Coup de Coeur... Yes, please. Our Anna Coroneo chats with two of the most sought after stylists in New York
According to Coco Chanel, "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." Lucia Marcelle Tait and Amanda Doll Sheppard of Coup de Coeur, certainly fit this bill.Coup de Coeur, one of New York's ultimate shopping concierge services, is their brainchild. Not only do these luxe ladies offer their classy and fabulous style expertise through customised shopping tours, they can plan in-store events, and trunk shows that will knock your frocks off! Lucia and Amanda have also styled for the creme de la creme of high-end clients and fashion brands.
Intrigued? In need of a few styling tips? Read on for our interview with the ladies who with a click of their heels take you to fashion's cloud nine.
What are your earliest memories of fashion?
LUCIA: Around age 10 I started to save all my issues of Seventeen...then I devoted a whole wall of my bedroom to them! ....i cut all the covers off and framed them on the wall!
AMANDA: My Aunt is an amazing private designer in Texas. I would visit her in the summer and watch her design one-of-a-kind Fur coats and gowns for her clients. She represented my first 'couture' experience and I was then aware of the world of high fashion.
How do you define your vision of Coup de Coeur? What is the concept of your brand/company?
LUCIA: We are a stylish service that provides high-end customized shopping trips....the concept is to fill a need for the everyday person who wants to shop like an insider...it is not for celebs or socialites...it is for a person who is interested in fashion, discovering new stores or brands, updating their wardrobe or searching for that perfect piece.
AMANDA: I would add to Lucia's great response that we are die-hard New Yorkers and Manhattan presents itself as the perfect city to host clients for every shopping necessity.
As part of your client services, you offer personal shopping tours. Has there ever been a shopping tour, that has been particularly memorable?
LUCIA: They are all so different that they are each memorable in their own way. That is the most enjoyable part for us...meeting a new client and helping them discover a new designer or how to style certain pieces or how to get a perfect fit for their body type...seeing the whole experience come together is fantastic.
AMANDA: From wardrobe updates to shopping for the perfect event dress, each tour has its distinctions. Recently, I took a client shopping in the Meatpacking District and she was lucky enough to actually meet two of the designers we were shopping with ... Adam Lippes and Shelley Steffee. Definitely a Coup de Coeur experience!
A few of the mounting accolades the girls have received
What would one expect to experience from a Coup de Coeur personal shopping tour?
LUCIA: VIP service and access as well as special discounts. Department stores, brand flagships, boutiques and showrooms all offer our clients amazing perks...pre-arranged merchandise, vip fitting rooms, dedicated sales people, champagne service, private invites to events and sales. Expect an expertly executed day...we do everything in advance...we pre-pull exactly what a client is looking for or what we think they would love...clients can even include a car service.
What are your current top 3 fashion obsessions?
LUCIA: Louboutin OTK boots, Chadwick Bell and vintage Indian jewelry.
AMANDA: YSL Le Smoking Jacket (Vintage of course), Rick Owens ANYTHING and Pamela Love accessories
Image: Coup de Coeur
How do you want Coup de Coeur to be perceived by the world's fashion audience?
LUCIA: Just as a great service that brings amazing clients together with fabulous stores, brands and designers.
AMANDA: The go-to source for shopping Manhattan like an insider!
How do you define your aesthetic?
LUCIA: Simple and easy pieces with super high heels and one great accessory!
If you could have any woman's wardrobe, whose would you chose and why?
LUCIA: This is tough...but I love Angelina, Gwyneth and Penelope...so a combination of theirs would be amazing...both the glam and the wearable.
AMANDA: I would probably go with the more indi-fashion crowd... Kate Moss, etc.
What is the best piece of fashion/business advice that has been given to you?
LUCIA: One thing that we learned by starting our own small business is to not try to be everything to everyone...to do something specific, and do all you can to do it very well.
Do you feel that you have any advantages/disadvantages by being based in New York?
LUCIA: For us, shopping in NYC is unlike anywhere in the world. We feel like we wouldn't be able to do what we do anywhere else.
What are your future dreams for Coup de Coeur? What are you looking forward to for 2010?
LUCIA: My future dream is just to be able to keep doing what we are doing...and follow it to wherever else that leads us...to be able to contribute to interesting, positive and fashionable projects whenever possible!
AMANDA: I would like to see Coup de Coeur continue to progress in 2010 as it has in our first few years, as a cool way to shop the city... bringing our clients a new and fresh perspective on shopping the city, exposing brands and retailers to visitors and making men and women feel great about their purchases and shopping experiences!
Keep up to tweet with Lucia and Amanda here: http://twitter.com/CoupdeCoeurNY http://coupdecoeurny.blogspot.com/ and check out their website for further details: http://www.coupdecoeurny.com/
Pictures are from: http://www.coupdecoeurny.com
