Daniel Day-Lewis’s Final Role as a ’50s Couturier Is Especially Poignant As the Fashion Industry Continues to Change
Like great literature and art, some movies are gifts to the world. Phantom Thread, Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, about a couturier in 1950s London, falls into that category. Perhaps for the first time on the big screen, it shows the taxing process of making clothes, and the emotional price that artists must often pay to express their vision. It is also a compelling love story that explores the intimate and complicated relationship between artists and their muses.
The fictional couturier Reynolds Woodcock, masterfully played by Daniel Day-Lewis in one of the best—and, according to him, the last—performances of his career, embodies in my opinion the spirit of Charles James, Cristóbal Balenciaga, and even Azzedine Alaïa. The fashion world nowadays is radically different than it was in the 1950s—in our global economy, conglomerates exert corporate control on designers, and the tension between art and commerce is more salient than ever. Still, as Editor at Large Lynn Hirschberg makes clear in her profile of Day-Lewis (“Daniel Day-Lewis Has Hung Up His Hat,”) the process of creation, whether you’re an actor today or a designer half a century ago, remains very much the same.
Daniel Day-Lewis, as Himself, Faces Tim Walker’s Camera for W
Daniel Day-Lewis wears his own clothing.
Daniel Day-Lewis, photographed in New York. All clothing his own.
Daniel Day-Lewis, photographed in New York. All clothing his own.
Daniel Day-Lewis, photographed in New York. All clothing his own.
Daniel Day-Lewis, photographed in New York. All clothing his own.
Daniel Day-Lewis, photographed in New York. All clothing his own.
Daniel Day-Lewis, photographed in New York. All clothing his own.
Giving and receiving was on all of our minds at W when we started putting together our holiday issue. We discussed how gifts should be not just material but also emotional and experiential—travel and wellness are the new diamonds! In that spirit, we created a special section asking people we love and admire—including Martha Stewart, Lynn Wyatt, and Georgina Bloomberg—to share with us what they plan to give or hope to receive (“Naughty and Nice”).
The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: 155 Gift Ideas from Martha Stewart, Lily Aldridge and Other People We Love
When Martha Stewart throws a holiday party, she doesn’t mess around. Every year, about 10 days before Christmas, America’s high priestess of entertaining invites more than 200 guests to her Bedford, New York, farm for an over-the-top open house straight out of the pages of her namesake magazine. There are strolling carolers and multiple Christmas hams; giant bowls of oysters, shucked à la minute and served with champagne; and one entire house (there are three on the property) devoted solely to festive desserts. “You never know what or who you’re going to see,” Stewart says. “Last year, Blake Lively came with her two children, and when you look at them sitting on the floor eating a giant piece of meringue cake, it’s just fantastic. They’re so beautiful, and they’re stuffing themselves! It’s special for them.” Special for everyone, really. How could it not be, when the main house alone is festooned with a minimum of 20 Christmas trees? “But it doesn’t look overdecorated,” Stewart is quick to point out. “You don’t feel like you’re walking into Bergdorf Goodman or something—at least, I hope not.” For Stewart, Christmas Eve itself is a more intimate affair, spent with her two young grandchildren and her daughter, Alexis, at their place in the city, where the family feasts on Alexis’s homemade fettuccine with truffles or caviar and opens their no-doubt gorgeously wrapped presents. Martha’s rule of thumb for successful gifting is simple: “If it’s something I desperately want to keep for myself, I know it’s really nice.”
Martha Stewart, at home in Bedford, New York, wears a Row sweater and Charvet shirt; Heidi Carey earrings.
Claus Porto guest soaps, $22 for set of 15, amazon.com
Martha Stewart Collection zester, $12, macys.com
Pineider stationery gift box, $495, pineider.com
Brock Collection skirt, $1,890, brock-collection.com
Ariel Dearie Flowers floral arrangement, $275, arieldearieflowers.com
Stewart wears Brunello Cucinelli coat; the Row shirt; Mish New York earrings; her own sunglasses.
