Rising Stars: Meet Kierra B.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kierra B.

Hi Kierra B., thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have always known I wanted to be in fashion since I was a little girl. I dreamed of being a Fashion Designer and would sketch every single day starting at the age of eight. At the same time, I had a parallel interest in sports and music, first wanting to be an artist which was short-lived but came from the influence of music and instruments in my household, then the idea of working in sports as a sports agent.

By ten years old, I had my mindset that Fashion is what I wanted to do. I graduated high school and after looking at Fashion programs, decided to attend LIM college in New York, NY as well as took design classes at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). I accredit LIM’s program with teaching us so many important business skills in fashion showing us being knowledgeable of the business side just as well as the creative would take us far in life. We were required to attend school, work a part-time job, and when most kids went home for their holiday breaks, we were required to maintain internships in our major or minor. Within that time, I interned for Betsey Johnson in production and at Vibe Magazine under the Fashion Director as a stylist intern. I also interned at Atlantic Records in Video production with hopes of figuring out how to intersect the fashion dreams and music. I always had an interest in music videos and being that back then there wasn’t as much information as there is now on Stylists and the behind the scenes artist, I knew someone was dressing these artists and had to find out how to become that.

While interning at Atlantic, I was also working at Topshop’s NY Flagship store, part of the OG crew who opened their first US Store. While working there one of my managers became a great friend. I would always talk to him about my goals and dreams and expressed how now in my sophomore year, I now figured out that within Fashion, I want to be a stylist and I’ve been researching how to go about it. He gave me an email of a friend of his who was assistant to one of the Industry’s biggest stylists at the time and mentioned they actually were interviewing new interns at the time. I emailed the assistant and got an interview right away which I met them days later on my lunch break at a deli in Soho. I interviewed a second time which they told me I have the position and asked if I could start immediately the next day.

Right away, I was thrown into the position, with not much direction or hand-holding, which was great for me because it taught me early that in our styling world, nothing is impossible, ESPECIALLY being a stylist in NYC. The hustle and bustle nature of the city alone is intense, then to add time crunches, running around trying to do pickups of heavy garment bags and shopping bags on the subway no matter the weather, pre uber/lyft years, most of your day being on foot, etc. put me in a mindset early on of what it will take and require to make it in this industry. Many interns would quit after a couple of days, doubling my load and you just had to get it done. I interned for a little over a year before I started getting referred to multiple stylists who were located in New York as well as Los Angeles and from there, I moved into assistant positions.

For me, it was important to learn as much as I could about the process and about the business, so it was important for me to assist as many different stylists as I could, instead of assisting one like most of my peers being that everyone has different work styles. I’ve been blessed to have assisted many of the top stylists in the game and learned so much from each and every one. You can be a great stylist creatively, but there’s so many areas within your business that are just important and I got to see that from many different angles and apply it, or not, to my business moving forward. While assisting, I earned the trust of all of my bosses and was able to many times style completely on my own or handle clients while they were in NYC. Many weeks I would be booked on anywhere between 3-7 jobs and surprisingly, the timing would always work out where I would be able to put my all into the prep for each and also be available to be on set and present. After assisting for a little over four years, I continued to get recommended to clients, labels, managers, etc. when people were in need of a stylist. I’m going into year 12 since I’ve started interning, eight years of being a Lead Stylist on my own and I still am completely freelance and get everything from recommendations and word of mouth. To say it has been a blessing is an understatement.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Styling? A smooth road? LOL, I don’t think anything in fashion can ever be a smooth road completely. Even when you reach great heights of success, it’s a profession that sometimes things just happen that will never be in your control. Many people who work for me or with me are always amazed at my ability to remain calm no matter what’s happening. I could be stressed to the tenth degree and no one will ever see or feel that energy. The key to that for me is you can’t think properly if you’re easily flustered or let small obstacles ruin your day. I focus on what’s next and problem solving, because going back to the hardcore internships, to me, nothing is impossible. There’s always a plan b, c and d and it should be figured out on Plan B.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a wardrobe stylist known for my work with Celebrity clientele. I’m most proud of my energy and my ability to make people feel great and beautiful.

What sets me apart from others is my intent for my clients or anyone I come across for that matter. I believe simple things can change the trajectory of someone’s day and life. I don’t take on every single project just to take on a project. I genuinely only take on things I feel good about from the initial contact, and I’ve been blessed to work with some great souls. Being a good human being you never know how you can bless someone’s life. I get to do that through art and those special moments for clients but always want that to be felt in that person’s real life as well.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I personally don’t believe in luck, I believe that everything meant for you can’t miss you. So something perceived as “bad luck” or a bad experience usually becomes a blessing in disguise for something greater.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kierrab.com
• Instagram: kierraxbailey

Image Credits
Cali Onixx Lanscine Janneh