Sarah Michelle Gellar covers SELF Magazine

The holiday season is in full swing and between all the gorgeous bright colors, shimmer and shine, it’s sometimes a handful deciding how to work some of the current holiday trends into one’s wardrobe. Not to worry, SELF Magazine’s Fashion Director, Evyan Metzner is making things as easy and chic as possible. Evyan recently shared tips on sporting the season’s biggest trends as well as other insider info for the most curious fashionista. Check out my interview with Evyan below.

Borrowing from the boys

Borrowing from the boys was a recurring theme this year in fashion. From tuxedo blazers to school boy blazers, tweed jackets with elbow patches and boyfriend jackets. It was also featured in the November issue of SELF. What are some easy ways to incorporate this trend into a lady’s wardrobe without losing one’s feminine side?

Taking a traditional menswear piece like a blazer or menswear pant, try to always mix it with something soft and feminine, like a floral blouse or a silk dress, or even a brightly colored patchwork sweater. You could also add in sparkly, fun, feminine jewelry. And also choose some menswear type pieces that might have a more feminine colorway in them like red, or orange, or purple tweeds. Also, a red nail or a little pink lip feminizes anything.

Nikki Reed shimmers and sparkles in a sequin dress

You recently did a spread with Twilight’s Nikki Reed, which featured some uber chic sequin dresses. Sarah Michelle Geller is also on the December cover in a cute sequin skirt. With the holiday season, we’re definitely seeing a lot of sequin, shimmer and shine and since one can easily look inappropriate or even like a Christmas tree when it comes to this trend, what are some suggestions for sporting the sequin trend in a chic way this season?

One of the great things about wearing sequins this holiday is that they’re on fabrics that stretch, and they’re separates. So you can easily wear a sequin miniskirt like the one on Sarah Michelle Gellar and mix it with a knit, so you’re not overly blingy (even a metallic knit). You can also wear a sequin dress like the Topshop dress we featured on Nikki Reed where the sequins were only in the front, and the back looks like a little black dress.  So its not overwhelming. A good rule is to keep the sequins to the same color. And choose whether you want it on top or bottom, if you’re doing separates. And also, for a more casual look, wear a little fisherman’s sweater with your sequin skirt this holiday. You can also keep your accessories to a minimum.

When you style celebrities for a shoot, in addition to keeping that celebrity’s style as well as current trends in mind, how much does your personal style or style leanings factor into creating a fashion story?

Before we even get to the shoot, there’s nothing I would show a celebrity that I would be unhappy using. So my personal taste is in the edit that I bring. But while I’m editing, I’m always thinking about the things (shapes, colors) that that person would like to wear and what would look best on them. I’m really on their side — its not about me.

In addition to being the full time Fashion Editor for SELF, you’ve also styled for major publications such as Vanity Fair, Teen Vogue and InStyle. How do you stay inspired and keep things fresh after 20 years in the industry?

I love going to the movies and reading books and going to photography exhibitions. And the thing about fashion is that its always changing. And even though its a skirt and a blouse and shirt, its how you put it together.  And who you put it together with/on and where you put it together is always changing. You have to keep finding your inspiration in different things. Also, all the changes in digital photography and videos and iPads and blogging has made it more work, but more interesting. And I love the amount of information that’s available at your fingertips that used to be impossible to get.

With reality television and ‘behind the scenes’ access to so many things including fashion these days, the everyday fashion-curious gal/guy has been able to sneak a peek behind the curtain of the fashion world. For many however, that world still seems inaccessible in so many ways. Knowing what you know now versus when you first started out, what would you say to someone looking to break into this industry?

Looking at fashion shows is a very small part of what I do on my job. Its being able to look at all of those trends and figure out how you can present it over a certain amount of pages with a clear message of what you’re trying to say, who you’re going to be shooting it with and where you’re going to be shooting it, and how you’re handling all those personalities and putting together all these pieces of the puzzle together — that is what you don’t see in a behind-the-scenes video. That’s only the shoot day.
Interning is the key to really getting your foot in the door to see how all the different departments work within a magazine. And finding out what you like best — whether you want to style, or be a market editor, or be a photo director, etc. Its a team. Its definitely a team. I’d also suggest simply looking at magazines — what do you react to? What makes you smile? What makes you go “that’s so cool?” What photographers do you like? What fashion do you like and why? What designers? Its important to be able to say why you like things and not just say “because.”

Of course it wouldn’t be fashion if we weren’t looking forward. What trends are you most excited about for spring?

I am so looking forward to the sugary confectionary Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada, “power of pretty” look this spring. I can hardly wait.

For more ideas on how to sparkle this holiday season, check out behind the scenes video footage from cover girl Sarah Michelle Gellar’s shoot as well as footage from Nikki Reed’s fashion spread — featuring some of the season’s most mouth watering party dresses. The December issue of SELF Magazine is on stands now.