Archive for the 'Interviews' Category

As a style-setting model and business woman, we never miss an opportunity to glean a little sartorial wisdom from Olivia Palermo. So when the fashion darling hosted a night of shopping at Piperlime’s SoHo store, we took some time out to chat Cannes glamour, Summer essentials, and even fashion regrets. As usual, there are plenty of style lessons to be had from a sit-down with the ever-chic Olivia — just keep reading.

POPSUGAR: You were just in Cannes where we saw you in a sexier Roberto Cavalli look. It seemed like a bit of a departure for you — what inspired your look?
Olivia Palermo: The Cavallis were sponsoring amfAR and I wanted to pull in on the Cavalli look, and sometimes it’s kind of nice to mix it up, look a little sexier.

PS: Have you been to Cannes before?
OP: Yes, I was there a few years ago with Johannes [Huebl], so it was nice to come back and be there for amfAR.

PS: Does your boyfriend Johannes ever offer input on what you’re wearing?
OP: We get dressed separately, and that’s it. We meet at the door. On occasion, if I ask for an opinion, he’ll give it to me [laughs].

PS: You have a knack for styling and have become a source of fashion inspiration for women. When did you first fall in love with fashion?
OP: Fashion has always been in my life, thanks to my mother and my aunt growing up. I think as I became an adult, my style evolved, and my love of fashion evolved even more. Growing up as a kid, school sports, there are other priorities. In my late teens and early 20s, it really started to evolve.

PS: Is there anything when it comes to fashion that you won’t try?
OP: Crocs and Birkenstocks. Forget it. It’s never going to happen.

PS: Is there any fashion choice you’ve regretted?
OP: I think we all have had one or two moments. For me I really don’t like to regret, you know. It’s kind of like, “Move forward; don’t dwell on it.” Yeah, has there been a suit or two I would’ve liked to retailor? Sure.

PS: Do you have a favorite moment that stands out in your mind as the best thing you’ve ever worn? Or a piece you go back to again and again?
OP: Basically all the Valentino dresses I’ve worn. I think between Valentino and Giambattista, those have been my favorites.

PS: Do you have an icon that inspires your look?
OP: I really get inspired by stylish girls around the world that I see on the street. Colors, patterns, throughout my travels, whatever catches my eye.

PS: Do you have any Summer essentials or a Summer uniform?
OP: Yes, uniform for sure! I tend to like chiffon, very flowy, light. I love a mint green in the Summer. Just adding electric bright colors and florals. Ballet flats are key. Definitely in the Summer, always have a half a size bigger in your shoe . . . ’cause they swell.

PS: You seem to be something of an accessory expert with a great eye for detail. What’s your trick?
OP: It’s sort of whatever catches the eye. I always have a ring on, a watch, a bracelet — I play around with it. I love to mix colors. For me, I don’t have a rule, like “you can’t wear silver and gold.” You can mix it.

PS: I feel like you must have an incredibly organized closet . . .
OP: [Laughs] I do. I think being organized should be in your lifestyle. I run a few different businesses, so I have to be organized. And I think everyone around me will also feel organized. To have chaos going on, it just doesn’t work.

PS: As for shopping, do you have a strategy? Do you go out looking for something or is it just what grabs your attention?
OP: Yeah, it’s kind of what catches my eye. I always like to play with a lot of color. Color is great. I always say, maybe a little bit more in the Winter, it’s great to take some basics and layer and play, but now for Summer, all you need is a great dress.

PS: What’s in your bag when you head to the beach?
OP: Always a chiffon dress. Belts. Always a belt. It’s always a great way to pinch something if you don’t have a tailor on hand. Accessories, ballet flats, and a great pair of strappy heels.

PS: What was your most recent fashion splurge?
OP: When I was in Tokyo, I got some beautiful pieces just from a little boutique. Those are the best, and hardest ones to find now. There are so many mass stores and less little boutiques. Financially, they can’t compete.

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Say what you will about Olivia Palermo’s role on The City, but this stylist-slash-model-slash-total-mogul has taken NYC (and the fashion world) by storm. That’s right, the Big Apple’s number-one It Girl has come a long way since the halls of Diane von Furstenberg, and she’s got a whole lot to show for it — including designer collabs, glossy covers, and a kick-ass website. Oh, and the dreamiest boyfriend ever (not that we’re lusting or anything).

To tap into some of that star power, we caught up with Palermo at NYC’s Piperlime outpost (she’s also a guest editor for the site, you know, in her free time) to pick her brain on all things style. We got the dish on everything from her drop-dead gorgeous Cannes looks and her best fashion tips, to how she makes her relationship work despite her busy schedule. Read on to find out what she loves, what she hates, and why you should call up your tailor, stat.

