If you don’t know the name Geneva S. Thomas yet, you’ll probably know it soon. The 30-year old Detroit native is the youngest cast member of Bravo’s upcoming reality show Blood, Sweat And Heels, which premiers January 5th. The pop culture and fashion journalist has worked for the likes of Ebony, Clutch Magazine and The Tyra Show. Now, she is launching the 1530 Agency, “a digital experience for fashion and lifestyle brands who want to market to Black and Latina women.” Get to know Ms. Thomas a little better with our 10 questions.
Diana Ross is her biggest fashion influence.
“Her fashion has been fearless and broken some barriers. I do also love Kelis. A lot of people don’t think she’s popping right now, but I think she’s just that girl that has informed a lot of the pop stars that we have today.”
She’s studied in London, Paris, South Africa and Scotland.
“I studied in South Africa for a year in undergrad and that was just life changing for me. One of my mentors at the time pushed me to go and it was exciting—definitely one of the transformative experiences of my life.”
She was a part of the team that helped launch the first North American store for Top Shop.
“One of my first fashion gigs was with Top Shop on the brand team. It was really exciting because I was part of the team who helped to launch the first North American store. So that was really iconic and history-making. It was a big deal for me being the only black girl on my team and being as young as I was.”
She’s a member of the Delta Theta Sorority.
“For me it was all about legacy and sisterhood. I can’t imagine Delta not being a part of my life. It’s an incredible sisterhood and network of really successful, powerful and beautiful women and everyday I’m grateful about being a Delta. Everyday.”
Her fashion forecast for 2014 is comfort.
“I think there will be more inspiration from menswear and moving away from things being so formfitting. We want to be fierce, but we also want to be comfortable. I love a high heel—my favorite shoe happens to be Brian Atwood—but I think women will embrace flats more.”
What are three words to describe your style?
“I like to call it playful, sophisticated chic. I don’t like to put myself in a box. I do have a look I generally try to go for which is very clean and sexy, but I like to sometimes surprise people.”
She’s a fan of Malcolm Gladwell.
“I’m really a digital girl so I don’t have a book on my nightstand, I have a digital reader—but I have been reading Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book [David and Goliath]. I’m a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell.”
In another life, she might have been a professor.
“[If I wasn’t a journalist] I would probably be a professor. I would probably have continued on with my PhD and would have been literally teaching in someone’s graduate classroom right now [Laughs.]”
She considers staying in New York City to be her biggest accomplishment.
New York is a beast. You can’t be a big fish in the pond here. You have to swim with the sharks. In New York, it’s easy to get down and out and to give up. I don’t have any family here or on the east coast at all. So, you know, I’ve really had to develop my own support system with my friends and my mentors.
If she could give advice to her 18-year old self, it would be to chill out.
I think that I’m a classic Leo in that I can definitely be over analytical and I can hyper plan and I expect for things to go just as I planned it and, you know, I would just tell myself that it’s all gonna come together. Don’t worry, don’t overthink anything—it’s all gonna come together.
Photo credits: Alex Smith/Bravo; G. Thomas.