Ever felt like you have a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear? Story of my life #FML. As Rachel Zoe says “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak” so The LA Fashion Magazine sat down with founder of BREE JACOBY the #BossBabe, fashionista, and stylist Bree Jacoby to learn about what it takes to own your own business, and what being a stylist is really about! Check it out below!
LAFM: Bree, can you tell us at LAFM how you first got into Styling?
Bree: I was always interested in fashion and styling from a young age, I started my first business designing jewelry at 13, but it was really when I was I was 19 and began working in retail for Alice & Olivia, and that really got me into seeing Styling as a career!
LAFM: Can you tell our audience what it’s like to be a stylist? The day-to-day and how you work with clients from start to finish?
Bree: When people hear the word stylist, sometimes they think of celebrities on the red carpet or they think film and TV. My definition of what type of stylist we are at Bree Jacoby is a lifestyle company. We focus on everyday clothes and events that happen in peoples lives! Being a stylist to us is so much more than working with gorgeous clothes, styling to us is about making our clients feel amazing! I constantly feel like I’m a psychologist who styles clothes on the side because so much of my job is understanding what my client needs and what their goals are. My goal in styling is to listen to the client, give them what they need and ultimately make them feel and look their best! My company is about reinventing the retail industry by bringing luxury brands to our clients instead of them going into stores.
I have a style manager Brooke who is my right hand and helps with my book of business and coordinates my pulls for clients so I can maximize our client experience. Every single day is different because I do have a big book of business but I also am managing a team, growing a team of stylists, meeting new clients, building our Westfield pop-up and currently planning two big events in the coming weeks! A stylist on my team would pull the product from brands, meet with their clients to style, return the product, take new clients out to coffee or drinks and then work behind the scenes- networking to build their books.
LAFM: What has been your greatest accomplishment and greatest struggle in starting your own company?
Bree: There are a lot of accomplishments that make me so proud, but I would say growing the business to having close to 200 clients and hitting one million dollars in revenue our first year has been the biggest accomplishment we’ve had so far. It was incredible to see people really love the concept of the business which is only the beginning!
The greatest struggle has been balancing being a CEO, having my own big book of business, selling, styling, growing and training a team, hiring and continue to network to build the brand. It is incredibly difficult to have balance when so many things demand my attention and I give 110% every single day.
LAFM: How would you advise those trying to get into styling as a career path?
Bree: I would tell them to understand and be clear about what type of styling they want to do. My team and I work toward helping people from morning to night, others work in styling a person for a specific event, so it always helps to determine what type of stylist you want to be. If you want to run your own business, I would advise them to make sure they really have a game plan and to be super intentional with their goals. If you’re interested in working with a company like mine that’s committed to lifestyle styling and making a mark on an industry, they can reach out to set up an interview with me! (Bree’s website is at the bottom of this article!)
LAFM: Bree, you have amazing style, what would you say are essential items in the closet every woman and man needs?
Bree: Aw, thank you! I would say for both men and women, you HAVE to own classics and investment pieces. Women need to own quality denim, a nice black leather jacket, a blazer, a classic black dress, two pairs of pumps one black and one nude and an ‘everything’ purse that goes with everything in a neutral tone. For a man, the fit is everything to me. You could have a full closet of stuff that does not fit! A man has to own a great fitting suit (even if they barely wear them), a dark navy sports coat, a perfectly fitted white button up, jeans that fit trim, one suede brown loafer and one cool sneaker. I am huge about building classic wardrobe capsules that last and are not so trendy where you are donating your closet after a year. I am a HUGE believer in classics!
LAFM: And lastly, what can we expect from you and your company in the future? Any exciting projects coming up?
Bree: We are currently building a pop-up physical BREE JACOBY “Home of Style” space within the Westfield Century City mall that will be a HUGE opportunity or us to spread the word on what we do, how we are paving the way of luxury retail and meeting new clients! We are growing and you can expect us to be popping up in other cities across the country by Summer 2019!
Check out more about Bree and her company at: www.breejacoby.com
