She is a fashion and lifestyle writer, a contributor to top titles such as Vogue and Vanity Fair, a street style icon, and now a Harper Collins author. The New Yorker, with one foot firmly planted in Paris, Stephanie LaCava speaks exclusively to Style.com Arabia on her career as a writer, her love for vintage, and her breakfast of choice.
How did your career as a writer come about?
I never thought I’d be a writer, but I always knew I would write. It became clear early on that I was best suited to creative, solitary work, and I loved journalism.
Has writing a book always been a dream of yours?
A book has always been a dream simply because as a little girl all I did was read. I was alone most of the time and books were so important to me. I never thought I’d be able to be a writer though. I thought I might write a book as an offshoot of some kind of research I was doing…
Who is your reader? Does she need to have an interest in fashion to enjoy it?
My reader definitely does not need to care about fashion, even better if he/she doesn’t as they might come away with a different insight into it. It’s not blatantly in the book at all, but in a subtle way it is part of everything people might see highlighted based on a false expectation. I’m not really a fashion writer. It was my job for sometime, but it isn’t what inspires me most.
What gets you in the writing zone?
When I’m working on a fashion story on deadline, I always need to do research. I am old school and I like hard copies, oh and matcha tea! Lots of matcha tea!
In a previous interview, you have mentioned your great love for vintage whilst growing up. How did that begin?
It’s been forever and from my family for sure. My grandfather and grandmother had the best style! I remember dying to go through my grandmother’s things—she gave me my grandfather’s dopp kit that has the old Dior logo and I used it forever as a clutch. My father always nurtured this, he loves finding treasure, and when I turned 21 he gave me a Lanvin cape he found somewhere. We always used to go to Lanvin for lunch and to shop for him when I was younger. We also went to antique shows as a family and visited places like Versailles or other châteaux; my parents greatly appreciated historic architecture and interiors.
Do you have a treasured vintage piece?
There are so many! I love the cape, more for its story than the style itself. I also love a Victorian beetle brooch I have and a gold box clutch that I borrowed from my mother-in-law that belonged to her mom.
You are a New Yorker and your last name is LaCava. Tell us more…
I was born in New York then lived in the South briefly, then moved to Le Vésinet in France (what my book’s about), and then back to New York. My father’s ancestry is Italian and I love it so much that I didn’t change my name when I got married almost two years ago.
Having just come from the S/S ’13 shows. What were your highlights?
I LOVED London, especially Christopher Kane. Paris is always my favorite, though. This season was great for spectacle: Dior, Saint Laurent… There were some really beautiful days, weather-wise, as well. I also loved Balenciaga, Ann Demeulemeester, and Rick Owens.
Being a street style target during fashion week… how do you get dressed for fashion week?
The same way I get dressed every day. It’s the worst when people look different just to be noticed when working during this time.
What are you up to now?
Sitting in Balthazar eating breakfast and writing these answers. Super excited for today.
What are you having?
Ginger citrus tea with berries and salmon—I love anything with salmon.
An Extraordinary Theory of Objects: A Memoir of an Outsider in Paris by Stephanie LaCava is available on www.amazon.com
