In a sea of Instagram influencers wedded to fast-fashion trends, posting only the most over-the-top, notice-me outfits, stylist Olya Dzilikhova stands out as a refreshingly chic antidote. The San Francisco stylist is well known around the world for her highly curated, one-of-a-kind wardrobe and a deep appreciation for the art and history of fashion. Her signature color: black.
On her popular Instagram (@olya_dzilikhova_olyavator), Dzilikhova often sports monochromatic black ensembles, which are always interesting and never one designer head-to-toe. The native New Yorker, who started her career at Bergdorf Goodman and will soon launch her sustainability startup The Remoda, mashes up different textures and proportions to create an individual style all her own: timeless yet interesting, both of the street and the runway, and unafraid to flirt with edgy glamour.
“My mom taught me that black is not the color of something sad,” says Dzilikhova. “She said that, usually, people who wear black are very sure of themselves and know exactly what they’re doing.” It’s not about trying to fit in, she adds, “It’s more about taking [one’s] intelligence to a different level and just leveling it up with one tone.”
Dzilikhova favors high-fashion brands from Balenciaga to Bottega Veneta, but if she had to bring just two luxury labels with her to a desert island, she’d choose Parisian pioneers Maison Margiela and Chanel — from the latter, only pieces (like pants or a sophisticated sweater) “that are very timeless, that are not over the top, that probably no one even knows that they’re Chanel.”
