{"id":63992,"date":"2019-09-11T13:25:03","date_gmt":"2019-09-11T17:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/?p=63992"},"modified":"2020-09-03T05:53:10","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T09:53:10","slug":"refinery29-canadas-executive-editor-carley-fortune-wears-what-shes-comfortable-in-to-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/community-stories\/member-spotlight\/refinery29-canadas-executive-editor-carley-fortune-wears-what-shes-comfortable-in-to-work","title":{"rendered":"Refinery29 Canada\u2019s Carley Fortune wears what she\u2019s comfortable in to work"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As our physical workspaces evolve, so does the way we dress. Work Style<\/a><\/strong> explores what we wear to work today\u2014and why. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who you are:<\/strong> Carley Fortune 
What you do:<\/strong> Executive editor, Refinery29 Canada 
Where you work:<\/strong> WeWork 100 University Ave, Toronto <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Carley Fortune signed on as the first executive editor for the Canadian channel of Refinery29 last year, she had one other colleague. Now, with a team of seven\u2014plus all the clothing, books, and random samples\u2014they stand out amidst the other offices. \u201cI\u2019m sure people think we\u2019re very girlie,\u201d she quips. As for her work style, Fortune says she\u2019s never had more freedom. Here, she breaks down her daily dress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What\u2019s on your schedule today?<\/strong>
A: It\u2019s a fun day. Yesterday was the last day of Toronto Fashion Week and the first day of the Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF, so we are working on coverage of both and nailing down our schedule of interviews, screenings, and events for the festival. I’m going to the premiere of Joker<\/em> on Monday. I have a hot-pink velvet Rachel Antonoff<\/a> dress I\u2019ve been saving for the right moment, and I think this is it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Give us the backstory on these pieces.<\/strong>
A: Horses<\/a> is one of my favorite Canadian labels. I\u2019m really inspired by how cofounders Claudia [Dey] and Heidi [Sopinka] have built a business that allows them to be creatively fulfilled while not following the traditional fashion brand format. But I also love horses, so if people think it\u2019s just about the animal, I\u2019m 100 percent okay with that. The skirt is also from Rachel Antonoff. It\u2019s super comfy to sit in; it has a lining so your butt doesn\u2019t get stuck to it. The earrings are Jenny Bird<\/a>, another Canadian designer; I wear a lot of gold but the interesting part with these are the dangly bits at the back. My ring is also Canadian, a label called Mejuri<\/a>. There are a lot of great accessories labels that seem to be popping up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Earrings by Jenny Bird<\/a>; ring by Mejuri<\/a>. Both designers are Canadian.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Q: Is wearing Canadian important to you?<\/strong>
A: We have so much talent, and I try to support that talent when I can. There are considerable challenges to running a fashion business out of Canada, and we don\u2019t often do the best job of tooting our own horn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Are there any expectations of what you and\/or the team wears to the office?<\/strong>
A: At Refinery29\u2014and this is what I love so much about working with women, particularly here\u2014people wear whatever they\u2019re comfortable in. If you want to be super fashion-y one day, you\u2019ll do it. If it\u2019s jeans, a T-shirt, and no makeup, that\u2019s fine. Everybody has a really strong sense of personal style on our team; it just depends on the day. Sometimes, during lunch, I try to sneak out for a 20-minute run, and I will sit in my running clothes all afternoon. I don\u2019t take for granted the freedom we have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Q: Do you have a certain everyday look?<\/strong>
A: I like clothes that aren\u2019t too different but have a bit of a quirky vibe. Right now, I wear this skirt to work almost weekly. I prefer sneakers for everyday; but these heels look far better. They\u2019re A D\u00e9tacher<\/a> and I\u2019ve had them for at least 10 years. I love white shirts, especially if the proportions are different. Also high-waisted pants and worn-in jeans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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T-shirt by Horses; skirt by Rachel Antonoff; heels by A D\u00e9tacher. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Q: How does your workspace factor into your daily decisions about what to wear? What else factors in? <\/strong>
A: The space has an industrial vibe\u2014concrete floors and exposed ductwork, with really bright, cheeky art<\/a>. It feels pretty casual but stylish. There\u2019s a wide range of style happening in our WeWork community, which is liberating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What do you put on when you want that extra statement?<\/strong>
A: One of my most loved pieces is a cream silk Maison Martin Margiela<\/a> blazer with satin lapels. I got it for a steal at a Hudson\u2019s Bay designer sale many years ago, and I still feel pretty smug about finding it. I try not to wear it too often so I\u2019ll have it for years to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Is there a One That Got Away\u2014something you regret not buying?<\/strong>
A: I\u2019ll say this: I actually dislike shopping immensely but I love clothing so much. I have an ongoing list of things I feel I always need. Last year, when I was looking for a blazer, I bought a cropped leopard print jacket with puff sleeves from Horses instead. A few days later, I went back and bought the matching pants. I had to have them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: Is there anyone who inspires your style?<\/strong>
A: I remember when J.Crew opened in Toronto, Jenna Lyons showed up in a neon-green, knee-length sequin skirt with a nautical striped shirt. That was in 2011 and I remember thinking, This is my platonic ideal of dressing<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“At Refinery29\u2014and this is what I love so much about working with women, particularly here\u2014people wear whatever they\u2019re comfortable in.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Q: How different is your weekend wardrobe?<\/strong>
A: I do a lot of exercising on weekends, so I\u2019m often in my exercise clothes. Or else I\u2019m usually in jeans and some kind of T-shirt, which I would wear to the office but I have a separate selection. It\u2019s my weekend-mom style. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q: What are you excited to be working on right now?<\/strong>
A: We\u2019re launching a series about parenthood this September that I\u2019m really proud of. There are some incredible pieces about motherhood and identity, and I\u2019m writing a personal piece about my own struggle with becoming a mom. It can be nerve-racking to put that kind of personal work out there, but I’m up for doing things that scare me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The<\/strong> watercooler:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n