There is an app, which is short for application, for just about everything nowadays. Do you need a ride to a destination? There are apps for that. Do you want to order some food for dinner? There are apps for that too. Do you need help putting an outfit together for a special event? Well, Evonya Easley has made having a personal stylist accessible with her Styled by Love E app.
“I created the app because I wanted to make the personal style experience accessible to everyone, not just celebrities and the affluent,” said Easley.
The app officially launched February 28 and allows users to hire a personal stylist to shop for them, style them and deliver the fashionable wardrobe selections to their door. Easley shared more about the process once a customer downloads the app to their phone or tablet.
“The client completes a short virtual style consultation through the app which goes directly to the stylist,” said Easley. “After the consultation, the stylist goes shopping, delivers the options to the client and does an onsite fitting while providing expert style advice.
“It’s like Uber, but for fashion!”
Originally from Atlanta, GA, Easley was raised in Charleston, SC and moved back to Atlanta in 2006.
“My love for clothes, fabrics, shoes and all things related to style and fashion started when I was 15,” said Easley. “I loved putting outfits together for myself, family and friends and at the time, I never thought I could turn my passion into a career.”
In college, she majored in political science and went on to get her Masters degree in finance. After college, she worked the traditional nine-to-five jobs while doing what she loved on the weekends. Now, she is bringing her expertise via your smartphone or personal computer. Easley spoke about the process of taking the art of being a fashion consultant to the digital realm and the challenges it provided but found solutions in app developers, Adrian McDaniel and Maurice Thomas.
“The process was a lot more than I thought it would be,” said Easley. “We started with a prototype and then realized that the final product would require more work and more funding.
“So it was definitely a process—just happy to work with people that believe in my vision!”
We live in a technology-driven world where we are using apps more and more for everyday life. Can an app replace more traditional methods of working with a personal stylist? Easley says her app simply streamlines the process more than anything, taking the hustle-and-bustle out of shopping.
“Shopping for clothes can be frustrating and time consuming for some and we want to be able to help users have access to expert style at a fraction of the cost,” said Easley. “We want to take the stress out of getting dressed!
“We want to give our clients a very personal experience that can’t always be achieved virtually, ensuring clients reflect their best personal style and have the best fashion at their fingertips.”
It’s no secret, Black women are taking the tech industry by storm in social media, innovation and business. Easley shared what business entrepreneurs and those interested in taking their endeavors to the next level can do.
“My advice would be research, research and do more research to determine if you are truly passionate about the project because it will get hard and scary at times,” said Easley. “Also, determine if there is a market for it, see if it has the potential to be profitable and have a plan to make it all happen.
“I was a full-time personal stylist for ten years before I built this app, so I have been testing the market and proving my hypothesis during that time.
“Last, but not least is having the passion, tenacity and faith to see you through everything as well as a tribe of supporters and mentors for advice and to listen to you complain, vent, celebrate etc.”
You can download the app at www.loveefashion.com/styledbylovee. The app is available on both IOS & Android.