Gjusta olive oil, $14, gjusta.com
Munnu the Gem Palace rings, prices upon request, munnuthegempalace.com
Martha Stewart Collection cake stand with dome, $23, macys.com
Intimissimi tank, $49, and shorts, $44, intimissimi.com
Dior Fine Jewelry earrings, price upon request, dior.com
Tod’s sandals, $645, tods.com
La DoubleJ Housewives plate, $70, ladoublej.com
Omega watch, $21,300, omegawatches.com
March candles, $10 for two, marchsf.com
The Aldridge family, a fashion-oriented clan that boasts nine siblings, including the photographer Miles and the models Saffron and Ruby, is a close-knit one. “It’s full of characters,” says Lily Aldridge, a model as well, who has strutted the Victoria’s Secret runway for nearly a decade. “And it’s everything to me.” So when she married Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill in 2011, she was eager to start her own. A year later, she gave birth to daughter Dixie Pearl. “She’s made me stronger and braver; before her I played it safe. Now I just want to have fun.” That sentiment is particularly exuberant during the holidays, which she now spends in Nashville. “I go crazy decorating the house—lights, reindeer, mistletoe, you name it.” And aside from surfing lessons and a Bulgari Serpenti ring, this year she’s asking Santa for a day at Disneyland with her daughter. “I love it—any excuse I have during Paris Fashion Week to go to Disneyland Paris, I take,” she says. “I’m a kid at heart.”
Hazel Village bear doll, $42, hazelvillage.com
Christofle bowl, $160, cristofle.com
Molli socks, $53.
Parrot drone, $600, parrot.com
Happiest Baby Snoo Smart Sleeper, $1,160, happiestbaby.com
Herno kids’ parka, $585, farfetch.com
Mary Poppins set by P.L. Travers (Juniper Books), $135, modaoperandi.com
Bonpoint sweater, $220, melijoe.com
Chiara Ferragni, aka the Blonde Salad, is all over the place: A typical week could find her hopping from Los Angeles to Milan to New York and back. Since she launched her lifestyle blog in 2009 as a platform to promote her epic adventures and the casual-chic wardrobe she brings along, Ferragni has amassed millions of Instagram followers; worked with brands like Louis Vuitton and Dior; and introduced the Chiara Ferragni Collection. So when it comes to the holidays, she is happy to stay put—and bring her family to her. “The rule is that I fly everybody, but they have to take care of the cooking,” she says. “I never cook for myself—imagine cooking for 12 people!”
Chiara Ferragni wears a Massimo Dutti shirt; Faris earrings.
Ana Khouri necklace, $150,000, anakhouri.com
Agent Provocateur bra, $130, and panties, $115, agentprovocateur.com
Swarovski choker, $200, swarovski.com
David Yurman: Cable book (Rizzoli), $95, amazon.com
We also asked our Contributing Fashion Creative Director, Katie Grand, to choose the best looks from the cruise collections, photographed on a diverse cast of her favorite models (“Mighty Aphrodites”). Finally, our Contributing European Editor, Gianluca Longo, traveled to the Engadine Valley, in Switzerland, to meet a group of women who are as chic as they are accomplished (“Valley Girls”). If they don’t put you in the mood for a holiday getaway, nothing will!
Ashley Graham and a Powerful Band of Mighty Aphrodites Take the Best Fashions of the Season, and Make Them Their Own
Pologeorgis coat; Dior belted dress; Alexander McQueen necklace; Gucci rings and shoes. Dior belted dress; Gucci hand piece; Roger Vivier pumps.
Miu Miu dress.
Gucci gown. Beauty note: Cheekbones gleam with Guerlain Gold Palette.
Missoni dress; Fendi belt; Roger Vivier pumps.
Blue Roses top; Joseph pants. Beauty note: Curls stay sassy with Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Featherlight Styling Cream.
Valentino jumpsuit. Beauty note: Nourish your natural gorgeousness with Zelens Z Balance Prebiotic and Probiotic Facial Mist.
Alberta Ferretti dress; De Beers necklace; Cartier watch; Fabrizio Viti shoes.
Giorgio Armani dress; Gaspar Gloves gloves; Miu Miu earrings and shoes.
Etro jacket; Chanel necklace; Stella and Bow earrings. Beauty note: Underscore your powers with IT Cosmetics Superhero Liner.
Christopher Kane dress; Georges Morand gloves; Marc Jacobs mules.
Prada top, tank, and skirt. Beauty note: Dress nails in Oribe the Lacquer nail polish in Night Orchid.
From left: Hermès shirt; Gucci pants; vintage scarf from Early Halloween, New York. Marc Jacobs top, skirt, and mules.
Burberry jacket.
Watch: Five of Daniel Day Lewis’s Most Transformative Performances
