We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Trisha Will a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Trisha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
I always wanted to be a fashion designer, but through many personal obstacles, that dream was deferred for many, many years. When I finally had the opportunity to pursue a career as a designer, I worked so hard that I burned myself out and lost the passion for it. I was juggling way too many things- from being a mom of 3 little children, to being a Designer-In-Residence at the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator while designing and producing my line, it was all too much for me to handle at once. So, I made the decision to end my line and stop designing. I actually tried to convince myself that I hated fashion and wanted nothing to do with it for a number of years. But I was never able to shake my passion for style and helping others find their style, I just needed to figure out a different way to use my passion. It took years, and frankly, the gentle coaching of my wonderful therapist to make me realize that I was already using my passion every time I gave an outfit suggestion, or facetiming a friend while they were stuck in a shopping rut at the mall to help them work it out. I realized that in turning myself away from fashion, I lost a bit of my self-confidence along the way. When the pandemic hit, and we all had time to just sit and reflect, I realized that I was not being my authentic self by denying my passion. So I started to figure out how I could get back to it. Then I realized that I just needed to tell my story, and women who have been through similar would be able to relate. So that’s what I did. I started my tiktok page- @Iamtrishawill- and I spoke about my personal struggles with motherhood, grief, low-self esteem brought on by depression, my dreams deferred, and how I was finding my way back to me. I quickly realized that I can help others do the same. With that, my styling business was born. I know specialize in personal styling, wardrobe styling, and creative direction for branding shoots for small businesses.
Trisha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I always wanted to be a fashion designer I literally devoted my life and education to that notion. I went to Syracuse University and was the first person to cross the stage twice as a dual major in both Fashion Design and Retail. During my summer breaks, I took fashion courses at FIT, and the Massachusetts Institute of Art to further my knowledge. Upon graduating, I moved to NYC with high hopes of jumping right into a fashion career, but the fashion industry had other plans. Many fashion companies at the time were hiring unpaid interns and I couldn’t afford to live in NYC without pay. So I then got a job in corporate retail with the hopes of saving enough money to be able to make the transition to fashion in 6 mos… in those 6 mos, I met my husband… a year later, I was a wife and a mother. 6 mos turned into 9 years, working in the corporate offices of Foot Locker, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Victoria’s Secret then being a stay-at-home mother to 3 kids later.
In 2012, while being a SAHM, I started sewing again and designed a collection for an online fashion illustration contest I entered, and ultimately lost. But, I decided to use the pieces I had sewn to audition for Philly Fashion Week… and I got in. Over the next 6 wks, I sewed over 30 pieces while parenting 3 children under the age of 7. Within the year after my first audition, I showed at Philly Fashion Week for 3 seasons, then at NYFW, was interviewed by WPIX New York. Then I became a Designer-In-Residence at the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator at Macy’s where I got to meet and be mentored by a plethora of industry insiders while taking business planning courses at Wharton.
I loved designing, but running a design company while being a mom took a toll on my creativity. I also realized that one of my favorite aspects of that worldwind few years was connecting with the women who I met along the way who were inspired by my journey. Hearing how not only my designs, but how my story made them feel. I wanted to find a way to nurture that relationship more than I wanted to keep designing. With that being said, styling seemed like the most logical next step in my journey.
I personally use my sense of style as a form of therapy. As the old saying goes, “When you look good, you feel good.” But I came to the realization that there are a lot of women who don’t know how to find their own personal style. So I’ve focused on women who feel like they have lost their way fashion wise due to whatever reasons they may have… or never even knew where or how to start.
I now work with women from all walks of life- from mothers to women seasoned in their careers, to help them curate their own personal wardrobes and find themselves through their style. I have a personal style community as well as social media pages to give women free education on how they can dress and feel better. I want women to know that you don’t need to be a celebrity to work with a stylist, you just need someone who is willing to see you as you are and help you celebrate you.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
What’s most rewarding aspect of being a personal stylist is seeing how my work can literally change the way my clients see themselves. Seeing a women’s face light up when she falls in love with the way she looks gives me an addicting dose of oxytocin and makes me just want to reach as many women as possible. It is literally therapeutic for me to help these women not only look, but especially feel better.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I had to jump over many hurdles to be the woman I am today. One of the biggest hurdles was getting into a car accident while I was 7 mos pregnant with my second child that caused my husband and I to both be on disability for almost a year. In the year to follow, our 3 yr old son was hospitalized while I was 34 wks pregnant. Our daughter was born a month at 36 wks, I’m sure due to the stress. We both lost our jobs and eventually our apartment in Brooklyn. 6 mos after the accident, we moved to Philadelphia where my parents were living. We left behind our best friends who had became our support system, as well as my dream of being in the NY fashion industry. And then, my father passed away a month after we moved. I spiraled into a depression that I can’t say for certain that I know when I woke up from. But through it all, I held onto my dream of somehow making my way back to fashion some way, some how. And 9 yrs later, when I made the decision to audition for Philly Fashion Week, I made my dream come true.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: IAMTRISHAWILL
- Facebook: My FB group: I Don’t Know What to Wear!!!
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCYYnWtAQ2ZCTZiKJaTtV2Gw
- Other: Tiktok: @Iamtrishawill
Image Credits
Taylor- Mama Photog Vernon Ray Jr – All Money Shots The Philadelphia Fashion Incubator Philly Fashion Week