When the holiday season officially kicked off, Linda Fargo — Bergdorf Goodman’s fashion-office SVP and director of women’s fashion and store presentation — posed with Santa Claus at the store’s holiday-window unveiling. “I was good … most of the year,” she captioned her Instagram. How was Fargo not good this year? “By not giving up my guilty pleasures,” she said, i.e., binge-watching shows like Ozark. (Same, same, but White Lotus.)
We chatted the night before she was headed to the “Linda shop” — a curated collection of Fargo’s holiday favorites featuring everything from print Marni sets to patent-leather Christian Louboutin pumps — inside the Fifth Avenue Bergdorf location, and she has to look “really festive.” She’s choosing between two looks: a red Christopher Kane holiday turtleneck sweater and a pin-striped jacket with unicorns from the Attico. Ahead of a bunch of Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties, Fargo shared some tips for what makes a great holiday season, including splurges, the perfect holiday outfits, and her seasonal pet peeves.
One thing you should splurge on:
“Without hesitation: jewelry. I think if there’s one time a year that you’re going to spoil someone, it’s this time. I have a necklace I have had since I was 5 years old. I gave my boyfriend rings last holiday; he had never worn them before. When a guy isn’t used to looking at jewelry on a certain part of his body, it becomes new. He was like, ‘Wow, I love this.’ You could even give a guy pearls. All the rules are out the window now.”
One etiquette rule you should avoid breaking this holiday season:
“Not making an effort — for example, showing up at a holiday event as if it were Casual Friday. The other pet peeve has nothing to do with outfits but everything to do with holiday-dinner etiquette. If you’re at a holiday dinner party and your friend complains to you about their seating at a table, tell your friend to just make it work. Seating is really hard. Sometimes even with the most unexpected seating, you can discover someone and just make the most of it.”
One gift she’s gifting herself:
“A new kitchen. It’s not gonna be your usual kitchen with those white marble countertops and white cabinets. I’m going to put a huge mural of the Amalfi Coast on the wall and channel Italy with a fantasy space. Plus: a trip to Venice.”
One gift that keeps on giving:
“Having a signature look — in my case, my red lipstick. My current favorite is from Pat McGrath; she’s the best. It’s from her LiquiLUST collection, and Pat calls it a legendary matte lipstick. It doesn’t transfer, so I can kiss as many people as I want during the day, or I’ll have lunch and dinner and it hasn’t moved. One of the things I love in the beauty world is that when a product just becomes a part of you, there’s no need to adjust it and check on it. I wear the bold-red shade Elson, named after my friend Karen Elson.”
One moment that makes the holidays feel like the holidays:
“Moments that involve love. I had a milestone birthday this year, and I felt so surrounded by love because people went to great efforts on my behalf while being extremely generous.”