Mark Indelicato Speaks

Best known for his role in Ugly Betty as Justin Suarez, Mark Indelicato talks about fashion in his new column for FWD [FashionWeekDaily]

(NEW YORK) Before I really became interested in fashion, all I would look at in a fashion magazine was the ads. It only dawned on me recently that just looking at the ads really doesn't teach you everything you need to know about the fashion world. So now I make sure I read the articles along with the ads, and look for a recurring trend. In observing this, I've noticed that animal prints are coming back. As a guy, animal print doesn't really take that much of a toll on my daily wardrobe, but for all you girls it's a must. I've noticed it a lot in shoes. On the higher end, Jimmy Choo is doing zebra print in fuchsia and black, and blue and black. On the more "recession-proof" end, Nine West was doing some cool cheetah prints. Jimmy Choo was doing more of an open-toed high heel, whereas Nine West was focusing on more of a winter look, showing booties. I'm not sure how I feel about animal print, but let's see where it goes.

You probably don't know this, but I have developed a small obsession for both Balmain and Lanvin. I started to like Balmain when I saw an ad in Vogue (of course). It was a women's wear ad so I looked online to find that they also sell men's clothing! So, I have come to the conclusion that I must own every shoulder-padded jacket Balmain creates. Two celebrities that I think rock these avant-garde jackets are Rihanna and Beyonce. I love Rihanna's denim Balmian jacket because it's not that "jazzy." I love how she wears it so effortlessly with minimal jewelry and just some cool sunglasses. Beyonce, on the other hand, has the classic Balmain jacket. It's covered with sparkles. Most people probably couldn't pull it off--but come on, it's Beyonce. She also wears it right, not overdoing it with jewelry and paring it with a plain shirt, skinny jeans and black pumps.

Lanvin is another story. I was online just browsing and I came to these rad pair of sneakers, when I looked at who made them it read Lanvin. Like I did for Balmain, I quickly read up on the line and discovered how much I also love them. Then, I was watching one of my favorite reality shows, The Rachel Zoe Project, and my favorite employee, Brad, had on this amazing oversized bow tie on. He said that it was Lanvin and that confirmed that they were one of my favorite design houses. (By the way, I now own that very bow tie.)

It's always really hard for me to find clothes that fit my body perfectly, then along came Topshop. I don't know why, but every time I go there I can find really cool garments that fit me precisely. The stylists that work there are very sweet and can always find things that fit my style. That's great, because sometimes I need something and either just can't see it in my mind or just simply don't feel like shopping.

I mentioned in my last blog that I got to meet Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. It was amazing. A lot of people constantly are saying that Mary Kate has tasteless style and I happen to think the complete opposite. I love Mary Kate's "downtown grungy chic" look. It's so effortless, but at the same time so fashionable and chill. I feel that Mary Kate and Ashley have similar styles, but I think Ashley may be a little bit more toned down, which I like also. So basically, Mary Kate and Ashley are the most stylish twins I've ever met, I LOVE their clothing line Elizabeth and James as well. My TV mother and best friend Ana Ortiz is always raving about how amazing the line is. I happen to like the men's wear as well.

That's basically what's happening in fashion...well, according to me.
MARK INDELICATO