Styling Session with Anne Sage
Anne Sage is style and interior design content creator, author, and curator of smart yet stylish living. Known for her approach to interiors, entertaining, wellness, and everyday life, Anne has spent 17 years inspiring her audience to combine sophistication with ease. This fall she brings that same sensibility to Merlette, demonstrating how to style the brand’s signature pieces across three distinct occasions, from client meetings to hosting at home and school dropoffs. Her looks showcase the versatility and effortless elegance of the collection.
LOOK 1
Casual yet polished, Anne wears the ESTELLE Dress and REVE Jacket paired with the INDIRA Bag, for a brunch-ready look that balances comfort and effortless style.
LOOK 2
Anne pairs the VIOLETTE Jean with the YARROW Knit and the structured REVE Jacket for a polished look, perfect for a day of exploring.
LOOK 3
For a dinner out, Anne wears the BEJART Dress with the LUNE Embroidered Mini, creating an effortlessly sophisticated look for an evening with friends.
What drew you to these particular Merlette pieces?
True to my personal style, I love fashion pieces that seem straightforward at first but that reveal special details when you look a little closer! All of the pieces I chose could be considered basic building blocks—a comfortable pair of jeans, a long black dress, a short ivory dress—but they make a statement with little details like contrast stitching, honeycomb smocking, crochet, etc.
In what ways do interiors shape the way you see color and style?
Because I don’t use a ton of saturated colors in my interiors—I’m drawn much more towards neutrals—texture and shape are the predominant ways I add visual interest to my work. For that reason, I’m also drawn to neutral-hued fashion pieces that feature dramatic shapes and proportions as well as textural details. Everything Merlette does so beautifully!
How do image, object, and story weave together in your work?
Story is definitely the starting point for everything I do! My first love was actually writing, and that love definitely informs both my interiors and the content I create. I think of the elements of design as just another vocabulary for communicating a feeling or an idea.
What makes a space feel alive, inviting, or unforgettable to you?
You’ll hear this from a lot of designers, but a space that leaves its mark on me is one that has a sense of having been collected, that tells of the history and evolution of the people living in it. Social media has created a phenomenon where we expect an instant before and after transformation—and while that can be satisfying as a viewer, that type of content is really more like set decoration in my opinion.
How do rituals of living guide your hand in creating?
Ever since becoming a mother, I think a lot about how families live in spaces, creating traditions and memories that go on to become a core part of the children’s identities. For that reason, I’ve found myself increasingly drawn to spaces and stories that aren’t too precious or perfect.