POI: Elizabeth Olsen

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In researching Elizabeth Olsen as a source of killer hair inspiration, I became quite drawn to her sense of style, as well. The Elizabeth in her sisters' (Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, that is) line, Elizabeth and James, Liz Olsen sticks to mostly neutrals when it comes to dressing. While she keeps her colors to a minimum, I noticed that one of the garment styles that she frequently exhibits is none other than a form of jacket or coat. I am a strong believer in having a jacket pull a look together, and Elizabeth Olsen definitely demonstrates that. From a head to toe velvet rust-colored suit to a creme shaw colored jacket. Her style has a certain nod to the easy glamour of the seventies but with an updated twist when it comes to lengths and styling. Although her hairstyle is what initially brought me to her, it is her style in addition that made me stay.

What do you think about Elizabeth Olsen's style? Do you have a favorite Olsen sister when it comes to fashion and style?

POI: Twiggy

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Ever since we learned about the sixties in fashion history this semester, I have been completely infatuated with the style and those involved in making it what it was. One of these influential people was none other than sixties fashion icon, Twiggy. Twiggy,whose given name was Leslie Hornby, was a British teenage model who was known for her thin lanky build, short hair, and large eyes. While many assumed her nickname, Twiggy, came from her her skinny limbs, it was also assumed to be from how she would do her bottom lashes with mascara separated like little twigs. While she was often known for her androgynous style, she was often wearing little A-line and baby doll dresses. In looking at photographs of her from the sixties during her modeling career, I love her fresh-faced look and not going to lie, I might even brave a pixie-bob if it made made me look anything like Twiggy.

POI: Harley Viera Newton

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Growing up in Los Angeles, California, and a graduate of NYU double majoring in Egyptology and Social Science, Harley Viera Newton has a career that sort of instantly gives you a cool-girl style: DJ-ing. Being one of the most popular DJ's in NYC has it's style perks as well, and Harley is no newcomer when it comes to style and being well-known in the fashion world, as well. After all, Charlotte Olympia is her cousin.

Having been a fan of her fashion for a while now, HVN has one of those styles that is always perfect regardless of what the components are that make it up.  Citing Christopher Kane as her favorite designer, vintage dresses as her every day go-to, and having an obsession with leopard print and Tom Binns jewelry, her closet seems like any fashion lovers mecca. She has said "If you're not comfortable and you're aware of wearing an outfit, everyone else is going to be aware that you're wearing an 'outfit.' That's not style, that's trying to be stylish." This is for sure seen in how Harley wears her looks, whether in a dress with a plastic appearance in the above left image, to matching crop top and moto jacket in the above right image, she always evokes a sense of ease and confidence that makes the way she dresses that much cooler. 

What do you think of Harley's style? Are you more into her DJ-ing, style, or both?

Person of Interest: Gia Coppola

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While not often directly associated with fashion and style, it often seems as if the people that are involved in the arts through either fine arts, film, photography, and so on, have the style that most are envious of. In these areas of focus, mostly nothing is taken too seriously and yet, always comes off as effortless and right in all the right ways. Gia Coppola, Francis Ford's granddaughter and Sofia's niece, takes part in all areas of these arts. Graduating from Bard with a photography degree, she has been frequently working on fashion films for labels such as Opening Ceremony, Rodarte, and Wren. She cites herself as "pretty lazy" when it comes to style and wanting to be comfortable, and maybe that's the trick to the ease in the way she wears her clothes. With Gia, most garments are not too restricting and her looks create enough shape to show that she has one, without extremely defining it. In addition to her effortless way of dress, she has the hairstyle that most of the "cool-girls" that I envy have. Never too polished and perfectly tousled, her chin-length bob is one that is constantly saved away for that chance that I would ever take the cut.

What do you think about Gia Coppola's sense of style? 

