Ashley Shaw

occupation: accessories assistant at InStyle magazine and model

“I realized I don’t really have a ‘dress-down’ look. I’m usually always dressed up. I have now gone eight months without wearing a pair of jeans.” Ashley Shaw

Half Swedish and Italian, but from suburban Pennsylvania, Ashley’s got a captivating “movie star” look with a total down home, earthy personality. Lipstick is her thing, and with lips to kill, the reds and purples give the care-free hippy in her an ultra sophisticated polish, alittle reminiscent of film siren Lauren Bacall. Ashley’s a head-turning hybrid of flower child (she has the Monterey Pop Music Festival documentary on loop) and glamorous Russian princess, in one of her many knockout flea market picks; a loden cape, floral high-waisted pants, and very “Janis” clogs. Ashley turns lady-like to ’70s funky with her leopard fake-fur coat and head scarf or pink fairy dress with feathered head piece. And her go to is the Salvation Army and there, rags become riches with impeccable finds such as the indigenous Peruvian poncho (for $1) to the quintessential ’60s house dress, worn in her effortless synthesis of rock and roll meets glam way.

To learn more about Ashley, go to the detailed captions page.

If you like Ashley, you might also enjoy Dalad Kambhu, Sophie Mascatello, Marka Kiley, or Ruby and Summer.

Andrea Campbell

occupation: model

“My mom says when I was a little girl, before anyone else was up, I would be out wandering about with the chickens in my diaper. So I guess I always knew I wasn’t going to live in Missouri forever. I was ready to get out.” Andrea Campbell

I can’t help but think of Mia Farrow when looking at Andrea, and found this early photo of the actress with long hair that supports my case. Andrea could easily be one of Woody Allen’s all-American muses with her quirky and earthy depth and natural beauty, a la Annie Hall, and she says that she “plotzes over Jewish men.” Living in Boulder, Colorado at 11, Andrea remembers carrying her pet rat around in her black suede jacket pocket and spent her summers in Missouri running through corn fields and playing in creeks, but was never in cowboy boots and jeans. In fact her mom, who Andrea attributes much of her independent thinking to, dressed her daughter in a diamond studded cat collar and fur coat when she was one and introduced her to the art of one of a kind shopping, which Andrea took to like a bee to honey. Her wardrobe is very paired down (except for her footwear fetish) to suit her lifestyle as a model traveling all over the world. Certain staples like her wide black suede waiste belt, black leggings and favorite shoes and boots (the Marc Jacobs take on the riding ones are amazing!), go with her everywhere and are the uniform to her precious vintage finds, like among many, her Dior and Victorian blazers, and 80’s sweaters. However, for me, her brilliant red mane of hair is her main accessory and it can go many ways from Lolita with her knee socks to glamorous starlet with her mom’s fedora and scarf combo.

If you like Andrea, you might also enjoy Marka Kiley, Angela Grossi, or Katia Hakko.

Rachel Ballinger

occupation: model

“I dress really girly, but kind of tomboy at the same time. Kind of punk too. It’s a combination of everything.” Rachel Ballinger

An effortless and unassuming beauty with a preppy bent, Rachel’s a little Cher from Clueless and one of my all time favorites, a dead ringer for Ali MacGraw, who has as much natural style off of the screen as on (a sad rarity these days). Her resemblance to Ali is as much the thick, uncomplicated eyebrows and the 2009 version of hippie boots tucked into the jeans as it is about the Scottish plaid pants (but done punk) that is reminiscent of the ’70s style icon to me. Rachel’s got a knack for investment pieces, like her Givenchy bag, and has the help of one of our own in making those heart-racing decisions, Ian Bradley, whose taste is similar to hers in making the classics fresh and modern. She was literally breathless, when pulling out all of her boots which are a definite fetish. From homegrown looking eskimos to clunky ankle boots to the edgy classicism of Margiela to a veteran’s passion for all things black, they are like an expose of Rachel’s personality. Rachel is just that kind of quiet example of someone who doesn’t crave attention, but deserves to have it.

If you like Rachel, you might also enjoy Sarah Aoanan, Haley Wollens, or Sophia Bennett Holmes.

Frederique van der Wal and Scyler Pim van der Wal Klein

occupation: legendary supermodel and founder of Frederique’s Choice flowers

I have had the great luck to have had Frederique as a client and friend over the past few years. Given her superstar status and arresting natural beauty (her native Holland, known for their love of flowers, named a new breed of lily after her), she is the most down-to-earth person imaginable. Completely congruent with her humility and grounded charm (which she attributes to her parents and being Dutch) is her intuitive and completely uncontrived style. Whenever styling Freddie, she stands amidst the ten daunting stuffed racks of clothes and in her carefree way, throws an original, vintage Frederique look together in a nanosecond – a touch of fashion muses Ali MacGraw, Catherine Deneuve, and an unassuming Northern European bombshell – any knit dress and anything that’s all legs stops you in your tracks. Freddie’s closet today basically consists of things either given to her by her mom, over the years by designers (like the distinctively shaped and monumentally perfect Alaia leather jacket from 1989), or that she has accumulated from her infinite modeling jobs. Everyday staples are the seminal Hogan boots, Gaultier blazers, and jeans, all of which she snatched up from a job we did together three years ago. It wouldn’t even occur to her to shop for something new. What makes Frederique so special when it comes to dressing is her almost innocence when it comes to trends – she is as excited about everything that she wears as if it were bought yesterday.
Scyler, nine-years-old, is her mom’s new in-house fashion consultant. Instead of the world-class stylists that have been at Frederique’s disposal for advice, she now turns to her daughter. Mom says that Scyler always gets it right. She scored the coolest pair of black patent leather knee-high boots for Halloween, and already has plans for many ways to wear them other than “in costume” (she’s even working on her mom to wear them to school). I love the way she describes the practicality of a silver shoe over the same one in lavender. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Sidney Geubelle

occupation: model, assistant stylist and photographer

“I believe that no matter what I am wearing, people should always recognize me in my clothes by some details that make my personality.” Sidney Geubelle

Sidney has a down to earth classic beauty and original sense of style reminiscent of the type of women where it is inherent to be memorable and timeless like Jane Birken and her daughters, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Lou Doillon. Taste runs in her family, she cites her grandmother as a huge influence, someone with a lot of class, despite the fact that she didn’t have alot of money. Her grandmother was known in town for her wardrobe and Sidney wishes that she had the remnants. One of Sidney’s statement pieces is a Dior bustier that was her dad’s first present to her mom (they met when her mom was 13 and her dad was 19). She wears it with high-waisted leather shorts that she cut from pants and an 80’s black leather Claude Montana-esque vintage jacket and despite the strong statement looks completely natural. To be a model in Milan, a city known for fashion and labels, it’s notable how uniquely unaffected and colorful Sidney is, both in dressing and personality. She chose to harvest grapes instead of attending Fashion Week. Sidney could never be taken for anyone else but herself.