Entrepreneur and celeb stylist Risa Kostis has constructed a dynamic profession rooted in creativity, flexibility, and flexibility—and, in fact, a permanent love for style. She first stepped into the wonder 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 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 style guidelines. Her experience extends throughout private styling, marriage ceremony day dressing providers, and adaptive style options.
On this interview, she shares her profession journey, styling philosophy, and the way she empowers each shopper—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 after I began doing hair and make-up for weddings. I used to be ending cosmetology faculty in Boston when a pal 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 shopper base on the aspect. Throughout that point, I met a clothier 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 remembers the second that finally led to creating The Rescue Equipment 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 pal invited me to a marriage she was capturing, providing behind-the-scenes photographs in trade for my assist. I agreed, and like most marriage 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 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 Equipment Firm and my now-popular dressing service, however as a result of saving the day is the best possible feeling on the earth. That was after I knew I needed to create an expertise that may carry that very same reduction to my purchasers.”
Recognizing a niche out there, Risa and her sister got down to design the last word marriage ceremony day emergency package—mixing luxurious with performance.
“It was necessary for us to create a signature package 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 package I’ve used for over a decade. It consists of 22 rigorously chosen objects designed to make the most important influence on a marriage day.
“Inside, you’ll discover necessities like a stitching package with pre-threaded needles in the most well-liked marriage 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 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 really inclusive and customized expertise for purchasers with various physique varieties and mobility wants?” Risa Kostis explains:
“As a stylist, making certain a profitable physique sort evaluation for various purchasers, together with these with distinctive mobility wants, begins with a personalised and inclusive method. That is actually the place a listening ear is available in, and an important perspective I take is that of a pupil—I want to know any each day challenges with getting dressed and areas that may want particular consideration.
“Reasonably 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 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 fashion and practicality. Above all, I prioritize listening to the shopper’s wants and preferences, making changes that align with their life-style and style targets whereas celebrating their distinctive form and confidence.”
Are you curious about 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 shopper referrals. We often 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 number of my work is transferring 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 that will need marriage 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 colour evaluation? It was refreshing to listen to her say:
“My reply may shock you, however I don’t essentially go by the guide in the case of colour evaluation. Whereas I feel it’s confirmed helpful for lots of stylists and their purchasers, I don’t use a proper colour evaluation course of with the folks I work with. I can inform instantly after 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 colour is a selection and a sense whenever you’re getting dressed.
“Once I hear somebody say, ‘I can’t put on that colour,’ I all the time prefer to at the least attempt it on collectively, so we will take photographs and ensure it’s a colour that they actually wish 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’ area if they’re prepared to go there. We all know instantly when it gained’t work, and that’s ok for me!”
Risa shares that there are a lot of encouraging methods to find one’s ardour within the style business. 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 talent set so fascinating. I all the time inform aspiring younger folks that fashion is subjective and innate—in the event that they adore it, they need to pursue it.”
When requested about her style 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 shopper really feel uniquely their very own. I consider in unparalleled customer support, a zero-judgment method, and curating appears that commemorate individuality.”
The sister duo possesses a distinct segment and distinctive set of abilities, as Risa emphasizes:
“My sister is definitely my enterprise associate 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 in the future 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 business for over a decade to performing, style publicity, styling, and a lot extra—have given me the inspiration to supply one thing really particular. I’ve an uncanny capacity to fulfill my purchasers precisely the place they’re of their lives and for each event they should gown for, and I firmly consider that’s one thing that may’t be taught. After we work collectively, you turn out 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 Way of life Journal. We’re excited to see what’s subsequent in your profession!
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