Crisp & Clean

We’ve met Charissa a couple of times before (here and here) but we’ve never really gotten to know how she came to be working in her current field, until today. “I was a political science major for a hot second in university, but I realised fairly quickly that it wasn’t something I had a deep enough interest in. I switched to communications, and school became something I genuinely looked forward to,” she says. “PR gave me the right avenue to explore the things I wanted in my career — strategy, storytelling, business development and management — and a fast-paced environment, because I get bored way too easily.” Asked to describe her dream office space, Charissa envisions a clean, white, open plan office, with dark wood floors, subtle gold accents, indoor plants, and double height ceilings. “Sleeping pods optional,” she says. “Also, a welcoming, ‘strictly-no-backstabbing’ and ‘no slackers’ type of environment would be ideal.” Each time we meet Charissa, she seems to be dressed in a different style. “I mostly go with whatever is new-ish in my wardrobe,” she says. “Once I buy something I like, I have it on repeat until I get sick of it then the shopping cycle starts again.” There are a few items in her wardrobe that she always falls back on, however. “There’s this high-waisted, black, full skirt that I scored at sample sale price when I was a one-time Prada intern; a black crepe peplum top from Proenza Schouler that can be dressed up or down, tucked in or left as is; and the million black jumpsuits I own in various cuts and lengths. See a theme here?” While she believes that planning outfits the night before is a “fantasy that most 9-6 workers don’t get to live out”, she only asks for one thing: that Havaianas, Fit Flops and Crocs be banished forever.