Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirby Cox.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am originally from Birmingham, Alabama. I have always loved fashion from an early age & knew that is what I wanted to pursue. I moved to Philadelphia for a job with Free People and then transferred over to Anthropologie Weddings (BHLDN) and am now freelance styling and selling vintage.
I lived in Philadelphia for 8 years and am still there all of the time for work – working for clients such as nuuly & the Philadelphia eagles.
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?
It has been a roller coaster for sure – after college and doing an internship with Marc Jacobs in NYC I moved home for a little longer than expected and started working at the Free People store, I knew that they hired internally and I wanted to be a stylist for their catalogs more than anything else – so I slowly built a portfolio and scanned the website for any job openings. Moving away was very hard at first but ended up being so fulfilling. I didn’t know anyone in Philadelphia (and had only been once for my job interview) I quickly made fast and lasting relationships. Working in fashion is very fast paced and doesn’t have a consistent schedule – it is also very competitive in a lot of ways. I have a chronic illness so managing that while working a high stress / fast paced job is very challenging sometimes. There have been many ups and downs and rejections. But also many highlights of things that I had dreamed of from a young age – getting to work with people I knew from magazines and online. Walking away from my full time position was also a bittersweet moment. I had thought about it for a long time and was more than ready but it was really hard to walk away from something that I had worked so hard on and the people I met through it, but they have found a way back over the years of freelancing. Freelancing is also a different way of living, there are many challenges with scheduling, doing it all on your own, etc. But I love the freedom.
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 fashion stylist that has been working in the industry for over 10+ years. I am very proud that I had a dream and stuck with it and a theme I notice through my life is sometimes I have to trust my gut before the outside world can make sense of it. I have chosen to leave NYC after I was set to live there full time to change my path, I have moved to a city where I knew nobody (Philadelphia), I left the brand I loved dearly to switch to another brand, and then I left my full time position to start something of my own. I am proud of always trusting myself even if it maybe didn’t make sense on the outside. I am proud of myself for navigating health issues and still showing up and working hard. I can see the beauty in all manner of things – I like the surprise client or a challenge. I think as far as my eye goes I have a strong eye for classic and timeless styling that always still feels cool and relevant. This was a skill I really honed when I was working in bridal. It was a great creative challenge to be siloed into the world of bridal, especially as it has changed so much (and changed a lot when I was working there). How to keep the beauty of the wedding but bring it to modern day.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I have always been interested in clothing, art , and music. I was a fairly outgoing child but very sensitive especially to animals. I am very connected to animals. I love old films and the theatre and shared that with my grandmother. I have always loved antiques and vintage clothes. I always enjoyed and still do being friends with a wide range of people and personalities. I loved to travel (and still do). Reading is also something that is very important to me. I used to put on fashion shows for my grandparents when we would come home from shopping trips. I loved dressing up for school and would often pick out my outfit the night before. I was never just inspired by fashion itself but I feel my best way of expressing myself is through clothing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stylebykirby.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kirbyjoanna
