Personal Branding: Living on The Edge with American Apparel 

Posted by Unknown at 11:47 AM

Hi Lovelies! I'm writing not only because I miss you, but also because Dee Brown of Morning Cup of Style demanded that I share about my experience modeling for American Apparel;)!

Last week, I tagged along with my hubs for SXSW where he was working and I was (to my relief) just enjoying the ride. It was a pretty awesome experience, dabbling into the world of hip-hop with the likes of Nas, Ace Hood and Scarface. For sure, an extreme contrast with how I perceive my personal brand- but fun.

As always, the most random opportunities seem to present themselves at the right time (winking at the man above). Often times I decline, being that I know there's a stigma attached to the modern day PR girl. I blame Samantha from Sex and the City;). This job is not even 75% glamorous and managing your own reputation is equally as important as managing your clients. That said, when I was asked to model for an upcoming campaign by an American Apparel rep during SXSW, I immediately became suspicious.

"Why me, where do the pics go, do I get paid, are the pics going to be racy? Oh, I run my own business, so I really don't do any modeling...ha!" These are the thoughts and questions that surrounded my brain. Looking back, not sure what I said in my nervous attempt to digest the opportunity. But I do remember her stating that I was 1 of only 3 girls chosen during SXSW and it was a paid gig, and I was able to keep the clothes...."Ummm, where do I sign."


As an excessive consumer of American Apparel products, and an admirer of their marketing- I couldn't resist the opportunity. Plus, I understood that they are quite possibly working towards diversifying their market...I'm never mad at brands that support brown girls with kinky hair.

While the pics were indeed more racy than I would typically subject myself too, I actually walked away feeling liberated and confident. My teeny, tiny frame is usually hidden under layers, of flowy, vintage pieces and in urban communities thin is never in. With American Apparel, I found an opportunity to align myself with a major, global brand and introduce my e-friends, real friends and family to a side of me that is probably refreshing. I DO know how to "clock out and get loose" as my hubs would say...

As we all know, nothing is ever guaranteed until it goes to print, yet I feel like the highlight has already taken shape. In less than 24 hours I realized that PR girls can in fact model, party and embrace the stereotype a bit- without loosing credibility. The key is to "Align yourself with greatness," as stated by one of my BFF's, Andie. I expressed to her that God keeps presenting these very public opportunities to me, and I'm just curious to know why? Not questioning his decisions...but literally wondering what's the bigger picture. Curious.

Andie said, "It's because you align yourself with greatness." That's an amazing compliment to my friends, family, clients, mentors and colleagues, and one that I plan to fully digest. Thank you all for the social media luv, now go out and live on the edge a bit!

3 comments

1 Year of No Shopping= My Best Year Yet 

Posted by Unknown at 10:51 AM
First, I'd like to start by thanking the lovely and brilliant founder of the Women CEO Project, Kristi Jackson for inspiring this post. She brought it to my attention that we (Medley) had a really good year...which just so happens to be the year that I haven't shopped- at all. The year that I decided that investing in my business, traveling, up cycling and improving my overall quality of life- was more important than clothes.

Who knew?

The success of the company this year, is a result of so much more than just my goal to not shop- but I'd be lying if I said it didn't enhance my world a bit.

And now I have no desire to shop or spend my money on frivolous things. A guilty pleasure, form of therapy, desire to spoil myself through retail- no longer exists. Now I've learned to be fulfilled. Simply fulfilled.

Here's a recap of how it went down and my lessons learned:

1. It all started as a result of an amazing collection of vintage pieces that once belonged to my great grandmother. I think she'd be pretty excited about her first appearance on a national TV show...watch here:


2. For the first time, I attended Mercedez Benz Fashion Week in New York, on behalf of Status Management Group with Kevin Jeffries. HE is everything and a major blessing....there are some people who promise to invest in your career and your future. And there are others who just do. He is the latter.
See how I stretched my wardrobe at MBFW here: UPDATE: Life as a Non-Consumer...Not Even During Fashion Week.

3. Overall, the challenge allowed me to awaken my sense of fashion....which I had no clue even existed. Here's an archive of my posts, documenting the journey and a photo collage of some of my favorite looks:

Archives:

December 2010- When Being a Compulsive Shopper Becomes a Drag...



My biggest take-aways from 2011 are...

1. Goal- setting is cool...especially when you stubbornly and aggressively pursue them.

2. Kindness always wins. Sometimes it's just not worth the battle, often times the kinder person wins.

3. Take yourself seriously. Or no one else will...this was my year of looking insecurity right in the eye. 

4. Manage expectations. This has pretty much been my mantra for the entire year. I learned to say "No," a lot more often, and I candidly advised others to, "Just tell me no," if they feel too pressured to commit.

