KELA WALKER
name: kela walker
occupation: i work in tv & media - i'm a host & producer for various outlets and i blog - kelaskloset.com
hobbies: shopping, traveling, hanging out with my friends, being on social media
age you feel: i forever feel 27
CAREER
Girl Mob: so tell us about all that you do
Kela: i work in tv and i cover entertainment and style content both for local and national outlets, such as with centric tv {sister network to BET} where i cover topics that are of interest to women... and so i end up producing a lot of this content because these days companies want more bang for their buck. they want you to be able to do multiple things. so my job is making sure that each segment has a look and feel that speaks to who the audience is. it's great because i get to do really amazing events like red carpets, launches, and celebrity affairs. i feel blessed to be able to do this as my career
GM: that sounds fantastic, now tell us about fashion blogging and how you got into that
K: a few years ago i noticed people doing more fashion blogs and they were people that didn't look like me. and i felt like "i could do that" - i was also in a part of my life where i was feeling bored, so this provided that creative outlet. and it's been a great way to extend my brand and to get myself more out there. because for the most part i am local, i'm in nyc - and though this is the capital of the world it's still a bubble. and so social media has helped me grow my brand to a new level, it's given me opportunities that i would never otherwise experience. i'm working with brands i probably wouldn't get to work with as a tv host
GM: give us an example of one of those brands
K: zappos! i'm a brand ambassador for them. i also have worked with k-mart and havaianas. brands are reaching out to girls who feel have a voice and are influential within their demographic. it's helping grow my brand and my life experiences
GM: did you study tv production
K: i went to school for english, i knew i wanted to work in television. i always did my internships at local tv networks... i interned at The View and A&E, i was always interning during my summers
GM: and did you always know you wanted to be in front of the camera
K: no i did not, i wanted to be a producer on like regis & kelly. but it's really a testimony that god's dreams for you are bigger than your own. because the first time i did camera work i was like "do not put that camera on me!" i even wore a hat. and then i end up getting all these amazing interviews and the people in my office were so encouraging because they loved it- they were like "we should call this kela on the karpet"... and then it just snowballed. i'm completely self trained on the hosting side, from watching myself on the screen to seeing how people who i admired hosted and what they did. and you know what? five years into it, i was nominated for an emmy
GM: that's amazing!!
K: i was like thank you god! but i love hosting because i get to talk with people. i get to engage with people i normally would not engage with. and also share information. luckily i get to cover fun things, like fashion, art exhibits and award shows
GM: how did you realize this was your passion
K: well i really enjoy it and it comes really easy to me - talking to people. it also became a passion because as i see the examples for young black girls on tv, you know, it's not always a positive example. and so for me, i want to give girls a tangible example of what they can be and what it means to be a woman of color in media. like you don't have to compromise your integrity and who you are just for some camera time. selling your soul and body on tv for 15 minutes of fame is not it
GM: agreed! so as a woman of color in entertainment, have you ever experienced a situation where a female in your same position, maybe even more ahead in her career, wasn't as welcoming
K: it's funny, media is a really intense and competitive environment. and unfortunately with women of color in this field there is this mentality that there is only room for one. but i'm a firm believer that what is for you is for you. god is not gonna give my blessings to you. so i'm gonna get what i put my faith and action behind. i remember this one time though, there was this HUGE correspondent at the time - this was early in my career, and i wanted to walk up to her and just tell her how much i loved what she did. not even to ask for anything - nothing like "can you mentor me?" none of that. so i tried to make eye contact to get that green light and when we made eye contact i remember feeling like she looked through me. she kinda looked at me up and down and i was like ... i'm not saying shit to her! my feelings were so hurt even though she didn't say anything!
GM: where would you like to take this in the next few years
K: oh man! so many tabs open on that... so many ideas. ideally i'd want this to be this big lifestyle thing... women always tell me that they feel like i'm their friend, and honestly i want to be friends with everyone! if that makes any sense. i want it to grow into a bigger brand that's not just about fashion because life is so much more than what i wore - though my style tells a story, where i went, who i spoke to, what i saw... but i want it to go back to the concept of encouraging girls and showing them a positive idea of what they can grow to be
STYLE
GM: what's one of your favorite items in your closet and where did you get it
K: well, one - i'm a hoarder... i keep a lot of things. i have a dress from my grandma who's no longer here. but i keep and adore it even though it doesn't fit anymore! {laughs}... and then i can be wearing a piece from zara and people are like "OMG WHERE DID YOU GET THAT SEQUIN DUSTER FROM?" and i'm like girl - sales rack two seasons ago! so maybe a duster or feather piece i got around here
GM: there's a fire in your apt and you can only save three things. what are they
K: only three? omg. alright. i'm a strategizer... i'm gonna grab my biggest bag, and dump a bunch of shoes in there! and i guess one of my coats ... to dump more shit into it! make it like one of those blanket joints ! {laughs}
GM: describe your style in one word
K: feminine
GM: if you could raid anyones closet whose would it be?
