My Style: Opening Ceremony's Kate Foley
Kate glams up her favorite ripped vintage jeans with a laser-cut T-shirt by Yasmin Kianfar and red Opening Ceremony pumps.
When it comes to fail-safe boutiques—the ones we can pop into any time of year and find JUST what we're hankering for— Opening Ceremony is our own mini Mecca. Owners Carol and Humberto have an eye for not only the most influential (and frenzy-worthy!) designers of the moment but also the select pieces that literally make a collection. As a result, OC scouts the best buyers in the biz, one of them being Kate Foley, whose keen eye definitely extends to her own uncommon dress-code. We popped in recently to visit with this British expat's beautifully tricked-out digs in Williamsburg (which she's currently subletting), and got schooled in, among other things, pink DIY hair-color, the next really BIG designer, and the best fake tan in the world. Oh, and her kitty Weenie is pretty extraordinary, too.
Kate's covetable shoe collection. "The rug came from Patrick Demarchelier's studio—it was used as a prop for a shoot and was going to be thrown away so I salvaged it!"
Tell us a little bit about your job and what you love about it:
"I work in such a great environment, with inspiring, creative, and talented people. It makes going into work everyday enjoyable and exciting, which I think is so incredibly important. It's a great pleasure to work closely with all the designers and their teams. To be able to watch young designers grow in confidence and strength is fantastic. And to be able to support that process and see such talent is so fulfilling."
In the livingroom, Kate wears a cream lace dress from Opening Ceremony. "I love this dress so much. It's so beautiful!" Her shoes were a score from a random High Street store in London. The framed flag belongs to the owner of the space.
What are the three pieces you find yourself wearing constantly?
1. "I'm always wearing platforms and wedges, the higher the better, nearly always with socks."
2. "White ankle socks. I'm forever bleaching mine and buying new pairs to keep them pristine."
3. "White and cream nighties and lace dresses. I grew up wearing white cotton nighties made by my grandmother. I think it stuck with me. I'm hugely attracted to natural fabrics such as cotton and linen. This style of dresses are just so easy and feminine."
In the bedroom (with her cat Weenie), Kate wears a floral chiffon dress from Zara.
We're obsessed with your hair color—can you tell us how you get that subtle fade of pink?
"I bulk-buy this semi-permanent dye, La Riche, which I think is made in England. It has a huge range of colors, which is great. I guess Manic Panic would be the most similar in the U.S., you just have to mix it with conditioner. I nearly always mix mine to get a softer color."
Kate's mini Bearbrick collection sits on the bookshelf. The figurines are from the Bearbrick Blindbox Series ("each is designed by different artists and companies and you don't know which one you're going to get until you open it.")
Where do you draw your decorating inspiration from?
"I'm inspired by a mix of things: art, history, color, and texture, mainly natural materials such as fabrics and wood."
Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Kate looks down from the second floor.
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