← The Good Buy
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- [00:03]
Leah Chernikov
I'm Leah Chernikov.
- [00:04]
Lynette Nylander
And I'm Lynette Nylander. And this is Harper's Bazaar's the Goodbye, where we invite celebrities, designers, models, and tastemakers to talk shop. What they buy, where they got it, and why it matters.
- [00:16]
Leah Chernikov
Lynette, since we last recorded the Goodbye, yes, it was Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Very big shopping days for a very big shopper. Did you buy anything?
- [00:28]
Lynette Nylander
You're gonna be bitterly disappointed. But I didn't take advantage of all the discounts and everything that's going on. I think that, you know, Black Friday is an amazing time to snag a deal, but I find that if I'm buying in that kind of high, it's like a sample sale.
- [00:44]
Leah Chernikov
I know, but I did actually choose.
- [00:46]
Lynette Nylander
To purchase something that's a little bit more forever, and that is the Manola Blahnik. Mary Jane. I've coveted these shoes forever. I think whenever you. If. If anyone's ever seen that episode of Sex in the City where she goes, Manalu Blahnik, Mary Jane. I thought that was an urban shoe myth. Like, everyone has always wanted that shoe. It's beautiful. It's comfortable. I'm trying to get back into my heels era because I believe in my quest for wanting to bring back glamour, that I should be wearing a heel. I kind of have gotten into sort of a block or a platform, and it's not. It's very comfortable. And I love. They're not the most elegant of shoes. And my style icon Rihanna always wears a heel. I loved them. And, yeah, I'm excited to wear them.
- [01:28]
Leah Chernikov
I'm excited for you. I'm excited for your glamour era and your heels era. I'm sorry. For your feet.
- [01:34]
Lynette Nylander
Well, I'll guess this. This episode, which we're going to get to, is the perfect teacher of my return to glamour.
- [01:41]
Leah Chernikov
True. Okay, well, we'll get back to her in a second. Okay, to your point, the sample sale effect of Black Friday, it's very real. And not surprisingly, it's like a moment where I often panic and do regret buys. But I kept it simple because I really, as you know, I like my basics, and I really like a good white tee. And when you find your white tee, then you want to, like, commit to it. You want a bunch of them. So I really like the Lisette Te's, and they were having a sale, and they don't have a sale very often. And for some reason, I'm, you know, can't get past in my head that, like, a good white T shirt is expensive.
- [02:21]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah, I Just.
- [02:23]
Leah Chernikov
And like, I understand. If it's something you wear all the time, like, why shouldn't you invest in it? It makes sense.
- [02:28]
Dara
Yeah.
- [02:28]
Lynette Nylander
I mean, let's clarify. I think you can get any white T shirt, but I think that perfect crop and the, the neckline and the sleeve and the cotton being the right kind of gauge and being too sheer, that is where the kind of. That's where the designer white tee is totally prominence.
- [02:44]
Leah Chernikov
And it does make a difference. Like if you're just gonna wear jeans and a white T shirt, but you wanna, you know, kind of look like you've got it together like that. That is where that thing about the neckline and that. Yeah. The gauge of the cotton really does matter. So anyway, I like the ones from Lissette and they were having a sale, so I bought some T shirts.
- [03:01]
Lynette Nylander
She bought some T shirts.
- [03:02]
Leah Chernikov
Yeah. Really risky, daring fashion moves over here.
- [03:06]
Lynette Nylander
I mean, you know, a T shirt is a staple and I think that is a perfect segue into an our guest this episode who is a big believer in classics.
- [03:15]
Leah Chernikov
That's true.
- [03:16]
Lynette Nylander
And staples and things being forever and they don't have to be the most kind of embellished, fanciful thing on the rack. It's about like wearing something that's signature and wearing it well. And a big believer.
- [03:27]
Leah Chernikov
So let's say who we have.
- [03:28]
Lynette Nylander
I'm super excited to have on the podcast Dara.
- [03:37]
Leah Chernikov
We are back with another episode of the Goodbye. Our guest this week is the model, the stylist, the fashion director of Interview magazine and one of the best things to happen to street style in a long, long time.
- [03:49]
Lynette Nylander
She is the mastermind behind the knockout red carpet looks of Hunter Schaefer, Addison Rae's recent fashion ascendance. And she has an imitable approach to getting ready and dressing up and spreading joy and that commitment to that old school glamour wherever she goes.
- [04:07]
Leah Chernikov
Please welcome to the Goodbye. Dara.
- [04:10]
Lynette Nylander
Dara. Everybody clap on the set too.
- [04:14]
Dara
I'm clapping for you guys.
- [04:16]
Leah Chernikov
Live studio audience.
