We were lucky to catch up with Emmaline Chappell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emmaline, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Growing up biracial, I never felt like I fit in, and I always knew I was different from others. I was never white enough or black enough in school or with my friends and it left me feeling like an outsider and feeling frustrated with people wanting to always put me in a box and dim my light. I started to realize that I could use my love for fashion as a way to boost my confidence and embrace my uniqueness. Fashion became my outlet to create my own box and be myself. I could express who I was through my style and didn’t have to fit into anyone’s conformities. Dressing how I wanted gave me the confidence to embrace my individuality and show up and stand out.

As I got older, I discovered how transformative a great outfit could be for your confidence. If I was having a bad week at school or at work, I’d plan out my look for the next morning, putting together an outfit that would emulate exactly how I wanted to feel. Without fail, that outfit made me feel more dynamic and self-assured once I left the house. It gave me a quiet confidence and created a positive, life-changing ripple effect in my life: I stood taller, I spoke louder, I took up space and I allowed myself to be seen. Those experiences made me a firm believer in dressing with intent, using fashion as my way to express and accentuate my individuality, and it led me to create my mission as a personal stylist in my business.

My ultimate goal for each of my clients is to help them realize that they can achieve great style no matter their shape, size, age, ethnicity or where they are in their life and to use their style to accentuate their individuality and feel like the most fabulous version of themselves. Fashion can feel really intimidating for women. And I’ve always loved the idea of showing them how fun and powerful fashion can actually be. When you’re wearing an outfit that truly makes you feel amazing, that confidence will radiate and shine brightly and it’ll have such a life changing ripple effect in every facet of your life. I want to show them that they belong in the fashion space and help them rediscover themselves in their style. I’m here to open your eyes to a new way of dressing, not to change you but to encourage you to elevate to that ‘next level you’ and see how fabulous you truly are. We have such a love hate relationship with our clothes and our bodies and get so hung up on what we think we can’t wear or pull off. I want to show women that ‘yes!’ you can absolutely pull off so many stylish outfits confidently and fiercely. And get them out of that restrictive box they’ve created in their head so they can see themselves in a fierce way they didn’t know was possible or forgot existed within them. Feeling confident in your clothes is not exclusive to a certain group of women. As your personal stylist, I believe you deserve to look and feel fabulous in your clothes every day.

Emmaline, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey Fashionista! I’m Emmaline Chappell, a personal stylist for the busy, modern woman. I help my clients elevate their style, rediscover the joy of dressing, create their dream wardrobe and be fearless with their fashion!

I offer 1:1 in-person and virtual styling services locally, nationally and internationally. My personal styling services include color analysis, learning how to dress for your body shape, personal shopping, event and vacation styling, closet edits, outfit planning and personal brand shoot styling.

Most of my clients reach out to me because they’re feeling uninspired with their wardrobe, and they want to take their style to the next level. They’re accomplished, achieving and vibrant women who are wearing many hats and playing many roles in their busy lives, but they don’t have enough time and energy to focus on their fashion the way they want to. Their image is super important to them in their career and in their personal life and so they’re looking for an expert to come and help revamp and manage their wardrobe for them, show them a new way of dressing and elevate their style so they can look effortless and feel fabulous for every occasion.

Fashion has always been my source of joy and inspiration since the age of ten. My head was either stuck in a fashion magazine, drawing the fashion I saw on movies and TV, or I was in and out of my mom’s closet playing dress up. One of my favorite hobbies was looking at the women’s evening gowns in the mall’s department stores and trying on the variety of dresses displayed. I loved touching the fabrics, analyzing the way the mannequins were styled and trying on the pieces to see how they would drape when worn and how whimsical, fabulous and fun each piece could make you feel. Every aspect about clothes made me happy as a little girl. I always knew I wanted a career in the fashion industry but just didn’t know which path was right for me. Personal styling was the best profession and decision because I love working with women and building a relationship with them and with their style to show them how to bring out that vibrant and fabulous woman through fashion, help them feel more confident to show up and stand out, and reimagine themselves in their style.

When I look back on when I first started my business journey, I feel so proud to see the stylist I am today and what my business has grown to be and is still continuing to become. Owning a business is not easy and there’s been many times you doubt yourself but no matter what, you have to believe in yourself, believe in your dream and truly envision it in your head and keep fighting for it. I’ve had a lot of personal struggles and professional obstacles that have affected my business and my confidence at times, but I’ve never given up and I’m so proud of myself for that and to see the woman I am today that’s overcome and grown so much. I hope that young Emmaline who had this dream of being in the fashion industry would be proud to see herself now.

What I want potential clients to know about me and my brand is that I’m not a stylist who is going to judge you or be this mean, stuck-up dictator who tells you how to dress or only puts you in what’s trendy. I’m your style cheerleader and confidence advocate who doesn’t judge you and will listen, collaborate with you and truly get to know you and your personal style to help achieve your style goals and your vision. Fashion should always be fun; it’s not meant to be so complicated and serious. My goal is to give my clients a luxurious, personalized and joyful styling experience so that getting dressed can feel effortless, easy and exciting!

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started my business full-time when covid hit which meant everything had to be virtual because everyone was on their devices. So, I knew it was important to build a presence on social media, so I created a social media plan and schedule for myself. I made it a priority to create that presence on social media and create content for my specific niche community of clients. Social media can be so intimidating, but you have to just start it and don’t expect perfection from yourself. The more you post and create this presence on a platform, the more you’ll slowly grow your audience. It does take time but it will happen if you stay consistent. I also found that video content has helped me a lot in building my social media audience. It’s definitely really uncomfortable recording yourself at first and posting the videos but clients want to hear your voice, see your face and hear directly from you as the expert in your industry so they can build that trust.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Anytime you’re going through a slow season and those thoughts of doubt and fear of failure creep into your head, making you feel close to just giving up, but you never cave in; that always shows resilience. Those times can be really challenging but you have to make the best out of that negative season in your business. Those are the times I’ll create more content, get out and network more and continue my education and training in my industry to sharpen my skills and better my expertise. Using those slow seasons wisely and productively is planting the seeds to help your business grow which always brings on a busy and fruitful season right around the corner. You have to not give up and you have to keep believing in yourself because those slow seasons are not forever. Some amazing opportunity that’s going to bring in the clients and get you out of this drought is right around that corner and you would’ve never known it if you had given up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://emmalinepersonalstyling.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmaline.personal.stylist/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmaline-chappell-60105a1b6
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@emmalinechappell9591

Image Credits

Photographer: Carter Cundiff (Associate Photographer with Kate Styles Photography)