Meet Caitlyn May | Fashion Stylist & Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Caitlyn May and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitlyn, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my own business was not something I ever planned. If you asked me a few years ago what my career ambitions were I would have told you I wanted to be a VP of sales to a major luxury fashion brand. I had an unexpected layoff from at the time what was my dream job during the pandemic. This was a big turning point in my life.This situation left me feeling lost, confused and asking myself the question of what I really wanted to do in my life and what made me the most happy?

My answer to this question consisted of a few things. I always knew I did not like answering to anyone, waking up at 10am was ideal, and being able to travel when and where I wanted was the dream.

I’ve always had ambition for ownership but never knew how to pave that path of my own. I wanted the autonomy to make decisions and shape my professional path but never knew how to execute it.

I soon recognized that I had a valuable skill set that I had been utilizing to provide services to other companies, so I thought why not do this for myself? I spent countless hours devoting time to other peoples business instead of my own. The idea of having the freedom to choose my clients and projects was appealing. I saw the potential to establish my own client base and grow a business that aligned with my interests and expertise. But it was and still is a journey getting there!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I always knew I wanted to work in the fashion industry but knew absolutely nothing about it. Growing up I would cut up magazines and tape all the pictures on my bedroom wall dreaming of this fashion world.

Growing up in Long Island, I would beg my parents and friends to go into NYC on the weekends just so I could walk down the streets and take in the fashion of the city.

I didn’t grow up with access to this “world of fashion”. I remember friends getting Louis Vuitton bags at Christmas, and wondered why I didn’t have those things. I would save up my allowance money for a $50 Coach wristlet and I remember thinking that having that was the most expensive thing in the world I could own. I treated those Coach wristlets with the utmost care, just knowing I could have a small piece of this “fashion world” I so dreamed of.

I will never forget the first time I walked into a luxury department store my freshman year of college and seeing a thousand dollar pair of shoes. It was nothing I had ever seen before and seemed so far out of reach. But I knew one day, if I worked hard enough, that was something that I could have.

My senior year of high school I was devastated when I got denied from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and I cried for a solid 2 weeks. It was my dream school, and I thought my dreams were crushed in that moment. I then went on to study fashion at LIM College for my freshman year, then switching to Buffalo State College, and ultimately earning my degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

While in college, I faced the challenge of not knowing anyone in the industry and had to figure out how to land internships on my own. I took every opportunity that came my way, taking on roles as a model dresser, sample coordinator, stylist’s assistant, and working in retail, among others.

I put myself through college which was definitely a challenge, but I worked any and every job I could take. I finally landed a big girl internship with Carolina Herrera which opened doors to working with other big brands.

After college, like any other recent college grad, I had the toughest time getting a job even with some big name internships on my resume. I took a receptionist job with Alice + Olivia and figured it would get my foot in the door. Within a week at the company, a sample merchandising position opened up and the rest is history!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Moving to Los Angeles was one of the toughest decisions I have ever had to make. It had always been my dream, but was so hard to leave all my friends and family back home in NYC!

Now being here for the past 7 months I never want to leave.

I am a regular at Tartine! They have the best baked goods and it’s an amazing spot to get some work done during the day.

On the weekends you can catch me at the beach in Malibu, eating sushi at Katana, and sipping on lychee martinis at Nobu.

I am your basic LA girl and enjoy my smoothies from Erewhon, shopping at Century City, or taking a hot yoga class at Heated Room.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people and experiences I have had along the way which credit to my success within the industry. There are countless people who have taken a chance on me. When I heard so many “no’s” that one “yes “meant everything to me! But through and through I have had the most incredible and supportive friends who continue to believe in me even when I don’t always believe in myself. On the days that I want to give up, it is my friends that believe in me that keeps me going.

Instagram: @caitlyn_mayyy

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlyn-murray-86211579/