ABOUT ME, CLAIRE

I’ve always been drawn to fashion, art, and design, so much so that for most of my so-far-somewhat-insignificant life, I was certain I’d go to fashion school. But as I got a bit older, my curiosities expanded. I became intrigued by psychology, geopolitics, and history, especially how they intersect with culture and design. So, rather than heading straight into the fashion world, a place that younger me would have loved to go, I went to Duke University, where I majored in Visual & Media Studies and minored in Psychology and African & African American Studies. Through my education, I sought to hone in on my passion and what I might do with my life, while continuing to broaden my knowledge and perspective. My studies deepened my love for storytelling through aesthetics, but at the time, I didn’t expect fashion to be my career. I figured it was merely a passion.

That changed when I landed a job managing social media for a Nordstrom personal stylist. I loved creating content, but what really stuck with me was the human side of styling, the honor of being in a position to connect with and help real people express themselves and feel confident through what they wear. That led me to more recently work under the Lead Stylist of East Coast Operations for a personal styling company, where I handled everything from books of business and brand relationships to curating wardrobes and styled looks. Now, I’d like to focus on bringing cultural context, ethical consumerism, and meaningful storytelling into my work. To me, style isn’t just about clothes, it’s about identity, history, and connection. Fashion is about the people who wear it. 

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My website's design is an attempt to reveal my own perception of the modern fashion world's complex zeitgeist. While the industry is pushed forward by consumerism, it is enriched by the art of personal style, rather the individuals who buy the clothes because they love them. Inspiration is everywhere all the time, both in physical and virtual spaces. The revolving door that is the fashion trend cycle doesn't pause for anybody to get through. This vast media landscape that we're all trying our best to navigate can feel like a creative playground, but it can also feel like too much. As a consumer and admirer of fashion, I'm using this portfolio as a reminder to myself that it's the unique individuals who don pieces of art otherwise known as clothing that inspire me. It is important for me personally to slow down, reflect, and connect. I have worked with each "icon" showcased on this website. On the homepage, each client is presented as a shallowly identified figure, much like the figures we see on our intentionally-curated feeds. Clicking on each figure allows you to get to know them more deeply, like when we connect face to face with the people in our actual communities. Like these icons, we are all just people, blank canvasses taking in the world around us, each telling our own personal style stories.