Thank You.
Have a question or comment?
— The Danielle Levitt Project —
Aya Kanai
Stylist
One of the best hidden gems in NYC is…
My parents’ house. It’s a very exclusive club. Just kidding!
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know by looking at you.
I grew up being very self conscious about my height. As a child, I was never a delicate petite little girl, even though I wished I were. Now as an adult I am proud to be 5’10”. I always stand to my full height and sometimes even wear heels to appear taller!
Secret talent?
I can tap dance.
Shiona Turini
Teen Vogue
Name the three things you cannot live without.
Leopard, sequins, and glitter. Just joking, definitely my heels (all of them — I don’t play favorites), my BBM (even though I have an iPhone now, I have held onto my Blackberry for fear of separation anxiety), and last but definitely not least, my family. Even though they don’t live in NYC, they keep me grounded and I love to go home to Bermuda to see them.
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know by looking at you.
I’m a camper. Sleeping outside, building fires, fishing for my meals — the whole shebang.
Jason Russell
Invisible Children
Favorite Quote?
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” –Howard Thurman
Worst job you’ve ever had?
A Christmas Elf at Viejas Casino for $50. I was so good they gave me $75.
Secret talent?
I can walk on my hands for about a mile.
Joanna Hillman
Harper’s Bazaar
Jonathan Jackson and Sarah Nelson
WSDIA
Favorite Quote?
Jonathan: This quote sparked the name for our design studio. “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” –Robert A. Heinlein
Name the three things you cannot live without.
Sarah: Loved ones, fresh air, and tomatoes.
Laren Poole
Invisible Children
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
Well, I have been fascinated by what is going on in Kanye West’s head for a couple years.
What is the last costume you wore?
Ken, from Ken and Barbie. Not my best decision.
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
Buy for two reasons — fit and timelessness.
Lester Garcia
Stylist
Jake Bronstein and Kristina Hoge
Buckyballs/The Manhattan Theatre Club
Favorite quote?
Jake: “In the future, everyone will be private for 15 minutes.” –Kiro
Kristina: “Decide that you want it more than you are afraid of it.” –Bill Cosby
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
Kristina: My dog. Looks like a pretty good life to me.
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know by looking at you.
Jake: After declaring early eligibility, I was actually in the 1998 NBA draft. Really.
Nary Manivong and Ally Hilfiger
NAHM
Favorite quote?
Ally: “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” –HDT
Worst job you’ve had?
Nary: Carpet cleaner!
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
Ally: My 2-year-old brother Sebastian
Sean Carasso
Falling Whistles
Favorite quote?
“The past is the textbook of tyrants; the future the bible of the free.”
Worst job you’ve ever had?
I flooded my parents house when I was in 8th grade and had to spend the next 3 months scrubbing every inch of mildew with a toothbrush. Brutal.
Name the three things you cannot live without.
My journal. My health. My retainer.
Amina Akhtar
Fashion, Etc.
Favorite Quote?
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” –Winston Churchill (I have that tattooed on me so I remember to suck it up and get out of bed when things get dodgy.)
Worst job you’ve ever had?
Coat check girl at a decent sized NYC club when I was in college. Man, your arms hurt after that.
Favorite style: Alexander McQueen or Steve McQueen?
Alexander McQueen — he’s one of the reasons I got into fashion.
Amir Zia
Lipman
Andrew Defrancesco
Photographer
Andrew Vottero
GQ Magazine
Worst job you’ve ever had?
Mechanic’s assistant.
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
“It’s just clothes.”
Anoma Whittaker
Freelance Fashion Editor
Babak Kheshti
Hugowren
Brent Coover
Out Magazine
Favorite Quote?
“Cultivate your quiet side.”
Tell us something we wouldn’t know by looking at you.
I am an Aries. Both of my sisters are Aries. We were all born the same week. We’ve done our math back nine months. Basically my mom drinks too many wine coolers on the 4th of July. Haha!
Do you wear your sunglasses at night?
NO — unless it’s a costume or themed night or I have had lasik eye surgery or some kind of bad chemical peel under my eyes.
