YOU CAN SIT AND COUNT EMMANUELLE ALT’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO FASHION’S TIME CAPSULE: ROCK-CHIC, CROTCH-GRAZING BOOTS, MILITARY FLOURISHES. OR YOU CAN SCRAPBOOK THEM FROM THE PAGES OF VOGUE PARIS. SINCE TAKING OVER AS FASHION DIRECTOR IN 2000, SHE, ALONGSIDE CARINE ROITFELD, HAVE TURNED FASHION ON A SPIKED HEEL. REMEMBER PRADA’S EARLY-NOUGHTIES SOBRIETY? HOW EASILY ALT & CO. SHARP-SHOULDERED IT ASIDE. AND YET, SHE SHARES HER GREATEST CONTRIBUTION WITH MIUCCIA, AFTER ALL: THE UNIFORM. BUT IF PRADA AUTHORED THE TOME, ALT IS THE EMPIRICAL EDITOR. LIKE THE SUN-BLEACHED SIDEWALKS OF HER INSPIRATIONS, HER STREETWEAR AESTHETIC IS A STUDY IN NUANCE; ORGANIC, INCREASINGLY INEDIBLE AND IN HER CASE, INFLUENTIAL. PROOF? LAST YEAR, KANYE MADE LIKE AN (AHEM) ALT-AR BOY, DEVOTING AN ENTIRE BLOG POST TO THIS EDITRIX. CRAZY? NOT IN THE LEAST. DON’T FORGET, THIS IS THE WOMAN BEHIND THREE FRENCH FASHION BIBLES (BALMAIN, ISABEL MARANT, VOGUE PARIS).

BUT IF HER PARISIAN ÉLAN SEEMS EFFORTLESS, GUIDELINES PERSIST: ATTAINABLE BASICS (A.P.C. AND TOPSHOP), SHARP-SHOULDERED BALMAIN BLAZERS AND LUXE LEATHERS FROM GUCCI AND BALENCIAGA. ALL HAIL THE HEADMISTRESS.

-ADRIAN CORSIN

PRADA PLATFORMS FROM RESORT 2010

THE INCREDIBLY STYLISH, SHALA MONROQUE.

WHEN IN DOUBT, YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH A BLUE OXFORD SHIRT.