John Varvatos surprised everyone this season with an impromptu KISS catwalk finale romp. With a KISS-inspired FW14 show (read our report here) and KISS starring in the brand’s newest advertising campaign, we thought it would be an appropriate time to ask Gene Simmons a few quick questions about the band’s collaboration.

James West: Was working with John a natural fit for you?
Gene Simmons: The John Varvatos campaign to some may seem out of the ordinary for a band like KISS, but everything about us is out of the ordinary. In fact it is our self-imposed mandate, ‘Never be ordinary, always be extraordinary! Always stand out from the crowd.’ When KISS walked down the runway with John Varvatos in full make-up and his designs, we STOPPED the show! We stole it and everybody rightfully-so paid attention to the kings-of-the-night-time-world baby, and that’s called KISS!

JW: Do you think rock music is eternal or does it change with every generation?
GS: Rock music will have to change with every generation or it will become a thing of the past. Evolution is natural in nature and it’s just as important in music. Doo-wop is dead! Chuck Berry music is dead – although it will be forever legendary. The next generation of rockers will have to figure it out for themselves in order for rock music to continue to exist.

JW: Why did you and Paul decide to get into sports with LA Kiss?
GS: Astonishingly enough Los Angeles, one of the biggest markets perhaps on earth period, does not have an American football team. So Paul and I and the rest of our team saw an opportunity to do football in a way people haven’t seen before. That is how LA Kiss was born. Our aim is to take football to places it has never been before.