Entrepreneur and movie star stylist Risa Kostis has constructed a dynamic profession rooted in creativity, flexibility, and flexibility—and, after all, an everlasting love for vogue. She first stepped into the sweetness 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 Package Firm along 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, marriage ceremony day dressing providers, 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.
Once 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 buddy requested me to fashion her and her maid of honor’s hair and make-up for her marriage ceremony. That was the second I knew—this was what I needed 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 grew to become the core of Risa’s experience. She recollects the second that finally led to creating The Rescue Package Firm:
“It began at a scorching Arizona marriage ceremony in 2018, simply as I used to be introducing my day-of dressing service. A photographer buddy invited me to a marriage she was capturing, providing behind-the-scenes photographs in change for my assist. I agreed, and like most marriage 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 prepare, and the zipper utterly broke. I attempted security pins and tremendous glue, however in the long run, 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 Package 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 will deliver that very same aid to my purchasers.”
Recognizing a spot available in the market, Risa and her sister got down to design the last word marriage ceremony day emergency package—mixing luxurious with performance.
“It was vital for us to create a signature package that felt luxurious {and professional} but remained user-friendly and complete,” Risa explains. “The Bride Package is our best-selling product, impressed by the skilled styling package I’ve used for over a decade. It contains 22 fastidiously chosen objects designed to make the largest influence on a marriage day.
“Inside, you’ll discover necessities like a stitching package with pre-threaded needles in the preferred marriage ceremony colours, double-stick tape, mini tissues, a lint curler, and our Hair + Pin Package—that includes 4 totally 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 actually a one-stop mishap-preventing store!”
One could surprise, “How can a stylist create a very inclusive and personalised expertise for purchasers with numerous physique sorts and mobility wants?” Risa Kostis explains:
“As a stylist, guaranteeing a profitable physique kind evaluation for numerous purchasers, together with these with distinctive mobility wants, begins with a customized and inclusive method. That is actually the place a listening ear is available in, and a very powerful perspective I take is that of a scholar—I would like to grasp any every day challenges with getting dressed and areas that may want particular consideration.
“Quite than relying solely on conventional physique form pointers, I concentrate on proportions, consolation, and performance, contemplating how clothes drapes and strikes with the person’s physique. For purchasers who use wheelchairs, I take seated proportions into consideration, in addition to correct layering and undergarments to make sure each aesthetic steadiness 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 consumer’s wants and preferences, making changes that align with their way of life and vogue targets whereas celebrating their distinctive form and confidence.”
Are you interested by working with Risa Kostis or interested by what a one-on-one evaluation is like? She shares:
“Most of my private styling purchasers come from present consumer referrals. We normally do a deep dive on a name or Zoom to verify I can meet their wants, and that additionally provides them an opportunity to share their styling targets for any upcoming occasions or appearances.
“Since a variety of my work is shifting towards marriage ceremony styling and day-of-dressing, most of those assessments are with ladies who’re getting married or shut mates/marriage ceremony occasion members which will need marriage ceremony apparel consulting providers or to rent me for day-of-dressing. Communication is the cornerstone of all the things 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 shade 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 in relation to shade evaluation. Whereas I feel it’s confirmed helpful for lots of stylists and their purchasers, I don’t use a proper shade 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’s going to improve their look and complement their look. I feel shade is a alternative and a sense while you’re getting dressed.
“Once I hear somebody say, ‘I can’t put on that shade,’ I all the time prefer to not less than strive it on collectively, so we will take photographs and ensure it’s a shade that they actually wish to rule out. Whereas there’s system-based construction round shade evaluation, I personally prefer to push folks exterior their consolation zone into the ‘what-if’ area if they’re keen to go there. We all know instantly when it gained’t work, and that’s adequate 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 at present’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 talent set so fascinating. I all the time inform aspiring younger folks that fashion is subjective and innate—in the event that they like it, 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 fashion over labels, and making each consumer really feel uniquely their very own. I imagine in unparalleled customer support, a zero-judgment method, and curating appears that remember individuality.”
The sister duo possesses a distinct segment and distinctive set of abilities, as Risa emphasizes:
“My sister is definitely my enterprise accomplice in The Rescue Package 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 someday develop an adaptive rescue package that honors her ardour whereas aligning with our core worth of caring for our prospects.”
It was a thrill to interview Ms. Risa Kostis, who shared her perspective on working with purchasers: ‘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 fulfill my purchasers 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 grow to be 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 reveals 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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