Talia Shuvalov
“My choice of beauty routines and makeup go hand-in-hand with my clothing preferences – clean and minimal. I prefer to not wear a lot of makeup and keep my skin moisturised so when I leave work at night I feel as fresh as I did in the morning”.
On her apartment style:
“It’s an accumulation of my experiences in New York and not much thought went into it. When you move to New York its hard to find your feet and its especially hard to find an apartment that you can call home. It took me quite a long time but I feel like the space I live in now is very conducive to my lifestyle. Moving from apartment to apartment when I first came to New York meant that I was constantly buying furniture to suit a variety of spaces. I got lucky finding this place – the space is amazing for New York and all of the furniture I bought over the years miraculously just worked!
On her personal style:
“My style is very clean and minimal. I appreciate small details and well constructed pieces that I can wear every day. I have a very specific uniform for most occasions. When you’re working long hours it’s hard to find the time to put an outfit together so I have my go to items that I know will always work.”
“I don’t know if it’s more to do with age, but I’m just more interested in things that are comfortable. I know my heel collection doesn’t reflect that, but I honestly hardly ever wear any of them! I like to think I have places to go where I can wear them, but the reality is different!”
“There are two moisturisers that I love… SK II skin signature and Linda Meredith LM1. I switch between these two every 3 months. I think skin reacts better to new products but the effects can wear off after a while so I like to change it up. At the moment I’m using Linda Meredith. I generally apply a few layers of moisturiser … New York’s weather can be quite harsh at times and the only way to protect your skin is to keep it thoroughly hydrated – which also makes for a dewy look. I follow with sunscreen – normally Linda Meredith SPF30”
“I was living in London in 2009 and I was walking in Knightsbridge and came across Linda Meredith’s salon. I was interning at McQueen at the time and a couple of people in the office had mentioned it. I went in for a facial the next week and it was amazing. She talked me through how to nurture and take care of my skin. Her advice was uncomplicated and made sense. My skin has been different ever since. I use LM1, LM2, SPF30 and her Eye gel”.
“If I want something a little more dramatic I use YSL liquid eyeliner in grey – its more subtle then the black ones and I only apply it to the corner of my eyes and then smudge.”
“If I’m going to work the only makeup I’ll use is Benefit’s ‘Posie Tint’ which is amazing! I use it as a blush and lip tint. Then I use Benefit’s ‘high beam’ for a highlighter on my cheekbones. I apply Lancome’s ‘Hypnose’ mascara and I’m done”.
On Sunday mornings:
“I love to box and then treat my self to a huge brunch at Blue Stone Lane (an Aussie favourite). Avocado toast is a must have.”
On her most treasured item of clothing:
“I have boxes of sweaters that I keep for nostalgic purposes. Besides those, my Celine coat – keeps me so warm during winter”.
On her words to live by:
“Pasta, cheese, wine”
“A friend gave Estee Lauder’s Modern Muse to be as a gift – it’s sentimental”.
When operating on no sleep, a hang over or just sheer exhaustion:
“More water then more sleep! Skin rejuvenates during sleep and I think it’s the only recovery”.
Sneakers or heels?
“Owning lots of heels, only wearing sneakers”.
“I use Fresh Black Tea eye cream. It’s moisturizing and healing – also very good to get rid of dark circles”.
“At night I like to use a cc cream as a base to even skin tone – my preferred one is by Kate Somerville. This cream is super light and only slightly tinted. Once rubbed in it feels like you are not wearing anything”
“When I have had very little sleep or feel terrible I use Benefit oh la lift” under my eyes and it makes me feel brighter and look less tired.”
On her signature beauty look:
“Dewy skin, paw paw on my eyelids, Benefit posie tint and mascara”
“I’ve been wearing Victor and Rolf flower bomb for years. It’s so feminine and doesn’t wear off very easily”
“I use Frederic Fekkai shampoo and conditioner as well as a hair mask a few times a month. When I have a night in I leave the mask in my hair over night and wash out in the morning. It leaves my hair soooo smooth. I like leaving my hair to dry naturally, when it’s dry I brush with my Mason Pearson and apply Living Proof Texture Cream to give it some texture and shape”.
“Mason Pearson is the best hair brush in the world!”
On achieving a look in 5 minutes or less:
“Benefit ‘Posie Tint’ blush and lip tint in one, then add Benefit ‘Highbeam’ on cheekbone, Bite red lipgloss then add YSL liquid liner, Lancome mascara and go!”
On what’s most important to her in life:
“Family, friends, love”.
“In the morning I wash my face with Cetaphil cleanser followed by a serum. The serum I’m currently using is by SK II – it soaks into your skin within seconds and leaves it feeling soft and supple.”
“These [nail colours] were a present from my old boss, Narciso Rodriguez – one of them is named after him ‘narcissi'”.
On her earliest beauty memory:
“Impulse deodorant – I loved this!”
Talia Shuvalov is living our ideal New York life and we have to admit, we’re totally envious. She has the dream job, the perfect SoHo apartment, and the brains and beauty to top things off. We’re talking about the full package here folks.
Our meeting is scheduled for early Friday morning; after all she has a busy day ahead and an important meeting with her boss Alexander Wang. As the Design Director of Knits, she is an integral part of the company and works closely alongside him on all collections. Having honed her skills at Narciso Rodriguez and Opening Ceremony, Tali has made quite the impression on the New York fashion industry – and we’re not surprised.
Upon being greeted at her door, Tali apologises – she was out late last night at a charity ball. With no sign of it on her face, or in her apartment, it’s just another thing to add to that perfect person list. As soon as we step into her bedroom we are immediately struck by the sheer enormity of her shoe collection. Proenza, Dior, Wang, Balenciaga as far as the eye can see. Aside from the obvious evidence, Tali assures us she dresses down most days. “I don’t know if it’s more to do with age, but I’m just more interested in things that are comfortable. I know my heel collection doesn’t reflect that, but I honestly hardly ever wear any of them! I like to think I have places to go where I can wear them, but the reality is different!” We’re not sure we’re convinced…
Rifling through the extensive collection of knits she has designed, we can see just how much time, effort and love goes into her work. “It’s not really about the fashion, for me it’s about the design process and what I gain from it.” And it’s that same effortless and modest approach that’s reflected in her beauty routine, “my choice of beauty routines and makeup go hand in hand with my clothing preferences – clean and minimal. I prefer to not wear a lot of makeup and keep my skin moisturised so when I leave work at night I feel as fresh as I did in the morning”.
Like any busy New Yorker, mornings are a precious commodity and time is of the essence. Luckily Tali is only a fifteen minute walk from her Chinatown office, and makeup and breakfast are done on the run. “It’s honestly about ease. I have two or three things I really throw on in the morning that I don’t necessarily have to put on at home. I can take them to work with me and put them on throughout the day.”
Well we know why this Aussie expat is adored in New York. This honest, hardworking approach is as refreshing as they come. When it’s time for us to leave, Tali is rushing out the door in her work uniform of sleek all black, assuring us this is her comfort look. “Alex wears the exact same thing every single day – black jeans, black sweater and Nikes. And now I do the same thing.” We hope a fraction of that endless heel collection gets a work out soon…
Photographed by Soraya Zaman
Words by Lucinda Rose Constable
