DAY IN THE LIFE :
PRE-COVID-19 AND POST

As Resident Stylist at The Jewelry Edit, I’m excited to share with you my almost 20 years of experience in the fashion industry—demonstrating how I accessorize my life both professionally and personally. As my very first “edit”, I’d like to address how my role as Fashion Director at Vanity Fair has been impacted by covid-19 and how I’ve had to adapt and get creative, just like everyone else.

PART ONE: FASHION WEEK

End of March, I would normally be settling back from international fashion weeks, processing the collections and associated trends I saw with my team, and evaluating what works best for Vanity Fair. I need to think about what would look great on a celebrity, even a politician. At VF, being a cross generational and cross cultural publication, we really do run the gamut.

Fashion Week starts in NY— then continues to London, Milan and Paris. In Milan and Paris especially, you are booked from 9am - 9pm, running from show to show.

I like to dress for the moment, fashion week is like the Super Bowl or Oscars for editors...everyone is dressed in their favorite pieces from the season. My go-to look is one classic item mixed with something more interesting like a crazy pair of pants or dramatic skirt. My jewelry is generally a layer of classic personal pieces, but it obviously depends upon what shows I’m going to. If I was in-person at the shows this month, I would choose The Sacred Heart Necklace and the Mezi Drama Threader Earrings. I think these pieces could fit effortlessly into my Fashion Week wardrobe.

Sacred Heart Necklace by Talon

Mezi Drama Earrings by SOKO

Typically, in the subsequent days following the show, you have an appointment with the brand’s showroom, where you are able to touch and feel the collection, and hear about the meaning and inspiration. I’ve always really enjoyed seeing a designer’s mood board; it is such a great visual and really helps to connect the dots. Showroom appointments also really allow you to see things you don’t on the runway, like jewelry and shoes.

There are days that I am not going to shows and just doing showroom appointments, On those days I tend to dress more for walking around the city but I like to accessorize with more bold jewelry to elevate my look. Something like The Watercolor Malaya Earrings and Tumbled Amethyst Necklace would be perfect.

Watercolor Kalayia Earrings by We Dream In Colour

Tumbled Amethyst Necklace by Paige Novick

With covid-19, everything changed. You no longer have the luxury of seeing things in person, so you really need to tap into the fashion knowledge you’ve collected over the years, rely on that understanding, and ask questions. A lot has become a guessing game, so designers have needed to reinvent the way they communicate their collections - off the runway. Cecile Bahnsen, for instance, sent fabric swatches which was really helpful. Sometimes, you’re convinced a piece is denim, and it’s actually tweed, so taking measures like that help to avoid confusion.

I Loved This Piece From Cecile Bahnsen. I Would Pair It With These Modern Pearl Abacus Earrings

Cecile Bahnsen, Fall 2021

Abacus Earrings by Kara Yoo

When thinking about styling as well, and how it translates editorially, you really need to think about a piece’s movement. Without runway, this becomes much more difficult, but you are seeing designers communicate this now through fashion film and dance. Both Versace and Dries utilized dance in these last collections, which was a powerful way to understand the element of movement, which then allows you to couple your fashion knowledge and think through styling more critically.

Versace’s Dancers Reminded Me Of The Movement In The Ophelia Necklace

Wolf Circus, Spring 2021

Ophelia Necklace by Wolf Circus

Before covid-19, you could go back and use your sensory memory, remembering that a fabric was stretchy, or it hit the light really well. Now, there is much more of an element of surprise, and also limitation, so people are getting really creative. In a lot of ways, I think it has really brought out the best in stylists especially. There’s also heightened connection, kindness and willingness to help one another; the community has become that much more intimate again, almost like the old days.

Nicole on set for Vanity Fair in the Tumbled Rose Quartz Necklace by Paige Novick. "I think a bold pendant necklace is key during these times when your face is usually covered by a mask and I love wearing crystals on set because of the positive energy it brings."

SHOP NICOLE'S EDIT