I Love Your Style

Au Revoir

2011-02-10T10:56:00.000-08:00

Dear loyal friends and readers,

Good news and bad news. I always like the good news first so here it is: I've been hired to be the new Fashion Director at Barneys! I am really excited. I started this week and have been loving it already. It is my DREAM JOB! The bad news is that I won't be able to continue this blog. Its important for me to put all of my energy into helping to make Barneys the most exciting, inspiring and chic place to shop in the world. But here's the silver lining - I'll be blogging for Barneys! You can follow me here starting today.

I can't thank you all enough for the loyalty and enthusiasm you have shown me in this short time.

Love,

Amanda

I ♥ Your Style: Anita Pallenberg

2011-01-21T11:32:00.000-08:00

In the last few weeks I've been reading Keith Richards' autobiography, and he inspired me to revisit Anita Pallenberg's boho rock-chick style. I'm not sure I've ever come across anyone who is as cool as she is. You can see how and why Kate Moss is inspired by her.

Snapshot: Karen Elson on vinyl

2011-01-20T15:30:00.000-08:00

My friend Randall Poster, who is the music supervisor for all the best films, gave me a 45 of Karen Elson's latest song. Beyond the chic cover image, and the fact that it's Karen Elson whose style AND music I love, I'm most enthralled by the fact that it's a record! I do actually own a record player - I bought it at a yard sale on Shelter Island a few years ago. It's the most popular item in our summer house - people love to DJ on it. Can't wait to play this one. I might have to frame the cover.

I ♥ Your Style: Muriel Brandolini

2011-01-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure if anyone has more style than Muriel Brandolini. She's stylish in the way she looks and in the way she lives. She has chic clothes, the most amazing jewelry, incredible homes and she's a fantastic cook. The quality I admire in her most is the confidence she has in doing things differently, in breaking the rules. Case in point: the other day I was sitting in her kitchen watching her make a salad nicoise. She cut all the incredients with scissors instead of a knife (she said it's easier that way), and then she put on rubber surgical gloves and tossed the salad with her hands. She said, "Food always tastes better when you touch it." She was right. It was delicious.

I ♥ Your Style: Diane Kruger's bow tie look

2011-01-18T12:33:00.000-08:00

Back when I was researching my book I noticed that Diane Kruger loved Chanel, especially a black and white bow tie look. Since then I've seen her riff on that same look again and again. By now it's safe to say it has become somewhat of a signature for her. I love almost any girl who develops a signature. It shows discipline and confidence, two crucial ingredients in creating your own style. It would be too much if she wore this look all the time, but I love how she returns to it every now and then.

I ♥ Your Style: Susanne Deeken

2011-01-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

It gives me a real high when I discover a new chic girl that I've never heard of before. In Susanne Deeken's case, I met her at a friend's house for dinner. When she walked in she immediately caught my attention because she was wearing the Chloé jumpsuit I'd been coveting (pictured below - it looks like a sweater and pants with a belt but actually it's all one piece!). It didn't take me long to notice that her style, while for the most part subtle and classic, was just absolutley perfect in both proportion and detail. It didn't take me long to find out that she's Marc Jacobs' muse and for a minute I thought she might be one of those uber-cool girls that are really hard to talk to. But she was generous and laid back and funny! The other day I saw a picture of her on my friend Chelsea's Cat Party blog, and it reminded me to dig up some photos of her. Enjoy!

White Magic

2011-01-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

I'm going to Palm Beach next weekend, and I'm starting to think about what I'm going to wear. I learned today that my Thakoon resort order will be ready by then which will be perfect because it consists mainly of breezy tops and cute shorts - perfect for a sunny Florida getaway (looking at the 15-day forecast it looks like the thermometer will hit 80 while I'm there!). The one thing I still need to get is a pair of white sunglasses. I've never owned a pair but I love the quirky, oddball glamour they project. Who knows what they'll look like on me, but I'm going to try anyway. Here's my inspiration:

Snapshot: Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele

2011-01-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

I went to a birthday dinner last night and saw stylist Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele there. It took me a minute to figure out her handbag situation. I first noticed the white Chanel bag on the signature white chainlink strap, but then realized that she'd attached a black bag into the white strap too. It looked really cool. I reached into my purse to snap a shot and realized I'd left my camera at home. Damn. I thought about it again today - it was haunting me. Then I thought I'd google her to see if I found any great photos of her - she has amazing style - and first up was this shot Terry Richardson took of her unique handbag combo. Voila! Thanks Terry!

