n l STYLE MAKERS

COMPILED BY JANET GIBSON UFFINGER
ART DIRECTION BY JAMIE PHAM
PHOTOGRAPHY BY RACHAEL SANTILLAN

Age: 67.

Hometown: Born in Kinston, spent 25 years in the Washington, D.C., area, including five at Howard University; four years aboard a U.S. Navy ship and 15 years in Durham. Living in Fayetteville for 10 years.

Family: Wife, Verna Bradford Isler; daughters Christi and Regan; son Bryan; and granddaughters Deé Anna and Camille.

Occupation: Executive Vice President for Downtown Development, Cumberland County Business Council, Real Estate Development Consultant, and Commercial Real Estate Broker.

Style: I place high value on faith, moral and technical integrity.

Favorite outfit: Old school “Ivy League” with an occasional wild tie. Gray slacks, blue blazer (doubled breasted), blue striped oxford button-down, with an orange print bow tie and a Panama straw hat.

Article of clothing could never part with: My black wing-tip shoes, which are part of my “banker’s uniform,” which I wear when I have “big deal” meetings with bankers.

Style icon: Colin Powell for his intellect, grace and integrity as he held several international high-profile, nontraditional black and volatile government positions. He will be remembered as a Secretary of State who was black, as opposed to a black Secretary of State.

Passions: Nothing gives me greater pleasure than walking in God’s purpose for my life. I have a passion for the real estate development process. The process of creating unique real estate opportunities in unconventional locations, that must satisfy many diverse interests, i.e., physical, market, environmental, financial, regulatory, and political, which are necessary to consummate the deal. Creating reality from dreams is truly God’s special gift to man. He has blessed me with the opportunity to participate in this process, and a loving wife who supports my passion.

Hometown: Originally from Columbia, S.C., grew up in Charleston, S.C. Living in Fayetteville since 1960.

Family: Husband, Herbert Thorp, deceased; two sons, Holden Thorp and his wife, Patti; grandson John, 11, granddaughter Emma, 7; and Clay Thorp, wife Laura, grandson William, 6, and granddaughter Ava 3, and another grandchild on the way, due in March.

Occupation: Artistic Director, Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

Style: Casual, relaxed, not too structured. People would love to think of me theatrically like a cape and hats, but I really love simple stuff, not attention getting (only on stage).

Favorite outfit: I mostly wear pants, a blouse and jacket, just ’cause I’m always in a hurry. I don’t fuss over shoes and purses and things. But I love beautiful jewelry — you can never have enough.

Article of clothing could never part with: Black pants.

Style icon: Katharine Hepburn.

Passions: The theater, of course. Fine art — painting, sculpture and especially pottery. I love to go to art museums, and I could spend my life going from play to play. I’m happiest in a theater. I love to travel, see new places and meet new people.

Age: 55.

Hometown: Grew up in England. Moved to Goldsboro at age 15. Living in Fayetteville for 30 years.

Family: Married to Rosalind Godwin from Fayetteville in 1970. Oldest son Hutch graduated from Wake Forest University and Campbell Law School and works with our firm, married to Harper Holscher and they live in Fayetteville; daughter Windy graduated from UNC-W and works in Wilmington; daughter Joann graduated from Peace College and is now pursuing a master’s at Peace and lives in Raleigh; youngest son John Barry is a senior at N.C. State.

Occupation: Lawyer.

Style: Understated, fair and balanced, just like Fox News. I worked my way through college selling clothes at a well-known men’s clothing store, The Stagg Shop, and got accustomed to wearing coats, suits and ties, even as a college student.

Favorite outfit: As a lawyer, we have to dress well. I prefer a dark suit, a white or light blue French cuff shirt and a bright but not busy tie.

Article of clothing could never part with: A white cotton sweatshirt that I’ve had for 10 years and a pair of brown/black houndstooth shorts with a drawstring waist (my fat boy britches).

Style icons: Fred Astaire when he could dance, Frank Sinatra, George W. Bush, Diogenes Alexander Xavier, the protagonist in the early Harold Robbins novel “The Adventurers” that I read as a teenager, and a good friend and client who passed away recently, Norman Suttles.

Passions: My family. Success, whether it be in one’s profession or one’s personal endeavors. Always working to be the best there is at what you are or at what you are doing. Positive, creative people. Learning. Change.

Age: 43.

Hometown: Fayetteville. Living in Aberdeen for the past 17 years.

Family: Husband of 18 years, Ed, who’s part-owner of Post Box Plus; two teenage daughters, Ashlee and Kaylee; and a 7-year-old son, Chandler.

Occupation: Owner of A Little Bit of Europe, a shop specializing in gifts and collectibles in Aberdeen. Also, a senior consultant with BeautiControl and a co-director for the Miss Teen Moore County Pageant.

Style: Sparkle and shine, from the inside-out, and embracing the power of positive thinking.

Favorite outfit: I have many outfits, but not one favorite. I think when you wear something that makes you feel good, it shows.

Article of clothing could never part with: My makeup! It may not be an item of clothing, but I do not feel dressed unless I have it on.

Style icon: Jane Seymour. At 55, she is a beautiful woman with four children, and she still looks like she did 30 years ago.

Passions: We are all very active in our church, Roseland United Methodist. My husband does the children’s sermon every Sunday, and my daughters occasionally sing. I teach Sunday school ... and am a lay speaker. I preached for the first time on Aug. 13 (although my kids say I preach ALL the time).