Sir André Wells: Master of Ceremony & Style
French doors, water glasses, tea cups, table settings, and antique furniture created the perfect backdrop to a 6’5” statuesque, well-postured gentleman. A subtle, “Good afternoon,” greeting announces his entrance to the room. His presence is not commanding; but, highly authoritative. He has been cited in numerous publications. Many of his red carpet events have been featured and syndicated across major networks for a posh clientele list such as: Walt Disney, BET, PBS, ABC, NBC, Vanessa Redgrave, Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Robert Johnson, Charles Rangel, Debra Lee, and President Barack Obama. Who is this master of ceremony and style? Make way! Make way! It’s André Wells.
//: What makes you exclusive?
AW: I care about the things that I do and the things that I touch. I also care about the legacy that I live. So for me, exclusivity means how you curate. It’s about the aesthetic, your skill, your knowledge, and your total being. So what makes me exclusive is being blessed with all of these innate talents and the exclusivity comes in me knowing how and when to share them.
//: Being one of the few highly sought after event planners, how did you position yourself to be the highly-acclaimed event guru?
AW: I studied my craft. I always knew what I wanted to do, and I continue to study and perfect my craft. For me, knowledge is something that can’t be stolen. God has blessed me with a talent and I try to use it to the best of my ability. So for me, it is about knowing the type of client you want and knowing the type of life you want. From there, I started envisioning my company. I’ve always liked luxury products and lifestyles, so I said, you know what, I want to have a very upscale firm that’s appointment only. I like that we are not only wedding planners, but we are event planners—both corporate and social. You know I would never want to be categorized as just a corporate event planner or wedding planner or something like that. So I think we run the gamete, but it is a luxury brand.
//: So, what is a day like for Andre Wells?
AW: I am in a very service-oriented business; therefore, I have lots of clients to serve. We are always months ahead of schedule. It can be December and we are planning for May. We are always running on a timeline, so multitasking is essential. My firm has several events going on, and I have an office that I hardly get to because I’m out and about, looking at venues, meeting clients, and/or in design showrooms, etc. So my day and my life have to be organized. If I’m not organized, my work life would not be able to function. I have to manage and depend on a lot of people. From set designers to seamstresses making custom table linens, I work with numerous vendors. I have to be able to process all of this information; therefore, I have to be completely organized. I still have my little Franklin day planner and I also have an electronic calendar to view when I roll out of bed in the mornings. I want to be able to see all of the things that I have to do and all of the things I don’t have to do (laughs).
//: Let’s talk fashion! You were a buyer before transitioning to event planning. Is there a correlation between fashion and special events?
AW: Absolutely! You know, again, I always knew I wanted to work in the fashion industry and event planning. So I’ve been blessed to have had the opportunity to do both. For me, it’s all about the fashion of it all. It was an easy or very easily transferable skill for me to be able to be in the fashion industry and to also be in special events. Just like apparel showrooms, the look and mood of the room are attention grabbers. Knowing this, I am able to play off color and trends of fashion in the event world. In addition, I was a buyer for women’s sportswear. So, I dealt with numbers, which has really helped me is this industry.
//: Your buying skills contributed to your organizational skills, too.
AW: Yes, as you know fashion is constantly changing and so do events. Certain things, trends, and places are in and out of season. Therefore, the two worlds, fashion and events, marries well.
//: I totally agree.
//: Let’s talk style! Define your style.
AW: My style is classic, but very stylish. I try not to be trendy. You know, I have things in my closet from 10 to 15 years ago, and then I have things that are very current. I’m all about being appropriately dressed, be it in season or time of the year. I love beautiful and very well-made things. I would definitely describe my style as classic All-American. I think being based and living in Washington DC, sometimes I tend to be a little on the conservative side, but not really. From my Florida upbringing, I will wear really bright colors and wear things in an untraditional way. Somehow bowties and glasses, as I try to stray away from that, are my signature look. I wear glasses so I can see. So they are great investment purchases. I definitely love well-made things. I think all that goes into a well-dressed person is how you wear your clothes, how your clothes fit, and how well they are made. When I was a buyer, I really inspected quality control. So for me, it’s all about the fit. I think that’s what makes or breaks you. I’d rather have four properly fitted suits than have one upscale trendy suit. Although I mentioned earlier about my style being All-American, I’m starting to crossover into European style. They are not afraid to take risks.
//: Does your style indicate who you are personally?
AW: I think when you see people, you form judgment, even if you try not to. Let’s face it. Appearance is the first thing that you see. I work in an image-and luxury-based business, and appearance is a huge factor. So, I hope when people see me they say, oh, he’s a stylish, neat, and organized guy. So yes, my style definitely reflects who I am.
//: What is your favorite fashion decade? Why?
