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Stacy London

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Stacy London
London in 2023
Born (1969-05-25) May 25, 1969 (age 55)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)Stylist, fashion consultant, author, magazine editor
Years active1993–present
PartnerCat Yezbak
RelativesHerbert London (father)

Stacy London (born May 25, 1969) is an American stylist, fashion consultant, author, and magazine editor. She is known primarily for her time as co-host on What Not to Wear, a reality television program that featured wardrobe and appearance makeovers.

After graduating from Vassar College, London started her career as a fashion editor at Vogue and transitioned into being a stylist for celebrities and designers. She moved into television by co-hosting What Not to Wear with first Wayne Scot Lukas and then Clinton Kelly, and doing fashion reporting for Access Hollywood, The Early Show, and the Today Show. From 2009 to 2010, she was a celebrity spokesperson for Pantene, Woolite, Dr. Scholl's, and Riders by Lee. She co-owns Style for Hire and is the creative director of Westfield Style.

Early life

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London was born in New York City on May 25, 1969. She is of Sicilian descent on her mother's side and Jewish descent on her father's side.[1] Her mother, Joy Weinman, worked as a venture capitalist, and her father, Herbert London, was the president emeritus of the Hudson Institute.[2][3] Her stepmother, Vicki Pops, is a romance novelist. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, she said of her father, "We don't see eye to eye on that much politically [but] he did instill a certain sense of propriety and right and wrong in me, which plays into my fashion sensibility."[4] While going to Vassar College, she double majored in 20th-century philosophy and German literature and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.[5] It was during a summer internship in Paris in Christian Dior's PR department that she took a serious interest in pursuing a career in the fashion industry.[2]

Career

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London began her career as a fashion assistant at Vogue magazine and later became the senior fashion editor at Mademoiselle.[6] She has styled fashion photos for other publications, including Italian D, Nylon, and Contents.[6] London has styled for celebrities such as Kate Winslet and Liv Tyler, and on fashion shows for designers Rebecca Taylor, Ghost, and Vivienne Tam.[6][7] London has worked on numerous advertising campaigns; her client roster includes Hanes, Wonderbra, Bali, Procter & Gamble, CoverGirl, Suave, Target, Levi Strauss & Co., Maytag, Swatch, Longines, and Calvin Klein.[8]

London began co-hosting TLC's What Not to Wear in its inaugural season in 2003. In 2005, she and co-host Clinton Kelly wrote a book titled Dress Your Best.[9] London is known for her love of high-heeled shoes, owning over 300 pairs.[10] In a What Not to Wear "Best of 2005" look-back show, Clinton Kelly teased London by saying "...there are almost as many great moments as there are high heels in Stacy's wardrobe."[11] In 2008, London also served as the host of her own talk show Shut Up! It's Stacy London! which was the pilot episode for Fashionably Late with Stacy London.[12] London has done fashion reporting for Weekend Today, The Early Show, Good Day Live, and Access Hollywood. She is a frequent contributor on NBC's Today Show.[13]

From 2009 to 2010, London was a spokesperson for Pantene,[14] Woolite,[15] Dr. Scholl's,[16] and Riders by Lee.[17] In addition to her hosting duties and endorsements, London and business partner Cindy McLaughlin co-founded Style for Hire—an online service that matches people with personal stylists that live in their area.[18] The goal of the online agency is to bring personal styling services to average income people. Style for Hire was launched as a pilot on September 13, 2010, in Washington, D.C., to test the idea.[19][20][21] The agency launched in its entirety on April 16, 2012.[20][21] As of that date, there are 135 stylists in 24 cities.[19] London is also the creative director for Westfield Style and the editor-in-chief of Westfield STYLE magazine.[13][20][22] Westfield's Style Lounges are staffed by professional stylists from Style for Hire who provide free on-demand fashion consultations. There are three Style Lounges located at Westfield Garden State Plaza in New Jersey, Westfield Montgomery in Maryland, and Westfield Trumbull in Connecticut.[23]

