{Street-Spotted} Audrey Smaltz

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 September 13

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

{Street-Spotted} Kathy McPherson

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 September 7

“I think I should have been in my 50s in the 1950’s,” says FOF Kathy McPherson. “I love that look!” Fittingly, next spring for her daughter’s wedding, she will wear a custom dress made from a 1957 Vogue pattern. FOF spotted her on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in an eye-popping blue Chloé blouse and relaxed black pants.

Where do you live? I live in Pinehurst, North Carolina, known as the “Home of American Golf.”

What are you doing in NYC? I’m visiting my daughter and helping her with wedding planning, shopping for bridesmaids dresses and helping her register.

Do you have any passion projects? We’ve been designing and building our dream home for over a year.  It looks as if it could have been built in 1895 but has all the modern amenities of today.  And, my absolute favorite day of each month is my book club meeting.  We’re called “Novel Women” and we discuss each book with such compassion.

How would you define your style? I’d define my style as classic, timeless and a little vintage.

What a great watch! Any story behind it? My husband, Tom gave me my Tag watch for Christmas in 1984.  It pre-dates my daughter who was born in 1985 and I wear it 24/7.  I’d feel lost without it.

Who are your favorite designers? If money were no object, I’d choose Oscar de la Renta for most special occasions.  I especially like the lines of Teri Jon and Kay Unger (and am happy to have dresses in my closet by these designers).

What inspires your style? No one inspires “style” more than the late Grace Kelly.  I loved her clothes, her pearls, and her elegance.  As far as my hair style, it’s a “flip” straight out of the 60’s.

What are you most proud of? The thing I’m most proud of is being married to the same wonderful man for 35 years, having 2 fantastic and talented children, and an amazing 6 week-old grandson.  Life is good.

On Kathy:
Blouse— See by Chloé
Shoes— Arche
Purse— Kate Spade
Watch— Tag Heuer (26 years ago)
Sunglasses— Robert Marc

Images by Katherine McPherson for faboverfifty.com
Vogue sketch via Vogue Patterns

{Street-Spotted} Diane Genre

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 August 17

Do you wear your work? FOF Diane Genre does. A professional appraiser who specializes in Asian art, Diane gravitates “toward traditional Asian-inspired fashion.” We spotted her in a kimono-sleeved jacket and stunning jade accessories.

Name: Diane Genre

Age: Over 50

What do you do? I am a professional appraiser of Asian art

How did you get into that? I used to collect it.

Where do you live? Most of the time in New Orleans but I have an apartment here in New York City because I do a lot of work here.

How would you describe your style? Simple, understated, complimentary to my age.

Do you always wear traditional Asian-inspired pieces? A lot of times, yes. I like the simplicity of the cuts.

On Diane:
Jacket— Zoran
Pants— Doesn’t remember
Shoes— Cole Haan
Purse— Carlos Falchi. “It’s so lightweight!”
Earrings— “They’re imperial jade. I got the stones on my last trip to China and had them made into earrings.”
Bracelet— Also imperial jade
Sunglasses— Kate Spade
Watch— OMEGA
Ring— Gold band inset with three family diamonds. “I worked very closely with an atelier in NYC to design this ring.”

Images by Katherine McPherson for faboverfifty.com

{Street-Spotted} Shoshana Halpern

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 August 10

“Grandma” ain’t what it used to be. We found Shoshana Halpern post-lunch date with her grandson David, age 4, and her stepdaughter, Yael. “I’ve been trying to figure out how we could break my grandson into modeling,” says Shoshana.

He’s not the only model we see….

Name: Shoshana Halpern

Age: Over 50

What do you do? I was formerly in market research.

Where do you live? I live in New York for three months in the summer and in Florida for the rest of the year. I say that I always need to live near major shopping areas. Here, in New York, I live near Bergdorf Goodman. In Florida, I live near the Bal Harbour mall.

What is your passion project? I love shopping. It’s my oxygen. In Bal Harbor I have a group of girlfriends I go with.

What colors do you wear? Gold is my favorite color. I also wear corals, tan, camel, black and white. You will never see me wearing burgundy.

Does your style change from Florida to New York? I wear more metallics in Florida, and I would never wear a leopard dress here in New York.

How would you describe your style? Not conservative. Not edgy. I’d say, classic.

Who are your favorite designers? Dolce & Gabbana for clothing; Chanel for bags and sunglasses, and Gucci for shoes.

What do you splurge on? Handbags!

On Shoshana:
Shirt – Michael Kors
Pants – Adriano Goldshmied
Sandals – “I bought them in Florida, I don’t remember the store. I wear flats during the day because I walk everywhere, but in the evening I always wear heels.”
Necklace –  Jackie Brodsky
Sunglasses — Chanel
Watch – Michelle. In the evening I wear a watch by Cartier.
Bag – Prada

Images by Katherine McPherson for faboverfifty.com

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{Street-Spotted} Ruth Schlossberg

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 August 3

You can’t get more summery and chic than white from head to toe–but not everyone can pull it off. FOF Ruth Schlossberg clearly can. We spotted her taking Roxy and Ritter for an afternoon stroll.