- [04:16]
Dara
Yeah, the live studio audience.
- [04:19]
Lynette Nylander
Now, Dara, we've had some looks on the Goodbye in our short run so far. We've had, you know, a Miley Cyrus farragamo look. We have had Tracy's Bertega look.
- [04:31]
Dara
A great earring. A great earring.
- [04:34]
Lynette Nylander
This is a look. So you need to tell the listeners at home what you're wearing right now.
- [04:38]
Dara
What am I wearing? Oh, my goodness. I am wearing just simple little, you know, neutral outfit.
- [04:44]
Lynette Nylander
Just a run to the store moment.
- [04:46]
Dara
Yeah, yeah. I'm wearing a dress. This is like a vintage McQueen dress with like a beautiful shoulder pad. I love a strong shoulder. My, you know, go to everyday sunglasses, red lip and button earring and then a flower. Funny little hat, silly little hat. It's kind of like if a fedora was like on steroids, tipped over on the Titanic and then you stick a feather in it via Peter Pan, this is what would end up storyline. Yeah.
- [05:15]
Lynette Nylander
And I think this is, guys, this is so indicative of who Dara is and the person that I. My admiration for you is not even a secret. Like, I run up to you during Fashion Week and I'm obsessed because there's such a commitment to glamour at all times. This is not something you threw on for the podcast or you throw on for Fashion Week. This is a 24 7, 365 day commitment to glamour. So talk us through that.
- [05:42]
Dara
Yeah, I mean, there's range. There's not. It's not this. It's not at 100% every day. Let's just like, be real. But, you know, I just love and appreciate it. I love the effort of glamour. I think for me, glamour is like my greatest coping mechanism. Like, I think it's sort of like how I approach and process what goes on in the world. And I. I think about fashion as like, you know, a verb. It's like to fashion, you fashion yourself. You fashion things out of other things. And. And you kind of like take whatever is around you and. And put it on yourself and use that fabric to create a story around whatever you're feeling. And so that's how I approach getting dressed, and that's how I approach my work. And it's all the same to me. And I think it all deserves the same level of effort and level of commitment. Like, it doesn't matter if it's a page of a magazine or on a celebrity on a red carpet or on myself or on TikTok or on Instagram. Like, all of it's the same. You know what I mean?
- [06:39]
Leah Chernikov
Can you tell us where it came from? I know that you were into Disney movies and you watched them with your mom, but how did you go from a kid to.
- [06:49]
Dara
Yeah, well, I spent a lot of my childhood drawing. I was always drawing inside drawing. I sort of hated when we had to go outside for recess. And like, Steph was like, wanted to be inside drawing sports.
- [06:58]
Leah Chernikov
Terrible.
- [06:59]
Dara
I was really inactive. It was bad. Now I love to like, you know, whatever, but, like, as a kid, I was like, I want to be inside drawing, you know, So I grew up drawing, wanted to be like an animator when I grew up. And so that kind of, like, obsession with narrative and shape and color has always really been a part of, like, my language. And then it kind of like, I don't know, grew into getting dressed up for some reason. I don't know, it was like, through my friends were really into it and. And into fashion and introduced me to fashion. And so that kind of, like, it just all was, like, really kind of a seamless extension of that. Yeah, I don't know. I like to be immersed, I guess.
- [07:38]
Leah Chernikov
And it's all about image making.
- [07:40]
Dara
Yeah, right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so I think that's where the. I, like, don't draw as much as I want to or wish I did. You know, like, I wish I drew more now. But, like, I think I've, like, moved it onto, like, a sort of. Like, this is where I put it, you know? And I look at it very similarly. Like, it's sort of like a flat 2D thing that is a shape and needs to, like, look a certain way. I always say, like, silhouette's the most important thing to me. It's not about, like, prints or little embellishments. It's like the shape of the face.
- [08:09]
Lynette Nylander
The line of it.
- [08:09]
Dara
The line of it is really important to me. Yeah.
- [08:12]
Lynette Nylander
So when you're shopping for things, how often do you shop? Are you a big shopper? I mean, I would assume so, but I'm actually not.
- [08:19]
Dara
Yeah, yeah. No, I have become more of a shopper for a long time. You know, the money had to go to rent and food, and so it was not giving shopping. And that's why I think where a lot of the kind of, like, DIY approach of what I do comes from is, like, making things out of other things. And that's kind of like something I never, like, want to give up, even if I can afford something else now. You know what I mean? But for a long time, I think, because I didn't really know myself as much as I feel I know myself now, it was very hard for me to buy anything. So I was kind of like a. I'm like a bit of a hoarder. So if anyone's ever giving anything away, I will absorb it. And so, like, anything a friend has given me, anything I took from my mom or my dad, I will hold onto it and repurpose it into something else. And that's always how I, like, would get dressed. And now I shop a little more. But, yeah, I love, like, a vintage flea market. I'm not a big online shopper. I need to touch and feel things.
