Where Are They Now? with Clay Lambert
Where Are They Now? with Clay Lambert
By: Elena Ossoski
Clay Lambert is a spunky Square alumnus with an appreciation for the finer things in life who is currently interning at both Tibi and Kule in New York City. Living in a city with a population that exceeds eight million residents, Lambert is hardly the only living boy in New York, but his presence there is already substantial. In just a few short months, Lambert has connected with his ambitions as well as his strong sense of personal style, and it shows.
While interning in the public relations department at Tibi, Lambert has worked closely with co-workers who inspire him on a daily basis. Lambert pointed out that the emphasis on teamwork throughout the company has allowed him to explore his interests that fall under other departments, such as styling. During his time on Square, Lambert worked with the creative team to style photoshoots and create mood boards. Now, Lambert finds himself looking up to stylists within the fashion industry and wonders if styling is his calling. Only time will tell where he ends up, but in the meantime, there is no denying Lambert’s knack for throwing together an expressive outfit.
Lambert links his love affair with fashion to his early childhood memories of scouring the mall for skinny jeans during the peak of Hollister’s popularity and taking trips from his hometown in Alexandria, Louisiana to New Orleans where he would accompany his mom on shopping adventures at Saks Fifth Avenue. Long gone are the days of painted-on denim, but Lambert pointed out that this era of his life was when he fell in love with fashion. He’s a believer in the power of self-expression through style, and he describes his own as “classic, modern, funky, and whimsical.”
On the subject of getting dressed in the morning, Lambert said,“I'll pick out one piece that I know I want to wear whether it be classic or trendy. Today, for example, I picked out something on the classic side, a pair of navy pants, and I paired them with a tucked-in Grateful Dead tie dye t-shirt, a leather belt, and my Reeboks. If I pick out something trendier, I'll try to pair it with something a little more neutral.”
With his days in Oxford, Mississippi behind him and countless ones in New York City to come, Lambert says that he still feels the most connected to the city of New Orleans. Shopping on Magazine Street was just as formative as purchasing his first pair of Chanel espadrilles. The contemporary styles offered at his go-to boutique in Oxford, Cicada, gave Lambert the ability to express the modern edge his style naturally has.
As he furthers his education in a master’s program in New York, Lambert reflected on what his time at Ole Miss taught him. “You should always love as wholeheartedly as possible and never take where you are in your life for granted. It’s important to be content with where you are now because you can’t move on to the next chapter until you appreciate where you are and those around you,” Lambert said. “When somebody shows you who they are, always believe them.”
Lambert is always showing off who he is. His obsession with Phoebe Philo’s Celine, his preference for the fit of women’s trousers, and his keen eye for picking out trends that are actually worth following are what make Lambert’s style one of a kind just like him. His style is true to his spirit and that is something that translates to anyone that crosses his path.
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Images courtesy of Clay Lambert.