The Clothes In Your Closet #024

Feat. Tony Award Winner, Disability Advocate, and Author Ali Stroker

Some people just have “it”—that elusive charisma that makes you feel both welcomed and wanting to listen in to every single word they say. Ali Stroker sure does. The Tony Award winning actor, mother, advocate for people with disabilities, and author greeted me at her home outside New York last November and quickly got us chatting on the topic of clothes.

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“I love fashion. This was my favorite look I’ve ever worn,” Ali told me. It was her dress for the Tony Awards, a custom-made gown designed by Ali’s good friend and fashion designer Rachel Antonoff. “I called her up for advice because I was having trouble finding someone to dress me, and Rachel offered to make me a gown. You know the dress from ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’?” Uh, of course I do. It was iconic. I spent hours looking for something like it on eBay. “That was the inspiration. She designed the off-the-shoulder sleeves so that I could easily wheel my chair.” The effect was utterly glamorous. That night Ali made history as the first person who uses a wheelchair to win a Tony.

A couple weeks later I visited Ali again to style her for DRESSED in the hours between dropping off and picking up her adorable little boy Jesse. Gosh that kid is cute. Inside her bedroom, Ali pulled pants, jackets, and blazers that she loved, but hadn’t worn a lot, showed me some of her shoes, and then invited me into her office to see the rest of her shoe and sweater collection.

I started with these floral denim jeans. Ali bought them for her book tour, but hadn’t worn them since. “Oh these are fabulous,” I said. “We’re definitely gonna get some outfits out of these. Do you have any t-shirts?” I like pairing printed pants with a graphic tee. It can be a lot, but it can also be just right. Ali directed me to her t-shirt drawer, and I started pulling out tees, Ali telling me the stories behind them.

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