Entrepreneur and celeb stylist Risa Kostis has constructed a dynamic profession rooted in creativity, flexibility, and adaptableness—and, after all, a permanent love for style. She first stepped into the wonder trade at 21, specializing in hair and make-up for weddings. She gained invaluable enterprise expertise managing a purse and shoe firm, which paved the best way for launching her personal styling enterprise.
In 2018, a wedding-day mishap impressed her to co-found The Rescue Equipment Firm along 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 companies, and adaptive style options.
On this interview, she shares her profession journey, styling philosophy, and the way she empowers each consumer—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 college in Boston when a pal requested me to type 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 wished 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 consumer base on the facet. Throughout that point, I met a designer for whom I sometimes did hair and make-up. She finally 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 turned the core of Risa’s experience. She recollects 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 pictures 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 elegance everybody.
“As she walked down for the primary look, somebody stepped on her prepare, and the zipper fully 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 available in the market, Risa and her sister got down to design the last word marriage ceremony day emergency package—mixing luxurious with performance.
“It was essential 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 gadgets designed to make the most important affect on a marriage day.
“Inside, you’ll discover necessities like a stitching package with pre-threaded needles in the preferred 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 actually a one-stop mishap-preventing store!”
One might surprise, “How can a stylist create a very inclusive and personalised expertise for purchasers with various physique sorts 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 customized and inclusive method. That is actually the place a listening ear is available in, and crucial perspective I take is that of a scholar—I would like to grasp any day by day challenges with getting dressed and areas that may want particular consideration.
“Slightly 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 into consideration, in addition to correct layering and undergarments to make sure each aesthetic stability and ease of motion. Cloth decisions, adaptable silhouettes, and strategic tailoring play key roles in enhancing each type and practicality. Above all, I prioritize listening to the consumer’s wants and preferences, making changes that align with their life-style and style targets whereas celebrating their distinctive form and confidence.”
Are you interested by 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 consumer referrals. We often do a deep dive on a name or Zoom to ensure 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 variety of my work is shifting towards marriage ceremony styling and day-of-dressing, most of those assessments are with ladies who’re getting married or shut associates/marriage ceremony get together members that will need marriage ceremony apparel consulting companies 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 may 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 relating to 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 individuals 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 is going to improve their look and complement their look. I feel colour is a alternative and a sense while you’re getting dressed.
“Once I hear somebody say, ‘I can’t put on that colour,’ I all the time prefer to not less than attempt it on collectively, so we will take pictures and ensure it’s a colour that they actually need to rule out. Whereas there may be system-based construction round colour evaluation, I personally prefer to push individuals exterior their consolation zone into the ‘what-if’ area if they’re keen to go there. We all know immediately when it gained’t work, and that’s adequate for me!”
Risa shares that there are numerous encouraging methods to find one’s ardour within the style trade. 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 ability set so fascinating. I all the time inform aspiring younger those that type is subjective and innate—in the event that they find it irresistible, 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 personalised type over labels, and making each consumer really feel uniquely their very own. I consider in unparalleled customer support, a zero-judgment method, and curating appears to be like that commemorate individuality.”
The sister duo possesses a distinct segment and distinctive set of expertise, 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 someday 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 trade for over a decade to performing, style publicity, styling, and a lot extra—have given me the inspiration to supply one thing actually particular. I’ve an uncanny capacity to fulfill my purchasers precisely the place they’re of their lives and for each event they should costume for, and I firmly consider that’s one thing that may’t be taught. Once we work collectively, you change into a really particular a part of my life, and that’s one thing I’ll by no means take as a right.”
Risa Kostis is a famend stylist who has been featured on quite a few nationwide tv exhibits and media shops.
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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