Brett Dennen
Musician
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
An old fashioned outlaw from the cowboy movies. Riding among the rock monuments of Wyoming or Utah. Living the outlaw life. Drinking strong coffee in the morning. Chaw in the mouth.
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
If you think nobody else has it, wear it.
Cator Sparks
Writer
Christene Barberich
Refinery 29
Name the three things you cannot live without.
For starters, love, compassion, and forgiveness. The list is long.
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
The more confident, fearless, and slightly outrageous me.
Secret talent?
I can juggle. And I was also a state champion twirler in junior high.
Christina Chin
S Magazine
Christopher Campbell
Blackbook Magazine
CK Swett
Phillips de Pury & Company
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
Dwight Howard or Justin Bieber (both would be really really different, I imagine).
What is the last costume you wore?
Does a floral print speedo count as a “costume”
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
Look in the mirror. If you laugh and want to give your reflection a high five then you’re probably doing something right (that was the advice I gave myself this morning; not sure if it was the “best” advice, but it’s seemed to work so far today).
Danny Miller
The Bear Cave
Favorite Quote?
“I don’t hate people, I just feel better when they aren’t around” –Charles Bukowski
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
Rick Ross (duh).
One of the best hidden gems in NYC is…
None of your goddamn business.
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
“Pull your pants up.” –Nachume Miller
Dominick Leon
Musician
Fataah Dihaan
Arcade 44
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know by looking at you.
I trained to be a dancer from the time I was 10 to 17.
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
There are no rules! Wear what you want. Take risks.
Garrett Munce
W Magazine
Name the three things you cannot live without.
Pugs, burritos, and 90’s sitcoms on Netflix Instant.
What is the last costume you wore?
Making costumes is one of my absolute favorite things! Last Halloween, I was Jerri Blank from “Strangers with Candy.” This year I’m going as Ursula from The Little Mermaid.
Favorite style: Alexander McQueen or Steve McQueen?
Steve McQueen — the original badass.
Do you wear sunglasses at night?
No, but I might if they were prescription since I basically have night blindness.
Jamie Pallot
Vanity Fair
Javi Battle
Warby Parker
Favorite Quote?
“Without music, life would be a mistake.” –Friedrich Nietzsche
Name the three things you cannot live without.
Family, skateboard, techno.
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
Anthony Bourdain
Jayne Roberts
Warby Parker
Joel Barhamand
Photographer
Jules Wood
Stylist
Justin Berkowitz
Details Magazine
Favorite Quote?
“Style is a simple way of saying complicated things.” –Jean Cocteau
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
Perhaps not advice, but my mother was a serious stickler for neat presentation. I wasn’t allowed out the front door if my shirt wasn’t clean, pressed, and tucked in. It’s served me well thus far.
Kat Clements
Stylist
Kate Davidson Hudson
Elle Magazine
Luigi Tadini
Paper Magazine
Favorite Quote?
“Life is too important to be taken seriously.” –Wilde; “Personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures.” –F. Scott Fitzgerald
Name the three things you cannot live without.
My passport, a single shot of espresso, a worn-in pair of jeans.
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
Mick Jagger circa 1970s.
Favorite style: Alexander McQueen or Steve McQueen?
A hybrid. Steve in style, McQueen in creativity.
Matthew Simonelli
Stylist
Name the three things you cannot live without.
Coffee, sun, and red meat!
What is the last costume you wore?
Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ve dressed up since last Halloween! That costume was of Czar Nicholas II complete with bullet holes.
One of the best hidden gems in NYC is…
The Tuesday night lectures at the Hayden Planetarium — LOVE!
Favorite style: Alexander McQueen or Steve McQueen?
Love both. Alexander’s a genius … but is it wrong that I’m feeling Steve?
Miguel Enamorado
Interview Magazine
Favorite Quote?
“This is not the dress rehearsal, this is the show.” My grandmother said this to me and I think about it all the time.
What is the last costume you wore?
I LOVE Halloween, my friends and I went as Glampires. It was a like a glamrock band made up of vampires.
One of the best hidden gems in NYC is…
New York Tailors on Kenmare. I would fall apart at the seams, literally, without them.
Mindy Ryu
The Bear Cave
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know by looking at you.
