~Nashville’s most fashionable banker~
Mrs. Harless is the Senior Vice President of Regions Bank; she heads the entertainment and sports division. Harless has 28 years under her very stylish black leather belt with silver accents. Harless not only works with the athletes and artists, but the songwriters and agent who are an essential part of Nashville’s music community. She has become part of the invisible movers and shakers of the music city. It was a rainy Monday when I got to meet Mrs. Harless; the sound of her black suede boots on the tile floor announced her arrival. She came bounding around the corner full of energy and excitement. Mrs. Harless took me on a tour of her office; there I discovered rare collections of Beatles memorabilia, priceless autographed guitars and an extensive collection of concert tickets.
As a graduate from Lipscomb University this Nashville native knows this city like the back of her hand. She knows all about the hidden treasures of Nashville. When I had the pleasure of meeting her, we got to discuss a few of her favorite places to shop. For jewelry THE must stop store is Curious Heart in Berry Hill (necklace in picture below was from this store) where she got this unique silver spoon necklace. In Lisa’s, “Curious Heart is the place to find a perfect, exceptional gift for someone who is hard to shop for!” We all know how hard that can be.
This foxy fashionista has a knack for finding bargains that are sure to be worth every cent. She’s a bargain hunter, she found a designer black blazer that retailed for $1,000 for $89, this is just one of the many treasures she has found. (seen below)
Lisa’s style is professional yet practical, which comes with the territory, that her job requires her to have. In this line of work a level of seriousness and professionalism is expected however Mrs. Harless still finds a way to be stylish. Her work attire is mostly dresses and skirts designed by Liz Claiborne, Ann Taylor, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein that she spices up with fun accessories. (The boot bracelet came from Vignette in Brentwood -a cool boutique for clothing, accessories and home furnishings.) She got a kick out of the boot chain by Corello rock fashion!
While her clothes say, “I am traditional” with a hint of “I still like to have fun”, her accessories are where she expresses her personality. Her two favorite accessories are boots and jewelry. The two times I encountered this fox; she was wearing some type of boot. The first time they were a black suede boot and the second time they were black leather, proving that suede never goes out of fashion. What made the leather boots so fun was the boot bracelet she added to make the boot pop. What I admire about her style is that it matches perfectly with her personality, it’s practical, very professional and fashion forward.
Harless is not just a banker; she is a patron of the arts and a philanthropist. Mrs. Harless is hard working woman who recognizes the drive to succeed in others. She helps foster artist talent and aids them in achieving their dreams. She says, “ art is important whether musical or visual” When asked what music does for her, Lisa simply replied “it inspires me”. These answers tell me all I need to know about her work.
Being a banker Lisa know the value of a dollar but she also has a smart philosophy about fashion, she said “if you can wear confidence, don’t worry about the price tag or the designer, because you can’t buy confidence”. Take for example her favorite regional jewelry designer, its Brighton( sold at Katy’s Hallmark in Belle Meade), she has multiple pieces by them that are inspired by the style of jewelry that David Yurman makes. She gets similar fashion without having to sell her guitar. Although she is a highly successful woman she is still budget conscious, Mrs. Harless loves to discover fabulous finds at places like Nashville’s Stein Mart (located on in Brentwood), and Ross (at 100 Oaks) and a store called Goods (in Breckenridge, CO). While she is a smart shopper she also has priceless pieces. Take for example the Crest necklace made by Liz Cain the wife of Jonathan Cain the keyboardist from Journey.
You can truly say that music has inspired almost every aspect of her life; Lisa was the president and now an active board member of W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School. She is also a board member of The Recording Academy and is an active advocate for MusicCares. If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Lisa just know that you are in the presence of Nashville Music’s guardian angel. Until next time music, art and fashion!
Music City Fashion 