Good morning, Tuesday. Hope you had a lovely long weekend. We spent it installing new air conditioners and taking care of business at home. We also found time to have a socially distant ice cream date, and strolled through Washington Square Park- the weather was just glorious. I also stored all of winter clothes and news flash- kept my summer clothes in storage too. I have less in my closet right now and have never felt happier in terms of feeling organized and a bit more minimal. More on that soon. Ooh and reading Andre Leon Talley's new autobiography which is more delicious than even expected. Fashion nerds this is a must read. I so appreciate his passion for dress as well as his take as the first African American man to have such an impact on editorial fashion pursuits. He shook the ground and broke through the ceiling.
But without further adieu, here is my second installment of Styled in Place for you. Hope you enjoy it- this look is a personal favorite of mine, ps. So good.
Bronwyn Berry: Producer and comfortably cool chick
We met Bronwyn on a crisp Spring afternoon earlier in the quarantine and photographed and chatted on her rooftop on Henry Street. Bronwyn’s one of those cool New York women that make you think about how cool New York women are. Originally from South Africa, Bronwyn is a film and television producer and epitomized feel good fashion with her look.
I was smitten by her poppy lipstick and of course, her amazing approach to sartorial, shelter-in-place style. Her outfit screamed “must have”, and after a frantic Google search, I found it was no longer to be had. Her cool timeless cred, passion for her career, and comfortable in her own skin vibe had me at hello. And her effortless chic which felt so appropriate for our urban jungle is what I love most about my little Brooklyn neighborhood. The women here are super stylish but super casual and never fussy. Here’s what she told us.
Okay, so tell me your name, where you live and what you do for work.
My name is Bronwyn Berry and I live on Henry Street in Cobble Hill, and I am a film and TV producer.
What kind of things do you produce?
So, at the moment, I'm working on a documentary about doo wop so I'm learning all about music of the 50s and 60s, which I didn't really know about, because it's all like American music before my time. Today we are finishing cutting the trailer, the editors are in Brooklyn, the musicians that are working with us are in Florida and the executive producers are in Florida as well.
Well, I have to ask you, first and foremost about this fabulous outfit. Tell the story about it, if you don't mind.
I went to Johannesburg where I'm originally from to see my mom, it was her 80th birthday in early March, and the flight is 16 hours. And I kind of got really tired of wearing leggings and T-shirts on the plane and feeling so incredibly unglamorous so I decided I wanted an international traveler look. So, I went to a store called the SPACE which sells like clothes by local designer and I found this one. And I was with my friend, who used to live in Johannesburg, but now she's moved to Barcelona. And she bought the summer version of this which was a kind of silky pale animal print. And I bought this one and we both actually caught the plane that night in our outfits.
How is this look perfect for quarantine?
So, my mother laughed at me when I got it, but I thought even if I wear it once on the plane and you know that's it, I was fine with that. But I got home, and it was a lockdown and I was just like, this is the perfect outfit. It just is. It's so comfortable. I don't have to try too hard. I've got a really nice kind of little velvet t-shirt that goes really well with it. It's like a burgundy color. And I've been wearing those like, yeah, for this entire time, which is kind of I don't even know how long it is.
And do you always wear earrings and jewelry too while you are at home?
I usually wear jewelry. Yeah, I wear jewelry and I wear makeup.
So how do you describe your sort of style during non COVID times?
Um, I always like to look professional but because of my work, I don't kind of need to look like formal or anything like that. I like to kind of be put together when I choose pieces that kind of stand out, like, you know, like, like jewelry or kind of bold colors or something like that. I wear a lot of like, you know, jeans and tees, but then I always have an interesting jacket or a big piece of jewelry. You know, something like that. I mean, my, my style has changed quite a lot since I moved here. I've been here for six years now. And I was very bright in South Africa. Very bright, very cold, very grounded, like all of that. And I somehow have got quite muted since I've been here. It’s kind of like a kind of don't want to stand off so much anymore, so I'm going towards more neutrals, but I always like, you know, to have a pop of color or something that's kind of unique or interesting.
Why is it important for you to feel put together right now? Like, what is it about this?
It's really important for me to feel put together now. I mean, I wake up in the morning, and I walk to my desk and I spend most of the day at my desk and I just somehow if I, if I don't kind of, you know, take a shower and get dressed and all of that, I honestly feel I feel I don't feel in working mode. So, it actually motivates me to work and to feel like in a way I make a transition from the bedroom and the relaxed to, you know, to the working mode, even though it's just like a couple of steps.
What kind of self-care things are you doing during quarantine when you're feeling stressed or anxious or any of that?
I'm doing like a stretching class in the morning, which is like 30 minutes and it's just really slow stretching. And that's just to, you know, to kind of wake me up. Because usually I would wake up on my way to work, you have that walk or that somewhere, Yeah. And then I've discovered something called The Class.
Oh, Taryn Toomey. I do it too.
I'm obsessed with it. I feel it. It absolutely a energizes me.
Have you cried yet during the class?
Oh, yeah. The class is like that. it's very emotional. It's a real release more than any. I kind of hate it when I first did it. I was like, this is I don't know what to make of this. And then I was on board, right?
I'm building these muscles which I don't usually you know, work that much. Yeah, so, for me, that's self care.
Excellent. Is it just you and your husband here at home?
Yes, and a cat.
So how are you finding quarantine as a couple?
Well, my husband is a writer. So, he always works from home and he's a real introvert. And I’m an extrovert who likes to leave home in the morning, I had the most adjustment. But I think we've got we've got very strict boundaries, he stays in his office, and I stay in my kind of office, which is the dining room table. And we actually don't, we don't unless you want to ask each other. Please help me write this or whatever. So, I must say that I'm lucky. I'm so grateful for him because I actually can't think of anyone else that I could have locked down with other than him because we have a lot of fun. It was my birthday last Friday.
Happy birthday. How did you celebrate?
I spent the day on the phone to all my friends all over the world they were waking or waking up and going to sleep at different times Australia and Barcelona and South Africa and LA and ended the day with zoom cocktails with like 10 people. And my husband managed to get Wanderlustre, a great shop in our neighborhood, to open for him and he went in and got me some gifts and some flowers.
I love her store as well. She is great. What are you most looking forward to when we come out of this situation?
I am so looking forward to sitting across from my friend and having a glass of wine and talking to them. I mean, I really miss that kind of connection. I also really miss my three nephews in North Carolina. And I'm looking forward to seeing them. I mean, I would have to go into 14-day quarantine. So yeah, kind of in the future. It's not gonna happen straightaway.
Ok, so what are you taking away from quarantine? What are the life lessons?
I think I developed a serious case of FOMO living in New York where I had to go out all the time, and I never stopped, and I could never be still. And I’ve really learned to be still and to take great enjoyment in the moment, and not have to rush everywhere all the time. You know, I think the quality of my life has actually improved, because, although I am not seeing my friends, and I am not doing all the things I want to do, I am actually really enjoying just living my life with a different sense of peace. So, I hope to take that for good.
Cause that's what's up this animal printed, stylishly short start of the work week in the 718. Yours, in Brooklyn style. XO