Today we’d like to introduce you to Damaris Flores.
Damaris, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It all started when I was about four years old. The first thing I’d do as soon as I wake up the morning was run to my mother’s closet, dig through her piles of shoes and with the highest heels I could find, I would pretend I was walking a runway. At a very young age, I grew an immense passion to dress myself and was obsessed with fashion magazines. I participated in a few runway shows for kids at Nordstroms, where I was able to pick out my own clothes, dress myself and walk the runway. My love for fashion only continued to grow and grow as I got older. For the longest time, I thought I would be a fashion designer, I even took a couple of fashion design courses in high school but I soon realized that designing was just not for me. It was about four years ago when I woke up one day and had sort of a rude awakening. From collecting so many props and garments on garments, I was looking around my room and instead of having a normal room to myself, I had a storage room for clothes that were just collecting dust. I was like… wait… why don’t I start reaching out to people and create some rad content? It was the summer of 2016 when I decided to start directing my own photoshoots. I reached out to some of my photographer friends and models, they came over my house and we created some amazing content… and that’s how it all began for styleisinyou.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been an amazing journey but I’ve definitely had my ups and downs. One of the main struggles I come across as a creative is staying motivated and not getting discouraged. If there’s any advice I can give to anyone who is thinking of branching out to a creative industry, I would say this… DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER PEOPLE. Everyone’s story is different and we all have our own path we must take. Everything you go through as a creative, the good and bad times, builds and shapes you into who you will become. Trust in the process baby… write your goals down… and knock em off. Things don’t happen overnight and just because one person has made it to where you want to be, before you.. does NOT mean you are any less. I’ve said this once but I’ll say it again… TRUST IN THE PROCESS… work hard and be humble! Xo
Please tell us about STYLEISINYOU.
I’m a fashion stylist and creative director. I specialize in editorial photoshoots but if hired, I’m more than happy to do it all. My brand name is called “styleisinyou” it’s what I’m most proud about because it means to be uniquely YOU. Fashion can not be in you, your style is who you are as a person… so wear it and wear it with PRIDE! What sets me apart from others is, I’m willing to break boundaries and explore all realms of fashion. My work is vibrant, loud and edgy. I really empathize on being the best you can be and not giving a sh*t about what anyone has to say.
There’s a wealth of academic research that suggests that a lack of mentors and networking opportunities for women has materially affected the number of women in leadership roles. Smart organizations and industry leaders are working to change this, but in the meantime, do you have any advice for finding a mentor and building a network?
If you believe in your work and most importantly, yourself… don’t be afraid to reach out to models and photographers for collaborations. I would say, reach out to your favorite stylist or brands and see if you can intern for them. Opportunities don’t just happen, you have to create them for yourself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.styleisinyou.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: styleisinyou
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