Obsessorize With Me!

I’m not a chatty person, but when it comes to fashion, I’ve got a lot to say about the many ways there are to look at how we dress. First and foremost is how I design my Agabhumi collection to reflect my opinion on all things wearable. Welcome to my world. I’m Regina Maguire Kirshbaum, and I, along with my husband, Mikie, are the founders of the women’s fashion brand, Agabhumi.

It's All Her Fault

My obsession with all things fashion was handed down to me by my fabulously stylish and flamboyant “Mah”. I can remember sitting on the fitting room floor playing with fallen hang tags while Mah went through piles of clothing, carefully selecting what she loved. The fashion show would continue back home with an additional try-on-session in her bedroom, where we mixed and matched what she bought with what she already owned. Shopping quickly became my sport of choice and my athletic field was Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, Long Island. My fashion fate was sealed from my single digit youth.

What Drives Me?

I was raised by workaholics who remembered to take valuable time to be with their children, (three of us), and teach us about the things they loved. Mah worked part-time until I was in High School, when she went to full-time, and stayed in the same job for 49 years as the voice of Adelphi University. Mah ran the telephone services department. Dad worked, as well, for 49 years at Newsday, Long Island’s paper of note. Dad was a legend at Newsday and his photographic archives bear witness to his talent.

We learned that work should be a passion, otherwise it isn't worth the struggle. The tools employed were conditioning oneself for long hours and abundant patience. Mah also deployed her philosophy of leading, never following. Although she accomplished this in a battering ram kind of style, she won friends, not enemies. As a result of that gift, I still speak with her employees who became friends, even now, 2 years after her passing at 89 years young. Funny enough, the same holds true with Dad and his accomplishments. Dad accepted nothing, if not an attempt, in every effort, at perfection. Dad’s staff loved him and teased him, even though he tormented them. Turnabout was fair play and, yes, I’m still friends with his co-worker friends. It’s the gift that just keeps giving.

Learning by Doing

Bloomingdales was my first job. I worked on the sales floor in toddlers and then the Clinique counter. Bergdorf Goodman, NYC, (the most exclusive department store in the world), was my training ground and then it was on to the Garment Center. The next step, to start my own fashion brand, came years later, and that’s where I’ve been ever since. So to say that i come by my professional fatefully is an understatement.

Why Now?

You may be wondering why, after 19 years with my fashion brand, Agabhumi, I’ve decided to blog about it. Well, the truth is my “influencer” influenced me. It seems as though I’ve got a lot to say about the career that has supported me since I graduated from college, so maybe it’s not such a bad idea! I’ll leave that to youz, (yup, I’m a New Yorker), to decide.

Why “Obsessorize”?

Well, it’s 2020 and what the hell else do you have to do except survive?! Okay, I’m not joking about COVID, but what I am doing is making what I like to call, “Lemonade and Vodka out of Lemons”. Keeping my head tuned to my inner fashion dial, I am bucking the 2020 trend of staying in your PJ’s all day. My neighbor recently teased me about dressing to the 9’s just to walk the dogs. I said, “Girlfriend, you knew my Mah and you KNOW she taught me to put on earrings just to get the mail!!" Not only do I enjoy getting dressed up, (as I have since I was a child), but I feel much better with a swipe of mascara, a great pair of shoes, a frayed skinny jean, and a fabulous Agabhumi top.

Thanks to the mask mandate, I even match my masks to my outfits! It helps that I have masks in our Agabhumi collection--my choices are abundant, (you can find them here!). So don’t use COVID as an excuse to slog through like a slob. You’ll feel better with the compliments you’ll get if you make an effort. And we ALL need to feel better right now.

Stay tuned for more tips on how to update your wardrobe without wiping out your hard earned cash. In our next post, we will learn about what it means to obsessorize and how to execute it flawlessly.

For now, I’m sartorially yours,