Style Counsel: Nora Fink

594
Occupation: Personal stylist. Her style: Resort living everyday.
Occupation: Personal stylist. Her style: Resort living everyday.

Photograph by Annette Navarro

A big part of your business is styling corporate clients, but your own look is more beach resort than boardroom. In my head, I’m a subject in a Slim Aarons photo. It’s just not important to my ego to be busy, and I like large amounts of unstructured time because that’s when adventure comes. I also love resorts and hotels.

Which ones top your list? The Ritz Carlton Company inspires me. Their hotel staffs deliver a level of service that many of them have never experienced themselves. Every employee is empowered to problem-solve because their company motto is “We’ll take care of it.”

Sounds like you’ve set yourself a pretty high bar. I want to help people feel like their best self. A lot of my clients are men in their 40s and 50s who aren’t at a point culturally where they ask each other about clothes. They also no longer have that official person, like a haberdasher, to give them style, fashion, and tailoring advice. Shopping has become so overwhelming and impersonal.

How do you help your clients navigate stores? Knowing retail is time consuming. We take people to Macy’s all the time. There are gems there—they have great cashmere—but you have to know where to look. The Limited is one of the few places you can get women’s suiting—jacket, pants, pencil skirt—from one dye line of fabric. But when a client comes to us, it’s very rarely about the clothes.

Really? What is it about? Usually something in their life has changed. Often they’ve started a new venture or phase of life. That’s where the Ritz Carlton comes in handy. Sometimes we have to ditch shopping and have a glass of wine.

Facebook Comments