NEW YORK CITY — If you want to find your own pinup style for New York's Fashion Week, which starts Thursday, check out the Pinterest pages of those in the know.
Pinterest — which works like a digital "mood board," letting trendsetters "pin" digital images, ideas and stories — has become a Fashion Week essential for keeping tabs on changing styles.
"For me, Pinterest can be utilized to draw inspiration for what's going on right now in fashion and put it all in one place," said Jonathan Valdez of the fashion blog Orange Juice and Biscuits.
"[Pinterest] helps you remember what you want your aesthetic to be this season [at Fashion Week]," he said, adding that he is bombarded with fashion images year-round, and Fashion Week (NYFW) is an opportunity to focus his signature style for one week, while reviewing the runway shows.
"I use mood boards all the time to stay inspired, and especially when it comes to NYFW and you want to look your best," said Natalie Decleve, a personal stylist and lifestyle writer at the blogs Natty Style and Hippie in Heels. "It's great to have a platform that can be constantly updated."
Take a look at these Pinterest pages of New York Fashion Week insiders. Each one will be guest-pinning for DNAinfo throughout Fashion Week.
Dawn Del Russo, author and stylist
On Del Russo's Pinterest page, you'll find more than 12,000 images of her wardrobe inspirations from the past two years. Del Russo said one of those images, a full skirt belted at the waist, will definitely inspire her Fashion Week outfits.
"It is reminiscent of women of the '50s," she said of the look. "They really dressed up."
On a more masculine note, Del Russo said she wouldn't mind pairing the look with a motorcycle jacket, like this one in white leather that is pinned to her page.
Alexander Liang, editor-in-chief at Kenton Magazine
At Fashion Week this season, Liang said he will likely be sporting an oversized coat thanks in part to an image he pinned to Kenton's Pinterest board.
"That oversized look puts the emphasis on the outerwear," he said, of the massive white and black plaid coat from designer Agi and Sam. "It can go both ways — casual or it can go formal."
A sporty look with colors all in the same hue is another inspiration for Liang from the Kenton board. In the image, a model wears a gray-blue cap with a similar color carrying onto his striped shirt, which is topped by a navy parka.
Natalie Decleve, stylist and writer
Decleve takes her wardrobe inspirations from anywhere, including a cobalt blue door circled by a bright white.
"It is fresh for winter, especially when people are wearing all black," she said of the color combination.
Despite the cold, Decleve said crop tops could be perfectly appropriate for the season, when worn right. Pinned to her board is a cozy yet stomach-bearing sweater with long sleeves, in cream.
Jonathan Valdez
For this fashion week, Valdez is pulling inspiration from a recent Thom Browne runway show. Images on Valdez's Pinterest board show shoes created from heavy tweed, and others with a pattern of swirling leaves.
"Tthe Thom Browne runway show] is so out there, but you have to pull it back into what feels right for you," he said.
At the Fashion Week shows, Valdez will be adding gold jewelry to his own outfits, like lapel pins and chains over a button-up shirt.
Courtney Q. stylist and blogger Color Me Courtney
To be really different, the 5-foot-tall Courtney Q. whose last name is Fowler, doesn't mind a look that shuns stilettos.
"A blindingly bright coat and fun flats with leather leggings and a statement bag might render you the shortest gal in the room, but you’ll also stick out in a good way," Fowler said of her inspiration, pinned on her Pinterest page.
Mixing reds in all shades — ruby, cranberry, vermilion — can work, she said. Her inspiration comes from a Pinterest image of an outfit with a vermilion skirt, ruby red shoes and deep red bag with a dash of red lipstick.
"It's especially perfect for when love is in the air," she said.
