Rebecca was raised in the Bahamas until she was seven, then moved to Paris to study “because you can’t have your entire education on an island”. But the barefoot, island-life remains as part of her sensibility; “Not wearing shoes was a huge part of my life, and I find that the hardest part of my wardrobe because I really like being bare foot. My father used to check the bottom of my feet when I walked in the house to see how dirty they were, to see if I was allowed in the house or if I have to wash my feet outside, because I literally do not wear shoes if I can help it.”

She followed a creative path with a career in fashion and interior design, working in PR with such houses as Gucci and Tory Burch before completing her degree at Parsons. She then returned to the Bahamas and established her own interior design firm, but after a few years, decided she “had to go back to the mainland”, so moved to Los Angeles and began her earring collection.

We met over tea while Rebecca was visiting Hong Kong. In her amazing vintage silk pajamas, she shared her discoveries from her last trip to India where her silk ball drops are produced and her inspirations for work and life. Rebecca a gentle eccentric, and she has managed to keep a strong creative compass while building a business and managing all aspects that entails. We asked Rebecca to be our KOTUR Muse for what she represents and conveys through her work: a celebration of individuality and personal style. Here she answers our questions.

What’s in your make-up bag?

Lip gloss and blush.

Do you have a beauty secret?

Lots of water and a coconut juice in the morning. I scrub my body with sand, so it’s always shiny, and moisturizer. Having clean pretty looking skin, healthy skin is the secret to any beauty.

What do you wear on a fat day?

A huge peasant dress, hides all evil!

How would your female friends describe your style?

Different.

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?

My mother’s old Yves Saint Laurent couture hot pink gown that I just love. It’s the best dress that I’ve ever had, and I wish I could wear it everyday, but you simply can’t walk around wearing black tie.

Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?

Yes a lot of things, a lot. But I don’t have essentials. I don’t have a lot of black pants, I have a lot of vintage jackets that go with nothing else, and so I mix and match patterns all the time, so there are a lot of things that could go.

What do you never leave home without?

Luna my dog.

When home alone, what do you wear?

A dress. I always wear a dress.

What do you wear to bed?

Nothing.

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?

Fur. I don’t like fur, I don’t like animal goods.

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?

Oh a thousand things, but I think you learn by your mistakes.

How high is too high a heel?

There is never too high a heel. If I’m going to wear a heel, it’d better be high because I don’t wear them often, so I better look damn good!

How old is too old for jeans?

I don’t like jeans myself, but you are never too old for jeans. They’re just not my thing.

What is your most recent purchase?

A Chinese coat that I bought 2 days ago. It looks vintage, but the embroidery is extraordinary – It’s red satin with blue embroidery and it had fur on it, and I made them take it off.

Can you judge a book by its cover?

I do but you shouldn’t always.

What are your bad habits?

Oh my God, the list is too long, and I can’t tell you.

What’s your greatest extravagance?

Massages.

What are your guilty pleasures?

Dancing to the wee hours. I love dancing. I think having grown up in the Bahamas I just love dancing. It’s my favorite thing.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

Smile a lot and say yes to everything.

What’s your favorite smell?

I don’t like smells. I don’t like perfume- I don’t like things that smell too strong.

What’s your idea of a great holiday?

Discovering a new world.

What are you most proud of?

I think having started something that I’ve stuck with, and that I’ve worked really hard to build. I think you don’t get that many chances in life. You get a few chances, but when you get a really good one you should stick to it. And it’s sometimes really hard, so I am very proud I followed through and built a business.

What are you least proud of?

I think not following through with some of my friendships. Because in life as you get older, and when you move far away, and I’ve always moved across the world, I think it’s sometimes hard to follow through with friends. But thankfully, your really close friends will always be friends. I think with some, people get neglected by time, space, and life.

What is your pure bliss?

Hanging on the beach in the Bahamas with my dogs.

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?

Bianca Jagger.

What would you eat for your last supper?

Probably cheese, it’s my fave.

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?

No, but I say no now. I might say yes later.

Do you have a favorite purse or bag?

My new one, the Lolli Basket. It is launching in September, and  pre-launched on Moda Operandi. There is a reason why it’s called the Lolli Basket.  So I’m a huge animal lover, and I was going to call it Lulu because Lulu was my dog that passed away. You’re going to laugh at me, but the reason why we didn’t call it the Lulu Basket was because she was quite round, and my basket is long and round, so my father said why don’t you call it the Lollipop Basket because Lollipop was Lulu’s best friend, and she wouldn’t mind being called the Lolli Basket.

On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?

I would say honestly, 4 on a really bad day, and 7 on a great day?

How would you like to be remembered?

For being fun and sweet, and a good friend.

