Nina Garcia
Serving jury duty is a fascinating little slice of life, with its motley crew of personalities.
Style is really very personal. It's kind of timeless. Style is really about how you put yourself together. It's something very personal.
Nothing is more alluring to a man than a woman who looks good in her jeans.
I'm very classic and structural. I love clean lines and interesting, modern details. But I'm all about being streamlined - less is more.
I'm a big believer that accessories can make or break a look.
Taking stock of what you own, when done correctly and thoroughly, helps dampen the urge to shop frivolously.
My style is about making things last forever. When you're on a budget, it can be daunting to spend $300 on a pair of boots or a coat. But such basics are the building blocks from which your look is crafted.
It's refreshing to see a woman who can artfully weave her individuality into an otherwise safe ensemble.
We all get a little rush of excitement at the prospect of buying a brand-new outfit for a first date, but this is not the time. You're much better off wearing clothes, shoes especially, that you've already tested.
Style is about fun. True style is not about having a closet full of expensive and beautiful things - it is instead about knowing when, where, and how to utilize your collection.
The fashion editor as it used to be has changed. Now you have to wear many hats, and whoever tells you differently is wrong. Now you're on TV, whether you want it or not.
Putting on fierce boots is an instant pick-me-up.
People always ask me if I could live in any other era what would it be, and I tell them none! I feel so lucky to live in an age where technology has changed and continues to change and make life so much more exciting. It keeps everyone young and constantly learning new things.
Like most people, I've grown a lot more sophisticated in my style choices. I know myself and what suits me better now than I did when I was much younger and feel more comfortable in my own skin.
I've had to adapt my wardrobe to my various roles, both at the office, as a mom, and for television. When I shop for the season I look for pieces that will suit every facet of my daily life, not just one single occasion.
My nightmare of nightmares is being overdressed for a casual event - I've done it! You have to have a real sense of what you want to communicate.
I grew up with a fashion-obsessed mother and an older sister, so there was a lot of fashion in my house. The first thing I remember owning was a Pierre Cardin jumpsuit when I was 9 or 10; of course I didn't actually buy it, but I fell in love with it.
When I was older and I first started working, I was obsessed with buying my first Chanel jacket. I saved up my hard-earned money, went to Barneys, and bought a little black Chanel jacket. It saw many, many job interviews and many, many events. I'm not fitting into it lately, but I still have it.
I have seen everything possible covered in studs and grommets. Also, what I call angry shoes: those platforms with the multiple buckles and studs. I think the polished girl is back.
I love 'Project Runway' because I can really be of help to an industry and I can be supportive to designers.
For so many years fashion was shrouded in mystery, this glamorous profession that people knew very little about, they thought it was so glamorous. It now has become so available, with the Internet, with shops like H&M and Target that do designer collaborations, so it's more available to everyone and that's created more interest.
My mother was a very big inspiration. She loved fashion. I loved art in school, and I was very good at drawing. I could sit at the table forever and just dream up collections and draw.
My aspiration was always to be a fashion editor.
Here's the thing: I love what I do for the magazine, and I love what I do on television. When you do the things that you love, it's not bad. It's about being very organized.
I don't have a development deal, but the one thing I have learned is never say never. I will consider things as they come.
It's interesting because we live in a country where the obesity is so enormous. And then the reflection on the runways is girls that are so thin. So there's two extremes that are almost like a reflection of themselves, and it's very hard to be in the middle with girls that are just healthy.
Whenever I'm on a book tour, one of the questions I always get asked is what to wear to various occasions.
Invest in a couple of really good things - a great, classic coat; a good pair of shoes; and a timeless bag - then fill in the gaps with lower-priced pieces.
My passion for fashion originated in my mother's closet. She was a woman who loved fashion. She enjoyed dressing up a lot, and she had a closet that was like her sacred room that belonged only to her. She wouldn't let us go in and play there very often.
I was born in Barranquilla, Colombia, and I came to attend high school in Massachusetts when I was about 15 years old.
There really are so many lines of work that you can join that don't have to only be design. And that was one that particularly interested me a lot, because the editors could appreciate all the trends, all the designs and all the work of the designers.
I think my Latino culture has equipped me with a different point of view than the rest of my counterparts, and seeing things from a different angle has helped me a lot. I feel very proud of my culture, of my Latino heritage.
'Style Strategy' is about shopping smart, staying chic and making it all last. It's about showing women how to shop for value without compromising style.
I'm all about the high heel; I think it's the sexiest accessory ever made, including lingerie.
I think New York is the center of fashion, even though L.A. has a lot of heritage and the glamour of Hollywood.
If you invest in something a little more expensive with longevity, you'll use it more.
When interviewing for any job, you of course want to dress appropriately for the position, but you also want to stay true to who you are.
If my closet were burning, it'd be my collection of jackets I would save - they always make me feel pulled-together.
Don't get me wrong, I love a good cardigan too, but a jacket - especially one with sharp shoulders, interesting buttons, or a unique collar - always looks the most fashion-forward.
I actually started my career interning at Perry Ellis and got to work with Marc Jacobs.
I love shopping for guys! A watch is a fantastic gift idea - an oversized, stainless steel version with links is classic and cool.
Your wardrobe should complement your skill set, never detract - or distract - from your assets.
One of the most magical places on Earth is a small island in the Caribbean called Mustique. With brilliant beaches, warm water, and lush vegetation, this tiny green swath of land is my idea of paradise.
In Colombia, where I was born and raised, women like my mother considered their appearance and personal grooming a matter of principle. There was never an occasion where she didn't show up looking picture-perfect.
I firmly believe that 90 percent of the confusion that women feel when they are attempting to put together an occasion-specific ensemble is caused by fear: fear of breaking the 'fashion rules,' fear of violating some long-forgotten tradition, or the basic fear of looking bad.
Each moment calls for a different stylistic essence and a different sense of impact, and mastery of this balance is an art form - a very learnable art form.
I happen to have an obsession with Korean food.
I'm not sure if I can cook. I probably can. But I'm really good at cajoling anybody around me to cook for me.
The best thing about my apartment is that it looks over Oscar de la Renta and all the shops.
I don't ride the subway. Either I walk, or I take a New York City taxi.