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Best Dressed List Style Profiles: Tyler Larish

January 13, 2010 by Libby

With a chair at Immortal Beloved, Best Dressed List:DC finalist Tyler Larish is one of the most promising young hair stylists in the city with a personal aesthetic that reflects the lifestyle of a bon vivant on a bmx who loves a good drink, a good cigarette, a good looking woman and most of all- a good tailor.

But Tyler isn’t merely Mad Max wielding a pair of sheers and a bottle of Jameson, he’s also on a mission to rally DC’s creative community with his current multimedia high fashion project Collusion that will take place in March, featuring the talents of stylist Tara Papanicolas and event planner Ora Nwabueze.

all photos: Mark Silva

Check out these other style profiles, nominate your favorites and come back for more.

BYT: Tell me when you first became conscious of dressing and creating your personal style. What is the first thing you wore to try to be cool when you were younger?

Tyler Larish: I remember I was in 7th grade and friends with a bunch of Seniors and they all had licenses.

BYT: Wait, you’re in 7th grade hanging out with seniors?

TL: Well I mean I’ve always looked older, in 7th grade I looked like I was 30. Anyway I was like, let’s hit up Salvation Army and find some weird shit, so we went to the thrift store and bought all kinds of Polyester.

Mind you, I learned how to sew when I was like 5 or 6 years old. My parents got divorced when I was around that age and I spent some time with my grandparents and my grandma taught me how to sew. As ironic as it is the first things I began to sew were purses.

BYT: Do you have any of these purses or early projects left?

TL: No, I’ve been downsizing my life. Everything comes and goes. I just get rid of shit. I’ve moved you know, with backpacks to New York, here and there and just really learned how to downsize. This is why my wardrobe is pretty limited but everything I have right now is pretty signature to my personal style and who I am now.

BYT: And what is that personal style; who are you?

TL: Well, I’m a hairstylist. My biggest influences are definitely Mad Max and post-apocalyptic shit: like get some random shit, tear it up, throw it in mud, lots of leather, lots of chains.

BYT: When did that start, is that a current incarnation of Tyler or has your style been pretty consistent over the years?

TL: I’m a BMX boy so everything I wore was always getting ripped up. I’ve been wearing graphic tees since 6th grade. Everything would get ripped up and I would just rock it. Everything would get muddy, ripped up, beat up and I would just own that.

BYT: So Your style has been consistent over the years.

TL: Yes, definitely. Except for about 4 years ago I threw on a tie for the first time but kept it loose. You’ll bever see me with my tie tied tight.

BYT: What’s your biggest style mishap?

TL: Well I’m a hairstylist so I’d have to say my Caesar haircut in my Senior picture. But clothing wise I’ve always been on point- something different, something new, something fresh.

BYT: So you’ve always been known for your style?

TL: Oh yeah, no doubt about it.

BYT: Do people ever ask you to help them out?

TL: Definitely. A lot of times women who come to me for hair say they’re going to bring in their boyfriends to me for a makeover; meaning style of dress, hair everything.

BYT: You’ve talked about downsizing but now let’s talk about accumulating. What makes you buy something?

TL: I’m the type of person where when it’s a trend it’s time to retire it.

BYT: What’s the last example of this?

TL: Well a couple of years ago I started wearing bandannas and then I started seeing a lot of people wearing them. But now I don’t have a scarf right now so I’ve been tucking them into my shirts and wearing bandannas as scarves.

BYT: Where are your favorite stores to shop?

TL: Reverse in Brooklyn which is no longer there and my favorite place is Cheap Jack’s which is in Mid-Town. Otherwise I do all my shopping online or in New York.

BYT: Nowhere in DC?

TL: I’ve found random stuff at like Remix, several silk scarves and a 70s pair of Adidas shorts that I wear as my swimsuit, super short.

BYT: What’s the one piece of clothing that has brought you the most luck or attention?

TL: This vest is my prized possession, I got it at the Garage in Manhattan. I have never seen this this anywhere, it’s an old foxhunting vest that’s double sided. One side is an amazing print and the other side is straight up Elmer Fudd style. I wore it on the Tweed ride because I don’t have any tweed. I’d say that’s acutally my most lucky piece of clothing.

BYT: Why, what’s happened in it?

TL: (Silence)

BYT: Ladies…?

TL: Well, the ladies thing- that’s no problem.

BYT: Well what’s the best place you’ve worn the vest then?

TL: I wore it to an after party in the West Village after Mercedes Benz Photo Week and that was the most amazing night of my life.

BYT: Did you find that you stood out in your vest?

TL: Oh yeah, everyone wanted to get photos and thought I was someone, of course I am somebody just not on the level that they thought I was.

I have a few pieces I can’t live without: my vest, my three piece suit, my motorcycle gloves and my boots.

BYT: What’s the essence of good style?

TL: It’s all about balance. This is something that you can’t teach people, this is something everyone needs to find on their own because style is an extension of your personality and the only way you can really create a balance is to know and be true to your personality.

I like to mix a lot of patterns, and for some people that’s too much. But it’s not with my personality. It’s an extension of my personality which creates that balance.

BYT: What is something we could never catch you wearing?

TL: I usually never say never, but I’d say a suit that isn’t tailored. But otherwise, tub tops, booty shorts… give me something ridiculous and I’ll do it creatively and rock it.

BYT: What’s the holy grail of clothing

TL: An Alligator motorcycle jacket. I design too. Once I have my studio set up, and the first thing I’m going to design is my dream Alligator motorcycle jacket.

BYT: I notice you have a thing for accessories, what are your tips for men and jewelry?

TL: When I was in high school I used to make my own jewelry. I would throw random shit together. You know how people wore chains? I was wearing full on phone chords around my neck. I would sneak into my mom’s room and steal shit, break it, tear it up, stitch it up and rock it.

BYT: Do you still steal stuff from your mother?

TL: I did steal a silk scarf from her last time I was home.

BYT: Who is your style icon?

TL: Karl Lagerfeld.

Check out previous style profiles and keep coming back for more:

Holly Thomas
Eric Brewer
Jade Floyd
U.S. Royalty
Carole Greenwood
Betsey Lowther

and make sure to get tickets for our Best Dressed List Awards CRUISIN’ party on the Potomac, February 11th

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