Interview: Reba McEntire talks about her “tough-sexy” style and upcoming Tulsa show
Reba McEntire wears an embellished denim jacket from her Reba line at Dillard's.
From Thursday’s Mood section of The Oklahoman.
Tough-sexy Reba
The multitalented superstar, who is playing Nov. 4 at Tulsa’s BOK Center, credits her Oklahoma upbringing with giving her the sense of style she brings to her hit music, acting roles, clothing line and home décor collections.
Whatever she does and wherever she goes in her multifaceted career, Reba McEntire maintains her “tough-sexy” look and attitude born and bred in Oklahoma.
“That’s what I do with my whole brand. The Reba clothes, tough-sexy; the furniture, tough-sexy; shoes, luggage, dishes, everything has gotta have that tough-sexy look about it,” she said in a recent phone interview from St. John’s, Newfoundland, during a series of Canadian concerts.
“I grew up in southeastern Oklahoma on a working cattle ranch, and it was always very romantic to me: The West, the cowboy, the Western way of life. My hero was always John Wayne. And it always had a very romantic vibe for (me), so whenever I do anything, it has a very rustic but tough-sexy appeal to it.”
Naturally, her tough-sexy sensibilities continue to influence her Reba Style lines, available exclusively at Dillard’s.
In 2005, the Grammy-honored singer, popular TV actress and Drama Desk Award-winning Broadway star partnered with the department store chain to launch her first clothing line. McEntire, who hails from Chockie, made it her goal to develop a sophisticated and versatile collection for active women.
With the success of her Reba Wear clothes, she and Dillard’s soon expanded her brand to include Harmony for the Home decor, Reba Luggage and Reba Footwear.
This fall, her clothing line runs to dramatic capes, embellished denim jackets and jeans, tiered and animal-print skirts and faux-fur vests. Different variations on the bead- and rhinestone-adorned tops the flame-haired songstress often wears in concert are spread throughout her eight collections.
She may be the most recent inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but McEntire, 56, said she doesn’t design clothes for women of a certain age.
“We design for everybody, all age groups, we want to have everybody in mind when we’re designing. (We want) something that’s versatile, that will go from 18 to 80,” she said.
“I’ve had ladies 72 years old walk by in Dillard’s and say, ‘Reba, you like your shirt?’ She’s wearing it, and sporting it very well, I might add. So I love to see women of all ages wear my clothes.”
One of the most successful female recording artists in history, she has incorporated her tough-sexy sensibilities into her newly designed “All the Women I Am Tour” in support of her 2010 album of the same name. The tour, featuring hot young country acts The Band Perry, Steel Magnolia and Edens Edge, includes a Nov. 4 home state stop at Tulsa’s BOK Center.
McEntire, who was born in McAlester and graduated from Kiowa High School, often finds inspiration for her style lines in her travels.
“Like in Boston, I found a top that I liked the collar on. I’ll send it to my girls, I’ll say, ‘Guys, I love this collar, let’s see if we can do a shirt with a collar like this.’ Everybody borrows from other lines and gets inspired from other things you see. I do tearsheets all the time out of magazines and catalogs and saying, ‘Oooh, look how this sleeve looks here, try that,’” she said.
Like many women, the country music superstar is supporting the fight against breast cancer in October with her “Give Cancer the Boot” initiative. In partnership with Reba Footwear, Brown Shoe Company has donated $20,000 this year to Susan G. Komen For The Cure. To celebrate the initiative, she has designed a special limited-edition pink “Collins” Western boot on sale this month for $179.
She also is getting ready for a “Fancy Christmas” with her Harmony for the Home décor. The line includes furniture, dishes, table linens, bedding and bath ensembles, and for the holidays, it will feature a selection of lavish seasonal decorations, too.
“We’re having a whole Christmas tree, all the ornaments that go with it,” McEntire said. “One thing that’s really special about the ornaments is we have a baby grand piano that … has got me singing a song.”
Along with her Reba Style and still-vibrant music career, McEntire is planning to return to TV next year with a new comedy called “Malibu Country.” She credits strong time management skills for helping her maintain the various aspects of her career.
“Like when we have a clothing line meeting, all of our attention is on that. And then we walk away from that,” she said. “And I have a brand manager, Leslie Matthews, who makes sure that all the things are coordinated while I have to go and do a show.”
In concert
Reba McEntire
With: The Band Perry, Steel Magnolia and Edens Edge.
When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4.
Where: BOK Center, 200 S Denver.
Information: (866) 726-5287 or www.bokcenter.com.
-BAM
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Reba is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!