Talk Shop: Elizabeth Taufield // Moda Operandi
ABOUT ELIZABETH
Elizabeth Taufield is an actor and filmmaker based in New York. With a background in fashion editorial, Taufield most recently served as Senior Fashion Editor at Moda Operandi where she was a lead on the global e-commerce site’s content curation and oversaw home editorial. Prior to that Taufield was an editor at Vogue where she helped create and cultivate video content for the magazine’s online platform. She graduated from the George Washington University (alongside Ariel!) with a degree in Theatre and has been a life-long student of fashion, interiors, photography, film and art history. A longtime friend of Ariel’s, we couldn’t think of anyone chicer to sit down with to chat interiors.
Describe your style in three words or less:
Personal to me.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
French and Italian style, my instincts, and my god-mother, Patty Isen.
How did you start your company, and what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I’ve recently pivoted from the fashion editorial space into film. There’s a lot of overlap. As a fashion editor or a writer and director, it comes down to storytelling and shaping a narrative. I really like telling stories and I love creating worlds told through a specific lens.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I’ve had many—there’s countless women I admire and look up to. I can’t even name them all. There’s an underlying commonality they each possess: open arms, an acute ear and a safe space to purge ideas. I think it’s important for a mentor to let you find your own path.
What does your home say about you:
I really love being home and I think that comes through. Hopefully a sense of warmth…please stay for dinner and maybe dessert.
Where do you find inspiration:
Inspiration can be found just by opening your eyes a bit wider. It’s all around you and it really comes down to perspective. Right now, I’m very inspired by Renzo Mongiardino (I’m re-doing my bedroom so I have a lot of references saved). I’m always inspired by retro movies. Alfred Hitchcock nailed that dusty dreaminess—the type of room you want to sit and read in for hours.
Who are your style icons:
Madeline de Castaing, Hubert de Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
The right mix of people, decadent food (or really good takeout), a filled tablescape with interesting flowers—the kind no one knows the name of, lots of tea candles. Always dessert.
Do you collect anything:
Matches, compulsively. Not the most innovative.
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@latuilelaloup, @theworldofinteriors, @miranda.brooks.gardens, @carolinairving, @courtneyapplebaumdesign and of course my dear friend @arielokin.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
Scale is pretty important. I think there’s a notion about symmetry that can be broken—asymmetry is usually more interesting anyway. And I don’t believe anything should be too match-y unless one fabric is being used for an entire room.
What are you working on right now:
I’ve just finished a short film A Girl Called Isabelle that I wrote, directed, produced and acted in. We’re in the midst of working on the distribution strategy. I have two new projects in early development—a short I’m co-writing with a friend and a feature I’m writing on my own—both of which I’ll also direct.
Wardrobe staples:
I’m a little extreme—I either manage to find incredibly impractical pieces that become staples like a silk evening clutch I’ll carry around for day. Or on the exact opposite end of the spectrum, I’ve really gotten into old school sweatshirts and sweatpants. I always love a cashmere sweater in black, grey or navy. And a great fitting pair of jeans, which are very hard to find.
Best interior advice you ever received:
My friend and interior decorator, Alex Papachristis, hangs shades from the ceiling. It makes the windows look bigger and enlarges the room.
Best career advice you ever received:
My dad always says “the harder you work, the luckier you get.”
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
Antique dressers, upholstered headboards. Good fabric goes a long way.
Your greatest extravagance:
A very lush and wild English garden.
Favorite places to shop for home:
1stdibs, Etsy, Moda Operandi.
Most prized possession and why:
My Moroccan bone inlay dresser…I’ll have it forever. It’s a really special piece that’s a statement yet doesn’t scream.
Your interiors motto:
Surround yourself with things that make you happy and make your home a place you want to wake up every morning.
Your life motto:
Take a deep breath. It will all work out. Is that too blasé?
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Start with one thing you really love—a piece, a colorway, a picture and build from there. A mood board can go a long way.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: French fries
Drink: Ice cold water
Film: Charade
Hotel: Il San Pietro in Positano, Italy.
City: New York.
Bedding: Porthault linens in Demoiselles or Mille Fleurs prints.
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Cold brew with almond milk.
Playlist: The Vicky Cristina Barcelona movie soundtrack makes you feel like you’re on holiday in Spain.
Weekend Activity: Indulging in the art of doing nothing.
Design Book: Jean Royere by Jean-Louis Gaillemin
