Entrepreneur and celeb stylist Risa Kostis has constructed a dynamic profession rooted in creativity, flexibility, and adaptableness—and, in fact, a permanent love for style. She first stepped into the sweetness business at 21, specializing in hair and make-up for weddings. She gained invaluable enterprise expertise managing a purse and shoe firm, which paved the best way for launching her personal styling enterprise.

In 2018, a wedding-day mishap impressed her to co-found The Rescue Equipment Firm together with her sister, providing important styling instruments designed for brides and past. Risa’s styling philosophy facilities on personalization, confidence, and inclusivity. She prioritizes a real-world perspective over inflexible style guidelines. Her experience extends throughout private styling, wedding ceremony day dressing providers, and adaptive style options.

On this interview, she shares her profession journey, styling philosophy, and the way she empowers each shopper—no matter physique sort—to embrace their distinctive magnificence with confidence.

After I requested Risa how her story unfolded, she shared:

“My entrepreneurial journey started at 21 after I began doing hair and make-up for weddings. I used to be ending cosmetology faculty in Boston when a pal requested me to fashion her and her maid of honor’s hair and make-up for her wedding ceremony. That was the second I knew—this was what I wished to do.”

She additionally remembers, “Shortly after, I moved to San Francisco and took a job on the entrance desk of a day spa whereas constructing my shopper base on the aspect. Throughout that point, I met a dressmaker for whom I often did hair and make-up. She ultimately introduced me on board to assist run her purse and shoe firm. It was an unimaginable hands-on studying expertise—a crash course in small enterprise administration, manufacturing, and manufacturing. Trying again, I couldn’t have requested for a greater basis for launching my full-scale styling firm and product line.”

As she gained expertise, weddings and particular occasions grew to become the core of Risa’s experience. She recollects the second that finally led to creating The Rescue Equipment Firm:

“It began at a scorching Arizona wedding ceremony in 2018, simply as I used to be introducing my day-of dressing service. A photographer pal invited me to a marriage she was capturing, providing behind-the-scenes pictures in change for my assist. I agreed, and like most wedding ceremony days, I didn’t meet the bride till I arrived to decorate her and elegance everybody.

“As she walked down for the primary look, somebody stepped on her practice, and the zipper utterly broke. I attempted security pins and tremendous glue, however ultimately, I needed to sew her into her robe. It was like nothing ever occurred. I’ll always remember that day—not simply because it sparked The Rescue Equipment Firm and my now-popular dressing service, however as a result of saving the day is the best possible feeling on this planet. That was after I knew I needed to create an expertise that will deliver that very same reduction to my shoppers.”

Recognizing a niche available in the market, Risa and her sister got down to design the last word wedding ceremony day emergency equipment—mixing luxurious with performance.

“It was essential for us to create a signature equipment that felt luxurious {and professional} but remained user-friendly and complete,” Risa explains. “The Bride Equipment is our best-selling product, impressed by the skilled styling equipment I’ve used for over a decade. It contains 22 fastidiously chosen gadgets designed to make the largest impression on a marriage day.

“Inside, you’ll discover necessities like a stitching equipment with pre-threaded needles in the preferred wedding ceremony colours, double-stick tape, mini tissues, a lint curler, and our Hair + Pin Equipment—that includes 4 completely different security pin colours, straight pins, two shades of bobby pins, and clear rubber bands. Distinctive additions embrace a deodorant-removing sponge, tremendous glue, a button + bustle hook for satin-covered buttons and robe bustling, foot gel pads, stain-removing spray, wrinkle-release spray, and extra. It’s really a one-stop mishap-preventing store!”

One could surprise, “How can a stylist create a very inclusive and customized expertise for shoppers with numerous physique sorts and mobility wants?” Risa Kostis explains:

“As a stylist, guaranteeing a profitable physique sort evaluation for numerous shoppers, together with these with distinctive mobility wants, begins with a customized and inclusive strategy. That is actually the place a listening ear is available in, and a very powerful perspective I take is that of a pupil—I want to grasp any each day challenges with getting dressed and areas which may want particular consideration.