My favorite looks for Spring: Diane Von Furstenberg

2011-01-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

I was giddy at the end of DVF's Spring show. I knew she was working with a new designer and, having spoken with her a few days before, that she was very excited but nervous about the new direction her collection was taking. Even before her legendary runway walk at the end of the show, I knew everyone would love it. It was exactly how DVF would be dressing today if she were her own best client. It was the spirit of DVF as she dressed in the 70's but pared down and simplified to address how we all want to dress today. The sophisticated colors and easy shapes especially drew my attention.

I ♥ Your Style: Cher in the 70's

2011-01-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting here trying to find a gentle way to describe the way Cher looks these days, and I'm not finding the words. In contrast though, I only have good things to say about her look in the 70's. She was a hippie but with a little extra dose of glamour and polish that made her stand out from the other groovsters of that era.

Top to Bottom Cher in 1975, Between 1965 & 1970, at home in the 70's, 1968, with Tina Sinatra in 1967, 1977, with Gregg Allman in 1977, 1974, wearing Sonny Bono's glasses in 1967.

My favorite looks for Spring: Calvin Klein

2011-01-10T09:49:00.001-08:00

In a season where most designers did their best attempt at minimalism, Francisco Costa schooled them all with his confident and accomplished collection of precise and chic clothes at Calvin Klein. That said, I'm very specific about minimalism - I am not a conceptual dresser. I do better with classic clothes designed very, very simply than the more rigorous designs that minimalists - Francisco included - sometimes offer up. Francisco and I often serve as each other's date at fashion events and you can bet I'll bet showing up in one of these looks next time we step out together.

I ♥ Your Wedding Style: Audrey Hepburn

2011-01-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite wedding dresses ever were worn by the same woman: Audrey Hepburn. At her first wedding to Mel Ferrer in 1954 she wore a tea length Balmain dress with a stunning crown of roses around her head (I would copy the rose crown years later for the Met Ball). Her look was young, romantic and feminine - a true first time bride. Fifteen years later when she married Andrea Dotti, she was equally as chic in a 60's minidress and matching headscarf - but more grown up and subdued this time. I love looking at women in their wedding dresses - it's the ultimate expression of personal style. In fact, I'd like to write a book about wedding style. Stay tuned.....

Left to right Audrey Hepburn with Mel Ferrer (1954) and Andrea Dotti (1969)

My favorite looks for Spring: Carven

2011-01-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

Recently someone mentioned to the revival of Carven and so I went on their website to check it out. The clothes are SO GREAT! Why isn't anyone talking about them? Did I miss it? Am I the last person to hear about them?? The clothes are very sexy - kind of French ingenue mixed with a little Alexa Chung-ish schoolgirl vibe, AND they're a contemporary (sub designer) price point! I haven't seen the clothes in person yet, but I am very excited by the photos. For now, they're exclusively sold at Barney's CO-OP in America.

I ♥ Your Style: Alexa Chung in leopard

2011-01-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

People always talk about leopard like it's a trend, but I consider it a classic. There is never a season when I am not in the mood to wear a bit of leopard. I used to look at Kate Moss for leopard inspiration, and she does rock a leopard coat like no one else, but recently Alexa Chung has been almost non-stop in her love of leopard on almost any item you can out on your body. I'm surprised we haven't seen her in leopard sunglasses yet! And she always gets it just right. To wear leopard in a chic way you almost have to think your outfit is a little too subdued, verging even on boring, and then you put the bit of leopard into the mix - a belt, pair of shoes, bag or hat - and suddenly poof! your whole outfit makes sense. The other way to approach leopard is to wear a big swath of it - a dress, coat or tunic - and then understate everything else - simple black pumps, shades and bag will do the trick. Like the rest of the fashion world, I'm really in awe of all of Alexa Chung's style statements but it's her love of leopard and how she wears it that really stands out for me.

My favorite looks for Spring: Phillip Lim

2011-01-04T12:41:00.001-08:00

I'm on a clothes shopping hiatus at the moment (saving money to redecorate my house) so in order to have some sort of vicarious retail pleasure I'm going to share my most coveted spring looks with you. Today's favorite is Phillip Lim. I probably wear more of his clothes than any other designer. Reason being? They're simple enough that you don't get sick of them after a few months, the price is (relatively) right compared to other designers and he makes clothes for every aspect of my life - sleeping, work, the gym, the weekend, cocktails, evening. He even custom-made my outfit for the Met Ball last year. For Spring he ditched (most of) the decoration and just made beautifully designed, wearable clothes. I'm not a fashion critic, magazine editor or a retailer, so when I sit at a fashion show the only thing going through my head is, "What do I want to wear?" From Phillip, it's these three looks.

