We tapped a few of our favorite tastemakers to share what inspires them about beauty, and beyond—how they live their lives, who they look up to, and what’s driven them on their creative paths.
Hillary Taymour
FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR, COLLINA STRADA
For Hillary Taymour, creativity and social consciousness are cut from the same cloth. As the founder of fashion brand Collina Strada, her unconventional designs strike a delicate balance between playful and thought-provoking—breathing new life into resources that would otherwise go to waste. Hillary’s experimental approach to color led to a recent collaboration at New York Fashion Week to celebrate the launch of ILIA’s Eye Stylus Shadow Stick—which was used to hand-paint animal-inspired makeup looks to adorn the new collection.
At the core of her work is Hillary’s desire to stay true to her craft and encourage the wearer’s self-reflection. She believes fashion lends itself to discussions around larger social issues, ultimately shaping how we see ourselves and our communities. It’s her hope that Collina Strada’s untamed creative ethos and commitment to sustainability will inspire others to reimagine what’s possible.
The inspiration behind the makeup look for the show was looking at face painting and childlike makeup from old runway shows and YouTube videos to create an animal inspired look.
A piece of clothing I’ll always keep is the cargo pants I wore to the Met Gala.
If I wasn’t a designer, I would work in regenerative agriculture or be an installation artist.
For self care, I do a face mask, bath, and an early bedtime.
A piece of advice/quote I always go back to is The best way to predict the future is to create it. —Peter Drucker
Three things that are always in my fridge: hummus, sparkling water, broccoli
Our approach to sustainability this season looked like prominently featuring garments crafted from deadstock textiles and previously discarded materials [and] designing with zero-waste pattern technique, [which] reduced offcuts and found creative uses for scraps.
The Eye Stylus shades I reach for most are dark brown and neutrals. I prefer putting the dark brown shades in the corner of my eyes.
Sophie Dalah
FOUNDER + CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF SOPHIE'S TABLE
LA-based chef Sophie Dalah is passionate about feeding people. And while delicious food is the main offering of her catering company Sophie’s Table, she designs more than just a good menu. By merging food, floristry, and tablescaping, Sophie creates artful culinary moments that feel intimate and interactive. The Australian-born creative infuses life experiences into her work—drawing upon her Jewish Iraqi heritage and upbringing to tell different food stories, while letting seasonal and local produce shape her menus. With a long list of diverse clients including Sézane, Nike, Rhode—and ILIA—Sophie’s artistry takes on many flavors.
If I wasn’t a chef I’d be an antique collector
The beauty product I’m never without is an eyebrow pencil
My lifelong beauty + skincare hack is moving my body
My favorite artist is Lee Krasner, I was extremely moved by The Seasons at the Whitney recently
My favorite hosting tip is plan a meal that can be prepped ahead of time so you can spend time with your guests and not in the kitchen, maybe just finishing off parts as food goes out
A piece of advice I always go back to is if you don’t ask, you don’t get
My favorite recipe to make is any kind of braise. I do love making chicken pozole, though I don’t have a recipe. I should write one.
The book currently on my nightstand is all about love by bell hooks
Three things that are always in my fridge: pickles, eggs, prosciutto