Lee Clower for The New York Times
Mikki Taylor, a fashion editor, stylist and now author, looking for inspiration in the Jason Wu boutique at Bergdorf Goodman.
By SIMONE S. OLIVER
Published: December 7, 2011
TO most people, there is only one “O” as far as icons from Chicago are
concerned. But when Mikki Taylor, the former beauty editor at Essence,
speaks of “O,” there is no doubt whom she is talking about.
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“Mrs. O. doesn’t fall for every little trend,” Ms. Taylor said. “And she leads her life the same way.”
As a magazine editor, Ms. Taylor spent the last 30 years helping to set
the bar for black beauty and fashion. Now she has trained her eye on Michelle Obama,
arguably the most style-conscious first lady since Jacqueline Kennedy
(later to be another famous “O”), in her new book, “Commander in Chic”
(Atria Books).
Subtitled, “Every woman’s guide to managing her style like a first
lady,” the book is not so much a how-to guide as it is an inspirational
look book filled with perky little prescriptions that Ms. Taylor calls
“Mikki-isms.” A typical pointer: “Your hair should be so fly that it
looks as though you have a pro on speed dial.”
Ms. Taylor comes across the same way in person, chipper and full of
life. She’s like the cool aunt whose style gene and closet you pray is
passed down.
Having style is not about spending a lot of money and endless shopping,
she said on a recent Thursday. “It’s about establishing your dress code.
True style is not something you put on.”
Ms. Taylor, who was having lunch at Bar Americain in Midtown, wore a
knee-length maroon-and-peach lace frock from Plenty by Tracy Reese,
which she accessorized with a gold cuff. Her hair was slicked back, as
she has worn it for 20 years.
To her, being fashionable is not about chasing the latest trend, but
figuring out one’s personal style and releasing it. That, Ms. Taylor
added, is part of what makes the first lady’s style so appealing.
“Mrs. Obama makes her look work for her no matter what’s in or out,” she said.
Ms. Taylor first met the entire Obama family when the president was a
senator. She styled them in their Chicago home for the photograph that
became the September 2008 cover of Essence.
Not paying any attention to designer tags, Ms. Taylor put Mrs. Obama in a
simple sleeveless deep-purple sheath dress from Mrs. Obama’s personal
wardrobe.
Purple, she thought, complemented Mrs. Obama’s skin tone and is the
color of royalty. The family was photographed seated at the bottom of
the stairs.
“That cover is the cover that I’m most proud of in my career,” she said.
“It’s the Obama family, it’s prior to the election and it’s one of the
shots that was seen around the world.”
Respect for Ms. Taylor from the fashion industry was highlighted at a
party for her book last month. Its hosts were Soledad O’Brien of CNN and
Ms. Reese, and it was held at Ms. Reese’s store in the meatpacking
district. Guests, representing fashion, television and music, included
Marvet Britto, Darryl McDaniels from Run-DMC and VH1’s Janell Snowden.
But what many may not know about Ms. Taylor is that her knack for taste
lies in her roots. Born in Newark, she was heavily influenced by her
mother, Modina Davis Watson, a makeup artist and wardrobe stylist to the
jazz singer Sarah Vaughan. Her mother’s circle included Lena Horne,
Ella Fitzgerald and Quincy Jones.
During the 1950s and early 1960s, her mother traveled by ocean liner to Europe and often returned with dolls and makeup.
“I’m still playing with my dolls, in a way,” said Ms. Taylor, who refused to give her age.
Before landing at Essence in 1980, she worked in the fashion industry as
a model, publicist and production manager at Elie Tahari (when it was
Tahari Limited). Someone told her about a lifestyle magazine that
catered to black women, and that it needed someone to cover fashion
merchandising. Ms. Taylor jumped at the chance. A year later, when Susan
Taylor (no relation) rose to editor in chief, she named Ms. Taylor as
beauty editor. Both moves were defining moments for the magazine.
In 1986, Mikki Taylor carved out a new position for herself, cover
editor, in which she conceptualized the look, subject and mood of every
Essence cover.
“I wanted Essence to have a distinctive style so that you knew it was an
Essence cover no matter what part of it you saw on a newsstand, even if
the banner was covered up,” she said.
In 2010, Ms. Taylor decided to step down from her day-to-day duties at
the magazine (she retains the title editor at large), and is focused on
her branding and image-building company, Mikki Taylor Enterprises. She
is also working on a third book (about skin care), as well as a nail
polish line.
When she is not working, she enjoys cooking for her husband, a retired
educator; her three adult children and the family dog at the family’s
home in New Jersey. She is also diligent about staying fit, just like
the first lady.
The book devotes an entire chapter to exercise and health, filled with
photos of Mrs. Obama jogging, tending to the White House garden and, of
course, Mikki-ism like “Don’t kid yourself: when it comes to mastering
good health, it helps to be a little vain.”
“If she can carve out time for it in her busy life, the rest of us can
try,” Ms. Taylor said of Mrs. Obama. “Imagine trying to hold it down 365
days a year. That’s Mrs. O.”
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