Signifiers & Personal Identity: Brilliance of Visual Branding

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[00:00:36]Elsa Mehary: I decided to go to an all girls Catholic school private because they had a uniform, and I understood this would be a safer choice because I would be able to focus on what I. Was studying versus what I was wearing because it was, it was that important and I knew it would be a distraction and I knew I would [00:01:00] be either insecure or anxious or just not comfortable and then that was gonna un interfere ultimately with what I really needed.

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[00:01:50]Elsa Mehary: On my mom's side, I'm from a Christian southern background and I would have to say a little southern bell. Very, very much [00:02:00] attuned to what someone looked like, and maybe not in the healthiest way, but it was a way to represent in black community status as well. And a lot of people will understand this is your, um, there's not.

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[00:02:49]Elsa Mehary: So that was my first example of entrepreneurship in my family. And even though the rest of my family was very talented, they all had, uh, jobs [00:03:00] outside the house. And so they were not able to express their creativity. Grandfather was a Potter, father was a painter. He did paint professionally. Um, but then. He worked as a professor, my mom as a teacher, she was musically talented.

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[00:03:38]Elsa Mehary: So after I got to New York, I was able to, after graduating, did all that, I was able to, um, really come here and make my dreams come true. Spending time with my grandmother, I decided a very young age, I think I was [00:04:00] 12, that I wanted to be a fashion designer or. A fashion magazine editor. Okay. So I, I didn't become either, but more a blend of both an art director.

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[00:04:41]Elsa Mehary: Publica Publishing Company, no longer at People Magazine. And through working there and the people there dressing impeccably, uh, they recommended me for a job at InStyle. And after that I [00:05:00] spent eight long formative years. Learning everything about and observing the nuances of who elevated, who moved, who didn't, what clothing meant, what, what vacation was status, this, that, like from, not just from the, uh.

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[00:05:51]Elsa Mehary: And, uh, it, it was really amazing. And so today I'm gonna give a few of these, [00:06:00] um, tips. And so let's see, when you, there's your personal style, your personal brand, and then brand identity. And for some people it can all be one thing. Um. It can, your brand identity could just be an extension of you, but if your audience is you, um, or representative of you, but really it should all be consistent.

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[00:06:57]Elsa Mehary: First, first [00:07:00] impressions. So your first impression, we all understand that is how people will understand you. They will make sometimes a snap judgment and sometimes it's energetic. It's a vibe usually, but there's visual and auditory cues about someone, and people decide very quickly, like, you're my tribe, or you're not.

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[00:07:52]Elsa Mehary: It could be background, but, and it's perceived, right? So it's like. Things that people [00:08:00] may not have been conscious of, um, or you remind them of someone. I get that a lot. Like, oh, we've met before you were, and I'm like, we've definitely not met, but I have something that reminds people There's a way about me.

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[00:08:36]Elsa Mehary: Right. So I'm gonna talk about two concepts, signatures and signifiers. Signifiers indicate shared hobbies, tastes, opinions, and they can foster a sense of connection and liking. And all of these things should be authentic. But signifiers are things, [00:09:00] visual cues. It could be for men, it could be a type of watch, it could be a specific haircut.

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[00:09:53]Elsa Mehary: And then if you're signifying correctly, you will be. Either accepted or [00:10:00] rejected from, from that group. And that's like a bunch of rules. There are certain groups, they have a lot of rules, and this is, this is something that is exclusive of trendsetters. Trendsetters, um, don't use signifiers. That is the signifier.

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[00:10:49]Elsa Mehary: Nuances and rules of the tribe or corporate community or friend group, [00:11:00] or, you know, uh,

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[00:11:32]Elsa Mehary: That's a little bit more obtuse, but, so then there is. Signature. So your signature is, can be within the signifier, and that signature is something that is unique to you and it's consistent in how you present yourself. It could be one thing, but let's just say [00:12:00] within, um, there's a whole quiet luxury movement, which is pretty much very, I would say American.

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[00:12:33]Elsa Mehary: without. Blemish is how I think of quiet luxury, um, as a signifier. But within that, you, there are levels. So your signature within this quiet luxury could be a particular shade of hair color, and that could represent younger, older, that could represent, [00:13:00] um, a particular. Level on the status. If you notice women who wanna represent Mm, something being maybe more available will go very, very, very blonde.