Snapshot: Tod's Showroom

2011-01-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

I went to see the pre-fall Tod's collection the other day. They have a new tradition of displaying all the new driving shoes of the season on a table together. It always gives me such pleasure to see all the beautiful colors of leather, suede and skins all at once. I can't wait for next August so I can buy a few pairs. I love wearing driving shoes with flared J Brand jeans and an old school navy blazer - it's my 70's college student look.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays to you all. Hope you enjoy your time off. I'll be at my parents' home in the Adirondacks which is featured on Vogue.com this week. Check it out! Also, I'm taking a mini-hiatus from blogging for the holidays. I'll be back on January 3rd!

Motherly Love

2010-12-21T16:00:00.000-08:00

I much prefer looking at pictures of celebrities when they're with their children. I was reading an article about Mick Jagger in the New York Times Style Magazine recently, and he was saying that "public people put a lot of energy into what people think about them. Everyone does. I don't care what they say. Everyone cares about it. You always want to control your image. I mean, you obviously can't control it 100 percent. But if you're a famous person, you obviously have a public personality ... that you want to project." His quote made me realize that the reason I like seeing celebrities with their kids is because it seems they forget about trying to project that public image for the moment, and you can see more clearly the person behind it. I also find that women are dressed more casually when they're with their kids, and you get a truer sense of their personal style, instead of seeing some get-up crafted by a stylist.

Clockwise from top Jane Fonda with her daughter (1969), British Anthropologist Jane Goodall and son (1974), Angelina Jolie with her son (2008), Kate Moss and daughter (2009), Jackie Kennedy and daughter (1969), Charlotte Rampling and son (1976), Jane Birkin and daughter (1970), Madonna with her daughter (1998), Jerry Hall and kids (1985).

I ♥ Your Style: Caroline Sieber

2010-12-20T14:37:00.000-08:00

If I had to give just one best dressed prize for 2010, I would give it to London-based stylist and Chanel brand ambassador Caroline Sieber. To begin with, this is so unfair I know, she is stunningly beautiful. Her cat shaped eyes and her perfectly tousled hair make it hard to stop staring at her despite what she wears. But she also happens to know exactly how much is enough when getting dressed. She chooses quite trendy, high fashion outfits but wears them so simply, and she always chooses THE PERFECT accessories to go with them. She's also developed quite a signature proportion to go with the signature hair - very short skirts (or shorts) and sky high heels. But let me make one thing clear, it's not her looks or her body or her access to price-y clothes that makes her stand out - it's her style, the way she looks like herself despite the designer she's wearing. I also want to mention that she has incredibly good manners and that's always in fashion.

The Seberg Effect

2010-12-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

As I've said before, I was an intern for Patrick Demarchelier the last two years I was in college and a full on studio assistant for the summer after I graduated. When I first arrived there I was 19, and I'll never forget when I met Tonne Goodman (then Fashion Director at Bazaar). The first thing she said to me was "How old are you, 14?" I guess I was a young teenager. I was certainly full of beans, maybe even a little precocious, which I soon noticed people either liked or didn't like about me. There was one makeup artist who was out and out mean to me. Paul Cavaco was always so sweet to me - he let me paint his fingernails all different colors when we had down time, and Marina Schiano used to braid my very long hair during lunch break.

When I returned to the studio though, after a tough senior year (all my best friends had graduated ahead of me and I was intensely lonely), I came with a more mature attitude and a new look. I had cut my long bohemian, wavy hair into a neat shoulder length bob. I already wasn't too sure about it, and my doubts were confirmed when Patrick looked at me and said in his very heavy French accent, "What deed you do vis your 'air darling?" He then called over his best friend Didier Malige, one of the loveliest, most gentle men I have ever met, and one of the best hair stylists in the world. "Do somesing vis her 'air," he directed. He then mumbled something about Carolyn Murphy and started cutting, in BIG chunks. I don't know what happened to me. I just let it happen. Did I not care? Did I not have the confidence to ask him what he was doing before he started cutting? Anyway, 20 minutes later I had a Jean Seberg pixie cut, and I was numb the rest of the day. I went home that night and cried and cried. I know it was just a haircut, but it was traumatic. It would be 2 years before I really felt like myself again.

