Designers We Love
Photo: Nick Harvey/WireImage.com
Daphne Guinness, a rule-breaking Renaissance woman—designer, filmmaker, perfumer—has an aversion to trendy fashion and a nose for one-of-a-kind style. Now she's distilled her intrepid spirit into a transporting new fragrance.
I've always admired Daphne Guinness's personal brand of fearless chic. Her signature scent, Daphne, proves equally stunning, with notes of incense, tuberose, and amber. It smells familiar somehow, yet mysterious. O checks in.… Adam: You always look amazing and so unique. How do you pull it off?
Daphne: For everyday, I put on my basic "canvas": a white shirt I designed myself, leggings, and a very, very fitted black jacket. Then I grab accessories. I like to reinterpret clothes or make them myself—I alter my T-shirts, I change sleeves—because I know how things should hang on me. And I don't wear prints.
Adam: Getting ready takes you how long?
Daphne: Ten minutes. I don't hem and haw. When I was young and awkward, fashion was like armor for me, a defense. But now I'm more comfortable with myself.
Adam: Do you ever follow trends?
Daphne: I hate trends ! You find boots you like, and when you go back to the store, they're not being made anymore. I keep the same pieces forever. I've never been on a diet—if my clothes fit, I know I'm okay. I like classic, clean-lined things. Being well turned out shows respect for the world you live in. And I'm a stickler for well-made clothes. I'm a fanatic about seams and shoulders and proportions. When something fits properly, I'm happy. It doesn't have to cost a million dollars.
Adam: Now that you're making perfume, any advice about finding the right one ?
Daphne: Don't buy right away. Try it, let it settle for two hours, then see how you like it. And don't copy your girlfriends.
Adam: Does fragrance have a deeper meaning for you?
Daphne: I've made scents since I was tiny—pressing flowers, spraying natural oils on myself or putting them in the bath. I think they're a way of touching the past. It's hard to put into words, so I used images—a short film about the role of memory in scent—to accompany the release of my fragrance. It's not an advertisement; it's an anti- commercial. It doesn't show the bottle or mention the name.
Adam: So the perfume project is very personal.
Daphne: It's my heart and soul. Daphne is experimental. Only 3,000 bottles have been made. And I've had such fun doing it. You should see the oils in my bathroom.…
LAST MONTH: The girls behind EmiJay hair accessories
Photo: Lyndie Benson
I had a ball chatting with EmiJay, who are two enterprising young women, about their satiny handmade bands, wearable as bracelets or ponytail holders that don't dent your hair (celebs like Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Aniston are fans):
Adam: What got you started? Emily Matson: We could never find hair accessories we really loved.
Julianne Goldmark: We wanted to make ours classic yet unique—we're inspired by Coco Chanel's style.
EM: We love Blair on Gossip Girl , too!
Adam: How do you make time? JG: School always comes first.
EM: And lately we haven't done much socializing. But we enjoy our work.
Adam: So you give 20 percent of your profits to Locks of Love?
EM: It's perfect—the charity combines our passion for hair accessories with help for kids in need. [Locks of Love provides hairpieces for children with long-term hair loss.]
Adam: Are you adding new items?
JG: Yes, headbands and hair clips—coming soon to our website !
LAST MONTH: Oprah's Favorite New Jeans: CJ Jeans by Cookie Johnson
Photo: Robert Trachtenberg
I'm a huge fan of Magic's stylish wife, Cookie Johnson, and her fresh, body-friendly take on denim. (And Oprah loved them so much, she wore them on the October cover !)
If I had a dollar for every woman who's vented tome about jeans that don't fit! Instead of kvetching, Cookie Johnson got creative, founding a new designer line (it launched nationwide this summer) tailored to her own shapely, toned figure. I caught up with her in Los Angeles.Adam: What made you want to design jeans?
Cookie: I love them as much as any girl, but I wasn't able to fit comfortably into a lot of the premium labels. I kept waiting for a brand cut for a woman with thighs, hips, a butt. It didn't happen.
Adam: Who are you designing for?
Cookie: She's any age: a mother, a daughter, a grandmother. She has curves, and she has style.
Adam: You studied fashion in college. What makes your jeans different? Cookie: We weave self-esteem into the fabric! I can't give away all our secrets, but we cut to fit someone with a more universal body type.
Adam: When is a pair perfect?
Cookie: When you don't have to fidget—they aren't too low in back, too tight on the thigh, too loose in the waist. When you can breathe and feel great about yourself.
Bang for Your Buck Cj by Cookie Johnson jeans come in six styles, from $145, sizes 24 to 38; Nordstrom.com .
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