New fashion consulting biz
By Kara McIntosh
There’s an enterprising young woman in town who’s planning to highlight local stores and promote her new business through style.
This summer, Caitlin Brownfield, 19, opened a new business, Caitlin Brownfield Personal Styling & Event Planning. Caitlin is a trained and experienced stylist who offers both personal styling and wardrobe downsizing services. If your closet is full of clothes you’re not sure how to wear or simply don’t like anymore, Caitlin will help you weed through them and decide what’s worth keeping and what can be given away to charity or a secondhand store.
“My dream is to host a local fashion show with eight or 10 stores in the area this August,” says Caitlin. “If I can get the stores to give a few outfits each, I will style the show, as well as do all the advertising and promotion for the event. It will be a great way for the stores to get some extra publicity and for clients and guests to do some shopping.”
Caitlin also leads group workshops where she consults on fashion trends and helps women figure out how to wear and update their existing pieces. Her target market is both women and men of any age, but she does offer a discounted student rate.
“I have always loved fashion, and it’s fun to work with people in this way. Fashion has a way of drawing your personality out. I like to tell clients that as long as you feel comfortable in something, no matter what it is, you can wear it and look and feel great.”
Caitlin started her own business with support from the South Georgian Bay Small Business Enterprise Centre. The Summer Company Program provides some funding as well as hands-on coaching and mentoring to help students start and operate their businesses.
“It’s a really great program for anyone who has an entrepreneurial spirit,” says Caitlin. “You get to work for yourself, stumble along the way and, with their help, hopefully come out OK.”
Raised in Creemore, this fashion maven graduated from Fanshawe College’s Fashion Merchandising Program in the spring. She will be off to Concordia University in September to pursue an undergraduate degree in International Business and Marketing.
To find out more about the services Caitlin offers, email caitlinbrownfield@hotmail.ca or look up Caitlin Brownfield Personal Styling & Event Planning on Facebook.
