Entrepreneur and movie star stylist Risa Kostis has constructed a dynamic profession rooted in creativity, flexibility, and adaptableness—and, in fact, an everlasting love for vogue. She first stepped into the sweetness business 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 Firmtogether 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 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 sort—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 college in Boston when a buddy requested me to fashion 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 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 facet. Throughout that point, I met a designer for whom I often did hair and make-up. She ultimately introduced me on board to assist run her purse and shoe firm. It was an unbelievable 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 Package 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 buddy invited me to a marriage she was capturing, providing behind-the-scenes pictures in change for my assist. I agreed, and like most wedding 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 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 Package Firm and my now-popular dressing service, however as a result of saving the day is the very best feeling on the planet. That was once I knew I needed to create an expertise that will carry that very same reduction to my purchasers.”
Recognizing a niche out there, Risa and her sister got down to design the last word wedding ceremony day emergency package—mixing luxurious with performance.
“It was essential 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 consists of 22 rigorously chosen gadgets designed to make the most important impression on a marriage day.
“Inside, you’ll discover necessities like a stitching package with pre-threaded needles in the preferred wedding ceremony colours, double-stick tape, mini tissues, a lint curler, and our Hair + Pin Package—that includes 4 completely 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 really a one-stop mishap-preventing store!”
One might marvel, “How can a stylist create a very inclusive and customized expertise for purchasers with various physique sorts and mobility wants?” Risa Kostis explains:
“As a stylist, guaranteeing a profitable physique sort evaluation for various purchasers, 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 an important perspective I take is that of a scholar—I want to grasp any each day challenges with getting dressed and areas that may want particular consideration.
“Fairly than relying solely on conventional physique form pointers, I give attention to proportions, consolation, and performance, contemplating how clothes drapes and strikes with the person’s physique. For purchasers 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. Cloth decisions, 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 life-style and vogue targets whereas celebrating their distinctive form and confidence.”
Are you interested by working with Risa Kostis or interested in what a one-on-one evaluation is like? She shares:
“Most of my private styling purchasers come from present consumer referrals. We often do a deep dive on a name or Zoom to ensure I can meet their wants, and that additionally offers them an opportunity to share their styling targets for any upcoming occasions or appearances.
“Since a whole 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 mates/wedding ceremony occasion members which will need wedding ceremony apparel consulting providers or to rent me for day-of-dressing. Communication is the cornerstone of the whole lot I do, and I take detailed notes of their file that can serve me all through the method of working collectively.”
What are Risa’s ideas on coloration evaluation? It was refreshing to listen to her say:
“My reply may shock you, however I don’t essentially go by the e book in terms of coloration evaluation. Whereas I feel it’s confirmed helpful for lots of stylists and their purchasers, I don’t use a proper coloration evaluation course of with the folks I work with. I can inform instantly once I take a look at somebody—primarily based on what lives of their present closet and through fittings—what’s going to improve their look and complement their look. I feel coloration is a selection and a sense if you’re getting dressed.
“Once I hear somebody say, â€I can’t put on that coloration,’ I all the time prefer to not less than strive it on collectively, so we will take pictures and ensure it’s a coloration that they actually wish to rule out. Whereas there may be system-based construction round coloration evaluation, I personally prefer to push folks exterior their consolation zone into the â€what-if’ house if they’re keen to go there. We all know instantly when it received’t work, and that’s ok for me!”
Risa shares that there are various encouraging methods to find one’s ardour within the vogue business. Reflecting on her personal journey, she says:
“I really like that in in the present day’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 those that fashion 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 customized fashion over labels, and making each consumer really feel uniquely their very own. I consider in unparalleled customer support, a zero-judgment strategy, and curating seems to be that commemorate individuality.”
The sister duo possesses a distinct segment and distinctive set of expertise, as Risa emphasizes:
“My sister is definitely my enterprise companion 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: â€The experiences I’ve had all through my life—from working within the service business for over a decade to performing, vogue publicity, styling, and a lot extra—have given me the inspiration to supply one thing really particular. I’ve an uncanny potential to satisfy my purchasers precisely the place they’re of their lives and for each event they should costume for, and I firmly consider 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 with no 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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