Elle Magazine

What we are reading at SeenON!

Miley Cyrus: Elle’s August Cover Girl-Elle

Bachelorette’s Blog: I Kept Wes ‘Way Too Long’-People

Kal Penn Reports for DC Duty-E!Online

Secrets of Effortless Fashion-Harper’s Bazaar

J.Crew Hawks First Daughter Clothes-Politico

Photo courtesy of Elle. No celebrity endorsement implied.

Katherine McPhee lit up the red carpet at the 15th Annual “Women in Hollywood” Tribute at the Four Seasons Hotel held by Elle Magazine in this vibrant green dress by Karen Zambos Vintage Couture.

Get a look that could easily grace the pages of Elle. Pair this Baretta Dress with gold sandals and Swarovski-studded hoops like Katherine. It’s a sure way to make the best-dressed list!

We said farewell to Ashlie in this week’s episode of Stylista. It was ultimately getting knocked again for not editing down photos that led to her elimination. But we wanted to get her perspective on how things went down. Check out this exclusive interview as Ashlie tells it like it is.

SeenON!: How did you hear about Stylista?

Ashlie: My boss at Armani told me about it. He heard what they were looking for and said “This is you to a ‘T’.” Even though I had missed the auditions, I still got an opportunity to interview, and they liked me!

SO!: Who inspires you most fashion-wise?

A: From the show - Brett, the photo director, and Lina, an editor at Elle. Brett’s style is very rocker while Lina’s is very Sarah Jessica Parker. Also, I love Rihanna’s style - it’s so fun and definitely not cookie cutter pop star.

SO!: You were knocked for editing in the Model Behavior challenge with Kate, and we see it again here with Dyshaun. What gives?

A: I said from the start that I would only be responsible for the copy. Dyshaun was responsible for the photos and he added way too many. Sure there was a typo in the copy, but he used the excess photos as a strategy to put the poor editing on me.

SO!: If you can change one move you made in the competition, what would it be?

A: Going into that room, I wish the first thing I would have said is “I’m not responsible for the photos on this page.” Ha! Other than that, I don’t have a whole lot of regrets from the show.

SO!: In a conversation with Johanna, Kate said she refuses to dress like the other girls at Elle. What stereotypes do you think you’ve broken? What’s new that you bring to the table?

A: I think I broke the stereotype of the black girl being the diva. I am not Omarosa, I’m not confrontational and I think I represented myself well on the show.

SO!: What are you doing now? Do you keep in touch with anyone from the show?

A: I’m working for Calvin Klein in fabrics and production. I keep in touch with William, Cologne and Jason - a little with Johanna, but not Kate or Megan.

SO!: Who do you think will win and why?

A: It could be any of them - they’re all capable. But I think if she pulls her resources and knowledge together, it will be Johanna.

SO!: What’s next for you?

A: I’m writing for Elle’s blog and I’m getting ready to start my own business in fashion. I’ll be launching a headband line soon so make sure to look out for that!

SO!: Do you have any advice for those trying to break into the industry?

A: Get part-time internships and build up as much experience as you can. Take freelance work and focus on building up a portfolio.

SeenON!: We hear you’re in France. Are doing anything exciting?
Devin: Actually, I’m not in France - I’m studying abroad in Florence, Italy.  I was in Paris, London, and Stockholm for fall break.  I have also visited Capri, Sorrento, Napoli, Roma, Milano, Pisa, Mykonos, Athens, Munich, Dublin, Glasgow, and Madrid.  I’m taking the History of Italian Fashion and am really enjoying it.

SO!: Was your experience on the show everything you thought it would be going into it?
D: My experience on the show was nothing at all similar to what I had expected it would be going on to the show.  Since it was a show about getting a  “job” and displaying editorial skills, I had expected it to be more along the lines of a love child between The Apprentice and Project Runway.

SO!:  How do you feel about your elimination?
D: I felt really good about my elimination.  I felt ready to leave.  I felt by that point, I got what I wanted out of the experience and I was happy to have stopped then.  The reason why I was eliminated also made complete sense to me.  I should have been more vocal in my group.

SO!: What Was The Hardest Challenge For You? Why?
D: Each challenge was hard in a different way.  I HATED the very first assistant challenge - getting Anne her breakfast. I don’t cook.  It just wasn’t fun to run across the city in heels, a hat and a party dress. Haha.

SO!: Who was your favorite team to work with?
D: I absolutely adored the team I worked with on the challenge I got eliminated.  Johanna, Dyshaun, and William are all truly lovely, truly talented and truly great people to be around.

SO!: We See Megan Giving You a Lot of Flack on The Show. First Calling You “Hat Girl” Then Announcing You Should Go Home Because Of Your Age and Experience. Was That Hard For You?
D: This situation is absolutely hilarious.  Calling me “hat girl” didn’t bother me at all.  I like hats and I like wearing them…if that makes me a “hat girl” then so what?  I suppose I could have been called worse things on the show like “the bitch” or the “bimbo.”  I did find it interesting that she was immediately rude to me with in the first 30 seconds of meeting me.  Her defensiveness and instant rudeness was a certain sign of insecurity…therefore I didn’t read into it or let it effect me that much.  However, if I wasn’t on national television I probably wouldn’t have been so neutral in my reactions towards her.

Yes, I was the youngest.  No, I didn’t have the least experience.  There is no denying that I was the youngest on the show (but only by ONE year… if that difference even counts).  However, the assumption that I had the least experience was absolutely asinine.  I worked for fashion designers, for Mood Fabrics, as an editorial and marketing assistant for Store Adore, Inc., was the Editor-In-Chief of NYU’s newsletter, and started a fashion magazine, NYChic…and I did all of this in under two years of my young life.

