I thought I would start a thread on these girls, they are interesting. Their style is similar to the Olsens, but not quit with such ease; just my opinion. I searched if there was a thread already like this and there wasn't.
From the "Backstage Forums"
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Vanessa and Victoria Traina, the high-profile daughters of novelist Danielle Steel and her ex-husband John Traina, glide effortlessly through each fashion moment: from last fall's hot velvet Yves Saint Laurent jacket to this summer's must-have Prada tie-dye dress and next fall's Marc Jacobs' sexy secretary look. No, these college students are not your average college student fashion junkies, who may love hanging out at the bargain racks and musky vintage stores but are unlikely to order a $16,000 Marc Jacobs mink coat as casually as calling out for pizza.
The Trainas, who have been called (to their chagrin) San Francisco's version of the Hilton sisters, have attended runway shows in Paris with their mom since they were little. Naturally, they wear clothing straight off the runways, carry expensive handbags and drive fancy cars (the day we talk, it's their mother's huge Mercedes G500 Jeep). The thin, blond, pretty head-turners have the smooth confidence that comes from a lifetime of European visits, high- wattage parties, weekends at the Napa ranch, sun-splashed days on the boat and easy access to all the best places.
Increasingly, the Traina sisters are getting noticed nationally; Victoria and one of her other sisters recently appeared in Women's Wear Daily; Vanessa and Victoria have also been mentioned in Vogue, which complimented them on their "creative personal style.''
"When hitting the Manhattan social circuit, the Traina sisters often don sleek Proenza Schouler and Stella McCartney,'' the magazine said. "Sitting front row at the Paris couture, they're in prim Chanel. When letting loose at their family's Napa Valley ranch, however, they wear boho-chic Marni.''
And (what a surprise), the sisters say they want to go into the fashion business after college. Vanessa has already modeled for the Look agency in town. Both want to work for the big glossies one day. But their career ambitions do not include following in the footsteps of Paris and Nicole Hilton. "We've never met them,'' Vanessa says politely. "I'm sure they are very sweet girls. I've never thought badly of them at all. I think the media plays up the party angle way too much.''
Here at home, the Trainas are not trailed by the press other than at public functions, and the non-paparazzi-infested San Francisco culture allows them to hang out where they choose without reading about it in the next day's -- if not next week's -- society pages. But they are well known to the sales associates at the Marc Jacobs boutique on Maiden Lane, which is where we caught up with them recently.
Victoria came in to order her fall wardrobe. (Vanessa had ordered hers earlier). Then, it was on to American Rag on Van Ness, which carries new and vintage clothing.
The close-knit siblings, who represent just a slice of their large blended family, link arms as they walk down the street. Victoria, 20, who attends Parsons New School in Manhattan, seems to look up to her younger, somewhat worldlier sister.
"We shop together all the time and wear each other's clothes,'' says Vanessa, 19, who attends Pepperdine University in Malibu and is taking an intensive French class this summer at the Berlitz school downtown. "My sister is more classic, more streamlined in her taste; she likes cleaner lines. I'm more eclectic, a bit more funky.''
True to her word, Vanessa wears an outfit that is a bit more revealing than her sister's. You can see the beach culture influence in her white eyelet lace top and mini by Magda Berliner, a Los Angeles stylist-turned- designer. She pairs it with big gold chandelier earrings, metallic Prada sandals and a red Hermes Birkin bag.
Victoria, who isn't working or taking classes this summer, is in a tie- dye dress, metallic sandals and a python belt, all by Prada, a vintage ivory bracelet and a white strappy Balenciaga bag. Here in San Francisco, where they come during school breaks and other holidays, they shop at such eclectic local fashion boutiques as Metier on Sutter Street, Annie's on Union, Susan's on Sacramento and American Rag, which sells kitschy $12 T-shirts among other offerings. So, what is their fashion budget? This is a question for which we knew there would be no answer. "We don't talk about that,'' Vanessa says, right on cue. "But we can't just buy anything.''
Still, one can only imagine the size of their Gatsbyesque closets, and wonder what they do with clothes they get tired of. "We put the couture clothes in storage and give the ready-to-wear to consignment shops like Cris on Polk Street,'' Victoria says. (But don't break an ankle getting there to check out their castoffs, unless you're about a size 0).
But at the moment, it's time to shop for something new. "Our mother has a great eye; we grew up in her closets, and she taught us everything we know about fashion,'' Vanessa says. "Like how to spot quality and craftsmanship.''
