New Yorker of the Week

DecMon 2009 Filed in: New Yorker of the Week

Cathy Eastman

Craft: Fashion and wardrobe stylist
In New York: A little over a year
Why we think she’s cool: Has worked with Whitney Port from MTV’s The City
Where to find her: http://www.cathyeastman.com/
Interview by: José

Jose:  You just moved here a year ago. What do you think of New York so far?
Cathy: CRAZY, but I love it! I love the energy. I love the people. I love the entertainers on the street. It’s where I need to be right now.

J: It seems like the city always has a way of initiating you when you first move here. How has the city initiated you?
C: I wasn’t prepared with how expensive New York is. I started my life from scratch, so money was always pretty tight. I was still up and coming, trying to find my way.   In Maryland we had to drive everywhere, but here you have to walk like nobody’s business.   Not to mention, it’s hard on the shoes--something about the New York concrete just eats away at them {laughs}.

J: How did you become and a fashion and wardrobe stylist?
C: I was supposed to be a medical doctor, but I always wanted to be in fashion industry, even though my parents didn’t really support it. I was doing some personal shopping and image consulting in the DC metropolitan area. A stylist mentioned to me that I should get into styling. I assisted her on a few shoots when she hooked me up with this photographer, and that’s when it started for me. After that it just seemed fit for me to dive 100% into it.

J: Is that when you moved to New York?
C: Basically. I met with my agent in New York and he was I like, “Why are you in Maryland when you should be living in New York?”   I thought about it and quickly realized that I had nothing to lose.

J: You have West African heritage, is that right?
C: Yes, Liberia is where I was born.

J: Is that where you get your inspiration from?
C: There will always be inspiration from that, but for me I’ve always embraced different cultures and people and different types of styles. I love diversity and love to pull from different inspirations - whether it’s from the NY streets, European high fashion, or what’s happening in Tokyo, France and Italy. It’s truly about diversity.

J: I was looking at your stuff and it shows.
C: Thank you. Every time you step out of the door in NY there’s inspiration, because there are so many different types of styles. It’s so fashionable here. I admire the Upper East Side woman with the Gucci pumps and the Prada, but I can admire the Brooklynites in the arty vibe too.

J: What do you think New York women get right? What do they get wrong?
C: To tell the truth, in New York it doesn’t work out that way, because in New York everything goes. Anywhere else in the States women don’t seem to take risks. Here they do, and it all works.

J: I’ve noticed lately that there is a lot of purple. Why is that?
C: The whole purple thing is partly from Michelle Obama. She loves purple. People in the industry are always looking to see what the trend is, so when she came onto the scene it changed. Nowadays the trend is to wear clothing that is rich in pigment, and when it’s the right purple it can make a very bold statement. Now that gets me excited.

J: Do you have a favorite color?
C: I’m a girly girl at heart, so my favorite is pink. However, I’ve learned to appreciate the purity of white and the kick-butt of black [laughs].

J: Do you find that there’s a lot of pressure being in New York?
C: When I first came here, I did because I felt like I had to come in and be established right away. But what I learned is you have to take little steps and link up with the right kind of people. I also realized that there’s a niche for everybody here. As long as I stay true to who I am, it’s all good.

J: What’s it like to work with New York models?
C: Amazing. Times have changed. A lot of them have a good attitude and are very respectful. The models I’ve worked with come from agencies, and agencies don’t need divas anymore. You have to have a good attitude and professionalism in addition to your modeling capabilities.

J: What was working at Fashion Week like?
C: Great!! I’ve worked for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week for three seasons now. As a freelancer, being able to work with different designers has been an amazing experience. You get to see the clothes ahead of time and the visions of these designers. You get to see the joy in their faces when their work is being showcased to the world. It’s amazing.

J: Who have you worked with?
C: I’ve worked with a bunch - to name a few: Andy and Debb. I’ve done stuff for Prada, Akris, Nanette Lapore. Port 1961. Also Whitney Port.

J: Whitney from The City? My partner and I love her and watch The City all the time.
C: Whitney is great. I think her line is really amazing. She was able to immerse the whole California relaxed scene with the New York harder, edgier flow. Her stuff is really good.

J: What’s next?
C: I’m planning on auditioning for Styl’d, a reality show on MTV. In the meantime, I’m looking for bigger and better jobs and taking my styling to the next level.

J: I’ll look for you during the next Fashion Week.
C: Perfect.
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How did Cathy answer our ‘Outsider’ questions?

1. List three things you’d like to find in your Christmas stocking:
C: A gift card to Ikea, an Itunes card for my iPod, and if it could fit, a huge flat screen. That’ll do it!
2. What was the worst gift you ever got?
C: A crew neck sweater with animals on it. Black, fuschia, green and purple. It was a disaster!
3. What freaks you out about New York?
C: Running out of money to survive
4. What's your favorite NY Icon?
C: Its a tie between P. Diddy and Kimora Lee. Oh, and Jay Z.
5. Hot apple cider or eggnog?
C: I could spare the calories, but I’m going to have to say eggnog

Tags: Jose, new yorker, new york , Interview, fashion , wardrobe, Stylist