You recently rocked some red carpets in Cannes — can you tell us about what the process is like, picking out dresses and prepping?
“The gold dress I wore, it’s such a beautiful dress that it doesn’t need much. I just added a jacket to it, to make it a little more conservative.”

You paired your Roberto Cavalli with a jacket from Zara for that red carpet look. What’s your philosophy for high/low dressing?
“I’m all for it. My feeling is it’s not about how much something costs — if it looks great, it looks great, and you’ve created your own look. So in that sense, I always like adding a little bit of High Street to things.”

We love your website! What goes into making it?
“We have about 15 solid contributing writers, and we’re under new management right now, so there have been some changes. But it’s been fantastic — from February on it’s been a completely different site. I’m really hands-on, I oversee every single feature on the site. You know, it’s a full-time job, but I think that we have so many international readers, so it’s fantastic to kind of be able to give designers a worldwide platform.”

Where do you look for inspiration and how do you decide what brands and products to feature?
“It’s sort of like a hit-or-miss with designers. Sometimes, you’re a little luckier than others when it comes to seasons that you really love. Right now, I’m truly loving Altuzarra. I think it’s a really amazing brand, and Katie Ermilio as well. You kind of have to be selective.”

When you broke onto the scene with The City, did you imagine that you would become such a big style star? What did you envision for your career-path back then, and how has that changed?
“I think it’s been amazing that I’ve really tried to be very hands-on in everything I do. And I wear many different hats — from the styling aspect of it, to the creative aspect, and then obviously doing the website. Spending time working with different magazines and in Diane von Furstenberg’s office was really valuable and gave me a great understanding of where I wanted to go.”

Is there anything that you’re still hoping to accomplish that you haven’t tackled?
“There is so much room for more, but I think growing OP.com to what we think its potential is. We know we can be even bigger.”

Have you had to make any sacrifices in your life to gain this success? How do you balance it all?
“I have a really solid balance, and I have an amazing boyfriend, and we’re both kind of in the same place. We have a great system, so we work together. He oversees a lot of things for me as well. And we’re never separated for more than seven to eight days.”

You’ve travelled pretty much everywhere — what is your favorite place thus far, and what kind of inspiration in your styling and design has it given you?
“Tokyo is one of my biggest inspirations, and it always has been. I unfortunately don’t get to go every single year, but last year we did go for a seven-day vacation with two of our friends and we really got into the culture. It’s such an amazing culture — the street style in Tokyo is unlike anyplace else in the world. And I love the fact that the men love style, too. You can really be inspired by every single thing, the architecture, everything.”

What’s the trend you’re most looking forward to wearing this summer?
“You know, I really like the tribal inspiration that Altuzarra did, and I’m trying to create my own twist onto that.”

Is there anything you would never try?
“I’m not a big wedge person, and I’m really not a sneaker-wedge person.”

What’s your most prized possession?
“Johannes!”

Okay, that was an easy one. What about your most prized possession in your closet?
“I have a gold bracelet my mom gave to me that I wear almost every day, it’s like my watch. Everyone always says I’m very loyal to this bracelet.”

What are three of your best style tips?
“To understand the proportions of your body is seriously important. Having a great tailor is also a big one — it doesn’t matter how much it costs, that little nip of tailoring can make all the difference. And finally, have a great cocktail ring or statement piece of jewelry that you can throw on in the summer or winter and play it up.”

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“Every woman in heels want to feel sexy”

There are instances in which what is conventionally described as style is merely the result of years and years dedicated to fashion, runway shows and red carpets.
However, there are also cases in which style is something innate, a natural gift you flaunt proudly knowing that one day it will take you far.

These are the characteristics of the true IT-Girl. Anybody interested in fashion who surfs the net flicking through fashion blogs can’t but be familiar with stylish Olivia Palermo.

She was born in Greenwich, Connecticut but grew up in the Upper East Side, New York and is the definition of the perfect Gossip Girl: beautiful, socialite and trend-setter.
Until a few years ago, only few were familiar with her name. The turning point came in 2008 when she was invited to take part in the cast of The City, a spin-off of the famous reality show, The Hills, “only to familiarize myself with acting”, she explains.
Just enough to be nominated the new queen of street style by the online shopping mecca Asos and to become the face of Hogan. Following that, she created a capsule collection, launched a fashion blog where she posts her outfits providing fashion tips and her name is among the ones receiving the highest number of hits across the world.

“To me fashion is about one’s individuality and personality. I don’t always create my outfits in details. I follow my instinct”. The instinct she mentions being that natural ability to make style appear as something attainable by everybody. Quite simple when “everybody” means a tall, slender girl with lovely wavy hair who is also a socialite.

“I’ve always loved fashion since I was a kid and always had a special inclination for it”.
“Some people are born with a musical ear or another talent. I was born with the gift of style”.

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