So the other night I was at a dinner and Carolyn Murphy was there. We were introduced, and I told her how her 1996 pixie cut had indirectly inspired my own. Her face winced, and she put her hand on my shoulder and said, "Wasn't it awful???" Even though I look at pictures of her from then and think she looked great, and in fact I can even look at my own post-cut photo and realize it wasn't that bad, it certainly took some soul searching to live through the growing out period.

I wonder how Emma Watson feels right now?

I ♥ Your Style: Jane Fonda

2010-12-15T19:35:00.001-08:00

Jane Fonda is my favorite fashion chameleon. In the span of her career she's gone from 50's demure to 60's Barbarella vamp to 70's war fighting hippie to 80's workout queen to 90's poster-girl-for-aging-well all with a lot of enthusiasm and credibility. What helps her pull this off? Her beauty. She looks good in almost anything. But she's also fearless - she goes for every look wholeheartedly. I can think of other girls - like Kate Moss - who can pull off many different looks, but they aren't as drastic as Jane's. Jane really, really went for it.

Printed Matter: The Art of Sewing

2010-12-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

One of my best eBay purchases over the years was a complete set of The Art of Sewing books published by Time Life in the 70's. Like many cool things I know about, they were brought to my attention by my long time creative collaborator and art director of this blog, Chelsea Fairless (she has her own blog too). Anyway, I wasn't sure what the fuss was about but Chelsea made me buy them. I was so happy when I received them. At first glance I just loved the way the rainbow array of colored spines looked on my bookshelves. I also loved that each book had a theme - Exotic Styling, The Sporting Scene, Novel Materials, Separates that Travel, Traditional Favorites, etc - and that each book was covered in a print or material that matched the theme. Yet again, just looking at them was worth the purchase price. But then I started to flip through them - simple sewing and clothes - and found that techniques like how to dip dye, batik, monogram, embroider, knit, cut a pattern, etc. were interspersed with REALLY inspirational photos according to the theme of the book. The knitting chapter has a photo spread of the Missoni's at work in their factory, the needlepoint chapter provides 60's Frank Stella paintings and so on. If you have a remotely crafty bone in your body or if you just like to have a pretty bookshelf, run and buy these. I saw a full set on Etsy today for $56. Hurry!

Travel: L.A.

2010-12-13T21:17:00.000-08:00

I was visiting friends in L.A. over Thanksgiving and in between kids activities we managed to squeeze in a trip to the Huntington Botantical Gardens. They have THE MOST incredible cactus garden and greenhouse. Looking at all the patterns and colors close up made me want to become a textile designer.

Snapshot: Bianca Jagger

2010-12-11T07:37:00.000-08:00

There are countless photos of Bianca Jagger that I really, really love, but I recently found this one and it seems to trump all the others. Unbelievably chic.

Home Sweet Home

2010-12-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

As much as I drool over minimal interiors and wish that I could live in such ordered simplicity, I know that the one thing I couldn't live without is the personal artwork hanging on my walls. Since I don't have the budget to buy any truly significant kind of artwork I feel incredibly lucky to not only have an artist husband but also lots of artist friends that give, trade or make artwork for me. We're also really big on handmade valentines (large ones!) in our family and those take up a lot of wall space too.

These aren't handmade, but I do love them so much. I found them in a vintage store - they were some guy's college project in the late 60's. There are 5 of them in total and they were featured in a Vogue Living story about my house.

A collage I made from Kmart kids' valentines for my husband (2007).

A photo that Jessica Craig Martin took at our wedding, that I then covered with heart stickers and gave to my husband for Valentine's Day (2001).

Left A photogram portrait of my son by his godfather Adam Fuss (2009).

Right A watercolor of Lil Kim by Jane Rosenblum. It was a wedding present (2000).

Two heart collages I made for each of my kids for Valentine's Day (2005).

A drawing from Planet of the Apes, by Jane Rosenblum (2000).

Left A watercolor portrait of me by Anh Duong (1998).

Right When I worked at Gagosian Gallery I got to work with one of my photography heroes, Sally Mann. She used to write me notes and letters on the back of her unseen, unpublished photos and then fold them up like stationary and put them in an envelope. This is my favorite one (1998).

This one has a story: When I was in 7th grade, I transferred to Horace Mann and went to more Bar Mitzvahs than I could count. During that time I really wished I was Jewish so I could have my own Bar Mitzvah. There were many aspects of Bar Mitzvahs that I was envious of, but I was especially crazed about the enlarged photo of the honoree everyone signed as they entered the reception. By the time I got married 13 years later I was still thinking about the signed photo so I used this picture Arthur Elgort took and had it made into a poster that everyone signed as they arrived. I still smile everytime I pass it in the hallway.

