Johnny Weir On His Fave S.F. Dessert And Waging "Sparkly Warfare" On Ice
If anyone knows what it means for the show to go on, it's bonafide figure-skater and style-phile Johnny Weir. Despite the protests convening in Union Square that day, hundreds still flocked to Union Square Park the day after Thanksgiving to watch Johnny Weir give a dazzling holiday performance of "Ave Maria" on ice at Macy's Great Tree Lighting 2011 event. Dressed in Lululemon leggings and a black mink coat, Johnny sat down with us pre-performance, and upped the holiday cheer ante by dishing on everything from his sartorial obsessions (read: Vuitton, Lagerfeld, Pugh, and ugly sweaters) to his most important beauty secret and his S.F. dessert faves.
Your name on Twitter is @JohnnyGWeir. What does the "G" stand for?
"My middle name. It's Garvin. For the longest time, I was super-against my middle name being public because I hated it. And then I was, like, 'Well, it's the last thing I'm actually keeping from people, so I may as well tell them.' And also, somebody has already taken JohnnyWeir on Twitter!"
Who designed the costume you'll be performing in tonight?
"The costume I'll actually perform in, I designed. I'm doing a holiday moment with 'Ave Maria,' and it's just very simple and pretty. Louis Vuitton painted my skates."
If you had to wear just one costume for the rest of your career, who would you want it to be designed by?
"Karl Lagerfeld. A figure skating costume that Mr. Lagerfeld would design would be pretty outrageous, yet still have so many of the classic touches that he brings to Chanel, and that he brought to Fendi for so long. He's somebody who always inspires me. If not Karl, then Gareth Pugh."
What is the personal significance of this performance that you're doing? Is there a message you want to impart to San Francisco?
"I love San Francisco! It's my favorite city on the West Coast. I'm an East Coast person. My heart's there; I was born and raised there. But of everywhere else in the country, San Francisco is my favorite. It's such a free place. There are protesters out today, and they're free to do that — they're comfortable enough to do that. I think San Francisco is such a bustling, beautiful place, and I wanted to bring my own special blend of prettiness to the city. I want people to get into the holiday season and feel happy. It's kind of a dark time for the country right now, so I just want to be out there, and be a light and sparkle. I want to show people that, while there's a lot of nasty stuff going around, you still can move forward, be glamourous, be pretty, and leave your happy statement on the world."
Do you have any go-to spots or restaurants that you frequent in San Francisco?
"In Asia de Cuba at the Clift Hotel, they have this dessert called the Bay of Pigs. We used to prowl through San Francisco when we were doing the Champions On Ice tour, and we always stayed at the Clift. And for us skinny figure skaters, this ice cream dessert is enough for 20 people. And we all order it, just sit, and have the best time eating it. The Men's Saks store in San Francisco is incredible. I don't know San Francisco like the back of my hand, like I do New York or Moscow. But in San Francisco, you can turn a corner and find completely unexpected glamour."
Your name on Twitter is @JohnnyGWeir. What does the "G" stand for?
"My middle name. It's Garvin. For the longest time, I was super-against my middle name being public because I hated it. And then I was, like, 'Well, it's the last thing I'm actually keeping from people, so I may as well tell them.' And also, somebody has already taken JohnnyWeir on Twitter!"
Who designed the costume you'll be performing in tonight?
"The costume I'll actually perform in, I designed. I'm doing a holiday moment with 'Ave Maria,' and it's just very simple and pretty. Louis Vuitton painted my skates."
If you had to wear just one costume for the rest of your career, who would you want it to be designed by?
"Karl Lagerfeld. A figure skating costume that Mr. Lagerfeld would design would be pretty outrageous, yet still have so many of the classic touches that he brings to Chanel, and that he brought to Fendi for so long. He's somebody who always inspires me. If not Karl, then Gareth Pugh."
What is the personal significance of this performance that you're doing? Is there a message you want to impart to San Francisco?
"I love San Francisco! It's my favorite city on the West Coast. I'm an East Coast person. My heart's there; I was born and raised there. But of everywhere else in the country, San Francisco is my favorite. It's such a free place. There are protesters out today, and they're free to do that — they're comfortable enough to do that. I think San Francisco is such a bustling, beautiful place, and I wanted to bring my own special blend of prettiness to the city. I want people to get into the holiday season and feel happy. It's kind of a dark time for the country right now, so I just want to be out there, and be a light and sparkle. I want to show people that, while there's a lot of nasty stuff going around, you still can move forward, be glamourous, be pretty, and leave your happy statement on the world."
Do you have any go-to spots or restaurants that you frequent in San Francisco?
"In Asia de Cuba at the Clift Hotel, they have this dessert called the Bay of Pigs. We used to prowl through San Francisco when we were doing the Champions On Ice tour, and we always stayed at the Clift. And for us skinny figure skaters, this ice cream dessert is enough for 20 people. And we all order it, just sit, and have the best time eating it. The Men's Saks store in San Francisco is incredible. I don't know San Francisco like the back of my hand, like I do New York or Moscow. But in San Francisco, you can turn a corner and find completely unexpected glamour."
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