I am Emilia Ioana, certified personal stylist and image consultant based in Lisbon, Portugal. I believe that style talks a lot, just like I do! My passion for beauty, style and image goes way back. I've always appreciated this line of work and I studied plenty the subject so I can offer my clients, friends and collaborators the best experience one can deliver.
I am accredited by the ILBAH Studios under the guidance of Dr. Ellida Toma in Bucharest, the capital of my home country, Romania. We have a rich history and an interesting relationship with fashion and style, blending Eastern European, Balkan and Western European values and beauty standards. It's quite the mix! I invite you to check out Bucharest Fashion Week, an emerging fashion week that brings together designers from all over Eastern Europe and Romania. I believe that we're never quite done with learning about what we are doing. I love learning both while doing and in a more structured environment so probably I'm doing another styling course at any given time.
Style is truly personal. Sometimes it gives others the right signals, sometimes you let people know things you wish you didn't. No one is exempt from fashion criticism. Even the take of not caring about fashion, is very fashion in itself. Style is a lot about the choices we make, but with so many options at our disposal, it can be very well more about the choices we don't make. How we show up in the world is more than personal, it's like a business card, it's like your social media (before social media was even a thing).
I believe in making educated fashion choices. I don't like the stress of an overflowing closet, yet with nothing to wear. Don't get me wrong, I love clothing - I chose clothing over everything else; but I like to know that where I put money and time, it makes sense. Do you find yourself struggling with space, money or just outfit choices as a whole? I might be the person to help you with that AND some more!
I don't like the idea of a sloppy outfit that you just throw on. Why do we even own clothes that don't flatter us? Let's change our perspective! Even our leisure clothes can look good on us. Even on our worst days, we can keep up a better appearance.
I also don't believe that style is only about clothing, it's only the first layer. But trust me, once you have a good first layer, you'll have a better direction of where to move next. Because you're going to see all other opportunities you have around.
I am also a graduate of computer science and economics. I worked in banks and software development before I pursued the fashion story I am in now. But how would all of this tie-in with being a stylist? If anything I believe that the more you learn about different topics, the more you realise how connected everything is.
I am going to shock some of you, but at the base of style, fashion, beauty and all visual arts, you have science: mathematics, physics and more recently computer science. Subjects that I loved dearly and almost as much as arts. And they’re so much more fun when you understand how they can be combined and applied in the real world. Think of it like this: we, humans, computed the golden ratio as the basis of beauty. I’m not going to bore you with details, but it can be traced back to the Ancient Greeks and a perfect example of it applied to human beauty and balance is through Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. Another common example you can find, even through my website, is the rule of thirds.
Working together, I will let you in on the secret that everyone working in design, albeit fashion, pattern, architecture or graphics, uses these standards of proportionality. And as personal stylists, it’s the basis of our work. How about physics? Property of materials and fabrics! One has to understand how materials interact with each other to reduce static effect and other unpleasant occurrences. Washing silk? Think twice! It’s hydrophobic and it loses all shine and softness once washed. It’s many things we have to take into consideration. And finally, what about computer science? Trend forecasting now is done mostly online, we have algorithms that help aid us understand how fashion will change and morph in the following seasons. More than this, recommendation algorithms choose for you what to buy. With how many clothing is sold online, it would be impossible to look through it all!
I could talk all day about how I perceive personal style and its relationship with the traditional sciences, but I want to talk to you, to listen to you and understand how I can benefit you!
Having worked in corporations before (remote, hybrid and on-site) I have a good grasp about expectations in a workplace, especially on how much your work style matters. I started young in these positions and yet, at every job I had they wanted to propel me to management studies. Way ahead of people with more experience and credentials. And I have to attribute this to the way I was presenting myself in the office! You want a visible change in your career? You should dress the part!