Catching Up With: Faye Finisterre
As a lawyer her detail-oriented nature extends beyond the courtroom into the precise curation of her daily attire. As you chat with Faye Finisterre you soon realize that she hasn’t fallen into her profession or love of fashion by accident. She has spent decades crafting winning arguments and a personal style that turns heads.
Growing up in a rambunctious household of boys, Faye soon became the self-proclaimed advocate for her motley crew of siblings often attempting to talk themselves out of trouble. She was nicknamed ‘Avocat’ at home and was known to her teachers as the ‘little girl with the big voice’. Her expressive personality soon became a part of her personal style. Faye’s mother gave her practical life advice with a blanket caveat insisting she ‘look presentable’ each time she left the house. Her father would offer a more prescriptive checklist as they departed for various cocktail parties and social engagements in her teenage years. She recalled, “He would ask me, where is your necklace? Where are your earrings? Do you have a handbag?”
Whether dressed in school uniform or robed for court, Faye always finds a way to showcase her personality. She believes, “Society would make you think that fashion is something that is vapid or shallow, but in fact it’s a way of expressing yourself, your individuality and it’s one of the easiest ways to just show up as you”.
Even though she has amassed an eclectic wardrobe Faye insists she is not a sartorial rule breaker. Instead, she claims she doesn’t pay much attention to the rules to begin with. From polished business attire to fire engine red fringed gowns and edgy girl-next-door looks, a few elements are consistent in her style – bold colours and statements cuts. “I’m inspired by women who are bold, authentic and unapologetic, like my mother, Eartha Kitt, Grace Jones, Josephine Baker, Rihanna. I am inspired by women who take up the space we need to flourish – from Cardi B to Mia Mottley.”
Faye is constantly re-inventing and refreshing her wardrobe. Periodically, she ruthlessly culls her inventory. “Roughly every six months, I re-organise my closets and take out the items that no longer fit me, reflect my style, or may have just been bad purchases,” she says. “I donate to charities or people that I know. Before the pandemic, my girlfriends and I were happily spending our Saturdays doing pop-up garage sales for some of our pre-loved items.”
Other items that have fallen out of rotation are reincarnated after undergoing bespoke revisions, modifications and alterations. Recently, she recalibrated a men’s wool suit to accommodate an asymmetrical chunky leather belt that synched perfectly at the waist to accentuate a plunging neckline. Balancing both masculine and feminine silhouettes, the newly tailored jacket was matched with a whimsical animal print camisole. Paired with oversized gold jewelry, Faye’s haute couture creation was a vison of strength and sophistication giving off a Cleopatra meets corporate CEO vibe.
One category where Faye refuses to pare down is shoes. She estimates that she owns somewhere around one hundred pairs that serve as anchors and accessories for her outfits. Perhaps more surprisingly, an item you won’t find in Faye’s closet is a black suit – practically unheard of in her profession.
