Fashion

One to watch

KATE YOUNG

If Jennifer Aniston suddenly adopts a different hairstyle and is then spotted with a helix (a piercing in the ear) you know that there is ‘something’ lifechanging going on. What is the case? A new stylist. Kate Young is her name and she is placed by The Hollywood Reporter within the top 5 of the most influential stylists in the world.

I find Kate a delightful woman. With her ashy blondish hair, her signature style (usually in black and very often Phillip Lim because that is her best) and her self-deprecation. “I bought my first designer piece when I was in Paris alone for the first time without my parents. It is a satin pair of pants with orange dots. Too ugly for words actually but I keep it for nostalgic reasons.”

Her cool Brooklyn apartment (where she lives with her husband and sons) is a lovely, raw collection of books, art, and fashion. Kate believes that you cannot learn fashion just by knowing which designer belongs to which house. “Fashion goes beyond that. You need to immerse yourself in art, in books to be able to surprise.”

You might know Kate as Anna Wintour's assistant and Vogue’s fashion editor Tonne Goodman but especially as the stylist of Natalie Portman (do you remember that white origami-Givenchy?) and Michelle Williams (in her yellow Vera Wang at the Oscars she was at her absolute best. Ever).
I love Rachel Zoe, but now that she is enjoying her fresh baby boy, I am looking at Kate. Because 2014 is going to be her year. Period.

Kate's tips are simple but incredibly true.

  • Get real with your body. “Your body is the starting point, you cannot change anything about it and you have to work with it. Look closely at what suits you and get to work with that.
  • If you want an edgy, modern look, you have to be critical. “If you like something right away, it is usually boring an hour later. You need to challenge yourself with things you weren't sure you would like at first.

Kate’s inspired by

Blondie
Keith Richards
Catherine Deneuve 

Kate’s Places

New York Prune’s
Brooklyn I love Romans
L.A. Dan Tana’s