Off The Cuff
New York's newest style icon Lauren Santo Domingo shares her fashion secrets
Lauren Santo Domingo
A still-life tableaux at LSD's apartment, with recessed coffee table, plants andcigarettes.
The Santo Domingo home has an extensive collection of vinyl records.
Lauren Santo Domingo, left, and Lindley Arnoldy at a party at the home of Johnand Becca Cason Thrash to celebrate a new book, Very Classy, by Santo Domingo'sfriend, Derek Blasberg.Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
If you don’t know about Lauren Santo Domingo, or as I like to say, the LSD, I suggest you familiarize yourself with these three names, and lend me your ear. Not only does this striking blonde boast a resume that includes contributing editor at Vogue, head of PR for J. Mendel and Carolina Herrera and co-founder and creative director of Moda Operandi, she is also a model, a prominent young socialite in NYC and married to a Colombian music executive and beer heir, whose father is worth $6 billion, according to Forbes magazine.
Did I mention she and her husband listen to nothing but vinyl records in their NYC apartment? Beautiful, smart and cool – a powerful trifecta.
LSD first caught my attention in the blogosphere about two years ago when I kept seeing her pop up in street style photos clad in Proenza Schouler and Nina Ricci, with legs for days (she isn’t a fan of tights) armed with a PS1.
She recently took readers inside her Flatiron loft in her APT with LSD feature at Vogue, revealing a killer art collection, functioning hippo bar, recessed coffee table with plants in the center and an enviable closet that doubles as an office. She is stylish and graceful with a funky, eclectic and modern edge.
Her latest venture, Moda Operandi, is a membership service that allows customers to pre-order the latest runway collections before they hit the stores. The concept is clever, bringing us tomorrow's fashion today, and is based largely on her deep connections to the designers and brands in the fashion industry. A perk: Place your order and pay 50% down for designer duds and the other 50% when the item ships. (CultureMap readers have special access to sign up here.)
I recently attended a party honoring Lauren Santo Domingo at Becca Cason Thrash’s incredible home, and got the chance to chat with her beforehand about a few things I was dying to know:
CultureMap: I think it’s safe to say Proenza Schouler is one of your favorite brands. What draws you to their pieces and why?
Lauren Santo Domingo: They always seem to know what I want to wear before I do. I feel like that I've grown with them, and that their designs have perfectly followed where I'm at.
CM: Who do you look to for inspiration? Who are your style icons?
LSD: Nan Kempner for her outrageous approach to fashion, and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy for her modern elegance.
CM: When you are feeling uninspired, do you have a staple look or piece you rely on?
LSD: A smoking jacket thrown over the shoulders can chic up anything.
CM: How has having a baby changed your sense of style, or has it?
LSD: Not really. I did wear flats for a short time during my pregnancy but I’m back in the heels that I love.
CM: What‘s your favorite piece in your closet right now?
LSD: Choosing a favorite piece is like choosing a favorite artist or favorite book... Impossible.
CM: What are some of the usual staples we can find in your purse or travel bag?
LSD: My iPhone, Smythson diary and a lipstick or two.
CM: What are your go-to beauty products?
LSD: Tata Harper for skin care, and I tend to stick with the same regimen for make-up. A concealer by Koh Gen Do, mascara by Trish McEvoy, and a Chanel Blush called Orchid Rose.
CM: I love your contributions at Vogue through APT with LSD and especially loved when you featured your NYC townhome. How would you describe your style when it comes to interiors? Could you compare this to your sense of style in fashion?
LSD: My approach to interior design mirrors my relationship with fashion in that I'm constantly finding things that I love. I never feel like I'm finished because I always find something else that's intriguing or inspiring. I think my interiors reflect my fanfare of collecting objects and art.
CM: I noticed you have a piece by Salvador Dali – one of my favorite artists. What do you look for when buying art?
LSD: Something that evokes an emotional reaction. I’m not an art collector who’s thinking about the investment or projected value of a piece.
CM: What is your favorite travel destination right now? Hotel?
LSD: Cartagena, Colombia because it is still an undiscovered gem with great charm and surprises. But really, I see hotels as necessary evil. No matter the level of luxury, I would always prefer to be at home.
Lindley Anoldy writes the fashion and style blog The Flip Side.
