Here at Stylewhipped, we whole-heartedly believe in the transformative powers of fashion, make-up...and the right lighting! We also believe that what you do for a living doesn't at all have to dictate your sense of style in your "real life." So when we chatted with Stefanie H., who works in law enforcement in NJ, she was more than game to let us give her a head-to-toe glam-over (gorgeous to begin with, she didn't need a "make-over"...she just needed some guidance on how to bring some serious glamour into her "off-duty" look!). By her own admission, her usual style is "simple and casual" and she was ready for a really chic, fashion-forward look.
On hand to help her achieve that were celebrity make-up artist Nathan Johnson (who recently worked on none other than Sir Paul McCartney...) and famed fashion photographer Sebastian Smith (whose work has appeared in high-fashion glossies all over the world). Oh, and yours truly (!) worked with some amazing designers and companies to sponsor the results you're about to see. We created two looks...one that would make Stefanie feel like the best-dressed woman at any cocktail party, and one that would make her stand-out among the fashionistas on any night-on-the-town in NYC. Shot on location at New York's top new nightclub La Pomme on Manhattan's West 26th Street, Stefanie was a natural in front of the camera and everyone on set had an unbelievable time...
Here is Stefanie, before our big day (already looking naturally adorable...):
(All photos courtesy of Sebastian Smith)
Pulling dresses and tops from one of my personal favorites, Single Dress, I wanted to see Stefanie in pieces that would be able to be incorporated into her existing wardrobe but would up the glam quotient. For the "cocktail party" look, we chose a black jersey dress with a deep-v and animal-print satin inset in on-trend black & white. Paired with actually-comfortable black satin heels with a crystal-studded rosette detail from Me Too Shoes and an animal-friendly (super important to Stefanie) oversized, flower-adorned clutch from Amici Accessories, this look is so easy to wear. And what did our model think? According to her, "the dress was out of this world...comfortable enough to sleep in but gorgeous enough to wear anywhere...and already scheduled to be worn to an upcoming Christmas party!" And those shockingly comfortable shoes led her to exclaim, "beauty does not have to be painful! I could wear these all day!"
Our cocktail party-ready girl, all glammed up...
Up next, I wanted to create a look that Stefanie could rock on a night on the town, either with her girlfriends out dancing or to a fab new restaurant with her husband. The core of this outfit was a satin top from Single Dress in a tiny animal print toned down by neutral tones of champange and browns, and super dark indigo jeans from Mynt 1792 (the amazing new line from Project Runway alum Kevin Christiana). I finished the whole thing off with complimenting champagne satin shoes with a dramatic oversized bow from Me Too Shoes and another animal-friendly clutch from Amici Accessories in a deep teal that really pops. And Stefanie's reaction? She felt she could wear the top "day or night" and was so excited by "possibly the best jeans I've ever put on - they are so comfortable but so stylish!" The animal-friendly factor to the bags from Amici Accessories made them "the perfect addition...and without being micro-sized - I can actually fit more than just a lipstick."
So here she is, ready for a night on the town...
Now, no make-over (sorry, glam-over...!) is complete without some serious make-up. Before Sebastian Smith, our incredible photographer, could capture these beautiful shots, make-up artist, columnist, and Beauty Society Executive Make-Up Artist Nathan Johnson went to work. To accompany the "cocktail party" outfit, he created a smoky eye to bring some added sexiness to the overall look. You can create this eye all on your own using Beauty Society's "Smoky Eye Kit" (created by Nathan!), and can also achieve skin as luminous as Stefanie's with the simple application of Beauty Society's "Photo Shoot Facial Primer" with its incredible light-deflecting holographic molecules. Nathan also showed us how important it is to have your wardrobe and make-up work together, and created out-of-this-world edgy make-up with turquoise shadow that instantly picked up the saturated teal shade of the handbag in our "night on the town" look.
We are so thrilled with the stunning new looks that Stefanie got to go home with...so a huge thank you to all of our generous sponsors: Single Dress, Mynt 1792, Me Too Shoes, Amici Accessories, and Beauty Society. And to Sebastian and Nathan...you made an officer of the law into a supermodel for a day - thank you for sharing your talents with both Stylewhipped and Stefanie! Thank you also to my styling assistant, Danielle Rodman, who kept me on track and was beyond organized, and to the fabulous La Pomme nightclub...everyone needs to head to their amazing parties asap!
~ Alison