I am not going to speak badly about my other cast members…but there were SEVERAL of them who had far less experience than I…and if the age thing is such an issue…then lack of time shouldn’t have been a factor in their lack of experience…their lack of dedication is the catalyst for their lack of experience.  With my resume, for the age of 19, lack of dedication surly was not my problem…and if I am capable of accomplishing all of the above from the ages 18-19…then there is no saying what else I am capable of…but then again, if I stand up for myself and justify myself like I just did…then I am considered and called the 19-year-old with an attitude—apparently there is no right way to conduct myself.

Furthermore, I don’t think it is logical to assume that someone can not handle the responsibilities of being a junior editor at a fashion magazine because of their age.  This isn’t rocket science.  I’m not performing brain surgery.  I’m certain that being 19 or 28 doesn’t determine how well one can do that job.  It is simply a matter of taste and the understanding of aesthetics.  If they were attacking my taste rather than age…that is one thing…but attacking my age was entirely pointless.

SO!: Do You Still Talk To People From the Stylista Cast? If So Who and Why?
D: I speak to quite a few cast members…quite often. Johanna would probably be the person I speak to the most.  Since I’m in Italy…she keeps me up to date on everything going on with the show.  I really admire her for many different reasons and I think she is a wonderful person whom I can see myself being friends with for a long, long time.  The beginning of the show was a bit rough, but I ended up leaving with a few great friends.  The experience was so bazaar that it is very difficult to even try to explain to anyone else afterwards…therefore the cast members and I have a bond that is something only we can understand.  In a weird way we were each others family on the show.  Dyshaun made extra strong coffee for me most mornings and William straightened the back of my hair every morning…and Johanna was always there to help me complete my outfit when I needed something.  We were like this big, bitchy, dysfunctional family…and I loved every minute of it.

We have a Stylista Spoiler! Apparently tonight not one but two Stylistas are going home. Do you think you know who they will be? We must say after last week’s elimination anything can happen. We certainly did not see Cologne going home.

Come back tomorrow for our Stylista Poll - and read Cologne’s interview giving her thoughts on her elimination, her time on the show, and her style.

The name of this episode says it all. There is no time for playing nice in fashion and this episode clearly showed that. Unfortunately our dear sweet Stylista Cologne had to find this out the hard way.

As if being on the receiving end of Ann Slowey’s demanding glare isn’t enough last night, the Stylistas were on the receiving end of her little niece’s icy glare. Anne announces that as their assistant challenge they were to plan than execute her nieces birthday party. To absolute perfection, as only a niece of Ms. Slowey could do, she touts “Don’t embarrass me!” We love this line, because naturally we know one of these Stylistas will do just that.

After we get through the pandemonium of the Stylistas visiting party stores and children’s stores to gather materials to present to Anne we settle in for the presentations. From Eloise themes, to Jimmy Choos and kiddie cosmos the Stylistas were seriously innovative. Then….there was Kate. We can’t tell if she wanted to make a mockery out of the challenge or if honestly - that was the best she could come up with but her over-the -top Scottish Bagpiper  and grown up decor suggestions fell flat.

Johanna’s pink party complete with cupcakes and a fashion show reigned supreme and she was voted as the winner. Teams were then picked for the second part of the challenge where they would execute Johanna’s party and then choose a mother daughter team to showcase in a Elle Trends layout.

We got a laugh as Johanna freaked out putting her party together, but were shocked when people began fighting over a mother daughter couple for the layout. Brett asked the woman to pick the team she wanted to be with and she couldn’t, so the Stylista’s were left to duke it out amongst themselves. Cologne trying to make things easier decided she would pick someone else and take herself out of the equation making it easier on the other teams but tense on her own team.

The posh party wrapped and it was on to put together ideas and Trend pages. Although Kate had embarrassed her team and others trying to nab the stylish mother daughter pair everyone wanted and whining about it, she had some great ideas for the trends page which were ignored by Cologne and Ashlie (honestly can you blame them?).

At eliminations designer Cynthia Rowley was announced as a guest judge joining Joe Zee and Anne. Team One Devin, Danielle, and WIlliam were praised for their eclectic colorful trends page, and Team Three Johanna, Megan, and Dyshaun were praised for their sleek stylish page.

Team Two Cologne, Ashlie, and Kate were left out in the cold with their Steel Magnolias Trend page which was not cohesive and in fact seemed very hodge podge. The judges warned that Metallics is an outdated trend that is on its way out and should not be featured. Anne criticized both Ashlie and Cologne for not listening to Kate, ultimately it was Cologne’s job as leader to keep it all together  and consider all points and so she was voted out.

When we left them, most of the Stylistas were in the throws of a natural fit at Cologne’s elimination and many were reduced to tears. All except one. Did anyone else notice this? We won’t spoil it for those who missed it but this storyline is sure to get juicier!

From the looks of things in this Stylista clip things for  Kate are not getting much better. First she gets dissed by Dyshaun and Megan, and then she fails to impress Anne during the Assistant challenge last episode. Seems this Stylista can’t win for losing!

Watch tonight as the Stylista’s work to impress Anne and her posh niece - and get ready to watch the sparks fly in and out of the Elle offices. As always come back tomorrow for our weekly Stylista poll where you get to weigh in the Stylistas and your thoughts on the show!