Gucci Tapestry Bag – Andscape

Courtney MaysThe 40-12 months-old California-based celebrity stylist, whose clients include Chris Paul and Jay Ellis, talks about her love of menswear and redefining luxury at this stage of her profession.

I turned 40 last 12 months and I just discovered my personal style. Growing up, I went from being a grunge girl to wanting to seem like Aaliyah to trying to grasp how my style affected my gender identity. I wasn’t sure if I desired to be feminine or masculine. I’m also a plus-size girl, so fashion was all the time a little bit of a struggle for me, I did not have access to the identical things as my friends and I needed to be creative.

I remember my family friend who became my older sister all the time took me shopping at thrift stores. That was the primary time I spotted, “Oh, I can be creative with my look and I don’t have to worry that the store won’t have my size,” because I used to be in the lads’s section and I used to be vintage. I remember wearing old nightgowns under my blazers. I do not know. I used to be a large number.

Now that sounds cute, but due to my size and the way in which fashion has gatekeepers for anyone over a size 8/10, I needed to learn to be creative with what I wore. That influenced my personal style, which meant accessories became really necessary to me. My love of thrift stores and vintage became necessary because that’s where I could find things that fit me.

Comfort is very important (for me right away). I’m also very gender fluid. I like menswear. I like a suit. I feel most confident in a suit, oversized blazer, and baggy pants, but I also work in sports. Sportswear is an element of my on a regular basis life. I actually have a good collection of sneakers. I all the time wear a tracksuit with all my bling. Partly because of what is around me and what’s comfortable, but at the identical time I would like to be chic.

I remember seeing pictures of (celebrity stylist) Rachel Zoe in six-inch platform heels and pondering, Sure, she probably has 45 assistants running around and doing all this crazy stuff, but there’s this illusion of what a stylist looks like and what meaning for her wardrobe.

My mom is a Louis Vuitton fan. I do not know if I got a present or if I stole all her little makeup bags, and she or he has this huge one, I do not think they make them anymore, imagine a travel bag, but times three. I all the time borrowed those things from her collection because that was the definition of luxury at a young age. That was my understanding of luxury, and wearing that monogram seemed iconic and statuesque.

When I turned 25, my old boss bought me a Gucci Tapestry bag. It completely fell apart and I needed to eliminate it, which was devastating. It was such a generous gift, but it surely also brought me back to my love of antiques and magnificence from a long time ago. It defined my style at that time.