Sewell’s style is heard before it’s seen — the animated media relations guru’s oodles of jewelry rattle in a way that make us wish we could rock arm loads of bangles with such ease. We met Sewell to chat about everything from her style’s Southern origins to her past career as a fashion journalist.
We hear you were a fashion writer in a former life?
I started at the Blade when I was 21. I think that I was selected because I didn’t wear khakis and a polo shirt to work everyday. [Laughs] I come from Southern women who dress up to go to church — they’re just very classy, very stately. My mom was probably my biggest fashion influence.
Did you have any memorable run-ins with fashion designers as a writer?
I’ve interviewed everybody. Yves Saint Laurent, Donna Karan, Anna Wintour. My claim to fame when I was a fashion writer was I’d always ask people, “What’s your Toledo connection?” I remember Tommy Hilfiger’s connection was in his early days, when his line was first carried in Jacobson’s — a lot of designers would come here and do little trunk shows at Jacobson’s — and he always talked about how friendly the people were in Toledo. That really stuck in my mind.
Is fashion a form of self-expression for you?
I like bold, chunky anything that harkens my cultural expression. Usually it’s like a big chunky necklace or a big chunky bracelet that’s actually from Africa. I’m very into history, so I’m paying tribute to my ancestors in that way.
