Why Fashion Creatives Still Need Community, Resources and Opportunities

Fashion fam, I accidentally started something lol.

A few weeks ago, I had an idea to create The Stylist Network, but honestly, the idea started from a pretty practical place. As I continue to grow in fashion, I’ve realized that styling just isn’t how I want to participate in the industry anymore. I’ve always looked at styling as a form of communication (because clothes absolutely tell a story), but these days, I’m much more interested in the actual media and messaging of fashion. PR, editorial, storytelling, brand communications — that’s where I want my energy to go.

The thing is, the work I do will still require stylists. My clients will need them. My productions will need them. There will still be projects where styling is an important part of bringing the bigger vision to life. I just don’t necessarily need to be the person doing it. So, instead of continuing to take on that work myself, I thought: why not build a network of stylists I can tap into, refer opportunities to and eventually connect with brands and other people who need their expertise?

That was really it.

I put together the signup form, shared it and figured we’d start building from there. In my head, maybe 30 people would sign up? And I would’ve been perfectly happy with that. Well, the announcement ended up getting more than 1,600 likes on Instagram and those 30-ish signups I had in mind turned into 367 people.

Excuse me?????

Obviously I’m happy people are interested in The Stylist Network (and now I have 367 reasons to make sure this thing is GOOD lol), but more than anything, the response made me pay attention.

Fashion creatives are still looking for real community.

We Have Access to More Fashion Information Than Ever — So Why Are We Still Searching for Each Other?

There is SO much fashion information online now. You can learn how to become a stylist on TikTok. You can find showroom contacts on Instagram. There are Facebook groups, newsletters, Substacks, YouTube videos, courses, databases, Discords, conferences — you name it.

Technically, we should be more connected than ever. But having access to information isn’t the same thing as having access to people, opportunities and community.

And I think that’s where the disconnect is.

I’ve been working in fashion long enough to remember when finding certain information felt damn near impossible unless somebody gave it to you. While we’ve definitely made progress there, I still see creatives asking the same questions:

Where do I find opportunities? How do I meet other people doing what I do? Where are the resources for someone at my stage? How do I actually get into these rooms?

And my personal favorite: why did I find out about this opportunity AFTER the deadline?

The information may technically exist, but that doesn’t mean people are connected to it.

I Think We Need More Spaces Built Around Access, Not Just Audience

This is where The Stylist Network response really started clicking for me. There is a big difference between building an audience and building a community.

Fashion has plenty of audiences. We’re following each other. Watching each other’s Reels. Saving each other’s posts. Subscribing to newsletters. Going to panels. Joining platforms.

But are we actually helping people get connected?

When I think about what I want The Stylist Network to become, I’m not interested in building another place where I just talk at people.

I want a stylist in St. Louis to know about an opportunity in New York. I want someone looking for an assistant to have somewhere to find one. I want emerging stylists to discover tools that took me years of working in this industry to find. I want people to find collaborators. I want someone to be able to say, “Does anybody know how to do this?” and there actually be somebody there who does.

And apparently I’m not the only person who wants that.

367 people told me that before I even fully built the damn thing.

And Selfishly? I Think I Needed This Reminder.

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I’ve been calling myself The Fashion Connector for years.

It’s not just a cute tagline. Connecting people to resources, opportunities and each other has genuinely been a huge part of the work I’ve built my career around.

But I’m also human.

There are times when I’ve questioned what I’m building. I’ve wondered if people still need it. I’ve wondered if I’m doing enough. I’ve wondered what The Fashion Connector even looks like as I enter this next phase of my career. Especially because fashion has changed SO much. Everybody has access to information now. Everybody can build a platform. Everybody can create their own lane. So there have definitely been moments where I’ve thought: Where do I fit into all of this now?

The funny thing is, I didn’t create The Stylist Network to answer that question. I wasn’t sitting around thinking, I need something to reaffirm my purpose as The Fashion Connector. I was just trying to make a resource for stylists. But somewhere between signup 1 and signup 367, it did give me an answer.

Maybe the work was never just about having information. Maybe it’s about knowing what information matters, putting it in front of the right people, connecting people who should know each other, and creating spaces where opportunities don’t only circulate between people who are already “in.”

That’s still needed.

And THAT renewed something in me.

Now Comes the Part That Actually Matters

Because let me be clear: 367 signups does not mean I’ve built a community. It means 367 people are interested in one.

There’s a difference.

Now I have to make sure The Stylist Network actually becomes useful. That the resources are good. That the opportunities are worth opening the email for. That we’re connecting people instead of just collecting email addresses. Because I’m not interested in saying I have a community of hundreds of fashion stylists if those stylists aren’t getting anything meaningful from being there.

But I am paying attention to what those 367 signups are telling me. People still want community. People still want access. People still want someone to put them onto the opportunity they didn’t know existed.

And despite how connected the fashion industry looks online, there are still a hell of a lot of gaps between talented people and the information, people and opportunities that could help move them forward.

So maybe The Fashion Connector still has a little work to do.

Actually — a lot.

And for the first time in a minute, I’m really excited about that.