Hot Picks is a column in which fashion insiders reveal their latest obsessions–sharing their recent purchases and must-have pieces.
Meeting content creator and influencer Carolyn Gray over a year ago felt like kismet. She emitted a joyful and easy-going energy that was infectious, which struck me as admirable, especially since her Instagram account is equally infectious. On it, she regularly showcases her knack for creating punchy and dizzyingly stylish ensembles. Days ago, I had a lengthy discussion with her about her fashion sense, and it felt irreversible and also exhilarating. The way Gray oozed about her style and the brands she currently admires wasn’t truncated. It was voicy, opinionated, and well-studied. With her playful and provocative outfits, she always presents herself as a self-assured woman. She often dons pieces by high-end brands who have a particular cult fan base. To name a few, she regularly posts herself wearing Diotima, Loewe, Saint Laurent, and Tom Ford.
During a video call, the Baltimore, Maryland native who now lives in Brooklyn explains she grew up partially in Aruba. She mentioned that both Aruba and Baltimore have had an impact on how she presents herself to the world. In her words: “A lot of Caribbean vibes intertwine into [my style] and its easy flowing. I feel like everyone in my family gets fly.”
On her mother’s style: “She was very classic, fresh, wore a lot of neutral tones and classic, beautiful silhouettes.” Though her mother was a respiratory therapist who often wore scrubs, when the family would go on holiday she’d don linens and glamorous gold jewelry to Aruba. Her family’s flare for dramatic and, at times, understated clothing has inspired her for decades—especially her father, who Gray says was a fashion editorial photographer for years. “Between my mom having just a great sense [of] style and my dad also having a great sense of style, I got to see a lot of things in the mix,” Carolyn expressed.
Gray explains that she attended Catholic school in Maryland as a youngster and teen. Uniforms were regularly worn during these days of her life. But outside of the strict attire, she utilized key free days to dress up and showcase her distinct love for certain brands. And she showed up in FUBU, Delia’s, and Wet Seal, which were notable 2000s companies–she even mentioned the now-defunct brand Dada, which was known for its trendy denim. “[I was] heavily influenced by family, my father’s photography along with 106 & Park. Every day at 6.” All of these elements combined were somewhat a foreshadowing of what was to come, more stylish days were affront.
Post-high school, Carolyn attended the Fashion Institute of Technology to study merchandising management. “I thrived at school. I made earrings and sold [them] in our school store or I oversaw this organization. I was the president of the chapter of Black Retail Action Group at FIT,” she notes.
In New York, she found her stride and struck gold with opportunities at Barneys New York, Elle magazine, and Saks Fifth Avenue after graduating from FIT. Internships and entry-level roles are spaces that Gray says she began growing the colorful and enviable closet that she currently swears by.
“When I describe my style, I don’t base it on my mood anymore. I created a wardrobe that I answer to,” she says. The brands she’s wearing these days include Jacquemus, which she says she loves due to the designer’s affinity for draping and great quality. Rick Owens can also be found in her wardrobe. “I love the darkness and demure energy of Rick Owens,” she said. “I go to Mood fabrics, and I buy the overstock of Rick Owen’s fabrication, and I’ll make pinned shirts out of just the fabrics [he uses],” Gray adds.
On Saint Laurent, she says she loves the tailoring of the French brand. Gray notes that she feels it is all about 1970s glam and figures such as Grace Jones and Bianca Jagger. “I really enjoy what they’ve been doing the last couple of seasons with the sheer materials.”
Before we end our conversation I task Gray to detail what aesthetic she’s been wearing as of late. Her answer is candid and spot-on. “I like to be super bohemian at times. I like to have edge rock and roll. And then I also like a very classic clean-cut aesthetic,” she details.
“I needed a classic pair of denim with the perfect length to show off a good shoe! Or to tuck into [a] boot. I love [the] versatility of a wide leg but you can never go wrong with a high waist, true straight slim leg jeans that can go with any T-shirt or button-down, and [my] favorite shoe.”
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“While these boots might as well be pants, I have to admit I was drooling over them ever since they hit the runway. I adore the texture of the boot, the versatility and I feel like I’m wearing armor when I have them on. I am very excited to rock them [soon].”
Available at Net-A-Porter