Christina Villareal joined me on our latest Koryphae Live! Conversations.
Christina is a personal stylist here in Portland, OR - and a stylist to the stars! She currently works and tours with performers and helps them get stage ready. Her client portfolio includes stars like Beyonce! In today's episode, she shares the tricks Beyonce uses to step into her alter ego and what we can learn from that!
Christina also shares her journey from LA to Portland, how that transition affected her work, and how she landed the gig as the style expert for Coin News - a local TV network.
Watch the episode by clicking on the picture above or follow this link. And follow this link to learn how to work with Christina directly.
Follow Koryphae on Instagram to never miss an episode.
Until next time,
Much Love
🖤
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Here's the transcript:
Daniela:
Okay, let me do my quick intro here. So welcome everyone to Koryphae live. It bi-weekly conversations where we're bringing together conversations about science, spirituality and fashion. And Koryphae was really built on this idea or question actually, what if we you realize fashion which is the second largest industry in the world that touches almost every human being on the planet because we either most of us wear clothes on a regular basis and what if you use that, that power that reach as as a source of good or as something to do good in the world so that was kind of the premise. I'm really excited to have Christina Villareal.
She on today she is a personal stylist, but not just that. She is the stylist and she kind of status and chief or the chief expert when it comes to styling for k two news here which is the local news station. And welcome excited exciting I wanted to ask you know, because you reached out to me, tell me about how you found out about Cory fe, okay, the way I found out about COVID is because and coin 6am Extra I've been doing some segments with them and then they kind of coin on k sorry coin. So they approached me and said we want somebody to cover it. want somebody to cover fashion next? And I was like, all right. And
Christina:
And so I did my research. I was like I went to next and I started researching all the designers that were going to be on this because I was you know have to do my homework and and then I wanted to bring some stuff and to show people and I really liked what I saw the runway from your stuff and so I reached out Yeah, and then I got a shout.
Daniela:
I know they're both wearing the Nell Top today. Yeah, it's kind of the idea of the upscale t shirt.
Unknown 2:36
T shirts and like so tell me a little bit about you and how you got into styling. And then as a next step, how you were able and how you manifest that being at Coin like being like being called to do these kinds of features is really good if there is a lot of people who are curious about how you did that. Yeah, well how we started, you know, I was I was just like every everybody else I've been one of those kids that I've always been to fashion. Right. And my mom though clothes my grandma was a homemaker, my hands to tell me so I was around that.
Unknown 3:21
And that made me very curious to learn stuff. And, and so getting dressed. I've always enjoyed getting dressed. You know, that's always been my thing.
Unknown 3:33
In second grade, I got best dressed.
Unknown 3:39
Oh my gosh, teachers. Yeah. The certificate that the teachers made up, you know, everybody was getting like, best math and reading and all this kind of stuff. And then their last one was me with the fact you know, I was I was a little disappointed. Because I was like, best dressed like I wouldn't even get like the best image for the hours and making the best dress but anyways, I still found that my mom still has that certificate.
Unknown 4:06
So I've always been into into fashion and by went to beauty school because I felt like that was kind of like on the step of you know, fashion beauty.
Unknown 4:19
Finished Beauty School worked and I got accepted to fashion school. So moved to LA went to fashion school and then during the fashion school they had I found an internship to to be assistant wardrobe stylist didn't know exactly what it was. And I'm like sure why not.
Unknown 4:42
And comment so flourish from there. You know, I got the bug. I really liked it.
Unknown 4:49
I met I you know, I met the stylist I met other stylists and I started doing just all kinds of styling jobs in LA from like commercials to fashion shows.
Unknown 5:01
And I was actually with the fashion show agency in LA for a while I helped I was a dresser and I did post and pre production stuff.
Unknown 5:12
And commercials photoshoots I met the the Creative Director for the California apparel news. And I was her assistant for a while. We did a lot of photo shoots together. So I learned a lot from her, you know going to all showrooms at California mark in you know, knowing what was next was coming up or was hot. So yeah, so that's where I kind of got started in into styling.
Unknown 5:48
And I ended up selling for musicians because I bumped into somebody during the fashion show. That said I do this for a living. I think you'd be great. And she took me under her wing and showed me the ropes and let loose as they say, and I did that for 13 years.
Unknown 6:13
I got pregnant so I got off the road and then I was kind of like in that life transition going like I'm a new mom in a new city because I moved to Portland.
Unknown 6:24
What am I going to do, like totally knows fashion. And so I decided to When did you when did you come to Portland into Portland in the fall of 2010 It was actually the day of the dead when we arrived. I remember kids we were driving all the way from Nashville. And it was Halloween so I put on some Halloween accessories or we were driving
Unknown 6:53
and I made my baby daddy were like four it's like don't orange.
