If you blink, you’ll miss Hailee Steinfeld these days – she hit up New York Fashion Week with a stop at the Tom Ford show, she was performing on tour with Meghan Trainor, she squeezed in some time to promote the new Crystaldust collection from Swarovski and somehow made a stop at the Toronto Film Festival. (If that sounds exhausting, you won’t be surprised to see what she’s up to on Monday.) We were able to catch up with her at the Swarovski bash to get her Fashion Week survival tips and hear all about the new jewelry collection.
Steinfeld doesn’t have pierced ears, so the Crystaldust collection is a perfect match for her — they offer two shimmery bracelets perfect for an arm party, which can be transformed into a choker. “I think the fact that you can do either one is amazing because I’m obsessed with chokers,” s he tells PeopleStyle.”When I accessorize I love layering, whether it’s stacked bracelets or rings on every finger or a statement necklace. Not all at once, obviously.”
Will she ever go under the (earring) gun? “I’m so indecisive. I can’t make the decision of whether I want it or not,” she admits. “I think eventually. A lot of the times I come into a store like Swarovski and I’m like, ‘OK, maybe it’s time’ because I see these beautiful earrings and I’m like ‘I need to have these.’”
Hailee’s schedule may be hectic at the moment, but she loves being in the middle of the “madness” of New York Fashion Week. “There’s nothing that you could compare New York Fashion Week to,” she shares. “You’re walking down the street and you see models catching cabs and going from show to show and it’s something you don’t see anywhere else. Then again having the honor to be involved in it and going to shows and meeting designers and seeing the work that goes into a show that lasts minutes is amazing … It’s pretty special.”
She still remembers what a major impact the first show she attended had on her. “My very first fashion show was Miu Miu in Paris. I was 14. It was the most insane thing that I had ever experienced. And that was the first time that I really realized what fashion was. Seeing the preparation of a look and the inspiration behind one look turning into a collection, I gained so much appreciation for the art of fashion after seeing that show.”
She compares it to the process of making a major film. “I had just finished making my first movie and I remember not leaving the theater until the credits ended rolling because I’m like ‘I know all these people.’ I just spent forever with them and every single person plays such a pivotal role in making that movie happen,” she shares. “And I realized that with fashion. Being backstage at these shows, seeing every single person from the photographers to the glam teams to seamstresses, all these unsung heroes that are making it happen behind the scenes. I really learned how much it takes to make everything happen.”
But even with all the glitz and glamour, she says timing is a major stress point during fashion week. “Having to be places on time with traffic and distance and getting ready and wearing things that you literally can’t sit in a car straight up in with a seat belt on like normal people. That’s probably the most stressful thing.”
So to manage her time best, she always makes sure she has her must-have products with her. “You know a powder is good when you’re running around and it’s freaking hot as New York City is in September. That’s always key. A lip, obviously, even though I’m not very good at touching up my lip — I need reminders. And a phone charger.”
And just like any woman as busy as Steinfeld, sometimes there’s just not enough time in a day to wash your hair: “Dry shampoo is a must,” she says.