While Olivia Pope’s faithful Gladiators await her return to televisions next month for third season of “Scandal,” Kerry Washington is enjoying her role as cover girl du jour – this year alone, she’s been featured on the covers of magazines like Elle, Ebony, Flare, Vanity Fair, and our very own UPTOWN.
Glamour‘s October 2013 issue also finds Washington on the cover and in its pages, discussing love, career, and fashion – and that latter topic is quite the timely one. The fall season is regarded as the apex of the year in fashion, and Washington rocks the latest designer offerings flawlessly. However, an interesting quote of hers struck me:
“OK, I’m going to admit this: There were a couple of actresses whom I felt were having the upper hand career-wise—because they knew how to work that red carpet. I was like, ‘I’m missing a really important tool. If I am the CEO of the Kerry Washington Corporation, my marketing department is really lax.’ So I sort of developed a new character: Red-Carpet Kerry … And I researched her like any other character. I actually called Tracee Ellis Ross [the actress and Diana Ross’ daughter], who’s a good friend, and literally asked, ‘How do you pronounce Hermès?’ Red-Carpet Kerry needed to know … The professor’s daughter kicked in. I was doing library hours on fashion. And then it happened — I was in love.”
I read her quote, looked down at the basic loafer/jeans/sweater outfit I had on that day, and realized that my own marketing department was clearly out on the picket line. Somewhere along the way, my fashion choices stopped becoming a representation of who I was – a fun, flirty, creative woman – and regressed into something rote, drab, and downright basic. If I was supposed to be the CEO of the Bee Quammie Corporation, I was advertising an empire that was pretty damn blah.
It wasn’t always like this.
[Image: Shutterstock]
Going to a gifted arts elementary school ignited my obsession with all things artistic and glamorous. Every Sunday I’d watch a show called “Fashion Television,” which featured weekly updates on fashion designers, shows, and supermodels, and would plot out my outfits for school that week. Fashion was something fun, something mine – until I allowed work dress codes and grown-up financial obligations to usurp all the personality out of my personal style.
So, how am I going to get my fashion mojo back this fall and get my marketing department back on payroll?
1. Vintage/Thrift Shopping
I’ve typically played it safe with my purchases. Brick and mortar malls and boutiques were always my go-tos for shopping, and once I started trusting the system, I expanded with online shopping. One medium I never really dabbled in was the vintage shopping and thrifting arena. After seeing some of the unique (and cheap!) finds that other friends have gotten, I’m down for afternoons spent digging for hidden gems in local vintage stores. Being one-of-a-kind is the fun thing about fashion, and vintage shopping gives that edge.
2. Keeping Color
A bad habit I have during the summer-to-fall transition is letting the color drain all the way out of my wardrobe. Fall is a wonderful time for earth tones and neutrals, but keeping color is key. Dyed jeans and bright coats are at the top of my hit list, and I’m also going to indulge more in prints and textured fabrics to keep things jazzy.
[Image: Shutterstock]
3. Indulge in Fashion Media
As I mentioned before, I used to spend Sunday evenings watching “Fashion Television” – trying to take lessons from Naomi Campbell and Gianni Versace on how to craft outfits and walk like a supermodel. I also used to pour over issues of Seventeen, Suede, Vogue and InStyle to indulge my fashionista spirit. These days, fashion blogs have become my go-to for haute couture happenings and real street style. I love The Fashion Bomb, Style Pantry, and Ring My Bell – these sites (and their off-shoot Twitter and Instagram accounts) allow me to see how others embrace their love of fashion, and inspire me to try something new or revisit something old.
These three points are sure to rev up my style mojo and get me ready for the best that autumn fashion has to offer – and if things go well, my Bee Quammie Corporation marketing department might just be back to work. Their goal for this quarter? To ensure that the inner-fly goddess is reflected appropriately on the outside – she’s been hiding long enough.
Do a quick self-assessment: Is your marketing department working the way it should? What are you looking forward to adding to your wardrobe this fall?
[Image: Shutterstock]
