Meha Bhargava of Styl.Inc shares her story with SHEROES today

Fashion / personal stylist and image consultant Meha Bhargava of Styl.Inc talks to us about a career in this field and shares her thoughts on starting up. 

Tell us about yourself      

I studied at NIFT, New Delhi and pursued a Diploma in Image Consulting from the Istituto Marangoni, Milan, Conselle Insitute of Image Management,U.S.A and Potenxia Unlimited, Singapore. I am a fashion / personal stylist and an image consultant by education and a grooming and Communication Skills expert by inheritance.

I have worked with the likes of Priyanka Misra, Fashion director of Harper's Bazaar, NDTV as a fashion stylist and with Judith Rasband as an assistant Image Consultant in the past...

How and why did you venture into the field of Image consulting?

I was practicing Fashion Styling prior to this, and started looking at distinctive ways and means to style different celebrities I was working with. This made me realize there was more to fashion styling than what actually meets the eye. Image Consulting found me then, showing me the science behind the dressing (styling) as per body shape, best suited colours and personality / style. What was more intriguing was the clubbing of body language and etiquette, grooming and communication skills, which in a way I was instilled with from childhood. So basically this field gave me wings to fly and venture into something, which I naturally possessed, and simply honed my skills in.

Tell us the story behind your venture Styl.Inc ?

Image Consulting was a very new field when I started in August 2012. Its parallel to Fashion Styling and its manifold elements in grooming a person physically and mentally struck a cord with me and I knew it was my calling, hence followed my training and establishing my own company. We had our share of struggles educating the masses on what we actually did, but slowly the market is warming up to us and now we help people from all walks of life, giving them a sense of confidence in the way they dress and in turn how they feel, act and how others react to them.

As an entrepreneur in this field, what are the top 3 things that inspire you every day and top 3 challenges you face?

1. Since, we are in the nascent stage the thing that inspires me is to be a source of inspiration to those who are just starting
2. To be able to deliver excellence and make a difference to each client
3. Reaching out to skilled students, business officials who are in dire need of all our programs to not only make them presentable in the global market but also to sharpen the way they walk the talk.

??Everyday is a challenge, every client/company posseses different challenges that we must equip ourselves to tackle. Since we never had a godfather/mother or anyone to look up to, dealing with day-to-day business becomes a challenge sometimes. 

What is a typical day at work like for you?

We usually work with clients in their homes or offices, or take workshops/seminars for different MNC’s. If not then we are busy updating ourselves on the new developments in our industry. We believe, it is a mark of great humility to observe your competitors work and applaud them for it, so we go about doing that too. 

What future plans do you have for yourself professionally in the next 5 years?

I see a good future for Image Consulting in the coming years. We aspire to help as many we can in the coming years, and of course hope to be growing as a brand, as a business and as individuals.

What would you tell women aspiring to enter this field of work?

Image consulting is a far more flexible industry to work in, depending on what you are willing to dedicate. You can work for as much and as little as possible. You can demand your own rates, your own hours and choose your own clientele (Men, Women, Children or Corporates). As a start up you can even start from home with minimal expense. Work is never boring as each client is different. All you need is a good and proper education, flare for creativity and an opportunity to work with the masters to understand the trade. If you have those the industry is your arena waiting for you to show your prowess.