FRANCOIS SAGAT - Interview

Everyone knows Francois Sagat for his breathtaking body, his tattooed head and his participation in the gay porn and fashion in more than one way. I don’t think he’s just a gay porn superstar, with his exposure in pop culture, he’s definitely more than that, he’s a pop icon. Francois Sagat has become a cult phenomenon, he has completely changed his body and his life from that shy boy he was at school, to become known as one of the most desiderable man on the planet.

Everyone in his life has had one or a keep going metamorphosis.What about yours?
I don't think I'm keeping going into metamorphosis since a while now,it's been many years I'm the same now. I started doing changes in my body, looks and shapes when i was 24, some big changes I admit, almost violent. I'm really stable with my image since then with more or less weight, that's all. But I'm obviously aging , this: I don't choose it.(laughs).

I’ve red somewhere that you were really shy when you where boy, how much have you changed since your years as a teenager?
I was shy like a young feminine boy who was already self-conscious about his attraction for other boys very early. I was a bullied child in school. I guess the other children noticed already my obvious sensibility. Since then, I got very reserved and strictly cautious with people. I met so many intimidating people on my way that at one point , I almost absorbed their energy. Now I'm hearing sometimes that I'm a very intimidating person, that's crazy; its like a reverse effect ,and I absolutely don't control it. It's a fact. I'm still cautious with people nowadays , but in a different way.

Looking at you right now with your head tattooed, your strong and perfect body it seems you you were always beeing a strong and brave guy. Has your body become a way to feel much comfortable about yourself and who you are?
I guess its the same case for everybody, people that wanna have the balls to make a big change in their lives, in many ways, not only physically, but in different forms profesionaly, in terms of sexuality, esthetics...etc. I don't think my case is extraordinary, it's seems a big deal in your question, it's a very progressive process, also in my mind, I think i was also very strong in my mind as a teenager about all the things I was inspired by, also about my secret universe...etc. I 've always had opinions and self -confidence about some passions I had as a child ...I was believing in it. I admit I was a very fragile child in school yes, very sensitive about attacks but I knew very young ,those stupid young people of my age were not part of my world ,and that's why i may be stronger today.

Are you obsessed with body fit?
Yes I am. I don't wanna loose my body, and it's a very normal feeling, my behavior everyday is a constant work to stabilize what I built since 8 years now. I'm obsessed with being in shape .It's a very important motivation. But I don't have to prove anything to anyone.

Do you remember the moment when you’ve started working on your body transformation? Why did you wanna change?
I started in the early 2000, around 2002/2003 I had enough to look like a fragile young man. I liked muscle or athletic men...but they never paid attention to me , I was very frustrated. I did it for myself of course but also for the others.

How have you felt when your body started to look different?
Why do you wanna know that? I have no answer, it's too progressive, I feel that my body's still pretty average now, with all the years I spent at the gym. Many guys are big today. its not exceptional anymore. Im not the biggest guy at my gym for example. I'm not different, I don't feel different when I'm on the street with a hat on, with the hat on (laughs).
I feel that guys like Muscles, straight men like muscles, gay men like muscles, I like muscles, every men like another muscle men, not necessarily in a sexual way , but just to look at or to get compared with. I know it, I've experienced it. A trained, worked out body is always appreciable. Young Men , nowadays are really more aware about being attractive, taking care of themselves, going to the gym, being in shape, I think thats the new generation. It goes also with bisexuality.

You wanted to be known in the gay world and you had it. Was it all like you have been expected? Have you ever felt over-exposed?
Even if I 'm not doing anything for a year, I'll still be over-exposed, films are rolling (laughs), new dvd packages are released again, best of, videos, Vod, accessories, blah, blah, blah,...etc etc. Who cares. I didn't want to be known as a international pornstar, I 've never said that, never, it was not a goal. You're saying it, I didn't. It happened, that's all, then of course, I saw the success came really fast, I 've just played with it. But I was not dying for fame, no, no ,no. It's easy to be famous with internet now, then to make money from that, its another story.

Just to make the thing clear, is it true that how people see in you in your porno movie are far away different from you are in your personal life?
I 've been told many many many times I was a very very boring performer on films, that may be true, but I've been told I was a very very good and passionate pig in private, that may be true too. You have your answer.

