Fashionista Feature: Ker-leen

Meet Ker-leen Joseph...beautiful fashionista and sister in Christ who I had the pleasure of sitting across the runway from at CFW. Laura had the opportunity to interview her with the same questions we've been asking other fashionistas all week long and I'm thrilled to present her to you here...(I promise, I didn't tell her to say those things about me!)
Personally, I'm most excited about her You Tube Channel and would recommend all my readers to check it out too! Ker-leen, I'm going to be letting my Facebook Readers over at Fashion Meets Faith know about this too!  Love ya girl! -Shari

Soooo, here she is!

* How did you hear about Christian Fashion Week? 

It was nothing but God that led me to Christian Fashion Week! I had just launched a new a blog: Music. Fashion. Love. and I started researching events in the area to feature on my blog, when I happened to stumble on a 'Christian' Fashion Week! I was both elated and intrigued at the notion. I had several questions about this novelty. What would the fashion shows be like? What would the designers feature on the runway? What type of ambiance/culture would be promoted? Would this be like church, or a censored version of secular Fashion Week?

* Where do you live and why did you decide to travel to Tampa?

I happen to live in the same city that CFW took place in! I was so appreciative that it took place in my city, as I met several other fashion enthusiasts who had traveled from as far as the West Coast (California) and the Northeast (New Hampshire) just to participate.

* What did you think about the experience of Christian Fashion Week?  Be honest, funny, poetic or all of the above.  Fashions, people you met, faith you shared, etc!

 Words cannot express how much fun I had at this event, but since I have nothing else at my disposal, I will attempt to put words to use! As I stepped into the main room, the night of the fashion shows, the runway immediately arrested me for a few minutes. It was amazing! It was all sleek lines and completely white, save for the CFW sign on the back panel. Exquisite! 

Christian Fashion Week was a perfect marriage between modesty and sophistication. The organizers went to great lengths to maintain propriety while providing us with designs that could compete with the best of Paris Fashion Week.

 I was absolutely blown away by the interactive swimsuit runway show. It was refreshing to be able to speak directly to the designer and ask her questions about my individual body type. I appreciated the fact that each designer featured full-figured designs on the runway, as a part of their collections. 

The atmosphere of the whole experience was the best part! I was expecting to make a few connections here and there but I have never exchanged so many business cards in one night! I was astonished by the inviting spirit that was propagated at the event. Everyone there wanted to represent Christ in excellence and it showed. Christ's love was contagious that evening!

I met so many talented and accomplished people that evening. I met fashion bloggers, jewelry designers, models, stylists, makeup artists, etc. All of a girl's favorite people under one roof, AMAZING! What topped the cake was meeting Shari Braendel! I was sitting across the room from her after the hosts had just briefed us on her credentials, when she pointed at me and mouthed "you look great". I couldn't believe that Shari Braendel had just given me a compliment! Her heart shone through at that moment and she demonstrated what true leadership and servanthood looks like. Christ empowers us to empower others and Shari helped to strengthen my self-esteem that evening.

* What did you wear?  

On the night of the VIP reception, I wore a soft-floral print dress, purchased a couple of years ago from Forever 21 and topped it off with a thrifted cream-colored blazer, a thrifted caramel-colored clutch, black & gold jewelry and my Nina pumps.

 On the next day, the night of the actual shows, I kept it simple, chic, edgy and trendy for my fashion show attire. I wore a black, fuzzy H&M sweater with silver threading running through it. I paired my sweater with a faux leather skirt, purchased from Target a few months ago, black tights and some glitter pumps, also purchased from Target. It was a Target kind of day, as my silver bag was also purchased from there. :) My earrings and bracelets were from H&M as well.

* How did you pick your outfit?  Where did you get the outfit...Closet, borrowed from a friend, shopping?  Stories Please!

I get inspired from a variety of trends and from street style. I love mixing vintage pieces into my everyday wardrobe. As a content creator for YouTube, I style thrift store pieces into interesting looks for thousands of viewers 2-3 times a month.

My YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/thrftychic

 For this event, I simply did what I always do when styling myself...I have fun! I went into my closet and tried on different pieces until I finally arrived at the outfit that felt 'right'.

* Do you have advice for the FashionMeetsFaith readers who need to be fashionably dressed this season, whether it is for a wedding, a party, or a ladies event at church?

Yes, I do. The words Fashion and Christian can indeed go together! Often times, we women tend to compartmentalize everything. This behavior even trickles down to our wardrobe. We dress one way for work, one way for school, one way to hang out with friends, and one way to go to church. Christ wants to be a part of every area of our lives--even our wardrobe!!

Take the time to experiment with colors, textures, prints, and cuts and determine what you like best. Learn your body type and how to make it look its best. Use God's word (the Bible) as your standard for how you present yourself to the world and then ask yourself a couple questions: What does God's word say about modesty? What are your convictions, after reading His word, about certain looks? Once you have answered these questions go out into the world and represent Christ in excellence! 

The most important thing to remember is that our beauty does not rest solely on our outward appearance. Our adornment should be made inwardly as well. God's word says, "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— ⁴ but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." (1 Peter 3:3-4)

 * Did anything about this weekend help you step out of your comfort zone and what challenge would you give to our readers?

The openness of the event coordinators really helped to set the tone for the networking that I was able to do. They fostered an atmosphere of mutual respect, support and encouragement. Everyone there was supportive! I was able to talk to all kinds of people because the environment made me feel confident enough to do so. I would definitely recommend all of my women friends to attend this event next year because of these things. 

My challenge to the readers: Watch my latest video on YouTube and put together a Runway Ready look for under $50.  E-mail the looks to the editors of this publication as well as to me at: metamorphosismb@gmail.com. I will feature the best look on my blog:www.kerleen.blogspot.com!!

  

Ker-Leen Joseph

Blog: Music. Fashion. Love / Singer, Fashionista, Speaker

www.kerleen.blogpsot.com

* Bio. 

My name is Kerlyn (Ker-Leen) Joseph and I am a singer, a fashionista, and a speaker. I have been singing since the age of nine years old and today, I use my gift of song to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ forth to popular culture. 

In August of 2012, I released a project entitled: 'Wear Love...Wild!' available for download at www.kerleen.bandcamp.com.

 

Also having a keen interest in fashion.

I use my gift of styling to encourage women to love themselves. I wasn't always in love with my appearance but Christ has transformed me into an ambassador for Him. I reach thousands of women on a daily basis as a content creator for YouTube. Women constantly contact me to let me know how much I've helped them be bold enough to try different looks.  My YouTube channel, Thrifty Chic, shows women how to incorporate thrift store pieces into their everyday wardrobe. My YouTube channel has been featured in Australian publication Starcentral Magazine. I was voted Fashionista of December 2012. http://www.starcentralmagazine.com/fashionista-of-the-month/2012/12/28/fashionista-of-the-month-december-2012/

This past December, I received my Master's degree in Adult Education from the University of South Florida. I now teach at a Bible college called School of Urban Missions, based in Oakland, California. I speak and instruct future leaders of the faith on a weekly basis through a variety of courses. I also use my singing engagements to speak to youth in my community on a monthly basis. 

In January of this year, I launched a blog called: Music. Fashion. 

 Love. This blog is the epicenter for all of my talents. I wanted for my supporters and fans to get a closer look at my life and I decided that a blog would be the perfect avenue! I post weekly fashion looks, ministry engagement photos, and vlogs on this site. I have dedicated all of my talents to Christ and I wanted to show other young women what it looks like to live a fulfilled life without compromising your relationship with Christ. 

Thank you Ker-leen....we're so glad we met you!

Shari