Person of Interest: Alexa Chung

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With each year that passes as I learn more about fashion and style, my own personal style fluctuates from being extremely feminine to adding tomboyish pieces to the feminine ones, and eventually it all becomes sort of oddly combined to create some sort of sense of style. For a while, though, through all of the changes in my own style, Alexa Chung has always had a sense of personal style that I constantly admire, look up to, and try to re-create. Aside from her perfectly un-kept messy bangs that almost have me wanting to re-visit that hairstyle when I study in London next spring, her mile-long slim legs, and the fact that she has a bag named after her by Mulberry, Alexa's style seems effortless in an exquisitely crafted manner. She is an expert at combining feminine prints and silhouettes with combat boots, muted colors, and at pairing vintage pieces with modern ones. Her style is very English and classic, but she creates combinations that feel anything but conservative and stuffy. While I have yet to achieve success in the styling of Alexa Chung, until then, her looks continue to serve as a form of daily inspiration. 

Person of Interest: Gaia Repossi

Although born into the jewelry business, Repossi, founded by her great grandfather, Gaia Repossi did not always aspire to one day be a part of the company. With her interests leading more towards the fine arts of painting and studies in anthropology, she wasn't particularly interested in fashion. However, in 2007 she became the artistic director for the Repossi jewelry brand. Infusing her love of anthropology and various cultures into her jewelry work, she is inspired by "ethnic silhouettes and tribal adornment with contemporary art." Though she doesn't consider a fashion line as of now, she has done many collaborations in designing jewelry for some of fashion's top designers such as Alexander Wang and Joseph Altuzarra, both for their fall 2011 collections.

Although her interests lie in metals instead of cloth, she understands how to dress incredibly well. Gaia Repossi's sense of style is rather simple and incorporates many masculine references. She has said that her mother told her to "never overdress because it's never going to work." In thinking about the concept of making an outfit "work", one of the main qualifications is making it come across as that you have thrown it on and it just happened to be perfect. With her outfits mostly consisting of solid colors and easy shapes, even in a long sienna colored dress in the far left image above, she never looks overdone.  If never overdressing will result in my outfits appearing like Gaia Repossi styled them, consider it done.

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Person of Interest: Amanda Brooks

Growing up in Bronxville, NY and Palm Beach, Florida, Amanda Brooks was always surrounded with style and influential people. Beginning with her parents who met through a mutual friend, Lilly Pulitizer, to being a student at Brown University studying photography and having Carolina Herrera's daughter, Patricia as her roommate, to dating DVF's son, Alexander, Amanda was destined to be not only a regular in the social world of fashion, but in being a part of it creatively, as well. Her interest in photography led her to an internship with famed fashion photographer, Patrick Demarchelier. Following photography, she then became the muse and former creative director of Tuleh, and contributed to Vogue. However, in addition to her involvement in various parts of the industry, it is said to have been her blog, "I Love Your Style" that played a key role in her hire for her position as Fashion Director for Barney's. After a year of this position, she has since moved to Oxfordshire, England with her husband and two children inspired by the blog, "The Pioneer Woman" to show that she is able to write about fashion from a different perspective, as well as citing "I've spent my entire career devoted to the vision of others,""This year away is for introspection. For myself."

Amanda Brooks has one of those styles that I admire for their sense of no-fuss perfection. From some of the photos in the image above, she manages to form her put together style with minimal elements that still come across as complete. From a basic button down and pencil skirt with heels, or simple peach dress with a pop of color for a bag, it is this act of simplicity to which I am drawn. Having been cited as not fussy when it comes to fashion, you can tell from the way that she wears the clothes, as well as the actual clothes that she is wearing. Amanda reminds us that there is something important about knowing how to wear simple pieces well, and that prints and patterns (while keeping the shapes and cut of the garments simple), can keep your outfit interesting and full of style.

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Person of Interest: Olivia Palermo

Olivia Palermo has one of those styles that gives me closet envy time after time. I always admired her sense of style and class and her ability to combine high fashion with more affordable pieces to create the put-together quality of her looks. Aside from her obvious ability to always appear polished, I am interested in the way that she incorporates tailored jackets and coats into her looks--an easy way to add texture and make an outfit look a bit more finished and tie the look together, and, following last week's POI on pattern mixing, Olivia is a master at that, as well.

