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Home · Money & Career

ESSENCE Network: A Fashion Blogger Turned Style Influencer for a Major Brand Shares Her Career Hacks

Fashion blogger Kelly Augustine shares how she turned her love of fashion into a full-time job with Gwinnie Bee, a clothing subscription rental service for sizes 10 – 32.
ESSENCE Network: A Fashion Blogger Turned Style Influencer for a Major Brand Shares Her Career Hacks
By Charreah K. Jackson · Updated October 27, 2020

While growing her fashion blog, Kelly Augustine began sharing fashion pieces from Gwynnie Bee, a clothing subscription clothing rental service for sizes 10-32. She fell in love with the brand and got the courage to ask for a full-time job with the company. Now she manages influencer relations while sharing her style insight. See her fashion and career tips for success.


Name: Kelly Augustine

Age: 29

Title: Influencer Coordinator, Gwynnie Bee

Location: Long Island City, New York City

Hometown: Bronx, NY

Twitter: @kellyaugustineb

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/KaugBrown

Instagram: @kellyaugustineb

The gig: I serve as a liaison between influencers and our marketing and merchandising departments at Gwynnie Bee. I engage with influencers on various levels, from creating editorial content and hosting events to reviewing all of the garments that land on our site. The job is very dynamic and “what I do” changes daily.

The journey: The best thing about my job is being able to marry my 9 to 5 with my 5 to 9. I am an influencer myself – that’s how I was originally introduced to Gwynnie Bee – and now I am able to apply my insight from blogging for six years to everything that I am learning from this side of the fashion industry. It’s very fascinating.  I also feel very fortunate to be a part of a company that cares so much about its members. 

Her lesson learned: Don’t ever be afraid to advocate for yourself, or hold on to the fear that people will judge you because of it. I advocated for myself and this role, and I couldn’t be happier.  

Her top fashion tip: Quality is key. Learn what fabrics will give you the most wear. Cost Per Wear is a real thing to measure how much you spend divided by how much you will use it. Once you’ve grasped that idea, your closet becomes a gold mine. With Gwynnie Bee, I love that I get to try more expensive brands on a dime, and buy at a discounted rate if I want to keep them. You’re allowed to try things you normally wouldn’t and push outside of your comfort zone with no consequence. 

Her fashion fix:  I’m really loving the mix of hard and soft this year. Givenchy’s SS16 collection is a prime example, mixing slips with oversized jackets and lush fabrics with hardware. I’d love to see people’s interpretation of that!

Her mantra: “Dream beyond what you believe your limits are.”

Her favorite fashion finds: I used to be a very fervent thrift shopper. I once found a bin of vintage Dooney & Bourke bags for $5 each and a Dior blazer for $10 at a thrift store in The Bronx. The shop owners were clearly not wise to what was in their inventory! 

Her stress reliever:  I’m very much a homebody. In my downtime, I’m usually home with my husband or Netflix. 

Her tech fix: My iPhone is attached to my hip at all times. I love the Breather app, which lets you rent quiet spaces by the hours. I’m always able to find a quiet place to do work in-between meetings while on the go, and I shoot editorials at their locations on the weekends. 

Her beauty bag: Revlon foundation, Colourpop shock cheek and Anthony Green Cosmetics Sheer Glo Illuminating Lotion.

Her power accessory: A beautiful gold cuff makes me feel like a superhero that can take on anything!

Her work/life hustle: Organization is a major key. I’m bound to my Google Calendar and Google Drive for all files; they’re synced to all of my devices. 

Her theme song: “Electric Lady” by Janelle Monae

 

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