K: tracey ellis ross
GM: you get lifetime access to a brand, which would you choose
K: chanel
GM: based on fashion, what era in the last 100 years would you like to be a part of
K: i was gonna say the 50s or 60s but they didn't really wear pants {laughs}... and i need pants. i think really like the 2000s! the top of the 21st century. the whole 2000-2010 decade. the 20s were cool too
GM: what's an item you own that you'd like to pass down to your future child
K: all of my hermes bracelets, and my collection of DVF dresses - in my head that's how i justify all those purchases... it's DVF, she's iconic and timeless, i'll pass it down to my daughter
GM: name three beauty products you can't live without
K: my kiehl's eye-cream, lipstick and and rose water!
GM: you get to create your own nail polish collection, give us three names off of the line
K: she's kute is an amazing magenta pink, claché which is classy and ratchet, that would be something fun and bold! like a summer blue, and the last would be femme fatale a dark burgundy
GM: what are three brands you'd love to work with
K: target, DVF and refinery29
JUST FOR FUN
GM: tell us the top five apps on your phone
K: instagram, shyp - because i hate the post office and they pick it up for me! seamless, snapchat and my bank of america app
GM: you're receiving an award, what song do you choose to walk to the podium
K: probably a jill scott song from her the light of the sun album
GM: you've won a free trip around the world, who do you take and what's your first stop
K: i'll take my sister, i feel like she needs to experience the world. my first stop is morocco. i love morocco and i'd like to start the trip on that note
GM: hollywood called, who would you cast to play you and what genre is the film
K: taraji p. henson would play me and it would be a rom-com
GM: you found a time traveling machine where do you go and why
K: i'd probably go back to my childhood, before i was 10, where my grandmothers were still alive and life was simple
GM: if you could have a private dinner with four people who would they be
K: i want rihanna, beyonce, nicki and michelle obama
GM: you're breaking up with drake, how do you do it
K: OMGGGG! how do i even do that? i feel like i'm supposed to do it face to face... but i feel like drake would be cool with a text too... right? i don't know... i'd probably just avoid him and then he'd turn it into a song
LET'S GET PERSONAL
GM: what's your favorite song to be seduced to
K: i don't have a favorite song, but i'm old school r&b - throw on some jodeci
GM: since you've lived in the south and north, do you feel there's a difference between the men who are southern and those from up here
K: oh yea definitely. southern men are a little more gracious, a little more gentlemen like... and not to say that men from new york don't inhibit that, but it's more rare to find. new york men, half the time they don't even know that they're supposed to walk on the outside of the street! southern men are just a little more gentle in their approach
GM: what kind of dates do you like
K: i like when a man takes his time to really curate something that shows he pays attention and thought about me... i appreciate that
GM: when was the last time you had a good cry
K: probably late last year... when i cry it ends up turning into a grateful cry, almost like a praying session. i'm a big christian - i'll just be like thank you god!
GM: what scares the shit out of you
K: failure
GM: what makes you feel vulnerable
K: like raw honesty coming from me... when you strip away layers and the bullshit. no facade, no perfections, just uninhibited me
GM: what's one misconception that you feel people have about you
K: i think people might think that i have it all, which sounds vain, but i get these dm's, and it's like this is social media. i'm going to post cute and quirky stuff, i'm not going to post the ugly cry i just had on my bed, or my self-doubts... so i think people think i got the answers and i don't {laughs} - i just know what works for me. i got my shit just like anyone else
GM: what's one thing you want recognition for
K: i want recognition for being nice
GM: what do you want your life legacy to be
K: i don't know, i'm still shaping that... i want people to care and feel some sort of impact by what i've done once i leave this earth
GM: Lastly, tell us something about yourself that you love!
K: i'm quirky! not to be confused with corny. which my siblings try to tell me i'm corny, but i'm not... damn it, i'm quirky!
loved kela? find her on:
ig: kelawalker
twitter: kelawalker