London was the executive producer of Big Brooklyn Style, a reality show about customer experiences at Lee Lee's Valise boutique in New York. The show premiered May 29, 2012 on TLC.[24] In February 2013, she became an editor-at-large of Shape magazine. In her role, she was to write a fashion column for the magazine every month.[25] In March 2013, TLC announced that What Not to Wear would air its final season starting in July. London said of the experience "This show changed me and the trajectory of my life... I hope we touched [our contributors] as much as they touched me. I hope we touched our viewers."[26] In January 2015, TLC announced that London would host Love, Lust, or Run, a show similar to her previous work, What Not to Wear.[27] She was an official contributor on Season 19 of The View from 2015 to 2016.[28]

Personal life

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London lives in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of New York City's Brooklyn borough.[29] On December 31, 2019, she announced that she was in her first serious relationship with a woman, musician Cat Yezbak, and had been so for over a year.[30] She wrote on Instagram, "So I used to date men. Now I date her."[31] In 2024, she specified that she identifies as a lesbian.[32]

London has suffered from psoriasis since childhood.[33][34] Due to her experience growing up, she became a spokesperson for the National Psoriasis Foundation in 2007[35] and AbbVie's "Uncover Your Confidence" campaign in 2013.[36] She is well known for her naturally-occurring gray streak in the front of her hair—known in the medical field as poliosis—which she has had since she was 11 years old.[34] Her Pantene contract includes a "gray clause" that allows her to keep it.[37][38]

In the early 1990s, London struggled with anorexia, binge eating, and other weight issues.[33][39] Standing 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm),[5] she was 90 pounds (41 kg) at her lightest weight and 180 pounds (82 kg) at her heaviest.[33][39] In a 2007 interview with Sirens magazine, she said of the experience, "I have been every size in my life. I've been smaller than a zero, up through a size 16. I've had lots of issues with body image and weight my whole life and it really took a great deal of work to recognize that at all those weights, no matter how I felt, I could still find a dress that made me feel sexy and powerful."[40]

In 2010, London was profiled by Time Out magazine in their article/photo series about the most stylish New Yorkers.[41] That same year, she performed in the Off-Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore, a series of monologues about women's clothes and their relationship to life events/memories.[41] As of 2016, London has never been married and has no children.[33][39] She discussed being single, the importance of personal style, and her past struggles with eating disorders in her second book, a memoir, titled The Truth About Style.[42]

In December 2016, London underwent spinal fusion surgery to correct a chronic back problem, which required a six-month rehabilitation.[43]