Another Valentine I made for my husband. I got the quote from a photo of a pillow in Helen Hurley Brown's living room. Go figure (2008).

A Valentine Christopher made for me. I love how surfer-y it is (2008).

Left Our friend David Yarritu made this from an Us Weekly cover - he blacked out everything but Hollywood, Star Jones' face and that big smile. He then made the cutouts at the bottom with a hole puncher. I think it's genius (2008).

Right I love to make photo collages. It's so much easier to look at photos that way instead of hiding them in albums. This picture was from Domino (2003).

Printed Matter: Diane von Furstenberg's Book of Beauty

2010-12-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

If you're a fan of DVF and you don't have this book, I suggest you go to Amazon right now and buy it. You can get a good copy for under $5. It was published in 1977, and it's filled with practical beauty tips (like what color makeup works best with your hair/skin color), great vintage photos of DVF at home, and Diane's signature charm and wit. Case in point: There is a chapter called "Brazil? With My Hair? Never!" And if nothing else it's a cheap and chic addition to your coffee table.

I ♥ Your Scarf

2010-12-01T10:39:00.000-08:00

I have been so inspired recently by Hermès' new website - J'aime mon Carré. It completely reinvented my perception of the Hermès scarf as something only Queen Elizabeth or Grace Kelly would wear into something that any cute young thing can wear. I've included some of my favorites from those images here along with a few vintage ones. Being 36 I wonder if I'm not too old to wrap an Hermès scarf around my head. I'd probably only try it in the summer at the beach. The best I've ever felt wearing a silk scarf was inspired by my college roommate Patricia Herrera who showed me more than a few things about personal style. She taught me how to tie a scarf around my neck with the tie in the back so it almost served as a turtleneck - it keeps your neck warm in winter and it looks chic. The key is to use a smaller scarf - you dont want a big plume of scarf tails hanging down your back. Or maybe you do. But I don't.

I ♥ Your Style: Kate Moss & Johnny Depp

2010-11-26T16:58:00.001-08:00

I was that girl who had pictures of Johnny Depp in 21 Jump Street plastered on the ceiling above my bed. As a young teenager his was the last face I saw before I fell asleep every night. I had at least 15 different fantasies about how I was going to get him to be my boyfriend. I even wrote him an impassioned letter that I was sure sounded different, more sincere than all the other fan mail he'd received. Never heard back.

Not so many years later I was a camera assistant to Patrick Demarchelier. We had gone to St. Barts to photograph Kate Moss for Harpers Bazaar. We had shot Kate many times. I was pretty enamored of her too, and the only thing she'd really ever said to me was that she loved an antique jade and gold ring I wore (it was my mother's). So we arrive on set that first day in St. Barts, business as usual, and as I was walking into the kitchen I heard his voice. Johnny Depp was there. Obviously I knew that he was Kate's boyfriend, I had just never imagined that he would come to a shoot. I was so stunned that I did a 180 and walked in the other direction. What could I possibly say to Johnny Depp?? I avoided him entirely. An hour or so later I saw him and Kate snuggling in a hammock while we finished setting up the lights. An hour after that they were making out next to the pool. While Kate was being photographed, Johnny lingered around for most of the day, not coming close enough to me to warrant an introduction. I was nervous all day, in fact pretty miserable. How could I be in such close proximity to Johnny Depp all day and not have the nerve to at least meet him?

At the end of shooting, Patrick announced we would all have dinner at his house that night. I thought for sure Kate and Johnny would stay cuddled up in their room and not join us. But they did. In fact, I met him only minutes after I arrived at Patrick's house. If nothing else happened I would feel better that at least I shook his hand. He sat across from me at dinner. He was shy. We made a little small talk here and there, and our conversations with others crossed paths a few times. But it was pretty obvious that in his mind Kate was really the only person in the room. He stared at her the whole dinner. They interlocked their feet under the table. There really was an incredibly intense love going on between them. By the next morning Johnny had jetted off to somewhere else, and the shoot with Kate resumed as usual. I never had the same feelings for Johnny Depp again after that. I was so convinced of his love for Kate that I was happy to leave it at that and move on. When I look back at pictures of them now, what I notice mostly is just how good they looked together - their looks, their clothes, their style, their body language. It's almost too much cool to handle. I guess it was for them too.

