The Fashion Time Magazine

Lauren “Daisy” Lewellyn, if that name sounds familiar to you, it’s likely because you’ve seen her on a number of television programs including The View, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CBS Early Show, E News, The Learning Channel’s Dinner Takes All, BET’s My Model Looks Better than Your Model, and Fox 5 News, or read her work in In Style, Marie Clare, Ambermag.com, Glamour, Heart & Soul, and Essence.

Known as the “Queen of Effortless Chic,” Daisy is a style icon and one of the hardest working stylenistas in the fashion business, whose fashion runway to fashion reality philosophy carries her in good stead, whether she is serving as an instructor with The Learning Annex, being featured in the New York Times, conducting style photo shoots with Beyonce and Janet Jackson, or working as a Wardrobe Stylist for Alicia Keys in an upcoming film.

A Number One fan of Beyonce, who plans on designing her own line of children’s clothing, Daisy is a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle expert with an effervescent personality and solid in her faith.

We thank Daisy for taking time out from her busy schedule to participate in our Interview, and to learn more about Daisy, be sure to visit  Daisy Lewellyn.com.

Fashion Time: Why did you decide to become a stylist and how did your career begin?

Daisy Lewellyn: Wow, how much time do ya have??? I went to Howard University, in Washington, DC. I heard that there was an exchange program with FIT in NYC. I jumped at the chance & knew this was exactly the way that I wanted to spend my junior year, as a NYC girl!!! Well I did go to NYC & FIT for my junior year, but the program was officially over. I was so determined to go to NYC, you couldn’t tell me no, even if the computers weren’t accepting the entry lol. I had my father sit in with me on a few meetings & I was headed for NYC. Sooooo, I majored in Accessories & Design at FIT & interned at a magazine called Honey Magazine. It was a really cool & hip mag at the time! I worked directly under the Fashion Director Sydne Bolden, who is to this day like a big sister. I was the intern, but really the assistant, since the department was sooo small. I always thought, well I will be a celebrity stylist, it sounded fabulous & glamorous.

But once I was exposed to the magazine world, I shifted my fashion goals to a huge obsession with becoming an editor! A fashion editor does many things that a stylist does, but more. After I graduated from college at Howard, I made a mad dash back to NYC without looking back. I called Sydne & she asked me to come help her out…at In Style Magazine!!!! I felt like I had won the lottery…tax free!!! “Are you kidding???!!!” I thought to myself. It was just too good to be true. And that’s how I got my first paid fashion job, at In Style. Notice I said paid, since many kids don’t understand that just because you’re not getting paid, does not mean it isn’t a job. I took every job super duper seriously & always dressed the part!!! I think I was so paranoid from being blacklisted because of a chipped nail, or wrong trend, that I tried my hardest. Oh boy that makes me laugh.

InStyle’s Sydne Bolden: credit: haydenharnett.com/blog/

Working at all of my magazines I have done styling, from Glamour, to In Style, & Essence, and beyond. I really love working not only as a stylist, but as a style expert. As a style expert I style celebs & real women & models, as well as appear on television & radio networks, giving the scoop on why you should wear what!

Fashion Time: Why are you known as The Queen of “Effortless Chic?”

Daisy Lewellyn: Oy vey! Anyone who knows me, will tell you that Daisy is a 365D girl, which means, Dresses 365 days a year!!! I coined the title Queen of Effortless Chic because I don’t think its necessary to spend hours & hours of time in order to look amazing & feel terrific! There is beauty sleep that needs to be tended to! From my training at Glamour Magazine, I learned to master instant style at little to no time. I guess since I was always working, then running to dinners & events, then off to visit a friend, & more, I needed a way to look great throughout the entire day. I hate changing clothes, so once I am dressed, I am dressed.

Fashion Time: Daisy, how does a woman reach the pinnacle of her personal style?

Daisy Lewellyn: Personal style is something that every woman should strive to attain. Fashion is something you either get or you don’t. It may just come natural to you. But never fear, if it doesn’t come naturally to you, there are easy ways to understand what your personal style is, even if you feel fashionably clueless. In addition to working with tv, radio, & mags, I recently opened the doors to private clients. I tell them, before we even talk about trends, answer these 3 questions: What is your body type? What is your current lifestyle? What celebrity style do you feel inspired by? If they don’t have a celeb, maybe its another mom that they know, or a neighbor. Imitations I hate, Inspiration I love! Personal style must start with the foundation, meaning what your body looks & feels like. If you are a pear shape, & reeeeally love skinny jeans, well we have to change a few things. Impulse shopping is dangerous! I had a super petite client with a closet full of great pieces, well they looked great on the hanger. You have to shop for your body type first, then take a trip down trend lane. If not, you are in for a major style wreck!

