Raised in Greenwich CT, transformed in London, and professionally trained in Manhattan, Catherine Collins has taken her unique style to the west coast. In sunny LA, she has worked as a stylist with Leith Clark, where she helped dress Michelle Williams for the 2011 Oscars, and film costume designer Erin Benach, whose resumé includes Blue Valentine and Drive. Catherine’s first-ever task on the job? Get Ryan Gosling a coat. (I know. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.)
- Catherine in some of her favorite looks, which include a Westbrook Maker hat, What Goes Around Comes Around fur coat, and Vivienne Westwood pirate boots -
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Sure, she has luxurious red hair, incandescent (her word!) skin and a to-die-for wardrobe of sunnies (her word, again!); but the most enviable thing about Catherine is the spunky and irreverant joie-de-vivre that imbues absolutely everything she wears and does. Her style is one part haute couture to two parts rock-star glam. Her go-to outfit when she doesn’t know what to wear? “Leather pants or shorts with a white tee…and sky high boots!” Here’s just a soupçon of some of her fabulous looks and finds.
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- These two pairs of Miu Miu shoes stick out as favorites in her overwhelming shoe collection. “They’re the closest things to fine art that I own.” -
- Matthew Williamson sweater and vintage necklaces on one of her mannequins, a dress by the same designer on her wall, and a Philip Lim top -
- Her bookshelves showcase red-hot Balenciaga and Hermès bags -
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Calling clothes “wearable art,” Catherine lines them up for display in her living room. She also decorates with vintage mannequins just for fun. “It would be sacreligious to have a Jackson Pollock stuffed in your closet, and that’s the way I feel about the clothes and jewelry I own.”
- Overlooking the Hollywood Hills near her home -
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All this aside, Catherine’s attitude towards fashion is a breath of fresh air in the superficial, hyped-up monde de la mode. “At the end of the day, these are just clothes. You’re not gonna save the world by what you wear.” She also explains her 72-hour shopping rule, which I now plan to implement myself! Any time she sees something she likes in a store, she waits 72 hours before going back to pick it up: “I’m always amazed at how I’ll be obsessed with four pieces but within a day or two I’ve completely forgotten about all of them or perhaps only remember one!”
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Just looking at these pictures of Catherine makes me miss our good times in NYC. L.A. is so lucky to have her!
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- Catherine and me at an event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I, a college freshman, wore Lord-knows-what ; she, a more seasoned sophomore, wore an Alexander McQueen dress and Balenciaga shoes -
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Read more about Catherine on her blog, Wear Are You Going.
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Love this profile! Nice mix of classic with cutting edge. Makes me wanna jet to LA!