Shortly after college in 1991, Catherine became a young entrepreneur with the launch of her eponymous jewellery business, and has since run her company along with her family of four children with the grace and humour for which she is known. Prior to raising her large brood, Catherine had a Walton street shop, reminiscent of her living room, and a sanctuary during my London visits. Somewhat eccentric, with its Gracie wallpaper and Napoleonic furnishings, I do remember the collection of Roman helmets she used for jewellery displays. It remains my favourite ever shop.

With an older family now, Catherine no longer just caters to us friends and collectors/addicts who covet her bold rings. She can now be found at Five Story in New York, and Neapolitan Collection in Chicago, allowing others to experience the sense of fabulous that is Catherine Prevost…

Here she answers our questions:

What’s in your make up bag..?
My favourite make up for great looking skin by Terry Eclat Opulent and Chanel Lipgloss

Do you have a beauty secret?
Beauty secret? Do Yoga and laugh ALOT

What would be your desert island essentials?
Chanel 50+ Suncream for the face

What do you wear on a fat day?
Fat day.. My favourite Seven for mankind white jeans that are a bit too big and a floaty silk top

How would your female friends describe your style?
Female friends would probably describe my style as Classic Chic ….they would also say I am not good at the Casual look!

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
Most treasured item in my wardrobe is my first Andrew Gn coat from Bergdorfs

Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
I should get rid of my first Chanel jacket (it’s way too small) but am saving it for one of my daughters

What do you never leave home without?
Never leave home without one of my rings

Hot date night with your husband/boyfriend, what do you wear?
What I wear for date night is a black jumpsuit and my favourite Balmain tuxedo jacket

When home alone, what do you wear?
When home alone .. I wear Lulu Lemon yoga clothes

What do you wear to bed?
To bed I wear vintage Pucci nightdress

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
As fashion police ..I would ban crop tops and hot pants

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
Something I wish I had never worn was too much eye make up and big hair in the 1980′s

How high is too high a heel?
I do not like heels that you actually cannot walk in.. I live in wedges !

How old is too old for jeans?
I think that you are never too old for jeans.

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
If I could have lived in another fashion time it would have to be 16th century Venice.. I loved those cinched in long velvet gowns with flowing trains..

What is your most recent purchase?
My most recent purchase was Gucci red white and blue wedges with snaffle detail.. Love them!

 Can you judge a book by its cover?
I think you cannot always judge a book by its cover

 What are your bad habits?
My bad habits are being slightly OCD, watching ipad in bed, and occasionally late night espresso martini nights with girlfriends!

What’s your greatest extravagance?
Greatest extravagance is always using our best silver and linens

 What are your guilty pleasures?
Guilty pleasures are Net a Porter shopping, eating peanut butter on a spoon, and drinking really good red wine

 What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Best advice I have ever had is … Do not postpone joy

 What’s your favorite smell?
Favourite smell is fresh jasmine, or my husbands cologne

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
My greatest holiday is always on our boat in Capri surrounded by close friends

What are you most proud of?
I am Most proud of my four children

What are you least proud of?
I am Least proud of being insensitive to people’s feelings when I was younger

What is your pure bliss?
Pure bliss is a hot candlelit bath after a day in the snow

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
I would like to be reincarnated as my mothers dogs.. They have the a great life

What would you eat for your last supper?
My last supper would be really fabulous Green Chicken curry with sticky rice

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
If I could meet some one from history it would be Madame de Pompadour or Catherine the Great

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
A gentle nip and tuck when needed is a good thing .. But never overdone!

Do you have a favorite purse or bag?
Favourite purse is my Kotur gold clutch and my Kotur striped acrylic summer bag

On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?
I would have to let someone else decide on my good looking factor

How would you like to be remembered?
And I would like to be remembered as a good friend ,wife and mother who also made some beautiful jewels

Catherine’s Picks:

Catherine Prevost Jewels is sold at her online store, Neapolitan Collection in Chicago, and Five Story New York. 

Now a nutritional therapist and naturopath, Rosemary’s career path has taken quite a turn – less about the parties than it is about green juices, these days. A mother of three, she lives in the English countryside with her husband the artist Jake Chapman and her three daughters, pursuing a life that, on the face of it, seems far away from those catwalk days. What we love about Rosemary, however, is her fresh and upfront approach – be that to the lifestyle she leads or to her own personal style. Refreshingly honest the realities of healthy living, she’s a firm believer in the 80% good, 80% of the time school of thinking – still as up for kicking her heels up with her friends as she is for the wholesome country life. For her, living a life in balance, one that celebrates the finer things whilst still allowing time and room for a bit of looking after oneself, is the way to go – and we’re inclined to agree with her. Factor in the sort of easygoing attitude to fashion we at KOTUR love to celebrate (though it helps when you look that good in jeans and a T-shirt,) and you have an all round lovely lady to look to for all sorts and kinds of advice. Here, she answers our questions.

Rosemary’s book Juice is available on Amazon.