At the Jacobs boutique, Victoria thumbs through the "look book,'' a glossy catalog of the designer's fall collection. She leans informally on the counter and casually points to six or seven pieces, including a mink coat with a Peter Pan collar, which will retail for about $16,000, a tweed coat with a lynx collar, several belts, skirts and one or two dresses with high necklines and long sleeves, which will sell for about $1,000 each come fall.
"We both love his clothes,'' Victoria says. "I love what he's doing for fall; the dresses with the high collars, the round-toe shoes. I love the coats with the Peter Pan collars. It's kind of prim and proper, but it's still sexy and cute.''
Afterward, the sisters go through the spring racks, pointing out what they already own. "We love these hot pants,'' says Vanessa, holding up a pair of blue tweed shorts. "We have them in different colors; I like to wear mine with a vintage T-shirt and pointy heels.''
Next stop, American Rag, where the sisters head for the vintage dress rack and then the T-shirts. Vanessa examines a boxy purple T-shirt emblazoned with a wagon train and the word "Oklahoma'' for less than $20. "I love it; it's so kitschy. I'd wear this with jeans and heels or over a dress.''
She tries on a vintage red terry cloth romper (a one-piece shorts set). She likes it, but passes. "I have so many other things to wear on the boat,'' she sighs. She ends up buying a vintage yellow and white baseball shirt with the word "Senior'' on it and a pair of new beige satin ballet flats with the saying, "I danced myself into the tomb.''
"I like cute flats in the summer,'' she says. "I hate flip-flops. They just cheapen an outfit.'' Victoria tries on a few sundresses, but leaves empty- handed.
Of all the clothes they have worn and loved, which have they loved the most? "For me, it's an amazing pale pink silk charmeuse suit with a mink collar by Chanel that I found in Paris,'' Vanessa allows. For Victoria, it's a black Chanel evening coat from the '90s with a satin collar. "I'd never give that away.''
As they head to the Jeep, Vanessa lights up a cigarette and they immediately get on their cells. As the wind picks up, Vanessa throws on a favorite Chanel sweater that has been bunched up in her bag.
Swinging their designer bags, they look like a pair of fashion editors one sees in the tents during fashion week. One assumes that interviews at the major magazines will not be a problem.
Maybe I should make this into a thread? Some people were criticizing the Olsens saying they "copied" these girls. The 4 girls are friends.
Fashismypash Thanks for the comparison! Do you have pictures of the Steel girls? I would love to see them!!!
From the "Backstage Forums"
Vanessa and Victoria Traina, the high-profile daughters of novelist Danielle Steel and her ex-husband John Traina, glide effortlessly through each fashion moment: from last fall's hot velvet Yves Saint Laurent jacket to this summer's must-have Prada tie-dye dress and next fall's Marc Jacobs' sexy secretary look. No, these college students are not your average college student fashion junkies, who may love hanging out at the bargain racks and musky vintage stores but are unlikely to order a $16,000 Marc Jacobs mink coat as casually as calling out for pizza.
The Trainas, who have been called (to their chagrin) San Francisco's version of the Hilton sisters, have attended runway shows in Paris with their mom since they were little. Naturally, they wear clothing straight off the runways, carry expensive handbags and drive fancy cars (the day we talk, it's their mother's huge Mercedes G500 Jeep). The thin, blond, pretty head-turners have the smooth confidence that comes from a lifetime of European visits, high- wattage parties, weekends at the Napa ranch, sun-splashed days on the boat and easy access to all the best places.
Increasingly, the Traina sisters are getting noticed nationally; Victoria and one of her other sisters recently appeared in Women's Wear Daily; Vanessa and Victoria have also been mentioned in Vogue, which complimented them on their "creative personal style.''
"When hitting the Manhattan social circuit, the Traina sisters often don sleek Proenza Schouler and Stella McCartney,'' the magazine said. "Sitting front row at the Paris couture, they're in prim Chanel. When letting loose at their family's Napa Valley ranch, however, they wear boho-chic Marni.''
And (what a surprise), the sisters say they want to go into the fashion business after college. Vanessa has already modeled for the Look agency in town. Both want to work for the big glossies one day. But their career ambitions do not include following in the footsteps of Paris and Nicole Hilton. "We've never met them,'' Vanessa says politely. "I'm sure they are very sweet girls. I've never thought badly of them at all. I think the media plays up the party angle way too much.''
Here at home, the Trainas are not trailed by the press other than at public functions, and the non-paparazzi-infested San Francisco culture allows them to hang out where they choose without reading about it in the next day's -- if not next week's -- society pages. But they are well known to the sales associates at the Marc Jacobs boutique on Maiden Lane, which is where we caught up with them recently.
