RESPECT. Interview: Talking Fashion With Artist Sir Daniel Winn

Sir Daniel K. Winn is an internationally recognized blue-chip artist, fine-art curator, awarded entrepreneur, and highly respected philanthropist. In recognition of his direct support to humanitarian causes, having directly assisted in raising over two million dollars for non-profit aid in the United States and Asia, Winn was honored the prestigious title of “Sir” when knighted in 2018 under the Princely House of Shaumburg-Lippe-Nachod – one of only five recipients of the title in the history of the royal family. Winn’s work has been featured at esteemed exhibitions worldwide. Among many other distinctions, he is the CEO and curator of Masterpiece Publishing, Inc., and Founder of Winn Slavin Fine Art, one of the most prestigious art galleries in Beverly Hills. We caught up with Sir Daniel to discuss fashion, his style, and his go-to designers.

When did you first become aware of your love of fashion?

When I was young, my mother opened a couture fashion clothing line. I would go with her to all the fashion shows in Los Angeles, LA fashion week and also the LA Mart to order a lot of the new things that came out from Armani, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent—and all the high end designer clothes. That’s where I was exposed to fashion. When I went to medical school, I was also helping my mother with her retail outlet of her boutique. I fell in love with it even though I knew nothing about it. But when I went to fashion shows, and I went to order the new line, the new collection—let’s say Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter—is when I learned a lot more about the fashion world.

What is your signature style?

My style is actually very unique because, as an artist, I want to wear something that matches my personality with my art. So my style is a combination. I’m always fascinated with a very sophisticated look of Armani, Giorgio Armani, and Emporio Armani, and I also have that edginess of Dolce & Gabbana and D Square, and I have a wild side of Versace too. So I think it’s a combination of the edgier Armani with a hint of Versace in it.

Do you have a go-to designer?

Yes I have a fashion designer by the name Guo Pei. She is actually an amazing fashion couturist. She’s considered to be the high-end haute couture of China. In a way she’s the Gucci, the Saint Laurent of China. Her exhibit of her clothes was at the Met and was also at the Bowers Museum, which I collaborated on with her. She asked me to, so when they exhibited her work, they exhibited my paintings as well. I painted a lot of her fashion couture with my surrealism style. That gave the museum an amazing opportunity to exhibit both my and her work. We had an opening in Beverly Hills last March. It was phenomenal. She is who’s creating a lot of my clothes right now. But also there’s another Vietnamese designer who is designing my sequin jackets that I wear for my shows. They call it the Lamai Couture Collection. She custom made me all my embroidery, crystal jackets. I would say it’s sort of a combination of Dolce’s line with a touch of Armani, because they know my style—so it’s actually kind of cool.

What do you wear on your day off?

I’m pretty much a casual guy. I’m a jeans-and-boots kind of guy with a T-shirt, but I always like accessories. I like wearing some kind of a sport coat that is very hip. That’s my signature. And love to wear accessories by Saint Laurent and also bracelets by David Yurman or Stephen Webster. It gives me that very hip vibe. And of course my necklaces. I like to wear King Baby. So all these designers I love because it’s more of my personality, a little bit rock and roll, but also a little sophistication—the combination of both. And of course I accessorize with really high-end watches that I have, and rings. I just wear your typical jeans that are D Square, and then there’s a T-shirt by Calvin Klein. But my jackets are always very hip. Some of them are Dolce and Versace, but most of them are bespoke and are custom made for my personality. And I love shoes. I know that people collect them, they go with the next season, but I usually give my clothes away or donate them. My best ones I keep though. So I have over 200 jackets and about 100 suits. I’m not Imelda Marcos [laughs], but there’s something about the shoes that I love. I just buy them because I like art. I mean a lot of them I don’t even wear. I buy them because they look great and I think of the amount of work and design put into it is like watching an artist create. To me these designers are creating wearable art, whereas I’m creating something that is visual art, visually communicating to the viewer. They are creating something that you can actually wear—you’re wearing their works of art. So I think the parallel between fashion designer and artist is fascinating. Theirs is wearable art whereas my art is basically for visual and museum exhibitions.

For more information on Sir Daniel and Winn Slavin, please visit:

Sir Daniel’s Instagram @sirdanielwinn