Meet Kayla Bolton of Noir Funk Creative Consultancy.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kayla Bolton.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Kayla. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My journey to fashion began as a young girl in St. Louis, Mo. who has always been entranced by the vibrant styles of both my birth mother Carol and mother Denise. I attended my first Ebony Magazine Fashion Fair Show as a preteen, and something in me sparked pure joy – I knew then that I wanted to be involved in all things fashion. Some years later, my best friend introduced me to an inspiring designer and stylist she modeled for named Jason. At that time, he produced local fashion shows part-time but expressed the desire to style full-time. Jason asked me to join him, and I began assisting the now celebrity stylist known as J. Bolin off and on for about nine years.

I took a sabbatical from the industry, but with the encouragement of my partner Cedric, I birthed my company Noir Funk. I found working a full-time corporate job and being an entrepreneur challenging and finally decided to kick my business into full gear and haven’t looked back.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As the adage goes: “The road to success is always under construction;” my journey has been one of constant discovery. Entrepreneurship can be unpredictable, and overcoming the fear of taking risks was a key component in starting my business. I learned that you have to be willing to give up all of the distractions. Like many others, I struggled with, maintaining a circle of positive like-minded friends, self-doubt and paralyzing fear of not being “good enough” for many years. I worked hard to move past my comfort zone and the complacency that came with “punching a clock.” I had become reliant on a job that did not value my time and contributions. I decided that being underrated was not good enough and chose freedom instead.

I have also learned to push past tremendous grief. My partner, Cedric, suddenly passed away in 2017 and my life came to a halting stop. He was my lifeline and inspiration; I wanted to give up everything, including my business. However, I remembered his words of encouragement and I knew that I could not forfeit my dreams. A lot of my motivation comes from him. It has not been easy, but it has been worth every sacrifice once I changed my mindset.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Noir Funk – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Noir Funk is a full-service beauty and fashion consultancy consisting of hair styling and makeup artistry, fashion styling, creative direction and my newest venture, lifestyle photography. I have been a licensed cosmetologist for over ten years. I specialize in cultivating visuals for personal brands and creating fashion editorials.

I am known for my creativity. My brain is a constant playground of Lisa Frank colors with a bit of Jem & The Holograms flair. Basically, I’m an adult Punky Brewster. I am free and open to seeing and thinking outside of the box. That makes my clients stand out and my job a ton of fun. I’m proud that I can take one’s vision and create art- this sets me apart. I can do it all, and well.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My long term plans are to make Noir Funk a full fashion and beauty lifestyle company: apparel, jewelry, cosmetics, and hair products. As for the near future: know that I ALWAYS have something up my sleeve. I will say that I want to change the plus-sized industry in a significant way.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 314-736-8992

• Email: ask@noirfunk.com

Image Credit:
Graffiti Image: Model sitting- Alana Jackson; Model Standing- Vashti Price; Photography, Styling, Hair, Makeup: Noir Funk, Model Walking: Model-Jasmine Anderson; Photography: Chris Booth; Styling: Noir Funk, Designer: Shavonne Dorsey, Headshot: Model- Tamika Cheree; Photography: Ray Williams Photography; Styling, Hair, Makeup: Noir Funk, Feather Dress: Model- Lex Lu; Photography, Styling, Hair, Makeup: Noir Funk, Model Laughing: Motivational Speaker- Gloxina Brent; Photography, Hair, Makeup: Noir Funk, Kayla Applying Makeup- Model Lex Lu: Photography: A.Marie Agency, Couple Picture: Cedric Cain and Kayla Bolton

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