Q: What’s in your make-up bag?
Charlotte Tilbury mascara, Sisley lip balm, Laura Mercier blush, Shu Umura eyelash curlers and La Roche-Posay Factor 50 Suncscreen – I wear sun protection every day.  

Q: Do you have a beauty secret?
I use Aromatherapy Associates oils because they are wonderful for giving your skin that lovely glow, and I try to help my skin from the inside out by kicking off the day with one of my skin juices, like my Fresh Faced Green Juice. Food wise, anything orange is also really good for the skin because it tends to contain lots of antioxidants and beta-carotene, so that’s things like carrots, papaya and sweet potato.

Q: What would be your desert island essentials?
My phone, plenty of avocados and my little dachshund. I’d be so happy with that. I should probably say my husband and my kids, too though!

Q: What do you wear on a fat day?
I’ve got quite a lot of long, jersey tops that I wear over jeans – they’re pretty good at covering it all up when you want to.

Q: How would your female friends describe your style?
Pretty lazy! I’m a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl, I like to keep it simple. Girly doesn’t really suit me because I’m tall. There are occasions when I’ll put a dress on, but they’re getting more and more rare.

Q: What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
At the moment, it’s some silk kimono dresses my friend made because they’re going to be great for summer.  I’ve also got a Versace dress from Gianni’s last collection that I treasure and two dresses from Lee McQueen’s last collection that I love and will always look after.

Q: Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
The Ugg boots should probably go, but I live in the countryside and sometimes you just do need to wear slippers outside.

Q: What do you never leave home without?
I try not to leave without my wallet and keys, but that doesn’t always happen! And I normally take my perfume with me, too. At the moment I’m wearing Bella Freud’s signature scent. I also love a bit of Prada, Iris for summer.

Q: Hot date night, what do you wear?
My jeans, but I’ll jazz them up with high heels, a scarf by Rockins, something like one of Kate’s great shirts for Equipment and a bit of eyeliner.

Q: When home alone, what do you wear?
I’ve got some pretty slinky silk pajamas from Equipment that I wear with a simple vest top.

Q: What do you wear to bed?
I love a little cotton babydoll nightie.

Q: You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Padded push-up bras. Not a fan.  Not for me!

Q: Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
I’m sure I have, but I’ve probably blocked it out of my memory. Oh, I did wear a very silly hat to my brother’s wedding. I was trying to be grown up and sophisticated and when I look at the photos I just cringe. Never again.

Q: How high is too high a heel?
I’m not great in super high heels. A bit of a platform always helps, though.

Q: How old is too old for jeans?
I definitely haven’t got there yet – I’m going to be wearing them for a very long time.

Q: If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
Probably the 1970’s

Q: What is your most recent purchase?
Some bikinis for the summer from Melissa Odabash

Q: Can you judge a book by its cover?
No, I don’t think you can. Because I can think of many times when we can all be a little bit judgmental, and not always in the best way.  

Q: What are your bad habits?
I’m always late, and always in a rush – I annoy myself with it. And I probably drink a little too much.

Q: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Holidays. I do love a holiday!

Q: What are your guilty pleasures?
Crisps from time to time! And ice cream. I really do love it. I’ve got to stop buying it.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Just the other day, I was having a flap about something and someone said, “Stop looking at the top of the escalator. Just look at your feet and take one step at a time.” I think that’s pretty sound advice.

Q: What’s your favorite smell?
I love the smell of fresh cut grass in the English countryside I get in my garden. And I love the smell of the sea and the heat that you only get on holiday when it’s really, really hot.

Q: What’s your idea of a great holiday?
Being by the beach, somewhere I can swim in the sea everyday, with my girls. That’s what I love.

Q: What are you most proud of?
My kids, I think. I’m proud of them and quite amazed by them a lot of the time.

Q: What are you least proud of?
To be honest, I try not to beat myself up; it’s such a negative thing to do.  Its not useful and it doesn’t help.

Q: What is your pure bliss?
A lazy duvet day with the kids at home, all cozy on the sofa together, is my idea of heaven.

Q: Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
My little dog Ruby Red has the nicest life.

Q: What would you eat for your last supper?
A piece of buckwheat toast with avocado, crushed garlic, tomato, salt and pepper. I could literally eat that forever.

Q: If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
I’d love to be in a room with Lee McQueen again. Just because we had such a great time, and I wish I’d paid more attention. You take things for granted, and then they’re gone.

Q: Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
At the moment, no. But in ten years, who knows. Why not?

Q: Do you have a favorite purse or bag?
The classic Balenciaga motorcycle bag. I’ve had mine for ages, it’s all beaten up now and I still use it all the time.

Q: Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
Your raffia Morley would be great on holiday.

Q: On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?\
Oh wow. Lets go for seven!

Q: How would you like to be remembered?
It would be amazing if anyone remembered me full stop!

Q: What’s in your make-up bag?
Chubby stick intense from Clinique, Terry de Gunzburg concealer and Elizabeth Arden hand cream.