- [09:17]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah.
- [09:18]
Dara
But I always say it's like, if you have the right approach and the sort of rigorous eye, you can find something good anywhere. It doesn't matter, like, if it's like the Canal Street Shop or Bergdorf. Like, it's like, anywhere, you know?
- [09:33]
Lynette Nylander
And that's an amazing kind of observation because your history. Well, I remember admiring you. I moved to New York in 2017, and I think you moved in 2016. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I remember you in this moment movement of really exciting people in New York who were scrappy and making things happen, whether they wanted to be a photographer, like Ethan James Green and Cruz Valdez. You were a part of a movement who didn't have as much in terms of resource, although, I mean, they were getting there, but had all the ideas in the world. And it feels like that is still a part of your style philosophy.
- [10:09]
Dara
Absolutely. Yeah. I think when I moved here, that's so, like, the kind of, like, community that I found warmth in. And it also sort of was, like, born on the Internet. Like, it was sort of like, before I even moved to New York, I was connecting with those people, and there was kind of, like, a language and a way of using clothes and making clothes and making pictures, and it was really scrappy. But I don't know, I always. I have always, always, always, since I was, like, very little, kind of been attracted to glamour and love beauty. And so I think I was a little bit of. I kind of came at it in a different direction in a certain way.
- [10:48]
Lynette Nylander
Complete firework. Because when you think about downtown style, like, you've become, you know, a moniker, like a downtown icon, but you dress.
- [10:58]
Dara
In, like, an upright style. Woman. Yeah, yeah.
- [11:01]
Lynette Nylander
I mean, a subversive uptown, but an uptown, like, nonetheless. And I think that is, like, that's that incredible tension that makes your style so compelling. Right.
- [11:09]
Leah Chernikov
That's it. Like, makes it feel alive.
- [11:11]
Dara
I love tension. I love something that feels. I feel like, you know, like. I don't know, I was born a weirdo, but feel very normal or something. Like, it's sort of like I just feel like there's always two sides. I always operate in both. And I don't really like when anything leans to one way or the other. Like, I don't want to be fully, like, buttoned up and uptight. And I don't really like when everything's rough and, like, too rough, you know? Like, I think the fact that it kind of, like, straddles the line, that kind of, like, that I Don't fit in either place. Kind of is great, too.
- [11:41]
Lynette Nylander
Always when you're looking at things from that outsider perspective.
- [11:44]
Dara
Yeah. Either direction, I'm an outsider to the outsiders, and I'm outsiders.
- [11:48]
Lynette Nylander
I do. To the inside.
- [11:49]
Dara
Yeah. It's like, that's cool. Like, I'm into it.
- [11:52]
Lynette Nylander
Who is on your mood board? Who are the. Who are your style.
- [11:55]
Leah Chernikov
I was gonna say, because you said you always loved glamour. So who are those glamour icons?
- [12:00]
Dara
Oh, my God. I mean, I love anyone with, like, sort of a commitment to their own, like, eccentricity and their eccentric style. When I, like, was 18, I read Deanna Vreeland's memoir, and that kind of, like, changed my whole, like, perspective on everything. And she's, like, a big influence and, like, sort of everyone that kind of emanates out from that world.
- [12:21]
Lynette Nylander
Legendary editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar.
- [12:24]
Dara
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I love, like, the Warhol superstars Edie Sedgwick and Kenny Darling and Jane Forth. And I love, like, the Halstanettes and, like, Pat Cleveland was, like, a really big. When I first moved to New York, her version of glamour was really, like, important to me. Kind of like the big, curly hair and the, like, exuberance and the dancing everywhere and the twirling, I loved. And then Tina Chow, I loved a lot.
- [12:46]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah.
- [12:47]
Dara
Because I think she does this thing that's sort of androgynous, and Grace Jones does that thing, too. And I love that kind of, like, you know, toeing the line similarly to the kind of uptown, downtown dichotomy, kind of like toeing the line between masculinity and femininity. I don't shy away from that at all. And I really appreciate that in fashion. And I think growing up on, like, Madonna and Britney and, like, kind of how pop performers, like, contain themselves in a certain way and then they leave it and they discard it and then move on to something else is always kind of how I've approached getting dressed. And I think that's where that comes from.
- [13:24]
Lynette Nylander
On the goodbye. We love to not just talk about style and all things fashion. We need to get into the weeds. We love to know what you have bought. Want to buy all of that? So the first question is, what was your first buy? The buy that you, like, coveted and you really wanted or felt like you had made it and you were the only one.
