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

Hi Sienna , thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I’m hoping to build a legacy that my family and future children will be a proud of. A sustainable legacy. Meaningful! I’m pretty sure people will say I was dramatic lol BUT I was good at what I did and that’s creating visions and lanes in the creative space. I hope to be remembered as good woman but most importantly, an impactful one.

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?

So I began my journey in entrepreneurship in my early 20s back in college, on Hampton University’s campus. I stumbled upon the art of thrifting and it was history after that. I would curate looks but using only thrifted pieces. It wasn’t a trend at the time to thrift so I really paved a new lane for that on my college campus and in the surrounding areas. Present day, I am now focusing on my handmade denim designs and styling. I just recently began painting that has actually taken off too. The thing I’m most proud of is when I impact someone who is trying to find their lane or create a business or someone who simply seeks advice from me about fashion or the arts industry. It’s fulfilling because I know I am making positive impact on someone else’s life.
The main thing I would want existing and future clients to know about me and Stvple is that I’m here to elevate your style and gently push you out of your comfort zone. But also I’d like my clients to know that Stvple is a space that I want you to feel your best, whether you are on a budget or there’s no limit. I pride myself in being a stylist and fashion dealer for the every day girl.
I come from a single parent home so budgeting and making ends meet was always top of mind so I learned how to dress for less but make it look like more. It’s truly a skill and I just want everyone to feel like they can throw on an outfit and still have money in their bank account!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Consistency and positive customer reviews. It’s one thing to be known for something but to have returning customers or people recommend you by word of mouth is another. Impact is important when you want to build your reputation. Yes it’s clothing and fashion but you have to keep your client first. People remember how you make them feel!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

It’s was the first Juneteenth and I decided to do a sale for $20 denim shorts. At the time my shorts were all the craze because they were hand distressed. The girls loved them! So I set aside about a week to do some social media marketing and content. Juneteenth rolled around and I ended up making $10k in 24 hours. It’s was nothing I ever expected nor knew how to handle. I took that money and blew it lol. Completely blew it that entire summer. I realized what I had done and truly reflected on why that was a mistake. That money could have been a huge shift for my business and I’d be in a different space today. The resilience and accountability had to kick in because I do not plan to ever do that again. Although the money was gone I had to continue to push forward and wait my turn for when it happens again so I can do it differently.

Contact Info:

• Website: stvplebysi.squarespace.com
• Instagram: siennashley_
• Linkedin: Sienna Nelson