Date Archives March 2013

East Village, NYC

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I was walking to an appointment in my neighborhood when I passed this elegant woman. I quickly turned around, crossed the street and asked if I could take her photograph. She nodded in approval and continued on her way. Although we didn’t exchange any words, I am so glad she stopped to let me take her photograph and look forward to running into her again in the  neighborhood.

What Ali Wore

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All Photos by Zoe Spawton via What Ali Wore

It’s not often that I come across sites as cool as Australian born, Berlin based photogrpaher Zoe Spawton’s  tumblr What Ali Wore. Zoe spotted 83-year-old Ali as he walked by her work in a sharp new outfit every morning. One day she decided to ask if she could take his photograph. Zoe explains in her first blog post, ” Ali walks past the cafe I work at in Berlin every morning at 9:05am. I’m
not sure where he is going, but we always say hello to each other. He
always wears such great clothes. I don’t speak much German and he speaks
a little bit of English, but I managed to ask if I could take his
photo. He gladly accepted. ” Zoe and Ali have since become friends and collaborators. If you are a fan of Advanced Style then you are going to love What Ali Wore. Check more great shots of Ali HERE.

Ilona Royce Smithkin Celebrates Her 93rd Birthday

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Advanced Style’s resident fairy godmother and dear friend Ilona Royce Smithkin turns 93
years old today!!! Ever since I  first spotted her in the West Village
four years ago, my world has become full of color, laughter, and
wonderful times. Ilona has taught me that everything in a life is a bonus and that we must celebrate and look for beauty in the most unexpected places. She kicks off her 93rd birthday with a performance at Joe’s Pub on Saturday, with musician Kenyon Phillips(For Tickets CLICK HERE). Let’s all celebrate today and wish Ilona Royce Smithkin a wonderful and joy filled Happy Birthday!!!

Coach x Advanced Style: Generations of Style

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When Coach approached me about working with them on a digital project, I immediately thought about how their classic bags have such a broad customer base. I have always been interested in the intersection between the fashion choices of the young and old and noticed that young girls often seem to take sartorial inspiration, whether conscious or not, from older women. With these thoughts in mind, Lina and I worked together to create a series of inter-generational conversations between the Advanced Style ladies and some of our favorite bloggers. Check out the videos above featuring: Susie Lau and Ilona Royce Smithkin, Nadia Sarwar and Linda Rodin, and Leandra Medine and Lynn Dell for some ageless style wisdom.