We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alexis Desarae’. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alexis below.

Alexis, appreciate you joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.

If I was starting over I would go all the way back to 2012 after my high school graduation. I would make the decision to move to NYC and intern with wardrobe and fashion stylists, magazines, and showrooms. This would’ve set me up for earlier success and gave me more access to the industry. However, I didn’t know I wanted a career as a fashion stylist until after I graduated out of college with a bachelors degree majoring in Fashion Textiles and Merchandising. Things worked out differently but still in my favor so I’m grateful for the journey.

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

I am a wardrobe/ fashion stylist and I provide personal shopping services. Fashion and clothing have always been relevant to me because my mom is extremely fashionable, so growing up I had a strong influence on how important looking your best was and what it does for your confidence. I decided to become a stylist while working as a manager at Abercrombie and Fitch. People were always complimenting my outfits and my friends always asked me to style them and I figured “I can get paid for this”. So I did some research , reached out to some stylists that I found via IG and landed an internship in Atlanta. I packed my bags and left Buffalo, NY. Fast forward a year later, I was working as an assistant stylist on tour with Nelly. From there I took off working on several music video sets with artists like Lloyd, TI, Marzz, Savannah Cristina, Light skinned Keisha, Latto and more. I also styled Trina Braxton for a movie roll, and styled and creative directed countless photoshoots. One of those photoshoots was for a cast member from DC’s tv series Black Lightning.

Although working on sets is fun, I’m currently focusing on personal styling. I feel more satisfied when I work one on one with my clients. I bring a different vision to their style and they appreciate it. After a fitting goes well my client leaves feeling like a new and improved version of themselves and that always reminds me of why I love what I do. I select pieces that I know they wouldn’t pick themselves which forces them to be more open with fashion. What I notice a lot with my clients is that they don’t take into account their body proportion. I take great pride in dressing my clients properly so that they never feel like “I can’t wear this style because of this etc.”

For me, confidence and the way you present yourself go hand in hand. Spending time on those extra details for your outfit makes a huge difference. Eventually people will notice the extra effort you’ve been putting in and people will treat you different which causes a bit of an ego boost. And who doesn’t love a good ego/confidence booster.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The impact that I make. I love to make a positive impact whether that be inspiring someone, making them feel good about themselves or simply teaching them something that would make their lives easier. That aspect is important because I know how much it meant to me when I was starting out and interning and wanting to soak up and learn as much information as possible.

Another rewarding aspect is seeing the results of my work. I have a wild imagination, so when I get the opportunity to make those ideas come to life its rewarding and the results never disappoint, they just get better with each project or each client.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

So it isn’t a literary resource that helped me , it was actually a co-worker that sparked my management and entrepreneurial thinking. I was fresh out of college working as a visual merchandiser and my co-worker was an older woman who had been with the company for years. She started asking me if I had intentions on staying and began to explain that there was no room for growth in the company. She wanted to see me go further because she saw my potential. So that forced me to think about what I wanted to do next in my career. She recommended I take on a managerial position and I responded “well I don’t have any experience, what if I fail?” She looked me dead in my face and said “what if you didn’t?”. From that point on I shifted my entire way of thinking. I applied for an assistant manager position a week later and got hired. That was a pivotal moment in my life because that’s when I realized I’m more capable than I give myself credit for. Now I have to remind myself of that moment when I have rare moments of self doubt.

Contact Info:

• Website: Alexisdesarae.com
• Instagram: @_thedripdistributer
• Facebook: Alexis Desarae’ Styles
• Youtube: Alexis Desarae’

Image Credits
Billy Kennedy Jordan Viision Millsapp media Taylrdimages (Tayloer)