Stylist Spotlight : THE Lillie Syracuse

When you mix sparkles, fringe and a WHOLE lot of character with inner and outer beauty, you get Lillie Syracuse. Oh and maybe a little bit of sass (: But seriously...Where do I even start with this gem of a human? Knowing Lillie has been a complete honor since moving to Nashville and I'm extremely grateful for the caring, genuine human she strives to be. With that said, ever since I first met her, I knew I'd be working with her one day in some kind of way! Now that this inner prophecy has finally come to pass, I just HAD to share the glorious wonders we collaborated on. Without further ado, here is the wonderment we created, for your viewing pleasure !

I met Lillie one day after playing a set at the world renown store, better known as Antique Archeology (: If you know the show "American Picker's", that is their store where they sell an array of vintage/antique goodies to the public! If you've ever been there, you would know they have a very prominent throwback ascetic! With that said, Lillie literally looks like she belongs in a vintage magazine of sorts, which makes her dwelling in that work place even better for the flow of the stores overall feel and vibe; Plus, she's pretty great at making you feel special (: After crossing paths with her a multitude of times and being well-aware she was musically gifted, I had no idea she also had an incredible eye for styling other people! After one of my craziest, -oops- *BEST friend's came back to my place to show me her beautiful new promo photo's, I was absolutely mesmerized with her style choices! I quickly found out that THE Lillie Syracuse was the mastermind behind the styling of my dear friend, Emily. I knew then, we HAD to collaborate.

Look 1 - The Retro Prairie Girl

This entire outfit SCREAMS glamour ! Between the high wasted bellbottom trousers and blush scalloped top, everything is simply lovely. I never personally would have combined such bold pieces, but I learned a very important lesson from Lillie at our styling session, to not care what others think, but instead wear what makes you feel confident and beautiful!

CB: Being a confidently independent woman, what advice would you give a girl/boy who feels they can't rock something unique, in fear they will be judged or looked down on?

LS: Starting off slow and with the intention of empowerment would be my only two suggestions. SLOW - If you have a fear of looking weird... You probably will. We all know about the power of mindset! So, starting off slow with a pop of color, or an unexpected twist of accessory would not be so intimidating like throwing on your first beaded fringe gown and highlighter pink converse for a trip to the grocery store... Though, that would certainly look FABULOUS. As your confidence in bending the rules expands, you'll find new rules to bend! EMPOWERMENT- When you think that others find you to look weird, they probably do. But, we all know that another's opinion about us and our personal expression is actually the very last thing that matters in life, right? Their thoughts have to do with their own expressions and possible insecurities. So, perhaps if you seek to first empower your confidence for personal fashion, you might encourage someone to look outside of their insecurities and into new ways of expressing their personal fashion !

AND boom! Just like that, Lillie instantly made me feel like a vintage queen, while simultaneously dropping the mic in front of the fashion congregation ! Here are the outfit details.

Hat : Forever 21

Shirt : Vintage

Vest : Vintage

Pants : Forever 21

Jewelry : Vintage

Look 2 - The Disco Business Woman

This was my favorite look on the shoot! This jumpsuit I've had for a little while, but rarely does it ever see the light of day. It's absolutely a show-stopper and it never ceases to amaze me, on how many compliments I do receive when I wear it... Because, look at it ? Lillie brought out this amazing blazer with some jewel details and I almost fainted from fashion fever (I know, that was pretty corny). After reviving from my little freak out moment, she paired it with this breathtaking western belt which really tied it all together. She did such a wonderful job marrying our own individual styles, which is a very important factor being a stylist, to make sure your client is not uncomfortable with your choices regarding the clothes. Lillie made sure she knew what my comfort zone was, and pushed me out just enough to make me feel amazing and even more confident with stretching my usual choices, ever so slightly!

CB: Who inspired you to start exploring fashion ?

LS: Icons like Cher, Dolly, Bowie, Elton, Madonna, Cyndi, Prince and Stevie have such a stimulating way of lacing their artistic expression into the music that they create and the costumes/every day style that they clothe themselves with. That marriage of two seemingly separate worlds inspired me to explore how and why that relationship works so perfectly.

Mallory, the hair stylist for the shoot literally slayed me with her God-like hair skills. Not only does she work at a strictly natural/organic hair dressing salon, she's new to town! Go check out this babes amazing stuff at https://www.instagram.com/malloryonhair/ Here are the outfit details :

Jumpsuit : Nordstrom

Blazer : Vintage

Belt : Vintage

Jewelry : Vintage

Look three - The Canadian Western Princess Tuxedo

I know, that was a mouthful... But how else would you describe this look ? This is a classic outfit that literally male or female could rock. Denim on denim is one of my favorite combinations and I know Lillies as well. It can be dressed up, or dressed down; But either way, you'll always feel put together and stand out. We chose to keep it relatively simple with monotone accessories, but for this outfit, a vibrant pop of color like bright red or purple would look amazing as well. I slipped on my favorite pair of retro booties and my favorite cowboy hat, and the look was complete.

CB : When did your love of art aka music, fashion begin?

LS : I've been infatuated with music and art for literally as far back as my memory can carry me. One of the buttons that turned on my visual and musical art flow was looking at the cover of my mothers Elton John album while his music played in the space around me. It was like hearing rhinestones in the key of lime green. I was hooked.

CB : What advice would you give another individual who wants to dive into the fashion and music realm ?

LS : I would suggest to just DO IT. Fashion and music are wide open canvases waiting for your touch and colors!

And when Lillie talks about bringing your own unique take on the music and fashion world, she does just what she preaches. Lillie has made strides not just in the fashion world, but also in music. If you'd like to know more about this amazing human, I absolutely adore, here is where you can find that information : http://lillie-syracuse.squarespace.com Here are the outfit details :

Shirt : Vintage

Hat : Boutique

Jeans : Target

Jewelry : Vintage

SO WOW. This post was so much fun to write and I couldn't help but feel extremely grateful for all these individual babes and their expertise helping me along this shoot. Lillie, thank you so, so much for the ceaseless inspiration and love you give to the world. Never stop! Mallory, thank you for helping me out on this shoot and literally killing it in the hair game. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, and not pictured, was the woman behind the camera, ERIKA ROCK. Thank you so much babe for taking these beautiful, timeless shots. The world is very blessed to have you existing amongst it's people. I can attest to this and can only hope the rest of the world can experience one day the joy and overall gift and talents you have to offer. AGHHH, I'm so happily emotional with all these incredible ladies! Make sure to check em all out. You don't wanna miss a single thing these ladies are doing.

Lillie Syracuse - https://www.instagram.com/lilliesyracuse/

Mallory Granath - https://www.instagram.com/malloryonhair/

Erika Rock - https://www.instagram.com/erikarock_/

As always thank you so much for reading! Oh, and stay fashionable (:

God bless,

Carmen xox

#Fashion