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Person of Interest: Whitney Port

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Mixing patterns is an easy way to create a greater range of variety in your wardrobe and can create a look that appears intensely thought out and difficult to pull off. While pattern mixing has become one of my favorite inspirations while getting dressed in the morning, oddly enough, it was Whitney Port and her style that had me attempt it in the first place a few years ago. Just as navy can be considered a neutral to some, I have gotten to where stripes and florals can be considered neutrals, as well. For me, in pulling off this style successfully, I have found that pairing a bolder or larger pattern (such as the bold striped skirt in the second photo) with a smaller more subdued one (the leopard print flats) usually works. I admire Whitney Port's style for the fact that she always appears put together and polished, while still maintaining an ease to her outfits by providing an undone element, as well.

Are you a fan of pattern mixing and what are some of your favorites to combine?

Person of Interest: Elin Kling

Elin Kling is a Swedish fashion blogger, model, and fashion director of her magazine STYLEBY, as well as had her own collection collaborated with H&M. While she can be seen in printed and colored pieces occasionally, her style appears to be more of basic colors in tailored pieces. Mostly made up of key pieces from slim-fitted pants and trousers to blazers and knits, I am inspired by how she manages to appear effortlessly put together and stylish without hiding behind bold prints and bright colors. Aside from her outfits, she does not hide behind statement jewelry pieces, either. This too intrigues me in that while many feel that even a simple necklace can finish their look, hers often go without--and succeed without, as well.

Does Elin's style inspire you, too?

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Person of Interest: Eva Chen

While many know of Eva Chen, the former beauty editor for Teen Vogue, you may not know that even though she deals more with face creams and eyeshadows than fashion, she is quite fashionable herself. While her style seems to consist of mostly dark colors in basic shapes with bright colored prints, this beauty editor has an easy-to-wear wardrobe that would make any working girl jealous.

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Person of Interest: Elisa Nalin

I have been watching stylist and design consultant Elisa Nalin's style for a while now, and I have to say, that I am currently smitten. Her style is sort of quirky and unique with a tomboyish flair and platinum pixie cut, but at the same time feminine and definitely colorful. I am particularly fond of how she can make prints that would otherwise be too symbolic, such as palm trees or leaves, be toned down with a blazer or pleated skirt and still come off with a sort of charm and interest to them. From the collage above, Elisa is also a master at combining interesting color and pattern palettes to create instant trends and overall appeal.

What do you think of Elisa Nalin's style? Are you as in love as I am?

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Person of Interest: Natalie Joos

This week's POI is Belgian beauty is Natalie Joos. After various positions such as studio manager for photographer Craig Mcdean, Joos branched to starting a career as a casting director. The roll of a casting director is one that is not often thought of, but is extremely important. According to her from a Fashionista interview, being a casting director is an "easy fun job, and you don't need any kind of education or training for it. The only thing you need is good taste and an eye for relevant beauty."Always a lover for prints and color, Joos is also an expert at combining and experimenting with prints, patterns, and textures. Her style is one that is always spot-on, looks effortless and amazing, and consistently leaves me wondering how to emulate my own style to the likes of hers.

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Person of Interest: Sarah Jessica Parker

In the spirit of an iconic Disney favorite, Hocus Pocus, and since it is Halloween tonight, Mrs. Sarah Jessica Parker is our Person of Interest for the day. While her real-life style is much different than that of Carrie Bradshaw--or Sarah Sanderson for that matter--it is still one that I envy and admire. Seemingly a fan of easy shapes and not big on prints, she wears pieces that always seem in-style and timeless at the same time. With a megawatt smile and a perfect middle-part, Sarah Jessica Parker proves that her real-life style is just as stellar as her famed and fashionable character.

