I’ve wanted to do this post for a long time, but I thought it best to save my favourite Style Spotlight star for the last one of the year.
Kate Lanphear is the Style Director at Elle US.
She’s a fashion icon because I don’t know anyone who can wear so much black yet never look boring. Maybe she should be dressing Angelina Jolie.
I always look out for her during fashion week and so do the style bloggers. They love her as much as their Queen Anna Dello Russo.
She’s always immaculately dress with kick ass accessories which pull everything together so well.
During Spring 2011 Fashion Week her shoe of choice was her Christian Louboutin Misfit suede and leather sandals which are available from Net-A-Porter US and Net-A-Porter International.
These black suede and leather gold rivet-embellished sandals instantly make a bold statement.
See what I mean about making black look interesting? I love the way she uses a blazer as a cape.
Kate doesn’t just wear black. She occasionally adds some white pieces to her look.
She’s been working the menswear trend long before the likes of Leighton Meester.
Kate works Helmut Lang and Margiela effortlessly with a hint of cool down-town New York grungy attitude.
Kate also mixes a lot of vintage pieces into her everyday look when she’s not opting for 6in Louboutin’s and Alaia dresses.
J Brand black jeans and either YSL Imperiale booties, Balenciaga boots and Giuseppe Zanotti complete edgy Kate’s looks.
Kate is apparently quite shy and doesn’t do many interviews. You can read one of her rare interviews over at The Cut.
Credit: streetstylelondon.blogspot.com, citizencouture.com & Studded Hearts
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another brilliant style spotlight! why do magazines insist on featuring so many tedious celebrity hervé léger-nude louboutin combos when there are treasures like this!! totally agree with you FC, angelina jolie could learn a thing or two from this post xx
Thanks Jenny W xxx
I’m deadly serious about Kate working with Ange. I think she could make some magic happen
love her style!
I so look forward to your style spotlight.
All her black pieces have interesting details and structure. She does look fabulous. I do wonder if she has some bright colors in her closet that she saves for home. LOL She is a Kool Kid!
thank you.
I will start getting into the habit of doing them once a month x
FC that whould be amazing!! Style spotlight posts are always my favorites because for me these ladies define what fashion is about! xx
fashion critic im so glad u have made a post about kate, as she is simply wonderful !
As much as i love anna dello russo and her joy for fashion, she is always trying a bit too hard and loves being in the spotlight…while kate in the other hand, is always so styilish, so chic, so edgy in such an effortless way…i absolutely love her!
No one wears black as good as her… no one!
PS: Louboutins shoes have never looked so cool!
Your so right. I do love Anna for bring to life so many unworn runway looks, but her need to be in the spotlight now is becoming a bit desperate.
I enjoy Kate because she doesn’t seek to be famous and from what I’ve read interns love her because she incredibly nice. She’ll even buy them pizza when they work late
I recently found myself complaining that I have only dark colors in my closet and don’t know anymore how to put them together and still look interesting. from this lady I can learn some tips! great post FC, thank you for bringing her to our attention!
I’m glad to hear the post was both enjoyable and useful xxx
This is the same as me. I found this link after reading the Tamu McPherson post. I only have neutrals and blacks in my wardrobe – so this post has given me a lot of tips, thank you.
you are very welcome x
love how she transitions from one look to the next.
Awesome post – thanks so much F.C.! I can spend hours looking at the details of Kate’s outfits, you are so right about the fact that there is a way to make black interesting. Every one of Kate’s outfits pulls me in, vs pushing me away as ‘boring black’ can often do. Also, I love the fit of everything Kate wears, it’s always so spot on; you can tell she is, in her own inimitable way, an absolute perfectionist. Oh yeh, I’m wide awake now!
you’re welcome. I glad I can share these great looks with you
She reminds me of a more chic, edgy version of Tilda Swinton. Kate made those black 6 inch fringed Louboutins look so cool.
omg, u did a post about kate! yay
! she is absolutely great! but u know what? 
besides her freaking awesome style, i just love her trademark short platinum blonde hair cut & i just love how she never wears make up (almost never 
)
Great posts on stylish stars that don’t get the attention they should (Kate, Chloe). I love her hair cut/color, which I think is part of her edge and ability to keep things interesting. I’ve seen her on The Sartorialist, but never knew who she was. Thanks for an amazing introduction!
my pleasure
She is stunning, but those shoes are positively scary.
Wow she does make black look so cool, edgy and most important interesting. As much as I love Angelina, her black outfits are a bit boring sometimes. She’s lucky she has a gorgeous face. As for Kate, she looks amazing dressed up or dressed down. How old is she?
Because she wears her black with details and different textures/silhouettes/interesting shapes, it keeps her from being boring. Angelina Jolie does no such thing.
I love hair and her juxtaposition of edgy and sophisticated. I doubt if many could pull this off and still look classy.
‘I wish I had her flare’ – did you mean her flared jeans?? Or her ‘flair’? I think the latter
shes ok but cant touch the amazingness to joanna tillman who FC introduced to usx
Sadly, The Cut link is not working! Dying to read more about her.
not sure what happened but its working now
As someone with a mild addiction to black (only mild) I revel inthe delight of when I see photos of her. Of course I am nowhere near as chic, tall, skinny, beautiful, peroxide or achingly cool as she is, but it still makes me feel a little better. She is also very talented, so that is always a plus, and I lvoe seeing photos of her on street style blogs. I adore that she is shy nad i find it quite endearing and sweet. Thankyou for this wonderful psot, I love your analysis on stlye and I find it so interesting to read always. This is absolutely no exception.
Thank uxxx
Kate’s one of my favorite fashion editors. She’s also what I think a fashion editor should be – a distinctive style, a fashion icon and a model for the designer labels that appear in her magazine. She’s so much more exciting to look at than many celebs featured in Vogue’s stupid Best Dressed special issue.
Well I didn’t know Kate Lanphear so thanks for the introduction!
Her attitude is so charming! She looks so edgy and fabulous and at the same time seems so shy…
We’ll be all looking forward now to our monthly Style Spotlight!
Ps- so true about getting Kate and Angelina in a room so she would teach her some lessons… hehehe
Excellent post FC. I think some people underestimate how difficult it can be to work a full black ensemble but this is a shining example of how some can get it so right (Kate) and some can get it so wrong (Ange)
thanks Lisa
Hi FC how come you like her style when she wears a lot of tights?-:))))
thx for introducing her,I like her style,its edgy but wearable,not over the top attantion seeking
She’s not a a red carpet. My only problem with tights is when celebs wear then on the red carpet. x
Thanks for this. Quite the antidote to Angelina’s boring black outfits. I’m taking notes on the use of accessories.
I like some of the look but I think they are too black. I do think that she should work with Jolie as majic can happen. Its nice to hear that she is a nice person though
shes amazing for street views. any redcarpet dresses etc? and silly question but is she straight?
So delighted that you featured Kate, she is by far my favourite style icon. I love that she has a bit of a rock edge and always makes the pieces she wears fit her own ‘look’. I think that’s the mark of true style. Plus I am wearing my hair similar to hers at the moment