Our annual Women of Style accolades are bestowed on these four fashionistas.
FLORA KIM
For this citizen of the world, style provides an opportunity for innovation and exploration.
From the West Coast to the bustling streets of New York… from Paris to Tokyo… Dr. Flora Kim is always up for an adventure. Consumed by wanderlust, she has set her sights on exploring the world with her family. “I love going to different cities,” shares Kim. “You are introduced to things you didn’t even know existed.” When asked what her most important travel accessory is? Easy: beautiful, healthy skin. This board-certified dermatologist and Harvard alumna (Kim graduated magna cum laude) certainly practices what she preaches to her devoted clientele. In fact, on the day of this WOS shoot, Kim showed up on set donning a giant brim hat and oversize sunglasses.
Flora Kim may be petite in size, but her presence is undoubtedly commanding. She exudes such confidence in her mannerisms that people are drawn to her. In fact, after spotting her at the Dior exhibition opening this past spring at the Dallas Museum of Art, countless patrons inquired about her elegant tulle skirt and tailored blazer. Dior shared they have received several requests to replicate her ensemble. While she has her signature everyday look, starting with her radiant glow and Sue Gragg earrings for a touch of wow, Kim seeks style inspo while traveling. “There’s something so cathartic about going shopping in a new city... it’s a time to explore and have fun.” Just back from a weekend jaunt to San Francisco to visit the Moreau Paris showroom, where she snagged a swoonworthy Brégançon tote, Kim was already thinking ahead when we asked about her next adventure. “I would love to go to Switzerland to study what La Prairie is working on,” she said. We have no doubt that she’ll return ready to share her secrets—and we will be all ears! dr.florakim.com
STERLING MCDAVID
Tailored lines with edgy quirks characterize the Fort Worth native’s uniform.
“The Burnett New York woman is a strong, powerful woman,” says Sterling McDavid of her brand’s ideal customer. “She embraces her femininity.” The clientele of the luxury fashion label mirrors the essence of McDavid herself, its co-CEO and co-founder. The 30-year-old—who splits her time between Dallas and NYC—boasts a comprehensive CV: She began as an analyst for Goldman Sachs, then attended Parsons School of Design for architecture and launched various companies. In 2018, she debuted Burnett New York with Emily Burnett, calling the venture “the ultimate dream.” The entrepreneur’s introduction to fashion came from her mother, Fort Worth art patron and philanthropist Stacie McDavid: “Her grandmother was a seamstress [and] made all of her clothes, so she’s always wanted things perfectly tailored,” says McDavid of her mom. “It taught me to really value quality and fashion.” The mother-daughter duo share a love for Libertine, the graphic, colorful L.A.-based line by their friend Johnson Hartig, which McDavid cites as the only brand she wears besides Burnett. She describes her own style as edgy-chic, chameleonizing between funky, playful fashion and elegant with an edge. “I’m always running from meeting to meeting, so oftentimes I’m in our pantsuits,” says McDavid. Unresolvable eye issues cause her to live in her chic spectacles, custom-made by Unique Eyewear in New York City. They were inspired by one of her biggest style icons, Iris Apfel, whom she loves for her “risk-taking fashion statements.” Today, the Burnett New York team is preparing for this month’s New York Fashion Week, where they will show their (hint: colorful) spring 2020 collection. burnettnewyork.com
MADISON ISNER
For this jewelry designing jet-setter, fashion is destined to have multiple lives.
“If I get 10 minutes in the morning with my coffee and my devotional, I believe I can accomplish anything that day,” shares Madison (McKinley) Isner. And for this mom, wife and creative director of her jewelry company, Madison McKinley, she truly seems to do just that—anything. On the day of the shoot, Isner blew on set like a cool breeze. Accompanied by her mother, Karla McKinley (2014 WOS), and darling daughter, Hunter Grace, Isner was calm, collected and ready to have fun. Similar to her sunny disposition is Isner’s approach to everything that comes her way. “If you set the right tone, exerting more energy and joy, it makes all the difference,” she says. Isner is constantly on the go, and her aesthetic undoubtedly lends itself to her gypset lifestyle. Whether she’s globe-trotting to watch husband and tennis pro John Isner compete, chasing Hunter Grace around at home, prepping for her second—a baby boy—due next month, or concocting a new collection of designs, her style embodies her effortlessly chic personality. A few favorite designers include Brock Collection and Khaite, but she’s also just as happy in Levi’s RE/DONEs and a plain white tee. “I don’t like to buy things that can be worn just one way,” says Isner. “I want my clothing and my jewelry to have multiple lives—epecially when traveling.” She sources most of her style inspo from Mabel Strickland, Diana Vreeland, her mother and her grandmother. “When you surround yourself with people who are joys to be around, it makes everything seem so much easier.” madisonmckinley.us
SHERYL MAAS
For this entrepreneurial art patron, style is all about a tasteful metamorphosis.
On any given day, Sheryl Maas can be spotted hustling around town in an architectural yet feminine Noir Kei Ninomiya top, jeans and a pair of Nike Air Force 1 sneakers, conveying the modern blend of her two style icons—Brigitte Bardot and Michael Jordan. The Missouri native is unpredictable in the best way, constantly evolving under the paradigm that life is to be enjoyed and style is to be dynamic. She’s currently working on multiple projects in Dallas and Costa Rica under her real estate development and design firm, Maas Modern. Her design aesthetic can be described as Japanese modern, leaning toward soft tones and a mixture of textures. The same can be said about Maas’ fashion aesthetic, which has been inspired by the effortless elegance of Japanese women observed on her global excursions: “When you take their art of fashion and combine it with our everyday life, it brings things to another level,” Maas says. She’s drawn to the unfussy elegance of The Row and the artful flair of architecture from Junya Watanabe and has a longtime affinity for Belgian designer Dries Van Noten. It’s all about quality over quantity—Maas is a clothing lover who abhors the exhaustive nature of shopping. She treasures the jewels she’s gifted and collects while traveling, and those staple items in her closet. Every now and then, she’ll come across a staple that must be bought in multiple colors—case in point: a little pair of Alexa Wagner peep toe pumps last season. “When you find something comfortable and chic, you need to buy two pairs,” she maintains. maasmodern.com
Photography by: Max Flatow and Jonathan Zizzo
