Lauren Hutton Once Jumped On A Conference Table

Lauren Hutton and Michael Kors sat down together for Interview magazine. They discussed, in order: How Kors’ family “treated me like this beacon of light,” hippies, Old New York vs. New New York, Rudy Giuliani, Rudolf Nureyev’s jeans, not wearing a bra, Billy’s Topless, taking acid when it was legal, cruising prostitutes for style inspiration with Steven Meisel, and “age-appropriate” dressing. It’s surprisingly entertaining! Then there was this bit, where Hutton described what she did when a room full of male advertising executives sexually harassed her at a casting in 1965:

KORS: I know you’re not a television person at all, Lauren, but have you ever seen Mad Men?

HUTTON: Yes!

KORS: What’s your reaction? It’s set around when you started modeling.

HUTTON: It’s like when I very first started going to ad agencies and things in ’65. They’ve done a very good job of capturing that moment with that show. Everyone was that square. And that male-dominant madness…I remember one time going on an appointment at an agency and I went into this conference room, and there were 35 or 40 men and 2 women lined up all around this long table. So I walk in and one of the guys says, “We need to see your legs.” And I just flipped. I was just furious that they would take a person and bring them into a situation with all these people and everybody is staring at you. It was something that I found so deeply offensive. So I jumped up on the table, which was a very fine, expensive table…

KORS: A serious conference table.

HUTTON: And I had high heels on, and I jumped up and said, “Sure, I’ll show you my legs.” And I strolled up and down with my heels along the table. I mean, they told me to wear heels beforehand, so I was already mad going in. I walked up and down their conference table showing them my legs and they’re all gasping in silence, and I’m smiling a real smile, looking side to side at each of these guys. Then I jump off and I said, “Will that be all?” and split. [both laugh] I actually got the job, but turned it down because it was for cigarettes.