Style & People

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• November 21, 2007
• My Style

Kate Lanphear

The Elle fashion and style editor divulges her fashion fetishes. By Christene Barberich

Many recognize New York-based fashion editor Kate Lanphear for her un-missable shock of platinum hair. But it's the Elle senior fashion and style editor's unmatched skills in dressing up—and down—that keep her at the tippy-top of everyone's aspirational style list (present company included).

Lanphear, who came to Elle via Sydney where she held fashion posts at both Vogue Australia and Harper's Bazaar, admits to some ongoing sartorial weaknesses—studs and gray cashmere, included—and a decidedly anti-fashion manifesto, "My style is really Pot Luck," she says. "Whatever has just come back from the dry-cleaner." Here, the Washington, D.C.-native fesses up to the standbys, secrets, addictions, and afflictions that form her pitch-perfect code of chic.

Tell us the five things you find yourself buying/wearing/replacing again and again—

1. Aussie Lee Supa Tubes jeans.
"I brought as many as I could carry when I moved from Oz to New York. I am totally lost though because they have since changed the cut."

2. Alternative Burnout T-shirts
"I'm living in them at the moment. They've done all the work breaking them in already."

Alternative Burnout T-shirt photograph via teenvogue.com

3. Gray Cashmere.
"Anything and everything gray cashmere. My fave is an old Alexander Wang super-low V-neck."

Alexander Wang fall/winter 2006 collection

4. Anything and everything with holes.
"Thank goodness for Christopher Kane's newest collection in this case."

Christopher Kane spring/summer 2008 collection dress

5. Anything and everything studded.
"I have zero control. I couldn't pay my rent this summer because I had to have the Balenciaga gladiators in every color available."

Balenciaga spring/summer 2008 collection

6. Jeans & T-shirts.
"I know it's so terribly boring. But I take my appreciation for tees to whole new heights and spend a small fortune on James Perse and Neal Sperling. Then, I just throw on an old Dior Homme blazer and the highest heels I can find."

7. Whose style provokes you?
"The man in black Johnny Cash…talk about someone with conviction of style."

Johnny Cash image courtesy MPTV.net

8. Anything you're hankering for right now?
"The Louboutin studded shoes from Rodarte's recent show. I am also obsessed with Phillip Lim's men's colored blazers and Bruce's chiffon vests."

3.1 Phillip Lim spring/summer 2008 collection, image via style.com

9. Black tie must…
"It has to be Lanvin."

Lanvin spring/summer 2008 collection, image via style.com

10. If your style had a theme song it would be…
"'Please, please, please let me get what I want' by The Smiths—so many gorgeous, gorgeous things and so few dollars in the bank balance, ya know?"

The Elle editor divulges her fashion fetishes.

Magdalena Frackowiak

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