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[00:13:43]Elsa Mehary: It could be a heavy brow. It could be, for me it is. I always wear. A red or pink lip, and I would call it a bold lip, is my signature. No matter what I'm wearing, no matter what I'm doing, if I'm going to yoga and at 7:00 AM and [00:14:00] I'm in a full gray yoga, aloe yoga outfit, I will still have a signature lo lip.

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[00:14:35]Elsa Mehary: T-shirt and jeans look. And that became, that was more of a signifier and maybe his glasses, um, for him was his signature. But everybody has something. If it's, if it's big, if it's small, that people recognize. And if you don't have something, I recommend that you get something because [00:15:00] everyone likes to have this unique thing about them.

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[00:15:31]Elsa Mehary: You know, Picasso had his signature. It was a way that he represented his figures, that was his signature, and they were consistently changing and he did a lot of figurative, um. Let's see. For illustrators, for example, it might be a textural style, or it might be, but it's something that says like, oh, I know who did that.

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[00:16:29]Elsa Mehary: You know? And there's something amazing about having. Something that is unique to you and instantly identifiable. So think about what your signature is, what it could be, something that you can incorporate that is like your thing. If it's, you know, always big hair. If it's a particular type of bright, bright shoe, if it's always gold, if it's something.

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[00:17:34]Elsa Mehary: So you can use this in a way to manipulate, if you will, um, when needed. And people do this when they go to court, you know, they'll wear like certain color, although they will be coached to wear certain colors or structured suits to signify that they are a type of person. Um, and you know, I'm sure people do you do this in an [00:18:00] interview, right?

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[00:18:39]Elsa Mehary: I think that it does work, but I think more people these days. Are tuned into energy, how people make them feel. But that's just, that's your base level as like your presentation. It's the instant, and especially I would say with men, if [00:19:00] someone is just, they get like, that's your first entry. Like, oh, I was, uh, drawn to you because of X.

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[00:19:39]Elsa Mehary: Quite extensively, and I always make it a point because of this, um, identity politics, if you will, to really understand the presentation of the culture that I'm entering. And often I wanna blend into the culture so that I can have a better [00:20:00] experience. And I'll give two examples of times this did not work in my fever.

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[00:20:33]Elsa Mehary: And so I will tell you, I visited India. I did my research and I was like, what are the young girls wearing? And it was calf, tan and jeans and you know, a certain cut of jeans, right? Like slim tapered versus baggy, et cetera. I did full research. I was like, I'm going in, I want blend. I was going by myself. I was going to, uh, a [00:21:00] friend's wedding.

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[00:21:21]Elsa Mehary: I did not blend. I'm gonna tell you, it was like not a good idea. I, I literally. And I can laugh about it now. I was upset at the time because the level of staring, the level of like, who is this person? Are you Indian? Are you not? You're definitely not Indian, but I don't know the clothes are giving South Indian, the hair, like all the things.

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[00:22:20]Elsa Mehary: Uh, if you feel we're similar, then you feel safe, and so you'll let me in. I mean, that's, that's everything about identity politics. And this branding is that either you're gonna buy my product, you're gonna be my friend, you're gonna go on a date, you're going to some way like connect with me. And so in that India trip, um, it would've been better if I went as an American because they understood Americans and they could have, uh oh jeans and a T-shirt and a hat, boom, American.

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[00:23:20]Elsa Mehary: So, because it was, they were confused and they, I don't know what they thought, but whatever it was, it was, it was not good. Secondly, Egypt. So Egypt was, I was a lot younger, didn't put too much thought into clothes, except I knew I was going to a Muslim country to study for six months until I literally just brought head to toe black and like no skin showing.

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[00:24:18]Elsa Mehary: My university, American University were really wealthy herbs and they had on miniskirts, the latest from Paris, all the fashion, blah, blah, blah, blah, which you know, now there's like all these reality TV shows and you could see what's going on in Dubai and whatever Instagram. So you just knew what was up at the ti.

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[00:25:14]Elsa Mehary: Let's just say I quickly got some clothes because I was young and I wanted to have friends and blend, and I got some stuff made. I got some cute, shorter, shorter skirts, which I didn't wear on the streets, but I wore at school. Um, and it was interesting. But I will say two things. I would wear a hat. And if you are visiting any country and you wear a hat, you're automatically an American.

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[00:26:17]Elsa Mehary: They thought I was from one of two countries. One of two countries nearby, so either Sudan I think, or Ethiopia and, and I am actually from Ethiopia, but Sudan supported Husam Hussein, which at that time was problematic. They thought I was also problematic and they would curse me in the streets. I didn't really know what they were saying 'cause my Arabic wasn't to that level.

