Fashion Identity: Fashion is a profound way to express identity and communicate without words, as seen in Jason Rembert’s journey influenced by family and experiences.
Fashion can transcend mere clothing; it's a powerful form of self-expression and identity that can connect us to our roots and inspirations. Jason Rembert shared how his early exposure to family members who loved fashion—from vibrant patterns to designer pieces—shaped his appreciation for the art of style. Growing up, he was motivated by those influences and discovered that fashion allowed him to communicate who he was without words. This journey continued through his college years, where internships, including one at L Magazine, opened doors to new opportunities. Today, he stands as a prominent stylist and designer, using his platform to uplift others in the fashion industry. Jason’s story highlights how personal experiences and community support can help one carve a meaningful path in a competitive field.
Career in Fashion: Internships in fashion build important skills and relationships, leading to future success. Kindness and respect can create lasting connections that open doors for opportunities.
Starting a career in fashion can be challenging, but internships and connections are invaluable. The speaker's journey from an internship at a fashion magazine to becoming a stylist highlights how building relationships is essential. They learned important skills, like handling requests and maintaining discretion, while working closely with influential stylists. These experiences not only provided practical knowledge but also established lasting friendships that are crucial for support and mentorship in the industry. When seeking opportunities, being respectful and keeping connections can open doors and lead to success. Even small gestures, like a single supportive email from a brand, can have a huge impact, as shown when Prada backed the speaker's first magazine shoot with a huge celebrity. Recognition of past interactions and maintaining kindness reflect how memories in the fashion world shape future opportunities.
Career Journeys: Strong relationships and courageous choices are essential in creative careers. The speaker emphasizes how mentorship and taking significant leaps, like pursuing styling over traditional roles, opened doors to success. Collaborating with clients who have different perspectives, such as Issa Rae, allows for creative freedom and a fresh take on fashion.
Building strong relationships and taking bold leaps are vital for success in creative industries. The speaker shares how support from mentors like Nate, who believed in them from the start, fueled their career. After an intense internship experience, they took the chance to pursue styling for a girl group rather than staying at W Magazine. This decision led to their first significant client and a chance to represent them meaningfully. Working with clients like Issa Rae, who may not prioritize fashion, offers unique opportunities to express creativity and break traditional norms. These experiences highlight that passion, networking, and the courage to choose paths that resonate personally can lead to unforeseen success in a competitive field.
Fashion Impact: Issa Rae's fashion choices at events such as the CFDA Awards were a celebration of Black designers, demonstrating her commitment to supporting underrepresented talent. Her stylist took great care to style her exclusively with Black designers, showcasing dedication to promoting creativity over glamour, while Issa herself remains grounded and focused on making a difference in her work.
Issa Rae’s approach to the fashion world during events like the Golden Globes and CFDA Awards shows a commitment to highlighting Black designers. When styling Issa, the stylist decided to only use Black designers for the CFDA Awards, emphasizing the importance of supporting underrepresented talent in the fashion industry. This decision was made independently without seeking publicity, showcasing true dedication to fostering Black creativity. Despite the glamour of the event and the intricacies of fashion, Issa’s down-to-earth attitude shines through—she appreciates the jewelry and outfits but does not prioritize materialistic things in her life. Instead, her focus on creating impactful work makes her a role model. The behind-the-scenes efforts for these awards reflect a thoughtful and selfless vision for elevating others rather than seeking attention for personal gain.
Fashion Inclusivity: Financial challenges in the fashion industry hinder young black designers, but paying for their work helps support their talent. Events like the Met Gala push for creativity and risk-taking in style. Recognizing emerging designers can inspire innovation and inclusivity in fashion.
Young black designers face significant challenges in the fashion industry, particularly financial barriers that make it difficult to produce their work. By choosing to pay for their designs instead of asking for them for free, some individuals aim to support these emerging talents. Events like the Met Gala serve as major highlights in fashion, providing opportunities for designers and stylists to express creativity. One designer's bold choice can inspire others to take risks and innovate in their looks. As new talent emerges, the focus on unique styles and craftsmanship continues to grow, with a push for inclusivity and the celebration of diverse design perspectives. Recognizing both established and up-and-coming designers helps to spark creativity and keep the industry vibrant, allowing for a wider range of artistic expression.