- [13:46]
Dara
Oh, my God. Okay. The first set of designer purchase that I kind of really remember was, this is, like. I guess it would have been, like, 2012. Ish, 2013. And it was like this little Jill Sander, Raf Simmons like, pouch, a leather. Like, I guess it was a wallet, but it was worn on a lanyard. And in the show, it's like all these kind of pouches that were kind of harnessed onto the models. And it was like a black patent leather with, like, a blue string, and it has a clear window, so you can kind of like, put an id. And it was very, like, sort of. I don't know, or something. Yeah. And I was obsessed with Raph Simmons. Like, obsessed, obsessed, obsessed. But to me, they really changed how I saw clothes and soft fashion. That kind of. That you could go that spare and still say that much and be that simple and be that effective was like, kind of. I don't know. It really shifted my viewpoint.
- [14:38]
Lynette Nylander
Rafa Jill is like the perfect level of minimalism. Like, that's the minimalism that I think is really interesting and boundary pushing because it's almost harder to say something with it being refined like that and being, like, using restraint.
- [14:52]
Dara
Yeah, yeah. And I think. I don't know, what's that quote? Like, elegance is restrained. I love. I live for that. Yeah. Like, I just think to me, like, that that kind of design is so. I don't know, it's so incredible, but.
- [15:04]
Leah Chernikov
It feels, like, harder to do that. Right? To do something so simple and restrained like that and have it be so directional and impactful.
- [15:13]
Dara
Yeah, it's minimal, but it's not nothing. You know, it's. It's, to me, amazing fashion. And good design is. Is sort of thinking about it at its core and bare bones, and then you can decorate if you need to, and it's not necessary to get a point across, you know, and if it's not good at its core, like the silhouette and the material and the shape and the way it drapes and blah, blah, blah, then like, you have nothing. Actually, all that decoration is doing nothing because it's just covering something that doesn't have an idea around it, you know? And so I love those kinds of clothes. And so that was kind of my first thing.
- [15:47]
Leah Chernikov
Was there also a purchase? I don't know, maybe even after the interview job or after walking the mark show that you made, that also kind of made you feel like, I'm here, I'm doing this thing.
- [15:59]
Dara
I bought them sort of concurrently. So I was, like, going on a bit of a spree, I guess. And this is sort of like, right after. Yeah, kind of things started shifting and. And I sort of started feeling a little more settled. And it's so so. So me so funny. Like, I. I bought two pairs of heels. Two pairs of heels. I bought, like, one, like, a white pair from Bottega and then, like, a red patent leather pair from Manola Blahnik.
- [16:20]
Lynette Nylander
And why were they the ones?
- [16:22]
Dara
I just. I mean, shoes are kind of the thing that I want to buy all the time. And that's my. That's my weakness. That's my weak point, is, like, if I'll just buy a million shoes. And I really wanted a pair of white shoes, white heels, because I was kind of on a Sharon Stone and Basic Instinct kick. And so that was kind of like the futuristic white heel that was really, like, mean and nasty I could find. And. And then the red shoes were just. I mean, I really wanted them like. Like, these are an urban shoemake shoe. Like, I went into Manila looking for the black Campari Jane.
- [16:56]
Lynette Nylander
I think they turned, like, 30 this year. I just got my first pair. I'm very. I'm very excited. They just. It just conjures up, like, feeling, I think that scene, of course, but, like, the shoe is just stunning still after all of these years.
- [17:09]
Dara
And I wanted the black ones, but they didn't have them, so I got the red ones.
- [17:12]
Lynette Nylander
Perfect. Who's your go to? If you were recommending a shoe, like a perfect heel, what brand would you go to?
- [17:19]
Dara
I'm a Manolo girl.
- [17:20]
Lynette Nylander
A Manolo.
- [17:21]
Dara
Yeah. Absolutely.
- [17:22]
Lynette Nylander
And let's talk about that.
- [17:23]
Dara
Yeah. I am committed to a Manolo.
- [17:25]
Lynette Nylander
A Manolo is in Manolo. We trust.
- [17:28]
Leah Chernikov
Me, too.
- [17:29]
Dara
I love, love, love. I wear them every day. They're like, my sneakers, like, I can run around the world. I mean, I push it, you know, I wear, like, a crazy high shoe any day, all day, like, on set, all day long. Like, I'll do the high heel shoe. And I think that comes from, like, a sort of like, that. I wasn't allowed to have heels as, like, a teenager. And, like, kind of growing up, like, you know, my parents were like, girl, are you serious? So now I'm kind of like, well, I have to make up for lost time. I have to wear these heels.
