Latex Designer Sonia Agostino Breaks Down Her 'High-Fashion Dirtbag' Style

By Clover Hope | June 21, 2017 | 8:00pm

Entertainment

Last January, I interviewed Sonia Agostino about the audacious latex outfits she designs for her line Tableaux Vivants. Her pieces were so vibrant and singular that it left us curious about her everyday style and whether her business is the polar opposite of her personal tastes. During a repeat visit to her stunning home studio in Greenpoint, Brooklyn—for this inaugural edition of Clothes Whores, our new series investigating peoples’ closets—Agostino described her personal style as “high-fashion dirtbag,” which means she has a taste for luxury with a coarse edge. Ideally, she’d wear a basic tank top and jeans versus stilettos any day.

In the closet of her bedroom—a vintage chic haven—there’s an abundance of pieces that Agostino customized or hand-painted herself, including a studded denim jacket that reads “Eat It.” “I like to buy special things and pair them up together,” she says. “Whether it’s vintage or new designer, it doesn’t matter where it comes from.” When she shows us some of her favorites, they’re all reflective of an affinity for high-end grunge looks: a vintage leopard-print shearling coat, a Marco De Vincenzo skirt, cherry earrings from eBay. Agostino has a motto: “It was once said that before you leave the house you should remove one accessory item. My method is to add one more before you leave.” Watch her give us a tour of her closet, with her two adoring dogs by her side.