For a woman who works behind the scenes, FOF Audrey Smaltz has a center-stage personality. The 73 year old is owner and CEO of Ground Crew, a company that produces fashion shows, shoots and videos for A-list designers. We caught her just before she dashed off to a Karl Lagerfeld event for NY Fashion Week. “I have been in fashion all of my life. I modeled at the age of 15.”
Name: Audrey Smaltz
How old are you? 73
We cant believe that! Yep, I’m neither nipped, tucked nor plucked.
What’s your secret? Stay out of the sun. Black don’t crack.
Where are you from? New York City. I used to live in that apartment building across the street. From my window, I could see the Chagall paintings hanging in Lincoln Center. I would tell people I had Chagalls in my living room.
How is your company, Ground Crew, involved in Fashion Week this year? We are working about six shows today including Rag & Bone and Josie Natori. We do all the backstage work you can think of; tailoring, seamstress work, dressing, pressing, taking people from one venue to the next… I’ve been doing this since the first show in 1993 for Donna Karan.
How do you describe your style? Classic elegance. Woman today are not elegant. They show everything.
Do you have a favorite designer? Yes, the ones who pay me on time. Joking aside, I wear a lot of Lafayette 148 by Edward Wilkerson because he designs clothes for women of all sizes. He can make a big woman look good. I also like Tadashi. I just went to his show and told him, “Thank you, because you make me look pretty, and I’m size 16.”
Style advice for other FOFs? When you look good in something, wear it again. I’m not at that age where I have to show people I have a lot of clothes.
On Audrey:
Jacket-–Ilana Wolf
Blouse– Lafayette 148
Skirt— Lafayette 148
Sunglasses– “There’s no designer name on these. That’s why I have them.”
Bag— The “H” is not for Hermes…it’s just for “Handsome.”
Shoes— Manolo Blahnik
Images by Katherine McPherson for faboverfifty.com
0 Responses to “{Street-Spotted} Audrey Smaltz”
Johns says:
Of course we love you. :)Not to sound like a total wediro, but judging from some of your posts, I think you live in my hometown. I’ll be going home for Thanksgiving, and taking my twins to see all of the fun stuff there – zoo, kiddie park, children’s museum. It would be super fun if you guys ‘happened’ to be at one of the same places sometime during the week. Are you guys staying home for the holidays? Feel free to say no, even if you aren’t… I’ll never know. :)And I love your new blog layout.
susieS says:
Elegance with a capital E!!
Nina Jefferson says:
I am 51 and I want to be like you when i grow up, BEAUTIFUL and FABULOUS!
Carlous Palmer says:
Audrey Smaltz is a true fashion ICON and what many women should be striving for at all ages, and in this article she is absolutely correct, Audrey is the first person to give me my very first job dressing models in New York when I was in college… she was fabulous then and she is still fabulous… I currently live in Baltimore , but what she has done for me and many other young Fashionistas has carried me to this day , I plan to post this article on my cable show in Baltimore to share wiith Baltimorean’s what fashion is all about, we often forget as we go along in our lifes journey , those that inspire us and that is where we fail as human beings… the only way to go into our future is to remember our past . I hope that our culture looks to Fab 50 to get back what we havde lost… showing it all wont make women happy and it won’t get you a long lasting relationship… dressing is thae way tha we have to express ourselves without interruption… THAT IS POWER and it is a power that Audrey has had and maintained for 73 years.
http://www.flickr.com/carlouspalmer
http://www.modelmayhem.com/1046
Leslie says:
Audrey- you are fabulous! Proof, that like wine, we do get better with age.
Love your look!
Gail M. says:
Audrey if Fabulous. She knows it. I know it. And I lover her for it.
GG
sherie says:
what a wonderful looking lady! and talk about fashion sense! and she is 73 years old? wow!!
ruth roscoe says:
A well put together pretty lady, very very fashion savy, would like to have some of that savy.
admin says:
omg, this woman looks amazing!
Geri Brin says:
Love this woman.
Marilyn kleinberg says:
73 and size 16 NO WAY! Inspirational, funny, passionate role model for any age or any size woman.