Meet the Editor

Journalist, Model and Founder/Editor of “The Phounsavath Edit” 

Have a passion for fashion and career management? This is the spot.

Paula Jane “Malee” Phounsavath—also known as “P”—created this blog as a space for fashion-forward and career-oriented young female professionals to empower themselves and others. If you need some outfit ideas for work or a night out on the town, read some advice on today’s job market, or want to get your daily news fix, she’s your girl!

Before fully operating The Phounsavath Edit, Miss Phounsavath was a business and education reporter at the News Virginian in Waynesboro, VA. In college, she served as the editor-in-chief of Old Dominion University’s Mace and Crown Student News Publication and HerCampus ODU’s senior editor/columnist in 2021. With her skillsets in news reporting, leadership and entrepreneurial mindset, she ventured off into independent journalism and owning her small business. Miss Phounsavath now is a news reporter for an independent, Black-owned newspaper, Richmond Free Press, whilst pursuing her Master’s of Public Administration degree at Virginia Commonwealth University.

P’s Style

Miss Phounsavath would describe her style as, “model-off-duty” or business casual with an edge—a mix of neutrals, capsule wardrobes, and detailed staples. However, she’s not a big fan of the old boring suit-and-tie business formal look. She likes to dress it up a bit by adding pops of color. Why care about looking uniformed when you can look extra?

You’ll give your employer something fun to talk about during your job interviews or morning meetings. ;)

About the Surname

The name, Phounsavath (pronounced: Poon-sa-vaTH or Poon-sa-wat), is a surname rooted in her Laotian-American heritage and is recognized for its elegance and uniqueness. While growing up, Miss Phounsavath always despised her last name due to the difficult enunciation for others, in which she would often have to correct them. But as she gotten older, she finds her surname to be beautiful and shall honor it with her legacy.