Snapshot: Tod's at Barneys

2010-11-26T16:56:00.001-08:00

I ♥ Your Style: Gisela Torres

2010-11-26T16:53:00.001-08:00

My friend Gisela was in town from London recently. I met her because she took an amazing photo of Sally Singer that I used in my book. We also have a great friend - Duro Olowu (the most stylish man ever) - in common. So Gisela came over to my house to photograph a pair of my shoes for her blog, and I was so inspired by her turban. This picture was taken in my bedroom which was so perfect because the african fabrics on my chair and sofa looked so good with the african fabric on her turban. What I loved most is how the turban transformed her jeans and t-shirt outfit from an everyday look into an arresting and exotic silhouette.

Snapshot: John Currin

2010-11-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

I was so sad to miss John Currin's opening at Gagosian recently (I was in Rome). Thinking of it made me remember this silly photo my husband took of Yvonne Force and me in John's studio reenacting one of his pictures. If you're in NY go see his show at 980 Madison - it's up until Dec 22nd.

Snapshot: Saubaudia, Italy

2010-11-26T16:42:00.001-08:00

I was here last week, If there is heaven on earth this might be it....

Printed Matter: The Fashion Makers

2010-11-26T16:40:00.001-08:00

I so loved reading about the most iconic American designers in The Fashion Makers but what really floored me was the portraits of the designers. I'm going to have to look up photographer Barbra Walz and see where she is today.

Buy it here

American Women

2010-11-26T16:38:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking lately about women with classic American style. In a quest to spend more money on my house and less on my clothes, I've cut way back on shopping and am working hard to veer away from of the moment impulse purchases and focus more on great quality clothes that will last longer than the current trends. I've been thinking about women I've come across over the years in my fashion career - Marina Schiano, Tonne Goodman, Alexandra Kotur and Deeda Blair - who have great discipline in choosing what works for them best and sticking with it.......yes, a uniform of sorts. I've always felt that at some point in my life I would go down that route. I have no idea if I am there yet - only time will tell of course - but I can acknowledge that the idea is getting more and more attractive. So what is the look that suits me best? That speaks the most to who I am, who I have been and who I want to be? It will likely take me awhile to figure that out, but I know that I am pretty much quintessentially American, and the most consistent style in my wardrobe has been classic, despite having rebelled from it for most of my 20's. So I'm trying to find inspiration in who made classic American style the most interesting. Yes of course pictures of Jackie O and Lauren Hutton pop into my head right away - especially images of them in the 70's - but I've also been surprised in my constant and obsessive trolling through the internet in search of women with great style - past and present - to find moments of true classic style in less likely places. Those are the ones that excite me most of course.

Clockwise from top: Ali MacGraw, Lauren Hutton, Lauren Bacall, Claiborne Swanson Frank , Jerry Hall, Slim Keith, Aerin Lauder, Asia Baker, Lauren Bacall.

Snapshot: Grey Gardens

2010-11-26T16:35:00.000-08:00

I slept in Little Edie Beale's bedroom last weekend! Here's what it looks like now.

I ♥ Your Style: Tina Chow

2010-11-26T16:32:00.001-08:00

I love how Tina Chow managed to be minimal and decorative at the same time. She is my perfect idea of a modern woman.

Travel: Food in Rome

2010-11-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

I ♥ Your Style: Joni Mitchell

2010-11-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

There's something about Joni Mitchell's mid 70's California bohemian style that I really identify with. Most likely it's because I'm remembering myself as a 15-year-old listening to Joni on my walkman on the school bus and trying my best to channel her glamorous and feminine hippy style while getting dressed for a Grateful Dead concert. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I do feel the most free when I wear bohemian clothes. I suspect it's a part of my style that I will never abandon.

My Style: Fenton/Fallon

2010-11-26T16:17:00.001-08:00

For the last 9 years, I've lived on Chrystie Street, which is a pretty typical Lower East Side street, meaning grungey but cool. It wasn't even cool until Freeman's and The Box showed up, and it got a little less grungey when the city's largest Whole Foods unveiled itself, right on Chrystie Street! Nonetheless there is a pretty frequent turnover of random stores that come and go on my block. The best we've had 'til recently was a storefront selling hip hop inspired t-shirts (I bought a Stevie Wonder one) and a kind of trendy stationary shop. When those went the way of the recession I had low expectations for what would take its place, until Thakoon told me over lunch one day that Dana Lorenz was opening her first Fenton/Fallon store right underneath my building!!! I was so excited. I've been a big fan of her jewelry since Stephanie Seymour wrote about it in Interview a few years back. Since she opened shop, Dana and I have become pals and I have certainly taken advantage of her convenient locale to dash in before a party and add the perfect bit of edge, sparkle, irony or texture to my outfit. Of all the pieces I've worn I am particularly taken by her cuffs. There's a pair of them (yes I wear both, one on each wrist) covered in metal sculpted rams heads, foz faces and turtle shells. I wear them day and night and they are by far the most complimented thing I have worn in a long time.....all sorts of random people lust after them. I wore a similar cuff, albeit with large black and white rhinestones sprinkled between metal snakes to the CFDA Awards this year. Dana even custom made me matching post earrings - we were worried the whole post thing would be too WASPY on me but then decided my fluffier than fluffy white Thakoon dress could use a little old world charm. It worked. My newest addition is a gold cuff with chains, rhinestones and bows all over it. Haven't figured out what to wear it with yet, but I'll let you know when I do.

