Mary Alice Stephenson (Kunst)

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Style and Beauty Expert. New York
Any excuse to venture to Brooklyn is fine by us. And when stylist Mary Alice Stephenson calls your name, you jump on the L train faster than you can say, “Oscar de la Renta." MA, as we now get to call her, is one of the world’s most sought after beauty and style experts who appropriately has her painted nails in everything fashion-related. You might see her on TV or backstage reporting from the top runways or front-and-center on the red carpet. An industry-veteran, Stephenson's followers are in the five figures and she's even worked with the First Lady, Mrs. MObama. Lending her expertise to multiple publications, she’s jumped mastheads throughout her career, working with Vogue, Allure, Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar. Her styling credits includes some of Hollywood’s most fashionable celebrities and she's even consulted with some serious Fortune 500 brands. Amidst the chaos of PTA meetings, this mom-on-the-go also manages to find the time to be the National Fashion Ambassador for the "Make A Wish Foundation." And then there's her closet...Talk about Academy Award winning...Designed by The Closet Factory, this over-the-top fashion library takes up the entire upper floor of her Brooklyn brownstone. But, there’s a system to MA's madness, it’s all about organization. “I co-ordinate my clothing by category. So, all blouses together, all pants, skirts, fur... then by color. I also make sure all my hangers are hung properly, which makes everything look neat and easy to see,” she says. And we couldn't help but squeeze a few sartorial secrets out of her. “When I’m exhausted and feeling the opposite of pretty, I pop on a pair of earrings so no one will look at my face,” Stephenson confesses. “They just see all that pretty on my ears." Noted. Although hard to believe she could ever have such a dilemma...

Digital Inspiration
•Closet Factory•momfilter•MYHABIT•Remodelista•Rolling Orange Bikes

Mary Alice Stephenson is on the pulse of fashion’s new direction; as a stylist, television commentator, spokesperson and consultant, she bridges the gap between the red carpet, editorial pages, fashion television and social media all while carving out her own unique path. With the growing need for chic perspectives outside the realm of fashion, Mary Alice has found a way to infuse her passion for beauty and fashion through work for companies as diverse as Harper’s Bazaar, Estee Lauder, Intel, Sally Hansen, Warner Brothers, Amazon, Talbots and USA Networks and as a commentator seen on CNN, Good Morning America, Oprah and The Early Show just to name a few. MDC catches up with the in demand glamour girl and multi-tasker to discuss the industry, the future and what it is like to navigate the delicate balance between high and low-end fashion in a world obsessed with style.

MDC: How did you get your start?

Mary Alice: I grew up in Michigan, I didn’t know anyone in the fashion business; when I was 15 I had this little Harper’s Bazaar purse and I said, “I’m going to be the fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar.” Lucky for me, I had a mother and father who taught me anything was possible and supported my dreams. I started as a magazine baby; my career began at 22 working at Vogue then it was off to Allure. I went from there to being fashion director at Marie Claire, then fashion director at Harper’s Bazaar and I’m still a contributing fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar, so I really paid my dues at magazines on all levels. It was such an honor working for great editors like Glenda Bailey, Anna Wintour, Polly Mellen, Liz Tilberis and Linda Wells and I essentially grew up in the fashion business with these women as my mentors, but after 15 years working for magazines I sensed that the dynamic in fashion was changing. I wanted to do other things too and after all that time it just wasn’t quite enough for me somehow, so I stayed on as a contributor at Harper’s Bazaar, and started my own company.

MDC: Now what does consulting entail, exactly, because I know you do a lot of consulting.

Mary Alice: Consulting encompasses so many aspects of fashion, on any given day I could be styling a photo shoot, working with a young designer, getting an actress ready for the red carpet or acting as spokesperson for a major brand.

This job gives me a chance to do so many different things all with fashion and beauty at all levels of pop culture; I am working more and more with such a wide variety companies. For example, I just signed a contract with Amazon which is very exciting and involves a lot of social media and creating on-line content. Last year I consulted for USA Networks on the style direction of the stars on many of their hit shows which was extremely rewarding. I just signed with Sally Hansen as their Style Advisor and will act as a spokesperson for them in the media and an ambassador for them to the fashion community. I’ve also been doing a lot of TV and speaking engagements across the country for women of all ages, so as you can see, literally every day is different for me, but it all has one thing in common…style!

http://thecoveteur.com/Mary_Alice