Unknown 6:59
But yeah, it's so I just I was like what am I gonna do so I started to kind of, you know, wrapping my mind around helping everyday women because I know that a lot of women have struggles with what to wear and you know, things like that. And so I started wrapping my mind around it and then 2015 I was pregnant my second I just decided to you know it's time let's just start to work because salting business and see what see what happens. And so I've been doing that part time, and I've also been actually back on the road part time.
Unknown 7:38
Tell me more about that.
Unknown 7:40
Yeah, so I have a client, a male client who lives in New York, and he tours and he saw my resume and he wanted me to be his wardrobe person. And it was it was at a good time for me because it was a time where like I said I was feeling lost. And I felt like my hair was wet in 2015 Or was that that was actually in 2012 in the fall from Thanksgiving. Okay. Yeah, thank you just just, yeah, you know.
Unknown 8:19
So my daughter was almost two and I was you know, I was feeling I was in that phase where I was like, I'm lost like, what am I gonna do my career, it's over. Nobody's gonna call me to tour like, you know, I love that so long.
Unknown 8:36
And he actually gave me a chance he said, bring your daughter with you. Oh, that is amazing. Ya know, like I am for people who who don't know, you know, like, who don't know Portland or Pacific Northwest and, you know, you have New York being like the style capital of the US and then you have la obviously second like a huge industry for styling for I mean, music and TV, movies. So there's a there's a lot of work I would imagine and then you come you come to Portland and the infrastructures not quite there, right. I remember when we moved in is to those before so it was before ways before you but it was like it wasn't fashionable. It was like we have this model key port and weird right? It was weird. It was like big platform shoes soles.
Unknown 9:41
It was It wasn't fashionable, things have changed.
Unknown 9:47
Over over the years and and there have been trends like fashion trends that have disseminated like the northern Google was it the use of this the bearded
Unknown 10:07
there wasn't word for it, and I forgot what it is but I mean, that was important export 100% Right.
Unknown 10:14
But so I just wanted to put into perspective, where you came from and then you had a baby and then you are important, and things are like what am I going to do? So amazing that you got that job with your daughter. I mean, it's just it's mind blowing. Yeah.
Unknown 10:35
So this was kind of like a test drive around Thanksgiving. He's like fly to New York. I got a couple shows in New York. Let's test it out and see what happens. And my baby daddy we're not married. But we're still together. My baby daddy. He's, he had he tours as well, that he had some time off. And and he's like, I'll go I'll be your babysitter. And I'm like, Alright, so all three of us flew to New York. And yeah, so while I was out there and rehearsals and prepping stuff, he was taking care of our daughter in the hotel and trying to take her to the Met and see the museum and you know, all kinds of things. So that was kind of cool.
Unknown 11:19
As a family affair, yeah, yeah. And so he likes me and I was on the tour the neck the following year, and my daughter, you know, she was on the tour bus with me she would sleep on my bunk.
Unknown 11:34
And this was the time when frozen came out.
Unknown 11:37
So I made my daughter a frozen cake. Yeah. And so she was wearing red boots at a time. And so I would sit her there with my iPad, to keep her busy while I was working, and she'd be walking the hallways with red boots and her Elsa, keep singing Let it go. And she had the whole crew singing.
Unknown 12:02
Remember up to this day, they always ask me like, how was Bella? And you know, I remember her bits let it go shoot on the scene. Yeah, yeah, you left a lasting impression. I mean, probably, I can imagine because that song was playing over and over and over and over again.
Unknown 12:20
may have gotten a little bit but it's very cute.
Unknown 12:24
That they all saying Yeah. So then because you're working, you're working with women and and what would you say did you take from that time that you were on the road that you were? You've been styling people for on stages, what is something that is translatable into everyday life? Like what is the thing that if distilled, insecure insecurity?
Unknown 12:59
Yeah, everybody's insecure about their look.
Unknown 13:03
Even artist, you know, they know what they want, but they still feel insecure sometimes. You know, they're still nervous. Scared.
Unknown 13:12
It's one of those things where, you know, we all have to get out of our comfort zone to try new things.
Unknown 13:19
Yeah, yeah.
Unknown 13:21
So, so what does it mean? For that artists?
Unknown 13:30
To be styled in a way where they do they see themselves is it almost like a like this? I guess it's like a work uniform, but they're going into a persona or are they going into their best self? It depends on the person but it's a little bit of both.
Unknown 13:52
With the person that I'm that I'm creating, working with, I believe it's more of the persona, right? You have to get in that mindset, right, like on stage I'm going to entertain these 30,000 people, whatever, whatever it is.