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[00:27:21]Elsa Mehary: So many important things and people who understand the psychology of clothing understand that it is something that is really important. A lot of people, uh, have the, I would say, privilege to not care. I think the uber, uber, uber wealthy

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[00:28:07]Elsa Mehary: I could buy any of these people. So it's like. I don't have to do anything. And you'll find that like the wealthier you are, the more, hmm, I would say unattractive. You dress and it's just like become a thing. And so it's a stereotype now where it's like these, the wealthy people, they wear like rags or torn clothes and I'm not sure if it's on purpose or what, but it is something that happens and I think it just becomes this like, how badly can I dress because.

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[00:29:11]Elsa Mehary: And then they'll, like, they'll notch up from that old money. They're opposite. They don't, you know, they wanna be muted and be subdued about their wealth. And then the tear up that I just talked about. So there's so many different things that are communicated with your clothing and appearance and the effect that it has.

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[00:29:59]Elsa Mehary: There's [00:30:00] color cut and clarity. And so I always apply those same three things to. Personal style, personal brand, and brand identity. So your color is really obviously what we see, and I, I break color up into two categories. People get so confused about color, but it's really, you know, it's really what you're drawn to.

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[00:30:46]Elsa Mehary: Color is really, really important. And so it's interesting, the whole quiet luxury thing, which I'm not a big fan of, which is this like neutral and beige and like absence of color. Not a fan, obviously. I'm like, I, I love [00:31:00] bright colors I don't always wear, but um, I'm not averse to it. And, um, I do think color is important for your senses and your overall energetic vibration.

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[00:31:37]Elsa Mehary: Um, and then Cut. So cut is. Your structure. So for clothing, is it fitted, is it loose? Is it tailored? Is it hybrid? Um, and for, for branding, this would be your fonts. Are your fonts in that same category? Are your fonts, serif, san serif, flirty script, [00:32:00] serious, bold, modern, feminine, that's your structure and all that communicates a variety of things as well.

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[00:32:36]Elsa Mehary: So the clarity for me that is, are you consistent with what you're seeing with your outfits, with your, am I getting the same thing every time? So the clarity for me is I'm always gonna give style just if it's yoga, if it's we're going to the bank, we're going grocery shopping, it's gonna be, it's going to be giving, I would like to call [00:33:00] it theme.

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[00:33:35]Elsa Mehary: Ever, ever, ever, ever. And so that's the consistency. Is it gonna be different? Is it gonna be stylish? Is it gonna be conservative? Is it gonna be really conservative? But it's going to be interesting. It's going to be fun. Always. So there's uniform and then there's consistency in, and maybe I'm in the trendsetter category, I don't know, but I, but it's my own unique [00:34:00] personal, might be vintage one day, it might be modern, but it's, it's never going to be logos, it's never going to be high fashion.

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[00:34:30]Elsa Mehary: It's, it's still gonna be, you know, it's gonna be giving muted. It's gonna be giving, um, basic, simple, and casual. That's his clarity and consistency in his messaging, right? And so it's like you wouldn't wear a gown to the gym. You wouldn't wear sweats to a wedding, right? You wanna communicate a consistency and that you understand [00:35:00] how to express through your personal, um, brand through through.

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[00:35:36]Elsa Mehary: Right. Um, and so, and again, in visual brand identity, it's your logo, your color scheme, the typography, the overall design aesthetic should align with your, your brand message and your values, right? So as a creative, the way that I dress corresponds to me living my life [00:36:00] creatively. Like I'm always reinventing.

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[00:36:28]Elsa Mehary: The advent of companies like Apple who really pioneered, um, an innovated design integrating with function and not just as an added on aesthetic feature. And a lot of the really more successful higher level brands have followed this model, especially a lot of tech companies, um, that. Are not first and foremost, uh, fashion or style brands that integrate design as one of their main [00:37:00] features.

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[00:37:33]Elsa Mehary: And previously you would have to figure these things out alone. Now with social media, you can, um, really follow a key. Uh, social media accounts and really just observe, um, or you can hire certain people to help you. They're literally like, there are consultants that can help you in any category with consistency, uh, translating who you are [00:38:00] to what you're expressing, and that there's alignment there.

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[00:38:22]Elsa Mehary: You're just, you know, subconsciously everyone is like, oh my gosh, you, everything is just in alignment. Um. All this information may seem frivolous, but you know, it's really, it's opened up doors for me. It's gotten me into last minute gala invite, you know, because people know I can effortlessly pull, pull together something in a Hollywood minute.

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