ELLE & the Coveteur: Nicole LaLiberte
ELLE & the Coveteur: Nicole LaLiberte
Nicole LaLiberte, actor
I can't live without...
1. Clarisonic, my absolute must-have beauty item. It's genius—cleans my skin like no other product I've tried before. They sell it at Sephora; everyone should have one!
2. [Christian] Louboutins. Period. The end all shoe.
3. Filet mignon from McCall's in Los Feliz. [My boyfriend] Anthony cooks this to perfection on our grill...yum!
4. Hummingbirds. They nest outside my window. I know I'm home when I see them.
5. Old movies, and my film projector. Movie night is every night at my house! Our most recent screening was Zatoichi, a Japanese film series about a blind samurai warrior. Love.
6. Harold Guskin, my acting coach in New York City. Think Yoda for actors. He's beyond description.
Digital inspiration:
shareenvintage.com
jennifergeorgenyc.com
openingceremony.com
sephora.com
abchome.com
bodhitree.com
Light Delights
"This yellow chiffon dress is by J. Mendel. I wore it at the Venice Film Festival to the premiere of Paul Morrissey's film News From Nowhere, in which I starred. The glasses are classic Ray-Bans, which I wear everywhere. The lantern was an auction find on a brief visit to Chester, Connecticut. It was a fight to the finish, but thankfully I prevailed! It's completely magical at night. It hangs in my bedroom window and twirls in the wind, reflecting candlelight around the room. I could write pages on this beautiful treasure, but I'll save that for another time."
Dancing Shoes
"I bought these shoes for the first play I ever performed in. The show was called Artfuckers, and I played a downtown It girl and wore these shoes and nothing else onstage. It was totally liberating! They are Fendi, extremely comfortable and perfect to dance in. They were once straw-colored, but they were spray-painted gold for the show. Placed expertly on top of the shoe is Lambi, a pendant given to me by my beloved boyfriend, Anthony."
What's Cookin?
"I love my kitchen; it's like camping in L.A. I know it's nothing grand, but you'd be amazed at the feasts that come out of it. The dress is vintage Anne Klein, which I wore at the Venice Film Festival. It was a little too long, and I kept tripping over myself, but it was worth it. I love my colored Le Creuset cookware; flame red, azure blue...what could be better to channel your inner Julia Child!"
Sisterhood of the Traveling Hat
"Let's start with the hat. Ooh, the hat. [My best friend] Topaz and I found this hat at a farmers market in Johannesburg, South Africa, while visiting her family. We spent time in this magical little enclave by the sea, a town called Kenton, where we ate whiskey-infused mushrooms and ran naked on sand dunes for miles before falling into the sea. I wore it throughout News From Nowhere; it was an integral part of my character. Unfortunately, I lost my beautiful hat last week in a taxi, while in New York. I had just come from a wardrobe fitting—I'm currently shooting the HBO series How to Make It in America. I hope whoever finds it loves it as much as I did. The red dress is from Shareen's Vintage, my favorite vintage store in L.A. Shareen has amazing taste and is always there to help you find the perfect thing. I wore this dress to the premiere of Kaboom in L.A. The snowflake earrings are from Jennifer George. If you go to the website jennifergeorgenyc.com I'm all over it with Topaz— we're two peas in a pod. The fantastic backdrop is my favorite blanket by Pendleton for Opening Ceremony."
Adventures in Shopping
Top : "On the left, the champagne slingback crystal sandals are by Marc Jacobs. I love them. The funny thing is they were given to me by an ex-boyfriend, and I accidently left them in a hotel room and they were gone! I was so upset and ashamed that I went out and bought another pair without telling him. I guess he knows now! The shoes on the right are by Christian Louboutin, `the apex of shoe civilization,' as my friend Michael Domitrovich has said. I wore these in Cannes to the premiere of Kaboom, Gregg Araki's film in which I play the `enigmatic red-haired girl.'"
