Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Davila
Courtney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Courtney Davila, but my friends call me Court. I currently work in Los Angeles as a freelance Wardrobe Stylist.
If I’m being fully transparent, I started my styling career while I was working a retail job in college. I was an employee at a Levi’s Outlet store, and I could not help myself but develop meaningful relationships with our returning customers. They received top-tier customer service and styling advice from me…it got to a point where I could look at a customer and guess their size in jeans with surprising accuracy.
After college, I had the privilege of interning, and then working full-time as a stylist at a high-volume e-commerce brand. I was part of team located in the very last room at the brand’s headquarters, a little department we called “stills styling.” Basically, we unpackaged, styled, and photographed hundreds of pieces of jewelry, pairs of shoes and sunglasses day in, and day out. It was an incredibly educational experience, being my first corporate job. However, after a little less than a year, I started being unable to get out of bed or get in the car to drive to work. This is when I knew something was up.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There came a point when I thought to myself, “Wow, I might have to give up my career in styling, and maybe for good.” I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis at age 22. By no means is it the worst diagnosis someone can receive, but it was probably the biggest challenge I had faced up until that age.
Styling itself is an infamously tough industry to break into. There are financial and geographical barriers to entry, a lot of gatekeeping, and often, an air of competition among stylists, due to the limited nature of available styling work. Adding a physical disability into the equation was not something I felt entirely encouraged by.
I have since made a full recovery from my previous diagnosis, and am now able to experience the world differently (and I would argue, better) than before. I have had the incredible privilege to style a multitude of projects in the past few years, and I’ve even found an amazing mentor!
In addition to the gatekept nature of this industry, there is a lot of competition that prevents emerging stylists from being prepared, let alone successful. As I move forward in my career, I hope to be someone who uplifts, educates, and prepares aspiring stylists for the reality of this industry. I also hope to carve out a more respectful, ethical & community-driven space for us all to thrive.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am what you would call a Wardrobe Stylist. This means that I am responsible for curating and sourcing the wardrobe (clothing, shoes, and accessories… even down to the socks and undergarments sometimes!) for a production. I’ve styled ad campaigns for fashion brands, crazy editorial projects, in addition to personal styling, which involves styling individuals for their own creative projects, their everyday lives, or special occasions.
What I am most proud of, and what I hope to be known for, is that whoever I am styling feels entirely comfortable working with me. Getting dressed is a deeply vulnerable process—in both a literal and a metaphorical sense. My goal as a stylist is to help folks bring out the most authentic expression of themselves without overstepping any boundaries.
There is this old trope of a stylist telling their client, “Oh you can’t wear this color, or you should be wearing this.” I am glad to see less of this pressuring coming from the styling community, and instead, a lot more compassion and collaboration. You might be the “expert” in the room as the stylist, but your client is the expert of their own body and boundaries. We have to learn to respect that.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I think success is defined by intention. For example, if my goal is to make a certain amount of money that quarter, success might look like giving my best effort to make that happen. I might create a plan of action, a budget, and start valuing my services appropriately. I may not reach the exact goal I set for myself, but my intentions led to action, and that itself is powerful.
I think a lot of us view success as some far away ‘end goal,’ but I believe that true success can, and should be felt all the time. If I want to experience success and the happiness that comes with it, I have to find ways of being proud of myself for simply doing my best every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.courtneydavila.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtstylist/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@court_stylist
- Other: https://www.threads.net/@courtneydavila
Image Credits
LuvChainzz (brand)
Carlos Vaz
Wavy Angel
Gabella Photos
Ian Dooley
Trend Haus Showroom
InnerCircle Events
