The ATXgossip crew loves sharing the work of the Best Austin Bloggers and Influencers. We’ve already chatted with a slew of fashionistas, travel bloggers, writers… and we’re nowhere near done! This week we’re introducing you to the beautiful stylists, Michelle Washington.
Michelle Washington, is an Austin native, is a graduate of Baylor University. Where she got a Bachelors degree in Fashion Design and a Masters Degree in Education (Summa Cum Laude). Michelle has many accomplishments but they haven’t always come easily. After she graduated from Baylor University she moved to NYC where she worked for different noteworthy design labels with the intention of working in fashion as a designer.
“I am grateful for the fashion industry experience I gained working for the headquarters many well known fashion brands. Having pursued design for a while and learning about all the different jobs and responsibilities in the fashion industry, my interest changed. I thought I wanted to pursue being a designer, but the close collaboration with creative teams satisfied my interest in fashion design and created my love of styling. The life of a Stylist is not easy but I never get tired of the finished product at the end of the day. After Netflix hired me to style a celebrity client for a red carpet film premiere, my career took a fantastic direction.”
Michelle’s role as a stylist has lead her to appear on FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC and Spectrum News. She’s also had the pleasure of interviewing celebrity fashion designers Marc Bouwer, Kevan Hall, Sergio Hudson, Celestino Couture and David Hart. With over 20+ years of experience (NYC, LA, Europe, and Asia), she focuses on being creative, clever, resourceful and seeking out the hottest styles. Her work has been internationally published and she has exclusively styled for magazines, TV personalities and celebrities.
Just as we do with celebs, we asked Michelle to answer some of our Totally Texan questions, as well as a few ATX-tra things.
Who is your favorite Austin celebrity?
Sandra Bullock. She fell in love with Austin, TX and she has businesses and homes here.
Who is your favorite Texas band/ musician?
Not an easy answer! I love the soulful singing voice of Tameca Jones and the amazing guitar style of Jackie Venson.
What’s your theme song?
I can’t resist “DIVA” by Beyonce! A song that deserves my best fashion catwalk strut!
Who would play you in the movie of your life?
I believe that a movie about my life needs two actresess. I would have Taraji P. Henson to play me for my younger years; tapping into her sassy character “Cookie” from Empire and adding the intellect from her role as Katherine G. Johnson from the movie Hidden Figures. For my later years, I absolutely need Angela Bassett to bring the toughness from her role as Tina Turner and add her reagalness from her role as Wakanda queen mother Ramonda from the Black Panther.
What advice do you have for Austinites looking to be successful in social media?
Empower yourself by taking time to find and recognize your true gift.
“I don’t consider myself to be an influencer. If I call myself an influencer, I would miss the fundemental principle of what makes someone influential. For the purposes of this piece, let’s define what influence is, so there is no confusion. “Influence is the power to have an important effect on someone or something.” If someone influences someone else, they are changing a person or thing in an indirect but important way. Many marketing analyst agree that the biggest misconception about influence is that audience size equates to level of influence. It’s not the size of the audience, but the importance and consistency of the information that matters. Essentially, quality output over quantity of numbers. With that said, do I consider myself an Influencer? Naaah. I’m a woman that enjoys sharing my creativity and I’m grateful that others enjoy my vision.”
Here’s where to follow her online:
Instagram: @Stylistmichellew
Facebook: FashionStylistMichelleWashington
Twitter: @StylistMichelle
Be sure to check out the other Austin influencers we’ve profiled:
