The Midnight Coterie: Trendspotting: Homage to My Little One Working Minimalism

Loose-fit denim shirt. Utility bag from YSL. Vintage gold bracelet.

Everyday flats from Car Shoes. Chanel sports bag. Commes shirt.
Mom's Burberry scarf. Anna's perennial favorite: J. Crew cashmere cardigan.

She's a great friend and a wonderful business partner. She represents the core idea behind S. G. Coterie and she has a keen eye for quality creations. Together, she and I make a perfectly balanced team and our conversations could last for hours at a cafe over a pot of buccaneer tea and raspberry scones, touching on the subjects like music, arts, literature, fashion and film. But most importantly, she's an amazing little sister and an impeccable dresser with refined taste.

Anna has a distinct, relaxed minimalist style. She looks for clean items with an edge. At the same time, she knows how to appreciate humor in fashion objects. ThinkComme des Garçons's PLAY shirt with a smiling heart or a Lulu Guinness yellow gold chain necklace with daring red lips and a lipstick pendant.

Striped Commes shirt matched with a printed scarf.

Because she spent most of her time in New England, she often does that borrowed-from-the-boys look with layered cardigans and tassled loafers. (Look at the boy next to her in a matching attire!)

Another skill that I admire about her dressing is flexibility. She can go high and low with an ease and she knows when to dress up or down. Both she and I grew up appreciating quality high-fashion items, but we also enjoy spending Sunday afternoons at vintage markets, scouring for those unduplicable unique items that you will never see again in stores. She is one of the very few people around me who truly understands the beauty of handmade objects and old-fashsioned craftsmanship.

Over the years, I've noticed that she's experimenting with the 'unexpected element' in her outfits. She's the kind of girl who goes for the strappy Jil Sander flat sandals with upside-down heels. And she works them with plain, clean jeans and a classic button-down shirt. She makes her occasional trips to Bendels for headbands - one of her main signature items along with colorful scarves and gold jewelry. It's that little extra touch such as her dove-grey feather headband that gives an oomph to her minimalist, clean looks.

Anna rocking her Jil Sander sandals with
her signature minalist look

One thing she doesn't do so well in fashion is dressing appropriately for the weather. She needs to learn how to cover her feet in snow storms! There seems to be an unspoken rule about never wearing flats with socks. But again, I am her usual partner in crime when it comes to weather and not dressing accordingly. ("this coat ruins the proportion of the outfit so let's just go sans-coat," "the scarf doesn't match the shoes. do an open-neck with that look although it's negative something degrees outside.")

In closing remark, I have to say, her style is just one of the many things that inspires me. For instance, she is a remarkable photographer. Her works reflect her ability to arrange visual objects in a wholly different way - similar to how poets play with word arrangements to shake your world upside down. That combined with her intellectual curiosity makes the images even more convincing, because she strives to tell stories with her creations.

Anna working on S. G. Coterie Lookbook

Anna generally enjoys working with her hands. I'd often modeled for her portrait shots and I remember her telling me how she prefers to develop on her photos. This way, she could feel and smell the chemicals. She also commented on how she likes being the master of her creation without the help of an advanced technology such as computer design software that does all the real creative work in a mere second, taking a crucial element out of the printing process.

For the same reason, she designs and makes (all hand-made!) headbands and other accessories for S. G. Coterie's house label Beau Oise. It is one of her dedicated hobbies and a true gift. Her ideas are influenced by different fashion eras - turbans (French Riviera), sparkly diamente satin headbands (glittery jazz era) - and her other equally important interests such as classic rock reflected in the edgy, tough chic designs.