2018’s Best Dressed: Fashion insiders
From stylists and designers to fashion buyers and street-style stars, these are the women who influence the pieces we invest in and how we wear them every season
Pernille Teisbaek
What is there to say about sartorial alchemist Pernille Teisbaek except that, when it comes to clothing, everything she touches turns to gold? The Danish model-turned-fashion-mogul never fails to inspire with her unexpected combinations. From bringing back the flip-flop to making raincoats cool, Teisbaek has never encountered a trend she couldn’t master, including maternity style. This lady is in another league. @pernilleteisbaek
Julie Pelipas
Ukrainian fashion director Julie Pelipas’ unwaveringly chic aesthetic ensures that she’s the influencer’s influencer – during fashion month, all eyes and lenses are trained to Pelipas because she’s always one step ahead of the game. With a preference for oversized suiting, timeless accessories and cutting-edge design, she melds masculine and feminine elements with true mastery. @juliepelipas
Elizabeth von der Goltz
Recently arrived in London from New York, buying director Elizabeth von der Goltz’s laid-back-meets-ladylike style marries Upper East Side polish with English eccentricity. An industry veteran (not that you’d know it to look at her – that incredible skin…), she’s as comfortable in a pink jumpsuit as she is in a floor-skimming bohemian dress or patent pencil skirt. We’re sold. @elizabethvdg
Giorgia Tordini & Gilda Ambrosio
From feathery bandeaus and blue jeans to ’80s-inspired minis and masculine tailoring, Milanese designers Giorgia Tordini and Gilda Ambrosio have proven time and time again that they can wear just about anything. Experimenters of the highest order, they’re no strangers to going all out, finishing their looks with mega-watt earrings, hair accessories and statement sunglasses, without ever appearing overly ‘done’ – thanks, in no small part, to the fact that they both positively ooze nonchalance. @giorgiatordini @gildaambrosio
Vanessa Hong
When it comes to getting dressed, Brooklyn-based creative Vanessa Hong isn’t afraid to experiment. The self-confessed outerwear addict has more coats than she can count and, in an industry obsessed with muted shades, has never been known to shy away from color or print. She can make any look her own, no matter how directional, with a lot of gold jewelry and her signature cat-eye flick. @thehautepursuit
Iris Apfel
A true fashion legend, nonagenarian Iris Apfel made her name in textiles and interiors before branching into fashion. She only wears pieces with personality, meaning that prints, plumage and plenty of color are never off the table. But accessories are her real weakness; she started collecting jewelry when she was just 11 years old and her current collection defies belief. @iris.apfel
Yan Yan Chan
When Yan Yan Chan’s not hanging out in New York, LA or London wearing oversized blazers and sneakers, the Sydney-based blogger is the mistress of beachside style with an enviable closet full of bikinis, one pieces, crisp cotton cover-ups and supersized straw hats. @_yanyanchan
Margaret Zhang
Margaret Zhang is a chameleon: one day she’ll be channeling hyper-femininity in a ruffled gown, head band and mega-watt jewels; the next, she’s all Working Girl in masculine tailoring. If you’re tempted to try a new trend, Zhang’s your go-to girl – no doubt she’ll already have been there, bossed that. @margaret____zhang
Jeanne Damas
Parisian-cool incarnate Jeanne Damas excels at an effortlessly cool aesthetic in the cooler months with oversized blazers, wide-leg jeans and retro sweaters, swapping them for more ladylike – but no less insouciant – vintage tea dresses and top-handle bags come summer. @jeannedamas
Julia Haghjoo
It’s impossible to go for a quick scroll through art director Julia Haghjoo’s Instagram. Her sun-dappled shots of chic outfits, interiors, cityscapes and dazzling jewels are so seductive that it’s bound to be quite a while before you come up for air. In real life, her look is just as alluring; a lesson in restraint, her muted wardrobe exudes luxury and ease. @juliahaghjoo
Aleali May
Stylist Aleali May is based in New York, but she credits growing up in Los Angeles during the golden age of hip-hop with honing her aesthetic – she’s the reason our wish lists have been overrun with given baggy pants, belt bags, crop tops and puffer coats in recent seasons. Blending high fashion with exclusive sneakers and sports pieces, she takes the streetwear look to another level. @alealimay
Ellie Delphine
Fashionable women may be ten a penny in Paris, but blogger Ellie Delphine is a true aesthete. There might be a sense of drama to the way she dresses – courtesy of the crisp colors and sharp silhouettes – but she never looks too polished. When it comes to effortless elegance, she’s the expert. @slipintostyle
Alexandra Carl
A long-time fan of next season’s must-have shade (beige), Alexandra Carl’s fail-safe uniform might be an androgynous blazer and jeans, but the Danish-born, London-based stylist puts a playful spin on the look in the form of directional jewels, oversized coats and outré prints. @alexcarl
Kristen Noel Crawley
Founder of KNC Beauty, jewelry designer and writer Kristen Noel Crawley is also one of the best-dressed women on the west coast, although she’s pretty carefree about the whole thing. From velvet suits to sheer skirts and Prada’s flame-heel shoes, Crawley is living proof that feel-good fashion does exist. @kristennoelcrawley
Barbara Martelo
Fashion is often charged with being fickle, which may be why there’s something particularly powerful about Spanish stylist Barbara Martelo’s singular look. Her covetable closet is dominated by black, particularly leather, but she looks just as good in blue jeans, a white tee and slouch boots as she does in a micro-mini dress, sheer tights and vertiginous stilettos. Make her your inspiration for sex appeal with a super-chic spin. @barbaramartelo
SHOP INSIDER STYLE
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