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“I’m an Aquarius!” Joanna Czech proclaims over the phone from her New York City apartment. “Aquarians are the most caring and the most generous of the signs, and when an Aquarius has nothing else to give, they give their time, and they are good listeners.” Indeed, these values lie at the core of Czech’s work as both a world-renowned skin expert and beauty entrepreneur.
The skin-care guru behind some of the most famous faces in the world (Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Christy Turlington, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour, just to name a few), Czech’s expertise extends beyond mere knowledge and skill—it emanates from a profound sense of nurturing where each of her clients receive tailored treatment plans designed to bring out their best selves.
At 21 years old, Czech had initially set her sights on a career in medicine having taken a myriad of chemistry, biology, and physics courses. Yet, despite her intention to go to medical school, she found herself drawn to the world of esthetics while learning about nail and skin health. “At that point I was prepared on a medical level,” says Czech. “I was planning to be a doctor, but without communicating with my parents or anybody else, I became an esthetician. I never reapplied for medical school after that.”
Embracing this path wholeheartedly, Czech dedicated herself to completing a rigorous 12,760 hours of training—far surpassing the standard requirements in the U.S., which typically range between 600 to 1,000 hours. Then, at the age of 25, Czech made her way to New York City where she was originally working 18-hour shifts for $35 a day. Later, she landed a job at Reebok Sports Club on the Upper West Side.“They didn’t have openings for skin care, but I didn’t care because I was trained for every body treatment,” she says. “I was prepared for anything. I did brows, Brazilian bikinis, manicures, pedicures, facials, ingrown removals—everything.”
One day on the job, fate presented itself in the form of Trish Goff, who came to see Czech for a nail appointment. Later in the year, when the December 1995 issue of Vogue hit stores, Czech found her name written in the credits. “I did not buy Vogue at the time, but then one of my clients told me ‘Joanna, your name is on the credits, it says manicure and pedicure by Joanna Czech!’” she reveals. “I did not know then that years later Anna Wintour would become one of my steady clients.” Her A-list roster began to grow, starting with Barbara Streisand and Lauren Bacall for The Mirror Has Two Faces, then Kim Catrall in the late ’90s while filming the first few seasons of Sex and The City. Natasha Richardson, Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, and many more followed.
It’s a full-circle moment for Czech as she prepares for this year’s Met Gala while also commemorating 35 years since she started her practice in the U.S. Over the years, Czech has built a skin-care empire which consists of facial spas in New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas, an eponymous skincare line, partnerships with brands such as La Mer, Augustinus Bader, and Biologique Recherche, and an ambassadorship for Dior Beauty. But her attention to detail and personalized approach not only define her practice, but also extend to her style.
“Every restaurant, every public space that she walks through in Dallas, every woman looks at her and goes, “How does she pull that off?’” Alec Neville, Czech’s husband and CEO of her namesake company chimes in. She describes her style as comfortable, practical, and elegant where subtle statements shine, whether that’s through her signature bold glasses or—her fashion guilty pleasure—her swoon-worthy shoe collection. “I have 500 pairs of shoes,” she reveals. “Twenty-six pairs of Alaïa, 40 pairs of old Celine, and maybe 50 pairs of Bottega Veneta. I love shoes, and I think that is just my way of making a statement.”
Denim for Days
This look isn’t denim—it’s silk that looks like denim! It s super comfortable. It could be dressed down and dressed up, depending on the shoe. As you might notice, the pants look more worn out because I would wear the top only occasionally, usually with a different color of pant. But these pants are worn so often with different tops like T-shirts or white button-downs. These loafers from Gucci are very, very comfortable, and they’re platformed as well—I can really walk around in these shoes.
Sporty-Chic Trainers
Magda Butrym, my Polish girl! I love her suits. I love her blazers. I have gorgeous knits by her as well. Grays are one of my favorite colors to wear, and I can wear these pants with everything and anything. Same goes for the blazer, I can wear them separately with anything and everything. I can wear my sneakers and my workout shoes—if I have to put them on. It’s such a delicious fabric to pair with heels, but for this look I chose to do sneakers to kind of calm it down a little bit. I matched these brown suede sneakers from The Row with my brown suede Margaux, because I m crazy about Margaux’s right now.
Versatile Investments
This look is head-to-toe The Row. I always wear this black look to work and I also wear it out to dinner. I would say at least 80% of my outfits are black. For me, this look is something I could wear speaking to the public—or even speaking on the phone to no one. One thing about me is that I love speaking on stage to people, especially when the subject is about wellness and skin care. I’m very passionate about it and this look adds that confidence.
Cool in Cream
Oh my God, this Loewe sweater! I usually wear black, gray, white, blue, navy—especially navy, that is my favorite color—but recently I’ve added yellow to my wardrobe. Would you believe my husband has more colors in his closet than me? He has more pinks than I do! I usually lean towards the same family of colors but I really love this sweater from Loewe. It goes well with these white ivory jeans from Nili Lotan, which is one of my favorites. I love a good natural-color jean, especially with these navy Manolos.
Semisweet Mary Janes
I chose to wear a white linen skirt with this sweater. It’s contrasting but it goes well with the season right now. I decided this look would be perfect with a silver touch, so I wore this pair of Mary Janes from Marni. They re quite exaggerated, shiny, and made of rubber. These are the only Mary Janes I own. At my age, I think wearing a more delicate Mary Jane doesn’t work, but when it makes a statement like this, it almost draws attention away from everything else. Perhaps that s why I surprise everyone with statement glasses or shoes.
Woman on the Move
This is the simplest look I would probably wear during the work week. If I’m wearing this, it’s probably because I’m running errands or getting my hair done! I think it’s important to have an outfit like this during the week, whether when you’re working 8-hour or 14-hour days. These pants are corduroy and I paired them with a simple black T-shirt. It’s easy and comfortable.
Signature Shades
I only have three leather tops, and this is one of them. I have lots of leather blazers, jackets, coats, and pants, but this item is a unique one. It s quite interesting—I received this as a beautiful gift for my 60th birthday from one of my amazing clients. I got these two pieces, the white button-down underneath and the black top, which I can wear separately. I thought it was a nice way to wear both. It adds elegance, especially because it’s in black and white. You can’t go wrong with that combination. It s probably not something I would wear directly to work, but it s perfect for going straight from work to dinner. And of course, my glasses. They’re my signature.
