In my life, one of the things that I have learned to really appreciate is friendship. I am fortunate to be surrounded by an incredibly intelligent, successful and beautiful group of women friends. We all work to support one another in our various endeavors and most importantly have so much fun when we are together. I’m honored to highlight one of these women - A woman that I truly love - Shannon Mabrey Rotenberg.

How did you meet Mary Alice?

Mary Alice was one of those amazing girls who I felt I knew before I met her. Her name, which is so distinctly “her” and not common in Los Angeles, kept coming up in conversations. Everyone had wonderful things to say about Mary Alice and kept telling me, “You just have to meet Mary Alice because….” The first time I actually met her was when I was working for Molly Madden who managed many incredible actresses. Mary Alice was working for Allure or GQ at that time and dealt with Molly’s clients for the magazine. Ironically, my dear friend from Oklahoma ended up working as Mary Alice’s assistant, which is how I really got to know her.

How would you describe your style?

My style changes depending on my plans. For work, my wardrobe is simple and classic. I will dress up dark jeans or pants with pretty heels, a nice blouse or jacket and jewelry. For events, I love flirty dresses, skirts, or a fun blouse. But, if I’m dressing just for fun, my style would probably be described as country/casual chic. I am a huge country music fan, and love to throw on my boots with jeans or a skirt. I even put on cowboy boots with a lace Monique Lhuillier dress for my birthday party! No matter what I’m wearing, I always love to add a splash of color and fun earrings or necklace. Bright colors make me happy!

What is your favorite classic piece you will never get rid of, and a new piece you are dying over?

I love my black lace Valentino Dress that I have owned for several years. It is a classic piece I can always go to when I have a dressy event and I am not sure what to wear. It’s ironic because I LOVE color, but this dress is always appropriate and makes me feel pretty. I think everyone should have a dress like this in their closet. I have 2 new pieces I am dying over! I splurged on a Tom Ford black leather jacket. Unlike most moto jackets, it is very light weight, almost like a shirt weight, and I have been throwing it on over everything from work pants and skirts to jeans and t-shirts and even dresses! It is perfect for California. I also bought a gorgeous gray and hot pink silk Dries Van Noten top that I’ve enjoyed wearing this season to dinners and parties. It looks great with flats or high heels and the bright color instantly puts me in a happy mood!

Tips for staying stylish:

• Make sure you FEEL good in what you are leaving the house in!
• Great Posture is key to looking good in your clothes
• Always add a splash of color
• If wearing tight pants or skirt, wear a looser blouse!
• I love lace….can throw on a lace top with anything and feel stylish

Top 5 things to add to your wardrobe

Which Haney dress is your favorite?

It’s so hard to choose but I have to say the Coco in YELLOW because I love color! It is so versatile and looks great with strappy flat sandals during the day or with heels for the night. Do I really have to just pick one?? Of course, I love the Shannon top as well, but that is not a dress…so favorite dress the Coco. I have to say that I wear the Shannon top all the time! It is a great “Go To” Blouse. You can throw it on and feel beautiful whether you wear it with jeans, skirts or pants. I wore it with shorts this summer and loved that look too!

SHANNON MABREY ROTENBERG

Shannon currently works with the just keep livin Foundation which she also helped launch. Started by actor Matthew McConaughey, the goal of the just keep livin Foundation is to empower teenage kids to lead active lives and make healthy choices. The foundation has partnered with other non-profits to run afterschool programs in inner-city high schools which encourage students to improve their physical and mental health through exercise, nutrition, community service, teamwork, gratitude and positive life choices. The just keep livin Foundation has 23 programs in Southern California, Austin, Dallas, Washington D.C. and New Orleans. She also serves on the Board of Directors of several other charities.

Shannon grew up in Okmulgee, Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Oklahoma. Shannon and her husband Michael now reside in Los Angeles, California with their two sons, Luke Eli and Colt Carlisle.

You can find Shannon at:

Facebook: @j.k. livin foundation or facebook.com/jklivin

Twitter: @jklivinFNDN

Instagram: @jklivinfoundation

Personal:

My Instagram is: @smabreyrotenberg

Facebook: @ShannonMabreyRotenberg