What does it mean to be intentional, these days? You can be intentional about where you work, what you choose to do, but that’s implying a certain amount of privilege that not all of us have the luxury to inhabit. Fashion is wonderful because there’s an implied intentionality in the outfit that you choose to wear every morning. Your identity, your uniqueness is equally tied to the outfit that you don, and you can embrace that uniqueness in either the parameters that you’re given, or  you can create your own parameters.

One thing that I love to do in the workplace is to wear clashing patterns. Each item is professional in and of itself, but the combination of a floral pattern blazer plus a striped pattern tee underneath enhances my identity within the contructs of a professional, workplace dress code. I like blazers with patterns, and nothing bores me quite so much as a sensible black blazer. For mystyle, I find that Dries Van Noten’s intentionality in his clothing designs perfectly aligned with how I hope to render myself visually: unique, unfettered, and experimentally intentional.

Whether it’s Dries’ Sketch Pattern Coat  (at Barneys, for 50% off) or Dries’ Brocade Bootie Heel, the designer always seems to mix intention with identity and professionalism in a way that is beautifully and purposefully haphazard. Of course, I’m not totally bougie. I like to mix luxury fashion with the ASOS and the Mango of the world because, let’s be real, who can afford all luxury all the time. So Dries is my go-to for a pop of luxury fashion, and I feel oh-so-cool wearing my Dries jacket with my Payless shoes.

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