Caroline Schiff, Recent Graduate

Photo: Jake Chessum

What are you up to?
I just graduated from university in Europe. So I guess I’m just doing the postcollege puttering around.

Where in Europe?
I was in Scotland for three years, at St. Andrew’s University—Prince William went there. Then I decided to go abroad in the French Alps, in Grenoble. We did a lot of skiing and that kind of thing. And I was, of course, in London on and off. I was really just sort of everywhere, but I’m a native New Yorker and now I’m back.

Will you stay?
For now. I really like it because I missed it, but I don’t see myself staying here forever. I’ve been so independent and now it’s like, My roommate is my mom? But it’s fine. She’s cool. And my boyfriend just joined the peace corps and left for Tanzania. He’s very ambitious.

What do you want to do?
Fashion is definitely one of the biggest parts of my life. I produced this amazing burlesque-lingerie fashion show in Scotland. We had a very high-profile guest list, and we got a lot of press—loads of European socialite-y types, because St. Andrew’s is very hoity-toity. So I guess ultimately, I’d like to design clothing and jewelry and have a lifestyle brand that would just go around my whole aesthetic of clothing and jewelry and parties and be very international. But I haven’t exactly sat down and done a business plan for that.

What is your aesthetic?
It’s everything from a sixties baby doll to eighties Pat Benatar. And my hair! That’s a huge part of my aesthetic. It’s always been really big and really red, and I’m pretty attached to it. Even if I don’t have anything else going on, I have my hair.

Caroline Schiff, Recent Graduate