Kyoko discusses fashion's role in building self-esteem and honoring her authentic self. 

 

 

I used to revel in taking people by surprise and proving their assumptions and biases wrong. In a way, it defined me. I was the Black, White and Japanese girl from Taipei, Taiwan. The one who made people curious. The girl who stood out in any room. In reality, letting these pieces of my identity define the entirety of who I was disconnected me from others, and from the very heritage that brought me here and influenced my thoughts and beliefs.

Now, having a strong sense of self means, to me, understanding where you end and others begin. It’s knowing that beyond the perceptions of family, friends, acquaintances and strangers there is an unshakable essence that is you.

How we adorn our own bodies speaks to the essence within each of us. And ultimately, our style is an external reflection of who we are and who we are becoming internally. I remind myself of this when the inevitable ups and downs of life occur. Throughout my short career in media and fashion I have seen many.

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San Francisco-based jewelry brand Goldstories is inspired by heritage and creating future heirlooms that can be worn for every day. Here, I wear their evil eye pendant:

 

 

When I sat down with Goldstories founder and designer Subikksha Balaje, we quickly found connection through our Silicon Valley backgrounds. One of my first jobs in media was at a San Jose tech company. At the time, my aesthetic was something like Scandal-chic. In other words, power pants, clacking heels and slim-fitting dresses clearly created to be worn around the office.

My service and purpose in the industry was far from defined, but it gave me an idea of who I wanted to be. While empowering, it felt like a costume to some extent. Not who I was, but who I was trying to be and what I believed that person looked like.

After landing my dream job as an assistant fashion editor at The Wall Street Journal, I learned the importance of dressing for yourself—That knowing trends isn’t about being trendy, but knowing what will be on the shopping racks come next season. This way, you can invest in pieces that will make you feel good for life. Goldstories echoes this sentiment by creating wearable art that is designed to be worn for generations, and for every occasion.

 

 

 

Perhaps most importantly, wearing fine jewelry for every day provides a pretty serious self-esteem boost. Now, I’m not saying break your bank so you can be dripped out daily, but if you have that one piece of fine jewelry that only gets pulled out for special occasions, see if it might work with some of your more casual pieces. You might be surprised.

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With that, thank you so much for being here. Until next week, honor your heritage, dress for you and let yourself enjoy it. x

Yours Truly,

Kyoko

 

This Article was written by Kyoko Harris 

To read more of her articles click here https://kyokovappailleharris.com/ 

 

[DISCLAIMER]

I am not compensated for the features listed in All-Year Season. My sincerest thank you to Goldstories for supporting the creation of this post.