References

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  1. ^ Kadosh, Dikla (November 15, 2010). "A passion for fashion". JewishJournal.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Gitter, Emily (August 17, 2004). "The Makeover Artist". NYSun.com. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
  3. ^ Roberts, Sam (November 12, 2018). "Herbert London, Conservative Savant and Social Critic, Dies at 79". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Riley, Naomi Schaffer (July 6, 2007). "In the World of Women's Wear: Sense and Sensibility". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 16, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Huget, Jennifer (April 21, 2009). "Stacy London's Low-Snark Approach to Feeling Fine About Your Body". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
  6. ^ a b c Steve Boorstein. "Clothing Doctor bio". ClothingDoctor.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-02. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
  7. ^ "Stacy London: Fashion Expert". CAASpeakers.com. Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  8. ^ "Beauty & Style Experts: What Not to Wear". iVillage.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
  9. ^ London, Stacy; Kelly, Clinton (2005). Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body. New York: Three Rivers Press. p. 256. ISBN 0307236714.
  10. ^ Baker, Olivia (November 22, 2007). "At home: TLC's Stacy London shoehorns her style into her duplex". USA Today. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
  11. ^ "Best of 2005 Season Special". What Not to Wear. Season 4. Episode 17. December 23, 2005. TLC.
  12. ^ "Fashionably Late with Stacy London". Discovery.com. Retrieved August 13, 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Style lounge opens at Westfield". Acorn-Online.com. May 24, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  14. ^ "Meet Pantene personal pro: Stacy London". Pantene.com. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
  15. ^ "Stacy London". FindtheLookKeeptheLook.com. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  16. ^ "DR. SCHOLL'S(R) FOR HER Joins Forces With Style Expert Stacy London to Help Women Achieve Style and Comfort" (Press release). PR Newswire. April 8, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
  17. ^ "Stacy London Finds Her Perfect Fit with the Riders by Lee Brand" (Press release). Business Wire. March 10, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
  18. ^ Givhan, Robin (August 27, 2010). "Web site's founders offer style mavens to the masses". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 17, 2010.
  19. ^ a b Freschman, Samara (April 18, 2012). "Style for Hire Launches to Revamp Your Wardrobe". FashInvest.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  20. ^ a b c Boyd, E.B. (April 16, 2012). "Style For Hire Puts Stacy London's "What Not To Wear" Fashion Smarts In Every Woman's Closet". Fast Company. Archived from the original on June 21, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  21. ^ a b Strugatz, Rachel (April 13, 2012). "Stacy London's Style for the Masses". WWD.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  22. ^ "Westfield Announces National Partnership With Celebrity Stylist Stacy London". RunwayNews.com. August 26, 2011. Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012.
  23. ^ "Westfield Style". Westfield.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  24. ^ O'Hare, Kate (May 29, 2012). "'What Not to Wear's' Stacy London embraces 'Big Brooklyn Style'". Zap2It.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 17, 2012.
  25. ^ "Shape Editor-in-Chief Tara Kraft Adds Stylish Stacy London to Roster" (Press release). PR Newswire. February 13, 2013. Archived from the original on June 5, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  26. ^ Berkshire, Geoff (March 6, 2013). "'What Not to Wear' canceled by TLC after 10 seasons". Zap2It.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2013. Retrieved March 10, 2013.
  27. ^ Persad, Michelle (January 22, 2015). "Stacy London Can Tell You More Than Just What Not To Wear". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  28. ^ "Season 19 of 'The View' kicks off with new cast, old favorite". ABC7 San Francisco. September 8, 2015.
  29. ^ Velocci, Cristina; LeWinter, Rachel (September 7, 2010). "Most stylish New Yorkers: Stacy London". Time Out. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  30. ^ "What Not to Wear host Stacy London comes out on New Year's Eve and reveals 'hot butch girlfriend'". January 2020.
  31. ^ Puente, Maria. "Fashion maven Stacy London is 'in love' with a woman, introduces her girlfriend on Instagram". USA Today. Gannett. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  32. ^ Steinberg, Russell (26 June 2024). "'What Not to Wear' Alum Stacy London Now Identifies as a Lesbian: 'There Aren't Enough of Us' (Exclusive)". Us Weekly. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  33. ^ a b c d Zuckerman, Suzanne (October 8, 2012). "My Long Battle with Eating Disorders" (PDF). CAASpeakers.com. People. pp. 77–79. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2013. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  34. ^ a b Pomerance, Rachel (October 17, 2012). "Stacy London: Rewriting Your Life Story Through Style". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  35. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (September 18, 2007). "Q&A: Stacy London". OK!. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved March 26, 2009.
  36. ^ "Stacy London Launches Uncover Your Confidence™ Campaign to Empower People Living with Psoriasis". MultiVu.com. PRNewswire. July 8, 2013. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  37. ^ Firesheets, Tina (March 15, 2009). "Stacy London advocates empowerment through fashion". News & Record. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
  38. ^ Martin, Adrienne (December 21, 2010). "Glory grays". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved December 21, 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
  39. ^ a b c Wicks, Amy (October 1, 2012). "Stacy London: From Makeovers to Memoir". WWD.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved October 22, 2012.
  40. ^ Bartz, Andrea (December 19, 2007). "Quote This!: Stacy London". Sirens Magazine. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009. Retrieved March 28, 2009.
  41. ^ a b Velocci, Cristina; LeWinter, Rachel (September 7, 2010). "Most stylish New Yorkers: Stacy London". Time Out. Archived from the original on June 19, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  42. ^ London, Stacy (2012). The Truth About Style. New York City: Viking Adult. pp. 224. ISBN 978-0670026234.
  43. ^ Stacy London (2018-02-02). "Stacy London on Her Year of Going Broke". Refinery29.com. Retrieved 2018-02-03.
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