Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenisha Smith.
Hi Kenisha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey as a wardrobe stylist really dates back to 2016, when I was a student at the University of Houston. I founded FAB, the Fashion and Business Organization, to connect students who loved fashion and wanted to explore careers in the industry.
Not long after, a few of us put together a fashion photoshoot, and I ended up styling the models without even realizing that’s what I was doing. I literally pulled clothes, shoes, jewelry, and accessories from my own closet, which meant the models had to be a size 4 or 6 because that was all I had! Looking back, that was really my first styling project.
After college, I launched a clothing boutique and had a space inside a pop-up concept at the Houston Galleria. I thought retail would be my path into fashion until a friend suggested that I become a stylist. I honestly didn’t even know what a stylist did at the time. She introduced me to the work of Rachel Zoe, and once I started researching the industry, something clicked.
Before pursuing it, I started talking to businesswomen in Houston about their wardrobes and whether they would hire someone to help with their personal style. The response was overwhelmingly yes. That gave me the confidence to take the idea seriously.
I went on to earn my Image Consulting certification from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and officially launched my styling business in 2020. Today, through Kenni Style Agency, I work with private clients, executives, physicians, business leaders, and entrepreneurs in Houston and across the country, both virtually and in person.
In August 2026, I made the decision to become a full-time stylist. It’s amazing to think that something that started with me pulling clothes from my own closet for two friends has grown into a career and business I never imagined for myself. I’m still building, but I’m excited to see where it goes next.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, the road has definitely not always been smooth. One of my biggest challenges early on was building relationships with brands, retailers, and showrooms that could support the level of service I wanted to provide my clients.
There were times when I was sourcing pieces for paying clients and simply couldn’t get a response. I remember working with one showroom to pull pieces for a client, and eventually the communication just stopped. Emails and texts went unanswered, but I still had a client depending on me to deliver. Experiences like that could make me feel overlooked within the industry, especially while I was still establishing my reputation.
That challenge was part of what pushed me to explore New York and Florida, markets where fashion and styling were more embedded in the culture. I wanted greater exposure to the industry, stronger brand relationships, and opportunities to continue developing professionally. I was also pursuing my MBA during that time because I wanted to continue strengthening myself as a business owner.
Moving into new markets came with its own challenges, but it also allowed me to make connections, experience the industry differently, and become clearer about the kinds of partnerships I wanted to build.
Today, many of the brand and retail relationships I once struggled to establish are becoming an important part of my business. I’m now having opportunities to work alongside retailers and brands in ways I had been trying to create for years.
So no, it hasn’t been smooth, but those experiences made me more resourceful, persistent, and intentional about the business I wanted to build.
We’ve been impressed with Kenni Style Agency, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Kenni Style Agency is a wardrobe styling and image consulting agency for women who love fashion and want to take their personal style further. A lot of my clients already have great taste. They enjoy clothes, they know what they like, and they recognize great style when they see it. What they’re looking for is someone to help them develop that eye even further; to show them how to create better outfits, explore fashion differently, and become more confident in their own ability to style themselves.
Many of the women I work with are businesswomen, executives, physicians, entrepreneurs, and leaders who carry a certain level of responsibility in their professional lives. There can be so many unspoken rules around what women in those positions are “supposed” to look like, and I don’t believe being polished or professional should mean losing your personality. My job is actually to bring more of you into the wardrobe.
I love introducing whimsy, glamour, interesting silhouettes, trends, unexpected accessories, and contemporary elements in ways that still feel polished and appropriate for my client’s life. One of the things my clients tell me often is that I challenge them. I’ll encourage them to try something they wouldn’t have chosen themselves or show them a completely different way to put a look together. I want them to have more fun with fashion while still feeling like themselves.
I think another thing that sets me apart is my business background. Before becoming a full-time stylist, much of my professional career was spent in sales and client relations, working directly with executives, CEOs, and business leaders, including within Fortune 100, technology, and financial environments. I understand many of the spaces my clients are navigating because I’ve worked in them. I know how to communicate with them, understand the demands on their time, and meet the level of service and professionalism they expect.
From a creative standpoint, I’m probably most proud of the eye I’ve developed over the years. My work has a certain polish to it. I love things that feel modern, elevated, and clean, but I never want them to feel boring. I love finding that balance between polish and creativity, and I think that has become a signature of Kenni Style Agency.
Ultimately, I don’t just want to shop for my clients or create beautiful outfits for them. I want them to develop their own eye, understand why an outfit works, and become better at styling themselves. I want them to walk away more stylish, more expressive, and excited about getting dressed.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I absolutely consider myself a risk-taker, but most of the risks I’ve taken have come from believing there was something greater on the other side of what was comfortable.
One of the biggest was leaving Houston and moving to New York and later to Florida. At the time, I was balancing my styling business with my career in sales. I had spent years working in corporate and tech sales and saved about $30,000, which gave me the financial cushion to take a chance on myself.
My goal was to experience new markets, build stronger relationships within the fashion industry, grow my business, and continue developing professionally while pursuing my MBA. What I didn’t anticipate was how difficult it would be to essentially start over.
I struggled to find professional opportunities that matched what I had built in Texas while also trying to establish my styling business without the network and client relationships I had in Houston. I still had clients working with me, but my business wasn’t generating at the same level, and I was living largely from the savings I had worked so hard to build.
Eventually, that $30,000 was gone, and while living in Florida, I faced homelessness. That was when the word “risk” became very real for me. I had savings, experience, an education, paying clients, and a plan; and despite all of that, things still didn’t work out the way I expected.
Eventually, I had to decide whether to keep forcing the original plan or recognize what my circumstances were telling me. I chose to return to Houston, where I already had clients, relationships, and people actively seeking my services.
In hindsight, coming home wasn’t the failure of the risk. It was part of it. I returned with more clarity about myself and my business, and I realized I didn’t have to prove its potential by succeeding somewhere else.
I still take risks today, but I think about them differently. I’m willing to bet on myself, but I’m also willing to pivot. Sometimes taking a risk isn’t just having the courage to start; it’s having the courage to change direction when the original plan no longer makes sense.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kennistyleagency.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennistyleagency/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kennistyleagency
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kennistyleagency
- Other: https://kennistyleagency.hbportal.co/schedule/6a6125babfca47a609ebc321
