Features

Perspective: Sonya Magett

Sonya Magett
Writer/Author/Stylist
NYC

Job History
In high school, I worked retail at Bloomingdales, Macy’s, etc.
My first “industry” job was going from the Fashion Intern to Associate Fashion Editor at THE SOURCE. I was almost 19, in my first year of college.
Afterwards I assisted VIBE’s then Style Editor Emil Wilbekin for a spell before freelancing for music videos & a few indie films.
Those crazy hours returned my love for magazine publishing so I worked at MODE (plus-size fashion), GIRL (teen fashion) then became the Launching Fashion Editor for HONEY for a few years.
Then became the Lifestyle Editor for Russell Simmons at 360hiphop/BET.com.
Not long after 9/11 I started working on my first book, which I co-authored, Astrology Uncut, published by Random House in 2004.
When the book was completed I worked on the single issue of TEEN ESSENCE then the development & launch of SUEDE Magazine, as Style Director then became a freelancer with for a bit before its closing last spring.
That was my last “industry” job. It’s funny doing this story now because I’m LITERALLY in the process of a slight career change: from styling/fashion editing to writing/publishing. Not that I wouldn’t take another styling gig but after doing the same thing for over 10 years it just gets monotonous.

What are you currently working on? Your day-to-day responsibilities?

I’m currently freelance writing the marketing materials for a major beauty/fragrance company while more importantly completing my second book. It’s great for my new lifestyle change. Although, if you know someone who could use my creativity, out of-the-box thinking, and start-from-the-ground-up business skills, holla!

What inspires/motivates you?

Anything unexpected & different in any medium from characters in a movie, to the way people dress, to the energy of another city or country. A “twist” on anything. When there isn’t one, I’ll put a new spin on something & revise it ’til it feels completely new.

What are your biggest challenges or the downsides of what you do?

Politics! (i.e. satisfying advertisers vs. what the readers really want, lets use this-bigger-name instead of the smaller-more-talented one, hiring the more attractive vs. more qualified, etc.)
People not wanting to do business with you/hook you up unless you can do something for them or have an affiliation that benefits them.
Sometimes being a woman. In magazine publishing it’s really a ‘boys club.’ Companies will throw money at any male that has an idea for a magazine. Unless you’re a household brand like Oprah, Tina Brown, Martha Stewart, etc. it doesn’t happen. Who says I cant do what these women have done, but for the urban audience?

Sonya Magett File Photos

Please elaborate on hiring “more attractive vs. more qualified.”

On a senior level, no. It’s definitely more about qualifications because there’s a lot more at risk. But when you’re talking about positions that are secondary such as assistants, receptionists, front office positions, appearance can be a requirement. And it’s not just the fashion and entertainment industry. I think a lot of managers understand that if experience is not required to get minor tasks done, then why not hire someone who looks better rather than the more qualified person. It’s more entry to intermediate level.

Have you experienced this on a senior or executive level?

I can happen on a senior level, especially if the position is more public, and it requires them to be the face of the company or brand. In some instances, especially in Corporate America, it’s not as important. But when we’re talking about the fashion, creative, and entertainment companies, it is more important.

Is looking good and dressing well even more important in the entertainment industry than other sectors of business?

We’re in the day and age where you’re more likely to get a record deal if your image is right versus if you’ve got the best voice. And that doesn’t just apply to the entertainers and artists, it also applies to the people behind the scenes that pushes the artist out there to make them a success.

So is it better to look good versus being good at what you do?

You stand to have more longevity and be more accepted if you look as good as your job performance. You’re definitely more favored.

How do you balance your personal and professional life?

I’ve finally learned to say no! To the super long work hours, free advice to anybody who asks, attending every party, etc. Having a life outside of work (church, a relationship, family time and working out) really keeps me balanced.

What career achievement are you most proud of?

There are several: Releasing my first book by a major publisher, hooking up talented people like Tyson Beckford in the THE SOURCE which set off his career, and most importantly helping launching some of the best magazines to hit newsstands. Although some of them didn’t last they had major impact on the industry & targeted audiences due to the integral role I played in the development process.

You’ve worked at books geared towards young African-American women like Honey, Teen Essence, and Suede, that are no longer published. Is there a need on the newsstands for a magazine catering to this demographic?

