Paparazzi Blazer

Q: Your men’s lines, Sean John, Sean John Collection and Sean John Tailored, all bear your first and middle names. Are you on just a first-name basis with the ladies?

A: When I was first designing the line, I was going to use the name Sean John for Women. Throughout the year, the process became so personal to me and I was so hands on – from the trims to the labels to picking fabrics and sketches – I realized the name had to be independent from Sean John, not a shrunken down version of the men’s line. My kind of woman is sexy and independent in her own right. Feminine and convinced. I wanted to show also how heavily involved I was in the development. That’s how I came to use Sean by Sean Combs.

Q: Do you plan to expand further into women’s clothing to encompass a greater range of designs?

A: We definitely will expand because women are so complex and I have to fill their every need and desire. Red carpet collection gowns, sunglasses, shoes, bags, and swimwear – all the things that make a woman glamorous. All the details her lifestyle demands.

Q: Why did you pick Penelope Cruz as the face of the line?

A: She represents the true sophistication that is the line…we met at the Golden Globes and she had a wonderful personality with a youthful edge. She represents diversity in a woman. Glamorous and sexy. To me, she is the essence of Sean by Sean Combs.

Q: Was she your inspiration as you were designing the clothes?

A: I love all women and their complexity. Just by Penelope being a woman, she was part of my inspiration. I love the versatility of women and how the same woman will go from 2Pac to opera, from mother to model, and she’s always amazing. That’s my inspiration. That’s my muse.