Michelle Violy Harper | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977or1978(age 47–48) [1] Colombia |
| Occupation(s) | Brand consultant, businesswoman, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Fashion and style |
| Spouse | |
Michelle Violy Harper is a Colombian-born American brand consultant and entrepreneur known for her presence in the fashion world. [1] [2] [3] The New York Times described her "genuinely original and fantastical style of dressing", [1] and Harper was named to the International Best Dressed List in 2012. [4]
Harper grew up between Barranquilla, Colombia and Manhattan's Upper West Side in a 2,100-square-foot (200 m2) triplex overlooking the American Museum of Natural History. [1] [2] Her father, Henry Harper, and stepfather, Frederico Sève, are art dealers. [1] Her mother worked at J.P. Morgan before founding Violy & Company, which advises businesses on Latin American expansion. [1]
Harper attended the Lycée Français de New York and the Spence School before attending boarding school in Switzerland. [1] She also attended a summer program at the Rhode Island School of Design. [1]
Harper spent more than 10 years in corporate finance and business strategy, [3] and worked at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. [1]
She founded and leads the consultancy OWTH, and co-founded the cosmetic company CB LLC. [5]
In her youth, Harper was a fashion-conscious Club Kid known as Cutie Pie. [1] She has since built an extensive wardrobe of shoes, wigs, and garments that occupies an entire living room wall, which she rotates each quarter. [3]
Harper's style developed through her grandmother's influence and inspiration from architecture, nature, literature, and travel. [6] Her makeup draws from Japanese theater, geishas, and maikos. [6] Her approach to fashion has been compared to that of Lady Gaga and Daphne Guinness. [1]
Harper met model and actor Jenny Shimizu at a party hosted by model Karen Elson, [1] where Shimizu challenged Harper to an arm wrestle. [7] The couple married in 2014. [3]
Harper lives in Manhattan. [1]