My Style: Jennifer Ewah
Photo: Courtesy of Jennifer Ewah
What are your favourite fabrics?
Marocain and organza. They feel luxurious against the skin; one drapes beautifully, while the other can be structured artfully.
Please describe your style in three words.
Ethno-minimalist, feminine, elegant.
What is the biggest mistake one can make when getting dressed?
Not being yourself.
Do you believe in role models?
I do. The average person influences a hundred people each day, although I can’t remember what my source for that is! We are all called to be potential role models irrespective of our particular sphere of influence.
Are there any style combinations that you object to?
It always depends on the wearer. Nothing is impossible.
Which city has the best-dressed women?
May I cheat? I’d say Paris and London for very different reasons.
Would you say that you are conservative or bold?
Bold.
What are the rules, if any, in the way you dress?
Every day is an occasion.
Celebrities and style...
Make for a cacophony of media white noise.
One garment/accessory that you can never have enough of?
Vintage crystal earrings that I picked up in Venice.
A woman should always look like...
She is an original.
Who taught you what you know about style?
My father (the dapper sartorialist).
How do you select your clothing every morning?
With a sense of the unexpected…
What is your biggest regret?
In style terms, not picking up a deep purple pair of wide leg silk trousers that fitted beautifully and that were actually long enough for my legs. It haunts me still! No seriously, never regret; life is short.
The three essential things a woman should know about style are...
Individualism, timelessness, and flair.
Do you have any shopping rituals?
Avoid queues. Pay in the men's section.
We will never see you wearing...
Spandex.
Which new designers do you follow and why?
Alessandra Rich.
Who is the most stylish person you have ever seen?
The trio: Natalie Massenet, Caroline Burstein and Shala Monroque. All visually powerful in their femininity, as well as iconoclastic.
What is the first thing you notice on a woman?
Her jewellery.
What are the most treasured items in your wardrobe?
My mother-of-pearl, cabochon Eden Diodati Solaris belt. It’s precious by nature…
The one image that defined your approach to style...
Any photograph of the work of the sculptor Constantin Brancusi. It quietly floors me.
Which designer never fails to impress you?
Lanvin.
One article of clothing that a woman needs to pay close attention to is...
Her coat.
Is comfort an enemy of style?
No, comfort is about being yourself whether you are in sneakers or a cocktail dress. Comfort is being comfortable in your own skin, with your own style and dressing accordingly.
Who would you like to see next in My Style?
My dear friend Anna, who makes beaded jewellery with South African women.
The best words of advice you have ever heard?
A late, great, friend of mine once said, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall”. Someone called Confucius copied him.
