Keena Williams came by the nickname “excessive” for her bold and exaggerated use of bangles and layered necklaces. The name stuck, eventually becoming her philosophy, business and brand.
Keena is the owner of So Excessive Boutique in Newark, N.J., where she puts her against-the-grain fashion philosophy to practice: accessorize first and let your outfits compliment your shoes and jewels. Whatever a customer's personal style, Keena take pride in having something for them and offering personalized advice on how to best accessorize. And she believes her service has its own transformative effects: empowering women through fashion confidence.
While Keena's job often involves shopping all day for jewelry (a definite perk), she warns others interested in her line of work that they better be passionate about it before they take the plunge. "…Only about 10 percent of what I do is pretty," she says. "Everything is extremely hard work, so loving what you do becomes extremely important."