Fashion Time: Who are your favorite designers?

Daisy Lewellyn: Oh my, let me count the ways. Well, I absolutely adore Tracy Reese. Surprise surprise, I know, but I just am a total dress girl & Tracy gets it. I am also a fan of hers because she is one of the sweetest people that you could ever meet in NYC. Zac Posen is beyond a dream come true. Anything the man touches provides instant star quality! I also love Micheal Kors, I think he’s my favorite American designer. He’s such a jet setter! No matter what season he shows his collection, Spring or Fall, there is always a jetsetting element that stands alone. I’m all about a sunkissed glow year around, going away for a mini getaway with a beautiful boy! And Mr Michael’s collection scream this every season!!!

Tracy Reese, credit: poshbot.com

I also have tooons of low end designers that are just fantastic! Of course H&M is always wonderful! I just saw the Fall collection in NYC & It is ridiculous!!! You will not believe that some of these pieces are under 100 bucks, or even under 50 bucks!!! I think Isaac for Target does a wonderful job! His summer collection is just amazing! He really designs to flatter women’s bodies. I also adore Zara for a great staple, or chic designer knockoff (shhh). I really am not an advocate of knockoffs, never a knockoff bag, but a classic pencil skirt or fun trench, hey why not! Ya only live once. And I have to say Oscar de la Renta. I already have my wardrobe planned out for my 40’s & 50’s, and Oscar is the leading guy on the ballot. I am definitely wearing him to my daughter’s engagement dinner. Oh, do I have children? No & I am not married either, but with fashion comes fantasy darling. And all of my fantasies, always become a reality! Cheers!

Fashion Time: Tell us about a day in your life as a stylist?

Daisy Lewellyn: Oy vey! Well ok do you want to know how the day is supposed to go, or how it actually goes hee hee. Every morning I tell myself I will do a full hour of cardio, but sometimes fashion calls & that gets bumped to the next morning. I never have the same day, each day is really a new adventure. As a style expert, I have to deal with a lot of people, models, producers, publicists, assistants, interns, showroom managers, boutique owners, editors, photo directors, & more!

Well for starters, my every day definitely involves my Blackberry! Its a must! I am out in the market a lot, looking for great designers, or on set filming, so I am not able to sit at my desk all day & check emails. So I am a total believer in the Blackberry! It’s my first assistant, before the real assistants lol. Most days include creating concepts for tv segments or makeovers, or meeting with client the to discuss what is needed, pulling apparel & accessories, going to events, lunches & dinners, speaking engagements all over, taping in a cool boutique, going to previews, & fashion shows, and more. Some days I am beyond crazed, and other days I just spend poolside with my nieces! Its really a wonderful life! A lot of work, but I am beyond blessed to be able to do what I love. I meet so many great people from all walks of life every day & I really enjoy that aspect of my job.

Fashion Time: What are your three favorite outfits that you’ve styled?

Daisy Lewellyn: Hmmm, let me see. I’ve never been asked this before. Oh I know! Ok hands down I absolutely adored a look I styled for a tv segment on E! News, it was all about how to dress 10 pounds thinner without passing up the bread basket. I called it the Charlotte look-DKNY heather collarless grey coat with a fitted bodice & aline bottom, we paired it with patterned Tracy Reese for Hue tights and a high gloss patent bootie by Giussepe in a raspberry jewel tone. We belted the coat & created an uberly tiny waist, and it gave the illusion of a dress/coat! She had a slick long pony & my signature, oversized glasses, and ladylike tote. She looked like Charlotte’s twin!

Ok so that was one of my fave, I am also really obsessed with kids clothing! I want to have my own kids line some day. I did a Back To School Segment for my Daisy’s Dish w/ CBS 2 & it was just adorable. I put one of the models in Juicy Cuture Kids, which is divinely yummy! She wore a grey, hmm, I must have thing for grey, lol, cashmere pointelle knit dress w/a houndstooth navy peacoat. I mean she screamed luxury for kids! I just adored it. My first issue with Essence, our cover was Beyonce. I was so excited, because I am definitely her # 1 fan. I was the Accessories Editor at the time, so I basically pulled the entire accessories & jewelry market from Tiffany to Cartier to Lorraine Schwartz to Manolo to Jimmy Choo and more. I loooove accessories & that was probably one of my favorite shoots, because I was in love with every single piece that I chose for her shoot!

Fashion Time: You were a guest judge on BET’s new reality series, “My Model Looks Better than Your Model.” What was that experience like for you?