- [17:56]
Leah Chernikov
What's the inch count you max out at? I cannot wear.
- [17:59]
Dara
I don't know. These are pretty tall. The tallest ones I really wear.
- [18:02]
Lynette Nylander
Show the camera. What, this?
- [18:03]
Dara
Oh, my goodness. Yeah. I have, like, a round toe. Manolo on. They're beat up because I really wear them. I'm not joking.
- [18:07]
Lynette Nylander
No, we love.
- [18:08]
Leah Chernikov
Is that four?
- [18:09]
Dara
That looks like a four for. That's a four.
- [18:12]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah. I don't think That's a four.
- [18:13]
Dara
Yeah. I don't need it to go fetish. You know what I mean? I like a demure shoe.
- [18:16]
Lynette Nylander
A demure. A mindful shoe.
- [18:18]
Dara
Yeah. Not to give such a buzzword, but, like, I do like, you know, I like the elegance of a sort of like, you know, a more simple shoe. I like a flat, single sole. I'm not a big platform. For a long time, I was like, not even an open toe, but I've kind of. Now I'm feeling it a little more again.
- [18:36]
Lynette Nylander
I like a closed toe. I like it.
- [18:37]
Dara
Toe. Yeah. I like a closed toe. I cannot do a square toe.
- [18:40]
Lynette Nylander
No. That's just oppressive. Don't do it closed toe.
- [18:43]
Dara
I love a round toe. And no one makes a round toe. No one makes a heel that sits under your heel anymore. And it's really upsetting.
- [18:48]
Lynette Nylander
You're well placed to talk about style because you do it for celebrities, which we'll get to in a minute. You do it for print and that.
- [18:55]
Leah Chernikov
Kind of storytelling, creating an image for the page.
- [18:58]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah. And you're, you know, you're amusing. A vessel for other people's storytelling and style through being your work as a model. But let's talk specifically about Interview and your approach to style with Interview, because you guys just. You guys do it all. You guys are like, you know. Yeah. The style is. It's eclectic and it's subversive, and it's.
- [19:22]
Leah Chernikov
Cool, and you can tell you're having fun.
- [19:24]
Dara
Thank you. We do have a lot of fun.
- [19:26]
Leah Chernikov
That's like the most kind of addictive thing.
- [19:29]
Dara
It's a cuckoo, crazy, chaotic, like, world. And it's fun. And we get to kind of. Because we're more of, like, a pop culture magazine than a true fashion magazine, I think we get to kind of, like, you know, use our fashion perspective, but, like, put it on some of the most amazing, most interesting people, most creative people in the world. And. And then you get a lot of eyes on it because of that. And I think that kind of, like, dynamic creates for a lot of fire. And so, I don't know. I think it's a lot of fun.
- [19:57]
Lynette Nylander
What is something that you regret buying? I can't imagine that you're very, like, you know, I tried it. If it's over, I'm cool.
- [20:05]
Dara
I can't really think of a particular item, but there are definitely things I've regretted purchasing. And most of the time, it's not even necessarily, like, one specific thing, but it's always something I bought to prove to some other people. That I was a certain way or am a certain way. It's like, if I bought something because I really wanted to look hyper feminine and pretty to people, it's mostly that, really, that's so not, like, in line with, like, how I approach and see clothes. Like, to me, it's like, these are extensions of a creative impulse. And if I'm buying it so that someone else thinks I'm valid or something, then that it's not goes against the very principles. And I look back at those pictures of myself and I'm like, why the hell am I wearing that?
- [20:53]
Lynette Nylander
Listeners, if you weren't aware, Dara is the mastermind behind Hunter Schafer's real incredible press tour for the Hunger Games. And some of these looks are just. I think they're some of the best celebrity looks that we have seen in decades. And you have Addison Rae now talk about how you even go and approach crafting somebody else's style. And I know it's very interesting. You're obsessed with pop divas and Britney and. Because I see.
- [21:22]
Leah Chernikov
I know I want to talk about the Britney and Addison, too.
- [21:24]
Dara
I was, like, trying to articulate kind of like, what how I dress or how I approach clothes to, like, my friend. And I was like, it's sort of like avant garde next door, like, you know, And I think that's where the Britney comes in. I love the bizarre, I love the challenging. I love the, like, extreme. But I never want it to kind of, like, be something that no one can understand. I love that it can kind of like, even my mom could, like, love it, even though it's a little weird to her, you know, Like, I like that it balances those two things, and that's kind of how I approach myself. But it's how I approach that tour with Hunter. And I think because it was sort of like, I had never done red carpet before, I kind of didn't want to do. I was very scared of it and nervous about it. But I love her. She's like my ride or die. She's my sis. I love her. She's one of my best friends. And, like, we met really early on when we both were just starting out modeling in, like, 2017. And so when she asked, I just was like, yeah, let's see. Let's try. Why not? This could be fun. Let's, like, see. We'll do a tour and we'll see. And when we were doing it, it kind of was like, she's super artistic and super creative and loves fashion and was going to Be a fashion designer before she started acting. And so she gets it, really understands it and also wants to push it. But both of us kind of like, I think it's still like an actress at a press tour doing a job and she has to like, look a certain way and be a certain way to kind of like fulfill.
