Sometimes there are creations of art that tell a story and touches your heart.  I remember the first time I set eyes on a gorgeous pearl wrap necklace with delicate antique nic knacks which included an old antique locket and a silver Eiffel tower charm strung together with antique rosary beads, antique gem stones, and pearls.  I was in love!  I think I even came back to that boutique every week just to see what new pieces there were.  The artist had put together antique charms, trinkets, and jewelry and made them modern and very wearable.  There is this elegant charm and edginess to each necklace, earring, and bracelet.  The necklace I finally decided on is two-stranded.  It has an old gold rosary skull on one strand and a vintage 1910 watch face on the other.  When I turn the watch-face over, I can see the intricacies of the mechanics inside the watch.  It was truly marvelous.  It had so much history and I knew it would be something I would pass on as an inheritance.

When I was given the chance to meet the artist of that necklace…I jumped at the opportunity.  I’ve had time to get to know her, and Tami’s story truly inspiring.  That is why she is the illuminARTIST of the month.  Here are the interview questions and answers about herself, her inspiration, and her art: (Click on the photos to enlarge)

1.  What adjectives would you use to describe your jewelry?

You can visit Tami’s website for more information about where you can find her jewelry.  http://www.relicsbytami.com/

I realized that I should have explained what it is that I do as a style and image consultant.

To summarize in a sentence…As a style and image consultant using clothing fit and style, accessories, grooming and much more, I help men and women put forth an appeal that is amazing and appropriate for the situation–whether it be for the everyday look, for the workplace, special event, or for those who are turning over a new leaf.

The first thing I do when meeting a client is to listen and observe to determine their needs and how I can go about fulfilling those needs.  As a client of mine, I take in who you are and determine the best way to translate that into a style that is completely you. 

Level I Style and Fit Consultation: I would like to start with assessing what colors look the best with your skin tone, hair, eyes, and personality…what style and fit matches your body shape and proportion. From there, we do a Closet Audit: Together, we will go through your closet to clear out the clothes that should not be in there and find the missing essential pieces that should be there.  Personal Shopping: We then go shopping to purchase those missing essential pieces.  From there it’s back to the closet to do a Wardrobe Analysis, and this is where I show you how to create amazing outfits for every occasion and situation using the clothes you already have and clothes that were purchased.

From this point on…it’s just maintenance…we can update your look seasonally, yearly, or for that special event.

Remember, this is a process and not an overnight transformation.  It takes time and focus to develop your own style.

For more information, please feel free to contact me at christine@illuminart.com or (310) 430-6684.

Welcome!  This is my very first blog.  My name is Christine Le and I am a style and image consultant based in Southern California.  To tell you a little about myself…I’ve always been fascinated with the art of style and fashion.  Not only the creation of style art but of bringing light and joy to people through the medium of style art.  Thus the name “illuminART style”.  Even as an elementary school child, I ‘decorated’ my younger cousins (the only ones I could effectively ‘lord’ my pecking order as coercion) with my mother’s cosmetics, dressed them in clothes from my closet, their closet, my mom’s closet, or sometimes tablecloths (if I happened to like that particular print).  After which, I then had them pose for pictures.  (When I find them…I’ll post them.)  They were quite good, actually.

As I grew up, I decided to go into medicine.  I even studied and graduated with a Bachelors of Science, Biological Sciences.  All the while, I sought the ‘Art’.  Surrounded with medical terminology, numbers, equations, procedures, blood…I emphasized and focused on the creativity of medicine.  My medical passion was for the art of reconstructive surgery–healing people physically and spiritually.  It wasn’t just about putting Humpty Dumpty together again…but beyond that.  I saw the healing of the mind and confidence through the healing of the body.  Bringing beauty to a person is both physical and mental–they are connected.

After graduating…I acknowledged my passion for fashion and style.  My experience as a stylist for Club Monaco gave me the ability to train my eye in styling and bringing out the best expression of clothing and accessories for all types and ages.  Within a month of my hired date, I was honored as their top stylist for that location and in the following month was positioned as the second top stylist among the Western Region locations (second only to a veteran stylist).  Once I began to research deeper into image consulting, I stumbled across Erin Stafford–a truly gifted image consultant and speaker.  Through her training, I heard of Body Beautiful and Carla Mathis.  Studying under Carla is an incredible and amazing experience.  With Body Beautiful I was able to hone my skills and talents even more, put words to image consulting, and gained the confidence to express my styling knowledge, advice and gifts with other men and women.  In April, I will be studying the Universal Style with Mimi Dorsey and Alyce Parsons.  And in May, I will be taking the First Level Certification with the Association of Image Consultants International.  (I am already an associate member of AICI.)  In addition, I recently partnered up with J. Hilburn to provide men custom-made shirts out of the same fantastic fabrics as those high-end luxury brands BUT with a drastic cut in pricing…and did I mention that they are custom-made?  How amazing is that?

My life is so exciting right now and just a bit scary–but that’s the thrill of life.  I want to thank you for visiting my website and blog.  Please continue checking back as I will post my Style Notes regularly.  This blog I like to call my Style Lounge and my posts as Style Notes.  (Thanks for playing along with my word play.)

Oh yes, and the definition of the words ‘illuminART style’ is two-fold:

1. noun. Style, as art illuminating from a person; one’s own beauty expressed through style.

2. verb. To illuminate style art.

My hope and joy is help women and men begin to find their own illuminART style.