Daisy Lewellyn: Oh that was loads of fun! So funny you asked, because at the time Beyonce’s BDAy was just released & it was just the hottest thing since Pinkberry! One of the producer’s, whom I adore, Nathan Hale Williams was blaaaasting Upgrade Ya! Every time I hear the song, I think of the show lol. We had loads of fun, my good friend Alexander Allen was the stylist, another good friend was a producer, I mean it was just a blast. The fashion & entertainment industry is surprisingly small, so you always end up working with the same people & crossing paths. The contestants were hilarious!

One girl was so funny! She threatened to walk off set! I was like, is she crazy??? I’m sorry honey your name is not Diana Ross, now Miss Ross I love, & she thought she was fabulous or something. Oh dear, I don’t know what her problem was. There were so many funny moments, especially because my swivel chair kept slowly turning, so I look like a little kid constantly swirling & trying to get that bad boy to stay in place. The hairstylist kept fussing at me because I kept playing in my hair, and fluffing, & twirling like I always do. lol. Sometimes I think I’m Barbie. He was like STOP IT lol. Boy that was a funny show, fun, but also very funny.

Fashion Time: What should every girl have in their wardrobe?

Daisy Lewellyn: Great question! Wow you guys really know what to ask a gal! Ok see below the must haves for every girls wardrobe!

1. Amazingly sexy belted 3/4 trenchcoat, choose color that suits lifestyle best!

2. Flattering Pencil Skirt in a neutral hue: grey, black, or nude.

3. Great Flat jeweled ballet flat. Comfort should still be fashionable. Sneakers and rubber flip flops(for my Miami & LA girls) need not apply. Please don’t ever wear rubber flip flops near me.

4. Sexy chunky heel that screams high fashion. Obvi you all have a staple pump, so go for the trends with this one.

5. T’s & Tanks in every color of the rainbow. They must be of good quality though, American Apparel & JCrew both have inexpensive options.

6. Cashmere Cashmere Cashmere-Every girl should have a cashmere fitted cardigan & a grandpa cardigan.

7. Beautiful sleepwear & loungewear. I am not really into looking bummy just because you are indoors. You have mirrors, so that means that someone is seeing you, even if it is only you. Chic comfy loungewear is important.

8. Staple Item that screams You!!! Maybe its a fabulous necklace that you found at an estate sale, or a pretty red trench that you wear from season to season, and spent a fortune on it, but its sooo worth it! Every girl needs to have their signature item that they can be easily identified by! For summer, my item would have to be my all over cork mile high Christian Louboutin wedges. I feel so guilty! I wear them sooo much! But they are comfortable, they make me look so tall, and go with everything. I call them my runnning shoes, well if I ran they would be my running shoes lol.

9. Confidence! If you have no confidence in your heart, all of your fabulous wardrobe items will do ya no justice my dear. Always wear joy!

10. Great hoop earrings. No matter what season we are in, hoops always look great. The thinner the better, I adore gold thin hoops, the size of, lets say a toddler’s bangle, or maybe a little larger.

These are just a few, email me if you need more xo.

I am a firm believer in women owning staples, so that they can play season to season with mixing in trends.

Fashion Time: Who are your style icons and what do you love about them?

Daisy Lewellyn: Oh I have so many style icons! First I have to say Barbie! I love that girl! She has it all! A permanent arch from wearing heels so often just qualifies her as instant posh! I honestly have a majority of vintage style icons, when fashion trends really began…Diana Ross in her many eras including Mahogany & Lady Sings The Blues, Cher during her batty lashes & glossy eye days, Bridgett Bardot for those lovely bedroom curls, Sophia Loren for understanding the power of a silhouette! As for modern day icons, not too many really, although I do really love what we are seeing with Charlize Theron and her red carpet debuts, as well as Kerry Washington. They have great glam squads.

Fashion Time: You’ve appeared on The View, one of the more controversial programs in America. Can you give us your view of The View?

Daisy Lewellyn: I am a huge fan of daytime television, especially The View. The show really just reminds me of my best girlfriends at our weekly Sunday Brooklyn Brunches, except we are a bit more fashionable than the View’s cast, lol sorry Whoopi. I am surprisingly very conservative when it comes to worldly views, so I am often in agreeance with Elisabeth, or perhaps my eyes just go directly to her since she’s the best dressed. I would really love to work with all of the ladies, and give them my view on a makeover! I really think they are long overdue, besides cutie pie Elisabeth.

Fashion Time: You’ve written for many fashion magazines. What’s the most incredible experience you’ve had, while writing for such magazines as Glamour, Essence, and In Style?

Lauren “Daisy” Lewellyn, credit: fashionhow.blogspot.com

Daisy Lewellyn: We actually had fashion writers that were separate from the Fashion Department. I had the pleasure of working hands on with fantastic dreamy designers, seeing the major fashion shows & experiencing fashion week from the best seat in the house, and just waking up everyday to the amazing smell of NYC fashion. Fashion week was always a favorite time, the parties, the shows, the crashers, oh it was just a blast to take it all in.

