9 years ago by
In my editor’s letter yesterday, I mentioned that we had a new style icon…
Rados is an ineffable woman with incredible style. I love how what she wears really showcases her unique point of view – a personal quality I have always admired. She has lived a full life across different continents (once an editor for German Vogue, she now has her own New York-based company, Rados Protic Communications), but has maintained a strong sense of self – and her opinion on style – along the way.
That is most telling in her signatures. She pioneered black clothing, is known for her aviator sunglasses, and has always had short hair. And I think that’s something we all aspire to in terms of personal style – to find a look that we never tire of, and that is resolutely chic.
1. Describe your style in three words.
Classic with a mix of rock’n roll, menswear inspired and vintage.
2. How has your look evolved over the years?
My signature pieces have been the same with slight variations: I started wearing black clothes when I was 14 – rule breaking at that time. Black has been my favorite color ever since. As have been pants, motorcycle jackets, sequin pieces, leather, and new and vintage fur.
3. Did your time working with Vogue Germany influence your style?
Not really. The only thing I added to my look were bold accessories, particularly jewelry. I produced about 70 covers from 1983-89 for German Vogue in New York, and real and costume jewelry was a must.
But, what influenced me much more were the interviews I did with personalities such as Ralph Lauren, Paloma Picasso, Isabella Rossellini, Raquel Welch, Arnold Schwarzenegger and ZsaZsa Gabor (she and her sisters were the Kardashians of the 70s and 80s). Getting a glimpse of what their passion was, what drove them, what made them special and successful.
4. Are you more adventurous now with fashion than you were when you were younger?
I used to wear really extravagant pieces by Commes des Garçons, Yohji Yamamoto and Kansai Yamamoto. I was sometimes going for shock value. I had a black Saint Laurent pencil skirt with a sky-high split that I would pair with over the knee chartreuse platform boots and a long shaggy grey fur coat. Today, I prefer simple, streamlined styles – my uniform: black cashmere turtlenecks with black jeans and boots in winter; white shirts and black Capri pants and some 40s vintage dresses in summer.
5. Sunglasses are your signature. What is the story behind your favorite pair?
My favorite sunglasses are actually prescription glasses. I got the classic huge Porsche aviator frame about 25 years ago and wore it for a couple of years. I resurrected them about 10 years ago. I feel almost naked when I do not wear them.
6. You also have very short hair, have you always preferred a cropped hairstyle?
My hair has always been short. Once during a photo shoot for German Vogue I tried various wigs to see how I would feel with longer hair. I felt like an alien.
7. What’s your favorite outfit to wear right now?
My Sonia Bogner black leather pants, a black silk Nili Lotan shirt, a black velvet Zara tuxedo jacket and Chanel boots.
8. Where do you like to shop?
Bergdorf’s and Barneys. I also love to shop at vintage stores; my favorite is Armarcord where, over the years, I have found unique fur jackets, crocodile bags and dresses. For basics, Uniqlo is my go-to source and for some fun more fashion-y styles, Zara.
9. Who are your style icons?
The biggest style influence was my mother. She was always elegant, never overdressed. She would never leave the house without looking just perfect. When she was in her 80s, people would still stop her in the street in Munich and compliment her style. And Betty Catroux for being Yves Saint Laurent’s muse and still looking incredible today.
10. Is fashion still as exciting as it’s always been?
I think that fashion is always a mirror of the times we live in. That said, if we look around the world and the problems we are facing with ISIS, in the Ukraine, the growing inequality between the 1% and the middle class, the loss of privacy … fashion seems to be decoupled from reality. But maybe that is the true meaning of fashion, to offer an escape from reality.
Jeans, Uniqlo; white button down, Nili Lotan; sneakers, Céline.
Sequin dress, Comme des Garçons; leather jacket, Amaracord; sandals, Manolo Blahnik.
Leopard coat, Prada; leather pants, Sonia Bogner; boots, Prada.
Green sweater, Sonia Bogner; white top, Uniqlo; jeans, + J Uniqlo; heels, Via Spiga.
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Looooooove this! She’s so inspiring!
She. Is.Fantastic.