Victoria came in to order her fall wardrobe. (Vanessa had ordered hers earlier). Then, it was on to American Rag on Van Ness, which carries new and vintage clothing.
The close-knit siblings, who represent just a slice of their large blended family, link arms as they walk down the street. Victoria, 20, who attends Parsons New School in Manhattan, seems to look up to her younger, somewhat worldlier sister.
"We shop together all the time and wear each other's clothes,'' says Vanessa, 19, who attends Pepperdine University in Malibu and is taking an intensive French class this summer at the Berlitz school downtown. "My sister is more classic, more streamlined in her taste; she likes cleaner lines. I'm more eclectic, a bit more funky.''
True to her word, Vanessa wears an outfit that is a bit more revealing than her sister's. You can see the beach culture influence in her white eyelet lace top and mini by Magda Berliner, a Los Angeles stylist-turned- designer. She pairs it with big gold chandelier earrings, metallic Prada sandals and a red Hermes Birkin bag.
Victoria, who isn't working or taking classes this summer, is in a tie- dye dress, metallic sandals and a python belt, all by Prada, a vintage ivory bracelet and a white strappy Balenciaga bag. Here in San Francisco, where they come during school breaks and other holidays, they shop at such eclectic local fashion boutiques as Metier on Sutter Street, Annie's on Union, Susan's on Sacramento and American Rag, which sells kitschy $12 T-shirts among other offerings. So, what is their fashion budget? This is a question for which we knew there would be no answer. "We don't talk about that,'' Vanessa says, right on cue. "But we can't just buy anything.''
Still, one can only imagine the size of their Gatsbyesque closets, and wonder what they do with clothes they get tired of. "We put the couture clothes in storage and give the ready-to-wear to consignment shops like Cris on Polk Street,'' Victoria says. (But don't break an ankle getting there to check out their castoffs, unless you're about a size 0).
But at the moment, it's time to shop for something new. "Our mother has a great eye; we grew up in her closets, and she taught us everything we know about fashion,'' Vanessa says. "Like how to spot quality and craftsmanship.''
At the Jacobs boutique, Victoria thumbs through the "look book,'' a glossy catalog of the designer's fall collection. She leans informally on the counter and casually points to six or seven pieces, including a mink coat with a Peter Pan collar, which will retail for about $16,000, a tweed coat with a lynx collar, several belts, skirts and one or two dresses with high necklines and long sleeves, which will sell for about $1,000 each come fall.
"We both love his clothes,'' Victoria says. "I love what he's doing for fall; the dresses with the high collars, the round-toe shoes. I love the coats with the Peter Pan collars. It's kind of prim and proper, but it's still sexy and cute.''
Afterward, the sisters go through the spring racks, pointing out what they already own. "We love these hot pants,'' says Vanessa, holding up a pair of blue tweed shorts. "We have them in different colors; I like to wear mine with a vintage T-shirt and pointy heels.''
Next stop, American Rag, where the sisters head for the vintage dress rack and then the T-shirts. Vanessa examines a boxy purple T-shirt emblazoned with a wagon train and the word "Oklahoma'' for less than $20. "I love it; it's so kitschy. I'd wear this with jeans and heels or over a dress.''
She tries on a vintage red terry cloth romper (a one-piece shorts set). She likes it, but passes. "I have so many other things to wear on the boat,'' she sighs. She ends up buying a vintage yellow and white baseball shirt with the word "Senior'' on it and a pair of new beige satin ballet flats with the saying, "I danced myself into the tomb.''
"I like cute flats in the summer,'' she says. "I hate flip-flops. They just cheapen an outfit.'' Victoria tries on a few sundresses, but leaves empty- handed.
Of all the clothes they have worn and loved, which have they loved the most? "For me, it's an amazing pale pink silk charmeuse suit with a mink collar by Chanel that I found in Paris,'' Vanessa allows. For Victoria, it's a black Chanel evening coat from the '90s with a satin collar. "I'd never give that away.''
As they head to the Jeep, Vanessa lights up a cigarette and they immediately get on their cells. As the wind picks up, Vanessa throws on a favorite Chanel sweater that has been bunched up in her bag.
Swinging their designer bags, they look like a pair of fashion editors one sees in the tents during fashion week. One assumes that interviews at the major magazines will not be a problem.
Maybe I should make this into a thread? Some people were criticizing the Olsens saying they "copied" these girls. The 4 girls are friends.
The pictures are great!!
lol
