Meet Michele Harper - Human Energy Artist

     Burning Man’s 10 principles are a guide for, or reflection of, the community’s ethos but they also have a far reaching impact on how we associate with one another in the default world.  A lot of us bring these ideas into our daily lives and help us to create value and meaning in our associations with other people.  Two principles in particular, communal effort and radical self expression, are the focus of the group Burner Business Owners which seeks to help bring more customers to Burner owned small businesses.  One way we are striving to do this is to let the world know who these members are through interviews.

     Meet Michele Harper who is a self titled Human Energy Artist.  Ms. Harper agreed to meet with me and be the first interviewee for this series.  She walked into our meeting place wearing a stylish polka dot jump suit which was accentuated with a beautiful tribal necklace and she topped the look off with rose tinted glasses.  The first thing I though to myself was, “wow, this woman can dress!” And I could not wait to learn more about her.  The New York burner scene afforded us plenty of opportunities to talk briefly over the loud thump of the music but I’d never gotten the opportunity to do a real “get to know you” session.

     Michele Harper is a Baltimore native who has made her home here in New York for the past 26 Years.  When I asked her what she did for a living  she admitted that some people would say that what she does is “style people” but it’s much deeper than that.  Upon talking with her further it became apparent that she combined her experience as a hosiery designer, makeup artist, perfumer, and stylist to help people take their personal look to the next level.  In an effort to better describe what she does, her clients have given her names that include “Clothes Whisperer” or the "Be You Guru".  

     Michele started her career in New York City in the hosiery business in the 90's.  Her client  included big names such as Patricia Field.  She brought a portfolio with her that showcased some of the designs she made which included various bold and vibrant patterns that are popular today.   She ran the company successfully for several years with her then business partner and husband.  After deciding to split, she divested herself of her portion of the business and turned toward raising their now 19 year old daughter.  Ms. Harper was not going to give up her career in the fashion industry, however,  and she became a stylist at high end department stores like  Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman.  

     Throughout her years in the industry,  Michele has brought all of her artistic disciplines together into the culmination of her work as a human energy artist.  She helps people create the individuals they want to be.  For example, she told me about one of her clients who was a self proclaimed hippie and dressed as such.  The client’s boss told her that she needed to dress a little more "professionally" at work and came to Michele for help.  Michele sat and talked with her to better get a sense of who she was inside.  “I pulled all of the threads that make her who she is and brought them out,” she says.  That way the client was comfortable with what she was wearing because at the core, the look was still part of her personality.  Michele once dressed that same client for a red carpet event and she was astonished at how many compliments she received.  The client, of course, was happy with the end result.  “I create authenticity by merging spirit and style for people”,  she says. "The people I work with are off grid but have big jobs and they are not getting where they want to go because they do not have an interest in finding a 'look'".   Ms. Harper ,in a sense, helps people build success for themselves.  

     Big client's aside, when I asked her what kinds of clients she is looking for, she told me that she is interested in helping anyone who wants to take themselves to the next level in their careers.  Bringing the "inside out" is what Ms. Harper does best.  If you want to know more about Ms. Harper or you want to get in contact with her you can go to her website at www.micheleharper.com.