FEATURES ARCHIVE

After spending over 25 years in the fashion industry styling some of Hollywood’s most celebrated stars, working for many of the business’ most widely-read publications—think Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar—and providing commentary for too many broadcasts to name, what challenges are left? For Mary Alice Stephenson the answer is simple—plenty. Every week is Fashion Week for this style expert and social media maven whose greatest passion is translating her expertise into philanthropic projects. She’s granted hundreds of fashion wishes as a National Fashion Ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation,  styled veterans in need of a new look, given fashion seminars to inner city teens, and hosted fashion shows to raise money for the homeless…and that's just within the last few months. A style arbiter in every sense of the word, we recently sat down with Mary Alice to talk about fashion, beauty, and, of course, Christie’s Interiors…

ON COLLECTING…
“The icing on the cake”
“I have a six-year-old so my home is oftentimes filled with kindergartners, and they take over! But I have three collections that I try to keep safe and away from the mayhem. The first is lighting—I have a lighting fetish. The David Weeks piece displayed in my kitchen is one of my favorite things, but my prized possession is a Luc Gensollen fixture from Paris that hangs in my dressing room. That’s the icing on the cake. I also collect photography, and I love costume jewelry—vintage Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Miriam Haskell, you name it.”

ON PUTTING TOGETHER THE PERFECT INTERIOR…
“Create an oasis”
“I don’t want things to be so precious that they’re not lived in, and if it makes my heart happy or gives me goose bumps, I buy it. Fashion and style for me are about being as creative and personal as possible, so whether it’s my interior space or what I wear, I never dumb it down. I like bold statement pieces that are sophisticated and soulful. It’s about creating an oasis that shows who I am without sacrificing comfort or style.”

ON SOCIAL MEDIA…
“Access to the world”
“One thing I love about social media is that it’s a collective, curated experience. Times have changed. Strictly adhering to dictated trends has taken a backseat to personal style—the idea of putting your own style stamp on everything you own. Social media gives people a greater awareness of beautiful things at all price points. It gives everyone access to the world of fashion and style experts, and, in turn, I love the direct access, interaction and feedback I get from my fans worldwide.”

ON CHRISTIE’S INTERIORS…
“Pieces that lived in someone else’s world”
“Speaking of curated experiences, that’s really what Christie’s Interiors sales are. You can find incredible pieces that fit into different aspects of your life. Right now, the DIY movement informs how so many people approach style and décor, and a big part of that overall philosophy is taking objects that had another use or lived in someone else’s world and incorporating them into your own in a thoughtful, sophisticated way. Many of the works you’ll find here have stories—or are the perfect start to a new story that’s all your own.”