Born in Detroit, James Kaliardos comes from a a big family. His father is both a tailor and chemist, his mother a hair dresser. It is thanks to her that James went on to discover the world of fashion and beauty. At only 7 years old, he became fascinated by the art of make-up, and with his mother's support began to reproduce the looks...it was a revelation. Since then, he has always been fascinated by art, fashion and beauty, spending his time reading the top magazines.
At 18, James decided to nurture his fascination for art by enrolling at the Parson School of New York. He studied history of art, design, photography, theatre and cinema, through which he met the photographer Steven Meisel and showed him his portfolio. Steven was particularly impressed by James' make-up ability and helped him to develop his talent.
Encouraged and determined, James took himself to Paris to continue his studies and launch his career as a make-up artist. There he met Stépahane Sednaoui and Ellen Von Unwerth, photographers with whom he collaborated initially. After his year studying in Paris, he returned to New York, full of confidence from his initial experiences. Through his passion for fashion design, which is founded in art, James decided to launch a visionary new type of magazine in 1991 with the help of Stephen Gan - the artistic director he met at the Parson School of New York, and Célia Dean, a former model. Each edition of this "Bookazine", as James liked to call it, was presented like a book, each one a unique work of art. After only 10 years and 51 editions, the magazine had achieved unparallelled success and international recognition. Always inspired, its visionary creators unvelied a bi-monthly magazine, "V" in 1999 covering both fashion and culture at the same time, with a broad distribution and fresh format.
On the back of the cinema and theatrical training he received at the Parson School, James created "The Innocent Theatre Company" in 1996, his theatre company based in New York, which produced both new work and reworkings of classic performances with a touch of art and fashion.