You’ve had not only physical changes but even in your way of living, you have been working in fashion as a stylist assistant, then you went through porno and then into the author movie, how would you like to see yourself in the nearly future?
I don't wanna see myself in the future. I wanna see myself living the present moments, as bad and exciting as they are.

You have been practicing with different designers and fashion people like Jeremy Scott, Thierry Mugler, Paco Rabanne, Nicolas
Ghesquiere, Carine Roitfeld, Martin Margiela, Isabela Blow, Beat Bolliger. right? What have you learnt from these people? Who’s the person that has left more into you as a person?
That's very true, and that's the past and it's very far now. I spent a lot of time and brainstorming with Beat, I learnt a lot from Carine in a very short collaboration, I got a lot of inspiration from Nicolas Ghesquière, I still feel very lucky that I lived the last years of Mugler at "rue aux ours" and I found myself surprised that I stayed in touch with an amazing person named Jeremy Scott...

You’ve always been related into fashion, I remember the first time I’ve seen the lookbook you have done with Bernhard Willhelm, it was so nice and funny, maybe because you were been shooting in a kind of Peter Berlin style, what do you remember of that experience? Would you do something like that again?
Yes. It felt like a funny and exciting experience, very into self-deprecation a lot of good chemistry with all the team, and the photographer who was working for the calendar project I did the last Bernhard Willhelm show and it felt really familiar. I like it.

It seems to me from some interviews I’ve red about you in the past, you are bored about fashion, and some time it seems to me you are rejecting any kind of style and the fashion world is it true?
I just don't see any interest in wearing fashion, or designers, every day of a life for me, it has to be very occasional and rare. I 've always thought that this quote was "true": "Less is more" that's my opinion, for example I bought 4 pairs of sunglasses last week, they were from H&M and they were 5 euros each and they look amazing on me it’s the same with clothes I don"t buy fashion, but I loved to wear designer's clothes for photoshoot or videos, its immortalizing fashion, and its great, when I see "too fancy" guys in the street, with very studied looks during the day. I'm always thinking I would never do the same, but I don't mind on others. Fashion is not my world, but I know everything about fashion.

Have you ever asked yourself why if someone like you that has been so connected to fashion and than left, that thinks that clothes come always second is often asked to be shoot in a fashion story? And in a way is always connected to the fashion world?
It's maybe because when I'm wearing a Hervé Leger dress in high heels like I did last week, it happens that I actually look fabulous, I have a picture to prove it.

How is your perfect day?
Wearing a Hervé Léger Dress in high heels.

Francois has sent me the picture of him wearing a Hervé Leger dress in high heels, and yes! I have to admit he looks fabulous and hot...

Lady Fag - Interview

If you really want to feel NYC and know the essence of it you should go at one of the 6 parties a week Ladyfag is hosting in the city, she’s the girl everyone wants to know, and yes, if you leave New York without seeing her once you can’t tell you have seen New York. The first time I’ve met her I had the same feeling I’ve proved when I’ve met Catherine Baba; an overwhelming sense of style, they both irradiate. It’s hard to not fall in love with her at first sight, sometimes there’re people that are able to live their lives as a piece of art, making their existence stylish and extraordinary and Ladyfag is one of these people.

Ok let’s start form the beginning when did you become Ladyfag?
Ladyfag was born on an art gallery floor. I wrote and performed a
piece called Ladyfag: A Love Story. It was a group show put on by Sook
Yin Lee about different incarnations of outsiders. It was my dark
fairytale lovestory to the gay men in my life and what role I play in
the world I inhabit.

You are originally from Canada than you moved to NY which is the thing you like most about this city?
It can be a tough town, people don't just happen to live here. If you are here it's cause you have some personal dream of what this city can offer. The energy of a place full of creative desires keeps it vibrant and inspiring. It pushes me to my limits which is where I'm happiest.

Do you have some latin genes in your blood you are so passionate and warm...
I often say that I'm a Chilanga. A Mexico city girl. So while It might not run through my blood it flows through my heart. I clam a lot of things that aren't technically true... I'm also a fag. I'm a believer in being proud of not only who you are but what you make yourself to be.

