Submit up to three photographs with different looks to SMUStyle via email, Facebook or Twitter. We will be accepting submissions throughout the month of February and will announce the top ten during the SMU Retail Club Fashion Show on March 30. Stay tuned for updates, we are looking forward to your submissions!

Her inspiration? Giambattista Valli and Valentino

Click here to view some of Rebecca’s favorite pastel picks.

For more spring trends inspired by Rag and Bone & Alexander Wang and a delicious recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Brownies visit Le Sophistiqué.

While I got my books signed, I chatted with Simon about style.  I love to ask people about their style icons, because their answers always reflect their personalities.  Simon Doonan says, “I divide them all up into different categories,” a style icon for every occasion!  Simon’s “High Fashion” style icon is Daphne Guinness, “Pop” is Katy Perry, and “Red Carpet” is Tilda Swinton.  Wearing his signature floral shirt, he described his style as “Carnaby Street Mod.”

Meeting Simon Doonan at Barney’s New York at Northpark was such a treat.  I couldn’t have thought of a better way to kick off the New Year.  Remember to pick up a copy of Gay Men Don’t Get Fat at Barney’s or at bookstores, you won’t stop laughing.

Working at J. Crew seasonally, while studying Marketing at Texas A&M, was the start of Angela’s retail career.  She loved putting together outfits, especially creating back to school wardrobes for her customers.  At A&M, she took retail marketing and buying classes, all the while knowing that she would like to be a buyer.

Angela is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.  You can tell she loves what she does, and that her priority is making her customers happy.  I asked her what her favorite part about her job is, and she responded “There’s so many!”  She added, “I love interacting with customers, but really I love working with the team.”  And trust me, her team is lovely to work with.  She got into management at Nordstrom because she wants to become a buyer, but also because she loves helping her team “Learn and grow, help them sell more, and help them to reach their dreams and goals too.”  Obviously, she’s a real people-person.

Since she’s so passionate about her job, Angela has some great advice for those of us that want to work in retail.  First of all, “get ready for long hours!” and working during the holidays.  More importantly, “keep a positive attitude.”  In her job as Manager, Angela deals with frustrating situations.  She stressed the importance of keeping the customer at the center of everything, also a famous Nordstrom value.

According to Angela, the biggest trend for shoes this year is bright colors like fuchsia, turquoise, and orange.  At Nordstrom, brands like Pele Moda, Vince Camuto, and Nine West are featuring brights, as well as color-blocking.  Very high heels are also “in,” Angela says, “they’re not getting any lower.”  Angela describes her style as “accessorized, current, and classic but not basic.”  Her style icon is Diane von Furstenberg.  “I love her colors, I love her fabrics, very flowy and feminine.”  She also likes the Trina Turk collection, also sold at Nordstrom.

When you need new shoes, remember to stop by Nordstrom at the Galleria Women’s Shoes department and ask for Angela, or any of her outstanding team.