Inspiration: Grace Coddington

If you've seen The September Issue, you know who Grace Coddington is. If you haven't seen it, here is a very brief bio:
Grace was a model in London in the 60s, has been in fashion (I mean that both ways) ever since. She's the creative director at Vogue (US), and has been since 1995. She has crazy curly hair and a bunch of cats. And she styles like nobody's business.
As Time Magazine said in 2009, "If Wintour is the Pope... Coddington is Michelangelo, trying to paint a fresh version of the Sistine Chapel twelve times a year." Anna Wintour may be the boss, but Grace's styling carries that magazine at times. And when they throw Leibovitz in there, well, they make magic. Grace is an inspiration, for me, not just in personal style, but also in the work she does.
Her personal style is pretty simple: she sticks to solid basic colors, lets her hair do the work. She is the complete opposite of Anna Wintour, who is always so prim and perfected and cold. Grace is free and easy and soft. She published a book about her cats (which I own and adore).
Her work is stunning, but subtle. It almost always tells a story. She will style a shoot of Alice in Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz, and it takes you to another place. The style is applicable to the real world in a fantastical way (the clothes are not unwearable or abstract); it's something that needs to be interpreted, but only slightly. You are transported to another place through the photos and the clothing and the way the story is presented, in a way a magazine can not always do. It is not simply a series of photos that presents some article of clothing, but is instead a sequence of images in which the clothing plays a part.

with vidal sassoon, and a new haircut

She is one of the reasons I adore Vogue so much, and have since I was a teenager.  She is one of the reasons I love what I love and am who I am.

wizard of oz, styled by grace

alice in wonderland, styled by grace

I don't own any of the photos in this post.  Most are from Vogue Magazine.

Inspiration: The Bouvier Sisters

One of my favorite (and I have MANY) coffee table books is called One Special Summer. It's an illustrated account of Jackie and Lee Bouvier's adventures in Europe during the summer of 1951. Jackie drew the pictures, they both wrote the words. These are 2 women that inspired fashion and decorating not just in their prime, but even now, almost 60 years later. Lee was always the more risky of the two, the younger sister, bolder. Jackie married a Senator, Lee married a Prince. Jackie used history and tradition to redecorate the White House, Lee used exotic prints and stand-out details in her interior decorating. (I have to admit, Lee is my fav, but I love Jackie so much..) There isn't one stronger than the other, and together they are perfection.

ALSO: someday I will post about their insanely, loveably eccentric aunt and cousin.

But here, for your enjoyment, are the Sisters Bouvier:

INSPIRATION: Laurie Partridge

When I was a little kid, I remember being sick, laying in bed with a washcloth on my forehead, my mom moving the TV into my room. And I specifically remember the beginning of The Partridge Family theme song, and my mom getting up and changing the channel. I just assumed it was some kind of grown-up show, something kids couldn't watch. Turns out, Mom just thought it was annoying. Perhaps this adds to my current obsession with Laurie Partridge, and her huge-mouthed, wide-eyed gorgeousness. I don't know. All I know is, Mom thought she was a nerd, I love her, and I'm not sure we can both be right. Laurie's 70s style staples: prairie-inspired maxi dresses (Jessica McClintock/Gunne Sax), floppy hats, sweater vests (vests in general are a huge Partridge item), big collars, and lots of stripes.