We all buy clothes, but no two shoppers are alike. It can be a social experience, and a deeply personal one; at times, it can be impulsive and entertaining, at others, purposeful, a chore. Where do you buy things? When do you shop? How do you decide what you need, how much to spend and what is “you”? These are some of the questions we posed to the people featured in the “How I Shop” column.
“Your girl is perfect. You can’t define me, baby!” actor, writer and comedian Sherry Cola excitedly said on a call.
She’s talking about her eclectic and expressive personal style, but Cola can also talk about her career path, from radio DJ to YouTube star, popular comic to dub. voice for a main character in the upcoming “The Tiger’s Apprentice,” alongside Sandra Oh and Henry Golding. She also recently joined the cast of Adele Lim’s upcoming comedy, and is currently starring as a regular in three seasons (and counting) of the “The Fosters” spin-off “Good Trouble”.
On the show Freeform, Cola socializes quite a bit with her character, Alice Kwan, the manager of the downtown Los Angeles co-living space, The Coterie (which actually looks like the most fun way to live in the high-end. age 20 – except for shared bathroom). Along with her close friends, she navigates friendship, romance, and career hardships, all while confronting and challenging the sociopolitical issues of our time.
Like Cola, Alice is a quirky Chinese-American turned into a popular manga series and confronts (plus tries to subvert) the stereotypes that lesser-known talents face. Cola said: “Alice is my best friend. Alice and I have been through a lot of bad things.” “Sometimes, Alice’s story fits Sherry’s story, and I’m like, ‘Yo, this is my home.'”
That’s especially so in the most recent episode, in which Alice throws a Lunar New Year party at The Coterie for her family and close friends’ families: “I’ve been wanting to have an episode The Lunar New Year is a long time ago, because we watch TV shows that are set in Christmas, Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Eve, just, why don’t we? This object is juggling her identity in so many ways.”
Together with Kara Wang, who plays Sumi, Alice’s confidante, Cola ensures authenticity, down to the food (a whole fish!), pride in giving red envelopes, and “superstitions.” small”, which each family incorporates in their own way. (Cut your hair before the Lunar New Year to get rid of bad luck to start a fresh life with good fortune! Ahem, Dennis.) “It’s such a thing,” she said. “Like my mother, I remember when it was the year of the Snake – with the Chinese zodiac, when it’s your year you have to fight bad luck – so she really made me wear underwear red for 365 days.”
The multi-hyphen also included her own words and thoughts into the speech Alice gave after the lion dance, having reached a new level of understanding in her relationship with her family. Cola said: “It’s very emotional because it’s so real. I really speak from the heart, because we started the Lunar New Year episode at the end of March, amidst the crimes against hate by Asians. “. “I’m very interested in fighting for the community – and other communities – and as an ally. In real life, I’m adamant about using my voice.”
