We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dawn Parkins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Dawn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Being born in New York City, my mother made sure my brother & I grew up comfortable in our own skin while still instilling in us how to accept others – regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation. I was fortunate to be surrounded by all types of people. I grew up to love music, fashion and social justice.

As we didn’t have much money, I learned to make the most out of an outfit – taking inspiration from people I had experienced around me. I experimented with mixed textures and used to “borrow” my brother’s sneakers. This later led me to being more gender-neutral in my approach to wardrobing. This passion ultimately brought me to styling any occasion from bridal to runway; luxury vacations to public engagements; recent moms to men headed back into the office after 2020.

I’ve worked fashion weeks and supported local designers of all backgrounds; taking my gained knowledge through schooling and my personal experiences and executing them to create one-of-a-kind, memorable experiences. I’ve taught businesses Inclusion & Diversity initiatives throughout the fashion world and even was awarded Belonging Champion at Neiman Marcus in 2023.

I believe my upbringing has allowed me to better understand my clients, their goals, and where they’re going. It makes everything smoother – when you genuinely consider others they become FAMILY. I’m a FIRM believer that we are ALL in this together – when you’re happy, I’M HAPPY; when YOU smile, we ALL SMILE!!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello, my name is Dawn aka StyleonaPinch. Growing up I either had an uniform (in PUBLIC school – I KNOW) or hand-me-downs from cousins or my mother’s coworkers. Meaning a lot of my “regular” clothes were ill-fitted as I was tall & lanky and tall sizes were a figment of our imaginations. I learned young how to make fashion YOU. Of course soon as I received “new” clothes I proceeded to the sewing kit – safety pins GALORE.

When I reached college ALL my clothes were new to them – fantastic! I met my now best friend in college and she kept telling me I should go into fashion- as she had traveled around most her childhood due to her father being in the military, so she had seen different cultures at a young age. But, FASHION, I need to pay BILLS, so I went into Criminology. I wanted to help people, but later learned that FASHION was the key to FREEDOM. After a decade in the legal field and people kept recognizing me for my style at the courthouse (years after I left), I knew this was my calling.

StyleonaPinch is fashion meets folly. Fashion doesn’t have to be serious; it can be fun on a whim. Whether it’s a planned event or an overnight trip to Puerto Rico for a birthday shoot – StyleonaPinch has you covered. I tell my clients, you can follow the trend; but go further than you thought, then go ONE-STEP FURTHER. It’s about getting out of your comfort level, but staying true to yourself. The WORST thing is showing up to an event with the same fit, but with StyleonaPinch you can be copied, but NEVER DUPLICATED. You’re always best dressed in ANY room you enter. Style is what you create, Fashion is what you’re GIVEN!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

As mentioned prior, StyleonaPinch believes in giving back. Our goal is to provide workwear for men & women who have just started a new career/job. I have learned in my background that it’s NOT always what you know, but how you LOOK. Though we are taught at a young age to not judge a book by it’s cover, that tends to dwindle the older and more tainted we are with our surroundings. StyleonaPinch wants to be able to provide a step in the right direction for those who would otherwise not have the resources. There are many occasions where LIFE HAPPENS. You get the interview, but don’t have a proper suit or tie. You get the job, but only have enough outfits until your first check. Guess where your first check typically goes, BACK TO BILLS. StyleonaPinch provides wardrobe consulting so you can make the most of what you have to get where you want to be.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In 2023, right before THANKSGIVING of all times, I decided I needed to reevaluate my network. I left a PR job in luxury retail after 3 years, yes RIGHT BEFORE HOLIDAYS. The one thing I’m big on is TREATED OTHERS HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. I reached out to photographers, vendors, artist, models, and entrepreneurs I had met over the years. Without a steady income – if you know, you know being a business owner has its up and down days – things became real very quickly.

However, within a couple of weeks I was styling in partnership with Dillard’s for a publicized fashion show. Within a month I had participated in 2 more fashion shows. Within 2 months I was contracted by a major NY fashion brand I had loved and wanted to work with for years. They found me online and I became the 1st stylist at their new storefront. Within 4 months I was recruited as a styling assistant for a top luxury retailer.

My recommendation to people is to USE YOUR RESOURCES. Your friends are GREAT, but they are not consistent clients. You would be AMAZED how supportive people are you have networked with. When you treat people well, they remember. You have MORE people in your corner than you EVER wished for!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instgram.com/styleonapinch
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/styleonapinch
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-parkins-40955010?

Image Credits

@shotbylindsay