall to revive the Gap Inc.brand, which faces heavy competition from trendy mass market storeslike Forever 21 and H&M.
"I have 160 designers that I work with and it's peculiar andchallenging but it's working," he said. "It's very organic. Youjust try to keep people united and talking. . . . It's just amatter of leaving out some less pretty colours and making sure it'sall nice. We're trying."
Oldham's influence - readily visible in the current fall collectionin the design of a blue blazer with pink trim - has garneredpositive reviews. He recently introduced flashier styles in thestores, with sequins added to minidresses, tank tops and vests.
"June was the first stuff I've worked on, which also was the firstmonth we've become profitable in a long time. . . . I'm notclaiming I have anything to do with it, I'm just noting thecoincidence," he said, laughing.
Oldham, whose grandmother taught him how to sew at age nine, wasready to return to the fashion prominence after a long hiatus.
Last year, "I was either going to go to Europe and revamp a couturehouse . . . or find a way to reach people with somethinginteresting that didn't have anything to do with money or thespectacle of fashion. And so Old Navy to me looked like it was avery very most interesting group that had the most possibility. Afuture leaning success. So hopefully, I think, I chose right."
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