INSPIRING TRUEFORMS Everyone has a fashion story to tell, I just didn’t know that I would be telling mine this soon. As a little girl, I was introduced to fashion in a pretty normal way. Little girls wore dresses, pink was your assigned color by default. Little did I know the way I would look at fashion would be totally different than what we were taught as little girls dressed by our mothers, playing dress-up in our mother's clothes or playing with pre-orchestrated styled dolls. My earliest memory of inspiration of style was my great grandmother Katie Richardson. Sweet memories of rice pudding cold from the icebox, background noise of afternoon soap operas and endless boxes of jewelry. Katie Richardson was something in her day I was told, second hand of course by means of eavesdropping. The way I remember her.. full robes with a matching turban wrapped around her head accented by huge beautiful jeweled brooches. Rings on almost every one of her fingers and wine-stained lips. I just knew she was a queen and the women around her especially my grandmother respect her as so. Here, where I was lead to my second inspiration, my grandmother. Jig, my beloved given name for her gave me not only an understanding of fashion but a lesson on knowing your TrueForm. Eighty plus years old and still a lady ahead of her fashion epoch. Once a seamstress a true lover of fashion she taught me textiles before I could even spell textiles. Exploring her slip drawers, pale colors of silks, satins, and lace. Here was my first lesson and the second to follow. Early on I was taught it was just as important to have the right thing on underneath than on top. Seeing how to mix color palettes by the way she styled each outfit she wore. Watching her for hours as she curated her wardrobe for each season year after year. Spending time with my grandmother as a little girl was always a special time for me. I remember as a child trips to Wanamaker's picking up endless packages from orders that she placed. She was always greeted as ma’am or Mrs. her personally assigned an associate to tend to any of her requests. An eye for detail she examined each garment for imperfections and finally making sure the fabric laid properly in its true form. I couldn’t wait to see how she would bring each garment to life with her final touches.
Over the years I as well developed this organic eye for form and style. Keeping classic pieces as the base of my wardrobe always allowed me to be an inspiration to myself and my TrueForm. I like to think that I challenge women to go against the mold, what social media projects or the trend. To once again find their TrueForm and allow their style to emerge. My philosophy in fashion is the same as my philosophy in life, it’s full circle. Health, beauty, lifestyle, and fashion all work harmoniously to showcase your TrueForm, your sense of style. In creating inspirations of style for women I take all of these components into consideration. Inspiration is what you define it to be, we give it permission to navigate its destiny. I never took my open invitation to visit Kyrzayda in Montclair at the boutique in 2016. That never defined the inspiration she was to me with style and her look on life. Inspiration is something that fuels us, something that pushes us to stand out from the rest. The women in my family have taught me this over and over again. I want to be that for my son, my daughter, young girls and women. Inspire them to find their form and be the best version of themselves and all that is true to them.
IN TRIBUTE TO KYRZAYDA, YOUR INSPIRATION TO US ALL WILL REMAIN LIKE THE CLASSIC LITTLE BLACK DRESS, A STAPLE OF FASHION INSPIRATION. SIOBHAN KIMBERLY FOUNDER, HERCHAOSGIRL
