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Local style consultant Risa Kostis is no fashion industry amateur. As a former sales executive turned Public Relations Director for GoldenBleu Handbags in San Francisco and Prairie New York Women’s Clothing in Manhattan, Kostis has lived east to west, using her passion for style to create everyday adorable looks that are suitable for the modern-day fashion-driven diva.
Mixing many different genres that range anywhere from preppy to classic to boho, her personal style reflects where Kostis has been and where she is going.
And you better believe it’s where having style doesn’t have to mean breaking our wallets.
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What are you wearing right now?
Pinstripe chambray button down – GAP
Cream with black sequin Chevron design silk tank – JENNY HAN
Black leather leggings – ELIZABETH & JAMES
Black & White cotton scarf – Leigh & Luca NYC
Black mid-calf motorcycle boots – MOSSIMO (yeah Target!)
What
is the last item of clothing you bought?
“Rainy Day” bow ballet flats by J CREW
Where
do you usually shop?
Consignment
stores like Sunset Clothing Exchange, small boutiques and when I’m feeling like
splurging – Shopbop.com
Fashion trend you can’t stand?
Short skirts
and leggings and anything jeweled. There should never be glitter on a
pair of jeans…ever.
Give us a childhood memory of you and clothes…
My mother is an incredible
seamstress, so I used to think of something I’d want to wear and tell her the
night before school. I’d paw through her scraps of material, put it on
her sewing table, and I’d wake up to a skirt and matching “scrunchie”
on my bed the next morning for school. It was like my own ready-to-wear
collection, one piece at a time. She’s still sewing — in fact she’s in
the process of making my sister’s wedding gown!
Name
five items every woman should have in her closet:
1. A great pair of flat
boots
2. A
boyfriend cardigan for layering
3. A
black clutch
4. A
pair of nude pumps
5. A pair of dark denim jeans
What is your
one piece of fashion advice for Phoenix?
I’ve lived
in cities like New York, San Francisco, Boston, and now Phoenix, so I’ve seen many
a trend from east to west. My advice is to embrace your own sense
of style and do it on a budget. I get the most compliments on my look
when I’m wearing something from places like Forever 21 or Asos.com.
There are ways to look like you spent a bundle without actually having done so, and I encourage people to try and do that. Try to set your own trends– you’d be surprised how many will follow.
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