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How to Dress Like a Fashion Designer

With red carpet season in full swing, fashion followers everywhere are watching to see who's wearing what and to check out the next big trend in fashion. Of course what you see on the runway would never work for most mere mortals. So what's a gal to do if she wants to be at the height of style? Most people wonder the same thing. It turns out, it's much easier than you think.

Nanette Lepore's girly, flirty designs look great on the runway. Offstage, Nanette loves basic black dresses, simple accessories and clean makeup.
Courtesy of NY Mag and Marie Claire

Tina Fey of 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live, in her book Bossypants shared an amazing insight. If you want to look stylish, don't wear what the fashion designers put on the runway. Wear what they actually wear. Twice a year, the hottest designers deck out models in bizarre and outlandish creations that would get strange looks if worn anywhere but a runway. But those same designers dress every day in casual clothes, activewear, and even jeans and t-shirts every day -- even when they're showing their sometimes outlandish creations on the runway.

Anne Bowen on the Fall 2012 runway with her creation (and her dog)
Courtesy of Zimbio

Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava
Courtesy of Marie Claire

Nicolas Ghesquière of Balenciaga
Courtesy of Marie Claire

Tori Burch's relaxed resort style wear isn't for everyday. Here's Tori in a LBD. Simple and elegant.
Courtesy of Marie Claire

Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi of Preen
Courtesy of Marie Claire

It turns out that fashion designers usually opt for neutral colors, slim, figure-flattering, well-tailored clothes, and more often than not, they resort to the little black dress when they can't think of what to wear. (At least the women do.) As for accessories and makeup (again, for the female designers), they actually go for a minimal, basic, unfussy look.