Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa E Aranda.
Vanessa, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Fashion has always been a part of who I am. Since a young girl, I begged my mother to let me dress myself in first grade! That may have not been the best decision on both our parts. I was also voted best dressed in high school. Corny, right? My mother has influenced me a lot as well. She and I would spend lots of quality time together shopping. It was (and still is) my favorite thing to do. We would shop at the discounted stores and search through the crap till we found the golden pieces. And my ultimate fav shopping experiences with her were at garage sales and estate sales. The feeling of victory when you find that one piece is irreplaceable.
Anyway! I always wanted to go to an artsy college but my parents were not having it. My father was very adamant about studying a subject that would make me more money. So, fashion fell far from my mind as a career to go after. I ended up getting my degree in marketing and going into the retail industry. I worked in store management right after college and worked my way to the corporate retail life. There I met a dear friend of mine who invited me to a photo shoot she was modeling for. I brought some clothes from the archives to the shoot and when I got there, she let me play around and style a couple of her looks. After that, I never looked back. I just loved being on set!
I mean I felt a high from it days after and I was desperate to get to another photo shoot. That was 2 1/2 years ago! I’ve been hustling and learning ever since. Thanks to social media, I’ve been able to connect with other creatives and through testing, I have been able to get more exposure and network with more people. I learn something new from every project. I am seriously my worst critic but it seems to keep that fire in me lit. I am still what I feel is the very very beginning of my journey. Still, so much work to do!
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?
Smooth road is definitely not how I would describe my journey this past couple of years. I mean it wouldn’t be as delicious had I not had to work hard for it. Having a full-time job makes it hard to find the time to pick up styling projects. That is how I know I am passionate about styling. It’s something I love to do so much that it usually doesn’t feel like work. The moment I tell myself, okay… take a couple of weeks off to take care of yourself and other responsibilities… I start to itch to create magic again. I NEED IT!
Like I said before, I am my worst critic. So, I’m always trying to learn more, be better, meet with more people, do more research. I feel like I have to work harder than those who are younger than me and went to school for fashion too. I have to remind myself to pat myself on the back every once in a while.
Advice for younger women is to stay focused on their ultimate goal. WORK HARD and network your butt off. Not everyone will like your work, but YOU have to love it and believe in yourself more than anyone else.
We’d love to hear more about VEASTYLE.
I am most proud of how much I’ve improved my capability of really executing the vision I have in my head into real life. I feel like the creatives I have worked with appreciate my capability to take a concept, understand it from their point of view and help create it.
My natural way of styling tends to be edgier but I have my alternate soft, and feminine side as well. I just love ALL fashion. I struggle with identifying with just one style. I have evolved over time and have learned to embrace that I just have multiple egos inside of me, living and breathing. 🙂 Fashion is a way for those alter egos to come out and play through these projects.
Editorial styling is my specialty but I do love the gratification I get when I do personal styling! You can change someone’s whole attitude with a wardrobe makeover.
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Never STOP LEARNING! No matter how successful you are, you are never too good to learn more. Network, network, and network as much as possible. Always stay professional! Believe in yourself more than anyone else. It’s true when artists who have made it say they heard no over and over, but they kept working hard and now look at them. Hard work always usually pays off. Focus on your craft and less on popularity, etc.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.veastyle.com
- Email: vanessa.e.aranda@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veastyle/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VEAStyle-226459511205817/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/veastyle
Image Credit:
Nick Glover, Walter Fuentes, Kelsey Ikeler, Denzel Golatt
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