Patrice Vailes-Macarie Personal Shopper and Fashion Advisor
Patrice Vailes-Macarie is a second generation Washingtonian. After graduating from Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C. with a Bachelor of Science degree she headed to Paris, France. Patrice had long wanted to be a part of the world of fashion. She attended The Paris American Academy and studied fashion design. She worked as a runway model for Balenciaga, Blumarine and Leonard and so impressed Pauline Trigere that she became “house model” for Pauline Trigere’s New York fashion house.
While traveling between Paris and New York, Germany and Milan, Patrice met and married husband, Laurent Macarie, a Paris photographer. They have two children, a son, Aime and a daughter, Ambre.
Patrice is currently full time Personal Shopper and Fashion Advisor for Lord & Taylor, Washington, D.C.
Interview with Flaimahmy, February 23, 2010
FM: You knew you wanted to be in fashion when you were just six years old. What thoughts were going through your mind at that age?
PVM: Oh, I was one that everytime I saw a mirror I’d have to stop and pose; I guess it came from the magazines. I was a fan of Beverly Johnson. When I saw her in the magazine I said, “Oh! That’s what I want to do.” That is when the love or the passion started.
[Beverly Johnson made history in 1974. She became the first African American model to make the cover of Vogue. Her appearance on the cover changed the perception of beauty and the industry. By 1975 every major American designer began using black models].
FM: You mentioned Beverly Johnson. Were there any other models or designers that you knew about at that age?
PVM: I think Beverly Johnson was the only one that I knew by name but I was one to go through the magazines and look at the fashions and clothes and I just fell in love with the industry then.
FM: After graduating from high school, you wanted to go directly into modeling but your mom said no. Were you crushed?
PVM: No and you know I don’t know what came over me but I submitted easily. I decided, “Alright, I’ll go to college and then I’ll be on my own and then I can do what I want.” But, no I wasn’t crushed. I don’t know what happened there but she was probably suggesting or demanding the right thing so I just followed it.
FM: You went on to Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C., graduating with a Bachelor of Science. Your mother then gave you a round-trip ticket to Paris. What was the first thing you did when you arrived in Paris?
PVM: Oh! Hide out in the hotel room. I was really shy and I would say frightened. There was a part of me that felt that and a part of me that was just very happy to be there. Believe it or not I hid out in the hotel room for about a week gathering up my nerves and my confidence and then I decided to go out and see Paris. I went to the different design homes, the fashion houses just to see where they were. I went to the agencies. I didn’t set foot inside but I was collecting my information to go back and gather enough confidence to actually go through the door.
FM: Do you think you benefited by finishing college before going off to Paris?
PVM: Yes, I am so glad I did. In fact, I was introduced to a fashion troupe at Bennett and I worked with them and was able to gain a little experience and a little confidence. Of course, all these years later I am so glad that I did indeed go to college and graduate. It was the thing to fall back on and my falling back on that still included fashion. I have told my mother recently what a great thing she did. I’m certainly glad she pushed me on to that.
FM: How long did it take you to get work? Did you have mentors or anyone you particularly admired while you were there?
PVM: As my career went on I worked with a designer, Pauline Trigere in New York. First of all, I learned in Paris that that is not where you start your modeling career. You go back to New York and you gain experience and so after spending almost a year in Paris I decided to do that. I went back and that’s where I started modeling and I knocked on the doors and I walked the pavement. I was really ready to go then. I was hired by Pauline Trigere. She had a fashion house on Seventh Avenue in New York City and she seemed to like me. She knew that I was inexperienced. She took me under her wings with hair, makeup, dress, just everything. I loved working for her. I became the house model, that means I had to report to work everyday almost like a nine to five. When she had clients, the two models, there was another house model as well, would put on that lines’ clothes and model them before the client. Of course, they were purchasing for stores and things like that. So, I would say out of my career Pauline Trigere was the one. She introduced me to getting my nails done, my hair and maintaining your look. She would have the manicurist come to the house and would send me to get my hair done in her car with her driver. It was glamourous living for a while.
