Cue the trumpets! Fashion week—nay, month—is upon us. And for me, this time around, it goes a little something like this: NYC→LONDON→PARIS→MASSAGE TABLE→SCARY LONG SLEEP. So before all of the running around, the “Where’s my phone?! I LOST MY PHONE!!!” panic, the total fan-girling around Pat McGrath/Tom Pecheux/James Pecis (swoon), I took a minute to get my shit together. I did a little shopping when I was in Paris two weeks ago, I streamlined my medicine cabinet, I did a 40%-effort closet-organizing job, and I got a manicure/pedicure (did you know that TenOverTen TriBeCa is open until 10 PM? Awesome.) I also told Nick, Alessandra, Michael, and Elizabeth to please forgive the incoherent crazy person I’m about to become for three weeks while schlepping a 15-pound camera bag through three cities in five-inch heels on three hours of sleep, blurting out declarations like “OH MY GOD, did you SEE the eye at Stella??? IT’S ALL ABOUT GREEN EYELINER!!!” Actually, I haven’t told them that yet, I’m telling them now. SORRY GUYS! I’m taking you for a lobster dinner in March.
In the meantime, here’s what I’m going to be living in—and it may come as a big fat surprise (sarcasm…): a whole lotta black and white. God bless the girls in prints, the perfectly put-together editors (and models) in pops of color and head-to-toe looks, but I just can’t. I’m not very good at figuring out what to wear. I pretty much wear some variation of the same thing every day, fashion week or no: black Rag & Bone Skinnies (not much has changed), a snazzy shoe (usually black, usually high), and a white top. As for the other stuff, let’s take some inventory:
Canon 5D Mark III. I used to get scoffed at backstage with my trusty T2i Rebel. No longer. A 5-year-old could shoot ITG features with this thing, it’s that great.
Céline sweater, in, what else, graphic black and white. Apparently, it’s “ swaggy,” and who doesn’t want some swagger during fashion week?
SHOES: Céline flatforms (also slightly swaggy, I think, because of the gold chain), Nike New York Sky High Dunks; suede Manolo pumps—pumps, remember?!—in cream, to break things up; one sexy pair of lace-up Alejandro Ingelmos; pointy black Alexander Wang boots that make me feel like a French Vogue editor and are also, more importantly, incredibly comfortable.
A nude knit/black leather tight tank for when I need to look sophisticated, and a gauzy, green-plaid Theyskens’ Theory button-down for when I need to look like Kurt Cobain (can there please be a time for this, please? Thanks.)
Reed Krakoff perforated black leather Gym Bag: I wore my last Gym Bag, in white with a black stripe, to death (though admittedly, never to the gym)—it looks great whether you’ve got five pounds of stuff in it, or just a wallet. It’s kind of magic.
A great coat! I’ll be sporting a navy double-breasted number by Derek Lam. The man knows how to do outerwear.
One earring. That’s right—just one, preferably a cross from Stone Paris. If I had a nickel for the number of cool chicks I’ve seen sporting a solo earring in the past two weeks, I’d be able to buy…a Butterfinger. Or maybe a Toblerone.
Warby Parker glasses. Do you know Warby Parker? They make buying glasses SO. EASY. Now hopefully I won’t get yelled at by my optometrist in August for wearing my contacts for 20 hours of the day.
A “luxurious beanie,” as we call them in the Gloffice. You know, that beanie that’s perfectly slouchy, thick but not too thick, and nearly impossible to find? I found it. Actually, Elin Kling found it—she was wearing it while walking down the street in SoHo and I chased her to find out who made it. The answer, my friends, is “Fall Winter Spring Summer,” a brand from Norway, and you can buy it here. You’re welcome. Also important: sunglasses (I stick with aviators; these are Givenchy) and headphones that double as accessories (We Are Frends in rose-gold and white—so cool).
Oribe Fiber Groom Elastic Texture Paste: I discovered this while hosting a beauty party at Holt Renfrew in Toronto last month. It is, hands down, the best thing I’ve found for short, straight, otherwise boring hair. You’ll look like Leo in Romeo + Juliet in no time.
A trifecta of skin savers from my ol’ detox center, Henri Chenot: their products are wonderful. Really, truly. I’ve been using the Micro Stimulating Serum, Chrono Regenerating Night Serum, and Youth Concentrate Cream (THAT is really the star of the show). I haven’t been this hooked on a routine since my eleven-year-old self worshipped at the altar of Clinique’s 3-Step System. I’ve also been really into Natura Bisse’s The Cure Sheer Cream, a feather-light tinted moisturizer with SPF, and, of course, Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanning, which makes you glow just a teeny bit.
Nail polish: sheer, nude, “nothing” color to last 7 days (Butter London); Eyeliner: Estée Lauder Double Wear in Black/Brown; Lips: Armani Maestro in #400 (one of several standout colors); Perfume: Dior Ambre Nuit—sexy scent, sexier bottle; Hairspray: good ol’ L’Oréal Paris Elnett, reimagined in a new light-reflecting “lumière” formula that I picked up in Paris; Face: Nars Pro-Prime Multi-Protect Primer in lieu of foundation; Mascara: Lancôme Hypnose Star—there’s just something about the brush…and, after all, the only thing you really need to look alive is a little mascara, no?
—Emily Weiss
Emily Weiss [1] wearing an Isabel Marant sweater, photographed by Elizabeth Brockway at the Standard Hotel on February 3rd 2012.
