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Fashion House World Francis Hooper’s PR

By Steve Nicoll | 5 Mar, 2007

Clothing label Fashion House World made headlines recently when they tried to sell a child t-shirt featuring the slogan “Future Porn Star”. After outrage from anti-child abuse campaigners World designer Francis Hooper defended the T-shirt saying, “As a fashion designer I’m being humorous and irreverent”. When Shock Jock called Hooper was in Paris, so S.J. spoke to one of their Public Relations consultants instead.

SHOCK JOCK: Do you have any ideas about how World gets ideas for their designs?

PUBLIC RELATIONS: From just seeing people on the street. I know the menswear designer and he’s always out and about and he’s so infl uenced by what people wear. He’s a big movie buff and he’s always getting ideas from magazines anywhere. He’s always on the look out for new things, new ideas. A lot of his ideas are really original and it’s lots of stuff that you haven’t really seen so he gets a piece of something and then just makes it even more amazing.

SJ: In the office do you guys listen to Michael Jackson on the stereo?

PR: Ha ha! We listen to George FM.

SJ: Oh really.

PR: Yep, not Michael Jackson. I suppose it depends if someone wants to put it on, but no, usually George FM.

SJ: Do you like Michael Jackson?

PR: Um, um, no not really.

SJ: He’s a bit dodgy eh?

PR: Yeah.

SJ: If you quit the clothing business would you become a porn star?

PR: Oh! No.

SJ: Why not?

PR: But Francis might.

SJ: Why?

PR: I like my job, I wouldn’t quit my job.

SJ: Who do you think is sexier a five or seven year old?

PR: [heavy sigh] No, no.

SJ: What one is sexier?

PR: Pardon?

SJ: What one do you think is sexier?

PR: A five or a seven year old?

SJ: Yeah.

PR: Neither.

SJ: Why not?

PR: Cause little kids aren’t sexy; they’re cute.

SJ: What’s the funniest porn star you’ve watched?

PR: Um, [long pause] mmm, [another long pause] don’t know, I don’t really watchporn stars. Maybe Jenna Jameson, she’s kind of funny.

SJ: Do you have stores close to crèches or are they all over the country?

PR: Close to what?

SJ: Crèches.

PR: Oh! Ha ha, is this to do with, okay [laughing], is this to do with the pornstar t-Shirt?

SJ: It could be. Have you received much feedback about the t-shirts?

PR: Oh yes! Lots. Oh, we’ve had some people that love it. Though, some customers really love the t-shirt.

SJ: Really?

PR: Yeah, and I think everyone just needs to chill out. But we’ve had some pretty funny pyscho people with too much time sending emails in. But we’ve replied to them as nice as we can.