My Power Outfit: Mikela Eskenazi, International Strategist

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Name: Mikela Eskenazi

Job/Company: International Strategy Manager at Blippar.

Brief description of what you do in your role:
Like any fast growing tech startup, roles can change very fast depending on the focus and needs of the company.

One day I could be working with internal teams reducing operational friction to improve scale into new countries and the next pitching to global brands/agencies. Essentially my role requires me to travel a lot and meet people from variety of industries. Therefore, I need to be very practical about my closet (or actually luggage).

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What are you wearing?
Dress: Maje
Shoes: Tods
Coat: Maje
Bag: Crystal and Marble
Jewelry: Bee Godess (ring), Neckless (Orge Tulga), Watch (Cartier)

Why does it make you feel powerful?
For me, feeling powerful starts by feeling good and conformable. I like clothes that are simple yet edgy, professional yet fashionable. I usually go for mixes of blue, black, green, and love to add a touch of leather. Heels are essential to my power outfit, but need to be comfortable–you want to walk into a room with confidence and not have to think about how much your feet hurt. I usually have one or two pairs that travel around with me everywhere. To contrast with simple colors, I like to play with accessories, a nice ring or necklace, and of course dark red nail polish is a must.

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How does fashion boost your confidence?
Confidence is about expressing yourself and feeling comfortable with who you are.

When you feel good, you drive positive energy and that can only drive confidence. For me, fashion is there to make you feel great about yourself. Make sure you have a few of those killer items that can make you feel good (high heels, cute black dress, trendy coat, flashy ring, a designer bag… whatever works for you). On days when you feel the most down, go for your power outfit, it can do wonders.

Any advice for dressing when you’re public speaking?
It depends on the audience, but generally my favorite outfit to speak in public is a skinny black pant with heels, a nice blouse, and a colorful jacket. For a more formal audience, I would go with a simple dress and jacket (favorite shops are Maje and Sandro for that). Again keep it simple, yet edgy and comfortable.

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