A Chat With Alle Cat: The Whiskey Wolf

A Chicago native is stirring up the blog scene with her fabulously fierce outfits on her web site The Whiskey Wolf. Anna Schowe has been killin’ it in pretty much anything she slips on, from her neon pink Doc Martins to her trusty leather jacket- this girl never misses a beat. Recently, her blog has gained some serious attention and I have to admit I’m totally fangirling over her! She’s been featured as one of Teen Vogue’s top 100 bloggers and has gotten to work on projects for the Chicago blog Glossed and Found and Michigan Avenue magazine. And if her motto "More Whiskey, Less Water" gives you any indication, this style icon certainly knows how to have a good time. So after brunching, sipping on mimosas and catching up, I had a chat with this fearless trendsetter.

A: You’ve just finished a really exciting project, helping to style Kristin Cavallari for Michigan Avenue magazine, will you walk us through that process?

Anna Schowe: When you're styling a shoot there’s a lot more that goes into it than people understand. Being in Chicago we get a lot of stuff sent from both New York and LA. So I reach out to all the different show rooms we know that carry lines we would want. For example, we knew this shoot was really menswear inspired, so we really wanted some Tom Ford pieces. And I’m fortunate that the woman I work for, Helen Berkun, has a great reputation and really good connections. So Nordstom, Top Shop, Saks and several other boutiques around Chicago just let us borrow items for the day. The day before the shoot we have to be certain that everything that was supposed to be sent to us is actually there. And then we go to all the stores and do the pulls. The day of the shoot, we line everything up, make sure everything looks good and visualize the outfits and pieces that you can put together. The creative director on the shoot will talk with us and we’ll show them the pieces that we love and they’ll pick their favorite five or however many looks we’re doing. So then we just go look by look and dress em’ up!

A: So when you’re styling someone do you take into account their personal style or is it more about the creative vision?

AS: The magazine we styled Kristin for is a conscious magazine, so we couldn’t use any exotic furs or leathers. You do have to take that into account. There’s also sometimes where her brand dictates what she wears. And you do have to say, she gave birth like three months ago, she looks amazing, but you do have to take that into account. You also have to stick with clothes that fit their look when it’s a celebrity. With a model you can put them in whatever you want, because it’s just a body to showcase the clothes. But with a celebrity you kind of need to make sure it’s something they would actually wear and look good in.

A: So let’s turn it back to you, what drew you to the fashion industry and one day becoming a stylist?

AS: Ever since I was little, which is funny because I had a horrible taste in clothes when I was young. I wore brutal turtlenecks from Old Navy, but that’s just what I wanted to do. In second grade I wrote a story about how I was going to live in California and be a fashion designer. Obviously that didn’t happen cause I can’t design clothes. But back then that’s all I thought you could do with fashion was design stuff. When I got older I realized that there was more behind it, it’s not just who designs the clothes, it’s who can put the different pieces together. I have a major obsession with fashion magazines. I don’t think I’ve ever thrown one away that I’ve bought. I have all of them in a case downstairs. To me editorial magazines are like the epitome. So I went to college for merchandising and public relations because I wanted to get a degree. Then I did some internships and now I’m here!

A: So if you could choose any model or celebrity that you could style who would that be?

AS: Well it isn’t a person, but one goal for as long as I could remember was to do who ever is on the cover of Rolling Stone. Which is so funny because all you wear is usually a white t-shirt. But to me, that’s my goal-thtat's what I want to do. And also to do a September issue of any magazine because those are the biggest issues and the most fashion focused. If you buy a Vogue in September it’s twice the size of what it normally is. The September issues are THE issues. So to be able to style a spread or a model in a September issue is proof that you’ve made it.

A: Switching gears to your blog, when you’re choosing an outfit to feature what inspires you and what’s that process like?

AS: It depends on the day. Sometimes I have worn the outfit to something a few days ago and didn’t have the chance to shoot it that day, I’ll revisit it, put it back on and shoot it. Or, if I buy something new, I’ll want to do an outfit post featured around it. If someone has sent me gifts from their designs or clothing store I'll want to do something that really showcases that piece. But usually my room’s a mess and I try on 37 different things and finally go back to the first thing I put on… and wear it.

A: Okay, that’s a relief because I do that too.

AS: Oh yea my room is a mess right before a blog shoot.

A: Where do you draw your style inspiration from, who’s your style icon?

AS: I love Nicole Richie, I think that she just kills it. She always looks super chic and grungy at the same time. My "way weird" style icon would be Gwen Stefani, she kills it in her plaid pants, a little punk rock; that’s like not me but I love how she dresses. So people like that-I like a lot of musicians and I like a lot of other blogger’s styles. But I usually get my inspiration from just one piece. So if it’s a really crazy top, I want to find something to counter balance it and just fit the whole vibe.

A: So fall is right around the corner, what are some staple pieces that we are going to need in our closets?

AS: Oh my goodness, okay. Well fashion week starts in two weeks in New York. So something that’s really big is menswear inspired, like the super tailored, awesome blazer. Really big also, people have been doing the mixed prints. The opposite end of it would be something very monochromatic, whether it’s just black and white or just all one color, that has been big. But fall is all about layering, I think that you can make any outfit completely different by just layering it up. Oh and every woman needs to have a leather jacket. It will change your life.

A: I just bought mine!

AS: It goes with everything, it goes with your little tulle skirt when you’re going out to dinner but it also goes with denim too, it’s great.

A: So now what’s next for you?

AS: I have no idea… My blog is really starting to pick up and I love it. I mean to me it’s super fun to do. So I want to start working with more people on it. I kind of want to start working with more local stores and doing more with them instead of just wearing their clothes, so maybe a couple features with them. I'd like to start doing more freelance. I’m doing a bunch of stuff in Chicago but I kind of want to, (even if it’s in a different city), begin to build different brands and different relationships.

** So if you're like me and just can’t get enough of this chick, you need to follow her on The Whiskey Wolf. Until then, here's a few of my favorite looks from her blog!