Each of the five locals on St. Charles Avenue’s 2008 list of “Stylish New Orleanians” understands that while fashion is fleeting, personal style is timeless. Each also understands the importance of philanthropy to our community; thus, this year all five are pictured in the outfit they would wear to their favorite charitable event (see our Registry of Charitable Events starting on pg. 49 to find your own) in their favorite room in their home (except for Ms. Trimble and Mr. Gill, who have yet to move back into their homes post-Katrina). Interior decorator, writer, barber/retailer, textile artist and real estate investor/developer – each dresses to reflect their occupation, their community and the charity that nourishes their stylish pursuits and souls.
Genevieve W. Trimble
The world puts the same value on you that you put on yourself.
Age: Old enough!
Occupation: Writer
Why did you choose to honor this philanthropic event with your photograph? For over 25 years, I have been engaged as a volunteer in restoring this WPA landmark garden in City Park. We had almost completed it when Hurricane Katrina came. I am now Immediate Past-President of the New Orleans Botanical Garden – Paul Soniat, director, and I have spent thousands of hours here. It’s very near to my heart!
What is the dress code for this event? A meeting of the Foundation calls for appropriate business attire.
What’s your favorite dress code? Dressy business – appropriately attired in a tailored suit.
Who are your favorite designers? Oscar de la Renta, Chanel and Carolina Herrera
Where do you shop in New Orleans? Saks Fifth Avenue, Chico’s, Carlisle and Dillard’s.
What fashion trend in New Orleans do you dislike? Sloppiness.
Whose style do you admire? It’s hard for me to pinpoint that because I admire so many people’s style – I admire those who dress in a conservative and tailored style.
What is your favorite outfit? A well-tailored suit or boxy jacket and slim skirt – although I do wear trousers – gold accessories during daytime and pearls for evening, with a pair of Ferragamo shoes.
What Genevieve is wearing in the photograph: Yellow boxy jacket with black silk sleeveless shirt and matching pencil skirt by Carisle; shoes by Antonio Maloni; and gold vintage jewelry from her collection.
Darren K. Aschaffenburg
pictured with Elvis Aschaffenburg
Fashion is very subjective and individualistic; honestly, it’s being yourself that’s the true style.
Age: 38
Occupation: Real estate investment/development
Why did you choose to honor this philanthropic event with your photograph? LA/SPCA’s “Howling Success” gala. The care of animals in need is very near and dear to my whole family. To quote my mother, “our pets are just furry children.” The LA/SPCA has a tremendous staff and does a remarkable job of tackling this important community service.
What is the dress code for this? Dress attire is all over the board. You typically find people in festive outfits based on event theme as well
as traditional cocktail to formal attire.
What is your favorite dress code and why? I enjoy getting “dressed up.” Many aren’t aware that New Orleans was once considered the cutting-edge of fashion in this country a century ago. Part of our city’s charm is that we still have remnants of those grand times. To me there’s a certain civility and sexiness to being social in your finer wears.
Is your significant other well dressed? My wife (Catherine Wall) has exceptional taste in clothing.
Who are your favorite designers? Most of the designers I favor seem to be Italian, (i.e. Armani, Canali, Brioni, etc.). I also have custom clothing made by Astor & Black.
Where do you shop in New Orleans? Rubenstein’s and Saks Fifth Avenue have a first-rate product … but they also have attentive and knowledgeable staff. I also really like Style Lab for Men.
What fashion trend in New Orleans do you dislike?
I am dismayed when people come into our finer dining establishments attired inappropriately. Add also the ballet, theater, opera, symphony, etc. It is a discredit to our community and the country at large. I know that economics and our warm
climate are partly to blame but it detracts from the elegance, respect and ambiance these venues rightly deserve.
Whose style do you admire and why?
I admired my grandparents’ generation, which did it right; they had style, grace and didn’t accept anything less. Today, I admire people who make the effort to remain fashionable … people like Jeremy Davenport, Phyllis Taylor, Angela Hill, Buzz Harper and Norman Robinson.
What is your favorite? Depends on the situation – I like to go monochromatic and I like to shake it up a bit with different colors. But beyond a fabulous suit, it’s the accessories that set the best apart.
What Darren is wearing in the photograph: Suit by Canali; shirt custom-made by Astor & Black; tie by Turnbull & Asser; and shoes by Gucci.
Patricia Brinson
My mother was a very well dressed lady – she’s deceased but I still receive compliments about her great style and beauty.
Age: 58
Occupation: Interior Decorator
Why did you choose to honor this philanthropic event with your photograph? The American Red Cross Spirited Woman Award – now in its second year in New Orleans – is sponsored by Morton’s Steak House nationally. It honors a woman for her outreach to the community and financial support as well as her selfless giving of her time and energy.
What is the dress code for this event? Cocktail attire.
What’s your favorite dress code? Dressy Casual because it allows you style and individuality.
Is your significant other well dressed? Yes – he’s a very traditional dresser.
Who are your favorite designers? Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors and Charles Chang Lima.
Where do you shop in New Orleans? Mimi and Saks Fifth Avenue.
What fashion trend in New Orleans do you dislike? Dressing age-inappropriate.
Whose style do you admire? I have a group of friends whose style I admire. They are all fashion icons and would turn heads on any given Friday dinner at Galatoire’s.
What is your favorite outfit? Black pants and a white shirt. It’s my uniform; it’s very simple and I always feel confident wearing it. Accessories include sandals with a heel and my favorite Elizabeth Locke earrings.
What Patricia is wearing in the photograph: Black dress by Charles Chang Lima from Mimi.
