What's My Logo?: Mario Batali Dishes On His Signature Shorts And Orange Crocs: "I Am A Fashion Disaster"
Chef Mario Batali started a culinary empire in 1998 with his Greenwich Village restaurant Babbo. He is the chef/owner of six celebrated restaurants in New York City, author of numerous cookbooks, and host of the upcoming PBS gastro-tour Spain...On The Road Again, co-hosted with Gwyneth Paltrow. Most recently Batali launched Carnevino in Las Vegas, but no matter where he hangs his hat, he always wears his signature orange shoes and shorts (even in the dead of winter). Batali, who was recently refused entry to a fellow chef's hip downtown birthday party due to his casual duds, dished on his quirky style:
You are almost as famous for your orange shoes and perennial shorts as for your acclaimed cuisine and restaurants. How did your look start?
10 years ago my wife gave me the shoes and the kids wear orange all of the time because it's such a happy color. The first pair of orange shoes she gave me were Calzuro Italian operating room clogs. Now, I wear Crocs; and the company have created a pair called The Bistro, which are specifically designed for people in the food service industry, and which come in signature Mario Batali orange!
I like shorts because, by nature, I am always warm, and I like to be comfy.
Do you think personal style is a professional asset?
Definitely. It is important to create a recognizable brand.
What are the benefits of making a statement with your wardrobe?
Instant recognition - which is sometimes good and sometimes bad; sometimes it's nice to fly under the radar.
Was it your intention to create such a strong visual brand identity?
No, it was accidental; but I have been dressing this way for the last 15 years.
Can you recall your biggest professional fashion disaster?
I am a fashion disaster.
Has anyone ever made a negative comment to you about your signature look?
Yes, thousands of angry and anonymous bloggers!
What statement does your style make about you and your work?
The statement it makes is that I am comfortable in my own skin and do not need to dress up much.
Besides creating a visual brand identity with your clothes, what are some of your other signature style traits?
I ride a Vespa. I profess that life is a constant source of joy, and I smile a lot.
Whose look do you admire?
I think Jack White is very cool and I love Michel Stipe.
Who are your style icons, in the kitchen and out?
In the kitchen: Marco Pierre White, Jeremiah Tower, Gabrielle Hamilton. Out of the kitchen: Jack Nicholson, Jim Harrison and Gwyneth Paltrow.
What advice do you have for professionals just starting to create their own logos?
Choose something and stick with it until it bothers you.
"What's My Logo?," a biweekly Q&A on the Huffington Post's Living section, addresses the professional importance of personal style with prominent businesspeople, leaders and personalities.
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I worry about his health.
I used to like espadrilles a lot, until I discovered they were not very good for my feet. Then I discovered crocs and they're much more comfortable. Orange, however, is a bit too garish and "look-at-me!" for my tastes though... ;)
BTW, I love Italian cuisine, Mario and Giada are my favourites, but especially Giada, whose style is less formal and more "everyday." I can actually make her dishes, and I've had quite a lot of success with them. Though they look great and I'm sure they're delicious, Mario's are usually way too difficult/complex/expensive for someone who's not an aspiring chef.
I like Mario Batali. Great sense of humor and FANTASTIC talent in the kitchen. I love "Molto Mario" - his recipe for Fave e Cicoria was divine!
Merci mille fois, Mario! Now could you help me out? I am a Cajun cook- country Cajun like my granmere and her granmere used to cook - as in pan perdue over an open fire with corn from the field. I need a signature outfit. I was at first thinking sandals and then went to sneakers with the toes cut out. Now I favoring no shoes at all, since that's how we grew up; but then there's the health thing.
I'm only 5 feet, a little Cajun lady with dark hair, but I can cook up a storm, petite. Any suggestions?
Lyn LeJeune- The Beatitudes Network- Rebuilding the public libraries of New Orleans at www.beatitudesinneworleans.blogspto.com
all royalties for directly to the New Orleans Public Library Foundation.
Orange Crocs are beautiful, and extremely tasteful. Smart man.
Another great feature, Amanda!! Mario is himself a logo. I see him all the time around the West Village, and he always makes me smile. He's just so ... himself. Not to mention that Babbo absolutely invented the concept of the excellent playlist at a haute restaurant.
I have a pair of Crocs just like them and boy, are they comfortable!
He is a GREAT CHEF!
Period.
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Posted January 28, 2008 | 08:22 AM (EST)