Kate Lanphear Talks Street Style

fashionologie — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:00:38 PDT

>> Elle style director Kate Lanphear has a good explanation for fashion's current obsession with street style.

Lanphear recently sat down with Ruffian's Brian Wolk and Claude Morais to discuss the industry, her personal style, and why she loves her work. "My job is to make people dream, and to get them excited about dressing in a new way," she says. Below, a few more highlights from the interview.

On the current obsession with street style: "It's a by-product of social media. There is a true wealth of information online now, but the coverage first began in Japanese street style magazines. At the time, the economy was more robust-people were buying goods from luxury brands, but they didn't necessarily know how to wear them. People were hungry for ideas, but magazines were just shooting full looks, so if it didn't resonate with you on the runway, these street style mags were a great source of inspiration."

On growing up in the South: "I love the culture of the South, and the people there, but living in New York is a dream. There was a time when everyone around me said this dream would never come true. I still pinch myself every day. When I work, I always think about that girl in Virginia-what I'd want to wear, what I dreamed about then, and what I would have wanted to see in a magazine. For that girl, fantasy and fashion collide in simple images with a real spirit, like a gorgeous woman getting a coffee or hailing a yellow cab."

Her favorite lie: "'Your ass looks small in that!'"

Donatella Brings that Versace Glamour to the Whitney Museum Art Gala

fashionologie — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:35:06 PDT

>> For the second year running, the Whitney Art Musem Gala was Donatella Versace's party. Editors - Olivier Zahm, Lauren Santo Domingo, Glenda Bailey - commingled with designers - Peter Som, Moises de la Renta, Ruffian's Claude Morais and Brian Wolk - and a smattering of models like Chanel Iman and Hana Soukupova. Christopher Kane's Versus designs even made an appearance - the Fall 2009 crystal shoes were on Byrdie Bell's feet, and Taylor Momsen - who seems to be close with the Versaces, particularly Allegra, changed into a black Spring 2010 Versus frock for the Studio Party post-Gala Dinner.

Donatella was fashionably late to the party - two hours in, she was nowhere to be found; perhaps she was still upstairs tending to VIPs - as was Lindsay Lohan, who swept in, all blonde hair and gold dress - earning comparisons to Donatella's trademark look. Lohan said she came "for Donatella" before beelining to Brian Atwood for a chat. Keeping with the "art chic" theme, the walls of one whole room at the party downstairs was covered in paper for guests to scribble on.

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