Dr. Naydja Domingue Bynum
When I think about fashion, accessorizing and embellishing is what I enjoy the most. If I can take a garment and add to it, embellish it or accessorize it, that‘s my strong suit.
Age: 60
Occupation: Nurse Executive/Educator with a doctorate degree (on leave now); Real Estate Developer/Preservationist; Textile Artist – I sew hand-made fleur-de-lis and other fabric purses, bow ties and other accessories out of my home: I’m a “want-to-do-it-all person!”
Why did you choose to honor philanthropic event with your photograph? “Ladies in Red,” hosted by the Preservation Resource Center’s African American Heritage Preservation Program, focuses on identifying and preserving the homes and cultural legacy of New Orleans jazz musicians. Thus far, houses of 338 musicians have been identified where early jazz legends lived and 80 of them have had markers placed.
What is the dress code for this event? Ladies wear red outfits, usually dressy ones. Some of the men who attend may add a jazzy red hat or “something” to their outfits to complement the ladies.
What is your favorite dress code? I love dressing up in something classy and elegant for certain events, which allows me to enjoy the sexy feminine look. I also enjoy fun and festive attires. Lastly, costume parties around Halloween and especially Mardi Gras give me an opportunity to be whoever I want to be and have a great time creating the costume and playing the part.
Is your significant other well dressed? I think so. To me, he has a jazzy debonair flare about him.
Who are your favorite designers? I grew up learning to sew in a family where all resources were used to survive and where women could sew just about anything wearable and the results would look just as good as the fashions in the store windows. Although we never thought about it, and never claimed it, in a sense women in the family were all designers. When I shop for ready-made clothes, I look for what catches my eye, the quality of the item and what I think would complement my body, my style, my complexion and what I’m willing to pay for.
Where do you shop in New Orleans? When I shop for ready-made fashions, I tend to shop in small boutiques where I may find something different or something to embellish an outfit I already have. I also enjoy going to local estate sales to pick up great “finds” from the past.
What fashion trend in New Orleans do you dislike? I don’t like the hanging pants with the underwear showing and the excessive “blink-blink” and clothes that are too tight and/or showing too much of the body parts that a significant number of the younger community tends to wear.
Whose style do you admire? When I’m out socializing, I tend to pay attention to styles that catches my eye, noticing the details analyzing what makes it special to me.
What is your favorite outfit? My favorite outfit is one I’m wearing in the picture. What I like about it is that the fabric is soft and feels very wonderful next to my skin, it fits to my taste and it’s simple with a sexy nostalgic touch. To top it off, I love the shawl. I like the size of the shawl as it wraps around my body, the feminine touch the full ruffles gives to it and the connection the shawl has to the dress with the addition of the red and black fabric as a toping. I like wearing my red and black fleur-de-lis purse with it, keeping New Orleans next to me. Most of all I like the fact that I made it all myself.
What Naydja is wearing in the photograph: Red dress, shawl and fleur-de-lis purse, all made herself.
Aidan Gill
As Jean Cocteau said, “Ultimately you have to forgive fashion because it has such a short life.”
Age: 55
Occupation: Barber/Retailer
Why did you choose to honor this philanthropic event with your photograph? The Satchmo SummerFest honors one of the greatest artists and musicians in musical history to come from this city. It also brings visitors to the city during the dog days of August – if you want to be able to give money to needful charities, first you have to make it and festivals and events encourage foot traffic.
What’s the dress code for this event? Cool cotton and linen.
What’s your favorite dress code? Anglo-European casual with a dash of New World Americana.
Is your significant other well dressed? Yes, of course.
Who are your favorite designers? Ozwald Boateng, Paul Smith, Armani, Ted Baker and Simon Carter.
Where do you shop in New Orleans? George Bass, Saks Fifth Avenue, Vegas, Style Lab and Shoefty.
What fashion trend in New Orleans do you dislike? Men who need wives, girlfriends and mothers to dress them and bad haircuts.
Whose style do you admire? George Bass, John McDaniel, Bob Frank, John Chrestia, Michael Depp, Robbie Vitrano and Richard Steward because each of these individuals makes a sincere effort to be themselves.
What is your favorite outfit? An Ozwald Boateng suit with a French cuff tailor-made shirt, Simon Carter cufflinks, bow tie, pocket square, polished shoes and belt with unique socks with a cool wristwatch and great cologne.
What Aidan is wearing in the photograph: Italian linen suit by Baglioni from George Bass; shoes by Crockett & Jones, London; cufflinks and watch by Simon Carter; bow tie by Carrot & Gibbs.
Past Fashionable New Orleanians
1998: Sallee Benjamin, Ellen Brennan,
Georgina Callan, Ellen Johnson, Ricky Lemann; 2001: Michelle Reynoir Carrere, Celeste and Harold Judell, Thea Pagel, Brian Perkins, Rayne Reynoir Reynolds; 2002: Helen Gilbert, Claire Harth, Lee Ledbetter, Lisa Pulitzer; 2003: Dr. Corey Hebert, Lisa Tudor Stoller, Beth Trotter, Dot Weisler; 2004: Chris Fransen, Steven Putt, Lindsay Ross, Phyllis Taylor; 2005: Cristy McNabb, Irvin Mayfield, Jon Vaccari, Jane Schramel; 2006: Jane Casbarian, Jill Dupré, Natalie Finnegan, Orlando Gonzalez, Blayne Laborde, Norman Robinson, Tricia Vitrno; 2007: Penny D. Francis, Freddy Perriott, Rebecca Singley, Sean Yseult, Michael T. Kochie
