Rising Stars: Meet Christina Anderson of Denver

How did fashion school shape you?

Fashion school felt more like a history lesson and a study in human behavior. I learned how to bring plans to life, understand the journeys of creatives who paved the way, research obsessively until I found answers, and speak confidently and knowledgeably on subjects without notes.

I learned that you have to ask for the experiences you want.

Many people won’t take you seriously, but the right ones will recognize your devotion, see your calling, and offer you opportunities to grow and ascend naturally together.

I’m grateful for the insight into designers and retailers who perfected their craft and created opportunities for future creatives like myself.

It made me feel like I could also make history, or at least make a difference in my own way by fusing my skills and interests into a thoughtfully curated life.

What was your first experience with runway?

Through a club at school, I was offered a chance to work backstage at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

I later used what I learned from that experience to organize and run my own runway shows with Denver-based designers. I am lucky to have been able to provide a platform for designers just debuting their brands.

Watching their journeys unfold and knowing I helped with their success is the most rewarding feeling.

I’m committed to spotlighting fellow creatives and uplifting them to go higher.

It’s a core belief of mine and something I continually practice.

You started your styling career with Free People. What was that like?

While studying fashion, I was hired to help open some of the first Free People locations in Texas. Assisting with displays, décor crafting, and seasonal installs always felt celebratory.

I was managed by a powerful team of women who nurtured my strengths and sought opportunities for me to grow within the brand. I was promoted to senior stylist in recognition of the personalized shopping experiences I provided, which allowed me to focus more deeply on client relationships and social media marketing. Ignited by that experience, I transferred to the University of Houston to study public relations, and I began planning photoshoots, styling looks, shooting flat lays, and photographing my coworkers. I was given all access to merchandise and social platforms, and trusted to bring my own creative visions to life from my own interpretation of the brand.

How did your experience at Neiman Marcus and working in Dallas shape your evolution as a commercial photography stylist?

Working in the Neiman Marcus Photography studio was surreal.

My styling career truly elevated in Dallas.

At JCPenney headquarters, I learned the process of commercial photography in just four weeks right on the edge of lockdown.

I was packaging racks of garments to ship to Los Angeles until the moment COVID was announced.

Later that year, I got a text from my agent asking if I could “come into NM studio.”

I was unboxing unannounced Hermès collaborations, shaping handles of a Bottega Veneta handbag that would later sell out in every colorway, and corresponding directly with Céline Paris to confirm how they preferred shoelaces to be styled for their branding.

I also helped with set decisions, painted props, and assisted in shaping campaign imagery. Working at the Neiman Marcus Senior Photography studio remains a highlight of my career, not only because I studied them in fashion school, but because I’ve always admired the deep roots of Texas history and its intertwined intersection with fashion.

I have endless admiration for Neiman’s and I’m grateful for everything I absorbed and contributed in studio with their creative teams.

How did your experience at Michaels Crafts shape your skills and approach?

Michaels Crafts was another studio where I absorbed many valuable lessons. Creating aspirational holiday sets and installing décor fostered an unmatched sense of nostalgia among my teams.

Hunting down seasonal candy, florals, and fruit three months before they were in season taught me how to create magic under pressure and prepared me for the challenge of making the impossible happen in this industry.

Why Denver?

I relocated to Denver with the intention of working closely with indie brands.

Uplifting them with everything I had learned from large retailers and small businesses alike. It’s important to me to immerse myself fully in a brand’s identity prior to reflecting on how to bring myself into it and grow together.

I’m proud to say I’ve collaborated with every local designer I admire, and I’m honored that so many in the community trust me to help in realizing their vision.

Fashion entrepreneurs are exactly my people.

You’ve collaborated with a band signed to Born Losers Records as well. How did that begin?

Rich Balling, the founder of Handmade Birds Records, is my mentor and close friend.

A large point of pride for me has been collaborating with people I admire. I grew up listening to his band, The Sound of Animals Fighting, in the indie/hardcore scene, so working with him has been deeply meaningful. We started meeting at The Joule’s tea room to review marketing materials for a tour, where I gave feedback on promotional images and social presence from a fashion perspective. When he was conceptualizing the launch of a new project, Hospital Gown, he asked me to manage it with him. That felt natural, like my potential was fully seen.

From planning music videos and wardrobe, to wrapping models in cellophane inside an abandoned mall on the Texas-Oklahoma border, our collaboration has been otherworldly.

Music and fashion overlap for me, both are my world.

What’s your earliest fashion memory?

My earliest memory of fashion traces back to a dress-up chest my mom created for me, filled with vintage costumes and accessories that we would find together. My favorite piece was a mocha-brown lace fringe shawl that had belonged to my aunt. Every time I put it on, I felt transformed. It wasn’t just dress-up, it was the origin of learning to tell stories through clothing.