Life as a Runway: Holiday Style, on and Off the Ice, at the Rockefeller Center Rink



life as a runway

The first snow of the season had fallen, but that couldn’t keep a mix of New Yorkers and visitors away from one of the city’s most iconic holiday attractions: the ice rink at Rockefeller Center, which recently had its 80th anniversary. Visitors mostly dressed to ward off the cold, but this being New York, a few stylistic flourishes added some brio to the proceedings. We spoke to a few skaters and spectators about what they were wearing on a recent Saturday afternoon, a week before Christmas. This is what they told us.


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times

Samira Kawash

Age 53

Occupation Writer

Do you come to the Rockefeller rink often?

This is my first time: It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We’re celebrating my birthday.

You have your own skates, so that makes me think you skate often.

I go skating a lot with my daughter. She inspires me. Usually we go to Chelsea Piers or the one in Prospect Park. Being here, I’m enjoying the spectacle. It really does feel like you’re in the middle of something exciting.

I love your blue hair.

It’s inspired by moonlight and glaciers. I got to an age where it was time to do something fierce with my hair. My hair was going gray and I didn’t want to color it to pretend that it wasn’t going gray, so blue seemed the next place to go.

A lot of people are wearing black, but you’re wearing a nice gray coat.

It’s the silver/gray thing. Once my hair starting going white, I felt more comfortable in silvers and grays.

Tell me about your sweater.

Well, it’s a woman skiing. I guess I’m getting ready for ski season and feel inspired.


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times

Hilton Conger

Age 68

Occupation Lawyer

Are you from here?

No, I’m from Tennessee. We’re visiting for the holidays, and it’s my wife’s birthday. She wanted to go ice skating at Rockefeller Center, so here we are.

I love your pops of red. Is that a color you tend to gravitate toward?

Not so much. It’s the holidays, and my birthday is Christmas Day, so I have to wear red for Christmas.

Your pants have little Santas all over them!

They came from J. McLaughlin, in Nashville.

Do you wear a lot of color?

Yeah, pretty much. I wear a lot of patterns. I dress for the seasons. I wear a suit every day, linen ones in the summer.

Do you feel like you have Southern style?

I do wear a lot of bow ties. I’ve been a slave to fashion all my life.

How so?

I worked at a men’s store when I was in college. I had to dress up to work there. And as an attorney, I’m in the courtroom, in front of people all the time.

Where’s your beret from?

I’ve had it for years, just for a season like this. I have a hat that my wife bought me for Christmas, down at JJ Hat Center, down on Fifth Avenue. It’s a homburg. I wear them when the occasion calls for it.


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times

Justin Ennis

Age 13

Occupation Student, eighth grade

Are you in New York for the holidays?

No. I’m here to see the Giants play tomorrow.

When did you get the Giants hat?

About three years ago.

Is that when you started liking the Giants?

No, I’ve liked them for like five years. It used to be really big on me, but I grew into it.

You’re a really good skater.

I’m all right. I don’t play hockey or anything. I just like to skate. I skate back home, not at outdoor rinks like this, but indoor rinks.

I dig your pants.

Camo is a big thing at my school, and I saw these and liked that they had the little zippers at the bottom. I just liked them a lot, and I had a little extra money to spend at the mall.

And you have a classic toggle coat.

My mom gave this to me; she just knew what I liked that day. And underneath I’m wearing a sweater from H&M. I just got it a week ago. I just started wearing men’s clothes, so I got a lot of options now.


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times

Neltilha Guadalupe

Age 34

Occupation Flight attendant

Where are you visiting from?

Angola. I’ll be here for four weeks. My sister lives here, so I’ll be spending some time with her. It’s my first holiday in the city and it’s beautiful, amazing. It’s a little cold for me.

Tell me about your amazing coat.

I bought it online when I was living in Houston. It’s Trina Turk. I love that it’s different. I like things that are different. Only fake fur, nothing real. I like to dress with a lot of colors. I like to pop, to really show up.

Where are your boots from?

They’re Stuart Weitzman. I love them because I have big feet, and not everyone does boots for a woman with big feet.

And look at that Chanel bag. Very fancy.

My sister gave it to me for my birthday. She is a good sister. I got it about three years ago. I have another one, too, that’s red. That’s my go-to. I like the brand, and I know that if I want to sell it in a few years, it won’t lose value.

These glasses are sick.

They’re Christian Dior, the split glasses. I like this color because it’s good on my skin tone.

Are you wearing makeup?

No, I don’t like to wear makeup during the day, but if I had to go out I’d put something on.


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times

Victor Ty

Age 47

Occupation Radiation nurse

You’re obviously a regular on the ice.

I started skating in ’93 when I was 21. I skated for about 15 years straight every day. I’m self-taught, and did some figure skating and played 14 seasons of hockey. Now, this is like my gym. This is my home rink.

