As the head of external relations for The Costume Institute at The Met, Nancy Chilton is one of the beautiful brains behind the “Super Bowl of fashion,” The Met Gala. This fall, Chilton will enjoy a grand send-off with a final gala on Sept. 13, which offers a fitting homage to American fashion. “After 15 years, most recently as head of external relations for The Costume Institute at The Met, I’m leaving after The Met Gala in September to start a strategic communications consulting firm,” she shares. Here, she offers her curated view.
How would you describe your sense of style?
Understated chic
What is your fashion mantra?
Quality endures.
Favorite NYC store for clothes: Barneys RIP! Bergdorf Goodman forever. Prada Madison Avenue. Edit. La Ligne. The RealReal…
For beauty and skincare: Bluemercury (in my building). Laura Mercier. NARS. Dior. Chanel. Estée Lauder. Clarins. Fresh…
For the home: Mecox Gardens, One Kings Lane, ABC…
Designer I recently discovered and love: Young American designers in the upcoming Costume Institute exhibition In America: A Lexicon of Fashion—Conner Ives, Christopher John Rogers, Andre Walker…
Woman whose style I admire: Audrey Hepburn, Carine Roitfeld, Lauren Santo Domingo, Michelle Obama, Cate Blanchett
You will never see me without my: Roger Vivier Belle pumps and Alexis Bittar crystal spear drop earrings
Signature scent: Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey
My signature look is: Tailored—a dress in summer or a jacket over a silk top with skinny pants and Vivier pumps or booties in winter
I love a look that makes me feel: Prepared for anything— and has pockets!
For me, fashion is about: Creating a collection of quality pieces that endure with high-low mixes—and shopping my closet and my daughter’s.
Photography by: PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MET/EILEEN TRAVELL
