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

Molly, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was doing styling on the side when I first came to Nashville, just for fun and for a creative outlet from my work from home corporate job. I was thrown into a project last minute and the director asked me why I wasn’t doing this for a living, and I told him I’d honestly never thought about it. I had a steady corporate job, I didn’t know any different. Fate stepped in and shortly after that project, the company I was working for had a huge re-org and I decided to take the opportunity to work towards building off of what I was doing on the side “for fun”. It was a long road and wasn’t overnight but I am so glad I did.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I know a lot of people hate to hear this, but I honestly stumbled into wardrobe styling. I was always putting on plays and pretending I was a news anchor all through childhood, so it wasn’t a shock that I wanted to go into production. My mom worked in fashion when I was younger so clothes were always a big thing. I loved picking out outfits, getting dressed up. At school and I studied Radio, TV, and Film thinking I really wanted to be in sports broadcasting. I was at a huge football school and wanted to be the next Erin Andrews. I would work production during our home games, and quickly realized that being a woman in that field it was going to be really hard to get where I wanted to be. Mind you this was back in 2008, how things have changed now! So I pivoted and decided to move into soft news, entertainment, pop culture ect. I started interning at E! Entertainment after undergrad and that’s when I first discovered styling as an actual job. The wardrobe stylist had thrown her back out, and I was asked to help her prep for a week of live shows the network was doing in Vegas. I fell in love immediately and that’s all I wanted to do was help her. As a plan B I had applied to graduate school as in 08 job prospects weren’t plentiful especially in LA. I received a scholarship and back to school I went. I also felt like I definitely was not ready for a 9-5, I felt there was more I needed to learn and pursue after being in LA. After grad school I went into fashion public relations, which I quickly learned was going to work me into the ground. I took a hard right and started working at a tech company in the digital marketing space working within the retail sector. In between all of this I was always working retail, cleaning out friends and families closets, styling friends for fun, but it was always just a side project. Then when I had the opportunity to really pursue styling here in Nashville, I went for it.

I work with a variety of clients, majority being in the entertainment industry helping them with their wardrobe needs. That can range from a photoshoot, a tour, a specific event, to every day life. It really depends on the client and their needs, but if it is wardrobe related I am on it. I like to make people feel their best, and I think that people underestimate how overwhelming and intimidating fashion can be. It is always nice to have that unbiased opinion to tell you “that doesn’t work for you, try this” or open your eyes to a brand or style you may have never thought of before. I love the research part of the job and finding brands maybe no one in Nashville isn’t really working with. I like to shake things up, the Nashville fashion scene is very set in its ways, so I like doing the unexpected, making people think. There is so much out there now, there is something for everyone. Everyone deserves to look and feel their best.

I am really proud of the client projects I’ve worked on from the start, helping a client define their style to then see them recognized for it, is one of the best feelings in the world. I like to work with all different walks of life, I love to mix things up, put a female client in a men’s tailored look, or put a country guy in a streetwear brand based in Tokyo. If you’re looking to go against the grain, I am your girl!

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I think being recognized as a legitimate career path and that the services we provide are just like any other service you would pay for, outside of the creative space. We all know that there is still a stigma around having a job in the arts, that it isn’t a “real” job, career path, or worth paying us for. When you hire someone to come work on your roof, you pay them right? I feel like it is an industry that is constantly still questioned as being something someone can do full time successfully. I think shining light on the different career paths in the creative space, providing education, and more insight into this world is the best place to start.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are several rewarding aspects of working in the creative space. For the most part you get to be your own boss, and have say in the trajectory of your career, and it doesn’t have to be linear. For me, the pinch me moments are realizing that I get to be a small part in a lot of my client’s major milestones, that never gets old.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stylememolly.com
• Instagram: stylememolly

Image Credits
first uploaded photo Johnnie Izquierdo Ryan Nolan, Matt Barnes, Mike Lerner, excerpt from Billboard Magazine interview