Entrepreneur and celeb stylist Risa Kostis has constructed a dynamic profession rooted in creativity, flexibility, and flexibility—and, in fact, a permanent love for vogue. She first stepped into the wonder trade at 21, specializing in hair and make-up for weddings. She gained invaluable enterprise expertise managing a purse and shoe firm, which paved the way in which 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 vogue guidelines. Her experience extends throughout private styling, wedding ceremony day dressing companies, and adaptive vogue options.
On this interview, she shares her profession journey, styling philosophy, and the way she empowers each consumer—no matter physique kind—to embrace their distinctive magnificence with confidence.
After I requested Risa how her story unfolded, she shared:
“My entrepreneurial journey started at 21 once I began doing hair and make-up for weddings. I used to be ending cosmetology faculty in Boston when a good friend requested me to model 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 consumer base on the aspect. Throughout that point, I met a dressmaker for whom I sometimes 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 turned the core of Risa’s experience. She remembers 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 good friend invited me to a marriage she was capturing, providing behind-the-scenes images in alternate for my assist. I agreed, and like most wedding ceremony days, I didn’t meet the bride till I arrived to decorate her and magnificence everybody.
“As she walked down for the primary look, somebody stepped on her prepare, and the zipper fully 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 once I knew I needed to create an expertise that might convey that very same aid to my shoppers.”
Recognizing a spot out there, Risa and her sister got down to design the final 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 objects 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 embody 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 actually a one-stop mishap-preventing store!”
One could marvel, “How can a stylist create a really inclusive and personalised expertise for shoppers with numerous physique varieties and mobility wants?” Risa Kostis explains:
“As a stylist, making certain a profitable physique kind evaluation for numerous shoppers, together with these with distinctive mobility wants, begins with a personalised 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 would like to know any each day challenges with getting dressed and areas that may want particular consideration.
“Quite than relying solely on conventional physique form tips, I concentrate on 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 decisions, adaptable silhouettes, and strategic tailoring play key roles in enhancing each model and practicality. Above all, I prioritize listening to the consumer’s wants and preferences, making changes that align with their life-style and vogue targets whereas celebrating their distinctive form and confidence.”
Are you interested by working with Risa Kostis or inquisitive about what a one-on-one evaluation is like? She shares:
“Most of my private styling shoppers come from present consumer referrals. We often do a deep dive on a name or Zoom to verify I can meet their wants, and that additionally offers them an opportunity to share their styling targets for any upcoming occasions or appearances.
“Since quite a lot of my work is shifting towards wedding ceremony styling and day-of-dressing, most of those assessments are with girls who’re getting married or shut buddies/wedding ceremony get together members which will need wedding ceremony apparel consulting companies or to rent me for day-of-dressing. Communication is the cornerstone of every part 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 would possibly shock you, however I don’t essentially go by the e-book with regards to colour evaluation. Whereas I feel it’s confirmed helpful for lots of stylists and their shoppers, I don’t use a proper colour evaluation course of with the folks I work with. I can inform instantly once I have a look at somebody—based mostly on what lives of their present closet and through fittings—what is going to improve their look and complement their look. I feel colour is a selection and a sense if you’re getting dressed.
“After I hear somebody say, ‘I can’t put on that colour,’ I at all times prefer to at the least attempt it on collectively, so we are able to take images and ensure it’s a colour that they actually need to rule out. Whereas there may be system-based construction round colour evaluation, I personally prefer to push folks outdoors their consolation zone into the ‘what-if’ house if they’re prepared to go there. We all know straight away when it gained’t work, and that’s ok for me!”
Risa shares that there are numerous encouraging methods to find one’s ardour within the vogue trade. Reflecting on her personal journey, she says:
“I like that in right this moment’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 feel that’s what makes my ability set so fascinating. I at all times inform aspiring younger folks that model is subjective and innate—in the event that they find it irresistible, they need to pursue it.”
When requested about her vogue philosophy and what makes working with Risa Kostis distinctive, she explains:
“My philosophy is all about distinctive consideration to element, prioritizing personalised model over labels, and making each consumer 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 abilities, 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 at some point 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 trade for over a decade to performing, vogue publicity, styling, and a lot extra—have given me the muse to supply one thing actually particular. I’ve an uncanny capability to satisfy my shoppers precisely the place they’re of their lives and for each event they should gown for, and I firmly imagine that’s one thing that may’t be taught. After we work collectively, you grow to be a really particular a part of my life, and that’s one thing I’ll by no means take without any consideration.”
Risa Kostis is a famend stylist who has been featured on quite a few nationwide tv exhibits and media retailers.
Thanks, Risa Kostis, for this unique interview with Social Life-style Journal. We’re excited to see what’s subsequent in your profession!
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