by Alexandra Evjen
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Below is a spotlight interview Angelic Magazine—a faith-centered online fashion magazine—did on our beloved style contributor Alexandra Evjen. Enjoy!
Dance, music and fashion are areas of art that have been a part of my life, and I am confident will continue to be. When I think about those things not existing my heart races. I would be like a statue and just stand still. For some reason God has created me with a desire to be a part of these beautiful things, and I’m so thankful for that.
I’ve wanted to be in fashion since I was 12 years old. I would sit on the floor of my room and sketch different outfits that I thought were pretty or I would want to buy. This passion remained through high school and into college. I got a foundational business degree first, which was recommended by my parents, but along the way I got a bit turned around. Fear of failure and people pleasing kept me from really taking the leap into the fashion world. Soon enough, I ended up sitting at a desk working in public relations telling people about other people’s art. After four years of this, I found myself depressed and angry with God – asking Him why He would give me these desires and passions if I couldn’t do anything with them. I soon realized it wasn’t God that was holding me back, but myself.
When I finally got up the nerve to take a leap of faith, I experienced a moment of doubt once again when a handful of people told me that I couldn’t be in the fashion industry and be a Christian. They told me that by merely being a part of the industry I would automatically promote the lie that women need X,Y and X to be beautiful. Of course, I didn’t want to be a walking contradiction, but I knew that fashion was more than a terrible lie. It was a form of self-expression just like any other art. Clothing doesn’t just serve the purpose of covering our bodies. It is a nonverbal form of communication. Fashion doesn’t have to be about consumption. People can actually save money using stylists to help them create outfits with things they already own and re-purpose clothing.
So, with the support of my husband, family and friends I decided to start my own styling business to help men and women feel confident in their clothes, and to fight the thought that the fashion industry is only destructive. I started creating photo shoots with the clothes in my closet, my friends’ clothes and/or clothes from resale shops to build a portfolio. I took many unpaid jobs and backstage dressing jobs to learn as much as I could from seasoned professionals all while working my PR job. I even picked up a third job helping a graphic designer with administrative tasks.
I’ve been in the industry for three years now, and have had the privilege of creating beautiful photographs with wonderful, creative people. I’ve had many opportunities to share my story with professionals of all different backgrounds, which has to be my favorite part of my job. Almost every week I get the chance to encourage someone that is feeling down about themselves or their appearance. A good portion of personal styling is just listening and encouraging people, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my time.
God is completely immersed in everything I do because I wouldn’t be doing it without Him. He continually provides for my business, inspires my creativity and brings wonderful people into my life. Being a fashion stylist is one of the many ways I worship God.
How does Alexandra’s story inspire you to pursue your own career dream, be it in fashion or otherwise?
