Revisiting My Move Into Wardrobe Styling
It’s been three years since you founded 59 Morton! What have you learned about the work, and yourself, over this time?
Has it been 3 years already?! Time sure does fly. When I launched the business, I had very few expectations. To that end, I guess everything has felt like a new learning experience. For sure, I’ve learned how physical the work can be, especially client pulls. Running in between shops, selecting pieces and putting them together requires a lot of trial and error, referring back to notes and photos, toting armfuls of options and searching for price tags (!) inside garments is a serious workout at the end of the day. This phase of the wardrobing process is also emotional: Have I pulled the right things? Will my client like what I selected? Did I leave anything out? I’ve learned to trust that the integrity of my efforts, knowledge of what’s in stores and online, my ability to switch gears quickly if necessary, and most importantly, my understanding of my clients’ needs will always prevail when it comes time to shop together. Ultimately, the trust and confidence between me and my clients is the most important factor in my—and their—wardrobing and styling success.
What have been the biggest surprises so far?
The shows! I’ve always felt connected to what’s available in stores. Seeing seasonal collections on the runways takes my appreciation for fashion to another level. It’s like a mystical sightline into the mind and soul of the designer who’s showing. In stores, my emotional connection to fashion tends to be more commercial—that is, how would this piece look on me or one of my clients? Experiencing a collection in its more idealized, conceptual form is, for lack of a better word, spiritual.
How do you spend your time in between clients?
To the extent I can, I try to schedule as much time as possible working on client matters. This ranges from pre-shop pulls to shopping appointments, closet edits or in-home or FaceTime styling sessions. In between, there are always emails, calls, texts and other follow-up communications with clients.
When I’m not directly working on behalf of a client, I’m keeping up with my retail partners, researching and sourcing online, scrolling Instagram for fashion news and just staying current. During the “lag” times, I’m busy planning my Instagram feeds and writing blogs. Gotta put that BA in Creative Writing to work!
What is the most rewarding part of what you do?
Interacting with great people—my clients and retail partners. I love sharing the deep rooted connections I have on both ends of my business. Everyone wins. My clients are guaranteed superior, high-touch service from the retail specialists and brands that I’ve known and worked with for years. Retailers benefit from the pipeline of the new brand loyalists that I bring to their stores. The other part of my job that feels the most rewarding is that moment when a new client tries something that’s out of his or her comfort zone (and loves it!) Watching people transform how they look and feel when trying on new clothes is magical.
Right now, what are a few of your current fashion inspirations for fellow sartorialists?
My most steady dose of fashion inspiration comes from Instagram. Whether its breaking news, clips from the runway, designer and fashion publication posts, or street fashion from my favorite cities like New York, London or Paris, I get real-time insight into what’s current, as well as what’s too “everywhere,” from Instagram.
As for what’s out and available right now or what’s coming in the near future, I’m really excited about the evolution of certain iconic fashion houses like Burberry, Bottega Veneta, and Celine. Riccardo Tisci of Burberry and Daniel Lee of Bottega have succeeded in infusing freshness and newness to their brands, while still honoring their brand’s histories and traditions. Just look at what Tisci has done with the Burberry check and Lee has done with the iconic intrecciato. At Celine, it’s starting to feel like my dream of Hedi Slimaine and Phoebe Philo having a design baby is finally becoming real! I see Philo’s former Celine aesthetic and Slimaine’s newer one coming together most immediately in Celine’s footwear. I can’t wait to watch this baby grow!
Isn’t it so cool that Riccardo Tisci, an Italian, is Chief Creative Officer of Britain’s Burberry and Daniel Lee, a Brit, has taken over as head of creative at Bottega Veneta? And to add more irony, Daniel Lee used to be head of ready-to-wear at Celine! When all is said and done, it’s just one big fashion mosh pit.
What are your goals for the next three years?
I’ve been so humbled and gratified by these first few years running 59 Morton that it’s tough to imagine or articulate what I have in mind for the next three years. I guess my goals can be broken down into practical and aspirational ones. On the practical side, I’d love to grow my male client base and the strong base of regular clients that I have. Aspirationally, I’d love to create more content and share that content to a broader audience. This could mean hosting more shopping events or trunk shows, speaking on more panels, collaborating with more fashion companies, traveling more frequently beyond the San Francisco Bay Area, and extending the reach of my blog posts. Above all else, my goal would be to continue enjoying the exquisite balance of being busy and challenged in my work, learning new things everyday while also protecting the precious time I have for my family, friends and myself.