What do you think about Frida Kahlo?
Frida is always a source of inspiration. It's not just her artwork that resonates, but her story and her politics. It's personal for me as I spent a lot of time in Mexico, which became a sort of adopted culture that I carry a lot of love for. Her use of fashion as political statement is something that resonates deeply with me, but I feel that way about many women. Nancy Cunard is another prime example, which is where my bangle fetish comes from. As for Frida, there's a Disneyfication of her in the world which is a good and bad thing. It's great that her work is known to the mass, but to simplfy her as this tortured woman artist is a shame. She'd probably roll over in her grave if she saw keychains of her self in souvenier shops. Mexico has a strong revolutionary spirit at the core of it's people and she's a beautiful example of that and I often reference her as an homage.

How much time do you spend about the outfit or the look you what to have for one night?
Minutes to hours to days. People usually plan an outfit or a costume for one night. My life is one big stage, so I'm always busy working in my dressing room plotting furture 'Looks'. Sometimes I have ideas in my head that I've been toying with, but more often than not it's a mad professor sort of scenario. I go into my dressing room start blasting music, the hangers start flying, home accessories start getting ripped off my walls and fashioned into headpieces, then I hit up my tower of shoes, slip em on and run into the night!

I think that style is a kind of gift, there’s people that can be fabulous
even just wearing a piece of rag, and other that even if they are weraring latest designer’s dress they look like shit, Can you tell me what style means for you?
Fashion is an industry where clothes are for the consumer. Style and true fashion is an artform, and a means of creative expression. Even if I'm dressed casually it's fully thought out, there's always a mood or a statement, that I'm trying to make. Sometimes I do it just for me, and at times for an aufdience. Art shouldn't just be relegated to walls, it should be shared. I carry it on me at all times. My most often worn accessory is my bruises. I like throwing myself into my parties literally, be it jumping on the bar or crawling through the dancefloor. Now matter how pressed I look I can never look perfect with black and blue bruises all over me. Keeps things in perspective.

Beening a fashion stylist myself I would say you may like desinger’s
dresses like McQueen, Galliano, Westwood, Lacroix do you have any favourite?
Looks like you've done your research you've named my top 4. Add in Ricardo Tisci for some dark romanticism, and Mugler for some sharp theatrics and you've got my dream team. I'm not quite Ladylike enough for Alaia but I love it and I'm working on getting there! But just as I'm not a size queen I'm not a label whore either. I love vintage. I love wearing things that no one else will have and just being creative with fashion. While I'd love a Treacy on my head sometimes a perched lampshade can look just as fabulous.

I know it’s not fair to ask what’s in a lady’s pourse, but what’s in yours?
It's more like a fashionable party first aid kit in there....bandaids, bobbypins and aspirins!! There's also always an abundance of drink tickets. Which is why sometimes when people say hello they're really just waiting for me to open it!!

Fashion is a medium through which you can disseminate message which is yours?
Be yourself. Whatever you wear should be an extension of what you're trying to say.I guess that might imply I'm schitzophrenic...all the voices in my head scream pretty loud so I have to let them out through my style.

So you are hosting 5 nights in NY, can you tell me something about it?
I've hosted up to 6 parties a week. Now that I'm producing them too I had to let some go as there's much more involved. The trick is to work hard so they run seamlessly and people don't realize that there's any work and just get lost in the experience. I have lots of little subworlds of people in my life so I have 3 parties that have completely different vibes. I do Friday, Saturday and Sunday, then Monday is my "Suicide Monday" recovering day.

Is it hard to be a host, is it like acting sometimes, making always people welcome and happy when they join to your party?
At times it can be really intense. Beyond having to deal with the actual logistics of the event, I have to be available for everyone to feel welcome. When too many people start grabbing at me I sometimes sneak to the bathroom to just to sit and breathe a few minutes alone. But I'm not complaining, I have a lot of fun, and its really rewarding seeing everyone getting lost in the magic of a good party.

Getting paid or getting recognized...or maybe both?
We always laugh in my house that it's "All caché no cash!" I'm just as happy sitting at the shows in paris as I am dancing in an east Village dive bar with my friends... but hey the money doesn't hurt...especially if one day this FAG wants to be an Alaia LADY!