Q: Do you have a beauty secret?
I’ve always been very careful with the sun and I make sure to put sun block on my hands. 

Q: What would be your desert island essentials?
A great sarong and a big hat. 

Q: What do you wear on a fat day?
A pair of black trousers, a beautiful shirt and an cool accessory.

Q: How would your female friends describe your style?
Eclectic

Q: What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
A beautiful evening jacket / cape by Romeo Gigli from 1985.

Q: Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
I’m actually quite good at getting rid of things I don’t need. 

Q: What do you never leave home without?
Lipstick

Q: Hot date night with your husband, what do you wear?
I would wear something he has given me.

Q: When home alone, what do you wear?
A caftan

Q: What do you wear to bed?
In the winter I wear one of my husband’s shirts, and in summer I wear a very light muslin slip nighty. 

Q: You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Nothing! If worn well anything can work. 

Q: Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
Fashion and tastes evolve. There are things I have worn in the past I wouldn’t wear today but they were right at the time. 

Q: How high is too high a heel?
When you can’t walk in it. 

Q: How old is too old for jeans?
With the right pair of jeans never. 

Q: If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
The 1930s; I love the silhouette of the dresses and the proportion of the clothes. And I also love the 70s; the clothes are so free and cool.

Q: What is your most recent purchase?
A pair of trousers by Dries van Noten

Q: Can you judge a book by its cover?
Of course not! 

Q: What are your bad habits?
Good television series. 

Q: What’s your greatest extravagance?
Having married a Neapolitan!

Q: What are your guilty pleasures?
Chocolate

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
That whatever happens in your life, your talent is yours and no one can take that away so you can do whatever you want with it. 

Q: What’s your favorite smell?
Rose

Q: What’s your idea of a great holiday?
The sea on a boat with my loved ones. 

Q: What are you most proud of?
Obviously my girls.

Q: What are you least proud of?
The times I got scared. 

Q: What is your pure bliss?
Freedom

Q: Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
I would like to be reincarnated as a giraffe. I don’t know how clever they are  but hey, I’ve always loved patterns….

Q: What would you eat for your last supper?
Salad of raw artichokes, with sea bass sashimi, cherries, and marron glaces. I know they don’t work as a menu…… but those are my favourite things!

Q: If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
I would have liked to meet Mozart. He was notoriously naughty and fun and was the most extraordinary genius. 

Q: Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
To each their own. 

Q: Do you have a favorite purse or bag?
An evening bag of my grandmother’s. It is a very simple black satin with a jade and silver clasp.

Q: Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
Yes, it was given to me by my very close friend. 

Q: On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?
I’ve never been good with numbers! Some days I look better than others. 

Q: How would you like to be remembered?
I would like the people that remember me to be happy at the memory. 

Photo Courtesy of Caroline Gavazzi

A firm believer in the transformative and positive powers of make up, (she says she discovered mascara aged 13 and never looked back,) Charlotte Tilbury, herself a bonafide bombshell with her tumbling red hair and wonderfully feminine style, has been urging women to make the best of themselves – for themselves – for decades. Never seen out of her trademark dresses and heels no matter what the occasion, the powerhouse and mother of two is a wonderful example of the authority we can channel by harnessing our own femininity.  Throw in a childhood growing up in the free spirited, barefoot chic enclave of Ibiza and you have a potent mix of the glamorous, the bohemian and the wonderfully womanly that is pretty much impossible to ignore.

In 2014 Charlotte branched out, launching her own brand of skincare and make up to international fanfare. Now stocked all over the world and adored by women in their hundreds of thousands for it’s easy to follow instructions, wonderfully succinct looks and incredible efficacy, it has made made big waves – fast. From her secret ‘Magic Cream,’ formulated back in the day for exhausted models who needed to look good quickly to her failsafe ‘rock chick’ make up kits, she has set about giving us all the tools and know how to look our very best.  Her mantra? “Give a woman the right make-up and she can conquer the world!” With her infectious self-belief – and her incredible products – it’s hard not to agree with her. Here, she answers our questions:

How old is too old for jeans?
Darling, I am all about high heels and the little black dress! But I am a big believer in 18-80, my mantra is age doesn’t define you, and so if you feel like wearing jeans and a Red Carpet Red Matte Revolution bombshell lip – go for it!

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
That’s so difficult! But probably the era of Studio 54. The 1970s bohemian glamour was amazing.

What is your most recent purchase?
I recently bought some incredible Alice Temperley floor length 1970s inspired dresses. I liked them SO much, I bought them in 4 different colours: Night Crimson, Emerald, Black, and Cream. I think they are the perfect desk-to-disco dress.

Can you judge a book by its cover?
Never.

What are your bad habits?
It is not a bad habit, but I am a perfectionist. When I am creating a new product, the labs MUST hate me. I am so careful about the perfect, most finely milled formulas, the deepest, rarest colours and the most beautiful packaging. That’s why some of my products are 5 years in the making – I will never put something out there without being 100% behind it!