Bottom : "Anthony and I were looking for something fun together one day in August. We stumbled upon this fabulous cut-velvet, leopard-motif bra by Stella McCartney when we were on Mott Street. The geode slices are from the Los Angeles Science Center, and I use them as coasters. Also on the table are three access passes to assorted film festivals. On the purple geode is a gold sri yantra from one of my trips to India."
Sacred Icons
"This empty bottle turned candlestick was the first wine that Anthony and I shared at my new bungalow paradise in Silver Lake. Très romantic! He's depicted on the label, as a bear, and I'm the little redheaded doll on the bottom. I found her in the dirt around the Silver Lake reservoir and took her home to clean her off. She is so me. As are Jennifer George's necklaces, also in the photo!"
Lady of the Night
"The original signed [George] Hurrell print of Joan Crawford was a gift from Paul Morrissey and has a silver cast that I love. Can you tell that I love Joan Crawford yet? No wire hangers in this house! The sequined Diane von Furstenberg jacket is a staple of mine. I wear it almost every day over jeans with flip-flops or to a black-tie affair over a cocktail dress."
Pool-side Posh
"This dress is by Tuleh—so dramatic and beautiful. Bryan Bradley, Tuleh's founder, had given it to my friend the designer Jennifer George, and she gave it to me. Bryan had been Jennifer's assistant before he started his company and they remained friends. I remember Jennifer putting me up on a stool in her dining room and trimming the fringe to perfection! I wore it poolside at the Hotel du Cap in the South of France during the Cannes Film Festival. Have to say, it's one of my favorite things, and I love the photo— green and blue against my straw blinds."
One of a Kind
"Grand Hotel is a perfect film—my absolute favorite. Joan Crawford is at her most incandescent on the balcony with John Barrymore. Greta Garbo is seen here, projected above my fireplace, struggling with the idea of the end of her career as a prima ballerina. This speaks to me, considering I was once a very serious ballet dancer and left that world to pursue new horizons. My Gucci bag, seen here with Greta, I have with me always. It was a birthday gift from an actress I admire a lot, and I've never seen another one like it."
Travelin' (Wo)man
"This vintage sequined dress was once floor-length, but Shareen shortened it for me and now it's a minidress. I haven't worn it yet, but I can't wait. This was taken on my front porch with my elephant wind chime, which I found on Route 66 during an epic cross-country drive—with Topaz, of course—in a small desert town. The bell, on the upper right, was found in Rishikesh, India."
Lady Bird
"Call me strange, but I've always wanted a kitchen with a magnetic knife thing, and lo and behold, my bungalow came with one! The knife on the left was my first `big girl' knife. It's a Wusthof, and it cuts everything. The three colorful knives to the right were a housewarming gift from my mother. I love them. They're colorful. They make me happy. And they make me want to cook! As for the necklace, I have an affinity for birds—hawks, eagles, falcons, you name it. I am definitely a member of the bird tribe, and my friend Jennifer knows that. She made this necklace for me for my 21st birthday, when I became legal."
Bits and Baubles
"Draped on my beautiful lantern are two of my favorite necklaces from my friend Jennifer George. She makes incredible jewelry, belts, scarves, etc., all out of vintage materials. These necklaces are made from cut-up rosaries, and I wear them with everything from T-shirts to evening gowns."
Hollywood Hideaway
"What I love about this shot is that you get to see that I live in a tree house. The second story of my little bungalow is surrounded by windows and light and air. I often sit on the roof and watch the sun set. I love the washed-out paint with green accents. There's a feral cat that climbs in my window every now and then, which I always look forward to. The dress is from Shareen's also. She makes them from vintage fabrics, and they come in a rainbow of colors. Perfect for a picnic on my Pendleton!"
Special Peace
Top : "I stole this sweatshirt from Anthony. I wear this in the morning, and he wears it the rest of the day. It's one of the many shared and loved items in our closet. The Tibetan prayer flags were a housewarming gift from my best friend, Topaz. They have been blessed by a Tibetan monk. They hang all around my Hollywood bungalow, and I cherish them."
Bottom : "This is a broken heater in my bathroom. The glasses are prescription, and I love them because they remind me of Sally Jessy Raphael."
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