Check out Fenton/Fallon

Freeman's Alley, enter on Rivington between Chrystie and Forsyth Streets or visit www.danalorenz.com.

I ♥ Your Style: Bonnie Morrison

2010-11-26T16:15:00.001-08:00

Ran into my friend Bonnie on the street the other day. She always does classic style so well, in fact she's one of the featured girls in the classic chapter of my book. Anyway, she also has the BEST vintage finds - check out her old school Gucci loafers (don't overlook the green and red ribbon under the buckle) and primary blue Hermes Birkin she was wearing when I saw her. Chic as hell.

Printed Matter: Cheap Chic

2010-11-26T16:10:00.001-08:00

Vintage books are probably the greatest source of inspiration in my creative life. I look for them wherever I go. The best vintage bookstore is Glenn Horowitz Booksellers in East Hampton. I could go broke there. In fact Glenn Horowitz is where I found my all time favorite fashion how-to guide, Cheap Chic. It heavily inspired my own book, I Love Your Style. In fact, the greatest compliment I got on my book was from Carol Troy, the Cheap Chic author herself, who posted on my Facebook page that my book was "a terrific cheap chic update, high low and everything in between." Anyway, the good news is that many highly collective old books are easy to find and less expensive online (you can even find them on Amazon). I am so excited to share my favorite books with you. And there's no better way to start than with Cheap Chic itself.

Buy it here

I love how Carol calls this woman a "ragpicker deluxe." Not to mention the pictures - I love how unpretentiously stylish she is.

An athletic-chic Antonio Lopez illustration.

I also love how Carol incorporates all cultures and ethnicities in her appreciation of style.

Not only do I love these clothes, but also the style of the illustrations. I wish I could draw like this.

This is a page from a chapter called "Wrappings" which shows you dozens of ways to wrap fabric around your body. Love it!

Doesn't this girl look like a young Sonia Rykiel? Shows you how much impact hair and make up can have on your overall look. Perfect for creating a big impact on a little budget.

I ♥ Your Style: Gia Coppola

2010-11-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

There's no question that Gia Coppola has the Coppola cool gene. She's a talented photographer and now a budding filmmaker - she shot a charming and girly short film for Zac Posen's collection for Target and also - my favorite - a video of an installation Opening Ceremony did in LA called "You and Me on La Cienega." I love the way she dresses too - that kind of California laid-back school girl style - making the most out of basics like t-shirts and tank tops and white Wayfarers, but also amping it up a bit for night in classic black dresses (often Chanel). I'm excited to see what she makes of herself.

Travel: Taverna Flavia, Rome

2010-11-26T16:07:00.001-08:00

While I was in Rome last week (working on the next Tod's ad campaign), Emanuele Della Valle took us to Taverna Flavia one night for dinner. As soon as we walked in I was charmed by its old school neighborhood restaurant-type feel and the charm of the waiters who greeted us. I was further impressed by the floor to ceiling photos of celebrities from all decades. But I was actually floored when we got to the private dining room and noticed that the entire room was a museum's worth of photos and articfacts dedicated to the owner Mimmo Cavicchi's infatuation and long standing friendship with Liz Taylor, dating back to her days on the set of Cleopatra shot in Rome in 1961.

I took some photos (sorry for the poor lighting) and found the below interview which I found online. Its worth a vist for the photos alone, but the food is excellent too.

How did you know Elizabeth Taylor?

I met her in Rome in August 1961 during the shooting of the film Cleopatra. A series of fortuitous events had made me become not only the official supplier of her meals, but also and above all a great friend. We are still on the phone and each time is always exciting. I am madly in love with her, she is a myth, a special woman, both strong and fragile. I have hundreds of beautiful photos.

Is that why you have dedicated a museum?

I have dedicated a room in the Taverna Flavia called "Little Liz", where you can find not only photos but also telegrams, letters that I send and the famous Queen Cleopatra sandals which are authentic.

