With her porcelain skin and manicured lip, Miss Amy Keller is such a lady to me. One of my favorite secrets about Amy is that she doesn’t have Internet service at her apartment, opting to actually disconnect from work and the world when she goes home at night, choosing instead to read books of poetry. How lovely is that?!
When prepping for this shoot, I began by referencing paintings from the Edwardian era with its nods to society, social standings, fashion and luxury, taking inspiration from works like Giovanni Boldini’s “Portrait of Princess Marthe Bibesco” and John Singer Sargent’s “Lady Agnew of Lochnaw“. Amy reminds me of King Edward VII, a leader of the fashionable elite and style-setter across Europe – as director of digital strategy at Linda Gaunt Communications in fashion public relations, she has her hand in creating the image and vibes of fashion brands like Hunter, LL BEAN, Trina Turk, Talbot Runhof, & Stila Cosmetics. She’s often emailing with ManRepeller or Into the Gloss, pitching story ideas or helping them with product information. Amy has dressed me for unforgettable events and took us up to Maine to learn about the iconic American brand L.L. Bean Signature. Aside from fashion and beauty, she even influences language trends – I learn all of my “fashion girl lingo” from her… “Totes”, “That’s my jam”, “Break it down”, and “Obvi” to name a few.
So here is my portrait of a lady, floating on a painter’s canvas, poised and beautiful, lovely as ever, just the way I imagine her in those Madison Avenue power meetings.
Perfect day in New York?
Open the curtains, matcha, run through Prospect Park, head to my City + walk North, bump into friends I love, take pictures of things I’ll post nowhere and window shop everything!
Favorite trait of New Yorkers?
Resilience.
Favorite NYC secret?
Does this city still have secrets?
*above Amy wears Lela Rose // below in Talbot Runhof*
Fashion is…
Costumes.
Women are…
beautiful works of art.
Favorite poem?
“He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sun rise.”
– William Blake
What is NYC to you?
My first love. My heart. My home.
Why did you move to New York?
It was the only city my 14-year-old mind could imagine was big enough to hold my energy.
Why do you stay in New York?
New York City is my best relationship.
*above & below Amy wears Lela Rose*
What are you most inspired by?
The talent I get to work with everyday – the designers, writers, photographers, artists, publishers, entrepreneurs – it’s an incredible high to be a puzzle piece of a person’s passion.
What advice would you give your 15-year-old self?
Buy more magazines, girl!
What do you wish more people knew about?
Global affairs – myself included.
What do you wish more people appreciated?
The arts – literature, opera, music, theatre, classical visual arts like paintings and drawings – you know, just those foundations of human expression.
*above Amy wears Lela Rose // below in Talbot Runhof*
What’s the best part of your job?
Working with people I admire. I feel like I’m one of the lucky ones – I truly adore the people I talk to on a day-to-day basis.
What’s the worst?
Disappointing them.
What has been your favorite event to organize for a brand?
Some of my favorite events I’ve done is working with Patricia Field. We threw a massive party to introduce a jewelry collaboration with Keith Haring and we did it in a space that was previously the NYC YMYC and it was an old era of all the cool club kids come back to life. It meant so much to me because it was an era of NYC that I wasn’t a part of, but got to experience that night and feel the energy of the old NY era of club kids, scene kids… the room was vibrating.
If you weren’t doing what you are now, what would you do? Where would you be?
I’ve been dressing people since I was a 16-year-old girl working the fitting rooms at Mickey Drexler’s GAP. I love when I get to dress my girls for their events and pulling together looks for them each season is one of my favorite parts of my job.
What are you most passionate about?
Being positive, happy, joyful and spreading it far.
What makes you happiest?
Mile three – you’re warmed up, your playlist just hit that totes-inappropes club jam you love and you’re flying!
*above & below Amy wears Lela Rose*
Where do you find your calm?
Always at night, with poetry or a book of classic lit short stories.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
My mentor Kathleen Newman always taught me to ‘Pay it Forward.’
What are some of your favorite ways to relax?
During the day I focus on other people’s brands/dreams/goals – relaxation for me is meditating on mine.
Who do you admire? Who are your heroes?
Brooklyn moms – these women do it all. They are CEOs, gym warriors, style goddesses, passionate partners, all while pulling their children through 3 feet of snow from their multi-million dollar brownstones. Wow!
What’s your favorite social media outlet?
Insta – I’m a sucker for a compelling visual.
*above Amy wears Lela Rose // below in Donna Karan*
Guilty pleasures?
Rodin Olio Lusso oil, old school rap à la Biggie and Too Short, any smoothie with peanut butter but especially the Bulldozer at Liquiteria and the Peanut Butter Split at Juice Generation, over priced workouts and activewear apparel, and any makeup, anywhere, always.
*below in Donna Karan*
If you had to do it over again, what would you change?
No do overs. Regret is a useless emotion.
Coffee or tea?
David’s Tea all day everyday – #TeaOverCoffee
Older or younger?
Older = Wiser
In 10 years I hope to be…
The resident “eclectic fashion lady” in PH1 of the city’s best hotel with my family whose children charm the hotel’s concierge and guests each morning on their way to school.
Your go-to bold lip color is?…
Every girl needs a personalized lip cocktail – mine is Mac Lip Primer + Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Fiore and Carina mixed.
*above Amy wears Talbot Runhof // below in Donna Karan*
Favorite NYC neighborhood?
Brooklyn is my borough.
Favorite NYC vintage clothing shop?
A few of my favorites have closed; RIP Odd Twin. But, I still frequent Edith Machinist, Narnia Vintage and Doyle & Doyle for vintage and estate bijoux.
Tinder. YES or NO.
No.
Favorite blogs?
Le Catch, The Northern Light, What Katie Ate, Harper & Harley…can Pinterest be a blog?
What fashion brand is ‘doing it right’ according to Amy Keller?
Dries Van Noten for the AmyK of today. Altuzarra for the AmyK of tomorrow.
Favorite photograph Jamie Beck has ever taken?
This one – I once was dreaming of weddings and she was the most beautiful woman I could have imagined being the day I said those vows.
*above & below Amy wears Donna Karan*
Three fav Instagram follows?
1. Amanda Brooks
2. Donald Drawbertson – Trina Turk introduced me to this incredible genius.
3. Mister Mort – “Living to make you smile” I mean, be done. It’s perfect.
You’re lost in Chinatown, you’re hungry, it’s raining, what do you do?
Pull out the KIND bar in my bag, turn on Radiohead in my headphones and walk North; because the rain will stop and when it does I want to be in Central Park with my disposable camera.
*below Amy wears Lela Rose*
Love Amy? You might also love Laurel or Caroline too!
Makeup by Charlie Riddle for Stila Cosmetics / Hair by Ahbi Nishman / Nails by Ria Lopez for Deborah Lippman