Amanda Brooks

It's like street style, but better—because it's affordable!

When Amanda Brooks left the city for the farm, she had loads of fashion goodies that she couldn't take with her. Fortunately for those of us still left in the city, she left the likes of Prada, Phillip Lim, and Chanel to the New York City Opera's annual pop-up thrift shop. {NYPost} Miley Cyrus is engaged to Gale Liam Hemsworth! The engagement ring, designed by Neil Lane and featuring a 3.5 karat diamond, cost a reported $100,000. {Hollywood Life} Victoria Beckham is British and proud of it! She appears in a video for Britain's GREAT campaign in which she discusses great British design and music and lets the world know that hottie husband David can't dance. {Styleite} Gisele took a trip to her homeland of Brazil for the Green Nation Fest. The supermodel planted trees wearing a baggy shirt, leading to further speculation that perhaps she's growing more than just trees. {PopSugar}

When Amanda Brooks announced, quite abruptly, that she would be leaving her post at Barneys to go live on a farm in Oxfordshire, England, it's safe to say the fashion industry (us included) was pretty puzzled. We wondered: Had Barneys been displeased with her performance? Had the company's precarious financial situation caused tension in the office? Was she poached by another company--or perhaps starting her own? Now, we finally have some answers. Sort of. In an interview with the New York Times, Brooks revealed that she left the famed retailer not because of bad blood or another opportunity but because she was inspired by a blog. And not one that has anything to do with fashion. A New Yorker profile tipped Brooks off to The Pioneer Woman, a blog penned by Ree Drummond, a mother who lives on a ranch in Oklahoma, homeschools her children and calls her husband exclusively (seriously) 'The Marlboro Man.' It struck a chord.

Amanda Brooks surprised everyone a few weeks ago by abruptly leaving her position as fashion director at Barneys to relocate to England to "pursue other opportunities." She's since resurfaced on a farm in the UK and written a flurry of new blog posts, so we're assuming she's content. But what about fashion director-less Barneys?

It's been over a month since Amanda Brooks unexpectedly left her post as Barneys' fashion director and announced that she'd be relocating to England with her family "in the interest of further pursuing other opportunities." And now we finally know a little bit more about why she's decided to make the move and what she's planning to do with her life. Yesterday, Brooks updated her inspiring blog, I Love Your Style, for the first time since February 2011, when she began her "DREAM JOB" at Barneys. And you'll never guess what her next plans are. She's moving to a farm! With pigs and horses and everything. She is also probably writing another book. Here's her little update:

File this under news we did not see coming. Amanda Brooks, who was named Barneys' fashion director in January 2011, has resigned, WWD is reporting. Just yesterday we attended an event at Barneys in which Brooks hosted a talk with the creative directors of Maiyet, introducing Barneys' newest label to a group of online editors. She looked immaculate as always, and asked thoughtful, well-researched, questions. She also just wrapped a busy fashion month--a fixture in the front row and a favorite of street style photographers. Brooks is leaving for England to pursue other opportunities.

Last night we headed over to Barneys to fete the arrival of Derek Lam's new diffusion line 10 Crosby at the famed retailer. Champagne flutes and itty-bitty squares of the most delicious pizza were onhand to make the celebration official--as was Derek Lam (of course) and Barneys always impeccable fashion director, Amanda Brooks, who led a Q and A with Lam. 10 Crosby has already won over the fashion industry in just one season and it's easy to why: There's something for everyone--from a structured blazer for your mom to a head-to-toe pajama look for your fashion-forward bestie--in this line that successfully marries style and comfort. It's a line for the every girl rather than the starlet on the red carpet. No wonder then, that Lam was inspired by real New Yorkers.

The latest fashion news scandal, aside from the ongoing New York vs. Milan fashion week stand off, concerns the use of the word Navajo. The Navajo Nation has a trademark on its name, and made headlines when it sent Urban Outfitters a cease and desist letter for selling items called "Navajo hipster panties" and a "Navajo flask." Urban Outfitters has since renamed these items the "Printed Hipster Panty" and the "Printed Fabric Wrapped Flask" but that hasn't stopped Barneys' fashion director, the girl-crush worthy Amanda Brooks, from writing a post on Barneys' "The Window" blog about all things Navajo. The post is titled "Navajo Nation: Amanda Brooks tries out fall's hottest print," and it features items from Barneys and sources inspiration photos of Joni Mitchell, Emmanuelle Alt, Daria Werbowy, and the female equivalent of the Native American from the Village People (see: white bikini and headdress).