YES.
Je trouve que Rados représente vraiment la femme que j’aimerais être plus tard. Bien dans son corps, dans son age tout en suivant les tendances et la mode.
Elle n’est ni too much, ni has been mais ancrée dans son époque. Il se dégage de cette série de photos et interview l’image d’une personne en accord avec elle même et avec son époque.
Chapeau !
Amélie
https://charlesrayandcoco.wordpress.com/
Her style is ageless…she has a strong elegance…maybe directly from her DNA…
XOX, Gap.
http://www.gaptoothedgirl.com
Quel post rafraîchissant avec cette super belle femme. À l’ère du culte de la jeunesse à tout pris et éternelle, ça fait du bien de voir des femmes différentes, qui assument pleinement leur vrai visage et leur vrai corps. Sa personnalité et son style me confortent avec l’idée de vieillir en beauté et avec classe!
Bravo pour ton audace de nous présenter la différence!
What an inspiration!
She really seems like someone you can admire.
I also like her thoughts on fashion. I’ve been wondering about the same thing – fashion sometimes seems to be so far from reality (price-wise, too!). But at least for me fashion very often is an escape from my everyday life.
Wow, she has amazing style!
http://www.FashionSnag.com
First, these are some of the best pictures I’ve seen. And second, thank you for picturing older women on your website. There a lot of us clamoring for this out here. I hope this isn’t just that momentary trend, but with women like this, I guess I shouldn’t worry. “Ageless,” is a funny term, but if anyone is Rados is.
Anita
http://www.lookforthewoman.com
She is adorable and respectable in the way she lives and how she see fashion.
Amazing.
http://swingsnowman.wordpress.com
Les femmes comme elle me donnent envie de vieillir joyeusement :)
http://www.therocamadour.fr
She is indeed an inspiration, her thoughts on fashion, her relation to style, elegance and age, I wish I could find such a strong stylistic identity I would be happy with for the rest of my life !
http://thecoppercie.com
Great interview Garance! I am always inspired when I read about women who posses true style.
The thing I like most is how hairstyle and sunglasses are such a big part of her style and how they make it so iconic…
x
Sandra
http://www.eyespectacle.com/
Qu’une chose à dire : Elle est extra!!!
http://www.blushandbeyond.com/maquillqge/le-gel-eyeliner-lessentiel-de-votre-trousse-makeup/
Bisous
Alix
she has such cool style
http://hashtagliz.com
perfection. xo
J’ai son âge , ou à peu près… J’aime qu’il se dégage du caractère à son style , elle est classe… Je n’aime pas ses baskets et sa pose pieds tournés , c’est pas très joli .
J’adore son beau sourire . Mais oui on peut vieillir! Lorsqu’on voit certaines femmes ” refaites ” c’est plus moche que le beau visage de Rados . Acceptons
nos rides .
I turn 60 in just a few weeks, so thank you for the early birthday gift! Some of us find our own look early and life and for others honing it down takes nearly a lifetime — though the theme behind it may stay consistent. Can you tell us where her jeans come from?
SUper intéressant!!! Fascinant même! À quand une entrevue vidéo avec elle!!!
She is such a role model and a personal inspiration of mine! Really nice article!
http://www.daintyandchic.com
I love this, love hearing from women who provide wisdom, women who have an accomplished skill set. Love the pic of her in the leopoard coat. Sexy woman.
Félicitations pour cette interview qui a tout autant de la classe que Madame Protic, toutes les photos montrent quelqu’un qui a l’air vraiment bien dans sa peau, et je trouve que c’est ce qui compte vraiment ! Merci de nous l’avoir présenté !
je ne connaissais pas cette femme, elle a l’air géniale! J’adore son look et j’espère avoir autant de classe et de peps qu’elle à son âge. Merci Garance!
http://initialsla.com
Love her!
What a cool, cool lady with a high sense for what’s going on around, inspiring!!!
La classe ! Cette femme est sublime !
http://www.mode9.fr
Adore! Thank you!
