An Exercise In Discovering Your "Personal Brand"

With all the various little things I have going on in my work universe right now (namely, opening the store), I’ve had to spend some real time over the last thirty days or so nailing down what my “personal brand” is. Which really translates to: what my actual style “is”. And I’m not simply talking about clothes here, I’m talking about my entire universe, visual and non-visual, interior and exterior—I talk a lot about swimming in your own pond (which really just means staying in your lane and not getting distracted by what others are doing) but I’ve had to more or less figure out where that pond is and then put it on a map to show others.

It’s fun and self-indulgent, AND, if you have a major renovating project or decorating project or are still struggling to figure out what exactly your style is, it can be very helpful. It’s also the kind of thing that’s like…where do I actually start, you know?

Which brings me back to a potentially bigger thread here, which is the conversation of the algorithm ruining everyone’s taste and style. A lot has been written about this, and one argument goes: nobody has taste anymore because everything is now just being done for clicks and for likes. Another argument is: trend cycles move too quickly for anything to stick and everything has become disposable (I agree with this). The other is: we’re living in echo chambers of our own preferences and only getting fed the same stuff on social media and it’s ruining everything. And listen, I’m not a cultural critic over here, I’m not a fashion critic either. I am a regular ass woman with two kids, a shitload of clothes, and a smart phone, but what I DO have to add to the discourse is this… Instagram is a very powerful tool of discovery, if that’s how you’d like to use it. If you want to use it to have your own views and opinions and tastes reinforced, that is OK!!! If you want to use it to watch pimple popping videos before going to bed at night, ALSO OK! And if you want to use it to see what a Tunisian chef’s house looks like and what kind of napkins she uses, you can do that too! I use it for something of a combination of all three. I love pimple popping, I love memes for 40 something moms, and I love jumping into someone else’s universe for a moment.

The potential for discovery is LITERALLY limitless, and the good news is: there is literally limitless discovery. The bad news is: you have to filter through it. It’s a treasure hunt. Social media and the onslaught of visual stimulation can overwhelm and flatten, but it can also broaden and expand. Karl Lagerfeld used to listen to all the popular music, all the new actors and actresses, all the hot hot hot new things and the man stayed current, then pulled all that together into something truly his. That’s where the magic is, in looking at everything, pulling out the things you like, and then figuring out how to apply them to your life.

A look at my saved folder.

Anyway, this factors back into the whole branding exercise because….if you use social media, consciously or subconsciously you’re already cultivating a taste. All the things you engage with, whether there’s high or low brow, inform your POV, and you need the low-brow in there, otherwise you risk looking very bland. You need some zit videos or ugly animals, that’s what I always think is missing from the very popular minimalist luxury outfit lay-flats you see out there. It’s like a PB&J with no J, all stick and no slide.

So anyway, here’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s really fun. I needed to come up with a cohesive interiors plan for the store, branding for the store, branding and visuals for a separate project (more on that later), and then I felt sort of out to sea with my newsletter, so I needed to have a little touch base with myself. I went through all my screenshots and my saved folder, and came up with some moodboards. For my entire life.

This is it. It’s a little Lauren Hutton, a little Georgia O’Keefe, a little glitter, a little Phoebe Philo, a little tan man (lower left OMGGGGG) it feels very me. All of the things feel like they’re part of the same universe, and you can kind of see how the logo for this newsletter looks at home there.

Ok, so then what does this mean? Does it mean I should wear a zebra thong and let my butt hang out and get a dog? I mean…yes, but no. All of these disparate things come together to make my visual world, and so theoretically, the things that I do, and buy, and wear, and surround myself with should all feel at home with this. But what exactly are these things? There’s a heavy 80s influence, heavy menswear, a little bit of drag queen and disco, and a large amount of…I don’t know how else to say this, but intellectual woman. It doesn’t mean everything should look exactly like this board, but it definitely helps me better understand what’s underneath the things I really like, and what influences are just below the surface there. Then it becomes easier to translate.

