Whether it’s running a million dollar company or publishing a new book, Hillary Kerr is a modern day media guru. We snagged a moment with the co-founder of Clique Media Group to get the scoop on her favorite social platform, Who What Wear’s latest Target collection, and what fashion rule she lives by…
What was the initial concept behind Clique Media Group?
In 2006, we [Katherine Power] noticed there was a whitespace in the market for really approachable, inspirational, informative digital content in the fashion, style, and shopping space. The inspiration was partially personal—we wanted a site like WhoWhatWear.com for ourselves, truthfully—but we also quickly realized that there was an appetite for the curated trends and shopping services our content provided. From there, expansion happened both strategically and organically into other areas of interest, from Byrdie to MyDomaine to Obsessee.
Which social platform are you currently obsessed with?
Snapchat is my go-to for personal friends. I feel like I have such a deeper understanding of and relationship with my friends’ kids on the East Coast because of it. I still love Instagram for discovery purposes, especially in the food and travel arenas!
Who are you following on Snapchat?
I love following Jen Atkin, Kelly Oxford, and Kylie Jenner. Allure’s Kristie Dash is pretty incredible too…I love following her adventures working for a magazine in NYC. It makes me nostalgic!
(L-R) Hillary Kerr of Who What Wear, Jaime King, Jessica Alba and Kate Bosworth and Katherine Power of Who What Wear attend Who What Wear x Target launch party (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Target)
How did the collaboration with Target come about?
It was something we’d been dreaming about for a decade. When we met with the Target team, we quickly realized that we shared a vision—the idea of marrying the art of trend forecasting and great design with the science of shopping preferences and using social media to inform the collection in real time.
What pieces will we see in upcoming collections?
There are so many incredible dresses coming up in the fall collection in dark floral prints, and our holiday collection is really next level. Keep an eye out for all of our jackets and coats for both seasons; there are some stunning pieces, like one faux-fur coat that’s just a dream, that are going to sell out so quickly!
What fashion rules do you live by?
I’m all about uniform dressing, meaning I have a handful of key silhouettes that I love, and then I simply update them in the season’s most important colors and prints. Also, gray goes with nothing, so therefore it goes with everything!
Who are your go-to designers?
I’ve been wearing a ton of British designers and brands as of late, like Simone Rocha, Erdem, Roksanda, and Emilia Wickstead.
Any trends you wish would come back in style?
I like a power shoulder, but that’s just me!
Street style or runway?
Street style for real life, but the runway for inspiration.
Who What Wear Co-Founders Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power attend Who What Wear’s launch of their book ‘The Career Code’ (Photo by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Clique Media Group)
What sparked writing “The Career Code?”
After a decade of running our company and growing our team from two to over 170, we learned so many lessons along the way—and many of them the hard way. We realized that by hiring and building our teams and mentoring so many young, talented people, there were certain best practices that our most important team members followed, and we wanted to share that information with our readers. We are living proof that you can create your dream career by being smart and strategic about it, and felt like now was a good time to share that information.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
It’s in chapter one of the book: “Find something you love to do, and then figure out a way to get paid for it.” I learned that from my father, who is a pilot and loves his work tremendously. Another one is “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough.” While we’re definitely perfectionists, sometimes you just need to get something done, rather than waiting for the perfect time or partner or whatever is holding you back.
What’s next for CMG?
In addition to being incredibly excited about our upcoming fall and holiday collections for our Who What Wear line at Target, we’re looking forward to our 10th anniversary this fall. It marks a really big moment in our history, and we have some great stuff planned for it.
