We were lucky to catch up with Tenni King recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tenni, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Moving to Dallas was a risk for me back in the spring of 2015, I had been previously living in Los Angeles building a career in fashion PR, which I thought at the time was my dream job. But after having my first taste as an assistant at a PR firm, I quickly learned that that career path and I did not mix well. It was not the right fit for me at all. I ended up quitting my job and moving to Dallas to be closer to family. Once I arrived in Texas, I had no clue what I was going to do. PR jobs are few far and between in Texas, especially within the fashion realm. Shortly after my arrival, I had dinner with my godmother and she knew of a wardrobe stylist in the DFW area and sent me her email. I connected with the stylist the next day and we ended up working together for three years after that. Very right place at the right time kind of thing! From that assistant position, I was able to learn all the ins and outs of how to run a successful styling business. And after three years of dedication and major support from my boss, I launched Well Fashioned by Tenni King in November of 2019 and my business has been growing ever since. If I hadn’t followed my gut and made a change in my career, I may have never found my calling. Risks are scary, but can be well worth it in the end!
Tenni, 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?
If you haven’t heard of me before, my name is Tenni King. I’m a wardrobe stylist who has a business called, Well Fashioned by Tenni King. It’s a wardrobe styling business with services including, closet editing, personal shopping, outfit styling, and trip packing. I truly want to help my clients by taking the thinking out of getting dressed every morning and allowing them to simply live their lives to their fullest potential by feeling their absolute best. One the biggest misconceptions I’ve heard most as a stylist is that potential clients think I’m going to dress them exactly like I’d dress myself. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth! I dress everyone according to their individual style. No one client is dressed exactly the same, which I think is the best part of what I do. Everything I create for each person is fully tailored to them!
Before becoming a wardrobe stylist, my work background was in fashion PR and assisting at a beauty agency in Los Angeles. From the get-go, I knew I wanted to work in fashion! During college, I interned in LA at Tory Burch in their celebrity dressing department after my sophomore year, in NYC at Stella McCartney in their PR department after my junior year, and back in LA at Starworks Group in their celebrity dressing department after I graduated. After three months postgrad, I was offered a position as an agent assistant at Starworks Artists, a beauty agency that represented stylists and hair and makeup artists for celebrities. I worked there for a little over a year before I received an offer to work at another fashion PR firm in LA. Though short lived, I was able to see that fashion PR was not my path and I moved to Dallas to become a wardrobe stylist. After eight years in Dallas, I recently moved back to Southern California to expand my business into the region. I’m excited to announce that Well Fashioned by Tenni King is now offered in both Texas and California in person, as well as anywhere virtually!
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
A big chunk of my clientele is seasonal. For most, I see them twice a year for their fall and spring appts. We will do a full run of a closet edit, shopping, and styling outfits. Then, I won’t usually see them again until the following season. I make sure they are fully set with their wardrobe until I see them next time. The month before a season begins (in August or in February), I begin to start reaching out to my girls and see what everyone is needing and what timing works within their busy schedules. This allows us to connect early on to ensure their wardrobe needs will be sorted before we even get to the appointment.
Every season, I also reach out to my stores and do a pre-season run through to see what’s out and about in fashion for my clients. In those preview sessions, I reconnect with my retail salespeople and keep them in the loop with all the appointments I have scheduled for the upcoming season. This process makes such a difference because I feel like I have all hands on deck for when I come in for the shopping appointments. It’s a team effort!
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
My best source for finding new clients has truly been word of mouth. I’ve had referrals from clients, family members, friends, colleagues, and even followers on Instagram. I have been so lucky to have had created genuine relationships with so many people who have helped me and my business along the way. I feel absolutely honored when someone recommends my business. That is the biggest compliment to me because it means they value my work and effort I put into doing what I do. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wellfashionedbytenniking.com
- Instagram: @tenniking
- Facebook: @wellfashionedbytenniking
- Linkedin: @tenniking
- TikTok: @tenniking
Image Credits
All are my own photos