Here it is in outfit form:

1: There’s the animal print, and also a little bit of the Texas thing. Tibi belt, $365

2: Big ass 80s style plastic aviators! Bottega Veneta sunglasses, $660

3: I do like something prim and tidy, and I think this just goes. Cos hair pin, $45

4: The blue stripe shirt is essential. Comme Si shirt, $275

5: Sequins - very important. There’s a lot of shiny texture in that mood board. Dries van Noten pants, $2,190

6: Menswear and workwear are important, and definitely balance out the shinier, more feminine aspects of the board. Auralee men’s jacket, $905

7: Oops, I numbered this Cos pin twice.

8: These Polo sneakers hit on the preppy New England/Americana thing that’s on the board. Very Lauren Hutton. Polo Ralph Lauren, $98

9: And of course, a mensy Rolex!!! Rolex watch, $4,535

10: I love the big ugly (gorgeous) 80s plastic aviators, but I also love a horny little pair of round glasses. The men’s thing! Warby Parker glasses, $145

11: This gooooorgeous vintage Cartier watch has a strap that really echoes the photo of the man in the bomber…

12: My favorite shorts, the sportyness, the masculine vibe, the Americana, they’re perfect. Madewell shorts, $75

13: These Gucci loafers touch on the banker stripe, the Dandy-ish aspect, and the Italian influence. Gucci mules, $990

14: Ok and again! The disco here, the color, the Lauren Hutton laughing loudly at a club in the 70s, this is it. Ashish bag, $675

15: This goes back to the Americana and sportyness….the color is so good, it also speaks to the 80s banker feeling. Everybody.World sweatshirt, $88

16: This goes to the men’s thing, of course, but also the little bit of 80s punk and Bauhaus that’s in the reference. It’s classic but off. Sacai, $1,950

17: Preppy! Classic! A little punk! Everything! Burberry, $2,095

When I was putting that together, I looked at every item against the moodboard to see if it fit. This is obviously a fantasy (everything is very expensive) but it’s one way to kind of judge whether or not something is part of your little universe. It’s a way to figure out if something might actually work for you, or if you just kind of enjoy it. For example, I love this Balenciaga bag, but it’s not part of my universe. It’s too street. I can appreciate it without considering buying it.

What about interiors?

Ok, I don’t recommend all of these things at once, but they all work.

1: Gotta have that animal print! I love this tiger rug so much. Nordic Knots rug, from $2,295

2: Hitting on that 80s 90s postmodern thing I love here. This is vintage Ikea. Ikea via Etsy, $134

3: Imagine this as bedding, not as pajamas. Preppy! Tekla pajamas, $265

4: I love this weird vase. So 80s, very much part of the board! Cassina vase, $810

5: Aside from the 80s/90s, the other big influential time period for me is deco. I love this mirror, it hits on shiny AND deco. Jenna Cooper, $950

6: Something feminine and soft here, but not too traditional. Joon Loloi couch, $2,699

7: Mega trad here, and a little over the top. It’s a nice counterbalance to all the postmodern stuff, and gives me the same feeling as the dog painting on the original board without being such a literal version. Met Museum, $45

8: Another nod to the weird little dog. I love this artist, Dorian Reid, and her cat sculptures are so great. It gives the room a little friction.

9: I have to have something sparkly and Disco! Mirrors by Lina mirror, $1,900

10: And finally, a brass, sculptural lamp. It hits on the utilitarian feeling and is also masculine. Double duty here. West Elm, $229

Ok! So was that helpful? Maybe? No? The gist is, if ever you are feeling lost, go to your saved folder and make yourself a moodboard. Let it be your north star, but also let it evolve over time! This is your personal brand. Mine is masculine, classic, expressive, and funny/sparkly. What is yours!?!

I LOVE YOU!

Your friend,

Laurel