Style & People

Joe Zee


Creative Director, Elle magazine


1. Hong Kong. "I detoured through there recently on my way home from China, and it was my first time back in 10 years. It was so electric and so full of energy and at the same time so sophisticated and cultured. How could you not love a place with more people than Manhattan on an island smaller than Manhattan?"

2. Dash Snow's photo collage. "Despite all of the controversy around Dash's jizz-sprayed newspaper photo collage, there's something so provoking and intriguing about his art. You just can't turn away from it, not unlike the early works of Mapplethorpe."

3. Timbaland's beats. "This man is a genius. I'm a huge hiphop/rap/r&b guy, and for me, he's the Dr. Dre of our generation. He's done brillant jobs with JT, Missy, and Nelly Furtado. But he's also made Ashlee Simpson and Duran Duran cool. I'm anxiously awaiting his next big project: Madonna."

4. Zen Butter ice cream. "The Chinatown Ice Cream Factory on Bayard Street is such an ice cream lover's joint. I love all their homemade flavors, but Zen Butter, a perfect blend of peanut butter and toasted sesame seeds is unbelievable."

5. James McAvoy. "What a star! Good looks with acting chops to boot. Steals the show in Atonement."

6. Deli coffee. "None of that Venti-soy skim extra-foam blah blah latte for me. I prefer the classic bad cup of deli coffee. Simple. Just a little skim milk and half an Equal. Can't live without it."

7. My Uniform. "I spend all my time looking and dissecting clothes and trends and colors and silhouettes that the last thing I want deal with is my own wardrobe. If I could, I would live in my jeans, T-shirt, hoodie, and sneakers. Pure comfort!"

8. Gossip Girl. "It's such fun. And that Blake Lively looks just like [model] Raquel Zimmerman."

Joe Zee is the creative director at Elle.


1. Hong Kong. "I detoured through there recently on my way home from China, and it was my first time back in 10 years. It was so electric and so full of energy and at the same time so sophisticated and cultured. How could you not love a place with more people than Manhattan on an island smaller than Manhattan?"

2. Dash Snow's photo collage. "Despite all of the controversy around Dash's jizz-sprayed newspaper photo collage, there's something so provoking and intriguing about his art. You just can't turn away from it, not unlike the early works of Mapplethorpe..."

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