Empowerment in Fashion: Supporting emerging talent in fashion is rewarding and enhances career fulfillment. Collaborating with artists like Simone Biles brings joy, ensuring creativity thrives alongside commercial success.
Helping others succeed in their careers is deeply fulfilling. When you support upcoming talent, it not only honors those who guided you but also fosters a sense of community. Balancing commercial success with artistic integrity is important too. The joy of creating memorable fashion moments with clients like Mary J. Blige and Simone Biles is enhanced by the opportunity to highlight emerging designers, making every collaboration special. This synergy between recognition and artistic expression can lead to innovative and iconic looks that influence culture and inspire future generations. Every outfit becomes a collective achievement, showcasing both the artist's vision and the stylist's creativity while celebrating individuality and diversity in fashion.
Creative Freedom: Jason found creative freedom by launching his clothing line, Elliot, allowing him to make uncompromised art and pursue his passion authentically, while balancing his ongoing career as a stylist.
Jason, a talented stylist, took a leap of faith to start his own clothing line, Elliot, after years of feeling restricted by outside opinions in his career. Inspired by a client’s enthusiasm, he began creating uncompromised art that reflects his vision. Balancing styling and designing, he cherishes the creative freedom that comes with being a designer, allowing him to work at his own pace. He values taking his time to make art that resonates with him, unlike the fast-paced demands of styling that don’t always offer the same level of personal expression. This journey highlights the importance of pursuing one’s passions authentically, inspiring others to create without compromise and take risks for their dreams.
Designer Breakthrough: A designer's collaboration with stylist Law for Zendaya's film gown boosted his career, showcasing the power of unique opportunities and increasing visibility for black designers in fashion.
During COVID, a designer faced uncertainty in the fashion world but was inspired by a call from stylist Law. He needed a timeless, sexy gown for Zendaya in a secret film project. After a quick collaboration, they created a unique dress that gained significant recognition when Zendaya wore it. This moment changed the designer's career, increasing his visibility and demand in the fashion industry. It highlighted the importance of opportunities and how significant moments can propel a designer from obscurity to mainstream success, particularly for black designers who previously faced challenges in gaining exposure. The success was deeply meaningful, showcasing collaboration and creativity amid uncertainty, and opened new doors for the designer's future.
Fashion Individuality: Fashion should reflect your style and comfort, not just trends. As we enter fall, embrace unique, elegant pieces and enjoy expressing your individuality.
Fashion is about expressing your individuality and comfort, rather than simply following trends dictated by others. Choosing clothing you genuinely like is essential. In shopping, seek unique pieces from various platforms like Farfetch to discover special items that resonate with your style. As we move into fall, there's a strong shift toward dressing up and embracing more elegant, adventurous outfits after the casualness of the pandemic. Designers like Raph Lauren are leading this shift, highlighting the balance of drama and romance in our wardrobe choices. The focus is on blending comfort with style and making fashion fun again, so don’t hesitate to explore and elevate your style this season.
Fashion Joy: Have fun with fashion and express yourself! Embrace joy in clothing, and don’t hesitate to tailor what you love to fit your current self.
Expressing joy and having fun through fashion is a great way to make the most of life. The emphasis is on enjoying clothing and being yourself, whether that means wearing something from years past or getting creative with alterations to make it fit better. It’s important to embrace how you feel, whether happy or sad, and to radiate enjoyment when dressing up and going outside. This season, it’s about letting loose, getting back to fun moments in life, and experimenting with your style without hesitation. Everyone should find a way to wear what makes them happy and remember that there are always solutions like tailoring available. Overall, the key is to celebrate clothing and the joy it brings, encouraging self-expression and enjoyment along the way.
