Fashion / Style

Olivia Palermo’s Whirlwind Dallas Adventure: The Chic Star Reveals All

BY // 02.20.16

Whenever I see a photo of Olivia Palermo, I have immediate outfit envy. The girl always kills it, whether she’s wearing a flowy blouse underneath overalls or a sweater tucked into a miniskirt with a pair of colorblocked heels. Her sartorial acumen is seriously impressive. (After all, she wore Carolina Herrera shorts with a tulle skirt overlay and a cashmere sweater on her wedding day … Unbelievably chic.)

So, when I heard the former The City star and style icon had launched her own collection, a collaboration with Chelsea28 available exclusively at Nordstrom, I was intrigued. The pieces are classic American sportswear staples and dresses in sumptuous suede, silk and leather, plus premium denim, ranging from $68 to $448. My favorite has to be the sleeveless trench — super versatile, like just about everything in Palermo’s own wardrobe. There’s also a beautiful burgundy fringe dress, poplin peplum blouse, denim blazer and shearling vest, all staples designed to be easily mixed into an existing wardrobe.

On a recent quick trip to Nordstrom NorthPark to debut the collection — she flew in from and back to New York within a matter of hours so as not to miss out on NYFW festivities — Palermo chatted with me about her line, including her favorite piece and what her creative vision was while designing.

Welcome to Dallas. Is this your first time here?
Thank you, it is. One of my best friends lives in Houston, so I’ve only been there. I really hope I come back [to Dallas] and spend a bit more time here.

I was looking at the pieces from your collection just downstairs. How would you describe the aesthetic? Were you inspired by certain things?
It’s more on the sporty-casual side — taking lighter pieces that you can build into your wardrobe. It’s very ’70s inspired.

Is that inspired by your personal style, would you say?
I think it’s very much on trend with right now and what you’re seeing a lot on the runways. It all has a little bit of a French take on it, playing with the sporty denim.

Do you have any favorite pieces?
I definitely think the military vest is my favorite.

How would you style that?
There are so many ways — with a pair of wide-leg trousers would be great. You can use it as the statement piece and layer it with a light jacket. You can even wear it as a dress.

Who do you look up to for style inspiration?
Throughout my travels, it’s the young, stylish girls I see. I’m just driving by in the car and I see how excited they are with fashion and how much they enjoy it. You can see that in how they walk and the way they move.

Street-style inspiration.
Yeah. I think whether I’m in Tokyo, whether I’m in London, Paris, I always find very stylish girls.

Was there like a particular girl in mind when you were designing the collection?
I wanted it [to be for] everyone’s body type, so that every type of girl could take something from it. That was the focus, and having a French touch to keep it modern.

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