Portrait of a Lady: Tracey Kemble

We would like you to meet the women who wear Hedge.
Perhaps they remind you of yourself. Perhaps one will inspire you as they have us.
They are authentic. They are courageous. They are wise and humble.
They have many responsibilities and passions.
And like you they have hopes, dreams, successes and failures. They are human.
They are helping us define our brand and we love who they are.
This summer we are introducing you to the women who wear Hedge, beginning with Tracey Kemble.
Tracey Kemble

Celestial. Authentic. Fierce. Wise. Independent.

CONVERSATIONS WITH TRACEY KEMBLE

A woman doesn’t earn these accolades from an easy life.
Tracey was in a bad car accident 10 years ago. It left her with a shattered pelvis,
a traumatic brain injury and a scar on her beautiful face. The plastic surgeon said,
“we can make you perfect again” to which Tracey replied “NO.”
She doesn’t seek perfection. She seeks fulfillment. We admire her grit.

What is the best compliment you’ve ever received?
My spirit. I’ve been told my spirit is authentic and when I walk into a room
people really feel like I’m engaged with them. That makes me feel really good.

 

As humans we never stop growing and changing.
It is easy to see how a child grows,
but how do you feel you are growing as an adult?
Life brings us challenges. We go through life unrehearsed. I do not believe
in the theory that tough times make you stronger. Sometimes challenges
in our lives are really, really hard. I do believe that if we are able to process
these experiences over years of hard work there are things we can
deeply learn about ourselves. Then we can appreciate those times as gifts
so that we can grow.
What lesson have you learned lately?
I have learned to embrace my journey. We have to be grounded in what’s right for us.
Not our critical assessment of who we SHOULD be. I believe that, but it’s difficult. We are hard on ourselves. It’s a process.

What scares you?
What scares me is defining my success through someone else’s eyes.


You work as a producer for a living.
Do you have any tips as we proceed with our campaign?
You need to be in these interviews. We’re seeing real women; you are a real woman. 
It’s a conversation and I wanna see you.... and if you weren’t good?
I would TELL you....because that F*#@*s it up. Also it might be nice
to have interstitials where you show life happening: hailing a cab, rushing out the door,
not necessarily behind the scenes, but show real life. Make LIFE pop through
so we can relate to you.

Hedge is inspired by Tracey’s Grace:
Life is about how we handle the unexpected moments.
Tracey makes a choice to embrace the mess and have gratitude.
When she was diagnosed with breast cancer she felt pressure to join
the 'pink brigade’. The media portrays this trial and togetherness through cancer
by showing women drinking cosmos and laughing through chemotherapy;
a commercialization of Cancer. This period of time for Tracey was extremely scary.
Her family and friends were incredibly supportive and helped her through
this period of growth. She is grateful to them because they respected her journey.
Her advice for those who are just in the beginning stages is not to follow
anyone’s prescription of how you should go through it. Be kind to yourself.
Life can be challenging yet it brings us gifts we want to celebrate every day.
She feels very blessed that she was able to adopt her son from Ethiopia soon
after she finished treatments. Asher is truly a gift. See her gushing below.
 
What gift did your parents impart to you?
They were incredibly loving and raised us to be independent, global citizens.
My parents are Jamaican. We grew up in Westchester, New York.
We are people of color, but we must shine our light brightly in this country.
They told us if you are going to do something, embrace it and finish it.
And anything you do... do it beautifully and do it deeply with compassion and passion.


I asked if you would bring something from your home that is meaningful to you.
What did you bring today?
My mothers charm bracelet is very precious to me. We are extremely close.
She is such a loving, fun and strong force in my life.
She can be tough but it’s always with love because she wants me to my best self.
I admire her greatly. She was an executive at IBM for 30 years...
I don't know how she did it but she would always have a beautiful dinner prepared for us every night.
I never once heard my mom complain about being tired.
Her energy was always uplifting and positive. This bracelet is one of the first
big purchases she made after she married my dad. She told me she would save up
for a charm that she felt represented a beautiful moment in her life.
I feel I can see her journey through this bracelet.

Which endearing term did your mom call you growing up?
Good morning beautiful... Good morning sunshine.... Hello my love.
Even now, Good morning my love. With Asher I say ‘How much does mommy love you and he says,
‘to infinity and beyoooond!’

We are all a little crazy in some way which makes us interesting and unique.....How are you a little crazy?
My parents entertained all the time. My mother is so chic;
she loved setting a beautiful table. We love beautiful linen napkins,
I’m on the hunt for them all the time. I love entertaining in my home.
I have to be spontaneous because my friend’s schedules are crazy.
I cook some things, order some food, have good wine and use my china
and beautiful tableware. I love spoiling my friends because they are incredibly loyal,
supportive and lots of fun to be around. To hear laughter or lean in to a wonderful debate.
I love creating special memories.

Hedge admires Tracey’s joy and fierce independence.
We are thankful she was willing to share a little bit about herself with us, and you.
She is an inspiration and a beautiful person. We love her just the way she is.
We did not retouch any of her photographs.
Tracey Kemble
BIO

Tracey is a mother, producer and activist. Her recent projects include The Legacy of Barack Obama
and Katie Couric’s America Inside Out. She attended UMass Amherst
where she became passionate about Planned Parenthood and was a board member for 10 years.
She mentors underpriveleged students through I Mentor, and for many years has worked with a bright young woman named, Shanice Speight.
She is a Co-Founder of Green Beetz which is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyle choices for children
and STEM teaching methods. She resides in New York City.

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