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Jason Rembert Talks Styling Issa Rae and His Fall Collection for Aliétte
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Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: The Story Behind Emma Stone's Oscars Dress, as Told by Her Stylist, Petra Flannery
And just like that, an eventful 2024 award season has come to a close. Today, we’re joined by super stylist Petra Flannery, whose roster of clients includes Emma Stone, Zoe Saldana, Reese Witherspoon, Claire Danes, and Emilia Clarke. Flannery is here to dish about the Oscars and give us the behind-the-scenes details on Emma Stone’s greatest red carpet looks, from the pale-yellow slip dress at the Poor Things premiere to the stunning mint-colored peplum dress she wore while accepting her second Oscar for Best Actress. And yes, we’re talking about that pesky zipper.
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Gail Simmons: Food Writer, Culinary Multi-Hyphenate, and Top Chef Judge
Gail Simmons is the ultimate culinary multi-hyphenate. Though she’s perhaps best known for her 21-season tenure as judge on the competition reality show Top Chef, which debuts its latest season on March 20, she’s also made a lasting impact on so many other areas of food media. Simmons has spent 15 years of her career leading teams at Food & Wine (including organizing the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen); has written numerous books; and has even launched her own production company, Bumble Pie Productions, which focuses on bringing women’s voices to the food landscape. But before Simmons was making a name for herself as a food expert, she spent her early career gaining industry knowledge by attending culinary school; working at the iconic restaurants Le Cirque 2000 and Vong; assisting Vogue food critic Jeffrey Steingarten; and running special events for Daniel Boulud’s legendary restaurant group.
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Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Celebrity Hairstylist Mara Roszak on Crafting Emma Stone's Award-Season Looks and Getting Red Carpet–Level Hair at Home
With the Oscars only days away, celebrity hairstylist and Roz founder Mara Roszak is dropping all the details behind creating her gorgeous red carpet looks. Her client list includes stars like Olivia Wilde, Juno Temple, and Zoe Saldaña, but it's been an especially busy award season for her longtime client Emma Stone on the heels of her Oscar-nominated film Poor Things. Roszak is not only sharing the inspiration for Stone's hair looks this season, but she's also giving the full breakdown of how you can re-create her sleek Golden Globes lob and romantic BAFTA braid at home. Plus, if you've ever wondered how to achieve the elusive "wet look"—as seen on Roszak's clients Kristen Wiig and Natalie Portman—look no further.
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Sandra Oh Lin: Founder and CEO of KiwiCo
Sandra Oh Lin is the founder and CEO of KiwiCo, the company that’s helping millions of children develop creativity and problem-solving skills through art- and STEM-based activities. Remembering how much she loved participating in hands-on projects with her mom when she was a child, Lin sought to inspire that same sense of innovation and “creative confidence” in her own kids. Soon, other parents began asking about the activities she was creating for her children’s playdates, and she realized that she wasn’t the only parent wanting to provide fun, educational experiences for her kids. With her engineering and business degrees, alongside her experience at major companies like eBay, Procter & Gamble, and PayPal, Lin started KiwiCo out of her garage. Over the last decade, she has scaled the company to include more than 1500 products, sent out 50 million shipments of KiwiCo products, and developed partnerships with over 400 educational organizations.
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Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Zac Posen on Designing Costumes for the Epic Black and White Ball Scene in Ryan Murphy's Feud: Capote vs. the Swans
Zac Posen is an internationally acclaimed fashion designer whose designs have been worn by Natalie Portman, Oprah Winfrey, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rihanna, among many others. Posen is known for his fine craftsmanship and glamorous gowns, and powerful women have historically sought him out to dress them for significant moments in their lives. Because of this, it only made sense that Ryan Murphy and Gus Van Sant called upon Posen while developing FX's Feud: Capote vs. the Swans to craft costumes for the reimagining of a real-life event: Truman Capote's 1966 Black and White Ball. He's giving us all the details about how he walked the line between historical accuracy and his signature stylistic flair to create showstopping looks for all of Feud's leading ladies.
