Maybe we should talk

Helmut Lang, personal style, and what's on my radar.

Sportsman’s Paradise is an Instagram account run by Joe Silveria, a graphic designer and consultant based in Toronto. These images are from Helmut Lang S/S 2000, taken by Lodge Kerrigan, and styled by Judy Elkan at JFK, a deranged yet epic location.

Images c/o Sportsman's Paradise.

I often find myself wearing versions of the same— jeans with a tee shirt and a hoodie, trousers with a jacket— and it’s frustrating because it makes me feel like I have no sense of style, but to my eye: this is sexy! I wonder if simplicity is enough. It seemed to be for the likes of Kate Moss, Winona Ryder, etc. I know I have style, and that other people trust my taste, so why can’t I? As I scroll I see sequins, shades of bright yellow, and animal print…things I could never pull off (nor do I want to try). My Judy Turner zip up knit looks good every time, so why do I feel like no one is impressed when I put it on? No one knows my jeans are Dries Van Noten, and also no one really cares.

When I think about whose style I admire, it’s not anyone following trends, it’s stylists. Anna Santangelo, Karoline Robl, Shayna Arnold, and Thistle Brown to name a few. I’m aspiring to have a point of view that I feel is as strong as theirs.

This raises the question: are stylists the new influencer?

I didn’t mean to talk about fashion in this way. I’m not trying to pose as a fashion writer, but I do think about it everyday. It is the industry I work in, even if it’s sometimes just as an assistant. 

Simplicity, working.

If I’m being honest I am struggling to juggle the three things I love most in life: acting, writing, and fashion. I only started styling when I moved to LA, about 4 years ago now. It’s the one thing of the three that I have the least experience, and therefore I feel a little insecure talking about it. I went to acting school for 8 years of my life. I learned about fashion through osmosis, by working at Chickee’s, by doing my own research, and definitely by the people I chose to surround myself with. Kathleen is a massive inspiration for me, “the blueprint” for lack of a better term. My personal style started to develop while working for her. When I started there, I was likely wearing Brandy Melville, or worse, the color orange. I don’t wear colors much anymore. I’ve lived many lives since 2019, and I love them all equally.

Right: At Chickee's, 2019. Left: Kathleen at the shop, 2020.

People look to those with a strong sense of personal style for inspiration. I think back to my days at Chickee’s, and even before. I used to earnestly wear cream overalls. Will I look back on my style today in 5 years and ask what was I thinking? Maybe! It’s possible. It’s obvious that as we mature and get a better sense of who we are, our personal style will follow suit. My style has evolved from being so elementary, so juvenile, to something more uniform. The one thing I have left to figure out is silhouette. I struggle with an eating disorder, so I have a tendency to wear things that are oversized. Though I would be extremely powerful in a well fitted Prada dress, I know I’m most comfortable in orange tabs, a ratty t-shirt, and a windbreaker/knit/zip-up. Just like god intended: the equation for an effortless sexy woman.

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Here’s some things that caught my eye this week!

But first a question for you:

Can someone please point me in the direction of a shoe with arch support that aren’t totally horrific? I love my shoes, I do! (they’re listening), but after being on set all week I’m afraid I may need a week straight of rest and relaxation considering the condition of my feet, and therefore my back, neck, etc. I wore my vintage Gucci loafers, my Dries sneakers (which have been mistaken twice for the Miu Miu New Balance), and my Wales Bonner Adidas, all of which did me incredibly dirty.

Tommy Dorr of Moth Food posts a web drop every Wednesday. I loved this label on some trousers he posted a preview of on stories. Direct from Hollywood, baby!

Barbara Potts posted this beautiful Schindler kitchen, which I believe belongs to Gina Correll Aglietti, the owner of Yola Mezcal. An LA dream.

These mirrors made by Yadz Odedina, especially this one, which will be for sale this Saturday in LA at the Waka Waka sidewalk sale from 10am-2pm at 3461 Casitas Avenue.

On set this week there was a juicer for oranges. Extremely luxurious. It’s always a toss up with catering on set. I loved this.

Me on set this week.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite songs from one of the best movies, Klute (1971). Watch it if you haven’t already, and have a sweet weekend.