Hello everyone!
I am so sorry for not posting recently, this week has become so overwhelming and I am currently in the process of working on my Professional Inquiry for school which has been HELL to say the least! I also had a bridal shoot out in the beautiful setting of King City which was a lot of fun but took all day! I really enjoyed it though and had worked with both photographers before, Cyrus Mir and Anda Pleniceanu. Looking forward to seeing the results!
I have had a the pleasure of interviewing Tracy Clifford, a reputable stylist who has been assistant to Oscar De La Renta. After graduating from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, Tracy dedicated her studies to fashion while attending the Instituto Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy and went to have a successful career as a major style consultant. I asked her to share some tips, ethics of working in the fashion industry and things everyone should know generally about this industry.
1. What inspired you to become a style consultant?
The simple answer is that I have loved fashion ever since I can remember. I have always felt a connection to finding beauty in the world, and particularly so with clothing. From my point of view, fashion gives us the ability to express ourselves artistically. Wearing beautiful clothing elevates our experience and has the ability to make us feel more self-actualized. There are very few things in life that provide the opportunity for such a profound experience on a daily basis.
I feel a special connection to fashion in particular. I have always been able to choose amazing pieces that are unique, beautiful, and most importantly, compliment the body. Fashion cannot exist in a bubble. I think many consultants (and designers) loose sight of the fact that the primary goal is to use clothing to compliment a woman’s body and make her feel beautiful. This is a particular skill of mine. Plus, fashion is fun!
2. Has anyone inspired you in particular?
Though there are many designers that I admire, my true inspiration from fashion came from two very important women: my mother and Marissa Hartington.
My mother has fabulous taste. She always looked perfect and put together. Growing up, she took me shopping and exposed me to beautiful clothing. Most importantly though, she allowed me to express myself with clothing. My family spent a lot of the winter every year in Naples, FL. My favorite part of Naples (besides getting away from the Chicago snow!) was going with my mother to the Big Pink Building which housed Marissa Collections, an amazing fashion boutique. It was at Marissa Collections with my mother that I first fell in love with fashion.
My dad always said if you want to be in an industry, look at the most successful person you know in the industry and determine if that is who you want to be. Marissa Hartington, the founder and owner of Marissa Collections, was (and is) the most successful person I know in fashion. When I thought about if I wanted to be like her, the answer was a resounding yes. Marissa is, in a word, amazing. She is able to see fashion and spot trends like no one else in the industry. I am constantly amazed by her taste, dedication, and tenacity. I am so fortunate that Marissa took me under her wing, taught me about the industry, and allowed me to practice what I learned when she hired me to be a buyer for Marissa Collections.
3. Did you always want to be a style consultant or did you have other aspirations and training when you left high school?
I tried following in my father’s footsteps and working for his law firm and then for a judge. I think I spent most of my time analyzing the lawyers’ clothes, instead of the law! I also dabbled in the magazine business for a bit. However, when I got hired at Niemen Marcus, there was no turning back.
- What was it like assisting Oscar de la Renta?
It was amazing. I started at the bottom of the totem pole but I kept my eyes open and observed everything around me. I really learned a lot about fashion from the designer’s viewpoint, which was a new experience for me because I had always thought of fashion solely from the consumer’s point of view. The experience allowed me to see the real guts of the fashion world. Being around all of those beautiful clothes wasn’t too bad either!
4. What do you think attributes to his success?
The simple answer is beautiful clothing. Oscar’s natural talent, creativity, and understanding of a woman’s body is unparalleled. His clothes are unique, in the moment and still remain timeless and wearable.
5. What has attributed to your success?
My success is driven by my clients. Making them feel comfortable and beautiful is my number one goal and my clients appreciate it. I am always thinking about them as I spot trends and browse the newest fashion. For instance, I am in Spain as I am writing this, and I saw an amazing dress that would be perfect for one of my clients. I took a picture of it and sent it to her so she can take a look. The other thing that attributes to my success is making fashion fun for my client! I want them to have fun picking out their own style (with my guidance) and to remove the stress and pretension from picking clothes. I want my clients to feel the same joy from picking clothes as I do. Fashion is such a fun thing and I want my clients to experience that too!
6. What is the demographic of your customers? Is there a demographic you market to?
I don’t think of my work in terms of demographics or marketing (much to my business manager’s chagrin). Honestly, I work with women who want to look beautiful and have fun picking amazing clothing.
7. What is your favorite part about your work?
The clothes and my clients!!! I love spotting the latest trends and taking pieces from the runway and making them wearable for my clients. It is so gratifying when I see my clients beaming after they tell me how beautiful they felt at an even or that they felt so good when someone complimented their outfit. I had a client call me last week almost giddy because she got stopped by a woman on the street who wanted to tell her how great her outfit looked. These are the kinds of things I live for!
8. Have you ever had to deal with ballet dancers or work in the dancing world?
Many of my clients are dancers. I love working with them because they understand beauty in movement. It is a lot of fun to pair fabrics and designs that take advantage of dancers’ natural grace.
9. Do you think fashion is important to the dance/performing arts world, not just costuming?
Of course! Fashion is crucial to performers. Needless to say, performers do not only practice their art on stage - it is a way of life. I love to help performers express their vision when they’re out of costume. As the Bard said, “all the world’s a stage.”
Thank you so much to Tracy Clifford! You can find out more about her and her services at her website Tracy Clifford Style.
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