Nancy Quinn believes everyone has a style voice, and it’s her job to help them find it. As a fashion stylist, she works one-on-one with her clients, not just to build their wardrobe, but to build their personal style. In doing so, she says, she also helps build their confidence. “Fashion is a tool to help women feel empowered,” she says.
Instead of focusing on what’s hot in fashion, Quinn helps women feel comfortable about themselves. “This is not about following the trends,” she explains. “Just because it’s in style doesn’t mean you should wear it.”
Rather, she adds, “my job is to listen to what you’re saying and help you be excited about the image you’re presenting. I’m very passionate about helping women present the best version of themselves.”
Quinn has spent her entire career in the fashion industry, first in publishing, then as a publicist and, for the past four years, as a stylist at Bloomingdale’s and with personal clients. “The best education I’ve had is being in dressing rooms with women thousands of times over,” she says.
Through her vast experience, Quinn has created what she calls the V.O.I.C.E. Method: validate, observe, identify, curate, evolve.
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She starts in a client’s closet, validating their wardrobe choices.
“I begin by affirming what is already there, not just what they’re telling me,” she explains. She observes their day-to-day lifestyle—what colors they wear, what styles they gravitate to.
She has no problem being brutally honest. “I’ll tell you if it doesn’t serve you well,” she says.
Next, Quinn helps clients identify a style category. “It’s not about assigning labels,” she explains, but instead, identifying specific adjectives—think bohemian, classic, etc.—to describe a client’s style.
Then it’s time to curate. “Curating is not accumulating,” she stresses. “It’s not about buying. It’s about translating what you have into an actual wardrobe.” Sure, Quinn says, “we’ll shop, but we shop with a purpose.”
The final step in her method is evolve. “Personal style isn’t static,” she says. “My job is to make sure your wardrobe evolves with you.”
While shopping together is certainly a big part of what she does, Quinn’s primary focus is to show women how good they can look. “I see women transform themselves in literally two hours in a dressing room,” she says. “When they put something on, their face lights up and it’s a different person. I see the power of that transformation. That’s when I know it’s working.”
Reach out to Nancy Quinn on Instagram: @qstylepr.