What’s your greatest extravagance?
I am constantly travelling, which I love!

 What are your guilty pleasures?
I love ice cream, truffle chips from the Bowery  – and Champagne.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Sock it to them Charlotte, I know you’ll be a star.

What’s your favourite smell?
I have a favourite scent but I keep it a secret! Scent is SO important!

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
Being with my husband George, and my two boys Valentine & Flynn. I love Ibiza, it’s the most magical island and I grew up there. It’s a home away from home, full of gorgeous, creative people.

What are you most proud of?
My sons.

What is your pure bliss?
Goddess Skin Clay Mask in the bath. Spending time with my family!

 Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
Ha! Cleopatra?

What would you eat for your last supper?
I love FOOD. Truffle fries or Essenza’s bolognese.

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
Marilyn Monroe, she was infinitely glamorous.

Yes or no to a nip and tuck?
I don’t believe in surgery, but I do believe in nose contouring if you don’t adore your nose, and carving in some FIlmstar Killer Cheekbones if you are feeling self-conscious about your weight…

What’s in your make-up bag?
a Tom Ford Bronzing powder and “Lip Laquer”

Do you have a beauty secret?
Maroccan unroasted Argan oil for hair and skin 

How would your female friends describe your style ?
Casual and down to earth 

Most treasured item in your wardrobe ?
My striped beige and blue Navajo poncho once purchased in Santa Fe …

Anything in the wardrobe you should get rid of but you can’t?
A pair of battered cowboy boots dating back to my Wellesley College days …

What do you never leave home without ?
A smile ..

What do you wear on a hot date night?
Nothing !

What do you wear to bed?
Always a white T- shirt …

How old is too old for jeans?
Never too old!

What is your most recent purchase ?
A very fat lens – The Canon 85/ 1.2 ” dream lens”  as I like to call it !

Can you judge a book by its cover ?
Generally no BUT ……

What are your bad habits?
The ones I don’t like but keep repeating !

What’s your greatest extravagance?
Creative dawdling …

What are your guilty pleasures?
Being where I’m not meant to be, seeing what I’m not meant to see 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Know Thyself”!  

What’s your favorite smell?
Persian nights aired with Jasmin…

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
Not knowing where you’ re going to end up …

What are you most proud of?
My children and my life in reflection.

What are you least proud of?
Reflecting on regrets..

What is pure bliss in your mind?
Moments lost in Nature …

What would you eat for your last supper ?
SMALL portions of BIG ideas 

If you could meet someone from history …who would it be ?
Omar Khayam , 12 th century Persian polymath and lover of life 

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
why not !

Do you have a favorite purse or bag?
|A black vintage quilted Chanel flap from the 80s , a hand- me – down from my mother and a classic  forever!

Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
My large navy Morley Snakeskin Clutch- love the shape,  love the size !

On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?
Mirror mirror on the wall……

How would you like to be remembered ?
As one who cared  …as one who loved …

 That Weinrib was going to be a designer – and one prone to finding inspiration from exotic climbs – did not come as a surprise. Her Grandfather founded the Aladdin’s cave that is the furniture emporium ABC Carpet and Home and Weinrib grew up surrounded by some of the world’s most wonderful things. Initially, she used her interest in design to fuel her skills as a painter before turning her hand to decorative arts and creating her first collection of rugs for the store in 1997. From there, she went on to launch her own design business, quickly making a name for herself as the woman who put the hip into hippie chic for today’s interior design space as she went.

 Aside from being beautiful, what we really appreciate about Weinrib’s work is its artistry and adherence to traditional techniques and craft. She has worked with artisans in Nepal, India and Morocco, found inspiration everywhere from Pakistan to Africa, trained with specialists in Venzuela and worked with craftsmen in Tibet, all as part of a quest to produce pieces that are as authentically made as they are new and as thought out as they are refreshing. Collaborating regularly with the Neue Gallery and designers including Soledad Twombly and Manolo Blahnik, her approach to design is that of an artist. She reimagines the beauty of centuries past for today, preserving techniques and traditions as she goes and giving new life to some of the world’s most precious crafts. Plus, she is an avid wearer of the kaftan, seen often out and about clad in her own ikat versions paired with shades and a slash of red lipstick. For these and many other reasons we love what she does. Here, she reveals the secrets to her fabulous sense of style.

What’s in your make-up bag?
Concealer by Cle De Peu, Scarlet Red Lipstick by Lipstick Queen and Stila Intense Black liquid eyeliner

Do you have a beauty secret?
I have a facial once a month and use products by Biologique Recherche. I am also addicted to my own argan oil that I use for my hair and body.

What would be your desert island essentials?
A big hat, sunblock, sunglasses, and lots of pencils and paper to draw with.

What do you wear on a fat day?
I wear a kaftan, but I also wear them on skinny days too.