- [22:51]
Leah Chernikov
Right. It's also that thing you spoke about, about being like accessible too. Like those photos everywhere.
- [22:56]
Dara
It's a wide audience and everybody is going to see that. And so you're kind of like, how do I push this? But make it so that the most amount of people will still get it, because otherwise then your message is diluted and it's not clear. Like I desire and prefer that that wide audience gets it. You know what I mean? I would love and get something from it.
- [23:19]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah, I think it was so powerful.
- [23:21]
Dara
Maybe even learn. Yeah, learn something or see something they haven't seen before or gets excited by it or any, you know, all of that is cool, even if they hate it. I love that too.
- [23:30]
Leah Chernikov
Well, but part of it too is like, you could tell she loved being in those clothes too. So that translates to the photos as well. But why were you scared at first?
- [23:39]
Dara
I just think I perceive what I do as, you know, making an image. And a lot of the times in editorial, the thing does not look like that from the back or the side. There's like clips and pins and it's stuffed with something else inside.
- [23:53]
Lynette Nylander
You have the grace of like the camera just being right in front.
- [23:57]
Dara
That's actually how I fell in love with photography. Because I think, you know, I realized when I was like growing up taking pictures of my friends is that like the whole room could look like a mess, but in this little square, it's perfect.
- [24:08]
Leah Chernikov
Yeah.
- [24:08]
Dara
And it's like the fairy tale that you always dreamed could be in that little frame, even if the world's a mess outside. And so that's kind of why I was scared. I was like, I don't know if I can make something that lives are high360. It has to be perfect control. And I mean, that's kind of like a big thing I learned is like you have to pick something and make something and choose a look that absolutely sort of stands still on its own. And it's perfect from every angle because it's such an out of control scenario. It's so chaotic and insane and like there's a million people and everyone's yelling and it's very quick. It ends like in five minutes. And the five minutes feel like Five seconds. And so it has to kind of like, be able to live without you touching it, you know, just like using a cutout. Yeah. But I mean, it was really fun though, too.
- [24:54]
Lynette Nylander
What's been your favorite look that you've done with Hunter?
- [24:56]
Dara
Oh, my God. Oh, it's so hard.
- [24:58]
Lynette Nylander
I know.
- [25:00]
Dara
Good ones I love. We did this, like, Margiela look for. It was like a photo call. It was actually like, such a funny thing to wear for a photo call because it was, like, so low key and it was just like her sitting for interviews and stuff. But it was like a paper hat from Margiela and like a latex pencil skirt.
- [25:17]
Lynette Nylander
I know.
- [25:17]
Dara
Yeah. And then this big, insane green bow. Like, giant bow coat. And then the custom Prada one we did, that was like, the gold was my favorite because I love that collection.
- [25:29]
Lynette Nylander
That collection. Yeah. Only, I mean, it's gotta be a Dara Hunter collab to be able to get Mrs. Prada and the Prada team to be able to remake the Prada vibers, because it was stunning. Okay, let's talk about Addison, who is your newest client. And just so fun and gorgeous. And what you guys have been doing is. I just think it's. Yeah. It's the essence of that Britney era that we're missing that energy. And you're giving it. You're giving it to the children.
- [26:00]
Leah Chernikov
You're bringing it.
- [26:01]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah, The VMA look with the.
- [26:03]
Dara
Oh, yeah, the Miss Claire Sullivan. Yeah, yeah. Kind of padded bra. Freaked a lot of people out.
- [26:09]
Lynette Nylander
Yes.
- [26:09]
Leah Chernikov
But that's a good thing, right?
- [26:11]
Dara
Yes, absolutely. It's the VMAs.
- [26:13]
Leah Chernikov
Yeah.
- [26:14]
Lynette Nylander
And they didn't get that bra at all. And it must have been a full circle moment for you if you're a Britney fan. You must have, like, loved being there.
- [26:21]
Dara
Was crazy. I was like, we're at the VMAs. I used to, like, record them on VHS. I was like, oh, my God. Aging myself booths. But, like, I used to record them on VHS and then rewatch them over and over and over and over and over again.
- [26:33]
Leah Chernikov
And then you can fast forward through the commercials though, when you.
