In Conversation With Elly McGaw

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In Conversation with Elly McGaw

New York, March 2025

In conversation with Elly McGaw, an Australian stylist and consultant living in New York City. Her work is shaped by a background in architecture and an affinity for enduring wardrobe staples.

Elly’s creative space located in Greenwich, New York City.

What is your favorite place in New York City?

Elizabeth Street Garden in the summerit’s a peaceful oasis tucked away in Soho. The volunteer-run garden is filled with antique statuary, much of it salvaged from Gilded Age estates around the metropolitan area. It also hosts community events like yoga classes, poetry readings, and outdoor movie screenings. I also love the Noguchi Museum; on a summer day, I’ll grab a book and sit in the garden there for hours.

What are the things that have defined or influenced your taste?

I’ve always been fascinated by design, the postmodern movement, the art deco period. Growing up immersed in nature and later moving to New York gave me an appreciation for duality: simplicity and abundance, stillness and energy, restraint and excess.

Are there any rituals or habits that ground you in your daily life in the city?

I meditate most days. In a place like New York, it feels essential for calming my nervous system. Growing up by the beach, the ocean has always been my happy place. Here in the city, I have a pool membership and often start my mornings swimming laps. There’s a serenity in water that I find deeply grounding.

As a stylist, where do you draw your inspiration from?

I studied architecture and design, and I’m always drawn to the spaces we inhabit. Alain de Botton’s The Architecture of Happiness resonates with me, he explores how our environments shape our moods. When I’m conceptualizing a shoot, I often start with the setting: where is the woman located, what’s the time period, what story is the architecture telling, and how does that conversation complement the clothing?

Are there any specific clothing pieces you find yourself returning to time and again?

I’m very much a uniform dresser. Because I spend so much time styling others, my own daily wardrobe needs to feel practical and comfortable. A pair of tailored black trousers from Róhe is in constant rotation, I wear them with shirts, blazers, leather. The fabric is uncreasable, so I can pack them in my bag, pull them out the next morning, and they’re ready to go. I also have a beautiful cashmere shawl that I use season after season, it becomes a skirt, a top, a scarf. Add a brooch and it instantly elevates any look.

If you could collaborate with any creative from the past or present, who would it be?

Miuccia Prada, I love the way she intellectualizes fashion. Elsa Peretti, Eileen Gray, Sofia Coppola - there are so many women who inspire me with how they’ve shaped the way we see the world. The list goes on..