Ava Phillippe’s Mom Reese Witherspoon Imparted This Crucial Fashion Tip To Her

One quick glance at Ava Phillippe will likely bring her mom Reese Witherspoon to mind almost immediately. The young influencer is certainly a doppelgänger for her famous mother, but it must be said that Phillippe is carving her own path in the fashion and beauty spaces, claiming territory that is very much her own. And people are noticing.

Take, for instance, Dame Pat McGrath herself who tapped the 22-year-old for her Bridgerton X Pat McGrath Labs Campaign in December 2021. Clearly, Phillippe’s fresh and unique style (which often includes experimenting with every hair color under the sun) is catching eyes. “I like to blend grungier style with more feminine style,” says Phillippe to TZR at the April 16 ZOEasis event for Coachella. “I’m definitely having a thing with the ‘90s right now. Obviously, being a child of parents who were super big in the ‘90s and into all those trends, they’re like ‘Oh, you’re doing exactly what I used to do.’ But I like to put my own spin on it. I’ll take big, ‘90s supermodel hair and make it pink. I keep it fresh and funky but still inspired by those trends.”

And while her edgier approach is certainly a departure from Witherspoon’s classic, romantic looks, Phillippe explains she still takes her mother’s sage advice when it comes to fashion and style. “She’s definitely taught me how to pose,” says Phillippe. “She really wants me to embody this confidence that comes from within and that inner sense of self. Whatever fashion [style you choose] should come from within. If you feel good, you look good.”

But from a more technical and strategic standpoint, Phillippe says Witherspoon also taught her one key styling rule: “Shoes with the bag. If you match your shoes with the bag it automatically makes it a look.”

Speaking of bags, Phillippe explains that Witherspoon’s prime collection of handbags and jewelry are what she “borrows” most often from the Legally Blonde star. “Are you kidding? Of course, I steal from her closet,” says Phillippe. “It’s always a little jewelry here, a little bag there. She’s so generous with it. She’s like, ‘Just do your thing and make it look cute.’” And, now that Phillippe is establishing herself as a style muse, the tables certainly turn from time to time. “Sometimes it’s the other way around — she’ll steal my cute band tees and sweatpants.”

Phillippe’s fearless beauty looks are also up for grabs with Witherspoon. “I think she’s inspired by how I take risks with my beauty and fashion standards,” she explains. “So, [my mom] tries to do my same curtain bangs as me. I’d also say she gets makeup tips from me, like how to do your eye shadow. When I was a teen, I was learning from YouTube and all these internet resources and I just imparted that to her.”

But, as trends come and go, Phillippe says it’s her mother’s focus on inner beauty that remains imprinted on her through the years. “‘Pretty is as pretty does’,” says Phillippe of Witherspoon’s favorite adage. “She’s from the South and it’s a big Southern saying, but it really does ring true to me. The way you treat people is so indicative of how beautiful you are on the inside and the outside — and how good you feel about yourself and your place in the world.”