How would your female friends describe your style?
I decided to ask a few of my friends this very question. When they realized I was serious, I received two answers: Boho Chic and Classic with a twist

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
My Sugarloaf Sapphire ring made by Munnu Gem Palace.  It was a gift from my boyfriend and it’s my greatest treasure.

Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
Old jeans, I have tons of them.

What do you never leave home without?
Cellphone, lipstick and, during the day, sunglasses.

Hot date night with your husband/boyfriend/lover, what do you wear?
Always a little Black dress with red lipstick.

When home alone, what do you wear?
A Kaftan

What do you wear to bed?
Nothing

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Knockoffs

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
Only in photoshoots

How high is too high a heel?
A heel is too high if you can’t walk with ease.

How old is too old for jeans?
No such thing!

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
Greco Roman. I adore the ease and comfort of the dresses, and how the fabric drapes.

What is your most recent purchase?
I bought some beautiful Kaftans in Morocco

Can you judge a book by its cover?
No. Sometimes I think I can but I am usually wrong.

What are your bad habits?
Enjoying my food a little too much

What’s your greatest extravagance?
Travel

What are your guilty pleasures?
I don’t feel guilty about my pleasures.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
To pay attention to my own intuition.

What’s your favorite smell?
Orange Blossom and truffles, but not together.

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
I love traveling for work so much, it feels like a holiday.

What are you most proud of?
My work

What is your pure bliss?
A day to potter around the house

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
My dogs

What would you eat for your last supper?
Pasta with truffles.  But I would like to eat it in Umbria.

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
I would love to visit Mario Fortuny in his palazzo in Venice

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
I would love to, but my other half is strongly against it. So, unless we break up, I’m going to age naturally.

Do you have a favorite purse or bag?
I made a bag about eight years ago with my Suzani Fabric.  I still use it all the time.

Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
A beautiful KOTUR clutch made out of wicker. It’s my favorite summer bag.

How would you like to be remembered?
I would like to be remembered for my textile collections and for putting together an original body of work.

Photo courtesy of  Madeline Weinrib & taken by photographer Jason Frank Rothenberg

As the Sydney born, London living Editorial Director of Net-a-Porter.com and Fashion Director of their magazine Porter, Gabriele Hackworthy certainly has a global outlook on fashion. Factor in stints working as the Fashion Director at Vogue Australia, Vogue Nippon, Vogue China and Harper’s Bazaar in the UK, and you begin to get why this smart woman’s take on her industry is far from run of the mill.

In her most recent position – a post she has held for just over two years – it is Hackworthy’s responsibility to hone in on the inspiration and vision that will strike a chord with the millions of women that make up Net-a-porter’s customers all over the world. That she is a working mother with an eight-year-old daughter who has held jobs at the top tier of her industry for over a decade probably helps with this.

What we love especially about Gabriele, however, is her own personal approach to style. Known, as she admits below, for her Boy meets Girl take on dressing, her fondness for a bit of boho mixed with a slice of androgynous chic (she sure knows the power of a well cut blazer,) has seen her emerge on style blogs all over the world as the poster girl for a certain sort of nonchalant take on fashion with plenty of power dressing thrown in.

Here, she tells us what makes her tick.

What’s in your make-up bag?
Mac Face and Body Foundation, Mac Pro Longwear Concealer, Dior New Look Mascara, Tom Ford Brow Sculptor, By Terry Rose Lip Balm, Nars Bronzer

Do you have a beauty secret?
Sleep

How would your female friends describe your style?
Boy meets girl

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
My wedding dress, a Black Prada 1920s-style chiffon and lace slip dress with Art Deco chain embroidery

Hot date night with your husband, what do you wear?
A little Black dress, at the moment most likely by Saint Laurent

When home alone, what do you wear?
Men’s style silk pajamas

What do you wear to bed?
Less is more

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Acid Wash denim

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
No, I never have regrets

How high is too high a heel?
I can run in heels

How old is too old for jeans?
Jeans are like women, they get better with age. Currently I’m wearing a lot by Frame and J Brand

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
The 1970s – I loved all the women of that Era. Stevie Nicks, Angelica Houston, Bianca Jagger, Jane Birkin, Lauren Hutton and Charlotte Rampling would be just some of my style icons

What is your most recent purchase?
An Etro handkerchief hem bohemian dress

Can you judge a book by its cover?
You can judge a man by his shoes

What are your bad habits?
Addiction to Instagram

What’s your greatest extravagance?
Yet to be experienced!

What are your guilty pleasures?
I don’t feel guilty

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Be nice to people on your way up, you never know who you will meet on your way down.

What’s your favorite smell?
Frangipani flowers

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
Sun, sea, surf in Sydney, Ibiza or Majorca

What are you most proud of?
My daughter Charlotte

What is your pure bliss?
Lying on a beach with my family

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
Betty Catroux . She was a must to YSL, and she once told me that as a little girl she had two ambitions in Life. “To never have to work and to lead an extraordinary life.”

