Combining fine leather and a very LA feel, Hammitt handbags are slowly starting to show up on the arms of many a west coast woman. With bag names like “Melrose,” “Getty,” “Westwood” and “Griffith” it is no surprise either. The bags are now beoming just as popular across the country, so we had designer and CEO Tony Drockton answer our 19 questions.
Name: Tony Drockton
Location: Los Angeles
Profession: Creative Director and CEO
Twitter Handle: @hammittLA
And the real questions:
1. What are you wearing?
Underwear as I type this, but tomorrow I’ll wear a Moods of Norway jacket, Vicarious By Nature organic T, MEK Jeans, Paul Smith boots… and my Mac Air inside my Hammitt LAX travel bag.
2. What do you do in a typical day?
6:30 start, coffee w/assistant, emails, calls, design/finance/marketing, daydream, coffee, calls, emails, assistant wrap-up, evedream, home. Repeat tomorrow.
3. What book/movie/TV show are you really into right now?
I don’t watch much TV but when I do, Cartoon Network is my addiction. Family Guy and American Dad are my favorites. I even have a t-shirt or two from when they first launched.
4. What’s a trend you wish would die?
Polo Shirts. No one looks cool in a polo. Sorry, Tommy H.!
5. What do you order for brunch?
A second Café Mocha from Coffee Bean; another great brand from LA.
6. Who should we follow on Twitter that we’re (probably) not?
Wait, is this the “trend that should die” question? Follow anyone that actually sends the tweets themselves. Being authentic is important to me.
7. What song or band has most affected or influenced you?
Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York.” I sing it with my dad every chance I get and it has inspired me through all of my years. “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere. It’s up to you New York, New York!”
8. What project are you obsessed with right now?
I, myself, am a work in progress so does that mean I am obsessed with myself? I am also obsessed with every facet of the fashion industry. This intense focus on quality and design is what is making Hammitt into an internationally recognized brand.
9. What would be the title of your memoir?
Gotta Ask! I believe the magic is in knowing what you want and then asking people to join you on the journey. When focused, this team approach allows everyone to be successful and reach higher. Mount Everest is only conquered when you plan and climb together. It can be fatal alone.
10. What’s your hangover cure?
Hair of the dog on Sunday Fundays. Abstinence during the week is my only other cure.
11. What fictional character do you most identify with?
Tony the Tiger, with Tigger a close second; because my parents always told me “Your Grrreat!” and “The wonderful thing about Tigger, is Tigger’s a wonderful thing!”
12. What was the best vacation meal you’ve ever had?
I enjoy feeding my body and my mind. Ironically, my greatest meal was fasting over three days in the mountains with other seekers. It culminated in a royal feast and ingrained all that I had learned. This meal has fed me over the years and guides me on my path each day.
13. What’s your favorite solo outing?
Early morning walks on the beach followed by coffee and reading.
14. What’s your favorite bar in another city?
Sa Trinxa on breathtaking Las Salinas Beach in Ibiza, Spain. Sun, music, relaxation and great people to share it with every time. Everyone should experience this just once…or twice!
15. What luxury do you think should be included in plane travel to make it more fun?
Great service by friendly staff who really care (a forgotten art in this industry). I have a man crush on Richard Branson! Virgin America is the only way for me to fly back and forth from LA to NY. I use Virgin as a model for Hammitt as they take the lead on how to give customers a great experience every time.
16. What’s your biggest vice?
Miami.
17. What movie will you always watch to the end when it’s on TV?
I would watch Pretty Woman and Fight Club at the same time. The end would culminate with Brad Pitt fighting Richard Gere for Julia Roberts’ hand but she would choose Ed Norton because he is just so cool.
18. Who’s your Spirit Animal?
I’m a Leo so this one is easy; “It’s a Liger. It’s pretty much my favorite animal. It’s like a lion and a tiger mixed…bred for its skills in magic” (Napoleon Dynamite, 2004). The Liger rules the jungle and the heart!
Photo Credit: Getty Images
19. What do you think when you see this picture?
Clark Kent had a phone booth…Andrew Garfield has a chat room. Jacket, sweater, tie and button down?