FM: You also did runway for Balenciaga. Which did you like better, runway or house modeling?
PVM: Oh, I loved runway and I modeled in Paris runway for Balenciaga. That is a prestigious name and house and I loved that. They liked me too. In fact, I was hired as their model for the season. I did their runway; I did television and newspaper work for them. I love runway. Runway was my first love but because I think of Pauline and who she was and how she helped me that just became a love as well right along with runway. If it wasn’t for Pauline I think, if it was just the work, house model and runway, I definitely prefer the runway.
FM: If a young woman came to you right out of high school seeking advice on a modeling career and told you she wanted to go right into modeling but her parents wanted her to go to college, what would you counsel?
PVM: I think I’d say go to college of course. But, it’s something you can do along with college and a lot of young ladies are doing that. There are the local agencies. If you don’t want to go professional so to speak, New York City, you can start locally and in that you gain much needed experience. You can develop your look, your style, how you see yourself as a model, because I have learned it is about your uniqueness and not similarity. If you can pull yourself out and make yourself a unique model then you are very marketable. You have to discover what your difference is.
FM: You decided to privately tutor your son and daughter when they were in grade school. How did you decide to take this course of action?
PVM: I just knew the atmosphere for school was not what I wanted. I wanted to teach and hold an environment that included much more than academics I suppose. I wanted to teach character and faith and things along that line.
FM: Looking back do you think it was a good idea?
PVM: Oh, it was the best idea. The funny thing is it just came to me and I decided that was what we were going to do and then other things just fell into place. I had to search for curriculum. One fell into my lap and they offered every book, every science project, every art supply and computer as well. That is what we used and when I see how they work, how they study now, I know it was a good thing for us because they need no supervision now. They are motivated independently and they are honor roll students.
FM: Do your children gravitate more towards the arts or the sciences?
PVM: Would you believe my son wants to be an architect and my daughter a chef. So, there’s a little bit of both in that, art and science.
FM: You currently are a Personal Shopper at Lord & Taylor in Washington, D.C. What is a personal shopper?
PVM: Of course, I offer high standard, high quality service that one expects from Lord & Taylor. My job is to seek clients who need that kind of personalized attention. Those are usually people with not a lot of time for shopping yet want to definitely maintain a certain style either for themselves for professional reasons or for casual and evening affairs. I seek out the client; I get to know them somewhat just by looking at them. I kind of seek out their comfort zones for fashion. I don’t want them in something that they would not be comfortable in. Every now and then I push a little letting them know they can step out somewhat, they would look fabulous in this look or something like that. I do their shopping for them.
In fact, the way it really is set up, it is by appointment. The client comes into my office. We go through different questions, what colors, what do they like, what are they looking for. They can wait in my office. I quickly go and select the items out in the store and come back to the private fitting room where they try on the clothes and hopefully find what they like. That completes and ends their visit.
FM: Generally, to what degree do clients depend on your guidance?
PVM: Some quite a lot, some know what they want and need and just need me to bring those items to them. As I continue I am keeping clients up with trends and colors and styles. They do rely on me for that.
FM: Who are your favorite designers?
PVM: You know I love Donna Karan. Donna Karan has that sharp style that I love to see women in. It’s just a fabulous city style. She tops my list right now, Donna Karan. I have loved a few of them, Dana Buchman, Ellen Tracy, Rodriguez, Ralph Lauren, a few designers like that.
FM: When you leave the world of personal shopping and fashion what do you like to do and what do you like to wear?
PVM: Oh, I love comfort clothes. I can get into warm fuzzy pajamas, plop myself in front of the “telly” for a good movie or a book and I am comfortable. With family around me, then I’m comfortable.
FM: We consider you to be a Fly Mommy. What do you think makes you a Fly Mommy?
PVM: I think I am willing to stand on my on, to stand on my difference and to share it with others where it might help. I love fashion. I love when I am presenting myself to people to look a certain way. I hope that will inspire them whatever way that it inspires them to look a certain way, to act on certain things, to have a drive, a motivation to do some of the things that they want to do in life.
