Appreciating the beauty in life and applying it to creativity were two sentiments of the day as creative director Wes Gordon joined stylist and entrepreneur Karla Welch for the latest edition of Breakfast with Wes on Instagram Live. On opposite sides of the country, Karla and Wes enjoyed the morning sun, Karla in the Laurel Canyon garden on the west coast she shares with her husband and two dogs, and Wes on his farm in Connecticut noting the budding Spring around him, as they discussed the importance of craftsmanship, style and community during this trying time around the globe. Here are a few things we learned during their chat:
Karla is a “liquid breakfast kind of person, iced coffee only.” She rises early to mask up and go to her favorite small coffee stand in Laurel Canyon each day, to maintain some sense of her normal daily routine and maintain a good mental state.
Karla jumped into styling quickly, working on her photographer husband’s shoots and, as she now styles some of the most unique women in the world impeccably, has come to learn the importance of being a friend to her clients and maintaining professional boundaries with a creative process that is very intuitive, personal and individual.
Wes believes this time has underscored how important it is to dress with joy, how precious life is and that there is no time to dress any other way than in what makes us feel empowered and happy. It is not about finances, he says, but about wearing pieces that connect with you emotionally and feel unique.
Karla has also been working steadfastly on Wishi, her online styling app that helps the vast majority fine-tune and style looks from their own closets. Right now, she’s having fun with closet cleanups, employing a ton of stylists and an in-house fashion team.
The two discussed that the fashion calendar slowing down could be a positive thing, allowing pieces to have more soul and independent designers to sustain themselves. “I think the heart and soul, the essence of this industry is to create beauty, to celebrate life and joy and craftsmanship. The closer the industry gets to that as its goal and purpose will be better,” said Wes. Karla added, “All of these things are important. Still showing beauty is really important and we’ll get back there. We’re all in it together. There are many hard decisions and sometimes not easy to see past our own self for the greater good but we’ll settle back in.”
Wes had some of his favorite looks they collaborated on ready to be shared, to Karla’s delight. From Olivia Wilde in a signature shirt dress from the Spring collection last September for the debut of her film Book Smart to Michelle Monaghan in her iconically classic combination of a crisp white shirt, belt and taffeta gown from Mrs. Herrera’s last season––a combination they both agree is always effortlessly polished––on a woman they cite as incredibly kind, beautiful and fun. Another favorite was Amber Heard’s look for the Met Gala Heavenly Bodies exhibit, one that Wes and Karla worked very closely together to create, a strong vision and striking dress with its open back and one-loop bow. Tracey Ellis Ross and Michelle Obama define the kind of women both Wes and Karla love to work with and collaborate on: unique individuals who forge their own path and elegantly take risks.
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