Dear Pennies,
For this week’s Tuesday’s Thoughts, I’m featuring an article and video interview originally published on Style Like U. Style Like U interviewed and raided the closet of Ally Hilfiger. In the video interview, Ally identifies herself as a designer, stylist, creative consultant/art director. She also discusses her personal style, why she loves fashion, and the stereotypes of being Tommy Hilfiger’s daughter. The video is quite interesting and Ally or Alexandra as she sometimes refers to herself as her full name, presents a fascinating view of the life and style of the daughter of one of America’s most famous fashion designers. As Ally states, “fashion is in my blood.”
Style Like U: Ally Hilfiger
Within minutes of walking through Alexandria’s door, I was quickly immersed in her exuberance as she draped herself in her recent Peruvian purchases of tassles and bells that the Alpaca wear. Her ecstasy over indigenous cultures and their eclectic and colorful aesthetic is palpable and I get it, 100 percent. Even their animals have better accessory options than we do in Manhattan.
Earthy and glamorous, free-spirited and driven, Ally, who sometimes refers to herself as Alexandria, is charming and real. During our shoot, the Joni Mitchell in her danced in her living room to Edward Sharpe while wearing a Bess chiffon hippie dress with Converse sneakers and a tee, proudly talking about how she only breaks the rules if she won’t get in trouble (like wearing this outfit to a fancy event.) Later, her inner Katharine Hepburn emerged in a pair of baggy, pleated high-waist trousers, chunky YSL heels and a button-up shirt tied at the waist, a look that spoke to her serious side and slamming work ethic.
The bike that she rides all over the city – I imagine her in the Annie Hall-ish floppy straw hat, over the knee socks, boyfriend cardigan, and jean cutoffs – is as much a fixture in her apartment as the paintbrushes displayed in a jar and curtains made of fabric from Afghanistan. Every tiny detail is important in getting it right, she says. Whether it’s something from the Gap or Salvation Army, it’s just a matter of whether the sleeves are rolled up or down and whether you have eyeliner on. Ally has known the virtues of what’s tried and true from a young age, she wore a pair of Chinese slippers given to her by her dad when she was a toddler until they didn’t fit anymore.
You won’t find drugs in the pouch that she wears around her neck – she doesn’t even smoke or drink. Rather, she carries a vial of a oil that maintains balance and an amethyst for containing her psychic energy, both of which she has a lot of. Wise beyond her years, Ally is launching her first clothing line in February and stepping into her own fuzzy, authentic slippers.
http://vimeo.com/17391620
And there it is. The Fashion and Style of the Pen…de la Pen.