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It's a weird fangirl-ish thing to ask Amanda Brooks, Barney's impeccably well-heeled and well-coiffed fashion director, about her hair. But enough people had told me they were "obsessed" with it so I sucked it up, channeled Emily Weiss at Into the Gloss, and asked her about her locks after we had finished chatting about $39,000 crocodile backpacks at Barneys launch event for The Row's new luxury handbag line. Brooks was caught a little off guard by the question, laughing at first, but then, in a very refreshingly down-to-earth way, delved into her surprisingly low maintenance hair care routine. "I do my hair myself," Brooks said. "I have to say, I have good hair--my dad gave me his hair." Which, she confesses, is a blessing and a curse. "I have a lot of hair--which means I also have a lot of hair on my legs, so there is a pay off. I shave them don't worry." And in keeping with fashion's latest trend of not washing your hair, Brooks only washes it once a week.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were on hand at Barneys last night to fete the launch of their new line of luxury handbags for The Row (I'm pretty sure I know which one is which now thanks to our handy guide--Ashley's in the floor length embroidered number, MK's in the blazer, both from the Row). "I think the bags are triple super chic," said Amanda Brooks, Barneys' new-ish fashion director (who, as evidenced by our Textbook post today, is pretty chic herself). The line, she said, fills a void within Barneys highly competitive bags and accessories department--a younger more streamlined Celine-esque sub-in for the Birkins they don't stock. "Obviously we don't carry Hermes bags in the store so we were trying to find something that appeals to that customer who is willing to spend a lot of money on a bag that's going to last a long time and has a classic design." When Brooks mentions a customer willing to spend "a lot of money on a bag" she means up to $39,000 on a bag. That's how much the crocodile backpack in the Olsen's new bag range for the Row will set you back.

If you're familiar with Barneys New York--one of the city's, nay, the world's, best department stores--then you ought to be familiar with Amanda Brooks. Ms. Brooks, the fashion director, is a somewhat new addition to Barneys, having joined in February. Prior to her position uptown, Ms. Brooks worked as brand consultant for everyone from DvF and Roger Vivier to Chanel and Tod's. She's most certainly wise in the ways of fashion. But if that's not clear from her resume, then just take a look at her personal style--she's got a closet that makes any editor jealous. Brooks has already done quite a few interesting things at Barneys--see Daphne Guinness, Carine Roitfeld for proof--and we'll continue watching her work at the Madison Avenue landmark closely.

With the royal wedding finally over, the fashion world moves on to the next big event on the fashion calendar: the Met Gala. The gala celebrates this year's Costume Institute exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, on view from May 4 through July 31. "Alexander McQueen was best known for his astonishing and extravagant runway presentations, which were given dramatic scenarios and narrative structures that suggested avant-garde installation and performance art," Andrew Bolton, Curator for the Costume Institute said in a release. "His fashions were an outlet for his emotions, an expression of the deepest, often darkest, aspects of his imagination. He was a true romantic in the Byronic sense of the word – he channeled the sublime." The exhibit celebrates the late designer's iconic work, featuring over 100 pieces of ready to wear from the McQueen archives, and approximately 70 accessories. What we'll all have our eyes on though are the McQueens that walk the red carpet of the Met tonight for the gala, and the daring and lucky fashionistas that showcase the late designer's pieces (and creations by his successor/royal wedding designer Sarah Burton). In advance of tonight's fashion Oscars, here's our fantasy list of the 10 dresses we'd like to see walk the carpet, and who we'd like to see wear them.

There's a ton of interesting stuff happening at Barneys right now. Carine Roitfeld's styling gig and Daphne Guinness' Met Ball windows are probably the most exciting. But we're still very much enthralled with newly-anointed fashion director Amanda Brooks and how she'll guide the store's buy. That's why we were particularly excited to head over to the store-with-the-black-awnings for a casual breakfast chat between Brooks and Barneys' favorite Joseph Altuzarra. Outfitted in the designer's spring collection, Brooks asked Altuzarra all about inspiration, working with retailers, and why he doesn't design with skinny models in mind. A few things we learned:

Click through to see who made our list--and why.

Know them well.

After months of speculation, Amanda Brooks has been hired as the new fashion director of Barneys New York. “I have long admired Amanda and her effortless blend of luxury and individual style. Her unique perspective on fashion mirrors what Barneys represents and we feel very fortunate to have her join the team,” said Daniella Vitale, the company's new chief merchandiser, in a statement. She begins February 7, just in time to sit front row at New York Fashion Week. While much of our generation knows Brooks as more of a socialite and personal style icon, penning the guide I Love Your Style in 2009, she also has plenty of legit fashion cred. Her most recent position was director of fashion at William Morris, where she worked with Chanel, Tod's, and American Express on marketing, advertising, and image building. As an independent consultant, she worked with DvF, Tory Burch, and Roger Vivier. She was also at one point the creative director of Hogan, as well as Tuleh. She has also written for top notch publications, such as Vogue and The New York Times. We've always thought of Brooks as more of a Bergdorf girl, so it'll be interesting to see how she adapts her uptown sensibility to the decidedly downtown Barneys brand.

We just received a copy of Amanda Brooks' new book (out September 15), I Love Your Style. And while we haven't had a chance to really read through it