5. Love and faith. The two things that I hope will never change as the years go by. When I look back at what counted most over the past year, it's being surrounded by love and having unwavering faith.

Thanks for reading friends! Know that there's always something to smile about, and that challenging yourself can open up entirely new chapters of your life. Until 2012....;)!

7 comments

"Megan's Bracelet" Epilepsy Awareness Month 

Posted by Unknown at 1:56 PM
via P.S. You're Lovely 


Hello Lovelies,

November is a very special month and I hope you will support this cause that means so much to me. My best friend, Megan Ford, was diagnosed with Epilepsy this past summer and it has completely changed her life at the age of 25.  Through her struggles I have learned there is not much education out there about Epilepsy and many misconceptions about how it affects the every day lives of many people.

November is Epilepsy Awareness month so I want to do my part to help education the masses and donate to the research. The color for Epilepsy Awareness month is Purple so for the month of November P.S. You’re Lovely will have some special pieces and $5 for each purchase will go to Epilepsy Research in honor of Megan Ford.


Throughout the month I will post information about Epilepsy, Megan’s personal story, and different pieces that you can purchase to support the cause. An "Epilepsy Awareness Month" page has been added to the blog where the pieces will be showcased.

Megan's post: I Have Epilepsy.

Take the "Get Seizure Smart" Quiz today and start educating yourself TODAY!

Blissfully,










P.S. You're Lovely

Check out the ETSY shop
LIKE me on Facebook
FOLLOW me on Twitter

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Support the Girls and Knockout Breast Cancer with Wacoal 

Posted by Unknown at 4:26 PM
(Fit Specialist, Deborah Lamica and I)

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a stylish, intimate event at Houston's premiere luxury hotel, Hotel Zaza, hosted by the global lingerie company, Wacoal. The event was held in Zaza's Rockstar Suite and included a sushi/veggie bar, champagne+berry infused drinks and adorable swag bags. In addition to all of the royal treatment we received at the event, it was also a space for knowledge sharing and product education. My two biggest take-ways from the evening were:

1. A yearly bra fitting is a must. Shame on me for underestimating "The Girls." Discovered that I needed to go up a few sizes and felt relieved to know that these back pains weren't simply a result of bad posture. Apparently, I have a small back so extra support is needed, especially since I spend at least 12 hours a day hunched over the computer.

2. Get a fitting = Support Breast Cancer Awareness. When you attend a Fit for the Cure event in your area and get a bra fitting, Wacoal will donate $2 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. Also for any purchase made during the event, $2 of the purchase will also be donated to Susan G. Komen.

Fit for the Cure is a series of events held at department stores across the nation such as Macy's and Dillards. Click here to see when the next event is happening in your city.

Below are additional pics from the event as well as a few facts on how Wacoal has impacted Breast Cancer Awareness through their community-based programs.







To date, Wacoal has:
  • Donated more than $2.7 million to
    Susan G. Komen for the Cure®
  • Held 10,397 Fit for the Cure events
  • Fit over 507,242 women
Do support "the girls" by attending an upcoming event. Check out their site for more information: www.wacoal-america.com.

Special thanks to Dee Brown of Morning Cup of Style for introducing me to the brand;).

4 comments

UPDATE: Life as a Non-Consumer...Not Even During Fashion Week 

Posted by Unknown at 4:02 PM
It's been a while since I've posted about my journey of not shopping in 2011....and oh boy has a lot happened. Good things. For starters, I filmed a segment for KTRK ABC 13's show, Deals. The segment is focused on my  goal to not shop and how I'm reaching it by remixing/up cycling my grandmother's wardrobe. It airs on September 24th.

In addition, I just came back from Mercedes- Benz Fashion Week and was able to stay disciplined in my goal. Well....with the exception of shoes and accessories (which were never a part of the original plan). After a long day of shows, I broke down and bought two pair of ballerina slippers from Forever XXI ($30 total) and one of my dresses had an extremely exaggerated neckline so I was forced to purchase a scarf from TJ Maxx ($20) to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions. Not bad, right? 

Wanna know how I pulled it off? The following is breakdown of my wardrobe during MBFW:


Day 1: This is the above mentioned dress that had a deep neck- line. I was excited to wear it because my first day there was muggy but not quite cold, so I thought the sweater material would make sense. I ended up pairing it with a scarf after realizing how exposed I was and the effect it had on my confidence. No one wants to feel like everywhere they go, eyes are drifting everywhere but to your face...know what I mean? I bought the dress from a thrift store last year for less then $7 and the belt was a gift from my mom earlier this year. Overall, the look ended up being more frumpy than I usually like.



