Colorful Lives, Dark Autumn Joan Lincoln

It is my great pleasure to introduce Dark Autumn, Joan Lincoln - Rochester, NY's fashion and beauty icon for decades! She lives life with style & flair and a never ending enthusiasm for connecting and collaborating with local businesses and charitable organizations. Her entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen belie a family oriented local girl sensibility and humanity that she brings to her business ventures. 

I have collaborated with Joan for years. In the decades since I opened my first studio in Pittsford, NY around the corner from a fabulous boutique she managed, she has become Rochester's leader on all things involving fashion and style. 

We share a passion for empowering women to be their best bymaking style affordable and accessible while lessening the impact of the fashion industry on the environment. We also share an affinity for a feminine Romantic Style and so I gravitate towards Joan's look. 

Read more about Joan's eclectic and expansive contribution to helping women in this month's colorful lives blog.  

My journey through the fashion and image industry has offered me a host of extraordinary introductions, adventures, and accomplishments beginning in 1978 when I was voted “Best Dressed” for my Waterloo High School Yearbook.

I started my retail career managing local The Limited, Inc. stores and moved over to running upscale niche boutiques. In the 80’s and 90’s, I also modeled on local runways and had many gigs with large corporations like  Kodak, Bausch & Lomb and Xerox. Then, stepping from in front of the lens to behind it I spent a decade as a Makeup Artist working for NYC-industry giant Trish McEvoy Cosmetics. I was blessed with a reputation that allowed me to become a sought-after makeup artist in the region for decades. 

Often described as a "serial entrepreneur", it was not a surprise that I decided to retire from the makeup industry in order to establish Panache Vintage and Finer Consignment and Panache Home and Design,establishing the “HAPPPY CORNER” in the 12 Corners of Brighton, NY. The Panache team specializes in empowering women to expressing their individuality through passion for fashion. At Panache we have every component of a woman’s outfit - extraordinary clothing for unique, fashionable women - we love to make Rochester our runway!

These are my favorite pink pants and some other treasures found at Panache. I really enjoy sending my clients to Panache to find unique clothing in their colors. Joan and I collaborate each month to feature the seasonal tone that corresponds.  Brenda and Joan on a typical day in the shop.

Check out the pics of my successful shopping trip to Panache with a Light Spring who had just found out her colors that morning.  What fun!

My passions  have always focused on female-based fashion retail/resale, marketing, women empowerment and special event planning. I am a weekly Radio Personality on WARM1013.COM with host Tony Infantino. Fashion First with Joan Lincoln entertains listeners about the latest trends and tips in the beauty and fashion industries, giving a glimpse into the world of fashion from the dressing room to the runway!

I have written for the former Rochester Woman Magazine, former Fashion Edge of Healthy Edge Magazine, and was a Beauty Buzz blogger with HerRochester. 

In 2010, I helped Meghan Mundy to found Fashion Week of Rochester, a three-day event including 6 runways shows that spotlights local designers, boutiques, businesses and artists while shining a light on youth homelessness. 

 

What prompted you to have a color analysis?

After meeting Kerry, I purchased a gift certificate for a personal color analysis for a dear friend.  She discovered that she was a Cool Winter and became so immersed in her jewel tone colors  and icy cool look was so enthusiastic about  her experience that I decided that I needed to have mine done too!

How has it changed your life?

Being in the retail industry surrounded by clothing and home furnishing all day,  my color wheel has helped me define and refine my palette in my closet and what colors I surround myself with in my home. In my multi level home, I refer to my family room as the neutral room and my living and dining rooms as my soothing rooms. Both decorated from the neutral pages on my color wheel but at a different degrees.  I love them both. 

In what ways has it changed the way you approach your business?

Having the knowledge of my own color story, I continue to promote the need for wearing the correct colors to my clients. I encourage daily they too treat themselves to a color analysis to better understand what colors they should be wearing!  It's fascinating when a client returns with their wheel in hand and shops more confidently.

What has been the biggest challenge?

I've found the biggest challenge is to not wear black as much as I used to. The fashion industry promotes black as it is easy to produce and has many myths associated with making everyone looks slimmer.  While that can be the case for some like my friend above, for many including me the browns of my hair and eyes make a better neutral.  While I do have a softer, warm black on my color I try to blend it with the earthy browns as much as I can...but some days, I just can't break this one color rule!

Any interesting things happen while you were wearing your colors?

Oh Baby you bet! When the color and the style is on point so are the compliments! There's a big difference when someone likes your sweater compared to when they say "you look amazing today!"

What was the biggest surprise?

When I took my color wheel and dove into my closet some of my most favorite pieces of clothing were a perfect match.  So I guess sometimes, not always, we already know what colors we should be wearing...then there is all the black in my closet that I just can't let go of! 

Tell me about your favorite color in your palette.

OLIVE and Aubergine all day long!!!!

Tell me about your closet

Boho Chic, Artsy, Romantic and Multi layer draping pieces.  Then there are the cowboy boots, jeans with lots and lots of Dusters!!!!