The TEll// By Thrift & Tell
Welcome to THE TELL//BY THRIFT & TELL: a celebration of fashionable women who dress as smart as they shop.
This week’s guest on THE TELL// is Lauren Santo Domingo: co-founder and Chief Brand Officer of Moda Operandi. Lauren’s resume in the world of fashion is rich and varied, including various roles at Vogue, PR Director at J. Mendel, and Vice President of Communications at Carolina Herrera. As you will see below, Lauren wears clothes with grace and in a way that is her own. Her taste is impeccable, so it is no surprise that she is a style icon to so many, including several guests in this series. Her strong personal aesthetic radiates throughout the Moda Operandi brand, making it the destination for so many women (including yours truly) to find unique, beautiful pieces.
As the world of fashion evolves, Lauren and the Moda Operandi team are also working hard to provide sustainable solutions with the “Under 500 Curation”. The goal is to create collections for women that simultaneously support young designers while offering an alternative to fast fashion. Rather than ordering in excess, Moda Operandi offers a “trunk show” format that creates a less wasteful and more mindful way to shop. This in turn allows the designers to produce only things that have an end customer in mind. This is the future of fashion.
I am immensely grateful to Lauren for graciously offering to be part of this series; it is an honor and a wonderful celebration of the one year anniversary of The Tell. Thank you LSD!
//Your style in 3 words: Twist of classic
//Staple Outfit: Fitted pant, simple knit, some nice jewelry.
//Style Icon(s): Carolyn Bessette for day, Nan Kempner for evening
//Your First Big Purchase: A shopping spree at the Prada outlet in Italy in the 90’s
//Do You Still Have It? Everything.
//Best Fashion Advice You Ever Received: If you want to be boring, don’t work in fashion.
//Types of clothing you invest in: Cocktail and evening dresses.
//Types of clothing you save on: Young designers.
//Your greatest extravagance: Hard cover books.
//Brands That Will Stand the Test of Time: The Row
//Favorite Designer Brands: Proenza Schouler, Prada, The Row, Bottega Veneta
//Favorite Places to Shop Consignment: Re-see in Paris.
//Favorite Places to Consign Your Own Closet: The RealReal
//Currently Collecting Dust in the Back of your Closet: My furs. I cant bring myself to wear them.
//Your Closet Tried and Trues: An old Celine trench and pea coat from Phoebe’s first collection.
//Best investment you ever made in your style: My highlights, every six weeks.
//Style Choice From Your Past That Haunts You: I have no regrets.
//Last Time You Splurged? Marina Moscone is making me a custom dress for a wedding in St Moritz this weekend.
//Advice to someone looking to define their own style: Figure out what silhouette looks best on you and stick to it. Find the designer that fits best, and stick to it.
//Occasions when you splurge: Parties!
//Occasions when you save: Shopping from the Moda Under $500 pre-order curation. Not only is everything under $500, but payments are also split in half because of our unique pre-order concept.
//Most prized possession: A Cartier TANK watch I bought myself when we opened our London showroom.
//Home Decor Style: Twist of classic
//Favorite place to hunt for home decor: Antique fairs and eBay
//Your fashion motto: WHY BE BORING?
//Your life motto: See above.
Fill in the blank:
//A woman should invest in- herself. //You’re never too old to—show some skin. //A woman can never have too much- confidence. // Bury Me In: a wicker basket. //True or False: More is More- true. //Fashion is- meant to be fun.
Currently Loving:
//Food: Sugarfish
//Drink: Irving Farm cappuccino
//Film: Little Women, watched it yesterday. Still sobbing.
//Instagram Handle: @modaoperandi
ABOUT LAUREN
Lauren is the co-founder and Chief Brand Officer at Moda Operandi, an online fashion retailer. One of the most authoritative figures on New York’s fashion circuit, a muse to feted fashion designers such as Proenza Schouler and featured on Vanity Fair's International Best Dressed List, Lauren Santo Domingo co-founded Moda Operandi in 2011. Raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, she received her education at the University of Southern California and began her career at Vogue, where she is now a contributing editor. She brings her extensive experience and industry relationships to Moda Operandi. She lives in lives in New York City with her husband and their two children.
FIND LAUREN
Photos used courtesy of Lauren Santo Domingo