Absolutely! There’s a huge void in the magazine publishing industry with regards to that market. A lot of clothing, fashion & beauty companies are literally going crazy because they have no where to place their ads. They are desperately looking for a book at this very moment to place their ads because they’re well aware of how large the consumer spending is. This market loves to spend regardless of their economic status. Now that Corporate America is hip to this, both on the young, African-American women market-side looking for a magazine representing them, and also on the business side, where companies need a place to advertise.

Of the companies out there, which are the most successful at reaching this market with their products and advertising? Who knows this market and is taking advantage of this market?

Besides the music companies, I think Nike has done a phenomenal job. Nike has become very hip at understanding the particular buying cycle of African Americans, when they tend to purchase products at certain times of the year. So they’ve become very clever at marketing sneakers in the same vein as a music company markets record albums. They’ve become very, very hip to that. Nike knows how to promote to the inner city psychographics. Nike has done a very good job of understanding the psychographics and that’s why they do very well with our demographic.

Is psychographics a word? I never heard of that term.

Psychographics is a word in marketing. It’s the demographics of the psychological approach to consumer spending. And Nike has penetrated both the mainstream and the African-American market. They’ve done a clever job of cracking this market. They’re a brand that’s been consistently hot over an extended period of time and they do whatever is possible like employing minorities and really spending the money and placing the product in the hottest artists’ ads, generating exposure by these product placements and other hidden endorsements that people don’t know about. Nike is just real clever. Also the way they sponsor basketball games around the world, in the inner cities contribute to their success.

You mentioned that they employed minorities to execute these initiatives. To your knowledge, are executives of color still being employed to execute these campaigns?

Yes because we are the demographic so we are getting paid as employees of the company to tell them what we want. Sean John also should be acknowledged. They are the first urban clothing line to really be on time with the whole grown up, sophisticated look. Sean John is the first clothing line to make brothers who are hip hop fans really be cool with being a little bit more dressed up and still being comfortable. And there’s so many other brands that I can’t even list them all. These brands are multi-billion dollar corporations that are also doing well but they don’t get the light for there accomplishments.

What was your biggest personal/career mistake and what did you learn from the experience?

Not striking while the iron was hot. There were opportunities to make certain things happen and I didn’t out of fear of failure &/or not guaranteed financial security. Now I always follow-up like a damn pest!

Was there ever a time when you thought you might not succeed in what you’re doing? Please explain.

Yes, when my mom died. I was so dejected I wasn’t sure if my career was worth pursuing anymore. Then one day the reality check of ‘live life to the fullest doing what you want because you won’t be here forever’ became my main drive.

Guiding principles?

Never make promises you don’t keep. When you don’t deliver people never forget & hold it against you forever. If you have to ask for more time then do so, just make it happen.

Always remember that the world is too small so watch what you say. No matter where I am on the planet I always meet somebody who knows somebody I know.

Who do you think has great style? Be it an artist, celebrity, or a behind-the-scenes person. Someone who commands attention by the outfits and accessories that they wear.

I’ll be honest, Kanye West impresses me every single time. People don’t realize that a lot of what he’s doing is a combination of old and new. Like the whole backpack thing is late ’80s hip hop but he’s updated it with a Gucci backpack. When he does that whole kind of thing. It’s an unexpected twist. The rugby shirts and v-neck sweaters were a strong way to let hip hop fans know that he’s hip hop and not just rap. It’s a message that he’s sending across with his style that he’s different, he stands out, yet his look still appeals to the streets and the mainstream audience.

It’s not just Kanye West’s music, it’s his image that has really propelled him on the cover of Time Magazine. It’s the image. A lot of rappers got hate for him because he’s not necessarily a great rapper but he’s got a GREAT image. And I want to give him his prop for understanding image and doing what was necessary to become successful. That’s one of the secrets to his success.

Is that Kanye West’s personal style or is that a stylist working with him behind the scenes on his image?

I think it’s a combination of both. Of course he has a stylist.

When artists work with stylists, is it the artist’s vision, the stylist’s vision, or a collaborative effort on what clothes to wear?

More often than not, it’s usually the stylist that dictates what the artist wears. Artists are good at what they do, making music, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have a sense of style. There are very few artists that have great, dope personal style that they don’t need a stylist. But even those few use stylists as they become more successful because they no longer have the time to run around and do the shopping anymore.

