Years ago, at one of my first jobs after college, it was common that after six months or so at the company, the new hire would undergo a style transformation. By then, the thought had infused that to be an employee also meant to be a chameleon.
This particular company was oft referred to as a pink sweatshop, and conformity was encouraged, and rewarded. But this has been true at most of the companies I’ve worked at. Whether intentional or not, when working in fashion, if you’re a company man, it’s easy to become a walking billboard. Part of it is the discount, of course. If your perks include an employee discount and/or clothing allowance, which most do, it feels financially irresponsible to shop anywhere else (this is part of their plan). And so you transform into an impeccably dressed lemming.
At goop, GP was often bare faced in the office, her hair in a varying state of air dry, sometimes still wet in the morning when she arrived straight from the Tracy Anderson studio in Brentwood. It is easy, at moments like this, to forget that you are not a world-renowned beauty and rather a mortal executive. So, we all followed, our melasma on display and acne scars visible under the guise of “natural beauty.”
The pant legs got wider, sometimes sweeping the floor, other times ankle length, but always hanging loose on the hips, “borrowed from the boys” as we called it in headlines. A byproduct of working for a visionary founder, magnetic CEO or celebrity (or in this case, all three) is that if you are good at your job, your taste often gets inculcated; you train yourself to see things as they would see them, to anticipate their questions, yearnings, aspirations.
And so, when you find yourself on your own - through choice or circumstance - you have to rediscover your own desires.
Sometimes that means testing a trend. Or making sartorial mistakes, as if we are 24 again and flirting with different identities (though hopefully it’s less drastically bad the second time around). It can manifest itself in satin sandals or low Vs, each a new path to fulfill our reinvention. Perhaps that’s why, the other day, I joined the masses in buying Chan Luu’s taffeta shorts (They are fabulous, especially in the bermuda silhouette. Automatic outfit tension. Taffeta lemmings!)
99% of what I buy is something to keep forever. It’s how I’ve always shopped. But there is a small portion that is made up of wild cards. Trends I’d like to try; ideas marinating in the brain, that must be workshopped in real life to know if they are any good. And for those dalliances, I like a discount. Or vintage. But vintage sometimes requires patience. Trends are, naturally, impatient.
So, today, some ideas for new identities…
AN ARTIST’S RESIDENCY AT ASPEN’S ANDERSON RANCH
HIDING OUT FROM THE DAILY MAIL IN PALM BEACH
HAPPIEST AT SEA
A SORDID AFFAIR IN ST. TROPEZ
(Sidenote: This top is a workhorse (the peplum also hides a big lunch). I wore it with this skirt to the French Open and again the next day with these shorts.)
A WOMAN YOU SIMPLY MUST KNOW IN PARIS
Since moving to Paris, I’ve been lucky to encounter dynamic, creative women making incredible things, who also happen to be warm and generous. The French are friendlier than you may think, though they probably don’t want you to know that. So, today we’re debuting a new column to showcase women you simply must know.
SOFIA BERNADIN, FOUNDER, RESEE
I met Sofia through a mutual friend about a year ago. I had my confirmation bias: Sofia cofounded one of my favorite vintage stores, ReSee, whose curation is to die for, but it was over coffee in her showroom that I really fell in love. She is the amalgamation of my two favorite cities; a wildly gesturing New Yorker with a true Parisian sense of style. And she knows her way around a lunch order, unsurprisingly since her husband, Alfred, owns an excellent restaurant in the 8th Arrondissement.
Your neighborhood…
The 16th arrondissement. I know that may sound a little sleepy, but I’ve lived in several neighbourhoods in Paris over the 20 years that I have been here, and this one simply feels like home. Being on Place des États-Unis probably helps, given that I’m a born-and-raised New Yorker. It’s quiet, elegant, and wonderfully residential, but if you know where to look, there are some fantastic little spots tucked away. I love that balance.
Favorite restaurant…
Da Alfredo. My husband took over the restaurant a few years ago, and I genuinely think it’s one of the best places in Paris for classic Italian food. Every pasta is still handmade each morning by the same pasta maker, who has been there for almost thirty years.The restaurant has been part of the neighbourhood since 1987, and there’s something incredibly comforting about that sense of continuity. Walking through the door feels like stepping into a trattoria in 1970s Palermo, and I absolutely love that.
A perfect Sunday in Paris…
Loads of fresh bread, salted butter and honey for breakfast. Then a trip to see my fisherman at the Sunday market, followed by a picnic in the Parc de Saint-Cloud, one of my favorite places in Paris. The afternoon is for a long, lazy bike ride through the park. It’s stunning, peaceful, and with some of the most beautiful views over the city.
Tell us how to take care of all the beautiful things we buy…
ReSee Atelier Care is a collection of handcrafted wardrobe and care essentials designed around the rituals of luxury ownership. After years of helping clients discover exceptional fashion, we wanted to create the objects that help them care for those pieces over time. It's everything from our handcrafted hangers and bag pillows to leather care products, dusters and rainbags ...beautiful, practical objects designed to live alongside an exceptional wardrobe.
Where did the idea come about?
It actually began with one of our longtime clients. A terribly chic and elegant woman, who was living in St Rémy de Province at the time. When I was in her home and I noticed these incredibly elegant hangers throughout her wardrobe. She told me she had bought them in the '90s from a small family-owned shop in her hometown that had long since closed. There was nothing flashy about them, they were simply beautifully proportioned, and clothes just fell perfectly on them! I never quite forgot them. That story stayed with me for years, and eventually we decided to recreate that feeling. In many ways, the collection is a tribute to that quiet form of craftsmanship and to the idea that the objects surrounding beautiful fashion should be just as thoughtfully designed.
Once we started thinking about the wardrobe itself, the rest of the collection followed naturally. We created bag pillows [ED NOTE: there are different sizes for different size Birkins and Kellys - also a very thoughtful gift for a friend investing in a new or vintage bag] because our clients were constantly asking us how to preserve the structure of their Hermès and Chanel bags. We developed leather care products, rainbags and dusters because these are all part of living with luxury pieces over many years.
Ultimately, the environment surrounding a beautiful garment matters just as much as the garment itself. The way it's stored, cared for and lived with becomes part of its story. That's really what ReSee Atelier is about.
Your most used ReSee Atelier Care product...
Without question, the hangers. Once you've switched your wardrobe over, it's almost impossible to go back. They completely change the way clothes sit in a closet. Every morning feels a little more enjoyable.
Three “objects of desire” that you own or covet…
My collection of vintage Yves Saint Laurent resin beaded necklaces. They are my summer go-to. They have an incredible sculptural quality, are bright and colourful, and instantly transform even the simplest outfit.
Le Sein de César. Years ago, I mounted one on a beautiful emerald-green Porosus crocodile leather backing and gave it to my husband as a keychain. It has since disappeared, and I've been quietly hoping it will resurface ever since.
The Helmut Lang record case created for Louis Vuitton's centenary of the Monogram Canvas. I think it's simply the coolest thing I've ever seen. My husband and I have a collection of more than 500 vinyl records, and I've been hopelessly searching for one for nearly twenty years. It's one of those elusive objects that perfectly combines two of my greatest passions: music and fashion.
If you enjoyed this piece, please consider hearting below. It helps non-subscribers see this story. Also, if you click on something, I may earn a small commission. You’ll see that I sometimes link to the same things as in past newsletters. That’s because if you buy something, I want you to wear it, and I think it’s helpful to see pieces you own in different contexts and outfits. Thank you for being here!! xx NRB
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