Unknown 14:10
There are some artists that I worked with Beyonce at the beginning of her career. I was with her for eight years. And so for her it was like becoming that persona Sasha Fierce. You know, he talks about Sasha fears. Such a fear also that's the persona Yeah, she used to talk about it a lot back then.
Unknown 14:31
The kind of like when she's on stage, she's Sasha Fierce, you know, she becomes somebody else.
Unknown 14:38
So it it all depends on the artists you know, they become that other person that other like, guess an alter ego, you know?
Unknown 14:47
Yes, or, or it might be there. You know, it's not someone else. It's a part. It's a different part of them is part of them, too. But what I love about this is something for all of us for any woman, there is the stage time there is go time, where our clothes and what we were really supports who we want to become a who we are becoming and how we need to present to the outside world so that we are received as that and right what we want yes yes
Unknown 15:36
i I can't imagine I don't know what for myself that sometimes they are these these thoughts or beliefs that I have? Oh, that's not me. Or I can't wear that and you know, in some areas I'm not
Unknown 15:52
I'm not like the floor Oh, leave feminine type Avenue those of you so.
Unknown 16:02
So, so there are you know, there are things that I know that's my personality, however, sometimes it does prevent me from just trying things out just for fun.
Unknown 16:15
But I have come to this conclusion that you know, you should you want that I want to show up a certain way in order to become and really manifest where I want to have to be who and how I want to show up.
Unknown 16:41
I'm curious if you see that in your some of your clients. Yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely. The whole insecurity thing. The close minded, you know, being a woman we have so many insecurities.
Unknown 17:01
One of the big one is our body. You know, we all have this image of what a woman should look like, right? We all have it. Whether we look like that. Who knows, right? If we don't have that image of what that women should look like, we have an image of ourselves of what we want to look like. And so we get caught up on that. And, you know, some of my clients will be like, Well, I'm not going to go shopping, because I'm gonna lose the 15 pounds. When are you really going to lose those 15 pounds? What what is your action that you're taking now that is gonna get you there. Now you've been saying that for the last?
Unknown 17:43
How many years? Yeah, you know, so and you haven't done anything, you know? So let's work with what you have now. And the next thing is change. You know, we'll, we'll switch around because I know I know for myself, I'm that when I'm feeling lighter.
Unknown 18:07
I dress a certain way and I feel a certain way, so I walk a certain way. Right? My clothes get a little tighter. You know?
Unknown 18:18
I have my step. I feel really good. And when I'm bloated or I have those like right now I've gained like 15 pounds. And so my post is not as tight as I was wearing it a couple months ago or a little looser.
Unknown 18:37
But I'm still you know, I'm not giving up. You know, I'm not. I sense a style for it.
Unknown 18:44
So yeah, so a lot of women get hung up on it. And not only that, but you know, we all have to be open mind. We all have to be open minded to try new things.
Unknown 18:54
I also I know exactly where you're gonna see ons as well. And I can feel it I can definitely feel it like tense in my shoulders and my back I can I can feel like that part. of it.
Unknown 19:11
And I also realize that when I feel good when I like what I wear and I feel good about myself, then I am just in a state where I want to take more care off myself other than just squeezing myself into something or just wearing sweatpants all the time. Then I don't know it's just a different mindset or it's a different energy in which I eat. Yeah.
Unknown 19:41
So I know this is very like very personal but there is something about that is just Yeah. I mean, obviously, it's like a cliche. You know, you feel good. You look good. You feel good. It's not a cliche. It's it's a real thing. Because there's so many it's it's kind of like it trickles down right so when you're feeling good, right?
Unknown 20:08
When you're you know you're feeling the good vibes and everything everything's good. You know, your your kids come up to you and you're like, Yeah, you're nice and stuff you know, you can approach things with, with more energy you know, and when you're not feeling good and and that you know that top is like bothering you is too tight, keep tugging on it that the sleeve or the strap keeps falling you know your your mind is so distracted that you also like are not even there 100% Because you're thinking, Oh my God, this talk this pant that you know what I mean? You're getting so distracted with what you're wearing, that it's aggravating you.
Unknown 20:54
Then your kid will come and ask you something and you're like you're totally 100% 100% People don't think about it, but it does affect everything I do anyway. Everything affects everything in anything. That's what I totally 100% believe.
Unknown 21:20
So, let's let's talk about like, just a little the silhouettes and why you know, because what we're talking about is actually what I included when I designed like that was part of the intention.
Unknown 21:35
For for Korea, Fe a, I mean the half this tagline high vibrational, high vibrational clothing for conscious women, which is the scientific part, right? But the high vibrations is is when we feel good, because we look good. We have a higher vibration. So we raise the vibration of the planet. And beauty and loving ourselves. Love in general are the highest vibrations that we can feel so it is almost our spiritual. It's like a spiritual practice to feel good about ourselves to love ourselves, then that raises every you know everyone around us.
