Community Highlights: Meet Jessica Montour of Fashion Forward

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Montour.

Hi Jessica, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
After living and working in corporate for 15 years I decided to venture out to New York Fashion Week for a little hiatus. This experience opened my eyes to all the moving parts actively working in fashion. I knew at that moment at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan that there was a space for me in this industry. I have always loved fashion, fashion magazines, and the runway. As a young child, I would edit people’s wardrobes and often change my own outfit several times a day. Fashion and style are my forms of art and creative expression.

After taking a full dive in 2014 as an entrepreneur, business owner, and wardrobe consultant I have been able to grow as an authority in the industry. I have a full book of clients that keep me busy shopping and styling. It is a dream come true to be able to work with individuals to help them find their style voice and move towards a more authentic version of themselves from the inside out and from the outside in.

In addition to working with my clients, I have hosted a number of events including runway shows, pop-up shops, and photo shoots, and have had the opportunity to work with international brands as their ambassador. It is true what they say, “do what you love and never work a day in your life”.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Entrepreneurship and business ownership are never easy and can be unrewarding, especially in the beginning. My biggest hurdle was the fact that I had zero social media presence when I started and knew nothing about the platforms. I had to take a crash course, dive in, learn how the platforms were different from each other, create content, try to understand what the audience wanted, and figure out how it could potentially support my services. It was a lot.

This was the most challenging part of the start-up for me. Just as soon as I would feel comfortable there was another platform launched and another platform launched. Social media takes so much time and feels like a black hole at times but once I was committed and started to really engage with my content and be consistent things started to flow.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The main objective of any personal shopping experience is to discover the clothing and accessories which best represent that person. As a Wardrobe Guru, I am here to help my clients do just that, by materializing the style they’ve always dreamed of.

The very word “guru” means to shed light. I have been professionally shedding light on wardrobes since 2014. Whether they are considering a stylish design for an elegant night out, or a wardrobe to get through the seasons, every style session revolves around what works for them and their own taste.

The clothing a person wears sends a message about their personality; it is a way to show others who they are and what they are all about. A carefully selected wardrobe can speak volumes before one even says a word. Fashion Forward was created to streamline an individual’s style and reflect their own unique individuality.

What does success mean to you?
I define success on a spectrum of happiness and being a “full” life. Life is too short to wake up every morning and not feel whole. The moment this fashion business feels like work is the day I walk away.

Pricing:

• Closet Purge and Organization $650
• Closet Purge Only $325
• Wardrobe Styling $325
• Personal Shopping $325

Contact Info:

• Website: www.fash-fwd.com
• Instagram: @fashfwd
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/fwdfash
• Twitter: @fwdfash
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@thewardrobeguru7808
• Other: https://x-default-stgec.uplynk.com/ausw/slices/ed8/0e3a3b3bc3ae4d6eac785fb8a26bdb6b/ed85fa050bb94bea88ca8b9e970c2e74/ed85fa050bb94bea88ca8b9e970c2e74_e.mp4 

Image Credits
Teddy Gomez (Xposer Photography)