Day 2: The above photo of June Ambrose and I was taken by none other than my Fashion Week Fairy Godfather Kevin Jeffries of Status Management Group. The necklace, a borrow from my friend and client Stacy Robinson-Newton, top- an old tank from American Apparel, skirt- one of my grandmother's. Had it taken it and vow to never part ways from it. It actually garnered the attention of MTV- Germany....the pic above is from a street style segment I did with them.


Day 3: Another thrift store find from a few years ago, I paired it with black booties and of course a chunky silver necklace from Charming Charlie. Chunky necklaces were a staple item for me during the week. Looking back, I wish I would've packed a red belt.


Day 4: The blouse, another vintage piece from my grandma. The skirt, a black lace mini from Express a few years ago- every woman should own a black mini.


Day 5: This outfit actually made Essence Magazine's Street Style gallery. The blouse is yet again one of my grandma's vintage tops paired with shorts that my hubs purchased for me in May. They're from Urban Outfitters. Shoes, belt and glasses...from thrifting over the years.


 Day 6: This is perhaps my favorite look. I love effortless, timeless fashion. Nothing like a simple tank, paired with a chunky necklace and super chic pants. These pants will never go out of style....and even if they do I won't care;). The top is another tank I've had for years from American Apparel, the pants a gift from vintage boutique, Memoirs of Vintage.


Day 7: This was my final day at Fashion Week (tear, tear;)...and this look seemed to be the favorite amongst my Facebook family. The blouse is perhaps my single most favorite piece in my wardrobe and once belonged to my grandmother. Unfortunately, the irony here is...my friends loved the look, but it was awfully painful to wear. Mostly because of the gold belt that was intended for someone with a much more narrow waist line (yes, I'm happy to boast about being a size two now;). Otherwise, I did enjoy wearing it. 

I actually bought the skirt last year during fashion week at H & M. Unlike this year, I made a last-minute decision to attend fashion week, coming directly from Jamaica (long story, different post) and had to buy a few pieces to get me through the week.

Stay tuned for my post on Do It While You're Young (DIWYY) on how to cover fashion week within a budget;).



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5 Essentials for New York Fashion Week 

Posted by Unknown at 8:30 PM
First I'd like to thank everyone who's been keeping up with me on Twitter and Facebook as I correspond live (via social media) at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2012. I appreciate your support, retweets, kind words...and think about you when my back starts to ache, anxiety creeps in and when I get the urge to throw my tech gadgets out of the window due to malfunctions.

'Tis true, this city will eat you alive if you allow it to. That said, below are my suggestions on how to survive...boldy and fiercely during NYFW. And don't fret my lovelies- recaps from the shows are on their way;).
1. Back-ups- As in shoes. I purchased the Dr. Scholls roll-up slippers in Houston, only to realize they wouldn't stand a chance against these...ummm, pretty gross New York streets. I love the city, but I'd be lying if I said it was known for it's environment or beauty. The beauty of the city takes place at night, when the crowds are moving and the skyline is brightly lit. Nothing compares.

2. Tablet- I've been on the fence for ages it seems, about purchasing an ipad. Mostly because I'm a small business owner and refuse to purchase every new gadget that's introduced to the market...no time for trial and error purchases. However, I would never again lug around a 13' Macbook Pro during fashion week.

You start the day off looking polished and confident, with nothing but a jazzy laptop bag and a smile....and by days end your leaning sideways, with a bag filled with random swag from events and the pair of heels you thought you were looking fine in now stuffed at the top of your bag and poking you in the arm. DO invest in a tablet.



3. A Partner- I'm on the fence about this one...but having been alone for most of this trip I have to share the pros and cons. The pros to traveling solo are that you're forced to network and make new friends. You tend to move a little quicker, are much more decisive...and sometimes you just need a chance to brush up on your social skills without the confidence of a charming guy from New Jersey (aka Ryan Small...I'm green with envy of him and his ability to work the room).

On the other hand, an aggressive partner like both of my colleagues- will help you build two or three times as many relationships. You'll work as a team to network.

A partner is great to have when you need an extra push to stay out and have some fun, or when you could use the energy of another person to keep you going. Lastly, it's cool to have a partner because...(this might sound shallow), it's a total bummer asking a stranger to take a pic of you and a celeb. I said it, you know it's true. It goes both ways. If you have a partner, you can take turns taking pics.

