By Benedetta Pignatelli
Appearing this week: Elaine Newton, a polished resident of West Las Vegas who may perchance be related to ...
We need to ask ...
Yes, I was married to Wayne for 17 years.
So, who’s wearing you?
I love accessories. My shoes are dark brown suede by Christian Louboutin. The jeans are Shin Choi, my favorite Chinese stretch jeans from Bergdorf Goodman; they fit like a glove. The blouse is Claude Montana western stretch, the jacket is Iceberg, fur vest and orange cashmere scarf are both by Luciano Barbera. The rings are Lotus Art de Vivre from Bangkok, the earrings are Lorraine Schwartz, the “evil eye” lariat necklace [to deflect “negative energy”] is by Turkish designer Vivette Tigrak, and the bracelets are from New York and Istanbul. The handbag is a Fendi, and the watch is Cartier, a personal gift I’ve had for 25 years.
When did you first set your Louboutin-clad feet on Las Vegas soil?
I’ve been a Nevada resident for 37 years. I’m originally from Honolulu.
And what do you do?
I like to introduce deluxe accessories to the Las Vegas market, like Lotus Art de Vivre, which I made available to the locals before it went to Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. And I’m working on creating my own line of accessories.
What was Las Vegas style like circa 1971?
We lived for the nighttime then, long dresses, very formal. We had no style when we moved here. I polished mine along the way via raids on Beverly Hills and New York. And I have to say my ex now has a casual yet very put-together look, in ode to his ranch, lots of clean-cut shirts and jeans.
Fast forward to 2008 ...
I think now Las Vegas has become a major fashion hub, and we have the best buyers and personal shoppers, like Marsha Miller at Saks Fifth Avenue. I believe the younger generation of men is also quite sleek: Robert Fry, managing partner of Pure; Jeffrey Fine, CEO of Silver Nugget Gaming; and Michael Shulman, scribe extraordinaire.
Any more style aces?
Dr. Parveen Jacobs. She designs and makes her own clothes. Which gives her a very distinct look and edge.