Eleonore: When Gossip Girl came out, and I moved away for school, everyone I met was like, “Oh, is your life like the show?” I think that’s what TV shows like Gossip Girl or Sex and the City do; they define New York for the rest of the world. Do you feel that any of those representations are true to the city? Did you feel that way while shooting it?

Kelly: Yeah. When I was doing the role, I took a lot of inspiration from old-school New York matriarchs, these women that I grew up wanting to be. So I took much more from the old, traditional side than maybe the newer, hipper side. But yeah, I think it does represent a certain energy of New York and style. And New York is New York — it certainly doesn’t represent all of the United States. I mean, New York is its own—

Eleonore: Country.

Kelly: Country, yes. LA is its own country. Texas is its own country; even though it’s called the United States, it’s different countries.

Eleonore: Absolutely. The landscape of each state alone can feel like a new country. Do you like to dress for locations, or do you just wear what you want to wear?

Kelly: I tend to wear what I want to wear, but what I want to wear can go anywhere. I adapt a little bit depending on where I’m going, of course. If you’re going to the beach, you wear this, and if you’re going to the city, you wear that. Different fashions from different countries definitely influence me. But I don’t think it matters to me so much when it comes to dressing day-to-day or on vacation.

Eleonore: Do you feel like you have a specific look or style?

Kelly: I think it’s always evolving. That’s what I love about fashion. I’m always studying it and taking in new concepts or ideas of what fashion is from different cultures or cities.

Eleonore: Is there anything you’re particularly excited about right now?

Kelly: I’m excited about the more traditional, feminine looks I’ve been seeing — almost modest. We’ve gone so far the other way, which I love, but you know, we did that in the sixties; we’ve done it throughout history. The pendulum swings.

Eleonore: Can you tell us about your elevator selfies? When did you start taking them, and why do you think people love them so much?

Kelly: I started them about a year ago or so because they were easy. In LA, I was doing the mirror selfies in my building, too; it’s just practical.

Eleonore: Do you approach accessorizing any differently than you approach getting dressed?

Kelly: I tend to like very simple things in both clothing and accessories. I don’t like to over-accessorize. I actually have to remind myself to accessorize because I tend to think of shoes and a handbag as accessorizing. Maybe because of my style, it’s almost overwhelming, so I approach it very simply. I’d rather wear one really amazing ring and have it be the thing. A necklace like the Nolita is that piece; that’s the work of art. So, I styled it with a very simple canvas. But then I saw how Carolina was wearing hers with a beautiful, colorful Loretta Caponi dress. You just have to commit.

Eleonore: What’s the best thing about New York? What do you miss when you’re not there?

Kelly: The energy of the people and that anything is possible. People really support one another. It’s a big city and at the same time a small village.