New York Post: Last year at Fashion’s Night Out, your store was “the” place to be. How do you deal with having such ardent fans?
MICHAEL KORS: I love it! Evenwhen I started out,Iwanted to do personal appearances so I could meet customers.
NYP: OK, we have to ask: This year, why an FNO karaoke contest?
MK: Fashion, at the end of the day, really should be about fun.
NYP: What would you sing first?
MK: Although I’m no Sinatra, “New York,New York” isamust.
NYP: With whom would you most like to sing a duet?
MK: If I could be at the microphone with Bette Midler, itwould be great fun! Several years ago, I got to sing “Defying Gravity” with IdinaMenzel. I amno Kristin Chenoweth.
NYP: Any surprisingly great singing voices in the fashion world?
MK: Stan Herman can belt it out!
NYP: What genre of music is your favorite?
MK: I love pretty much everything, although my faves are great singer/songwriters likeRufus Wainwright.
NYP: Favorite all-time album?
MK: Joni Mitchell, “Ladies of the Canyon.”
NYP: Good choice! So, is your love of karaoke related to your love of Broadway?
MK: I loveapassionate performance.
NYP: Are you partial to musicals?
MK: Youdoknowwho you’re interviewing, right?
NYP: Sorry! What’s your favorite backstage Broadway moment?
MK: Congratulating Bernadette Peters after “ALittle Night Music” and having [Stephen] Sondheim walk into the room. That was unbelievable.
NYP: Has music influenced your fashion?
MK: Absolutely. Just like a great song, a great fashion moment is about telling a story and evokingamood.
NYP: Who chooses the music for your shows?
MK: My husband, Lance [LePere], and I workwith the amazing Michel Gaubert.
NYP: Which singer/performer would you choose as a fashion muse?
MK: Diana Ross—she’s the ultimate in glamour.
NYP: Switching over to “Project Runway,” it seems that show is re-energized, especially in the workroom. What do you attribute this to?
MK: Fashion is always about the creators involved, and is always aboutwhat’snew!