Name: Ruth Schlossberg

Age: 57

What do you do? I just launched an interior design business, OM Home. We specialize in creating luxurious holistic environments for our clients.

Where do you live? I split my time between NYC, Miami and North Carolina. My business is based out of Miami, I have an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and I have a horse farm in North Carolina where I go to recharge.

What are you doing right now? Walking my dogs and on my way to a store! I’m with my friend and client – we just came back from Santa Monica. I travel a lot!

How would you describe your style? My friend says it’s eclectic. I buy what I like and wear it forever… I don’t let seasonal fads dictate what I wear.

Do you have a signature piece? I wear my Philip Stein watch every day. I just love it. It comes with changeable bands.

Where are your favorite places to shop? I do a lot of online shopping… Zappos.com, Bluebee.com and Saks and Henri Bendel here in N.Y.

On Ruth:
Tunic and Pants — Victoria’s Secret
Sandals — From India
Sunglasses — Chanel. My friends got them for me as a gift for my last birthday.
Earrings — Samuel Getz. My friends gifted them to me on my 50th birthday. Samuel Getz is just a fabulous world class jeweler carried at Neimans.
Bracelet — David Yurman. I switch this up with a diamond bracelet in the evening.
Watch — Philip Stein
Bag – Isabella Fiore carried by Neimans, Zitomer and Bergdorf’s.

Images by Katherine McPherson for faboverfifty.com

{Street-Spotted} Ruta Fox

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 July 29

It’s tempting to stay in your pajamas all day, especially when you work from home. Not for FOF Ruta Fox.“I find you can actually be more productive if you get up and get dressed,” says Ruta. “You have to have some kind of structure if you work from home, otherwise you get sidetracked with things like laundry and cooking.” Ruta, the founder of DivineDiamonds.com, works from her Upper East Side, Manhattan apartment. Today we spotted her on the way to a meeting.

Name: Ruta Fox

Age: Over 50

Where are you going? I have a meeting with a friend who is a private jeweler.

How would you describe your style? Classic, but fun. Trendy, but not over the top.

Favorite stores? Daffys, Bloomingdales and Zara.

Is there anything you never wear? The colors yellow, red and chartreuse.

What colors do you like to wear? Cream, beige, black and pale pinks and blues.

How has your style changed over the years? It actually hasn’t changed that much. I’ve always liked detail, such as a flower or embroidery… something of interest.

Favorite designers? Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Carolina Herrera

Splurge piece? A vintage alligator handbag from a market on the Upper West Side and a Nanette Lepore jacket.

Signature piece? The Ah Ring from my company, DivineDiamonds.com.

On Ruta:
Shoes — Edoardo Alessi
Pants — The Limited
Blouse — Newport News
Bag — Kenneth Cole
Ring — The Ah Ring from her company, DivineDiamonds.com
Bracelet — From Bali
Sunglasses — Ralph Lauren

Images by Katherine McPherson for faboverfifty.com

{Street-Spotted} Yael Nadiv

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 July 19

“My clothes are a backdrop for my jewelry,” says FOF Yael Nadiv. We spotted Yael sightseeing in New York with her friend, Régine Illi (from last week’s Street Spotted). She had just finished showcasing her own jewelry designs at a trunk show at Henri Bendel. “It was a success, but I’d still like to see my jewelry sold in more stores!”

Name: Yael Nadiv

Age: Over 50

What do you do? I’m a jewelry designer. I have my own company, Onyx.

Where are you from? Originally from Israel, but now I live in Zurich.

How long have you been friends with Regine? Just a few years. We met when I brought my jewelry to sell in her museum shop. She is the shop manager at the Rietberg Museum.

The jewelry looks great on both of you, but you two have very different styles… Yes, she’s more eccentric. I’m very plain…very classic. Little detail, good quality. I usually wear a white t-shirt and jeans, you know.

Who are your favorite designers? Bottega Veneta, Donna Karan and Dries Van Noten

On Yael:
Jewelry – handmade from her jewelry company, Onyx
Dress– “I don’t remember. It’s like 100 years old. I don’t take much when I travel. I just take a dress and then you don’t need anything else.”
Bag– Made in Italy
Shoes– from Switzerland, and made in Italy.

Photos by Katherine McPherson for FabOverFifty.com

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{Street-Spotted} Régine Illi

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 July 14

A shop manager for the Rietberg Museum in Zurich, FOF Régine Illi is always on the lookout for innovative design, worldly items or offbeat trinkets to sell in her store. Even though she’s in New York City for “vacation,” we could tell her head was still back at the museum. We spotted her on Madison Avenue captivated by a whimsical display of aluminum-foil animals in a storefront at a children’s boutique. “I’m capturing ideas,” says Regine.