- [26:35]
Dara
Absolutely. Yeah. And I remember even, like the night of the Britney Madonna kiss with Christina, like, I was like, not gonna watch it. Cause I was like, yeah, Brittany's not gonna be there this year. It was already in the news. She was not gonna show up. And then my dad, like, called me. He's like, you have to come here. Brittany's on. Like, it gives me her boy, I love your. And the veil came up and I was like, so. Yeah, I don't know. I think. And then like, you know, like Gaga and 09 with the blood, like, I just. And the meat dress, I just love, you know, I love pop culture moments like that. I think it's so fun and interesting. And I think you can, like, kind of say a lot in that moment that's kind of. I don't know.
- [27:11]
Lynette Nylander
And it feels like you're trying to do. Every outing with her is a moment to be able to.
- [27:16]
Dara
You'd hope so. Right?
- [27:17]
Leah Chernikov
Do say something.
- [27:17]
Dara
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I. I think that's kind of the fun of a pop star or a singer and a musician is like, it's all encompassing because it is them. It's not a character in a movie. It's embodied all the time. And so there's something really fun about kind of performing with clothes in that way.
- [27:34]
Leah Chernikov
It also, I was going to say, feels a little bit like you're giving an education as well, because you're thinking about the VMAs and the canon of the VMAs and how people show up.
- [27:42]
Dara
To the VMAs or what became a gown show.
- [27:45]
Leah Chernikov
Right.
- [27:45]
Lynette Nylander
And that's so boring.
- [27:46]
Dara
Well, it's not. I love a gown. I really do. I really wish to be in a gown every day of my life. But, like, I just feel like when I think of the VMAs, I don't think of formality. I think of people who are provocative. Provocative and kind of like doing something that might rub people the wrong way.
- [28:00]
Lynette Nylander
Yes. I mean, if there ever was an award show where you should, like, put a middle finger up and be like, this is what I'm doing. It's the VMAs, you know, it's not the Oscar.
- [28:10]
Dara
Make it a little nasty.
- [28:11]
Lynette Nylander
You gotta make it a little nasty. What is your repeat by? I mean, this is actually something that I know you've got because you really lean into a signature. You have the red lip right now. You have the yellow hair, but you've had black hair and you've stuck with that. There's always a pantyhose, a sheen of.
- [28:29]
Dara
Oh, that's my repeat. Yeah, that's the repeat is the tights. Yeah, I mean, you know, whatever. Like, the Wolfords are the best ones, but they just rip and you can't. You can't, like, it's. It's not sustainable. So, like, buy, you know, $100 pair of tights for every day. So, like the Calzedonia really do the job. And I like A sheer like a 15 or a 20 den, you know, and like. Yeah, all that.
- [28:52]
Leah Chernikov
Yeah. What else do you buy in multiples?
- [28:54]
Dara
The pumps, the Manolos. I buy so many. It's not. It's really unhealthy.
- [28:58]
Lynette Nylander
Really? How many a year?
- [29:00]
Dara
Oh, girl, I don't.
- [29:01]
Lynette Nylander
Oh, okay.
- [29:01]
Dara
It's like, I don't know, but I've been told to stop.
- [29:04]
Leah Chernikov
But they like, friends in your closet.
- [29:06]
Dara
Like, can you. They're just on the. They're like, all over the floor. I like, live in my shoes. It's just like, all over the place. I buy, like. Like the button earring on repeat. It's always.
- [29:17]
Leah Chernikov
Where do you find these ones?
- [29:17]
Dara
These ones. I went to Paris in the summer and I went to the flea market, and there's that Storche Sera, you know that store. Like, it's like a long railroad style store that has, like, amazing. Just like Lacroix, Saint Laurent, Angara, whatever. Every amazing designer you could ever. And then they had, like, in the front of the store, all these dead stocks, like, enamel earrings, $10 each. I bought every single color.
- [29:39]
Lynette Nylander
Every single color.
- [29:40]
Dara
Multiples of every single color. Because I was like, that's my earring.
- [29:42]
Lynette Nylander
That's it.
- [29:43]
Dara
I like clothes that don't look like they're from anywhere. I don't know, you know, sort of like, where did that come from? It doesn't look like a certain designer. Like, I love that shopping.
- [29:53]
Lynette Nylander
Vintage is. You gotta. I'm not saying you have to do it with every outfit, every piece, but it really is the way to kind of craft individuality. If you just, like, kind of shop what's in store, you'll never, you know.
- [30:03]
Dara
But even, like, really basic, like, I love, like, Uniqlo a lot. And so like, sort of those, like, vintage clothes and then Uniqlo clothes, like, all clothes that don't look like they're from anywhere.
