New York City–based fashion designer Daniella Kallmeyer may be known for her sharp tailoring and “vocation to vacation” wardrobe essentials, but she also has impeccable taste in records, throw pillows, and boutique hotels. The outspoken queer tastemaker has outfitted everyone from Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird to Kate McKinnon, and even collaborated with Barbie on a line of limited-edition dolls that were auctioned off for charity. Now, she’s sharing a few of her favorite finds from around the world.
ELLE DECOR: Are there any fragrances that ground you at home?
Daniella Kallmeyer: I love the smell of tuberose. I hang eucalyptus in my shower and use Buly soaps in Mexican Tuberose and Orange Blossom. When I get out I use the Red Currant and Peruvian Tomato body oil. It’s so fresh.
ED: What album or song do you find yourself returning to?
DK: Joni Mitchell’s Blue album is a perfect easy listen. Whether I’m quietly designing, going on a long drive, or hosting a dinner party, “A Case of You” never gets old.
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ED: How is your bed dressed?
DK: Very simply, with long staple cotton white sheets and an ivory linen quilt. I just added a throw pillow I bought myself from Fortuny, in Paris, because it reminded me of my favorite scene in A Little Princess.
ED: Do you have a favorite hotel?
DK: Ottantotto, in Florence. It’s like having a cottage in the middle of the city. Every room is different, and they’re just modern enough to make the provincial easy to enjoy.
Ottantotto Firenze.
ED: What’s the last best book you read?
DK: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I devoured it in just three days—and I’m ready to read it again.
ED: Do you collect any art or design objects?
DK: I love anything that feels good in my hand or charms me—things that have particular and peculiar purposes, like a pair of scissors that cuts the top of a soft boiled egg. My grandmother was similar. She collected antique pill boxes.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Qiboorun Stainless Steel Egg Scissors
Buly 1803 Mexican Tuberose Soap
ED: What’s one Kallmeyer item you can’t live without?
DK: Our boxers. They’re so soft and comfortable, and the fit is impeccable. We initially designed them as a cheeky item to style with low-rise pants, or to wear as sleeping briefs, but they’re actually so perfect I have a pair for every day of the week now.
This story originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of ELLE DECOR. SUBSCRIBE
Sean Santiago is ELLE Decor‘s Deputy Editor, covering news, trends and talents in interior design, hospitality, travel, and luxury. He writes the So Courant! column for the magazine and elledecor.com.