Decades of Decadence With Fashion Stylist Lesley Zwick

Over the last four decades, Lesley Zwick @comebackzwick has been a standout in the fashion industry, and she has done it all sober. You did the math correctly, folks. This fashionista boasts a staggering forty-one years of continuous sobriety. Now residing in Florida, Zwick’s journey in the industry started in New York City, the fashion capital of the U.S. She said, “when I look back, it was during the time of Studio 54, and the party scene was crazy. It was glamourous on the outside but hazardous up close.” 

She told me that she had already been to rehab gotten sober by the time she was in her early twenties. The program director instructed her to get a “bread and butter job” for stability, having never really worked. When she recounted these events, I instantly thought of a quote by Diane Von Furstenberg, “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew who I wanted to be.” Zwick knew she had an instinct for style.” I collected many gorgeous dresses, and I was always passionate about fashion. She said, “I used to go to the lower east side in Manhattan. Some merchants would pile vintage dresses in a heap. They would sell them for a dollar!” 

In the early 80s, Zwick curated a stylish ensemble and waltz into Henri Bendel’s. She asked them to give her a chance because she was rebuilding her life. As it turns out, she did not disappoint. Zwick became highly recognized and recruited to Saks 5th Avenue, given her choice of departments to represent. Choosing the big designer names on the third floor, Zwick went to work. She became the top saleswoman in the company. Crushing the competition, Zwick’s knack for style and high fashion came naturally. And the rest, as they say, is fashion history.

It’s a Vibe

“When you get sober, you don’t know who you are,” she told me. “As you get more time in sobriety, you come into your person, and you shouldn’t be afraid of it.” Zwick is brutally honest, witty, and very intuitive. She is the kind of woman you want in your corner. (Or at the very least, in your dressing room) “I love to help people get the whole look. I can look at someone and know what they need. It’s a vibe.” Her specialty, as it seems, is understanding people more so than the clothes. A lot of which I can’t help but think comes from the work of recovery.

“My whole career has been sober,” Zwick stated. “I have been a little crazy sometimes, but I have always stayed sober.” I think the creativity and the crazy make for a fabulous combination. Zwick reflected, “I can look a hundred different ways; it’s all about how I feel in the moment. I follow my own trend.” 

I love that about her. People are drawn to authenticity and courage. Especially when it comes to discovering your style because the process can feel very vulnerable, a little encouragement from an expert can go a long way.

Rocking her pink hair and bold style, Zwick doesn’t shy away from originality. “I don’t think people should say whatever is in trend is style. Style is whatever makes you feel good. That’s what is in style. The trend is not a style.” As the great German designer Karl Lagerfeld once said, “Trendy is the last stage before tacky” There is something else to be said about trends. As in, herd mentality. Being trendy doesn’t seem to mesh well with the devotion to sober living. People in recovery must listen to their gut instinct and stay true to themselves at all costs.

The Hunt for (Sober) Unicorns

Regarding staying true to herself, Zwick is currently taking a hiatus from corporate retail and spending time in the world of luxury consignment. For the last couple of months, she has been working for Posh Consignment @poshconsignmentboca “I got kind of burned out. So, I am doing this and learning a lot about resale,” she told me. “I may go back to corporate retail, but I am having fun for now.” Set against the backdrop of the Florida sun and palm trees, Posh Consignment Boca looks like a shopper’s dream. The website boasts high-end footwear, clothing, accessories, and handbags www.consignmentboca.com

It doesn’t matter if the garment is last season or last decade; Zwicks has the experience and instinct to know what suits a person. Shopping consignment can be exciting and creative because the looks aren’t prescribed to you. You get to curate them on your own. But it helps to have an expert on hand. There is some treasure hunting involved, and it’s a bit like an archeological dig. If you want the Indiana Jones experience, follow Zwick.  

I look forward to future conversations with this fashionista with long-term sobriety. Zwick is a unicorn in many respects, and you just don’t come across people like her every day. When I clicked on her IG account and read her signature caption, “Welcome to my world,” I was in awe to find this fashion-forward, pink-haired legend. If decades of sobriety and fashion are on the menu, I’ll have what she’s having.

Stick with me, sober fashionistas, as the unicorn hunt continues….

Grace & Glam,

Kate

#POPSOMETAGS: Please enjoy this curated list of songs to get you in the consignment & thriftshopping mood!

WALK YOUR TALK: This section of the site, by Sober Curator & Fashion Editor Kate Vitela, celebrates fashion and the role it plays in our recovery. Getting ready for life can be just as fun if not more fun, now that we’re sober…because drunk never looks good. 

Resources are available

Resources are available

If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.

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