Name: Régine Illi

Age: (gasp) 55

What do you do? I manage the shop at the Museum Rietberg in Zurich. Right now we have an exhibit on Bhutan so I try to find items from Bhutan or India.

What kind of museum is that? It’s known for it’s non-European art.

And you’re from Zurich? Yes.

What are you doing in New York? I’m on vacation with my friend Yael Nadiv. She’s a jewelry designer and she just had a trunk show at Henri Bendel. I’m wearing one of her necklaces.

How would you describe your style? Clean. Basic. Normally, two colors at most, straight lines. Today, I’m more eccentric. I feel more free and liberated when I’m not in my country. Americans are more liberal and free. My style changes depending on my mood.

Who are your favorite designers? Donna Karan and Norma Kamali

On Régine:
Hat– made in Uzbekistan, from a folk art market in Santa Fe
Necklace– designed by friend, Yael Nadiv, of Onyx Jewelry
Dress– made in India
Shoes- Puma
Pants- Gabriele Strehle
Bag- vintage Gucci
Sunglasses- found in the Le Marais district of Paris

Images by Katherine McPherson for FabOverFifty.com

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{Street-Spotted} Linda Cohen

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 July 6

It’s “out with the old, in with the new,” for some, but FOF Linda Cohen likes to have it both ways.

This style consultant’s outfits fuse designers pieces (many are her friends or clients) with vintage accessories. Today, we snapped photos of Linda outside our FOF office where she was helping with the launch of our new FOF e-shop (coming soon)! She was wearing a sleek, comfy cardigan by White + Warren (her friend Susan White is co-owner of the company) and her grandmother’s vintage European ring. “I buy what I like, and it just all goes together somehow,” says Linda, who says her upbringing inspired her modern vintage style. Her mother Inga, a “blonde bombshell with a thick accent from Germany” always got so dressed up. Her father, Lee, was “a simple guy from the Bronx.”

“My childhood was like Eloise at The Plaza goes to a Yankee game.”

Name: Linda Cohen

Age: 53

Where are you from? Port Washington, N.Y.

What do you do? I’m in fashion consulting and merchandising. I’ve had my own consulting business since 2007. Before that, I owned retail stores for 27 years.

How would you describe your style? Modern vintage. I’m always about buying great items and mixing them up. I invest in good pieces, whether it is clothing or accessories.

What is your signature piece? Accessories are very important. I always wear my silver bangles.

What are your favorite stores? In New York, I love Barneys. I also like Barneys, Lululemon, and my favorite vintage store, My Inheritance, in Montclair, New Jersey.

Where else do you shop vintage? I attend the Manhattan vintage shows about three times a year at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York with my daughter. My mother was a European model with great style who taught me how to shop at consignment stores and flea markets since I was five years old.

Favorite designers? Not necessarily one designer. I like Stella McCartney, Rick Owens, Paige Jeans and vintage Jean Paul Gaultier

Who is your fashion influence? My mother. She was like a mixture of Marilyn Monroe and Zsa Zsa Gabor, with blonde hair and blue eyes. She always got so dressed up.

Signature scent? Costume national

Is there something you don’t wear? I don’t wear a lot of color. I wear black all winter and light neutrals in the summer. I don’t have to think about it. My accessories, shoes, and bags have color and texture so it works .

Advice for other FOFs? Take the time to embrace who you are. Be confident in your own individual style and the choices that you make. At this point when I look at all my “stuff” I know less is more.

On Linda:
Necklace: Paige Novick
Dress: Vince in ombre tie-dyed silk
Cardigan: White + Warren in natural
Earrings: Silver diamond hoops
Wedding Band: Cathy Waterman
Ring: Vintage (a European heirloom passed down from her grandmother!)
Bangles (Silver): M + J Savitt (from the 70s)
Bakelite bangles: Vintage (from the 40s)
Shoes: Tila March

Photos by Katherine McPherson for faboverfifty.com

{Street-Spotted} Hannah Schildknecht

LEAVE A COMMENT 2010 June 29

Ich bin ein FOF! We spotted this Diane Keaton doppelgänger, Hannah Schildknecht, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. A retired banker, Hannah hails from Germany and is visiting New York City for the first time with her husband. They spent the first seven days of their trip hitting every museum from MOMA to The Guggenheim, but she’s looking forward to spending their final three days shopping. Her husband–not so much. “He’s so nice to come shopping with me!” says Hannah.

Name: Hannah Schildknecht

Age: 61

What do you do? I am a retired banker.

What stores have you shopped at in NYC, so far? Just Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s because we’ve been touring, but we will spend our last 3 days at all the interesting shops.

What was your least favorite part of the trip? Times Square was terrible!

How do you describe your style? Sporty and elegant.

What is your favorite store? Cinque

On Hannah:
Glasses: Arnold Booden (bought in Amsterdam)
Pants: Cinque
Watch: Armani
Shirt: Doesn’t remember.
Necklace: Bought in Amsterdam

Photos by Katherine McPherson for faboverfifty.com