AW: Well, I like the early 60s and the late 50s. I feel like those men and women were incredibly dressed. I love the pencil suits and skinny neckties. If you look back during those decades, you did not know if you were entertaining the housekeeper or a pastor’s wife. I mean images of individuals standing at a bus stop and images of the March on Washington, they all looked so well-dressed. I don’t think that you need to be rich or have a lot of money to be well-dressed. Investing in classic and quality things and taking care of those things is the key. When I think about it, you can wear some of the items right now and still remain current. Also, being an event planner and looking at weddings from that era, I think everyone looked beautiful and classic.
//: With what life-essential style tip can you enlighten the men?
AW: Take care of yourself. Make sure you are well groomed, visit your doctor, get a physical every year, get proper dental care, make sure you take care of your finger and toe nails and get massages on occasion, if it’s in your budget. I think that really plays a role in who you are. Style tips men should have: a button-down white shirt, navy blazer, black suit, navy suit, a pair of jeans, a pair of khakis, brown and black leather belt, a black pair of shoes, a second brown pair, a white T-shirt, and a pair of sneakers, but I don’t think you need to pay $300 for them (laughs). Those are your wardrobe essentials!
//: Pertaining to your business, is there a message that you wish to convey through your work? Explain.
AW: I want to make people happy. We work with people on their memorable moments in their lives. I’m very grateful and thankful that we are able to do that because I think that is one of the things that makes people happy. Often times, we are not able to repeat those types of events. It’s not a dress rehearsal. It’s a one-time moment. I want people to say this was one of the biggest days of their lives, a great memory, and every detail was handled from conception to conclusion. From the time you enter to the time you exit, you had a great time, it was well planned and well organized, it looked beautiful, and it was a great follow-up. That’s the type of message I want to say. We don’t have to be the biggest and baddest, but we do want to be the best at what we do. We don’t have to have the most, but just enough to make sure we leave a legacy that goes off without a hitch.
//: How important is social etiquette?
AW: It is very important. I think that definitely adults need to be knowledgeable about social etiquette, and parent(s) need to teach children social etiquette. My wife told me the other day about when she was an intern in Boston and had 
gone to dinner with a large group of other interns. One of the interns did not know how to properly use a pepper mill. The intern knew it was some type of salt or pepper shaker but did not know how to properly use it. The intern kept messing with it and basically the intern unscrewed the bottom of the pepper mill and spilled it all over the table. My wife felt so badly and sorry for her. She wanted to tell her to just leave it alone. Just a little simple skill of knowing table etiquette would have made the intern’s dinner experience a pleasurable one. It’s important for people to know how to eat a formal dinner. How to work their way to their entrée. What fork to use, what knife to use, what wine glass to use, and where your water glass should be placed. Also, I’m big on thank you notes, especially handwritten. Unfortunately, a lot of the old world manners do not exist due to modern technology, which is sad. But, a thank you note never goes out of style, and having social graces is something that should never expire.
//: As liberalism continues to spiral, will social etiquette become diminished? Explain.
AW: I hope not. We need to make sure we continue to push that message out. We can’t let it. We have to make it a point. I have a son, and he knows that when you see a woman getting on the elevator, you step back and hold the elevator door, you allow the ladies off the elevator first, you open the door for women, you help a disable person or special needs person. Sometimes we are going 100 miles per minute and don’t think about the social graces. But, I think people will remember them. I remember well-mannered people. I like a thank you or please. So I really hope that doesn’t die out. Society can’t let it die out.
//: What are some valuable lessons you teach your son when confronted with adversity?
AW: I try to be a realist with him. I wish I could protect him at every moment, but you really can’t. So we try to instill in him a sense of being and let him know he is all that he thinks he is. We tried to build his self-esteem, which is very important. More people should have higher self-esteem. Personally, some of the things we are faced with in America and in the world would not happen if we had higher self-esteem. We try to give those tools to succeed, and if he’s having trouble with things, we tell him to face it head on. There are certain things in life that are not fair, but true talent shines.
//: I like that, “True talent shines.”
//: How do you handle adversity?
AW: I try to handle adversity head-on too. No one likes to fail at things, but I try to make sure my clients are happy. What I do is subjective and not necessarily objective. Again, fight adversity head-on. I try not to compare myself to other people because what God has for me is for me, and what God has for you is for you.
//: If you knew then what you know now, you would have…
AW: Studied harder, saved money, not taken things for granted, and tried even harder to be a better person.
//: So what’s next?
AW: I want to build a lifestyle brand. I see a coffee table book, glassware, anything that has to do with entertaining and lifestyle, building Andre Wells: The Lifestyle.
The afternoon concluded with selfies, wisdom, and style. Your uncompromising integrity makes you a true class act. Until next time, Cheerio, Sir Wells!
For more information about André Wells visit eventsbyandrewells.com.
Credits:
Carousel, Fourth, and Fifth Images: Clarence Clottey, Custom Suit Designer/ clarenceclottey.com
Image One: Christopher Schafer, Custom Suit Clothier/ christopherschafer.com
