Hilton Nicky - 365 style

Contents

Most young girls are unsure about what they want to be when they grow up. Some want to be a nurse, others a lawyer, chef, therapist and so on. I never had that problem. I always knew I wanted to do something in fashion. Anything! I loved the magazines, the supermodels that were splashed across the pages, jewelry hunting, shopping for clothes, pursesI was literally entranced by anything that had to do with fashion.

Growing up, I remember being picked up from school by my mother to tag along on the occasional trip to Neiman Marcus. My older sister Paris would pout over the excursion. She would wait at the valet and annoyingly ask, When are we leaving? and then come find my mother every so often to persist: Are you done yet? I, on the other hand, would gladly accompany my mother into the shop and look at everything on the racks in complete awe. My big blue eyes would widen while watching her try on the beautiful shoes and clothes. I loved it. I could sit there for hours.

To me, fashion is fun and exciting, but it is also an opportunity to identify and express myself. Your wardrobe choices say so much about you. I dont mean that in a shallow way. Your style says so much about your personality and lifestyleits a means of self-expression, not to mention that the first opinion people have of you has to do with what they see. We are constantly making first impressions, even when we dont realize it. What do you want your appearance to say about you? It is only human nature to judge a book by its cover, so why not make yours a best seller?

At the age of sixteen, my years of fashion obsession were recognized when I earned myself a spot on Vogues Best Dressed in America list. At the time, I didnt really understand what it all meant. All I knew was that the editors of Vogue were coming to my family home at the Waldorf Towers in Manhattan with racks of designer goods to photograph me for their magazine. I came home from school the day of the photo shoot and in true Cinderella fashion a team of makeup artists and hairstylists expertly transformed me into a model. Just when I didnt think it could get any better, none other than Andr Leon Talley himself swooped into my bedroom like a fairy godmother with a flock of assistants and what seemed like endless racks of designer gowns in tow. Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Christian Dioryou name it, they had it! I shyly introduced myself and we browsed the racks together.

Andr pulled out a stunning Oscar de la Renta gown and decided that was the one. We shot for a few hours as Andr not only styled me but also taught me how to pose. I was young, awkward and shy. I remember the photographer kept telling me to smile and put my chin up. When my father came home from work in his suit, he went around and introduced himself to the team. In retrospect, it felt almost ordinary, yet it was far from it.

While I always knew that I loved fashion, I didnt always have a firm grasp on my own style identity. As it does with everyone, it took years of experimenting, plus trial and error, to find my personal style. Growing up, I was fortunate to have access to some of the worlds most celebrated purveyors of style and the opportunity to learn from them. My early exposure to runway shows and relationships with designers inspired me and taught me to appreciate and understand fashion and style. In this book, Id like to share those valuable lessons and style tips with you.

This book is not designed to show you how to dress like me, but rather how to dress like the best version of you. Think of it as a color-by-numbers book where you get to decide on the digits. I am merely showing you the black-and-white road map to a structured closet by way of savvy spending. It is up to you to color it in, using your own chosen palette.

I look forward to sharing the tips that have led me to make better style choices and made fashion even more fun than it already isthe way its meant to be!

Before leaving for Saks, I gave myself a final inspection in the mirror. I noted the washedout, folded-over baggy jeans held up by a too-big-for-me belt. Four leather and beaded necklaces lay atop my cropped, cream, longsleeved sweater in a way that looked casual, but was actually calculated.

I then double-checked the Calvin Klein advertisement taped to my bedroom wall, confirming I was head-to-toe identical to the lithe model. In addition to her outfit, I copied her smoky eye shadow, nude-glossy lipstick and middle-parted, super-straight hair. The model was an up-and-coming Kate Moss. Being a Kate clone was especially important that day because I was going to meet the model I so idolized at her signing in LA, a monumental moment for me at thirteen years old. Obsession was ironically (or was it?) the name of the perfume she would famously pose for.

Kate Mosss signature look and style would become catalysts for a fashion movement that extended beyond the catwalk.

She became an obsession to so many of us. What girl or woman didnt crave the kind of confidence to inspire a look and be celebrated for it?

To me at the time, she wasnt Kate. She represented something that I didnt yet understand but knew I aspired to be. Looking back, I cant believe that I was the only person in line to receive a signed comp card that day. Not long after, Kate rose to muse status. Perhaps subconsciously it was through this experience that I began to understand the power of self-expression through fashion and, because of that, I stopped aspiring to copy the looks of others and started seeking out my own sense of style.

Ive come a long way since my copy-Kate days. Over time, Ive found my own sense of style and have learned to express my own fashion identity. As I grew older, my tastes became more refined. I developed an understanding that being stylish is not just about fashion. Its about style. Fashion is what you buy. Style is what you do with it. It isnt merely about collecting; its about selecting. Identifying your personal signature style and knowing the essential pieces of your wardrobe are key to not only looking the part, but actually having it all, without letting your closet burst at the seams.