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Person of Interest: Jane Keltner de Valle

This week's Person of Interest is Jane Keltner de Valle. As a fashion news director for TeenVogue, she has said that since working there, she has added much more color, print, and combinations of high and lo pieces to her wardrobe. I like to think that Jane and I are similar in a way. She dislikes wearing pants and so do I, and it seems that her signature are fit-and-flare skirts with tucked in blouses and button-downs. Mrs. Keltner de Valle always appears extremely put together and complete. She has a dream wardrobe for a job in fashion that is all it should be--stylish, thoughtful, and professional, while still clearly showing her personality and own sense of style. Is anyone else in love with that cobalt blue skirt on the far right above? Me too.

What do you think of Jane's style? 

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Person of Interest: Jane Birkin

Whether you are fashion obsessed or fascinated with celebrities, you are probably aware of the famed Birkin bag. However, many are unaware with the incredible Jane, the woman who inspired and carried this bag herself. The long-legged, blunt banged actress and singer was famous in the sixties was known for her iconic fashion sense, as well. A fan of turtlenecks, mini-skirts, denim, and t-shirts, she wore everything in an effortless way that always had a fresh and basic feel in the best way. While it wasn't until the eighties that the actual Birkin bag was created from her expressing her need for a nice weekend bag on the plane to Jean-Louis Dumas, chief exec of Hermes, her sense of incredible style without the bag was long before that.

What do you think of Jane's style?

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Person of Interest: Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts's style is one that I feel doesn't attract as much attention as it should. While her hair alone is a cut that I admire, her clothing style is one that I envy, as well. Full of relatively simple and easy shapes and lines, Emma's look always appears spot-on in an effortless manner.  While typically clad in neutral (black, white, grey) or muted (greens, burgundies, and navy) colors, her looks never appear dull. Casually, she seems to favor slim fitting pants paired with favorite boots of any kind or heels, and easy tops. For dressier occasions, she usually opts for dresses. And, though petite in stature, her floor grazing frocks never overpower her frame and always look stunning.

What do you think of Emma Roberts as the Person of Interest? Are there any style savvy ladies you would like to see featured as the POI on Wednesdays?

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Person of Interest: Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson is one of those actresses that really maintain a style that is effortlessly perfect and fairly simple, but never boring. Her look is very recognizable, in that she is often seen in well-fitting pieces--often in solids-- such as pants, skirts, and simple dresses, and for pairing her ankle boots with more feminine pieces for an ideal contrast. While often seen in jeans and t-shirts or sweaters, she wears them with a way that combines undone with thought out, and always pairs them with amazing accessories--Philip Lim being a favorite. Rachel's style is one that I love. While she is mostly a fairly casual person, with simple pieces that are always spot-on, she shows that you don't have to "dress up" everyday to end up with an end product this right.

Who are some of your favorite POI? Is Rachel Bilson also one of your favorite stylish celebrities?

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Person of Interest: Taylor Tomasi Hill

Do you know anyone who is always so put-together and complete in the most effortless looking way? Well, though I don't know her, Taylor Tomasi Hill is just that. Previously Marie Claire's style and accessories editor and more recently the artistic director of Moda Operandi, this Dallas native and Pratt graduate (for Industrial Design) switches up her style often, but is known for her love of chunky necklaces, and her signature (and secretive) flaming red locks. Everything she wears always manages to appear as if it was made for her, and the way that she styles each look is always pure perfection.

Do you covet Taylor's style? Who have been some of your favorite POI's?

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Person of Interest: Jenna Lyons

This week's POI is someone that I have admired for a while not only for her incredible style abilities, but for her creativity in her positions as J. Crew's Executive Creative Director and President, as well. Basically, it is hard to come in contact with a person who hasn't looked at Jenna and her style and thought how genius she can be for her experimentation in combining pieces that generally wouldn't be paired together and instead, doing so and making them fabulous (hot pink evening skirt and denim jacket, I'm talking to you). She is known for always adding a casual element to an outfit and follows by the idea that there has to be a certain level of imperfection to any outfit. Often, that piece that at first seems to contradict an outfit entirely can be the component that makes it most complete and stylish.

Do you have a style maven that you adore? Which of the looks above is your favorite?

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