When we asked our own Glam Kam – the in-house stylist for Zenzii – what her favorite piece of jewelry was (as a stylist for a jewelry company, could there be a better question to ask?), she told us the story of her grandmother’s wedding ring. The most interesting part of the story is that the ring – which she named her favorite piece – wasn’t her original. She lost that one and with the insurance money designed a gorgeous knock-your-(gloves?)-off ring that Kam has been in love with since. But, what makes it better is that Kam’s grandmother found her original ring many years later, called the insurance company and set up a plan to pay them back. To Kam, that ring is a constant reminder of her grandmother’s impeccable taste, but now it also represents her character.
Going back two generations, it’s no wonder that Kam’s love for fashion started very early in life.
“I was five the first time an ensemble made my heart beat fast,” she said, describing a royal purple corduroy culottes jumpsuit with a cheerleader applique. “Her pompoms were made of red fluffy balls and I wore it with a brightly colored striped sweater. My mom likes to remind me that I wore it almost everyday… for months.”
Kam and Her Mom
Her mom – someone she calls a style trailblazer – opened the door for Kam to experiment with an amazing wardrobe at an early age. And although Kam was standing over six feet in the seventh grade and couldn’t wear her petite mother’s clothes anymore, she was unwilling to give up that sense of style and began a quest to find the best looks for her body shape. The result inspired GlamKam.com where she’s been able to help other women establish (and love) their own style.
On a quest to find what works best for body shapes and personal styles, Kam admits she’s not a super fan of following trends.
“I am excited about flare jeans having a moment and being easier to find in longer styles,” she said. “But as a stylist in general, I hate to see my clients frustrated because a look they love is no longer on trend. I would much rather see someone have a unique sense of style than look like they are constantly chasing someone else’s.”
That explains why Kam loves the recent shift from unattainable standards of perfection to designing for and accepting all forms of beauty.
“The fashion industry is finally celebrating the complexities of women and getting away from its typical image.” Kam said, citing new campaigns from Iris Apfel for Kate Spade and Joan Didion for Celine as pioneers for including all women on their style board.
Her own style board will always include a well-bought jacket and a good hat. In fact, she walked in today wearing an enviable Rag and Bone floppy fedora. She instructed that a good hat makes you look confident, which makes you feel confident. Of course, we can’t ignore that it seriously helps tackle a bad-hair day, too.
Her only shudder inducer? Kitten heels. “Shoes create the foundation of your look and kitten heels aren’t doing us any favors,” she said. “They don’t exude a confident, intentional look. It’s like you don’t want to wear a flat but you aren’t comfortable in a heel. They are the shoe equivalent to a mullet.”
What we love most about the magic that Kam makes happen at Zenzii is her love for what’s happening right now in fashion and her ability to make a statement with those emerging trends before they take off.
“The true icons are taking the best elements from past decades and creating a brilliant mash-up of creativity and personal style,” Kam said, citing that we have plenty of lessons to learn from each era, but the risk takers of this generation – like Leandra Medine of manrepeller.com and J. Crew’s Jenna Lyons – who aren’t afraid to make a mistake are having a lot of fun with their clothes and jewelry.
“I admire the effort that women in previous generations put into their image, because getting dressed is one of the only creative things that we get to do everyday. Let’s face it, life is more fun in a great outfit!”
Of course, paired with a statement necklace, we couldn’t agree more.
In case you missed her last style board, click here. Keep an eye out for more to come!
