Katie Holmes' Design Collaborator Tells Us How to Avoid Dressing Like a Plucked Chicken

By Nandini D'Souza
October 18, 2010

In a world that's full of celebrity stylists and fashion designers, Jeanne Yang is the real deal. She combines an infallible barometer for what's new with what's stylish. She knows intrinsically what makes people feel and look good—Yang has styled covers for GQ, Vogue, Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone and worked with everyone from George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Robert Downey Jr. to Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. In fact, in 2008, Jeanne Yang and Katie Holmes combined their considerable forces to launch their own fashion collection, Holmes & Yang. Here, Yang's aesthetic is unmistakable: ultra chic style, understated, tailored yet louche.

Yang is also an avid eBay shopper and uses it as a way to study the masters up close, finding vintage style classics from designers like Yves Saint Laurent to appreciate not just great fashion trends but great design and construction. Yang talked fashion trends and dished styling tips with The Inside Source. (Jeanne Yang; photo by Stephen Busken, courtesy of Yang)

The Inside Source: What's the key to translating what you see on the fashion runways for "real" people?

Jeanne Yang: I think the most important style tip to take from the runway is color and trend. Find a model with a similar shade of hair and skin tone and find what flatters them best. It is fun to see what fashion trends are happening on the runways, but I always keep in mind models are 5'11'', size 2s. Take into consideration your proportions and if you have wide hips, go for wider skirts and avoid the pencil. Thankfully, all designers have not been totally following exactly the same trend and have become pretty democratic, so there are a lot more trends that are flattering to many body types.

The Inside Source: What are some of your favorite fall 2010 fashion trends?

Jeanne Yang: I am really enjoying seeing nude and camel shades along with lace. Lace, when worn with a tougher piece, like leather or jeans, can be so great looking on everyone and can hide a lot of body issues. Long lace sleeves can cover not-so-Madonna-like-looking upper arms and can hide body bumps…. I love camel because it matches with black, navy, any color. Nude is always great, especially with shoes because it elongates the leg.

The Inside Source: One of fall's biggest fashion trends was feathers and other fluff. Any tips for working in this style trend if it's something new for you?

Jeanne Yang: When wearing feathers and fluff, use caution and moderation. An accent of feather on a dress negates the need for too much jewelry or make-up. You want to look polished and hip and not like a plucked chicken.

The Inside Source: So much of what you do is about other people's style. Describe your style.

Jeanne Yang: I am very simple with my own style. I prefer to have my clothing not wear me. I am very monochromatic in my palette, preferring black and cream and only adding drama with my shoe selections, especially for evening.

The Inside Source: And who are your personal favorite fashion designers?

Jeanne Yang: My favorite designers are Lanvin's Alber Elbaz, Azzadine Alaia , Isabel Marant and many others.

The Inside Source: What was the inspiration behind starting your own designer label, Holmes & Yang with Katie Holmes?

Jeanne Yang: Our inspiration for the line was to add ease to everyday dressing. I love to have great pieces to dress up or down and make one piece work from day to night with just a few changes. A major idea behind the line is quality. Although I understand and enjoy fashion trends, I am really opposed to throw-away fashion because it is wasteful. I really appreciate the investment pieces I acquired years ago and regret the money I threw away on cheaply made trendy pieces.

Katie Holmes (in Holmes & Yang) and Tom Cruise at the National Movie Awards. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

The Inside Source: Any plans to expand…a show, trendy accessories…?

Jeanne Yang: No plans yet to expand, but you never know….

The Inside Source: What are the design inspirations for your own fall 2010 collection and going forward for spring 2011?

Jeanne Yang: For fall 2010, ballet dancers were the inspiration behind the collection. We loved the nude and black uniform of formal ballet classes. For spring, we are looking at art and the outdoors.

The Inside Source: Do you use eBay as an inspiration or research?

Jeanne Yang: eBay is a fantastic resource to research silhouettes. eBay is like a fashion library, from the patterns to vintage dresses and sketches. If I fall in love with a specific era’s skirts, I can look up these pieces on eBay and even get a pattern to break down the construction of a piece. It continues to be an invaluable reference point each season.

The Inside Source: What was your first eBay purchase?

Jeanne Yang: My first eBay purchase was a vintage dress. It was an old YSL piece that I could not fit into but just wanted to keep to look at how it was made.

The Inside Source: What are your favorite eBay searches?

Jeanne Yang: I love vintage Polaroids. They are fantastic one-of-a-kind gifts if mounted in beautiful frames.

Vintage fabrics are great resources for prints and to wrap gifts.

I love looking for architectural sketches. These make great art for the home.

eBay has been a savior when a lip color I love is no longer being made. I know that I can search for any discontinued unused make-up and stock up.

Shoe shopping for Alaia or any other really collectable shoes that were originally too pricey to have purchased at full price can be generally found at a better price than even a sale price on eBay.

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