Styling Karlyn Percil, Chair of The Harry Jerome Awards

5 May 2011 No Comments

By Janielle McKoy

April 29th, 2011 changed my life in so many ways. It marked the 29th annual Harry Jerome Awards, and not only did I get to attend the awards, but I was also privileged to be chosen as the stylist of the Chair of the awards for the special evening, the beautiful and talented Karlyn Percil.

For any of you who aren’t aware, Ms Percil is a corporate executive, fashion model and philanthropist. Even with all these titles under her belt, she finds the time to balance corporate success and community responsibility. She has organized various educational fundraising events for the Aids Action foundation and raised money for an orphanage in her native home of St. Lucia. Additionally, Karlyn is an active volunteer for the BBPA (Black Business & Professional Association) and has been the Chair of the Harry Jerome Awards for three years.

Before styling Karlyn for the awards night, I took a look at pictures of past events just to get a feel for her personal style. One thing I noticed is that her clothing is always true to her body and she never looks uncomfortable in anything she wears. She also experiments with color, patterns and lengths, which is always a positive thing in fashion.

At last year’s awards, she looked radiant in her long haltered gold dress, which fit her like a glove and worked well with her complexion. She decided to go with gold long tassel earrings and a gold bracelet. She exuded Hollywood glamour. What I liked about the dress is how it fit around her bust line down to waist. It created an amazing hourglass figure.

This year, Karlyn decided to go for more of a fresh, clean approach. The dress was a similar fit to her glamour dress last year but she went for straps instead of the halter look. It was an ivory- slim fitting long dress and it had an elegant train in the back. She reminded me of a Venetian Goddess. I was on mission to find the best necklace for this garment, something to really make it pop. Karlyn explained she wanted a flash of emerald green to add to the fresh look.

After searching high and low for this accessory, I came across this designer named Karama, who creates amazing, African inspired pieces. She is new to the accessory industry and was thrilled to have the Chair in one of her pieces.

I decided on an aqua two stone gold necklace; definitely a statement piece that brought light to the dress. It lay flat on her chest, and looked amazing around her neck. Her aqua eye shadow and a sleek hairstyle also ensured that she commanded attention the whole night, and stood out amongst the crowd.

It’s always a pleasure to style a client like Karlyn Percil. She is a powerhouse in the black community, not to mention a true fashionista. She has mastered what works best for her figure but still isn’t afraid to add color to her wardrobe.

The clothes you wear speak volumes about you. A style that’s right for you can help you exude confidence by letting your inner self shine through.