As VBR’s fashion columnist, I plan for this new column to spotlight not only clothes and style but the local business people who wear them.
My favorite historical building in Harlingen, now known as “The Reese,” was built in 1925, and four years ago underwent a red carpet-worthy makeover. Fashionista Jo Rae Wagner was the brilliant mind behind that masterpiece of repurposing. Always stylish, Wagner became the first woman to chair the national Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors Association in its 125-year history. She’s currently president of CTO Inc. and presides in style over the upscale eatery Colletti’s at The Reese.
Q What prompted you to take on a huge project like The Reese and Colletti’s?
A The building was going up for auction. My sons Steve and Todd and I saw a lot of promise, even though it needed work. I thought it would be a beautiful building for the downtown district.
Q In one word, characterize your life as an entrepreneur.
A Exciting.
Q To what do you most attribute your success?
A Luck and the fact that I’m stubborn.
Q What three pieces of advice would you give to an aspiring entrepreneur?
A Be sure you’ve done a plan that takes you out at least three to four years. Make sure you have the money to back it up, because it’s never easy starting anything. Know everything that you can possibly learn about what you’re going into.
Q What motivates you?
A The fact that I can’t sleep but three to four hours means I’ve got to fill in all the rest of those hours.
Q How would you describe your sense of style?
A I like elegant. I like simple. Fortunately I have a buyer at Saks Fifth Avenue in New Orleans that knows what I like. Because of her I haven’t been in a store since 2004. This lady sends me what she knows I’ll like. If I like it, I keep it. If I don’t, I send it back.
Q That’s exactly what us stylists do!
A Actually that started because I had a speech to give in front of 3,000 people, and the airline had lost my luggage. I walked into Saks and asked this wonderfully dressed lady, “Can you dress me in one hour?” She did it and did it extremely well! And she’s been doing it ever since.
Q How important is style to you?
A First impressions are really important in any business. We feel good about ourselves when we know we look our best. So, yes, fashion is important.
Q What is your favorite article of clothing or accessory?
A (Pointing to her long gold necklace with an attached gold lion.) This was my mother’s gold lion, and she wore it all the time. It’s probably 50 years old.
Q It’s timeless.
A I like a lot of my mother’s gold jewelry. They give that vintage look to outfits I wear. It makes me feel good to wear something she wore.
As holiday invitations start to mount for parties at the Reese and elsewhere, so does the uncertainty of what to wear. Like the perfect gift, the right outfit requires thought: knowing the setting, the guests and most of all yourself. Greet the season in style.
This story by Lillyan David appears in the December 2015 edition of Valley Business Report. For more stories from the December edition, click on the “Current & Past Issues” tab.