“I’ve been here, I’m still here, and will continue to be here.”
If the expressions “Marching to the beat of his own drum” and “I will not be defined by your representation” were a person, it would be Memsor Kamarake.Blessed with a career that spans over two decades and counting, Kamarake, a native New Yorker born to immigrant parents from Sierra Leone, West Africa, has had quite the fashion and entertainment trajectory, organically placing him in all the right spaces and places fit for his demure yet mercurial charisma. Those unfamiliar with this industry vet may esteem how he’s flown under the radar but he’s been here all along – tacitly building with no pomp, circumstance or loud showmanship necessary. Kamarake has an excel spreadsheet of accomplishments from Vibe Magazine and Wendy Williams’ glam squad to styling the likes of Beyonce, Megan Thee Stallion and Barack Obama. And that’s just a snapshot. This reintroduction was long overdue, yet right on time.
You have worked with, for, and alongside some very notable celebrities. What did it take for you to reap such a successful track record?
Let me start first by saying, good deeds in my life have always been paid forward. My prodigious relationships have led to the most amazing opportunities, and my good work has preceded me. I have very transferable skills that have taken me from the publishing world – directing photo shoots with models in the original sample size and taking an idea to an editorial page – to bringing to life a full 3D moment to a live personality.
How do you respond when approached by someone that recognizes you from your many television appearances?
Nothing means more to me than when someone comes up to me and can acknowledge my career before I was public facing. I think it shows that people have studied and followed my career. And to those new folks, it is a reintroduction and a constant one. I’m known for my space on The Wendy Williams Show and my signature denim on denim with red shoes, but amid all of that, I have a valuable amount of time and energy invested in this industry. So now I am at a place in my life whereby my credo is: “Allow me to introduce myself!”
What is your styling philosophy?
To get the best out of all parties involved. Packing on a whole load of designer for a great picture is not something I subscribe to. Sometimes it is the idea of a simpler top or a Gap turtleneck. Simple solutions are best when everyone else is going for the overkill. And when I say simple, simplicity does not always elude boring. I think there is so much you can say without saying a word, and ultimately that’s what style is. It can be a simple black dress by a designer of color no one knew anything about. A Black designer does not connotate urban, hip hop or oversized and baggy. If I have a choice of five little black dresses and Sergio Hudson is there, my job is to make sure he is at least considered. He can stand next to any well-known [designer] on any department store floor. So therefore, if we pick the best dress and the client happens to pick one from a major designer, so be it. But it is my job to ensure that these other designers are in the conversation, whether they’re Black, white, Latino, gay, straight or what have you. If you’re going to pick the best, then open your net and make sure it’s on the rack. This means you must do your homework, and I pride myself on due diligence to ensure that this happens.