What would you eat for your last supper?
The Baked potato and caviar from Caviar Kaspia in Paris

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
Cleopatra

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
I hope technology will have become so advanced that I wont ever have to go under the knife

Do you have a favorite purse or bag?
My Hermes Constance bag

Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
My iphone and Agent 99 bag have seen many fun nights out together

On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?
Off the charts!

How would you like to be remembered?
As someone who lived life to the fullest

Photo Courtesy of Oliver Holms

Nineteen years later, Hicks still calls Harbour Island home. She has written several books that pay homage to island life, opening a window onto the paradise that she has carefully crafted over the years. The latest, Island Style, is out this month and showcases her inimitable approach to decorating. In it’s pages, her home, Hibiscus Hill, stands testament to her unique approach – a blend, as she puts it, of her traditional British past and rich Caribbean present with her own eccentricities thrown in.

Whilst her first fashion moment may have been clad in frills as a bridesmaid to Prince Charles and Lady Diana, these days she is known for a much more laid back approach, one that seems as effortless as it is glamorous. To that end, she has just launched her own brand featuring fragrances, accessories and jewelry. Sold both through her website indiahicks.com and a direct selling network of Style Ambassadors, she is on a mission not only to deliver a slice of island style to the world, but also to empower women with the tools to earn money from their own homes by joining her.  “I want to say to these women ‘Do it on your own terms, and do it your own way,” she explains. It is a mantra she more than lives up to herself. Here, she answers our questions.

What’s in your make-up bag?
I never used to have one until quite recently, it never occurred to me. Having been a model for so many years, everyone else did my make up so I never had to carry some. Now, however, most essentially I carry red eye drops because I’m always on a plane.

Do you have a beauty secret?
I think we inherit a great deal genetically. My mother has incredible skin and has never done anything to it, so I’m rather hoping I’ll inherit a little bit of that. I tend to focus much more on the exercise part of life. I’m pretty religious about making sure that I am fit and healthy rather than relying on a beauty secret.

What would be your desert island essentials?
Marmite, for so many reasons. Even the fabulous design of the pot would keep one going on a rainy day.

What do you wear on a fat day?
For me, it’s not so much a fat day as an utterly exhausted day. This year I’ve been setting up a business and there have been days when I just couldn’t even think about what I was going to wear. Then I turn to a pair of jeans and a cowboy shirt.

How would your female friends describe your style?
It depends who you ask.  I have some very high fashion friends who would probably describe me as rather unadventurous, and then are others who would say it’s either fairly tomboy or the other extreme. There’s not much in the middle.

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
My grandmother’s white fur stole with its satin lining and her coat of arms embroidered on the inside. I don’t really dare to wear it, but I do wonder at all the adventures it must have had when she wore it regularly.

Is there anything in your wardrobe you should get rid of but can’t?
My Birkenstocks. Both my 7 year old daughter Domino and David are horrified by them. David would like me to dress like Grace Kelly, and I don’t think she would have a pair in her wardrobe.

What do you never leave home without?
My India Hicks English Rose roller ball. It’s travel sized and great because I spend too much time in stinky airports, and I live in the tropics. Plus, it reminds me of where I’ve come from rather than of where I’m going.

Hot date night, what do you wear?
Heels or bare feet – nothing in between. And good underwear. Elle Macpherson is a mate, and she always said good underwear is essential, especially as you creep into middle age. You must never forget it.

When home alone, what do you wear?
Yoga pants, a sports bra and a sports top.

What do you wear to bed?
David’s boxer shorts.

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
High-heeled flip-flops. I can’t bear them. And also men who wear singlets on airplanes. I mean, for God’s sake.

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
Who hasn’t! Really so much, and the alarming part about this is that it wasn’t even so long ago. I look back to last year and think what was I wearing! I did once wear high heeled over the knee leather boots with a leather mini skirt – I mean, what was I thinking.

How high is too high a heel?
If you’re stumbling around ungraciously, then they’re too high.

How old is too old for jeans?
Never too old.  In fact, the older the better.

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
I would choose the 1700s, but I would have to be Anne Bonny the pirate, who was an extraordinary character and never disguised herself as a woman pirate. Think of those leather boots, big wide buckled belts, lacy shirts and a sword at your side, plus the confidence to steal someone else’s ship.

What is your most recent purchase?
A Filson roller bag.  It is canvas with leather straps and it had better stand the test of time.

Can you judge a book by its cover?
I pick up a beauty product because of packaging, I will buy a car because of the way it looks from the outside not the engine, so I am deeply shallow!

What are your bad habits?
Chocolate for breakfast. And for the rest, I think you should be asking my other half. He’d have a very long list.

