When it comes to fail-safe boutiques—the ones we can pop into any time of year and find JUST what we’re hankering for— Opening Ceremony is our own mini Mecca. Owners Carol and Humberto have an eye for not only the most influential (and frenzy-worthy!) designers of the moment but also the select pieces that literally make a collection. As a result, OC scouts the best buyers in the biz, one of them being Kate Foley, whose keen eye definitely extends to her own uncommon dress-code. We popped in recently to visit with this British expat’s beautifully tricked-out digs in Williamsburg (which she’s currently subletting), and got schooled in, among other things, pink DIY hair-color, the next really BIG designer, and the best fake tan in the world. Oh, and her kitty Weenie is pretty extraordinary, too.
We’re obsessed with your hair color—can you tell us how you get that subtle fade of pink?
“I bulk-buy this semi-permanent dye, La Riche, which I think is made in England. It has a huge range of colors, which is great. I guess Manic Panic would be the most similar in the U.S., you just have to mix it with conditioner. I nearly always mix mine to get a softer color.”
What are your favorite hair products?
“I’m obsessed with Michael Van Clarke’s 3 More Inches Collection, which is at Space NK. The products make your hair really strong and thick. The pre-wash treatment is so amazing!”
Best cheap score of late?
“Denim overalls, which I wear dressed up and down, I found at Stella Dallas in Brooklyn. They were really cheap and are so comfy. I wear them all the time!”
What’s the story behind your tattoos?
“I like that my tattoos don’t really have a specific story or meaning. It’s more of an art thing for me. I’m really fascinated by skulls. The one on my hand was partly inspired by Renaissance paintings, which often include a skull positioned somewhere within the painting (always depicted without a jaw) as a symbol to represent human mortality, so it reminds me to live life to the fullest, I guess…”
Favorite makeup goodies…what do you love to wear?
“By Terry is my absolute favorite beauty brand! I use their Tinted Moisturizer, Bronze Expert Gel Pen, the amazing Gelee De Rose Moisturizer, and all their lipstick colors (black, red, purple, coral). I use mascara from MAC and Nars. Nars does amazing lip pencils that are super thick and can be worn as lipstick, but are really chalky. I hate too much gloss! The best fake tan in the world is by Rodial, it’s so natural and dries really quickly. I swear by it and can’t be without it!”
You see a lot of rising stars in your work—are there any new designers you’re really excited about at the moment?
“Yasmin Kianfar from London is my absolute favorite designer of the moment. She’s so talented! She graduated from Central Saint Martins last year and already has two collections bought by Opening Ceremony and Browns in London.”
Favorite fashion trend of the moment?
“Big, billowing silk print pants. I find them hard to wear, personally, but they look so beautiful and can be worn in so many ways.”
What’s the most treasured piece of clothing in your closet?
“I have a vintage Thierry Mugler-shaped cream denim dress, which I don’t wear a huge amount. It takes something special to pull it out.”
Via Refinery 29
