Kela Walker

published: august 9, 2016

written by: yari blanco

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

TGM: so tell us about all that you do

KW: 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

TGM: that sounds fantastic, now tell us about fashion blogging and how you got into that

KW: 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

TGM: give us an example of one of those brands

KW: 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

TGM: did you study tv production

KW: 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

TGM: and did you always know you wanted to be in front of the camera

KW: 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

TGM: that's amazing!!

KW: 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

TGM: how did you realize this was your passion

KW: 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 

TGM: 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 

KW: 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! 

TGM: where would you like to take this in the next few years

KW: 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

TGM: what's one of your favorite items in your closet and where did you get it

KW: 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

TGM: there's a fire in your apt and you can only save three things. what are they

KW: 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}

TGM: describe your style in one word

KW: feminine

TGM: if you could raid anyones closet whose would it be?

KW: tracey ellis ross

TGM: you get lifetime access to a brand, which would you choose

KW: chanel

TGM: based on fashion, what era in the last 100 years would you like to be a part of

KW: 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

TGM: what's an item you own that you'd like to pass down to your future child

KW: 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

TGM: name three beauty products you can't live without

KW: my kiehl's eye-cream, lipstick and and rose water!

TGM: you get to create your own nail polish collection, give us three names off of the line

KW: 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 

TGM: what are three brands you'd love to work with 

KW: target, DVF and refinery29

JUST FOR FUN

TGM: tell us the top five apps on your phone

KW: instagram, shyp - because i hate the post office and they pick it up for me! seamless, snapchat and my bank of america app

TGM: you're receiving an award, what song do you choose to walk to the podium

KW: probably a jill scott song from her the light of the sun album

TGM: you've won a free trip around the world, who do you take and what's your first stop

KW: 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

TGM: hollywood called, who would you cast to play you and what genre is the film

KW: taraji p. henson would play me and it would be a rom-com

TGM: you found a time traveling machine where do you go and why

KW: i'd probably go back to my childhood, before i was 10, where my grandmothers were still alive and life was simple

TGM: if you could have a private dinner with four people who would they be

KW: i want rihanna, beyonce, nicki and michelle obama

TGM: you're breaking up with drake, how do you do it

KW: 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

TGM: what's your favorite song to be seduced to

KW: i don't have a favorite song, but i'm old school r&b - throw on some jodeci 

TGM: 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

KW: 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

TGM: what kind of dates do you like

KW: i like when a man takes his time to really curate something that shows he pays attention and thought about me... i appreciate that

TGM: when was the last time you had a good cry

KW: 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! 

TGM: what scares the shit out of you

KW: failure

TGM: what makes you feel vulnerable

KW: like raw honesty coming from me... when you strip away layers and the bullshit. no facade, no perfections, just uninhibited me

TGM: what's one misconception that you feel people have about you

KW: 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

TGM: what's one thing you want recognition for

KW: i want recognition for being nice

TGM: what do you want your life legacy to be

KW: 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

TGM: lastly, tell us something about yourself that you love!

KW: 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!