#LOGOFIED in Focus – Meet Willa

Happy summer to everyone! I am so excited to feature Willa Young this month. She’s a fabulous #LOGOnista, always showing us her wonderful #LOGOfied style! I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful summer. Sending you all lots of love and blessings!

1) In a few short sentences, tell us little bit about yourself; Where do you live? Where are you from, etc. 

As a child in a rural, northwest Ohio village, I longed to grow into a professional woman in an urban setting where I could have a cosmopolitan life. After college and graduate school, I ended up in my dream career as a university administrator at the largest university in our nation. For most of my adult life, Columbus has been home. Over the years, I have watched the city grow and develop an urbane appeal. I am able to participate in the life of the city through engagement in the arts, social and political activism, volunteering, and serving on nonprofit boards and committees.

I was fortunate to retire from my first career at quite a young age and embark upon another. Though I never imagined myself in a tech job, I joined a large nonprofit health organization (35,000 employees) and use my experience as an educator in their IT division. I’m part of a team designing and delivering training on using electronic medical records. Our work has been especially vital during the pandemic.  We shifted on 48 hours’ notice from classroom training to all virtual classes, and we successfully kept our organization running, supplying physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and so on to keep patient services running at full speed. I love what I do and am never bored.

 2) How and when did you first become excited about fashion… and LOGO specifically? 

I grew up loving the fashions in old films (designs by Edith Head, Orrry-Kelly, Adrian). Learning to sew allowed me to make most of my clothes and develop my sense of style. As a teen, I discovered Vogue. In college and grad school, my limited budget took me thrifting, and then a friend introduced me to vintage stores. I fell in love with vintage lingerie, silk pajamas and robes that I could repurpose, unique dresses, hats, and lace.  Lace, lace, and more lace…

As a professional, I have always had a quirky style. I started wearing statement pieces and bright colors so students in large lecture halls would stay attentive while I was teaching. As an administrator, at one time I wore nothing but vintage women’s business suits from the 1940s and 1950s. As I rose in the ranks, I could afford to splurge on “limousine shoes” and premier designer garments that I mixed with my vintage and boho pieces for a distinctive look. My current role is more casual, and LOGO pieces partner well with my needs. LOGO garments and accessories can be styled for any occasion or event, and I appreciate being able to depend on the brand. There are many days where my look will entirely consist of LOGO pieces, and LOGO garments mix easily with other items in my wardrobe.

 3) What attracted you to LOGO?

LOGO presents a thoughtful mix, everything from the basic wardrobe builders in the Principles collection to the statement pieces I gravitate to, Lavish. I’m particularly drawn to the “fashion” pieces, and yet I also am well stocked with tanks for layering and plenty of leggings. 

I was enamored with LOGO from its debut on the Q, and I still have several early pieces from LOGO Instant Chic. With LOGO, Lori was a pioneer in providing embellished t-shirt dressing in those early shows, and over time the line’s success has allowed Lori to deliver a wide array of selections. I have particularly enjoyed the very affordable shoes and boots, what Lori calls the “fashion” pieces, and the basic wardrobe staples.

 4) Tell me some of your favorite things about Lori. 

I knew about Lori as a giant in the world of stylists long before she came to the Q. I have always admired her eye and her daring as a stylist. She continues to set the pace even now. Inclusive sizing and bringing good design to a mass market capitalize on her fashion sense and show her business acumen. 

I share Lori’s belief that everything goes with anything. She has inspired me to give up the idea of purchasing clothing based on what would ordinarily be defined as “my size.” I find myself considering more how I want a garment to fit than how it is “supposed” to fit. I now buy in a wide range of sizes, and though I’m naturally a petite person, I buy don’t let that dictate length. For instance, in recent months I have acquired LOGO leggings in petite, regular, and tall lengths.

 5) What are some of your favorite pieces of LOGO and why?

LOGO leggings are my wardrobe workhorses. I wear them year-round, everywhere from the gym and lounging at home to as part of more thoughtfully composed looks for special events and occasions.

Thanks to LOGO, I take layering seriously. Tanks have become a staple, with my favorite being a Lavish piece, A307271, which I have multiples of in every color.

Three other pieces are my all-time favorites. Top of the list is the bolero with flounce (A272845), which I have in every color and wear often. It’s a versatile and flattering garment that I recommend for all. LOGO has provided my most elegant pants, A258809. They feature a beaded panel on each leg and a funky elastic waist. I have worn them to backyard cookouts with a t-shirt, and I have dressed them up for weddings.  I have three pair so I will never be without them. Finally, I adore an early LOGO vest, A240729, a sumptuous pre-Lavish collection piece that I have in two different sizes for varying looks. It can go posh or funky depending on my mood and plans for the day.

6) When did you first become involved with the page and chatting with Ladies during the shows?

I don’t recall how I stumbled across the “We Love LOGO” site, but I joined to appreciate the posts of members wearing LOGO garments and to contribute my own ideas. The range of styling is wide, and members inspire me with their inventive pairings. I don’t have time to watch the live shows so I’m not a part of the popular chats hosted by Donna Cashman, but I post any day I’m wearing LOGO brand items.

The conversations on the site gives me exposure to LOGO fans across a diverse spectrum. It’s a wonderfully inclusive site, most likely influenced by Lori’s welcoming and inclusive on-air persona. We differ in, of course, styling preferences, but we are diverse across age, race, size, geographic location, photographic skills, political sensibility, and so much more. I appreciate being able to interact with all who participate, and I like to think that I contribute to making the community special.

 7) You have so much wonderful energy! What’s your favorite thing about the Ladies and interacting with them?

It’s the Ladies who keep me coming back. Having been a part of the community for a couple years now, I have learned the style sensibilities of some of the members.  For instance, I always recognize a Marilyn Ford post from the photo before I look at the caption because she has a distinctive style. I admire Kinga Kazel for her carefully curated posts featuring LOGO and unique accessories. Shirley Jenson is perhaps the most fun and inventive member, and I admire her audaciously bold looks. I admire Lauren Purvis for her casual chic, and I love Rita Wells Gorder’s joyous use of color. Francesca Maralyn Annashee Moreales can always be counted on for documenting a variety of ways to work LOGO items. I could go on and on mentioning members who keep me interested and involved. There are many more… We all contribute to making it a welcoming, active, and engaged site.

8) Give us three “Fun Facts” about you?

1. I grew up in a village with less than 1,500 persons. 2. I was the woman who never wanted children, and then I ended up with six! I raised my sister’s two sons after her untimely death, later adopting them, and then when the nest was empty, I married a woman with four young children. The three youngest will graduate from high school next year so we will soon have four in college. 3. Having taught thousands of people over the years, both at the university and in my current role, it’s rare that I go anywhere without seeing someone who recognizes me. Of course, that happens here in Columbus with frequency, but it genuinely surprises me when I’m traveling, in the US or abroad, and someone unexpectedly calls my name.

  9) In one sentence, tell us how you feel when you wear LOGO.

Depending upon the day and what I’ve chosen to wear, LOGO garments allow me to feel playful, a little daring, sometimes a bit avant-garde or experimental, certainly appropriate, and always well dressed.

10) If you were introducing a friend to LOGO for the first time, what are the three things you would tell them about the LOGO world.

The LOGO brand offers smart style, affordably so, in a size-inclusive range of clothing and accessories that any woman can find appealing and of good value. The pieces can be adapted and worn uniquely by women with vastly different style preferences so that each feels as though the clothes were designed with her in mind. You can build a wardrobe, everything from closet stapes to statement pieces, with LOGO!