I also really enjoyed meeting such great style innovators and legends. There are many talented icons behind the scenes that the average consumer would never be able to identify. I appreciate all that contribute to the business of fashion, from models, to dressers, to interns, to directors.

Fashion Time: Your prediction for the Fall 2008 fall trends?

Daisy Lewellyn: Well we are here already, but I can tell you that it will be a fashionable one indeed. This season it is about dressing up! Take risks, hem your skirt 1/2-an-inch shorter, buy a boot 2-inches higher. Breaking the rules is the new status quo!

Fashion Time: Fashion dos and don’t for the fall?

Daisy Lewellyn: Don’t copy, do become inspired and find your signature style.

Fashion Time: What rule of fashion do you always break?

Daisy Lewellyn: You mean, how many do I break lol. Well I am a NYC girl in a LA girl’s body, I was born in LA, groomed in NYC, and now I am based in LA once again, pretty much a modern day bi-coastal babe. It is usually pretty warm in LA, but I just can’t let my opaque tights and peep toe platforms go! Black tights are my bare legs! Its crazy I know!

Fashion Time: You love wearing “mile high” Christian Louboutins. Are they your favorite designer footwear? And what do you think of Manolo and Jimmy Choo?

Daisy Lewellyn: I adore all of the boysm they are all divinely genius! I have to say that Christian Louboutin & Jimmy Choo are two of my faves, Manolo Blahniks will always be a favorite for a classic Carolina though. I really love shoes, the higher the better! I never really met a Louboutin that I didn’t like. I adore Brian Atwood as well, he is so talented. Shoes are something that deserve attention and coins as my friends would say. Going cheap on shoes will only get you into big trouble!

Fashion Time: Have you ever made the wrong choice while styling outfits?

Daisy Lewellyn: I really don’t think so. Like I said, rules are meant to be broken. I go with what I like, and the image of the client. Some women need to be styled and really show their body, some are trend driven, and can wear volume for days. I style for the lifestyle, not according to the rules. I will take a belt and make it a bracelet in no time! Whatever works is what works!

Fashion Time: What do you see as being your “it” bag for next season?

Daisy Lewellyn: I’m kind of into fringe for fall, oversized of course. I think my CA lovin’ has set in, and I am embracing my LA boho side. I am usually into structured and polished, but this season, I am open to slouchy options. Botkier and Jimmy Choo are two of my faves, as well as Tory Burch. Who doesnt love her though!

Fashion Time: What advice would you offer to some one who wished to follow in your footsteps?

Daisy Lewellyn: Intern Intern Intern. Be humble. Have a spiritual foundation in God. Remeber your goals. Be determined. Own your destiny. Beleive in yourself. Support others. Have a kind heart. Remember that love conquers all, even in fashion. Love looks so much better than hatred and negativity.

Fashion Time: You worked with Beyonce, Janet Jackson, and Alicia Keys. Could you share with us your impressions of them?

Daisy Lewellyn: As a market editor, accessories editor, style expert, and stylist, you work with celebrities on different levels and at different capacities. I have always tried to embody their personal style in my choice of pulls for them. They are all amazing hard working strong women that exude the best accessory on the market, confidence.

Beyonce, credit: instyle.com

Fashion Time: Would you like to launch your own clothing line? If yes, what direction would it take?

Daisy Lewellyn: I am going to have a kids clothing line. I have astrong passion for children! Especially girls! I have had my daughter’s name picked out since I was like 14 lol, it used to be Madison, but that has just become way too common, so we will see, although it is so pretty. I am going to do a kids line, because children’s clothing is all about fun fun fun! Color! Prints & Patterns! Easy & Chic! I adore Jcrew Kids, Ralph Lauren Kids, Bloom, and even Gap Kids. I want to design for all of my cute prepster kids out there with fashionable moms looking for something different for their children.

Fashion Time: Could you tell us your thoughts on these ladies style:

Daisy Lewellyn:

- Victoria Beckham- I admire her confidence and she has a great body. She’s pretty classic if you ask me, nothing too risky, very safe. She knows what looks good on her.

- Angelina Jolie- She is such a mystery, I dont see her as being into fashion, more of into humanity, which is a great thing. We need more people like her in the world.

- Mary Kate Olsen-Well what can ya say, I wouldn’t mind if they went to the tailor every now & then, but hey, that’s why we call Personal Style Personal Style. She chooses great jewelry pieces which I can definitely appreciate.

- Gwyneth Paltrow-I am really proud of Gwenny Poo, she has been embracing her inner sex kitten, showing legs, and more skin, in a tasteful way. I think being a mom is sexy, and she is loving it. When the kids come moms, time to turn up the heat!

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