The Style Series: Ilona Hamer

Though Ilona Hamer regularly crisscrosses the continents — often multiple times a week at that — the Matteau designer and stylist, whose clients include Chanel and Christopher Esber, is a constant picture of exquisite ease. “I always say, Keep it simple and keep it personal,” she says of her failproof sartorial equation, before adding: “I’m not [on set] to make a spectacle of myself.” And yet, thanks to an innate eye for distinctive, time-honored subtleties — a hand-engraved ring weighty with meaning; a faded T-shirt perfected by decades of wear — she nevertheless stands apart. As she puts it, “Today, with everyone ‘photocopying’ each other, [vintage] is more important than ever.”

What’s your earliest memory of fashion? 

I used to be obsessed with watching my mom get dressed in the morning. She’s quite old school, so she had more of an art to getting dressed; it was very considered and thoughtful. Even when I was three or four, I would try to influence what she wore. She said that I used to change so many times a day that there would be clothes all over the house and she was constantly doing laundry.

How would you describe your style? 

In California and Australia, I dress completely for myself and how I function. Whereas in New York and Paris, I’m more mindful of what I’m doing and who I’m showing up for. More than anything, though, I just need to be comfortable. For me, comfort is good quality fabrics in cuts that really suit you. I don’t buy heels anymore or spend on anything that I’m not going to wear. I’ve become way too practical, which I quite like as I get older. 

When I see pictures of myself from when I worked at Vogue in the early and mid-2000s in, say, an electric blue Miu Miu satin dress, I just think, What were you doing? We love a Miu Miu/Prada press rack sale, but I think I was wearing things because of the situation and what I thought was expected of me, not because it necessarily was my style. Now, I want to be able to look at a picture of myself in five or 10 years time and say, Oh yeah, that still stands… I’m just not into trends; I’m into things that are classic, functional, and hard-working. My work is what’s most important, so, as long as it’s practical and I can move freely and easily, that’s what I like wearing.

What are your wardrobe essentials? 

Cashmere sweaters, button-downs, and T-shirts that are 30 or 40 years old — you just can’t replicate that sort of wear — and I’m always wearing Levi’s or a black trouser. Right now, I’m working from home in a comfortable cotton Matteau drawstring trouser — they’re my answer to sweatpants — and I pack our Relaxed Tailored Trouser on every trip. I went home to Australia last week and could have brought just a couple pairs of pants, five T-shirts, and one sweater. That’s all I wore.

What are your style signatures? 

I switch between a Cartier ’70s Tank and a gold 85 Panthère — now it seems like everyone has it, so it’s kind of ruined and overdone, but it still feels so me — and I wear the same jewelry everyday: my engagement ring, which was originally made by an artist for my husband’s mom and looks like a Gaudi building, a simple diamond wedding band, a Tiffany gold Hardwear bracelet, and a family signet ring that I was given at 18. I lost the original one while swimming a couple of years ago, so I just replaced it, but I’m still trying to get it engraved; almost everywhere does it by machine now, which looks so sharp and perfect. I really love things that have been touched by a human hand and have character and imperfections. 

I also love a simple but effective piece of jewelry for evening — something that holds weight or does enough to transform a very simple outfit — like my Tiffany Elsa Peretti starfish pendant or bone cuff. I have these Tiffany Paloma Picasso twisted hoops that are a little heavier and bigger and make things feel more amped up… But not too amped! As a stylist, I’m not there to make a spectacle of myself; my job is about making other people look and feel as good as I can. Subtlety is key for me.

When did you start wearing vintage?

I have always loved vintage. When I was young until my late-teens, I would go to the local flea markets on the weekends with my mom. All the furniture in my childhood home is antique; we have 400-year-old chests and wonderfully old things all throughout the house. Even today, almost everything in my own house is at least 40 years old. There are exceptions, but, as a general rule, I don’t like many things that are new and modern. I don’t want to get into a car and push a button to turn it on; I want to use a key and have a heavy door that slams… I have an ’89 Mercedes, and the sound of my car door closing is one of my favorite sounds in the world.

How do you incorporate vintage into your styling work? 