What’s your greatest extravagance?
My kids, and flying my kids back and forth across the Atlantic and home. One of the prices we pay for living in paradise is that our children have to be educated overseas, but I can’t bear the separation so there is a great deal of travel involved.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
It’s not so much that I’ve been given advice, it’s that my parents have been an influence on me. My father was a very tricky character, very opinionated, but he was very individual and he lived life differently, as did my mother. She didn’t do what was expected of her. They both lived very individual lives, and for me that has been very important. The one thing I would say to my children is, ‘be individual.’

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
All my kids together, and everybody being content. I have an 18 year old down to a 7 year old, so it’s hard to find somewhere we are all happy to be.

What are you most proud of?
That I’ve kept my sanity being a mother of four boys and one tomboy. And, though one never wants to voodoo it, that David and I have somehow managed to make island life work for our family and us.

What are you least proud of?
The fact that I don’t read enough. I still don’t read the newspapers every day; I cheat and get David to give me a weekly synopsis of what’s going on in the world. I should take more control of that.

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
My dachshund, Banger.  Who wouldn’t want to be a big fat dachshund living in the Bahamas?

If you could meet someone from history who would it be?
Tough, but my grandmother Edwina Mountbatten would be very interesting. She died in 1959 and she certainly was an individual. She definitely had a varied life.

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
Oh my God, yes! But again it depends who you are and what you need and how much. Moderation!!

Do you have a favorite KOTUR bag?
The James studded clutch is pretty sensational.

On a scale of one-to-ten, how good looking are you?
Jesus Christ! This morning probably about a three and half! With a lot of help, I could maybe get to a seven!

How would you like to be remembered?
As enthusiastic.

Photo Credit: Marzena Kosicka

As my personal and ultimate muse, Andrea Robinson shares with us some of her musings.

What’s in your make-up bag?
A lip pencil from drug store brand Prestige. A hard to get lipstick from Jemma Kidd, the color is Peggy and I have about 20 for fear of it discontinuing. Laura Mercier cream blush and a foundation by my new brand Mrs. Robinson (Launching in 2015).

What do you wear on a fat day?
All black and very high heels. Height makes you look thinner.

How would your female friends describe your style?
Minimal and chic. I do love frou frou shoes and bags though, I would wear a simple coat with a huge, luxurious fur hat. I like to focus on accessories, you will often see me in big, statement earrings.

What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
A small string of pearls that my mother used to always wear. I feel like I inhabit her when I wear them now, which is a lovely feeling. She wore a lot of black too, so maybe I took after her in that respect.

Hot date night with your lover, what do you wear?
I would wear something very sleek and simple with a lot of subtle sex appeal.

When home alone, what do you wear?
My most favorite things  – oversized silk men’s pajamas. I currently love the Joe Fresh ones.

What do you wear to bed?
Depends on who is there.

You’re the fashion police for a day, what do you ban?
Trendiness for the sake of trendiness. I always prefer style, worked in with something modern around it.

Have you ever worn anything you now regret?
Probably lots of things in my life! I mostly regret things when I see pictures of myself – and I think why did I ever think I could get away with that?

If you could live in any other time for its fashion, when would you choose?
I love comfort, so probably sometime in the future when clothes will feel weightless. I feel most comfortable when I’m walking around without any clothes on. From a comfort point of view, is a d-r-a-g.

Can you judge a book by its cover?
Somewhat.

What are your bad habits?
Eating in general. Snacking. Good cheese. A nice glass of wine… or a couple.

What’s your greatest extravagance?
I love to take first class trips. Experiences are my greatest extravagance. I also adore the ballet.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
My boss at L’Oreal Guy Peyrelongue once said to me when I asked him his opinion on two plans of action, “I hired you for just that, so don’t ask me what I think. You do what you think is right”. I have stuck by that mantra always. You make your own decisions and take responsibility for them. Own it and go for it.

What’s your favorite smell?
Something wonderful cooking on the stove, tuberose in a garden, a beautiful gardenia, to name just a few of my favorite smells.

What’s your idea of a great holiday?
Somewhere exotic and beautiful I’ve never been to, where my vision and senses and appetite for newness and adventure are engaged. Being in the lap of luxury, having everything I lay eyes on breathtakingly special. The beauty and color of India for example, just took my breath away.

What are you most proud of?
My children.

What is your pure bliss?
Being in my enormously comfortable bed, sleeping on my fabulous Matouk sheets, my silk pajamas and reading a juicy novel, with lovely music.

Who or what would you like to be reincarnated as in your next life?
This is so interesting. There are so many women I would like to be. On the political front – Margaret Thatcher, Aung San Suu Kyi or Indira Ghandi. On the acting front – Mary Martin or Cate Blanchett. To answer the question, I would like to reincarnate in the body of not too many, but the mind of many.

Yes or no to a nip and a tuck?
Well, of course. But it really has to be just a nip.

How would you like to be remembered?
She was a great mother, she did pretty well in business and she had great friends.
Read about Andrea’s book HERE