Keziah Beall Talks Her Personal Style and Job at Rowing Blazers
LULU GRAHAM
In this series for Harper’s BAZAAR, I will be “outfit dissecting” women who work behind the scenes in the fashion industry. The women you will meet in these profiles work for some of your favorite brands, and whether they’re designing the pieces you love or answering your DM questions, they are also quietly cultivating trends.
I met with Keziah Beall at the Rowing Blazers Clubhouse in SoHo. Like Jack Carlson, the founder of Rowing Blazers, Keziah was also a competitive rower, which adds a sense of authenticity to the brand that can’t be argued. Keziah and I chatted about how women can implement menswear into their wardrobes, how her career as a rower influenced her style, and, of course, Rowing Blazers.
Name …
Keziah Beall
What do you do all day?
I have worn a lot of hats for Rowing Blazers! I have done different things every day from overseeing fulfillment and customer service to more creative projects. I’m currently doing a project for a women’s swimwear brand, Andie, that is customer experience based.
LULU GRAHAM
Where do you live, and where did you grow up?
I grew up just outside of Seattle and was there through high school. After that, I went to school in Virginia and bounced around on the East Coast for a little bit. Three years ago, I came to New York to launch Rowing Blazers.
Did growing up in Seattle have an effect on your style?
I think so! It’s not a particularly stylish city, but I learned that my outfit always has to have a certain level of practicality. I have to dress for the weather. I can’t wear something just because I love it and disregard the fact that it’s really hot or cold in New York. In that sense, there is always this sensibility to it. I love just being casual. It kind of blew my mind when I went to school in Virginia, and boys were just wearing chinos that their moms didn’t make them put on! It’s been fun for me to push my comfort zone, which is from the very casual side, and learn to be more dressy. I have that kind of preppy and classic look.
Do you think you took more away from Virginia than you did from Seattle in terms of style?
I think in Virginia, because it is very homogenous, I sort of pushed against it. However, I also learned to appreciate it. So, maybe now, yes, but at the time, no! So much Lilly Pulitzer.
Do you think rowing had any effect on your style? Did it change how you viewed getting dressed?
In school and college, there was a very specific athlete look. I think oftentimes professors treated athletes differently. I always wanted to sort of go against that and not lean into wearing all the free gear and fitting into that stereotype. So, in that sense, yes. Obviously now, learning about the history of the blazer and how it comes from the sport of rowing has renewed for me. It’s been through the lens of menswear specifically, which is interesting. I wouldn’t say that my time as a rower got me here beyond that’s how I met Jack, and through Jack, I learned all of this. It was two degrees of separation.
Did you know anything about the history of the rowing blazer before?
No! I knew it was a thing—that if you went to Henley, your team would get blazers. And it always seemed really cool. It wasn’t really a tradition at UVA going for the women, the men’s team did. It was very peripheral at first.
LULU GRAHAM
Do you think you still approach dressing with that sporty feeling?
Yeah, I think so. I do love wearing leggings and T-shirts to go around on casual days. I think the way I dress now is very much a celebration of being able to shop for my body type, which wasn’t ever something I could do in high school. Online shopping was still very new, and there weren’t a lot of tall pants that were cool. I don’t think I’ve leaned into the athlete thing so much now that I’m not doing it. I enjoy being able to dress like a normal person now if that makes sense.
Shopping for pants specifically when you’re really tall is hard! My sister is tall and pants are mid-calf on her.
It was hard as a high schooler! When I was in high school, it wasn’t cool to have cutoffs or culottes. You wanted to have pants that were dragging on the ground, and I could not find that! I wish I could travel back in time and give myself a little more confidence to buy vintage men’s Levi’s and rock it, but it’s high school. I got there eventually!
Tell me the story behind something you’re wearing right now.
The sweater Jack actually got for me. He knows I’m obsessed with Princess Diana, as everyone is right now. He tries to borrow it from time to time. It’s cute that our interests cross and that he got it for me. The skirt I got at a secondhand shop in Charlottesville years ago. It’s technically a size too small, but I love it and it feels so one of a kind.
LULU GRAHAM
Any stories behind some of the jewelry you're wearing?
I don’t make many impulse purchases, hardly ever. I often see things on Instagram that I covet, file it away, and think about it later. But this ring was at a vintage store in England when we were at Henley Royal Regatta. It just felt like if I didn’t buy it right then and there, I wouldn’t get that chance again. I don’t know how old it is, but I want to do some research on it. It was a great price and in this little curio cabinet.
It’s such a fun thing to know you bought it because you were in that moment.
Exactly, it reminds me of that trip! It feels like it has history behind it.
How would you describe your style?
I think it’s exploring with what works for my body type, as someone who is very tall, and sort of making sure trends work for me. It’s also being really honest about what doesn’t work. I feel very inspired by Scandinavian street style right now. There is such a big emphasis on repurposing old trends and being kind of funky and colorful, but not so “fashion.” Just enjoying wearing clothes.
What have you found works well for you?
High-waisted jeans and pants are something I realized I should have been wearing a long time ago. That’s been a cool thing about being in the menswear world: I’ve taken a lot of Rowing Blazers pants, and taken in the waist a little. I love that more relaxed fit and leaning into the more masculine side of things. I was so sensitive about that when I was younger because I was so tall, I didn’t want to wear oversized things. Now, I feel much more comfortable doing that.
What was your first Rowing Blazers piece?
I got some early samples of the women’s blazers, most of which didn’t make it into the line. I also got some damaged products from our first pop-up.
Which Rowing Blazers piece do you suggest women buy?
I love both the rugbys and blazers as “menswear for women.” I think the baseball hats are also fun. It’s such a strong statement brand, and it’s very individual. You can’t go wrong with a nice blazer. It strikes a nice balance between feeling vintage and tailored, but not too much of each.
I have the pants! I’ll probably get the blazer as well.
LULU GRAHAM
Which movie had the biggest influence on your style?
I was a high schooler in the early 2000s, and I don’t think the movies of that time had particularly good style. So I love The Breakfast Club. This is kind of cheesy, Erin Brockovich had a big influence on me. In terms of don’t judge people by their cover and wear what makes you feel good! Watching at an age when I didn’t love my clothes was emotional.
You mentioned Princess Diana. Is she a big style icon for you?
Yeah! I think especially with a lot of the trends going on right now, she was the OG. I love Françoise Hardy. I would love to have bangs like her, but can’t commit.
If you could be dropped in any time period strictly for the clothes, which would you pick?
Younger Keziah would have loved to be in Pirates of the Caribbean or Pride and Prejudice, definitely a period piece. I love Downton Abbey for that same reason. That kind of elegance, even in the maids’ costumes, is so well done. It’s hard to pick an actual period. When Stranger Things first came out, a friend who is also my age, said it made us both nostalgic for a time we didn’t live through. The styling is just so good!
LULU GRAHAM
What are five songs you always play?
“Menswear” by The 1975
“Infinite High” by Panama Wedding
“Superstition” by Stevie Wonder
“Beta Love” by Ra Ra Riot
“Send Me on My Way” by Rusted Root
Lulu Graham is a photographer and designer who occasionally writes down her thoughts for others to read, mostly on Outfit Dissecting. When she’s not listening to Natalie Merchant on repeat, she’s digging through her parents’ old Patagonia or watching the original Parent Trap. She grew up in Atlanta and will always find a way to weave that into the conversation.
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