Mother's Day Special: Tastemakers Share the Best Style Advice from Their Moms

By Randy Miller
Updated May 09, 2013 @ 9:45 am
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A few of InStyle's favorite trendsetters are celebrating motherhood by showing us how wisdom, taste, and beauty can be passed from one generation to the next. See the fashionable advice from the moms of Tory Burch, Nate Berkus, Aerin Lauder, Brian Atwood, and more in the gallery. Because when you're this chic, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

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Tory Burch, Fashion Designer

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"My mother taught me less is more. She also said, 'Wear the dress, don't let the dress wear you!'"

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Vera Wang, Fashion Designer

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"My earliest fashion inspiration was my mother—a woman with impeccable style. She loved clothing with a private passion. When I was a young girl, I would join her for shopping sessions at Bergdorf Goodman and at the shows in Paris."

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Nate Berkus, Interior Designer

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"As any kid can relate, I spent most of my formative years trying to ignore whatever my mother told me—most of which was shouted as I stomped up the stairs to my bedroom. Years later, I realized more had seeped in than I knew. There's something about my mother that permeates the world around her. She's fearless in that she's always been exactly the woman she wanted to be. That bravery didn't come in the form of advice, but as an example that I try to follow to this day."

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Aerin Lauder, Founder and Creative Director of AERIN

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“My grandmother always said, ‘You only have one face, take care of it.’ No matter how tired you are, cleanse and moisturize, stay out of the sun and drink water. My grandmother also said 'If you don’t have time for any other makeup, you should put on a little blush—it’s quick, easy and gives you a glow.”

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Rita Hazan, Celebrity Colorist and owner Rita Hazan Salon

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“My mom always told me that getting at least seven to eight hours rest is the easiest way to look your best. Your skin stays young, there are no black under-eyes and your brain functions at 100 percent.”

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Rebecca Minkoff, Fashion Designer

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"I learned from my mom to invest in the pieces you love and will wear everyday."

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Jillian Dempsey, Makeup Artist

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“My mom wore heavy falsies in the '70s and I think I inherited her love of lush lashes. She would focus on her eyes when she did her makeup and keep the rest of her face natural. Growing up with that aesthetic must have left an impression, because that’s how I do my clients’ makeup.”

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Rachel Roy, Fashion Designer

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“My mother is one of the most kind, gentle and gracious women I know. At an early age, she taught me the importance of giving back to those in need. To this day, charity is one of my top priorities, a trait, no doubt, inherited from my mother. I've passed that sentiment onto my girls-kindness is always fashionable.”

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Jennifer Fisher, Jewelry Designer

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“My mother recently passed down my grandmother's "L" initial chain ring to me. In every memory I have of my grandmother, she was wearing it. In a way, I feel this was part of my unconscious inspiration in starting gothic letter collection. She was so chic and always dressed up, but wore this piece that portrayed her unique, stylish edge.”

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Sonia Kashuk, Makeup Artist and Founder of Sonia Kashuk Beauty

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“When I was younger, my mother would tell my sisters and I to go put on a little lipstick. However, as I've gotten older, what really resonates with me is how she used to say ‘I've earned these wrinkles.' She instilled in us a pride in who we are and what we look like, and taught us to embrace aging… gracefully.”

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Charlotte Ronson, Fashion Designer

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"To this day, whenever I am about to buy something at a shop, I can hear my mother’s voice in my head asking 'Are you sure you love it?' Not easy questions for an indecisive child!"

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Brian Atwood, Accessory Designer

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“My mom taught me to always design for women so they feel beautiful and sexy! Having children doesn't change this truth—my mother has six kids and always looks gorgeous. Happy Mother's Day!"

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Anna Sui, Fashion Designer

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“On the day of my fashion show, I always wear my mother's ring. It was my favorite as a child and she finally gave it to me because I loved it. Now, it’s a good luck charm for me.”

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