I use vintage a lot in my work. Including something older and singular always makes a picture feel more your own. Today, with everyone ‘photocopying’ each other, I think that’s more important than ever. I used a great pair of vintage boots in a recent Frame campaign, and they totally made the look and the image. I’ve also been buying a bit of Tom Ford Gucci jewelry lately — all the sexy leather and sterling silver…

When you’re working with Chanel, do you ever pull from their archive? 

There’s nothing better than vintage Chanel. Some people want the new-new, and some people love to wear archival, so it depends on who’s coming and what’s happening, but a lot of the time we do go back to the archives. The Patrimony — their big storage — is in Paris, but the New York and L.A. offices also have really great libraries of vintage and archival pieces that I love to pull from.

Do you collect a certain designer or era? 

I’m always hunting for Nicolas [Ghesquière] Balenciaga or Phoebe [Philo] Céline, but I’ve been renovating our house, so a lot of my purchases are now for the home. I’ve been infatuated by very specific Jean Lurcat ceramics for some years now.

What are some of your greatest vintage finds? 

I have an amazing ’80s Saint Laurent wool gabardine trouser, which is super high-waisted — tiny-waisted — and has two pleats in the front and back.… They’re as old as me, but they look like they were made yesterday. Every time I put them on I’m like, Shit, this is a great pant.

What pieces are still on your wishlist? 

I don’t own a Birkin or a Kelly — and now I don’t know if I ever want to because they feel so overdone and represent something I don’t identify with — but I do love an Hermès Paris Bombay or a Clemence bag, which aren’t as “look at me”. Oversaturation is very real today, so I always say, If you’re really into something, just keep it off the internet. It’s a shame that people’s special, super personal things can become trendy and chewed up and spat out so quickly. The things that we collect make up our identities — or at least how we see ourselves and how we want to be seen. It’s such a delicate balance of keeping that information open but also close to the chest.

What’s something that you’ll never give up?

I have a Balenciaga motorcycle jacket, which was such a holy grail item when I got it. I try it on sometimes and think, I’m never going to wear this, but it has to stay in the wardrobe… Speaking of Nicolas, remember the Balenciaga Spring 2007 cork sandals that Ashley Olsen used to wear? I found them online for $150 and had to own them because the 21-year-old me who wanted them when they came out would die if I didn't buy them. That’s another thing that I’m never going to get rid of but also never going to wear. Sometimes you just have to scratch the itch… And, of course, I don't think there's any Chanel bag I will ever part ways with. I bought my first Flap in 2007 in Paris when I was still at Vogue, and I’m super lucky to have been given many beautiful bags from them since.

What’s your biggest style pet peeve? 

I think inauthenticity is my biggest pet peeve. If it feels like you’re wearing a costume or pretending to be a version of yourself that other people want to see, you look like a walking product. There’s this whole Instagram army of girls in head-to-toe The Row or The Row lookalikes, and it just bums me out. I’m sure people could dig a little deeper and be a bit more relaxed and honest.

Do you have any style rules? 

Keep it simple and keep it personal. I think it’s about collecting things on your travels and having simple things that are important to you — and then actually using and wearing them. My dad passed away a couple of years ago, and I have his denim jacket from the early 60s, which he lived such a life in! He saw the Rolling Stones in their very early days in London in that jacket. Over the years, the collar had worn through, so my mom mended and restitched it for him. I think that’s the most important thing in my wardrobe because it’s so personal — and the jacket is unreal. It’s the perfect wash and weight. So just be as authentic and real as you can, and you won’t look bad; you’ll look like yourself.

What’s something that’s always in your styling kit? 

I bring palo santo, incense, and a lighter to every set because I need things to feel really good and comfortable, as if I were at home. Sometimes I get in trouble because I burn palo santo in areas where they don’t like me burning things — like backstage at Christopher Esber’s Palais de Tokyo show! — so I also keep this great palo santo spray from Erewhon in my kit.

What’s your secret style weapon?

That would be my mom! I recently went to Lanzarote for a shoot, and our producer got me this great rosemary oil from the island that exploded in my bag, so some of my favorite vintage T-shirts were covered in oil. My mom got them all perfect with bicarbonate soda and dishwashing liquid in just a few hours. I was like, Of course she did! She sews, she darns sweaters, she paints, she upholsters chairs, she does floristry, she can build a deck… There is not much she can’t do. She’s just of a different time. I always think: What would my mom do? What would my mom wear? She’s my icon for sure.

as told to Zoe Ruffner

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