The 29 Best-Dressed Detroiters of 2008

It’s something retailers and the international couture community have known for years: Detroiters know fashion. Photographs by Joe Vaughn

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Mary Campbell

Birmingham, interior designer

Campbell is a naturally remarkable dresser who manages to look great in everything she wears. Her style is eclectic, but her favorite designer is indisputably Chanel. A mother of three and grandmother of four, Campbell shops at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, where she likes to get to know her sales people. She has a fondness for sharp jackets, but loves dresses, too. Her sense of style, she says, comes from her mother, who worked in retail and always looked well-put-together.

John Martenson

Trenton, funeral director

Martenson knew he liked wearing suits the first time he put one on for his senior high-school dance. He says his dad tells him where to buy and his wife tells him what to buy.  His favorite place to shop is L’Uomo Vogue. He likes collecting neckties and watches and prefers suits with an Italian cut. He says that dressing is an expression of who you are, an extension of your personality. For him, that means “I’m a suit-and-tie kind of guy.”

Julia Greer

Bloomfield Hills, gastroenterologist

Greer likes clothes that are understated but feminine. She sees fashion as an art form. Her favorite designers are Lanvin and YSL, and she most enjoys shopping at Linda Dresner, Neiman Marcus, and Tender. She loves shoes, adding that a good pair can be a quick fix for any outfit. “I love shopping for shoes,” she says. “It’s better than lunch.” Her style came from her mother, who made clothing. Today, one of her favorite outfits is a blue Lanvin gown that she once wore to a charity ball. “When I wore that gown,” she says, “I felt empowered with confidence and liberation.”

Amanda Apfelblat

West Bloomfield Township, chiropractor

As a representative of the chiropractic community, Apfelblat feels there’s a certain professional image she must portray. But she does like to include some girlish qualities in her appearance. She likes colorful dresses, Giorgio Armani, and shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue with her husband. Apfelblat says she developed her sense of style while poring over fashion magazines. “It’s where I get ideas to build upon,” she says. Among her proudest and early moments in fashion: “When I wore an Armani business suit to a chiropractic convention.”

Horatio Williams

Grosse Pointe, CEO On Time Transportation, founder of Horatio Williams Foundation

Williams remembers a very special Easter when his mother bought him a blue-to-red iridescent sharkskin suit. “I was just a kid, but I knew I liked being dressed up like that,” he says. “I wanted to wear that suit every day.” That delight persists to this day. Williams loves suits, with two closets full of them as evidence of his affection. Most of his suits are custom made from Vestry and Fashion International, with many from the Tayion Collection. “Suits are my specialty,” he says. “I can do a conservative navy, three-piece banker suit, or I can just as comfortably wear something very fancy with all the bells and whistles.” If you don’t find Williams wearing a beautiful suit, he will most likely be dressed in an elegant golf ensemble.

Lauren Bean

Franklin, mother

Bean says that dressing well makes her feel pretty and ready to face her day. She likes to mix classic looks with trendy ones. Her favorite shop is Tender in Birmingham. “I love shoes,” she says. “Shoes can make or break an outfit.  I can never have too many pairs.” She inherited her sense of style from her mother who, she says, “has always been a fancy dresser. I always admire her look.” And she remembers her own best moments. Among them, a Calvin Klein dress she bought when she was 25. “When I put it on, I felt I was sharper than anyone in the world,” she says.

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