THE A-LIST
Everything Hot & Cool

Hollywood stylist, Allison Dickson

If you've ever wanted to be on the A-list, now's your chance. You can sign up for Allison Dickson's daily dose of style at her site: www.thea-list.com. The a-list chronicles the latest must-have finds, lets you know about the best and latest fashion a-list events, and always profiles lots of fun and cool fashions & trends for all budgets. If you fall in love with something on her site, you can even buy it online...


With 12 years of styling under her belt, Allison has been profiled on shows like the Oprah Winfrey show, Soaptalk, and Video fashion. I was fortunate enough to interview her recently for a Red Carpet article I was working on for Affluent Magazine and Allison was kind enough to also share some of her personal thoughts for TRUST YOUR STYLE. Thanks Allison!

I think you'll enjoy some THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ALLISON DICKSON:

A) WHO ARE THE FOUR MOST STYLISH PEOPLE THAT INFLUENCED YOU?
#1 & #2 are my great-grandmother and my grandmother, both on my mother's side. My great grandmother had amazing style and ALWAYS dressed for the day. Dresses, pant-suits--you name it. She was always well dressed and had the most amazing flair for accessories. (She turned the entire garage into a closet!) Also every Friday night--as adults--both of them would get completely dressed up to go dancing. Dresses, handbags, shoes, gloves the works!! They LOVED evenings out--something both my sister and I love too! My sister and I have an amazing collection of our great grandmother's acrylic handbags, wooden bags with crystals, evening gloves, several of her beaded evening gowns, some amazing evening coats including a 3/4 length coat of solid black sequins! It's amazing and really illustrates how designers focused on dressing women head to toe. I also learned from them the importance of moving from 'day to night' in your attire. I LOVE leaving my 'day' behind and transforming for evening. It gives me a sense of having more in life than just the day to day job. I'm a big believer in teaching women how to move from day to night. There are such simple steps that would quickly transform your look if you were heading to dinner after work--or to a cocktail party--or even if you were going home to your husband and/or family...It can really make a difference and help you to leave your job behind you--and focus on your friends and family.

3. Orry-Kelly, Edith Head and the various other costumers & photographers from the 40s, 50s and on. I LOVE Hollywood Glamour!!! I LOVE the big Hollywood production costumes from old movies--designed by the Edith Head's of the various eras. They created such amazing, fantastic fantasy-like gowns. The actresses seemed like they were 'poured' into these fabulous second skins of sequins, mesh & silks. They also knew the drama of feathers and accessories to create maximum impact!

4. Patricia Field. She's the undisputed 'Edith Head' of our generation.

B) FOUR WAYS THAT STYLE MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE:
1. Allows us to express and CELEBRATE our individuality

2. It's the great common-denominator. Everyone...from strippers to stock brokers...doctors to dog-walkers...we ALL have to wear clothes. Now there are 3 CERTAINTIES IN LIFE! Death. Taxes. And Clothes! (O:

3. Style/Fashion/Clothes are often times an escape. People can dream...transform...into anything they like with clothes....Do you want to be a Wall Street professional today? A bo-ho hippie chick? A Rock-Star? A Girly-Girl?...Clothes help you to transform whether it's an escape from the mundane or celebration of a new beginning.

4. Business-wise, the clothing industry accounts for billions of dollars in revenue & jobs for hundred of thousands of people around the world.

C) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE DESIGNERS:
1. Versace & Cavalli! LOVE!

2 Karl Lagerfeld. He never ceases to amaze me that he can design so many lines...and he's done it for such a long time

3. I'm very impressed with what Tom Ford did for Gucci. He completely turned around a brand that was tired and dusty...a brand that no young person would have dreamed of carrying...into a fashion bemouth that single handedly inspired several other older lines to re-invent themselves (Chloe hired Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton hired Marc Jacobs, Azzaro etc.)

4. H&M & TopShop designers. I love their translation of expensive design made affordable for the masses.

D) FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE:
1. Life guard
2. Swim instuctor
3. Retail Salesperson
4. Model
Fun Fact: I'm actually the head stylist for Fredericks of Hollywood :OP

E) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER (AND DO):
1. Auntie Mame (with Rosalind Russell)
2. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
3. Stupid comedies: Ausin Powers (LOVE the crazy costumes!)
4. Old studio big production movies--the ones with big dance numbers--or the Ester Williams type--with the synchronized swimmers etc. CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THE COSTUMES!!!

F) FOUR PLACES WHERE I HAVE LIVED:
1. Texas (born & raised)
2. Las Vegas (LOVE Show-Girl Chic!!! GLITZ!!!)
3. California
4. These are the only places I've actually 'lived'...I work A LOT in New York...(so it feels like I live there!) I've also traveled a lot...So, Africa, Thailand, South Polynesia, Argentina, Uruguay...many tropical places...Bahamas,

G) FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH: (I'll go more by network)
1. HBO
2. AMC
3. Spongebob Squarepants--love the writing and he's so cute!
4. NBC-TODAY, local news, National news & I Love Will & Grace (O:

H) FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS:
1. Bangkok
2. Tahiti & Bora Bora
3. Cape Town, South Africa
4. Argentina & Uruguay

I) FOUR WEBSITES I VISIT DAILY (or at least weekly):
1. TheA-List.com! My site...my baby (O:
2. Google.com--I'm always searching for something...
3. Dictionary.com & Thesaurus.com
4. CNN.com--keep up on the news...

J) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
1. Tuna Tartare (spicy!)
2. Any sushi and/or sashimi
3. Mexican Food (spicy)
4. Chocolate layer cake & ice cream

K) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. Boston (my boyfriend lives there (O:
2. Any Caribbean island! (LOVE the water!)
3. Dubai (visit my Swedish friends)
4. Japan--(I can't wait to go!!!)