Our Where Color Lives series continues with Melissa Smrekar, Dallas-based Digital Executive Editor for PaperCity, as well as writer, editor, lifestyle tastemaker, and creative whose world is shaped by color at every turn. From the destinations she travels to the pieces she packs, Melissa sees color as a way to tell stories, spark joy, and express her personality. As the founder and designer of Brooks Avenue, I couldn’t help but see pieces of my own creative process in hers. We both look far beyond fashion for inspiration, finding it in interior design, vintage advertising, stacks of coffee table books, and decades past — the ’60s for Melissa, the ’70s for me. Perhaps that shared way of seeing the world is part of why her personal style and Brooks Avenue feel so naturally at home together. Inspired by everything from Italian interiors and Wes Anderson films to jewel-toned palettes, Melissa reminds us that living colorfully is ultimately about embracing what makes you feel most like yourself.
Let's step inside Melissa's colorful world.
On Getting Dressed
What role does color play in the way you get dressed? Are there certain shades you reach for when you want to feel confident, creative, or most like yourself?
Color absolutely plays *the* central role in the way I dress. I have raven-colored hair and olive skin, so, as a tried-and-true “winter,” I look best in deep saturated colors and jewel tones. In my palette, I have an entire row of reds, so that’s probably my power color. The color I’m most drawn to is emerald green (my birthstone, hallelujah!), and the color I receive the most compliments when I’m wearing it is turquoise. When I travel, I associate destinations with specific colors. For example, when I visited Fiji last year, Fiji felt like turquoise and orange to me, so that combination dominated my suitcase. Greece is blue and white. Paris, for me, is red + black and white polka dots. This Brooks Avenue set made me want to travel to Peru!
On Living Colorfully
What does "living colorfully" mean to you?
Living colorfully means not dulling yourself or making yourself smaller for someone else. It’s the freedom to show up in the world at your most vibrant. It’s moving through the world with both grace and a naughty sense of humor.
Favorite Color Pairings
What's a color combination you'll never get tired of?
Dusty pink + olive green, turquoise + brown
Where Inspiration Finds Her
What has most influenced your sense of color and style, whether it’s a destination, an art movement, an experience? / Where do you find color inspiration outside of fashion?
I pull inspiration from everywhere. The world outside of fashion influences my sense of style most! My favorite sources include Italy, Milanese interiors (Villa Necchi), Wes Anderson films (The Royal Tenenbaums), the 1960s, Mad Men, Schiaparelli, Miu Miu, Luke Edward Hall, Nora Ephron, vintage department store advertising, and my stacks and stacks of coffee table books.
The Finishing Touch
What’s one detail you never overlook when getting dressed or hosting friends?
When getting dressed, I never overlook an on-theme accessory. That could mean a vintage scarecrow brooch at Thanksgiving or a sushi clutch when I’m going to a Japanese restaurant for dinner.
I never overlook thoughtful seating assignments when I host friends. I give each of my guests the comfort of someone they know on one side, and someone they don’t know (but I think they’d hit it off with!) on the other side.
This Summer, She's Wearing...
What Brooks Avenue piece are you reaching for this summer?
I absolutely adore the Charlotte Coat! The oversized hand-embroidered florals charmed me instantly. Because I love a “full drip,” I also ordered the coordinating Caroline Shorts, too! The maroon-colored wave embroidery is my favorite detail. I’ve worn this set twice already. For a Saturday in Dallas, I wore the set to buy Kacey Musgraves’ new Middle of Nowhere album at a record shop (Good Records), followed by dinner with a friend at Lounge Here. Underneath, I wore a neon pink bodysuit and finished the look with chartreuse Manolo Blahnik kitten heels and a tiny raffia bag. I also wore the set to dinner in Santa Fe with brown Miu Miu paracord sandals. It looked perfect against Santa Fe’s wildflowers.