"It's my first job to make myself up. I style myself like I style a model. You should put your passion on yourself before translating to other people." - Anna Dello Russo
If you asked which editor do I admired a year ago,
the infamous Anna Wintour or Anna Dello Russo, I would instantly reply Anna Wintour, because she is the it fashion editor, controlling the most read fashion magazine in the world. A lot of things changed when I joined the blogosphere. Scrolling on The Sartorialist(
before I realized how arrogant he is, but we'll get to that later) and Jak&Jil, I noticed this certain peculiar woman wearing cherries on top of her head.
Even for a subversive person, it was an awkward ten seconds when I gasped at the screen with admiration.
Since then, my style had changed
a lot. I still admired Anna Dello Russo's
exquisite yet avant-garde personality, how she
incorporate trends into her ever-changing personal style. Now, I compelled a list of things I had learned about style, from Anna Dello Russo herself, the master of styling.
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| Statement accessories can help draw attention to what you're wearing, from snakeskin boots to neon fur stoles. |
Statement accessories You will hardly see Dello Russo in anything less than couture worthy, but what happen when she decide to dress down for a bit? She add a statement accessory(or more than one) to keep it over-the-top. In the right photo, the simple, fitting menswear-inspired suit is simple and elegant, so Anna decided to add a bit of trends to her outfit, using fur stoles from Prada's Spring 2011 collection full of energetic prints. Likewise, the snakeskin thigh-high boots draw attention to the minimalistic coat(the fur is, likewise, from the Prada collection, but in a slightly more tamed, pastel palette)
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| Dolce&Gabbana blouse with stars! Jeweled skirt! Yellow feathered clutch! |
When in doubt, mix proportions. Sometimes, you just can't mix too much unexpectedness into an outfit, otherwise it will become a mess. Instead, choose where do you want people to focus on: your star-patterned blouse, bejewled skirt, accessories or shoes? In this case, Anna chose the skirt as the main focus of the entire outfit, and let the blouse and accessories to be the appetizer to the main course(as in, the skirt is the main course, and the accessories are the appetizer? Get it, no?)
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| Did not figure out what this is yet, but see how easy it is to recognize Anna Dello Russo? |
Have something as your signature style, so people will know it's you. For some people, like Miranda Priestly of The Devil Wears Prada, is a white Hermรจs scarf. Anna's signature is a hat: any hat that looks quirky, from the cherries to flowers and pineapple(she loves wearing fruit as headpieces) I never managed to find something I love enough to declare it as my signature, but I got loads of time. Do you have a signature style, and why did you declared it as your signature?
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| Anna wearing the Versace + H&M collaboration. This is so Gianni Versace, 90's era. |
Style does come from every price range. A price doesn't matter at all, if it's not something you called part of your style. Sometimes, I found my favourite pieces of clothing from thrift stores or secondhand for a surprisingly low price. Anna wears anything she considered interesting and intriguing, from pieces of Chanel Haute Couture to Lanvin ♥ H&M, and most recently Versace + H&M. Takes advantage of these designer collaborations as a way to increase the size of your wardrobe while not breaking the bank. Also, mix-and-matching pieces from different era is another way I found to identify your unique style.
What do you think of all these tips? Anything you think I should add? Comment below and share your thoughts.