What is the ideal client and what is a nightmare client for a stylist?

A great situation is when an artist is honest with themselves and will admit they don’t have style. They let the stylist take control and allows them to dictate what it needs to be, and trust their judgment, just an artist that gives you complete trust and control.

The worst situation, besides the lack of budget, to really deliver what the record company or management wants, is when artists or others don’t trust your opinion and think you don’t get it. They’re second guessing everything that you do. And that usually comes from managers and publicists. People assume that because they can go out and buy Gucci, or heard about Dolce & Gabbana, that they know what style is supposed to be.

But like my accountant says, “I’m an accountant, that’s what I do.” Stylist style because that’s what they do. Managers, publicists, A&Rs, and even the artists themselves, forget that. Thereby making it harder for the stylist to do their job. They never step in and comment about make-up, or comment about hair, but they always have something to say about wardrobe. Always. It’s so annoying. And that’s why, when you’re a fashion editor at a magazine that has a certain direction and history, then the artist has no choice but to let the fashion editor do what they do.

Do magazines, stylists, designers, or people on the street create trends that everyone else picks up?

A lot of fashion is repeated. In the beginning, I think designers took cues from what people were doing, and duplicated that but added their own spin to it or came up with looks that no one has ever seen. For the most part, fashion begins from the streets.

So when you are out, are you observant of what people wear and how they’re wear it?

Constantly! Even in my transition from a stylist to a writer, I’m very observant. I have an eye for things and I’ve trained myself to look out for things that haven’t been done before that can serve as inspiration.

What inspires you stylistically?

Energy! The vibe. It’s not necessarily the look, but the energy and the vibe. I may see something and say to myself that I wouldn’t necessarily do it like that, I’d do it another way. You get the vibe that the person is trying to convey with their style, you get the energy that a person is trying to convey with their artwork, or the charter that an actor is interpreting, and use that as inspiration. I’m inspired by everything!

Can you improve your style?

Absolutely! It all depends on where you are trying to go and what you’re trying to do it for. But you can ALWAYS step it up.

Is there a person that you would love to work with?

Mariah Carey because she has a lot of room for growth. To a stylist, her look has consistently been the same. It hasn’t changed very much. Except for a few tweaks on her first video for her latest album, the look has been the same for ten years. It’s just an updated version of the same look.

As I mention a celebrity, please tell me what comes to mind? Lenny Kravitz.

It’s his energy. It’s his vibe. No one looks like him. No one copies him. Even the tattoos and piercings. That’s a style in itself. He’s the only black man showing his navel and can get away with it.

Tom Cruise

Nothing special about his style. He’s just very safe.

50 Cent

He’s a marketing genius. That’s why he’s doing so well music-wise. I know that 50 is very deliberate in what he wears and how he wears it. I read in an interview that he only wears jewelry and a necklace when he’s out in public or making appearances because he knows that’s what the kids like. The jewelry is not really who he is, but that’s what the kids like.

Gabrielle Union

I’ve worked with her. She’s a gorgeous girl with an amazing body. She definitely has the potential to be the next Halle Berry in terms of being a red carpet starlet, even if she never comes out with another movie again. That’s why I was so excited to work with her when I did.

Joy Bryant

She can easily be the next Halle Berry or Selma Hayek on the red carpet. In my eyes, she’s the black Mandy Moore or black Jessica Simpson. She can be hot like that.

Are there certain celebrities that designers flock towards because they know how to work the red carpet?

Yes. There’s too many to name. It’s whoever you see that’s featured consistently on all the celebrity weekly magazines and major national magazines like Vogue. That’s all the designers care about. If you’re no longer photographed and not featured in the celebrity weeklies or the national monthlies that matter, designers don’t want to dress you anymore. They just don’t care.

Birthday? Where you grew up? Where you went to school?

My birthday is December 28th. I’m a Capricorn with Scorpio rising. (I share a birthday with Denzel Washington, John Legend, Sienna Miller and Christian Dior’s designer John Galliano.) I grew up in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Went to the High School of Art & Design, F.I.T. for Buying & Merchandising and NYU for the Magazine Publishing certificate program.

For more info on Sonya Magett’s Astrology Uncut, click here

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By Ray Tamarra on 1/9/2006[read on] [25 comments]

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