Is it still exciting to see the tree and stuff during the holidays?

It’s funny because there’s a few regulars here, and we usually stay away during the holidays.

You’re not wearing a coat. What gives?

It’s not that cold. It’s 40 degrees, and if you’re moving around it’s really not that cold. I’ve played hockey before when it was minus-17 degrees, so I’m used to it. I love the winter weather.

Tell me about your jersey.

This is the Chicago Blackhawks. I’m a big hockey fan, and I have a whole series of jerseys I wear. I’m a Rangers fan, but I come here with different jerseys. Underneath I have a shirt. I have three layers on. Usually you want to keep the torso and the head warm, but I don’t have my hat on me.

What are you listening to?

I listen to opera. This is the only rink in the city where you can listen to your own music. It’s easier to skate to your own music.

Why opera?

It’s just a good tempo for the speed I like to go.


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times

Maria Rinaldi

Age 72

Occupation I used to be a teacher, early childhood education

Where’s your coat from?

It’s actually from Spain. I think it’s raccoon. My friend gave it to me because she lost a lot of weight. That’s how I got it. It’s nice and warm, and I would never buy any fur, but this was a gift.

You seem to like red.

I like to match things.

Where’s your hat from?

It’s actually my sister’s. I wear it because she died of cancer. She used to wear a lot of hats, and when she passed away, I took all of them.

And what about your gloves?

My son gave them to me. This is a funny interview.

It’s about style! How would you describe yours?

I don’t really have a style. I just wear what makes me feel comfortable, and that’s it.

Why are you in this neighborhood?

I just love New York City. I always feel like a tourist. I was at home and said, let me take the bus and see Rockefeller Center. I just love it. It’s pretty crowded. I live by Columbia University, and I’ve lived in New York for a long time, since 1970. I love New York, I love New York.

Do you always wear red lipstick?

Oh yes, of course. I have to wear lipstick every time I leave the house.


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times

Mido Naoufel

Age 26

Occupation Student

Where are you from?

I’m visiting from Montreal for the weekend. We have some family in New Jersey. We came here to see the tree, because our tree is really bad. They wanted it to be really tall, but it’s like thin and tall and just really ugly.

Tell me about what you’re wearing.

My jacket is from H & M. My pants are Guess, but I cut them and ripped them up myself. And the shoes are Yeezy 950s. I got them from eBay.

Are you a big Kanye fan?

Now, not really. Well, I like his work.

You’re wearing ripped jeans on a cold day.

As a Canadian, this isn’t cold.

Tell me about your beard.

I cut it like three months ago. I had a much longer beard, like a two-year beard. I did it for the passport. Being an Arab, it’s harder with the passport and traveling to the States.

That’s a big watch.

Yeah, it’s from Diesel. I like the rose gold.

Where are your glasses from?

Well they were sunglasses but I swapped in optical lenses because I liked the frames.


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times

Jessica Hill

Age 17

Occupation College student

Where are you from?

Wales. We’re visiting for the holidays; we’ve been here five days. It’s been amazing. It’s our first time in New York. I love it. We’ve done all the other big things, so we thought we’d do this too, even though none of us can skate. We’re in pain, but trying.

What a lovely coat.

It’s my grandma’s, actually. It’s 20 years old.

Is it real fur?

Oh no. I’m not a real fur kind of girl. I’ve wanted it every since she had it. She bought a real fur coat, so she gave it to me because I didn’t have anything to wear here and she knew it was going to be cold.

Tell me about your hair.

Long story. Naturally I’m really, really blonde anyway, and I’ve been every color you can imagine. In the past two years, I’ve been the rainbow colors, but this is the first time in like two or three years that I’ve had it a normal color. I bleached it, so I could go the brightest orange I could, and then that faded and I liked it.

Why did you get a septum piercing?

I got it for my birthday. I don’t really know why. I just get all my piercings on a whim. I like the look of it. It’s different.


CreditGeorge Etheredge for The New York Times

Michael McCurry

Age 36

Occupation Commercial contractor

Are you here visiting?

Yep, I’m from Nashville.

Where’s your jacket from?

It’s from Allen Edmonds. The scarf is from Saks and the jacket and shirt are customer made, from my tailor in Nashville. The name of the company is Pacific Fashions; he travels everywhere.

How would you classify your style?

Hmm, that I don’t know. I guess it’s a mix. This is how I dress every day. I try to look as professional as I can. And I wear cowboy boots every day.

That’s an impressive beard.

It’s just something I came up with one day when I was camping. It kept growing, and I let it. And she loves it [gestures to girlfriend]. I told her it’s probably something she wouldn’t want to see.

And you have a great hairstyle. Does it take a lot of work?

No, it’s really quick but I do get my hair cut every other week, and my beard.

What’s the story with those cuff links?

They’re shotgun shells, real ones. They’ve been shot. They’re from a company called Lord and Lady.

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