Fashionista of the Month | Tatiana Massey

Houston Chronicle’s 2014 Best Dressed Luncheon hosted an admirable group of honorees all looking absolutely stunning and most certainly well dressed. It was a tough decision to nail down who wore it best. The 10 women selected as style icons were: First-time honorees Divya Brown, Claire Cormier-Thielke, Vanessa Sendukas, Courtney Hill Fertitta, Phyllis Williams, Gina Bhatia, Estela Cockrell, Jana Arnoldy, Mandy Kao and Tatiana Massey.

Tatiana Massey stood out for her unique style at the luncheon and was spotted as Lights Camera Action’s Fashionista of the Month. Tatiana Massey moved to Houston from Russia 16 years ago with a dream of having a boutique, travel the world and work with talented designers. After being exposed to the best fashion events and shows around the world she envisioned Laboratoria, a great idea to bring new edgy designers in one Houston experience. “Chemistry of style came to my mind when I started thinking about the concept of the store. That’s how Laboratoria was created. It’s been open for almost two years and it’s been a great ride from the start,” explains Tatiana.

What do you love about Houston?

I love Houston being a melting pot. I experienced the diversity of this city when I opened my store. We have a lot of customers who moved to Houston from different parts of the world and it feels nice to be able to speak to them in the same “fashion” language. You can pretty much get familiar with cultures from all over the world without leaving the city. Suddenly, the world feels even smaller.

What’s your style mantra? And tell us about your outfit and look for the Best Dressed Luncheon.

To me fashion is the art of self-expression. Don’t take fashion too seriously. Be unique and take risk. In my opinion, all the honorees at Best Dressed luncheon looked fantastic! They are all doing so much for the community and that contributes to what is called style.

My choice for the luncheon was to wear a dress by Au Jour Le Jour, which is an exciting label from Italy. Their FW14 show was hosted by Giorgio Armani, who continues to support young talent. They get a very strong following among the fashion community, and industry leaders like Anna Dello Russo and Leandra Medine are among those wearing their pieces. I wanted to have a bit more fun with a naked Barbie print and wanted to make sure the silhouette would read well from the runway.

You would not step out of the house without?

It is very sad, but I would not step out of the house without my iPhone. I dream of a day when I can leave my phone at home and not be tempted to check my emails or Instagram every 5 minutes. But with a 5 year old and a new business, it doesn’t seem to be possible anytime soon.

With a suave personality and sharp look, Tatiana’s closet is really eclectic, vintage with some major French and Italian designer labels like Marni, Balenciaga and Lanvin, to lots of designers from her own boutique like Sea, Rochas, A.F.Vandevorst, N21, Simone Rocha, and Golden Goose. She chuckles and says “I am a fashion snob,” but hey why not, as she certainly knows style!