Heavens, where do I begin? There are not enough words to define the essence of Taylor Warren. Just when you think you got her pegged she piles on another hidden talent, incurable obsession or historical fun-fact, each time accompanied by an infectious, self-deprecating giggle. For starters Taylor watches The View like it’s a religion. When we arrive at the house she has the latest show on pause – she tevos every episode. “I have always loved watching The View,” she tells me when I ask what’s on. “If there was a day off from school or I got to stay home sick, I was always most excited about being able to watch it. Most people can’t stand Elizabeth Hasselbeck, and quite frankly neither can I, but unfortunately she represents a number of people in this country. Whoopi is my favorite because she’s bat **** crazy and is always saying the most inappropriate things.”
Then there’s her complete devotion to Eden Wood, the 8-year old pageant girl, who, I am informed, just retired. “When girls find out they have to compete against Eden they will drop out. She always wins!” Taylor also professes a deep love for knitting, sewing, cross-stitching and crocheting. Her arts and crafts bin, stuffed with yarns and needles only takes up one corner of the living room but her creations are on full display throughout the house. There’s the colorful pillow covers she crocheted – she can finish one side in a day! – the heart shaped pom poms she and her cousin made to decorate the Christmand tree and the ottoman upholstery she fabricated with her boyfriend. “My yarn obsession started in highschool when I showed my mother a photo of a D&G scarf that I wanted for Christmas,” she explains. “It was made up of crocheted granny squares. So instead of the scarf she bought me yarn, crochet hooks and a how-to book. After the scarf, I started making hats and I-pod cozies that I would sell on the internet off of my live journal.” And then there’s her “serious blazer problem.” She doesn’t quite know how many she owns but they are a staple in her wardrobe and pretty much finish every outfit she puts together. “My favorite are navy blue boys’ school jackets with gold buttons. I feel my outfits always look more put together and cleaner with a blazer. I’ve also convinced myself that the structure on top ends up making me look thinner, which is probably my main objective when I’m getting dressed. Getting dressed for castings – Taylor has been modeling full time for the past 4 years – has taught me to dress to make myself look as long – she’s a teeny 5′ 8″ – and lean as possible. If we must, we can blame the Olsen twins. I have photographs of outfit inspirations on my desktop that mainly consist of the Olsens.”
And you guessed it: 99% of Taylor’s closet consists of vintage. “My best loots come from Upstate,” she begins, “because no one up there wants anything I’m looking for. Paris and Japan have the best vintage; Paris because it’s Paris and Tokyo because everything is so small in size. I love vintage fur and their linings. Even more so when they’re monogrammed.” For the past few weeks she’s had her eye on a vintage wedding dress at Jill’s Stuart basement boudoir on Greene Street. She’s not engaged yet, nor has he popped the question but she’s been dating her musician boyfriend for over 3 years. “Might as well get the dress now because I’m not going anywhere!” she chuckles.
Taylor spent Christmas upstate with her extensive family – it’s a yearly tradition. “We shack up in my grandmother’s house where my mom grew up with her 11 brothers and sisters. (I have 22 cousins on my mother’s side.) On Christmas Eve we had a plethora of homemade Italian food – we aren’t Italian but it’s our favorite kitchen – and we exchange gifts and usually watch Elf. This year we woke up to a picturesque dusting of snow on Christmas morning. My aunt made a huge Christmas brunch for everyone. There’s a lot of laughing and YouTube videos and dancing.”
US Vanity Fair April 1996 : Special Issue: Hollywood '96 by Annie Leibovitz (4 Viewers)