On Oct. 29, Kimberly Dobine, the founder and CEO of Posh and Popular blog, hosted the first daylong interactive Fashion and Beauty Summit in downtown Detroit. The summit featured keynote speakers and successful women such as Arian Simone of Fun, Fly, and Fabulous, Nina Jackson of Proper Girl and Nicole Melton of Essence magazine. Women were able to receive makeup tutorials, purchase fashionable accessories from local vendors, and receive information on the business of blogging and all things fashion from panelists such as Mia Ray of Confessions of a Glam-Aholic; and Kristina Bowman-Smith, a fashion stylist, designer and mentor.
Rolling out was able to sit down with the visionary for this event to get to know more about her and why she chose to hold this event.
Who is Kimberly Dobine?
Well, I’m a lot of things: I’m a wife, a fashionista, a blogger, an event planner, a banker. I’m a lover of people and that’s really a combination of why this event is going on. I love women. I love connecting with people and making sure you have the resources that you need. More importantly, I love fashion! I talk about it all the time. I share information all the time even [with] my glam team. So I wanted to bring everyone together in one space to share and receive information, whether they’re a blogger, a store owner, if they own a hair company or something that caters specifically to those in the fashion industry. So I just see myself as a connector and lover of people.
What exactly is Posh?
Posh is a mindset; a status. It’s the way you live; a lifestyle from the food you eat to the restaurants you dine in. It’s the car you drive and the people you surround yourself with. Posh doesn’t mean that you have to have a lot of money; it’s a persona. It’s a confidence that you exude. I’ve always been the type of person who loved nice things but knew how to find things on a bargain. I love creating an ambiance and great atmospheres and that’s what posh is. This is why my blog is called Posh and Popular.
What made you start your blog?
I started my blog because of what I mentioned before — I love people and nice things. My friends would text or call me weekly with picture messages from the time I was in high school ‘til now in my adult years asking me, “Does this outfit look cute? Should I wear these shoes? What do you think about this?” I was always giving style advice. I was always telling people the best stores to shop at to find nice clothes with a deal. I was always providing information. I told my friends that I was going to start a blog with all that information; they would have to read it and stop calling me! It started as a joke. From there, people continued to ask me when I was going to post again and where they could buy things at places like Target because I always match highs and lows. So my shoes may be $500, but my shirt may be $2 and my pants $20. So everyone would think my entire outfit was $1,000 because of the way I styled it. That’s why Posh and Popular was created; to give people sound inspiration on any budget and to show you that you can look like a million dollars, but not pay a million dollars.
Do you do personal styling?
Yes, I do. I used to work in retail for 10 years and I worked for a company, one of my favorite designers, Karen Millen — a London-based designer. There are only about 16 stores located in the United States at this point, but it’s really huge over in Europe. I worked for Karen Millen while in Atlanta and I had phenomenal experiences and styled many celebrities from working in that store. From there, I wanted to create a brand for myself. So yes, I do style, but I don’t want to look at myself as a stylist, but I want to be looked at as a style authority-someone like the fashion police that tells you what’s trendy, what’s classic, what works for your body type. Someone who gives you confidence and tells you to wear bold prints. That’s what I like to do.
What are the names of places you like to shop at?
Omigod, I like to shop everywhere. I shop at the thrift store, BCBG, Saks 5th Avenue and Neiman Marcus, but only on a sale, Bebe where you can go in and find a sale; I love Forever 21 especially for jewels, but you have to look, Marshalls and TJ Maxx. I find a lot of my favorite designer pieces at TJ Maxx, so it’s really about having a good eye for fashion. See if the quality is good, what the fabric feels like, does this feel durable.
Is this the first Fashion and Beauty Summit?
Yes, this is the first of its kind in the city of Detroit. There are no conferences or summits here geared toward fashion and beauty. This is for women who have a passion for fashion, blogging, beauty, and they need help with their brands. We have tutorials and bring in some of our favorite makeup artists so they can show you things you may need help with. Today we have Comfort Cafe food truck and Melissa Butler’s Lip Bar truck parked outside; today was the perfect weather for this event. We want to have events like this often. I have smaller events that I do every other quarter with my partner, Lauren Daniels, the owner of Sumptuous Spirits, called the Ultimate Sip and Slay. We have a 2-3 hour event at a venue like a boutique or beauty business and we have drinks and a quick panel with individuals who are in that particular business; we network while having a good time. I love having events where people can network and connect. I love meeting new people and connecting people with the right people. We do plan on having this event again possibly in the spring or summer. I want people who live out of state to be able to travel here and experience not only the Fashion and Beauty Summit but Detroit. Detroit is a beautiful city that is thriving and coming back to life. I’ve lived many places and I’ve never met people like Detroit people. We want to bring tourism to the city and what better way to do it than with fashion and beauty. Eventually, we will take the summit other places, but our focus right now is here. Just like the Essence Festival is in New Orleans ever year, we want the Fashion and Beauty Summit here every year.
How did you choose the speakers and panelists who took part in the Fashion and Beauty
Summit?
It was all about relationships. Every woman here that has participated, I’ve admired in some kind of way and they’re selfless. I followed their journeys. I told them this was a thought in my head and they told me to just do it. Their hearts are genuine and they want to see women win. So I gathered like-minded women together to bring this vision to life.
What’s a word of advice for the women who want to be in fashion, but don’t know now where to start?
Just start. Start trying on different things and attending different seminars that teach you about fashion. Remember, fashion is a lifestyle. It’s what you make it. Be creative, be yourself, and most importantly, be confident.
Photos credit: Treasure Smith for Steed Media
