Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Michael.
Hi Rachel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Personal styling is something I’ve always been passionate about – this passion showed up early on from “styling” my barbies rather than playing with them to drawing fashion designs in my sketchbook to watching every makeover show I could find growing up. However, fearing an unstable career in the fashion industry, I chose Public Relations as my major in college and soon left my passion for style behind. After spending most of my career as an event planner, I unexpectedly got the opportunity to work as a part-time stylist for Stitch Fix, an online personal styling company. It instantly reignited my passion and I loved it so much that within 9 months I had quit my full-time job to style full time with Stitch Fix. Shortly after that, I was promoted to Team Lead and spent the next 5 years managing a team of stylists. During that time, I virtually styled hundreds of my own clients while training and coaching more than 100 stylists.
Craving to work more closely with clients and get to the root of their style frustrations in a way that the premise of Stitch Fix didn’t allow, so I could truly transform their style, I began to work on setting up my own business. It was a rough start – I launched an in-person service-based business 3 months before a global pandemic! With perseverance and faith, I continued to work on building my business despite the obstacles. Now I have amazing clients! Women come to me so they too can look and feel amazing thanks to an organized, stress-free closet that’s filled with new pieces that light them up and a digital lookbook full of outfit options catered to their body, style and lifestyle!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Taking the leap to quit my full-time job at Stitch Fix and start a brand new business completely centered on seeing people in-person right before a global pandemic was anything BUT smooth. I was barely finding my way in business when all possibility of seeing people in person was halted, not to mention stores were closed and networking events were canceled. On top of that, people were uncertain of their financial future and were holding off on all but the most necessary of purchases. Plus, with no one leaving their homes, revamping personal style was not on the list of priorities. As the pandemic progressed, and even now, the after effects of supply chain and production issues continue to impact the styles, sizes and clothing options available for my clients and I’ve had to twist and pivot to still be able to create a style they’ll love. I’ve just learned to look on the bright side throughout it all and see it as an accelerated course in learning adaptability, resiliency and faith as a business owner!
As you know, we’re big fans of Rachel Michael Styling. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I focus on building confidence in my clients by developing their signature style through wardrobe edits, personal shopping services and styling sessions. I love helping women feel confident, beautiful and radiant in their own skin.
I help women look at style, and themselves, in a different way. Expanding what they thought was possible and encouraging them to appreciate their bodies exactly as they are. Because of this I don’t believe in style rules! When I work with clients, I never:
– Assign them a body shape
– Tell them what seasonal colors they should wear
– Hand over a list of do’s and don’ts for their style
– Fill their head with style rules that they need to follow
I believe that body shapes, color analysis, rules, do’s and don’ts are all just another way to get women to conform. The question that inevitably comes after this is, so then how do I help improve my clients’ style if I don’t school them on body shapes, colors and style rules? I do this by helping them tap into themselves and find answers to questions like:
– How do you want to show up in the world?
– What is your favorite part of your personality that you want others to know about you in a glance?
– What do you love?
– What lights you up?
– What puts a smile on your face?
– What do you feel beautiful in?
And then I show them how to translate that into what they wear.
I believe true style is an authentic expression of who someone is at their deepest level. Not who someone tells them to be. That means putting the focus on my clients and what THEY love. In the end, it comes down to teaching my clients how to have fun and dress for themselves, because great style (not to mention energy, confidence, and excitement) will follow.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I think we are entering a beautiful era where style rules are heading out the door and women will get more and more comfortable wearing whatever they want! I also believe that with the rise of subscription styling services like Wantable, Stitch Fix, etc., having a personal stylist is becoming more accepted and part of the norm. I see the old stigma of personal stylists being just for celebrities or rich people falling away and personal styling being a service for everyone, much like a hair dresser or personal trainer. Because of this, I believe we will see more personal stylists than ever before!
Contact Info:
- Email: rachel@rachelmichaelcom
- Website: www.rachelmichael.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelmichaelstyling/
