Kicking off The Blog: An Interview with Jessica Dodson
In the spirit of 59 Morton’s Style Collective, I asked my brand storyteller, Meghan Marsh King, to help direct my venture into blogging. As we did when we were crafting website copy, Meghan and I used a collaborative process to create what I hope to be a fun and engaging communication platform for my business and community—thank you for following along.
Why did you want to start a blog?
I was a Creative Writing major in college. I love the writing process—it fits perfectly into my linear brain. I am also a former marketing professional who spent years telling and selling major brand stories to consumers and other businesses. When I launched 59 Morton, I felt I was creating not only a service business, but also my personal brand. Blogging gives me the opportunity to merge my writing passion with my practical marketing skills, a means of expressing myself and letting others get to know me better.
For those just discovering you, what is 59 Morton’s elevator pitch?
59 Morton delivers high touch wardrobing services to women and men who are looking to enhance their personal style through individualized wardrobe strategies that go beyond the closet.
What does the name 59 Morton mean to you?
59 Morton plays homage to my New York City upbringing. While it refers to my childhood home and its profound impact on who I am and how I express myself, 59 Morton also represents the East Coast/West Coast connection that I bring to my wardrobe and styling services. Overall, 59 Morton is the bridge between who I was growing up and how that shaped who I am today.
Why style and fashion?
When you describe someone’s style, you are really describing how you see and relate to that person. Some of the most stylish people I know are the ones who exude confidence wherever they are and in whatever they are wearing—be it sweaty workout clothes after a run, joggers and a t-shirt while walking the dog, jeans and a sweater out to dinner with friends, or a tux or long dress to a black tie function. Fashion is merely a prop in the style toolkit—something we can pull out depending on our mood and intention. How we use our fashion tools is how we define our style. That versatility and creativity is what draws me to fashion and style.
Where did you grow up and how did it influence your sense of style?
I grew up in Manhattan, in the Village, back when it was a haven for artists, writers and musicians and an enclave for first generation immigrant families. I have vivid memories of the decades I grew up in—the 70s, 80s and 90s—and I love how fashion respectfully refers back to those eras. Hippies, rock n’ roll, disco, dance clubs, gay men, and ethnic and socioeconomic diversity all impacted my sense of style. (I consider Patti Smith, Bianca Jagger, Janis Joplin, Keith Richards, Andy Warhol, Madonna and Prince some of my style icons.) I spent most of my upbringing traveling up and down the Westside by subway or taxi. To me, the Eastside of Manhattan was another world completely. I developed an aspirational vision of what the Upper East Side, in particular, looked like. Cashmere, pearls, kitten heels and fitted jackets emerged as another beacon for me to find my inner style. Today, my style is a mix of things and people I experienced first hand and those I either imagined or experienced from afar.
What’s one thing you think everyone should know about fashion?
It’s not how much you spend, but how you spend it.
What’s the best part of working with women (and men!) to own and enhance their personal style?
I want my clients to think of me like a personal trainer for people’s style. Personal trainers build muscle and joint strength inside their clients’ bodies, resulting in those people looking stronger and more attractive on the outside. The best part of working with women and men on their style and wardrobing needs is helping them identify and build confidence in their inner sense of style and watching them express that style and exude that confidence on the outside.
Describe your personal style in five words:
Timeless, a little moto, unexpected, tactile, easy (or not fussy).
Fill in the blank. Personal style is not________________
Personal style is__________________
Personal style is not prescriptive. Personal style is how you visually express and represent yourself.
What are three essential or favorite pieces in your wardrobe?
There are so many favorite pieces I could choose from! Right now, my three favorite pieces are my slouchy tall white boots from Barneys because it took a fabulous team to source them, my white Valentino Free Rockstud fanny pack from the 2018 Cruise Collection for no particular reason other than it is just so functional and cool and my Comme des Garcon black cape/cardigan because it isn’t sure if it wants to be a sweater or an outerwear piece which means I essentially get a two’fer! Ask me next week and I will probably give you different answers. If you are asking about three essential pieces, these are what I would call the Workhorse Pieces. That is only slightly easier to narrow down, but in an evergreen way I would say a clean, white jean, a statement fur or metallic jacket and a killer bootie.
Barneys New York white boots | Valentino Free Rockstud fanny pack | Comme des Garcon black cape
Some great pieces of clothing or accessories tell an incredible story. Do you have a fun example?
In many ways, fashion is like art. Many of my favorite art pieces at home are the ones that my husband and I bought while traveling, had commissioned, gave each other for milestone wedding anniversaries or were gifted to us because the artist couldn’t bring himself to sell a painting that was ever so slightly damaged in transit from a gallery. Likewise, many of my most cherished pieces of clothing or accessories are ones that tell stories. The suede and metallic Marni platforms I bought in Soho over 15 years ago—which I still wear—were the most expensive shoes I had ever bought at the time. From that purchase, I learned the importance of investing in timeless styles and high quality product. The Gucci pieces I collected from the Tom Ford days were ones I bought while planning my wedding. When I think back to that time, images of lurex, dusty pinks, high-waisted pants and architectural blazers serve as visual metaphors. More recently, the pieces I have “hunted and gathered” with the help of my beloved retail partners and friends make for some fun stories. For example, every season, I dog-ear the Barneys New York lookbook and hand it over to my longtime sales associate in San Francisco. Some of the items are available for immediate purchase, some have not even made it into inventory. The hunt begins and the impossible becomes possible thanks to collaboration (often across state lines), resourcefulness (aka teamwork), perseverance (patience?!) and shared vision (along with a shared “passion for fashion”). We call these moments “Projects,” but deep down, we really enjoy them. Sharing the shopping experience with people who I personally care for and whose I work ethic and aesthetic I deeply appreciate and blindly trust make it fun and exciting and in turn, the pieces I come away with take on much more meaning.
What kind of content can people expect to find on the blog?
I am not a trend follower, so it’s unlikely you will find commentary on what is hot or current right now. I think of myself more as an anthropologist who is most intrigued by people’s motivations, customs, beliefs and relationships. My approach to wardrobing and styling is a highly personalized one. I work with my clients to really understand their needs and objectives, their comforts and discomforts and their hesitations and aspirations. You can expect to find blog posts about common themes I hear from clients and friends, struggles I have in my own style exploration, and perspective and guidance around fashion and lifestyle that are on my mind. I will include pieces on both women and men and the relationships that people of all ages and life stages have with fashion.
What does the future of the 59 Morton style collective look like?
The notion of a Style Collective comes from my strong belief that people are better together. Furthermore, social media has proven the power of sourcing advice through a trusted community. Along those lines, fashion and style are very collaborative and integrated businesses. When referring to how fashionable or stylish a woman is, you are not just talking about her clothing. Rather, you are talking about how they wear their hair, apply their make-up, and carry themselves at work or socially. Hence the need for a style collective, i.e., a group of trusted experts in their creative field. Right now, I can confidently refer my clients to friends and associates who do beautiful make-up, fabulous haircuts and styles, stunning flower arrangements and who produce amazing photography, just to name a few. I also consider my retail partners integral in 59 Morton’s Style Collective. As 59 Morton grows and I continue to meet more people across the country and build an even more diverse client base, I expect the volume and offerings of resources in the Style Collective to also increase.