I’m kind of a daredevil.
Do you wear your sunglasses at night?
If I’m feeling like the Lost Boys, maybe.
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
KISS — Keep It Simple Stupid.
Mister Lee
OWN Magazine
Favorite Quote?
“Just cause you pour syrup on sh1+, don’t make it pancakes.”
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
Buckminster Fuller, of course.
Do you wear your sunglasses at night?
I’m known for that, plus rocking them to sleep.
Natalie Joos
Casting Director
What was the last costume you wore?
I was a Tropicana orange for Halloween, complete with red and white straw. People call me Joosie — that’s what it said on the orange, in the Tropicana font in green felt. It was VERY funny! People loved it.
Secret talent?
I can sing.
Favorite style: Alexander McQueen or Steve McQueen?
Steve McQueen!! I love the 60’s and 70’s.
Nic Screws
Esquire Magazine
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know by looking at you.
I’m in a bike gang, love Nascar, and have the gracefulness of an infant.
Favorite style: Alexander McQueen or Steve McQueen?
Steve. Forever.
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
Invest in a good tailoring and an annual shoe resoling. Also: when in doubt, wear heels.
Patrick Bradbury
Bradbury Lewis PR
Piera Gelardi
Refinery 29
Favorite Quote?
“Hydrate or die.” –Mom
What is the last costume you wore?
I was a piñata for Halloween and I loved the costume I made so much that I wore it for Thanskgiving, too.
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know by looking at you?
I went to Space Camp.
Secret talent?
I bake a mean pie.
Rajni Jacques
Nylon Magazine
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
The two O’s: Oprah and Obama.
Favorite part of your day?
Around 6 p.m. during the weekday. So many possibilities of what to do next.
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know by looking at you?
I’m really 13-years-old.
Rayna Cummings
Stylist
Russell
Tommy Guns Salon
Sam Spector
Stylist
What person would you like to swap lives with for a day?
Madonna.
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
Isaac Mizrahi told me years ago “It’s free to look.” When styling you have to try every option to figure out the best one.
Sloane Crosley
Writer
Sophie Moussazadeh
Warby Parker
Favorite Quote?
“Keep smiling — it makes people wonder what you’ve been up to.” –Author Unknown
What is the last costume you wore?
Serena Williams (complete with fake butt).
Secret talent?
I have superior control over my eyebrows.
Best piece of fashion advice given to you?
Stay simple. You’ll never have to worry about your clothes not matching.
Steven Alan
Designer
Victor Jeffreys
Filmmaker
Name the three things you cannot live without.
My camera, my glasses, my other camera.
What is the last costume you wore?
A full-body black leotard painted the way Keith Haring painted himself when Annie Leibovitz took his portrait.
Brunch at 12pm or breakfast food at 2am?
I eat like a deer — I spend the day grazing.
Tell us something that we wouldn’t know by looking at you.
I can eat my weight in almonds and berries.
Do you wear your sunglasses at night?
Only when I am dressed like a blind man.
William Kahn
W Magazine
Worst job you’ve ever had?
Sweeping up popcorn at an AMC movie theater in high school — not very glam.
Name three things you cannot live without.
Diet Dr. Pepper, my camo Prada bag, Lara bars.
What is the last costume you wore?
I was a cowboy — any excuse to wear a bandana.
Favorite part of your day?
Tie between 7 a.m. spin class and cocktail hour.
Warby Parker & Danielle Levitt teamed up to capture Warby Parker’s community and friends. Each are leaders in their respective fields and share Warby Parker’s belief in the intersection of fashion, entrepreneurship and doing good.
About Danielle Levitt
Danielle Levitt is a New York-based photographer with a wide following in the fashion and art worlds.
Danielle arrived at her distinctive photographic style while capturing street fashion, pop culture, and celebrity for countless publications. While producing her commercial work, Levitt also pursues her passion for documenting American youth. The first iteration of this exploration came in 2008 with We Are Experienced, Levitt’s first monograph, a series of individual and group portraits depicting adolescents in a variety of settings. Danielle’s photography is regularly featured in The New York Times Magazine, GQ, and Rolling Stone.
