Hot Picks is a column in which fashion insiders reveal their latest obsessions–sharing their recent purchases and must-have pieces.
Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli has all the markers of a New Yorker despite having recently relocated to Los Angeles. Ozaydinli moved to NYC at seven years old from Minneapolis, Minnesota and her markers include a well-curated wardrobe that largely consists of minimalistic must-haves and she also has an effortless style that doesn’t feel forced. Instead, her fashion choices which are about clean and well-cut separates feel fitting for someone who was a model throughout her teen years. This also makes sense given that she is inspired by the ‘90s model off-duty look popularized by titans like Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford. These women and their approach to fashion are guiding lights for Brooke. She expresses that the clothes didn’t wear them, and this is a signifier that she admires and emulates.
Ozaydinli’s signature style lands within the parameters of the buzzy term “quiet luxury,” but she has no qualms with wearing pieces by some of her favorite designers like Christopher John Rogers and Maximillian Davis’ Ferragamo. “I love Khaite,” she tells me over a Zoom call from her Los Angeles home. On the brand by Catherine Holstein who is known for creating pieces that can be fused into any type of wardrobe Ozaydinli shares: “These are clothes designed to be worn again and again.” Wardrobe essentials by Holstein are not limited to denim and that’s what Ozaydinli loves about the brand. She believes Khaite creates beautiful pieces worth investing in like work-ready structured jackets and succinct leather skirts.
The fashion and beauty creator also feels strongly about investing in pieces that can be utilized for years to come. Notably, she learned this tip from her mother and grandmother whom she grew up constantly shopping with. “Everything I learned about clothes is from my mother and grandmother.” Here she says as a child she always loved playing dress up and would feel energized after doing so. Now as a wife and mother to a toddler, Ozaydinli mentions she still makes time to do this but instead plans outfits in advance rather than dressing based on her impulses.
The current era that Ozaydinli is encompassing has given her time to truly focus on her relationship with fashion and experiment with her going-out looks. Since going full-time as a creator she’s also been able to lean aggressively into her show, Naked Beauty which she launched in 2016. Guests on her show have ranged from Danessa Myricks to Telsha Anderson-Boone. Each episode is a deep dive into her guest’s creative paths and what makes them distinct. With her ongoing priorities laid out and her previous roles at Instagram, Ralph Lauren, Viacom, and more Ozayindili has a compelling and colorful journey ahead of her. If anything, each of these facets that make her who she is has made Brooke stand out in the crowded fashion lexicon.
On any given day, she could be running out to an event by Goop or attending the Grammy’s. As a testament to her style, she is typically wearing what she feels good in whilst never giving up comfort. Before our call ends she excitedly breaks down her look and we discuss what she’ll be doing to her hair and her ideas for makeup. This level of excitement is admirable. She looks at collaborating with creatives such as makeup artists as another means of self-expression aside from styling herself in pieces by designers she admires. She ended up wearing a sleek, lengthy silver Rick Owens gown with stacked matching bangles to the 2024 Grammy’s. This was power dressing at its finest, and it’s a moment that distinguishes Ozaydinli as a New Yorker despite her current zip code.
“I burn this religiously in my home office and it creates the best atmosphere. It feels like you’re sitting outside in a beautiful garden.”
Available at Flamingo Estate