- [30:11]
Lynette Nylander
I have two more questions. Well, firstly, we need to talk about what your dream buy is. What is the thing that you cover and that you want and you.
- [30:20]
Leah Chernikov
Is there a holy grail, a vintage thing, or. Oh, God, even something in a store?
- [30:26]
Dara
The thing is, like, all the things that I wish I could buy, it's like they don't really, like, exist. Like, you know, like, shoes in my size and, like, I love 70s heels and like, Charles Jordan and like, Garolini shoes and, like, Halston shoes and stuff. And like, I love those. They never. They don't exist in my size. So my grail is like something that doesn't exist, but it's fine. You know what I really, really want is like, a 2009 Christophe de Cardin, like, Balmain shoulder padded blazer.
- [30:52]
Leah Chernikov
That's great.
- [30:52]
Dara
I fucking love those. They would tie like, the cot was just that, like.
- [30:57]
Leah Chernikov
And then with the ripped jeans, it's.
- [31:00]
Dara
With the acid wash. I just.
- [31:01]
Leah Chernikov
Yeah.
- [31:01]
Lynette Nylander
Where is Christophe de Conan? That was an amazing. That was a. That was a fun moment.
- [31:06]
Dara
So sexy.
- [31:07]
Leah Chernikov
Okay, and then the last. The last sort of segment is about your latest. Goodbye. What have you bought?
- [31:15]
Dara
I actually just bought some junior.
- [31:16]
Leah Chernikov
Okay.
- [31:17]
Dara
Yeah, I bought that, like, the striped T shirt with the big kind of circle, patent circles, and then there was a black one. I bought both of them because I was like, I don't know which one I'll like, and I'll probably keep both.
- [31:27]
Lynette Nylander
Love that.
- [31:28]
Dara
Yeah.
- [31:28]
Lynette Nylander
Well, I don't know what season that is. We need to put that.
- [31:30]
Dara
Yeah.
- [31:30]
Lynette Nylander
But I love. Yeah, that's a vintage.
- [31:32]
Dara
It's like a good.
- [31:33]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah.
- [31:33]
Dara
Because it's kind of. That's really cartoon.
- [31:35]
Lynette Nylander
But only you could pull that off. I would look like an absolute clown in that. But yes, you. It's for you.
- [31:41]
Dara
Yeah, I. Well, I like that. It's like, I could wear it, like, whingy. It's like a T shirt.
- [31:43]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah.
- [31:44]
Dara
It's kind of casual, but it's, like, silly. Yes.
- [31:47]
Lynette Nylander
By the way, guys, this is the most un. Casual T shirt ever. And you would just. But it's. That star is.
- [31:52]
Dara
It has a, you know, French striped shirt vibe.
- [31:55]
Lynette Nylander
Yes.
- [31:55]
Dara
But it has, like, giant circular shoulders.
- [31:58]
Lynette Nylander
Yes. Dara, I Honestly, I know I say this every episode, but I really could speak to you forever. I want to talk about it.
- [32:05]
Dara
I love it.
- [32:06]
Leah Chernikov
I know. It's so fun.
- [32:07]
Lynette Nylander
Yeah. And your, like, love of fashion and your optimism around it and how you. It really feels like you. It could change the world, like, the way you dress and.
- [32:16]
Dara
Well, not the way I dress also, but the way one dresses.
- [32:19]
Leah Chernikov
Yeah. And it's so optimistic. I really do mean it as, like, it's a gift. Like, not just to, like, the people you dress, but also the way you dress. It's just putting something out in the world that's joyful.
- [32:30]
Dara
Yeah. I mean, I think. And it's not necessarily always joyful, but I feel very. You know, I feel so joyful when I talk about fashion. When I think about fashion, to me, it's just like, any emotion that I have can come out through the. And I think whatever that is for you, you need to find. And that's your channel to communicate whatever emotions you're going through. I think that's like a valuable thing to learn about yourself. And for me, it is clothes and it's. And it's images. So, yeah.
- [32:56]
Lynette Nylander
Dara, thank you for being a guest on the Goodbye. You're like a dream, absolute dream. This was Harper's Bazaar's the Goodbye. Goodbye.
- [33:04]
Dara
Goodbye, Goodbye.
- [33:11]
Leah Chernikov
You can listen to Harper's Bazaar's the Goodbye wherever you find your podcasts. The Goodbye is a podcast from Harper's Bazaar. This episode was directed and produced by Alexandra Gurevich in collaboration with Edit Audio. The Goodbye is executive produced by Samira Nasser, editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar, and Jason Eichler, vice president of video at Hearst Magazines. It was recorded by Gabby Bulgarelli and edited, mixed and mastered by Maria Passing.