Meet Allyssa Phillips | Personal Stylist and Designer

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

Hi Allyssa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started Styled By Lys partly out of necessity due to the cost of living being so high and my corporate job not paying nearly enough to cover that, and partly because its something I have always loved and been good at.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started my career at an early age making sure all my Barbies were always well dressed.
My very first client was my mom. She started taking me shopping with her at department stores when I was 5, and I would run around the store picking out outfits for her.
Growing up all my friends would come to see my closet and borrow my clothes. I was called “fashion girl” in high school, and my senior superlative was “Best Dressed.”
I have always had a love for clothing, so going to Savannah College of Art and Design for college seemed like the most logical choice.
​After earning my BFA in Fashion Design, my first job was working as a designer at a garment factory in Bangladesh. I spent 2 years living in Asia, and then moved to NYC. I continued working in design for 7 years in New York, and then finally made my way down to Charleston.
I have been working full time as a designer for 14 years, but working in the fashion industry has never been easy. It’s cut throat, long hours, low pay, and unless it’s your own brand you never really get to make what you truly want.
This made me decide to branch out and start my own personal styling business. It has been the most fun and rewarding challenge. I love teaching clients how to dress for their body type, choose items or styles they may have never thought to pick out for themselves, and see how confident they become through the whole process.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Charleston has great food, and I happen to be a big foodie, so we would definitely be eating a lot! I absolutely love Asian food from living there, so Jackrabbit Filly, King BBQ, and Kultura would be must visits. La Pizzeria is such a cute and dliecious authentic Italian place in Mount Pleasant. We would have to go to 167 Raw for some really good seafood, and for something a little different definitely dinner at R Kitchen with their surprise, ever changing menu. Also would have to stop at Shem Creek for some drinks at sunset, shopping along King St is a must, and walking around the Battery to see all the beautiful historic houses.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would say there are 3 people that are worth dedicating this to; My mom Lori, she always allowed me to be creative and encourage me to pursue my dreams in fashion. My high school fashion teacher Ann Granzow, who taught me all I know about sewing and made classes just for me to be able to continue to do what I loved all 4 years of high school. My boyfriend John, who as a small business owner himself has been very helpful with advice and support answering of all my questions I had getting a new business started.

Website: https://www.styledbylys.com

Instagram: styled.by_lys

Linkedin: Allyssa Phillips

Other: See all our reviews by googling us “Styled By Lys”

Image Credits
These are all my images