Meet Manhattan's 2019 Women of Style

Our annual Women of Style accolades are bestowed on these five New York City fashionistas.

Gigi Burris O’Hara surrounded by magnificent millinery at her downtown studio

Gigi Burris O’Hara
Milliner and Owner of Gigi Burris Millinery (gigiburris.com)

When Gigi Burris O’Hara got married at The Standard, the star of her ensemble was the blue straw boater that she designed herself to complement a form-fitting Vera Wang gown. With Gigi Burris Millinery, she proves that a headpiece is unequivocally the best accessory for a woman with confidence. “My studio acts as my giant personal hat closet, so I am able to experiment with wearing all sorts of hats and headbands. Most of the time, I dress from the top down,” she says. The hat designer has absolutely blown up in recent years with her classic silhouettes in unusual color pairings that are coveted by Manhattan’s A-list. “During childhood, I would craft all sorts of headpieces and barrettes out of rhinestones and ribbons, and I suppose very little has changed,” Burris O’Hara says. “Now, I am doing the same thing with couture sewing techniques, instead of Elmer’s Glue.” She’s since upgraded from arts and crafts to a partnership with Net-A-Porter, and the exclusive items have allowed her to experiment. Burris O’Hara’s overall inspirations are wide-ranging, from pilgrim capotains to the Sunday best of her Southern roots. “All of the incredible women in my family serve as style icons,” she says. “Growing up in the South, there is a gentility and grace that comes so naturally to the women I grew up around.”

Dina De Luca Chartouni breakfasts in the penthouse of The Lowell Hotel, where she is co-owner and creative director.

Dina De Luca Chartouni
Film and TV Producer, Co-Owner and Creative Director of The Lowell Hotel (lowellhotel.com) and Founder of DDC28

Dina De Luca Chartouni remembers the first time she internalized her definition of the word “style.” As a preteen, all her friends were drooling over Laura Ashley sundresses with dainty patterns. Her mother told her that solid white dresses would be a better fit for her skin tone and height. “At that same moment, she not only gave me a sense of what didn’t work but what would work best,” De Luca Chartouni says. “It was the best type of mothering: guidance with love and skill. It was and still is the greatest lesson about fashion for me until this day: define yourself.” The multihyphenate has defined herself today as a producer, founder of lifestyle brand DDC28 and co-owner and creative director of The Lowell Hotel. The hotel draws in guests with its signature tea service and a style that is perfectly appointed and elegantly cozy. De Luca Chartouni is working on a renovation featuring a new fitness center and revamp of The Pembroke Room restaurant, along with a period drama television series, a feature film and a product line sold at Saks Fifth Avenue. She certainly stays busy while representing her favorite designers: Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Prada, Dior, Andrew Gn, Victoria Beckham and Fannie Schiavoni. “As a young girl, growing up in NYC, Saturdays were spent shopping with friends at BG’s, Barneys or Bloomie’s,” she says. “Finding clothes to wear and designers that I like has always been a strong suit of mine.”

The Upper East Side historic home of power couple Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee features a central courtyard.

Tonya Lewis Lee
Founder of Movita Organics (movitaorganics.‌com), Producer and Author

Tonya Lewis Lee’s fashion has to be as multifaceted as she is; her schedule is a mesh of time in meetings, on set and curled up in a chair writing. “But overall, my fashion choices when it comes to work often reflect a sense of empowerment,” she says, “and so when I’m out in the world, my fashion choices can be like armor and at the same time like a superhero suit.” Sometimes, that armor is a good tailored suit with a pump, and others, it’s jeans with an Oxford shirt, usually alongside accessories such as a great hat, glasses or her beloved lion ring. Lewis Lee founded Movita Organics to address the specific health needs of women, and the brand recently launched prenatal and beauty vitamin supplements. To keep her agenda even more packed, the Lewis Lee-produced film All Rise hits theaters in November, and she’s also working on an adaptation of the Dick Lehr novel Trell, along with advocacy for wellness of all mothers and their babies. She says, “I think that being in a creative business, I’ve been able to define my look my way, and perhaps my look is representative of who I am as a creative and a businesswoman.”

Lucrezia Buccellati leads the Italian heritage brand.

Lucrezia Buccellati
Co-Creative Designer and Ambassador for Buccellati (us.buccellati.com)

“When I’m designing jewels, I always think of what outfit I would wear with each piece and then think of how women with different styles would also wear it,” explains Lucrezia Buccellati—the fourth generation to lead the design direction of her family’s eponymous empire. Today, we can see the young designer’s hand in pieces like a beautiful honeycomb and diamond choker that launched during Paris Haute Couture in early July. “I believe it reflects my style at Buccellati and also embodies the modern, empowered women of today’s world,” she says. Based in New York but raised alongside her family in Italy, Buccellati ushers in a renaissance for the brand infused with a contemporary outlook that remains rooted in the house’s heritage and commitment to craftsmanship. “When I design jewelry, I look to the fashion world, while also making sure to keep my creative identity separate in order to design timeless jewelry that does not follow any specific trend,” she says. As for her personal style, you will typically catch her in long gowns, vintage dresses—and, of course, some showstopping baubles. “My style is edgy and classical with a laid-back touch, especially for my daily life,” Buccellati says. “I do not wear a specific designer because I like to mix and match. I feel style is something that is constantly evolving.”

Lizzie Tisch presiding over her Central Park views next to a work by Christopher Wool

Lizzie Tisch
Chief Curator, LTDxLizzieTisch (ltdxlizzietisch.com)

“I’ve always loved putting together outfits and being creative with my style,” says art impresario and maven Lizzie Tisch. “It’s a way to express myself.” And express herself she does through her impressively irreverent art collection and flair for fun. “Sparkly—never met a sequin I didn’t like,” is how the powerhouse describes her aesthetic, which often includes an embellished, fitted blazer paired with jeans or straight-legged pants. “But so as not to look like a Christmas tree, I try to offset the sparkles with tailored pieces,” she explains. “Some of my favorite designers are Ashish, The Row, Libertine, David Koma and Altuzarra.” Much like her work discovering emerging artists, Tisch has an impressive eye for spotting emerging fashion designers. “I’ve always loved finding new designers and things you can’t find everywhere. That is why I created LTDxLizzieTisch. People love discovering something new and different.”

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