Meet Vanessa Marie: Wardrobe Stylist | Style Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanessa Marie and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve adorn fashion and style since I was a child. I also had a passion for helping others, young girls in particular, who battle with self-esteem issues. It’s funny because whenever I was much younger, I thought to myself, “you got to pick and choose one passion between the two”. So, I went off to college and earned my bachelor’s degree in Social Work. I was proud of myself. However, my desire to style others never left. I would constantly style people in my head (I kind of still do lol), I’d make frequent style post on my social media handles, and confided in close family and friends about my desire to style the everyday man and woman… Until one day (August of 2018), I gave into my temptation, and birthed my style business, V. Marie LLC, along with the hashtag, #styledbyvmarie. I learned that life is not about picking only one purpose, I just had to fulfill them wisely.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a stylist and consultant, I curate outfits for my clients. Prior to doing so, I get to know my clients. I learn their core personalities, the parts of their bodies that they love most and/or are not most confident about. I gather their measurements to determine each of their body types. I also provide excellent customer service! There are no short cuts with me! Doing these things allows me to effectively tailor looks for each of my clients style needs.

I am most proud of my belief in my abilities. Once I gained full belief, there was no stopping me, and trust me, it wasn’t easy. I procrastinated my purpose for yeeeears because I struggled with the negative “what ifs”. Fasting and praying got me out of the funk I was in.

As a freelance Wardrobe Stylist, I learned a lot through trial and error. Price points (charging my worth) was the biggest challenge for me. I also learned that transparency keeps lasting clients.

I want the world to know that the V. Marie brand was built on my passion to empower, uplift, and influence through style. My motto is: Enhancing Style, One Hanger at a Time.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend planned to come visit for a week, I’d make sure she enjoys every moment of it! Day 1, I’d take her to my favorite nail salon, The Polished Nail and Spa, where we’ll get fresh manis and pedis and then we’ll go for sushi at Konnichiwa. Day 2, we’ll go shopping at the Goodwill followed by dinner at one of my fave restaurants, EDK and Catering. Day 3, I scheduled one of my fave photographers, William Stukes, to follow us around the city and capture candid moments of us enjoying each other’s company. We started with Starbucks, and then a ride to Myrtle Beach. We shopped the Tangler Outlets, ate at Captain George’s and laid out on the beach in our bikinis. Day 4, we stay in and scrapbook our fave pictures from yesterday. Day 5, is Girls Night! We will bar hop Downtown Florence to enjoy delicious food and drinks from Jazz on Dargan and The Loft.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am thankful for those who paved the way for me, and to everyone who support my style journey. I thank God for gifting me with the ability to style others. I thank my strong support system which is my husband, parents, siblings, close colleagues and genuine fan base who support me wholeheartedly. I also want to give a special shout out to my style sister, Fashion Stylist, Chi Ilochi, who recommended me for this interview opportunity. I am forever grateful for you all’s love, encouragement and support!

Instagram: styledbyvmarie

Facebook: V.Marie

Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/StyledByVMarie

Image Credits
AYS Imaging Studio JazzyJae Creations Photography Studio DirectedbySunny Rickland Young