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Dianna Cohen: Crown Affair Founder and CEO
Crown Affair is a haircare brand that empowers people to create ritual out of their hair routine. Launched in 2020 with four products (a towel, a brush, an oil, and a comb), Crown Affair has since grown to include a range of hair products and tools; has become one of the buzziest beauty brands on TikTok; and is now sold at retailers such as Goop and Sephora. But before Cohen founded Crown Affair, she spent her early career in marketing and partnerships and later consulted for some of the most influential direct-to-consumer companies of the time. Think Away luggage, Outdoor Voices, Harrys, Buck Mason, and more. But when a Google Doc detailing her other passion (aka her haircare routine) began circulating, Cohen realized it was time to take a pause on building other people’s companies and create one of her own.
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Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: New York Fashion Week F/W 24 in Review
New York Fashion Week just wrapped, and Editor in Chief Kat Collings and fashion editor Jasmine Fox-Suliaman are here to give you the inside scoop on what the fall-winter 2024 collections had to offer. Tune in to hear which emerging designers to have on your radar, who's giving a sultry update to workwear, which types of interesting necklines we can expect to see everywhere this fall, and what it was like breathing the same air as Beyoncé at the Luar show.
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Maria Dueñas Jacobs: Super Smalls Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer
Super Smalls is a line of playful, gem-studded accessories inspired by and made for kids. After years as an accessories editor and director at fashion publications Glamour and Elle, as well as working on brand development at personal styling company Stitch Fix, Maria Dueñas Jacobs developed a deep knowledge of the accessories space. So when her daughter, who was five at the time, began playing with her beautiful (and expensive) jewelry, a lightbulb went off for Dueñas Jacobs. Soon, she began channeling both her inner child and her trained editorial eye to bring the luxury jewelry experience she knew and loved to a kid-safe jewelry line. Today, Super Smalls has made Oprah’s Favorite Things list three years in a row and expanded into a stunning range of jewelry, shoes, crafts, and more. Each item is made for play and is sure to bring joy to any kid (or “kidult,” as Dueñas Jacobs refers to herself in this episode) who wears it.
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Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Amy Smilovic, Founder of Tibi, Gives a Style Master Class Through Her Lens of Creative Pragmatism
Amy Smilovic founded the women's luxury brand Tibi in 1997, and over the years, she's honed her distinctive brand identity and coined a phrase for her design philosophy: creative pragmatism. If you're a creative pragmatist like Smilovic, you find your style rooted in creative expression and utility, and you feel at home in an aesthetic that is at once chill, modern, and classic. Written from the point of view that style can indeed be learned, her book The Creative Pragmatist details all of her guiding principles, from how to style colors and prints in a way that feels modern to how to pick basics that aren't, well, basic. Smilovic has developed a highly analytical approach to making outfits look effortless, and she's breaking down her greatest and most useful style tips for us this week.
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Charlotte Cruze: Co-Founder of Alice Mushrooms
If you’ve dipped your toe into the world of functional, non-psychedelic mushrooms, you’ve likely seen Alice’s chic adaptogenic chocolates grace your social media feed or the shelves of your local boutique grocer—you have Charlotte Cruze to thank for that. In 2022, Cruze and her co-founder Lindsay Goodstein launched Alice with two products: Nightcap, a sleep aid, and Brainstorm, an energy booster. Today, the line has expanded to include an aphrodisiac chocolate called Happy Ending and a limited-edition lingerie collab with Fleur du Mal. But before she was creating mushroom chocolates, Cruze spent most of her career in media at companies such as Refinery29, InsideHook, and NBC. During that time, Cruze realized she loved the food industry, and in the early days of the pandemic, she enrolled in a food studies master’s program at NYU with the intention of pivoting her career. From there, she took on a role as the head of operations at meal-kit company Quinn and later led growth at Nutella-alternative brand TBH. While Cruze was still working at TBH, Goodstein, a former pharmaceutical salesperson, tapped her to help build Alice, and the rest is delicious, benefit-packed history.
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