Fashion Fairy Goddess, Ripley Rader
Ever feel like “beautiful” is a far away word? Well, that’s been me the past few weeks. And, It takes a very special fairy godmother of a designer to make a girl feel like a goddess when she’s been feeling anything but goddessy lately. When I rolled into Ripley Rader’s magical compound on Friday, with desert-frizzed hair and no makeup, I was feeling a little hopeless when it came to what to wear to the Uplift Family Services#NormaJeanGala2018 on Saturday. Truth be told, producing and hosting multiple influencer trips as well as working on 7 projects, not to mention being in 6 cities in 6 weeks, and 3 cities alone this past week, my nutrition and exercise have taken a major backburner to everything else. But, when I called Ripley with the last-minute request for a gown, she said she had the PERFECT piece in mind: a custom, sapphire blue sequined number with winged sleeves that would make Stevie Nicks jealous. It sounded beautiful, but beautiful was NOT how I was feeling. In fact, the first thing I told Ripley when I entered was, “I don’t know if there will be anything that makes me look the way I want to look, and feel the way I want to feel.” But, Ripley doesn’t allow such naysaying in her Land of Oz. This woman, whom I’ve worn on countless occasions (including to the @cma Awards TWICE) said, “We as women need to love our bodies in all of its states and in all of the shapes it takes. They are all beautiful. When will we embrace this?” Wow. Things I say to women all the time I wasn’t able to say to myself...and, enter my fashion fairy godmother. I am so thankful to this little southern fairy of a woman who dresses women of every age, size, body type and race, and who really sees women for the beauties they individually are - no matter how they are feeling about themselves at the moment. But, then again, what do you expect from a former ballerina who wears a sequined sash around her wrist and who serves glittered donut holes and Irish coffees for breakfast fittings and comes to the gala when you invite her? Ripley, you are a goddess. And, because of YOU - not just your design but your spirit - I felt like a goddess. Thank you in spades, you fairy you. ••• And, it takes a village to glam, y’all...soooo... Shoes: Prada vintage c/o Nicolas Delgado at The Fine Art Of Design Makeup: the AMAZING Christopher Miles Hair: PRÊTE Earrings: Melody Ehsani - a gift from my honey, Nick Yedinak 💗 — with Ripley Rader, Christopher Milesand Nick Yedinak at Hollygrove.