This is actually my second time attending fashion week alone, though good for my personal brand development...it will likely be my last.


4. Brain Candy- I'm reading a book called Somebody Else's Daughter...have been reading it for almost two weeks and am starting to fear that it has no climax. Do you know how difficult it is to ride the subway with no phone signal, no Wi-Fi and a dull fiction novel? What's more depressing is that I can't seem to put it down...yet, it's not a page turner. In other words...I'm curious though not engaged. Bottom line...always have a good book on hand.


5. Day to night wardrobe- This has been a challenge for me. I can be traditional, in a sense that I like wearing bright, fun colors during the day and darker, more serious tones at night. That said, I've done my best (sometimes succeeding and sometimes...well...not) to wear outfits that allow me to cover shows at Lincoln Center during the day, and hop over to swanky, cocktail events at night. As always, I recommend to just do you....but be prepared for what the night may bring.

This is all I have for now lovelies, but with three more days ahead- I'm sure there's much more to be learned. Stay tuned...@ashleyrsmall;)!


Special thanks to Kevin Jeffries of Status Management Group who invited me to fashion week to cover the shows on behalf of his company. Here's a link to learn more about his work: http://statusmanagementgroup.blogspot.com/.

4 comments

Girl Power: Kim Crowder 

Posted by Unknown at 11:02 AM


Ever meet someone who is exactly the same person online as they are in person? You follow their tweets, check out their Facebook posts and frequent their blog...sincerely hoping that the person behind the screen is equally as cool and wise as they appear to be online.
Introducing Kim Crowder, musician, former PR gal and writer. In an nutshell, her life rocks. She's recently decide to go against the grain by relocating, pursuing her dream and living on purpose. I admire her courageous spirit and wonder how many women are straddling the fence of comfort and purpose. 
Keep an eye on her lovelies...I'm certain this is just the beginning of her journey of self discovery.

Q. Describe your personal style and personal brand:
A. Wow, this is a tough question since I don’t know that I’ve ever really thought about either of these in depth, LOL. In thinking about my personal style, it changes from time to time. The words I’ve heard people describe my style as most is funky and glam…I also like to be classy when it makes since, however, I usually throw on some wild colored lipstick, shoes or accessory, which is probably my way of keeping it edgy. 
Q. What is your #1 passion and why?
A. Outside of God, definitely music, specifically singing. I’ve always loved music since I was a kid, and not just one genre. I studied classically in high school and college, was in school and church choirs growing up, sang in talent shows; I’ve done it all. It’s almost like with music, it’s God’s gift to me, so I really have no choice – it’s unavoidable.
Q. In a few words, why do you feel that it's important for musicians to embrace social media?
A. For one thing, it’s free publicity and promotions. You pretty much have the world at your fingertips without having to hire someone off the bat to do this for you, and with so many different social media outlets, you can tap into different demographics easily. Also, with the push back from music lovers and artists on large record labels, you find many artists creating their own path via social media. We saw this at this past year’s Grammy's when Esperanza Spalding and Arcade Fire won the big awards of the night. Both of their careers are largely based on their success through social media.
Q. How do you achieve work/life balance?
A. Ugh…I’ll have to confess that I haven’t been known to be the best at this. In my last corporate job, I had to really push myself to draw lines, especially with having a company Blackberry. I think fighting to overcome my “Superwoman complex” and coming to the realization that I can’t be everywhere all the time helped me to resolve that adults really can handle things if I pull away and allow them to; however, if I keep being there, they’ll continue to lean on me since that’s the precedence I’ve set for them. At one point, my old boss literally told me I needed to, “let go and let God,” LOL, so I took a vacation to Hawaii. Making sure I don’t neglect my hobbies and relationships are great buffers for creating balance as well.  
Q. What's on your radar? What's next?
A. Well, I just made a major life change, which was moving out of Texas. I’ve lived in Houston just about my entire life and wanted to explore living in other parts of the country. For now, I am house sitting for my dad in a tiny town in VA while I plot my next move. The town is gorgeous with amazing views of the mountains, lots of greenery, cool breezes and friendly faces; really a slow, peaceful place. I currently write about music for the Houston Chronicle and CultureMap Houston, am catching up on writing on my blog melodiesofme.wordpress.com about jazz and my journey to pursue my dream of singing, hitting the books to brush up on my music theory and charting out my next path. I’m asking God for guidance, so I’ve got a feeling it’s gonna be good!
To keep up with Kim, follow her on Twitter at @kim_crowder and check out her blog at http://melodiesofme.wordpress.com.

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