Since Stella Jean, the Italian-Haitian designer, first sent her bold clothes down the runway, in 2013, she’s garnered fans such as Suzy Menkes and Giorgio Armani. Known for pairing loud, colorful patterns with feminine tailoring, she is also a vocal advocate for Black designers in Milan and a champion of sustainably sourced fabrics. Jean’s days are booked and busy. Here, she details how she gets ready before embarking on the day.
When do you start getting ready?
I wake up around six and get up around seven.
Take us through your beauty routine.
It starts with C-Clean, a super-creamy cleansing milk. Then I apply HydroEm, my facial moisturizer with hyaluronic acid that’s light as dew. I customize the cream by adding a radiance booster, B-Dose V, for an extra-glowy effect. The beauty product I absolutely can’t do without is CandyScrub, a deliciously fragranced gentle exfoliator filled with vegetable charcoal and cellulose micro-spheres that instantly detoxifies my skin. All these products are made in Italy, by Rhea Cosmetics.
After I had my children, I stopped doing makeup except for special occasions. The only essential [I use] on a daily basis is raw shea butter. I absolutely enjoy, on some occasions, having impactful makeup, such as a smokey eye with MAC Ingenue Lash, which looks very natural.
On to your hair …
I’m not good at styling hair. All the women in my maternal family wear chignons. It’s the only hairstyle I know how to do—even in the dark. [And] the turban. The fabrics I tie on my head are always hand-woven by the West African artisans with whom I’ve been collaborating for years.
How do you assemble an outfit?
I mentally go through my wardrobe after doing my bun or knotting the turban on my head. Styling is a much more revealing social tool than we think. Matching garments means putting together your statement for that day. We never actually put clothes on randomly, even when we take the first thing in front of us.
The shoes are by the door, therefore I choose them on the way out. It may seem strange that someone who’s involved in fashion has such a spartan and hasty routine, but it’s probably because I breathe and inhale fashion 24/7.
What’s the most important part of an outfit?
We’re often so busy trying to follow the latest trends that we forget that the real difference is made by the item or accessory linked to our personal and family history.
What’s your favorite piece of clothing right now?
A pleated gray flannel skirt decorated with hand-crocheted motifs, made by a community of Alpaqueras women in Tolconi, in the Peruvian Andes. For me, multiculturalism is key, and this garment is a beautiful example of the stylistic dialogue between Italy and Peru.
Do you check the weather before getting dressed?
Always.
Do you believe in heels?
I was a heel practitioner but lost my faith! I save them for special occasions, but I prefer kitten heels or flats.
What about bags?
I tend to use the same bag, such as the Made for a Woman raffia bag. I would like to use several but decanting the contents and not losing any items is an anxiety-provoking operation.
Do you wear perfume?
Brown Girl Jane fragrance.
What’s your favorite part of getting ready for the day?
A cup of matcha latte.
