We recently connected with Cat Wright and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Cat, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic was instilled in me at a very young age by my parents and by setting goals. When I was in middle school, I wanted to be on the varsity tennis team and I knew that if I wanted to get good enough, I would have to practice every day and play in tournaments all summer. So, I did that. In high school, I decided that I wanted to move to LA and I knew I would have to get a scholarship of some sort-so I studied really hard, got good grades and got an academic scholarship. When I graduated from fashion school, I wanted to be a stylist; so I hustled as an intern until I started making money as an assistant and began booking my own gigs. For me personally, work ethic comes from knowing exactly what I want to do (which is really the hard part) and doing all the things I have to do to get there.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a wardrobe stylist and writer (mostly covering all things fashion). While I got my start in television and red carpet styling, and still work in those areas, I now work closely with brands and their marketing department on campaign launches and social media content. I am also FINALLY expanding my business into personal shopping.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Going back to your first question, definitely work ethic. When I first started out on my own, my motto was “The answer is never No” (my assistants loved me for that). But it’s true in our industry. There are a lot of wild requests and sometimes steep mountains to climb on short notice but when they arise you don’t always have time to think about how you are going to get it done, you just have to know that you are and figure it out as you go…because there is always someone else willing to do it if you won’t.
Basic sewing, and I mean BASIC. You never know when the strap of a dress might be hanging by a thread or a button is about to fall off a jacket and talent has to be on camera in 5 minutes. Topstick doesn’t fix everything.
Be professional: Show up on time. Focus more on making the clothes look good than getting BTS for your social accounts. Take notes at fittings. Send your returns back organized. Say less. While we all like to say “it’s not brain surgery” when we get worked up, it is still a job and we all need to book another one.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
I love when the final product feels like a true collaboration. Often that means really taking into account a client’s mood board or a celebrity’s personal style but the finished product feels like something that represents all parties involved. Sometimes, however, the client doesn’t really know what they are looking for or what they want to wear on the carpet and the ball is fully in your court to make those decisions with no parameters. Either way, when the final shot represents both their brand and work you are proud of a stylist…doesn’t get better than that.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.catwrightstyle.com
- Instagram: @catwrightstyle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatWrightStyle/
- Twitter: @catwrightstyle
