Fashion Forward

Tips From The Fashionista
Commandment #4:
Icons of Style

We recently had Fashion Week here in New York, and at this time of year with who knows what walking down the runways, it’s especially salient to refer back to those I consider Icons of Style. As we discussed last time, imitating any particular person always results in a look that’s more costume than outfit, and is highly inadvisable. So I give you these icons not to suggest that we transform ourselves into their likenesses, but to provide examples of truly gifted individuals who really have contributed something extraordinary to the world of Fashion—and to the very definition of Style.

Without further ado, my Icons.

Sienna Miller
You may have noticed already, but I love this girl. I can’t say it enough—she just pulls it all together. And with friends like Stella McCartney and Kate Moss, couldn’t you, too? Sienna’s a beautiful girl who’s not afraid to take risks, whether it’s a short haircut or slouchy boots, and she knows that a sexy man is a girl’s hottest accessory. Her whimsical, cheeky British sensibility on this month’s cover of Nylon magazine is an inspiration to us all.

Marcello Mastroianni
Yes, I’m aware that he’s dead. But gentlemen, if you want a lesson on looking good, watch La Dolce Vita. Black suit, white shirt, black tie, dark sunglasses. Handsome Italian men still rock this look nearly 50 years after the movie came out. And Marcello wasn’t just well-dressed in character—I saw a photo of him from the 1970s, leaving a club in Paris with Catherine Deneuve (at 7:30 a.m., well done!), and he was rocking some sweet flare pants and a blazer. He could pull it off. And that is why we love him.

Ralph Lauren
Say what you will about the Polo Empire—I personally don’t care to match the walls of my kitchen to my t-shirts—but Ralph Lauren has defined American Style. Sure, the spawn of Polo has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, but for good reason. Ralph Lauren started out designing and manufacturing neckties, and selling them himself on Seventh Avenue. And now the ubiquitous horsie prances across everything from bath towels to $7500 silk gowns. But look at Ralph himself—he exudes casual elegance, as comfortable in jeans and a polo as he is in a tuxedo. He has given Americans something to believe in. And he’s given the rest of the world something to aspire to—and to purchase in mass quantities. Go Ralph!

Daniel Craig
He is the best-dressed man on the planet. Jeans that fit. T-shirt that fits even better. Expensive, appropriately aged leather jacket. That’s all you need, people. And then he takes it all off. I have nothing more to say.

Beck
Reinvention is essential, and Beck works it like none other. Yeah, 10 years ago he was wearing his t-shirts over long-sleeve thermals, just like the rest of us, and we were all cool like that. He was also singing about two turntables and a microphone. Today, he’s rocking a sharp suit and hat (props for bringing back the hat) and the songs are about earthquake weather. The man can dance, too. There’s nothing more stylish than skills.

Jane Birkin
They named a handbag after her, that’s how cool she was. And you can’t even buy it—you have to be on a waiting list for years. The Birkin bag is possibly the most coveted accessory in the world and Jane Birkin is the perfect example of how style attracts style and then begets style (she mated with Serge Gainsbourg, and their offspring, Charlotte Gainsbourg, could well merit her own spot on this list). Jane Birkin was young, fresh, and sexy as hell. If you have any doubts, download “Je t’aime…Moi non plus.” Yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. Money cannot buy enough handbags to make you that cool.

Wes Anderson
Here we have a man who wears awkward glasses, high-water pants, jackets that expose too much shirt cuff, and Stan Smiths. Why is he stylish? Because he does it on purpose. You have to believe that what you’re wearing is right for you, and then others will, too. If you’re going to rock your own personalized style, you have to be confident about it. Wes, let’s get married. Please.

Sofia Coppola
Ok, her best friend is Marc Jacobs, I get it. Sofia Coppola has never lacked for anything—she even has a sparkling wine named after her—and she especially has never lacked for style. Going to the Oscars but your feet aren’t feeling so great? Wear flats! Looking for the perfect shade of lip gloss? Have Three Custom Color create it for you! Other kids say your nose is funny looking? Screw them! Oh, would that we could all be Sofia.

Diane von Furstenberg
A funny thing happened in the past half-century or so. Women once wore only dresses. Then we had a sexual revolution and women wore pants. Women wore ugly pants, women wore baggy pants, women wore whatever pants they could find just to prove they could wear pants. Then Diane von Furstenberg came along and designed an amazing little wrap dress in silk knit prints that flattered everyone, and women went back to wearing dresses again, because they looked so damn sexy. I have DVF dresses that belonged to my mother, back in the day, and I have DVF dresses I’ve bought for myself. I even met Diane earlier this year, and she was wearing one of her signature creations in plum-colored suede…divine!

Maggie Gyllenhaal
I don’t particularly like actresses; I find them over-styled and over-hyped, and highly foolish to boot. But I love my Maggie. Tall and statuesque, apple-cheeked and bright-eyed, smart and quirky, she’s that girl you’d hang out with if only she’d let you. She can wear couture as well as she can wear thrift store finds, and she doesn’t value one over the other, either.

Bjork
Swan dress aside, you have to admit that Bjork is pretty fantastic. She’ll never be caught at Whole Foods in a pair of baggy sweatpants and a t-shirt that reads “World’s Greatest Mom,” that’s for sure. Iceland, I can imagine, is one of those places where one has a lot of time to learn to sew, compose music, and try on outfits in front of a three-way mirror, and Bjork definitely capitalized on her opportunities. What if Bjork and Beck mated? Groovy.

Remember, people: This is just one girl’s opinion. I’m sure you have your own Icons of Style. Discuss.