I had the pleasure of drinking tea and playing with bouncy little dogs at wardrobe stylist Grant Whittaker's Woodland home last weekend. Located just off Wayzata Bay, his split-level house used to be owned by Prince, who used it to store extra equipment.
Grant and his partner Myron Johnson, an acclaimed choreographer, have lived here for over ten years, but it hasn't always looked this way. Grant regularly rearranges all of the furnitue and décor based on his mood and inspiration; this keeps their home dynamic and fresh.
My favorite part of their house, of course, is Grant's amazing collection of rare and vintage clothing and accessories. As I toured his striped pink boudoir — complete with tassled tuffet and pink chandelier — he pulled from his closet piece after piece by designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Comme des Garçon, Saint John, Prada, Chanel, Issey Miyaki and Jean Paul Gaultier — the latter of which includes around 25 graphic tops.
His dressing room overflowed with costume jewelry and accessories drapped on store racks and mannequins. I marveled over what appeared to be a vintage bolero made of monkey fur and a sparkly black chainmail dress that weighs at least 20 pounds.
The coolest part about Grant's extensive collection is that he scored nearly all of it on a tight budget by scouring second-hand shops, estate sales and regular store sales. Because of his encycopedic knowledge of designers and fashion history, he's able to spot major steals at places like Savers and Unique and build relationships with sales reps at consignment shops like Fashion Avenue, where they hold pieces for him that match his budget and taste. Grant rarely pays full price for anything.
On top of it all, Grant is also just an incredibly nice guy. Part of his success in fashion is due to the fact that he's always gracious, generous and pleasant to be around. It's not unusual for him to offer up his home to a traveling model or give a piece from his collection to a friend, just because it felt right. He's worked in cities around the world, yet always stays down-to-earth and quick with a joke. For this reason, many of his fashion colleagues, including myself, have also become his friends.
Check out behind-the-scenes shots from photo shoots Grant and I have done together here, here and here.
Thank you so much, Grant and Myron, for welcoming me into your beautiful home!
