Talk Shop: Michiel Perry // Black Southern Belle
Photo by Aneris Photography
ABOUT MICHIEL
Southern native Michiel Perry is the founder of Black Southern Belle (BSB), a gorgeous lifestyle brand celebrating African-American women with a Southern connection. After graduating from Howard University, Michiel worked at both Google and Lillybee, honing her brand strategy, marketing, and event planning skills. The inspiration to develop her lifestyle brand sparked in 2015 while planning her Charleston, South Carolina wedding – and decorating her first home in Maryland. BSB expresses her passion for all things, "Southern Bred and Soul Infused," while cultivating a community and highlighting Black-owned entrepreneurs and tastemakers raised or living in the South. BSB is a gathering place for inspiration on travel, food & drinks, culture, home decoration, entertaining, and life's milestones – sharing experiences from everyday women raised or living in the South.
The Black Southern Belle brand expanded to include an ambassador program, an online store, and the Black Southern Belle Collective. Black Southern Belle has been highlighted by numerous publications, including Better Homes & Gardens, Black Enterprise, Brides, Country Living, Essence, HGTV, The New York Times, and Today. to name a few.
Michiel enjoys life in her historic home in Walterboro, South Carolina, with her husband and two children. When she is not exploring the South, creating entertaining experiences, or working with brands, you can find her adding to her antique collections and sharing her love for the Low Country. We sat down with the founder to get her take on all things design: read on below for more!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Southern & Soul Infused
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
My Gullah Geechee Heritage, my family, and growing up in the Lowcountry
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I was inspired to create my lifestyle brand Black Southern Belle in 2015 when I planned my Charleston wedding and decorated my first home in Maryland. There was little to no resources that combined African-American and Southern influences. I love being able to travel throughout the South and showcase hidden gems and highlight Black-owned entrepreneurs and tastemakers.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I’ve had many mentors in my life and all of them have shared the importance of a work life balance and taking time for family and yourself
What does your home say about you:
That I’m very proud of my heritage and I love antiques, My home is filled with Black Art especially Gullah Art.
Where do you find inspiration:
I find inspiration from my travels throughout the South, mostly in the Lowcountry
Who are your style icons:
Whitley Gilbert from A Different World
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
A front porch for entertaining with vintage tableware, a menu with seafood, signature cocktail, and friends/family
Do you collect anything: I have vast collections:
Black Art, vintage ice buckets, handmade napkins rings, and Black Farm books to name a few.
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@28blacktastemakers, @chisaisaintjames, @cedricsmithstudio.
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
If I love it, I’ll find a way to bring it into my home.
What are you working on right now:
I’m working on a book and a collection releasing next year
Wardrobe staples:
Anything with a unique print and a traditional silhouette
Best interior advice you ever received:
Design with your heart
Best career advice you ever received:
Be authentic and offer help more than you receive it
Types of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
I invest in Black Art and quality linens and I save on antiques by shopping at stores and auction houses in my and many other Southern small towns.
Your greatest extravagance:
My Gullah Art collection
Favorite places to shop for home:
Roadside Antique Shops
Most prized possession and why:
The antique purple sofa in my office I named “Purple Rain”
Your interiors motto:
If you love, find a way to incorporate it into your design.
Your life motto:
Southern Bred & Soul Infused
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Your interior style should be a reflection of you; your heritage, your passions, and your favorite pastimes.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Okra
Drink: Ginger Beer
Film: Eve’s Bayou
Hotel: Too many to name them all, a couple include The Moor in New Orleans & The Anchorage 1770 in Beaufort, SC
City: Walterboro, South Carolina
Bedding: Robin Wilson Home
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Black Coffee
Playlist: Beyonce and Outkast, Blues Music
Weekend Activity: Exploring Southern cities with my husband and children
Design Book: Gullah Images: The Art of Jonathan Green and Remix: Decorating with Culture, Objects, and Soul by AphroChic