Unknown 22:20
So when I designed Cory Fe I utilize I utilize materials that are higher in vibrational frequencies by themselves.
Unknown 22:32
You can read some of that it's on Instagram, like what the scientific part of that is.
Unknown 22:39
But then it's also made with love because it's made by artisans. Artisan crafted handling materials.
Unknown 22:47
But then the designs and the silhouettes are really flattering. They are nothing is tight. You can breathe in them out. And it's really you know, whether you lose a couple or gain a couple you can still rock the garments and it will be fine. I mean in general I would say the clothes are running a little bit on the larger size. If you want something really, you know, much leaner or smaller, always oversized style, but they are you know there are created for women who just want to feel good about themselves and wear something that just makes them feel just feel good and non restricted.
Unknown 23:36
Yeah, I like your life is your to like you were talking about silhouettes your line has like what I consider it to be like great essential pieces that you can mix and match with other things that you have. Or they match, you know, even mix and match themselves. Really good. Yeah, thank you. Thanks for saying that. Yeah.
Unknown 23:57
I call it the launch capsule, five silhouettes, five essential silhouettes. You can endlessly rotate them. There's different colors you can collect. It's almost like collecting pieces, small small batch production. Some of the, you know, like the colorway that you're wearing I'm not going to be one that have a different color. It's more of a camo.
Unknown 24:23
Still having to take photos, they're already available. But so I'm really excited about that, which is it's just like the olive green. So it is something that's really pleasing to my kids.
Unknown 24:39
Yeah.
Unknown 24:41
So yeah, it's definitely you know, just to take some some of the overwhelm of what you you know, what works and how it's working together. Everything can work together. Everything else in the future that we're working on is just how can it seamlessly fit into this capsule. So you don't have to buy something new all the time.
Unknown 25:06
But it's still you know, buy what you love. Buy what makes you happy I mean, that's the Marie Kondo kind of mindset. Yeah. What brings you joy? Exactly. What brings you joy? Yeah.
Unknown 25:23
Yeah, yeah. I mean, you know what, to me getting dressed brings me joy. Like, I get dressed every morning according to like, what I'm actually feeling how I'm feeling and what I'm going to do that day.
Unknown 25:39
But you know what a lot of a lot of people will come up to me and they'll be like, I love your style. I love it. I can't wear that.
Unknown 25:51
What's stopping you from wearing it? You know, like, oh, I don't dress up. I don't feel like I'm dressed up. This is not just to me. I'm just, I consider myself put together but now I'm dressed.
Unknown 26:07
Yeah. So yeah, so I feel like people have this conception of what dressed up is to them. What casual is and what I guess they sometimes I feel like they feel like they can't go past a certain level. It's kind of almost like a set point. Yeah. You know, it's like a upper limit a set point and you can't go beyond that because that's not me. Yeah, that's a limiting belief that you can break through Yeah. So in order for people to break through if they wanted to work with you, how can they best get in contact in touch with you? Yeah, I usually just say, you know, go to my Instagram and DM me.
Unknown 26:54
And, you know, we go from there. When people actually reach out to me, you know, I talk to I just want to do first like a style discovery call. You know, I want to have 20 minutes to know a little bit about you where you're coming from what why you're seeking help, right? And, and then once they say, Okay, we're good, this, you know, this is what I need. And then I'm like this is how I can help you. Then we go into the whole like, I'm going to start giving you stuff to fill out and start doing some homework. Because this is not just like, I'm going to I'm going to do my little magic wand and I mean this there's a self discovery kind of tells design everything. Yeah, yeah. So it's, you know, I've been told a lot like you really made me think that those questions because I have like a 25 question.
Unknown 27:47
They I want to know about you, you know, it's not going to help you solve your style issue if I don't know about you. So I want to know about you and, and so that, you know, that requires personal knowing some personal things and some things that probably people don't even haven't really thought about. No, I mean, you know, and it makes sense that people that you don't if you think style is not your thing.
Unknown 28:17
You don't want to even think about it because this is kind of like the blank spot or the dark area. You don't go there. What I find so cool is okay so you are actually working with people, men, women doesn't matter on a personal one on one basis. And we're going on tour, you're supporting artists, touring musician.
Unknown 28:42
I mean, you've got an incredible portfolio. So I'm just say anybody who thinks that was not my thing. Work with Christina.
Unknown 28:55
So the way this is, I will I will write a little bit of a caption and then send this out to you. It comes onto your messages as a collaboration you accepted them
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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