The other day I ran out of coffee and decided to try Nossa Familia, the espresso shop around the corner from my condo. I was the only customer at that moment, and since I was a newcomer to the shop the friendly barista asked me a few get-acquainted questions while assembling my coffee, including “what do you do?”
When I mentioned I was a color consultant, she got quite excited. “That’s so cool. We have another customer who comes in every morning and he is also a color consultant!”
“There aren’t many of us in Portland,” I said. “Crazy that you have both of us in your clientele. Does he work for himself?”
“Oh no. He’s the guy who chooses shoe colors for Nike. Every day he’s wearing a different colorful outfit from Nike; you can’t miss him. Why don’t you give me your card and I’ll pass it on to him next time he comes in. You guys should meet.”
As I fished for a card in my purse she exclaimed, “Forget it; here he comes now!”
Indeed. No way could I have missed him. In his late thirties, fashionably bearded, he was wearing an electric purple wool cap, a chartreuse vest and hot pink sneakers, all Nike branded. (Must have been samples because I couldn’t find any such items on their website and didn’t have the nerve to take his photo).
Our matchmaker barista pointed at me and gushed to him, “M__, this gal is also a color consultant!”
He turned and gave me the head-to-toe once-over.
I knew immediately what he saw: a white-haired grandmother in the quietest possible combination of colors—dark gray and aubergine—common neutrals for a Summer type like me.
“Oh,” he said, feigning interest. “Where do you work?”
I told him I did color palettes for individuals out of my own studio. “Oh,” he said again. “Well, I studied color at the Fashion Institute and now I’m a shoe color specialist.” Then he turned back to the barista and ordered his latte. I was dismissed.
I could have felt bad, but in truth I had mentally dismissed him just as fast—I mean, did he realize how unflattering those neon colors were on him? Or that it was hard to see HIM over his garish attire. But of course he didn’t care what I thought, no more than I was bothered by what I guessed was his assessment of my outfit (boooring!).
Still, the encounter brightened my entire day — that two people obsessed with color could come to such wildly different interpretations of how to use it in their personal style. I also loved the cheery jolt of color he brought to an otherwise damp gray Portland morning. His palette also reminded me of the amazing transformation of a French chateau I visited in 2015.
The 13th-18th century castle in the town of St. Sylvestre-sur-Lot had fallen on hard times… sooo many castles in France, so big, so costly to keep up. A rich dude bought it and decided he had nothing to lose by “sprucing it up” with paint. OMG would I have loved to consult on that job! Free rein with color? You bet! Now called Le Stelsia, it’s a luxury hotel that can no longer be confused with just any old chateau. The decor inside is equally bold. Fabulous restaurant too. At first the townsfolk were outraged, but now it’s a destination they’re proud of!
Coming next week: I update the color palette of a woman who had her colors done in 1978 by the same folks that did mine in 1971. She still had her original color fan, and unlike mine it hadn’t been chewed by vermin. The difference is startling, and quite sensational. She’s the third person I’ve redone from those good ol’ days, way before Color Me Beautiful.
Do you listen to podcasts? On 99% Invisible, the host Roman Mars focusses on the often unknown and always thought-provoking history and design of objects so ordinary we rarely even think about them. Example: curb cuts, drinking straws, traffic lights, and my current favorite–articles of clothing–-kids clothes, denim, plaid, pockets, Hawaiian shirts, etc etc. The cultural and economic history is fascinating, as is what tribal messages we subliminally communicate with our clothes. If you follow this link and scroll a screen or two down you’ll see the clothing series. You can download and listen there, or subscribe and listen from iTunes, or whatever podcasting app you have on your phone.
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Is it time to think about a holiday gift for someone special? I’m still doing consultations, both for personal color analyses or home color palettes. A color analysis for a special someone (including yourself; guys also!) is a gift that keeps on giving for decades. I’m happy to create gift certificates. Let me know whether you need a weekday or weekend appointment, and I’ll contact you with possible openings.