“Somewhat than relying solely on conventional physique form tips, I deal with proportions, consolation, and performance, contemplating how clothes drapes and strikes with the person’s physique. For shoppers who use wheelchairs, I take seated proportions under consideration, in addition to correct layering and undergarments to make sure each aesthetic stability and ease of motion. Material selections, adaptable silhouettes, and strategic tailoring play key roles in enhancing each fashion and practicality. Above all, I prioritize listening to the shopper’s wants and preferences, making changes that align with their way of life and style targets whereas celebrating their distinctive form and confidence.”

Are you curious about working with Risa Kostis or interested by what a one-on-one evaluation is like? She shares:

“Most of my private styling shoppers come from present shopper referrals. We often do a deep dive on a name or Zoom to ensure I can meet their wants, and that additionally provides them an opportunity to share their styling targets for any upcoming occasions or appearances.

“Since plenty of my work is transferring towards wedding ceremony styling and day-of-dressing, most of those assessments are with ladies who’re getting married or shut associates/wedding ceremony get together members that will need wedding ceremony apparel consulting providers or to rent me for day-of-dressing. Communication is the cornerstone of every little thing I do, and I take detailed notes of their file that may serve me all through the method of working collectively.”

What are Risa’s ideas on colour evaluation? It was refreshing to listen to her say:

“My reply may shock you, however I don’t essentially go by the e-book in relation to colour evaluation. Whereas I believe it’s confirmed helpful for lots of stylists and their shoppers, I don’t use a proper colour evaluation course of with the individuals I work with. I can inform instantly after I have a look at somebody—based mostly on what lives of their present closet and through fittings—what’s going to improve their look and complement their look. I believe colour is a alternative and a sense while you’re getting dressed.

“After I hear somebody say, ‘I can’t put on that colour,’ I all the time prefer to not less than strive it on collectively, so we are able to take pictures and ensure it’s a colour that they actually wish to rule out. Whereas there may be system-based construction round colour evaluation, I personally prefer to push individuals exterior their consolation zone into the ‘what-if’ house if they’re keen to go there. We all know straight away when it received’t work, and that’s adequate for me!”

Risa shares that there are numerous encouraging methods to find one’s ardour within the style business. Reflecting on her personal journey, she says:

“I really like that in in the present day’s world, there are such a lot of roads that result in the identical factor. I don’t have any formal coaching in styling, and in reality, I believe that’s what makes my ability set so fascinating. I all the time inform aspiring younger people who fashion is subjective and innate—in the event that they like it, they need to pursue it.”

When requested about her style philosophy and what makes working with Risa Kostis distinctive, she explains:

“My philosophy is all about distinctive consideration to element, prioritizing customized fashion over labels, and making each shopper really feel uniquely their very own. I imagine in unparalleled customer support, a zero-judgment strategy, and curating appears to be like that commemorate individuality.”

The sister duo possesses a distinct segment and distinctive set of expertise, as Risa emphasizes:

“My sister is definitely my enterprise companion in The Rescue Equipment Firm! She has a proper background in Occupational Remedy (OT) and has labored in each inpatient and outpatient rehab settings.

“It’s in our plans to in the future develop an adaptive rescue equipment that honors her ardour whereas aligning with our core worth of caring for our clients.”

It was a thrill to interview Ms. Risa Kostis, who shared her perspective on working with shoppers: ‘The experiences I’ve had all through my life—from working within the service business for over a decade to performing, style publicity, styling, and a lot extra—have given me the inspiration to supply one thing really particular. I’ve an uncanny capability to fulfill my shoppers precisely the place they’re of their lives and for each event they should costume for, and I firmly imagine that’s one thing that may’t be taught. Once we work collectively, you turn into a really particular a part of my life, and that’s one thing I’ll by no means take as a right.”

Risa Kostis is a famend stylist who has been featured on quite a few nationwide tv exhibits and media shops.

Thanks, Risa Kostis, for this unique interview with Social Way of life Journal. We’re excited to see what’s subsequent in your profession!

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