J’aime tellement ce genre de posts, en toute honnêteté je les re-regarde quand ça m’angoisse de vieillir, et d’un coup je me dis que si c’est pour être aussi belle et cool que Rados (ou d’autres !), ça vaut le coup finalement !
http://www.pardonmyobsession.com/
great post & great pictures!
really inspiring
http://nurielfashion.blogspot.co.il/2015/02/hello-everyone-it-has-been-exhausting.html?showComment=1425405912863#c7296822523858593396
Beautiful escape from reality! I hope I’ll be this classy in a few year with my white hair :)
Une femme bien dans sa peau, ça n’a pas de prix. She is amazing.
Well said! Love this interview and pics.
Great look great women…when i looked at the first picture i thought it was your mom…:
bisous bisous
Yael Guetta
http://www.ftwwl.com
Voilà!! Il suffit que je me concentre sur ce genre de femmes et d’un coup j’ai moins peur de vieillir :-)
En fait, le secret, passé un certain âge, c’est d’être mince. Peu importe les rides, du coup. C’est ravissant et sexy d’être ronde à 20 ans mais plus tard une silhouette dynamique fait la différence.
Very cool!
She’s one cool chick and she really showed off that side of her! x
Vive les femmes aux cheveux blancs, voilà encore un cas qui nous prouve qu’ils peuvent faire classe.
Par contre, je trouve que ca coupe de cheveux est un peu masculine, un peu plus de longueur serait plus doux.
Merci de commencer à nous montrer des femmes plus mature, pour nous aider à accepter plus facilement la vieillesse.
A perfectly inspiring woman for this blog!
Oh my God!!! She is an inspiration in so many ways. Beautiful. Timeless. Intelligent. Cultured.
http://www.byandreafenise.com
Beautiful, stunning, wonderful and ageless!
So cool and so honest!
Great how she compared the Gabors to the Kardashians. It is so true. I’ll slip this into conversation with my husband and see if it encourages him to be a little more kind towards the Kardashians.
Amazing woman! So chic! Mature woman are stylish and comfortable in that season of life. Love the gray hair.
Thanks so much for featuring a mature woman, such a fashionable inspiration, a superb post
She looks and she IS great! I am very proud that she is my sister-in-law
Anne Marie, Berlin
Elle est TROP cool !
Et ça nous change des pimbêches de la mode qui se croient arrivées à 25 ans.
Honnêtement, je la trouve incroyable, même si elle est très loin de mon style et du style de femmes mûres que j’estime habituellement, elle est OUFISSIME !
Bravo
I love this style interview. Awesome. A true original with elegance, humor, and perspective.
Elle est tout juste SUBLISSIME. Et j’adore qu’elle cite des marques grande publique au lieu des boring “designer brands” tellement téléphonés. Ca c’est du vrai style!
Bravo à toutes les deux.
WHACK – outta the park! This is the exploration of style that is needed right now. She is FANTASTIC and the way she is wearing the dress and biker jacket? MY HERO! We woman of a certain age – which really isn’t THAT old — need this kind of realistic inspiration!!!!
OMG LOVE and marked so I can ponder daily.
love to read more style stories by some super inspiring women, regardless of ages!
Oh oui, continuez dans la variete avec les femmes que vous montrez: des femmes de tous ages, toutes couleurs, toutes silhouettes (au milieu des inevitables grandes minces, a la peau blanche et cheveux raides et longs…)… s’il vous plaitttttttttt!
oui ça fait du bien ! Beaucoup d’énergie dans ce personnage ! Queen of the style !
Now that’s style! I can see her clothes worn by all ages.
Rados, you look fabulous. Even better than in your youth, when I met you the first time. Regards from Hamburg.
She is superb
What an inspiring personal style profile. Style truly is an evolution through the different periods in our lives. Great to see such a self assured woman of a certain age.
http://www.beastofstyle.com
sooooo inspiring!! love this!! would be great to next see a retrospective of her style and how it evolved, i am so curious about her now… great style story.
wow ! I’m a fan !
Just another proof that style is ageless.
Respect for mentioning Ukraine. Fascinating woman.
Wow! Fuck Rados, looks so hot! What a fantastic personal leather style in combination with Gropius.
Best greetings from Munich,
your old friend pascal