By Mi-Ling Stone Poole –

New York is well known as the fashion capital of the United States.  And many of the top models use the city as their base while traveling to Paris, London, Germany and South Africa to work.

I recently spoke with Ford model Ashley Graham who has been living in New York since she was 15 years-old.  What a big change for a small town girl from Nebraska, who was discovered in a shopping mall and later went on to become a top plus-size model for Lane Bryant, Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdales, Old Navy and Liz Claiborne to name a few.

Graham who is known for her style off and on the runway was recently asked to give style advice on MTV’s Made and in a special issue of Vogue Shape for her personal style. Graham has also been featured in Glamour magazine and in O magazine.

After meeting Ashley in California recently I was betting that the style of her apartment was more on a casual and comfortable tip.  After working all day she came to dinner with me and my family dressed in a casual and comfortable black two piece pants set with a long black jacket.  But what impressed me the most was the fact that she wore none or little makeup.

I asked Ashley what her style of decorating was and she replied, “Simplicity and gold. “  She described her New York apartment as casual and comfortable.  She said the focal point in her home is a large grey sectional sofa. It sounds perfect for relaxing after jet setting all over the world.  She loves jewel tones as well and said she incorporated dark maroon, beige purple, black and gold into the space.

Like many of us, her casual personal style reflects the casual and comfortable décor in her home.

So when it doubt, go to your closet and think about your personal style before you start your next design project.

Does your design style refelct your personality?