Tuesday Takeover: Danne Johnson

My first year of law school I was lucky enough to take Professor Johnson’s Civil Procedure class where her training as a former litigator for the SEC served her well in training young lawyers to be sharp and ready. Along with managing her classroom and her household as a mama of two, she’s become a mentor to many female students in the OCU Law community, including myself. She’s earned a reputation for leading with authenticity and giving back to her community through her philanthropy, leadership, and commitment to changing the cultural climate to create a more humane future. Most recently, she’s leveled up her lead with her new organization Our Work, LLC focused on diversity and inclusion training in the workplace. Allow me to introduce the stylish, confident, and fierce trailblazer Danne Johnson to takeover this Tuesday.

Intersectionality: Fashion, Identity and Expression

I thank Katherine Mazaheri for her friendship and support.  I am proud to be a witness to her powerful work in law and in advancing the needs of communities by supporting professional women. I am so thrilled to be a part of Maz Modern’s Take Over Tuesday.  Taking over comes naturally to me and sometimes that makes for a hectic life. 

I am a complex woman dealing with the intersection of multiple dimensions of identity and responsibility (African American, entrepreneur, mother, wife, homemaker, art collector, law school professor, Christian, world traveler, daughter, lawyer, encourager, lover, truth teller, over 50, friend and confident). Exhausted yet?  I woke up this way. 

I honor and attend to these facets through my fashion.  I wear my values and honor the various dimensions of my cultural identity.  

Lessons from Detroit: Black Culture & Fashion

I was raised in Detroit, MI, a city steeped in Black Culture and fashion.  I was raised to know the worth of a good shoe and to nurture a relationship with a great cobbler.  The value of foundation garments went without saying because women “dressed” for every occasion.  I read W and dreamed of traveling to Milan.  In my community, everyone was a seamstress and this gave us access to the fashions that we could not afford.  I remember going to the fabric store, flipping through pattern books and sewing many of my own items through high school. 

I was nurtured in a geographic location where I was in the majority and as a result I could dream.  When children are oppressed and marginalized because of their identity they are unable to dream, they are left uninspired.

Prepare Your Canvas

Fashion is about self-expression and the projection of how we want to be seen.  The expression of fashion starts in a very personal way and is developed one layer at a time.  The preparation of your canvas, the body, is the first step.  Consider fitness and diet, as they impact your fashion options and outlook.  I have experienced great success at an age when many women give up on fitness goals.  After turning 50, Cody Madison worked as my nutrition coach and personal trainer 3 times a week, and together we met my fitness goals.

Find Your Inspiration

I gain inspiration from websites, real women, and shopping sites.  Proportions matter, I am petite and as a result I only shop with retailers who offer that sizing. I typically opt for a monochromatic work look: professional and expressive.  I add “toppers” to change the look and add dimension.  Monochromatic looks travel well and are timeless.

During the pandemic I have worked from home, teaching and lecturing, founded Our Work, LLC, cooked and played home school principal.  While home, I dress for work each day so that I can best present myself. I am attune to the ways in which my perspective and energy change with my dress.

Support Diversity in Business

The red “topper” is from Moshood Creations, purchased with a matching floor length skirt years ago at Moshood’s workshop and storefront in Brooklyn, NY. The shop is owned by a Nigerian man and sells African inspired pieces that are interesting and forgiving.  Supporting local minority led businesses should be on everyone’s to do list. The show-stopping cowrie shell earrings are from an African American Etsy shop.

Interesting accessories like jewelry, bags, and shoes are wonderful when utilizing a monochromatic base and are essential to finishing any look.  When creating an outfit for the day, I dress, accessorize, and then I always say, “just one more thing.”  I always add one more item to a completed look and only then do I walk downstairs to start my day.

Be True

My fashion advice is to be true to yourself while acknowledging the power of clothing choices to create and shape the way that you feel and the ways in which you are received.  Sometimes we are in spaces where self-expression is a distraction, such as when representing clients in court or during a negotiation. In those spaces I recommend that we conform to expectations and the norms of those settings in order to best serve our clients. When we are in spaces representing ourselves or our business, fashion is a part of branding. 

As the founder of Our Work, LLC, a leader in diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, my fashion choices signal my organization’s commitment to inclusion.

Read more at Our Work, LLC .

GET THIS LOOK

Happy shopping and I hope that you too are able to curate a layered and inspired collection of life experiences and fashion pieces that serve your many needs. -Danne

Look #1

Kasper Black Jacket, Dillards

Black Cashmere Turtleneck, Lands' End

Wide Leg Black Pant, Banana Republic Jackson Fit

Black Suede Flats, Target

Look #2

Red Top from Moshood Creations

Sam Edelman Black Heels

Wide Leg Black Pant, Banana Republic Jackson Fit

Black Cashmere Turtleneck, Lands' End

Accessories

Foundation and Makeup, Fentybeauty.com

Cartier Tank Francaise Watch

Cowrie Shell Earrings and Ring, Vinti Couture on Etsy

Golden pin with women

Black triple strand beads

Large Black Studded Bag, Tracy Lynn

Recommended Reading

How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi