1. For those who may not know you, or what you do, tell us about yourself.
"Im Maryam Bell, Im a bi-coastal baby grew up in Cali and New York, Im a stylist, fashion enthusiast, and people lover."
2. With art, music, and fashion be a major contribution to our inspiration, what inspired you to create Your Street Stylist?"I was inspired to create the site based on my philosophy of why I wanted to become a stylist in the first place. I believe that the way you dress has a connection to the way you feel. when you look good( or you feel that you do) you feel good, it affects the way you walk, talk and carry yourself. For lack of a better word your "swag" or persona shines. I called the site your street stylist because i want to be every ones go to girl when it comes to style. Of course I want to style celebs, but I also want to impact the everyday people and have them benefit from my craft, knowledge and love for fashion. I want to make the world fly, one block at a time, hence the name "Street Stylist."
3. One attribute all stylist have, is the ability to critique others work. With that said, whose your favorite stylist at this point and why?
"I have three (one is too hard, thats like having one pair of shoes!) They are Mariel Haenn, June Ambrose, and Renaldo Nehemiah. Mariel is Rhianna's stylist. She's been my current fave for a while because I feel like her work embodies what I think a stylist is supposed to do for their clients. She took Rhianna's look and enhanced what she already had, she brought out and helped develop her personal style, basically turned the girl into an fashion icon. The second person is consistently making moves in the styling game, a young guy, Renaldo, I admire his versatility because he can style anyone, men, women, high fashion, rappers, R&b singers, the whole gambit. He also has a tremendous passion for styling and fashion and you can really see it in his work. June Ambrose is one of the main reasons I decided to pursue styling, to me she is the original celebrity stylist.I saw her on Oprah and heard he story and it truly inspired me. She KNOWS her stuff, educated, business savvy, a designer, to me she is everything."
4. What career goals, and dreams are you aiming to accomplish in the near and distant future?
"Well my goal for the site is to be a valuable resource when it comes to fashion, I want it to be one of the first places you think of when you want to know what to wear and what to buy, or even need a little fashion advice. Career wise I def want one consistent client (perf a celeb) by my 25th birthday. At the end of the day in the distant future I want to be a respected professional in this field. I want to become a brand and have my work all over the world, and in turn give back by finding a way to empower young people through fashion."
5. If you found yourself sitting inside a limousine awaiting to walk the red carpet, what would you be wearing?
"Halson dress, Christian Louboutin Shoes, Bijoux Heart Jewelry, JUDITH LEIBER clutch (google it.)"
6. When would you say your love for fashion became an obsession?
"When I was in elementary school about the 4th grade my mom (finally!!) allowed me to dress my self for school, Up until then we would have creative differences in what I wanted to wear and what she wanted to see me in. At least 3 times a week it was a discussion. So when I finally got the freedom to do it all on my own..I went IN! I would coordinate my outfits down to the socks! Hats matched belts, mixed prints and patterns I was in heaven! I fell in love with the whole process of getting dressed. To this day it takes me forever to get ready, because that's the part I enjoy the most. From then on I fell in love with fashion."
7. Your first blog entry was titled "Who Is Rachel Zoe" and it was actually posted before her show "The Rachel Zoe Project." What kind of inspiration does she have on you and your style?
"SIDEBAR! ( You do your research! love it) Rachel Zoe is an inspiration to me because of her passion and enthusiasm for what she does.She really goes above and beyond for her clients. Her attention to detail is impeccable paired with her knowledge makes her work really stand out. I enjoy the way she incorporates accessories in her looks that are daring (shes really big on that.) She has influenced my style by inspiring me to take risks with my own style by wearing colors and cuts that I may not have worn normally."
8. Your perfect day would consist of:
"Waking up & Breakfast (I LOVE BREAKFAST), the rest is up to the powers that be...."
9. Dreams are only dreams until we put forth an effort to make them reality. How do you plan on changing your dreams to reality?
"The first thing that comes to mind was commitment and hard work. I believe that what you put out is what you will get back. I made a vision board and it took me a really long time to make one. At first i thought it was kind of corny and didn't work, my mother and my sisters kept telling me to make one. So finally on day i did. It was probably one of the smartest things I could have done. the vision board is a contract with yourself and the universe. You have to commit to achieve the things you want in life, what better way than to put them down on paper? Secondly is the hard work. There is no other formula that I have seen in history that has worked better than hard work. Everyone that I have ever admired or wanted to be like didn't get to where they were without it. Hard work to me means always learning, applying what I learn and challenging myself to be better than the best. All of my role models have used handwork in their formula to better themselves, their craft, and their community. And that's exactly what I want to be...BETTER, from good, plain old, Grade A, pure, unfiltered HARD WORK."
10. What are your thoughts of sidashford.com?
"Dope! like Louboutins with the Red Bottoms..."
Sid Ashford: You can check out Maryam's site HERE and also follow her on Twitter!
