People

Curated By Vanessa Traina

The stylist and creative director discusses the importance of dressing for yourself, passing on family traditions and how to gift people something they wouldn’t give themselves.

Interview by Camille Sojit Pejcha.
Photographs by Jon Ervin.

‘I don't think we necessarily change, but evolve,’ muses New York-based brand consultant and stylist Vanessa Traina. ‘I definitely feel as I get older, I’m just more secure with what I like and who I am.’

Since moving to New York from her hometown of San Francisco, Traina has served as a contributing editor to T: The New York Times Style Magazine, modelled for Louis Vuitton, and become a Chanel beauty ambassador. From the polished elegance of Khaite to contemporary denim label Frame and the seductive femininity of Altuzarra, she has built a roster of consulting clients that speak to her curatorial taste. An inclination for well-crafted, versatile items and meaningful consumer experiences also served as a source of inspiration for The Line, an e-commerce site and bricks-and-mortar lifestyle store Traina co-founded with Assembled Brands in 2013.

When we meet on Zoom, Traina joins from her Manhattan home where she is putting the finishing touches on her edit for MATCHESFASHION. It is an elegant, thoughtfully chosen collection, dominated by black and neutral colours and elevated with festive touches; a quilted leather Khaite tote bag, long leather Jil Sander gloves. ‘I think just naturally, it definitely speaks to my personal tastes and my tenets of fashion. Timelessness and quality are among the things I look for, and MATCHESFASHION has no shortage of products of that ilk,’ Traina says, gravitating toward brands like Gabriela Hearst, The Row and Bottega Veneta. ‘Quality is a big part of that, and finding items that I want to come back to time and time again. Ultimately, I’m always drawn to products for the way that they make me feel.’

Traina’s personal style philosophy honours the emotional impact of getting dressed over the occasion itself. During the pandemic, a moment in time which saw many gravitate toward relaxed staples like sweatpants and loungewear, Traina discovered a different kind of comfort in her clothes: their potential to help her feel put together, comfortable, and capable in the face of changing circumstances. ‘Getting dressed makes me feel good,’ she says, ‘I don’t think we necessarily change, but evolve. I definitely feel as I get older, I’m more secure with what I like, and who I am.’ The same applies to Traina’s taste in home goods. ‘I love dressing my home as much as I love dressing myself,’ she says. ‘Choosing home goods and decor is an extension of my taste and the things that make me happy. MATCHESFASHION has an incredible selection – I particularly love all the embroidered table linens and glassware which make it so fun to throw dinner parties, especially around the holidays.’

Growing up, Traina attended couture shows, experiences that shaped an early interest in fashion which she attributes to her mother, bestselling author Danielle Steel. ‘Not only did she introduce me to fashion and provide early exposure to that world, but growing up, it was really incredible having such a strong female figure in our home,’ she says.

Traina’s mother has written 193 books, but only around 160 are currently published – many of them on the subject of romance. ‘I actually hadn’t read her books until I was in high school,’ Traina recalls. ‘I distinctly remember it: I read one and then I was completely hooked and so impressed by her and devoured many more in quick succession. I actually had a best friend, one I’m still close with today, who would read them with me at the same time – we had our own little book club,’ she remembers. ‘My mother was very inspirational to all of us. I hardly ever see anyone who works as hard as she does, yet she’s very present and thoughtful, always thinking of everyone else’s experience. That’s something I hope that I have inherited from her and can give to my children and loved ones.’

When it comes to the holidays, she looks again to her mother for inspiration. ‘When everyone would come home [to California], my mother would always make things really special – everything was decked out to the nines, with the same decorations on the tree and the same traditions since we were children. There’s something so grounding and wonderful and cosy about that, and I think because she has always made such an effort to make it feel special this time of year, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for my own children now that I’m a mother,’ she says. Traina is married to Charles de Viel Castel, a French investor and founder of fine jewellery label CVC Stones, and the pair have three young children. ‘Until I was married, I never missed a Christmas or Thanksgiving or any kind of holiday gathering at my mother’s house,’ Traina says. ‘The first time that I was away from her for the holidays, I got a box out of nowhere with table settings and all of these things, because she wanted me to feel at home.’

Almost equally as significant are Traina’s childhood memories of holidays at the Carlyle Hotel, where her shoot for MATCHESFASHION took place. ‘Many years ago, my mother used to live there, so it was a place I always stayed with my family growing up. If you go for a drink at the bar with the music playing and those beautiful paintings on the wall, there’s something that always feels so special,’ Traina explains. ‘I think each item [worn for the MATCHESFASHION shoot] really speaks to my style philosophy and how I shop: there’s something special about each one, while also feeling very easy and approachable and uncomplicated in a way. A few were more dressed-up holiday pieces with tactile details that make it feel like winter: velvet in the shoes, or a cape-like embellishment on the jacket. Cosy, yet festive.’

Traina’s family has never skimped on holiday celebrations: ‘We have traditions that we’ve been doing for 30 years and we’re still doing today,’ she says. ‘My mother has a special brownie recipe that we would make as children, and now my kids and I do the same every year and put it in holiday tins to deliver to family and friends, or the teachers at their school,’ she says. Another family tradition – a fancy Christmas Eve dinner, paired with an annual gift game – plays to Traina’s sense of humour as much as her sense of style. ‘We have so many people to shop for that we do a White Elephant gift game (essentially Secret Santa), which has become funny and outrageous, as well as being very thoughtful and generous. My family does have a very dirty sense of humour, so it gets really fun,’ she laughs.

When it comes to gifting, Traina has developed a distinct philosophy. ‘The best gift is something you wouldn’t always purchase for yourself,’ she says. ‘I have eight siblings so sometimes we will all go in together on something really special for one person. It’s fun to do because there are not many opportunities – especially as we become adults – where you get to spoil someone else or be spoiled in turn.’

‘Ultimately, I’m always drawn to products for the way that they make me feel.’

Vanessa Traina 

SHOP CURATED BY VANESSA TRAINA SHOP THE GIFT EDIT

HAIR ANTON ALEXANDER AT BRYANT ARTISTS. MAKE-UP ROMY SOLEIMANI AT THE WALL GROUP. FASHION ASSISTANT KATE NEHRA. ON-SET PRODUCER ELIANA ROSEEN. CREATIVE PRODUCTIONS MANAGER SAMANTHA TREYVAUD.