Even in a post-Miranda Priestly cerulean speechworld, fashion jobs can be seen as something un-serious.
I studied fashion in college at FIDM and American University.
I also worked at FIDM as an advisor to new students.
I had to provide for my children, and went into full-on survival mode at that point.
I now handle about $250K per month in styling and personal shopping for Power Women clients.
I always say I faked it until I made it!
Take us through a recent workday.
What apps, gadgets, or tools cant you live without?
Old school gadgets :)
Whats your workspace setup like?
All of my organizing, pulling, and bagging I do from my home office.
I need a lot of space for clothing racks, primarily.
I am obsessive about keeping the space organized; its total controlled chaos.
I have personal closets at certain stores that I shop at regularly and use them as satellite office spaces.
What do you wish people outside of the fashion industry understood about stylists?
People outside of the industry might see my job as shallow, but it is absolutely not.
My role is primarily as a sort of clothing therapist for my clients.
Everyone has something they have an insecurity about.
What fashion advice do you give the most often?
To be stylish is to be confident in your clothes.
Whats your best shortcut or life hack?
Take us through an interesting, unusual, or finicky process you have in place at work.
I am very good at multitasking across clients.
for each person).
I then label everything by person and item, like Dana-pants, Dana-shirts etc.
The client only pays for what they keep.
Valet parking attendants are my best friend when I am constantly visiting stores.
This is not an exaggeration.
Ive known certain valets for 10+ years and know about their families.
The difference between mens and womens shopping is that men expect to get their clothes tailored.
Alex, my assistant, has been with me for 20 years.
How do you keep track of what you have to do?
I know this sounds wild, but I honestly dont write much down.
Its all in my head!
How do you recharge or take a break?
It is very difficult to take a hard stop break from my job when handling personal clients.
But I always make Sunday dinner for my husband and three kids to reconnect.
Whats your favorite side project?
I sold it on the side to make extra money when I was struggling financially in the beginning.
What are you currently reading, or what do you recommend?
I love to read.
I just finished the second book in theCrazy Rich Asians seriesand look forward to the movie.
The clothes look amazing!
Who else would you like to see answer these questions?
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
To treat everyone in an equally friendly and respectful manner regardless of perceived status or role.