What did Liz love to eat?

San Daniele ham, mozzarella, spinach cannelloni. She loved exotic fruit. She hated grapes.

Have you ever done something crazy for her?

More than once. One evening I filled the entire room with hundreds of white roses. She hated red roses. I asked her at the telephone: "What you'd like to find here tonight?" She said: "A garden." Every wish of her was a order for me.

Elizabeth Taylor has been the success of Taverna Flavia?

Surely she helped. In America, she used to repeat to her friends: "When you go to Rome consult Mimmo. Then Tony Curtis, Brigitte Bardot, Burt Reynolds, Burt Lancaster, Roger Vadim, Jane Fonda, Kirk Douglas and many others arrived.

In Bloom

2010-11-26T16:05:00.003-08:00

I don't like taking jewelry with me when I travel. Despite the sartorial payoff, the burden of worrying about losing it always seems greater. This is usually fine except when I am traveling somewhere to go to a dressy party or a wedding. I discovered a solution in 2002 when I went to the Dominican Republic for a friend's wedding that was not only formal but also being photographed by Vogue. As I was getting dressed for the rehearsal dinner I grabbed a handful of bougainvillea that had been placed as a welcoming decoration in the bedroom of our hotel. It worked so well to make my outfit a little more special that the next night I went out into the garden and picked some gardenias to wear in my hair for the wedding. They looked good AND smelled good! I'm not always so lucky to have a garden of fresh flowers to pick from. I once bought a hideous bouquet in the Munich airport and picked out the pink roses to work into my braids for another wedding the next night. This is a great traveling trick but also good for dressing yourself up on home turf too. And even though I'm partial to flowers in the hair they also work in a lapel or on a hat as evidenced below, or in Jane Birkin's case even held in your hand. And although you might shudder at the idea, I once even made a corsage - a gardenia on a thick black grosgrain ribbon tied around my wrist - and wore it to the Met Ball. It worked, I swear.

Clockwise from top: Catherine Deneuve & Francoise Dorleac, Jacqueline Bisset, David Hamilton photograph, Charlotte Rampling, Jerry Hall, Me, Kate Moss, unknown, Gwenyth Paltrow, Joni Mitchell, Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin.

Snapshot: Perfect Hermès Boots

2010-11-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

Travel: Mattituck, NY

2010-11-10T16:38:00.000-08:00

One of the only consolations about the end of summer is looking forward to apple and pumpkin picking at Wickham's farm in Mattituck, NY. In our family we have made a tradition out of climbing aboard Mr. Wickham's red vintage tractor and trolley to ride through the peach orchards, past the blueberry net, beyond the farmhouse and down to the bayside plot where the pumpkins are waiting to be carefully chosen and taken home and the apples are ready to be eaten on the spot and collected into giant bushel bags. We always end up with way too many apples resulting in not only every variation of sliced apples (with cheddar cheese or peanut butter) for after school snacks but also apple pie, apple crisp, apple sauce, even apple butter. After three trips to Wickham's this fall, I'm pretty sure I'm ready to wait until next Fall for apple season to come again.

I ♥ Your Style: Lauren Hutton

2010-10-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Is there anyone more American than Lauren Hutton?

Light as a Feather

2010-10-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Especially on a short little evening jacket. The first one I got was from my friend Duro Olowu - he's an amazing designer and he also has an incredible eye (and nose!) for vintage. His wife Thelma is one lucky woman. Anyway, whenever I go to his studio he brings out little treasures from a back closet to show me. They are always impressive historical pieces (a 60's Balenciaga coat made from rubber!), but not always something I must have or that he wants to neccessarily part with. Its more like show and tell. One day, however, he brought out this 70's YSL sequin bolero with Maribou sleeves and I just plotzed, as my buddy Josh would say. I'd never seen anything that felt more like me, and I HAD to have it. What's more, if you look at the closeup below you can see the sequins are sewn onto lace tulle, which makes it shimmer even more. It was perfect because Duro had been coveting a painting of my husbands and so we did an even trade. I wear it every year at least once or twice, I never get tired of it. I even wore it to The Met Ball one year with a white silk tank top and sharply tailored black trousers. I never thought about owning a second Maribou evening jacket until I saw one go down the runway at Phillip Lim a few seasons back. The color was stunning - very dark hunter green - and when the model walked past me and I saw the gunmetal sequins on the back I knew it was going to soon be in my closet. I'm so happy when I wear it, and I'm even happy just to see it hanging there in my closet when I'm not wearing it.