Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachael Russell Saiger.
Rachael, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started my career in New York where I worked at Conde Nast, in the styling department for Vogue. When I moved back to Miami, I signed with FORD as an artist and since signed with Wilhelmina in NY/LA, as well as working as an independent Creative Consultant for brands, local and international magazines, catalogs, commercials, content, and advertising campaigns.
I am holding a BA in Marketing from Johnson & Wales University, studied Fashion Merchandising at Miami International University of Art & Design as well as attending Fashion Styling courses at the prestigious Domus Academy in Milan, Italy.
Currently, I am the Fashion Director of Miansai, where I handle creative strategizing, photoshoot production and styling, as well as oversees PR, events and strategic initiatives. In addition, I am the Founder & President of Style Saves, a non-profit that provides new uniforms, clothing, shoes, accessories and prescription glasses to underprivileged students internationally. The mission is to unite fashion and philanthropy.
I was looking for an impactful way to use my background and creativity. We started in 2011 with a fashion fundraising event, which turned out to be very successful. So from there, we started the programming for kids in need, which includes Back to School events, Proms and International business trips to areas in need. For example, we grew from 50 to 5000 kids for our yearly Back to School event.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the struggles were trying to connect all the dots and getting the students what they needed. My work at Style Saves is not something that I studied, so I didn’t have any mentors that I could reach out to or ask for advice. I was just a 23-year old trying to navigate a charity organization in a correct and legal manner.
Style Saves – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Style Saves began with the idea to unite fashion with philanthropy. Combining a talented, diverse community with a shared love for humanitarianism, the organization aimed at inspiring a fresh generation of movers and shakers.
Together with our fashion fundraisers, we host yearly events for the kids, including Project Prom, Back to School, a Holiday party, as well as trips to disaster areas to make sure people in those areas have everything they need. So what really sets us apart is our charity through fashion concept and to find a way people can identify themselves to feel inspired to get involved and to give back.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
We have been doubling in growth each year which I am happy to see but I am proud to be able to help more and more kids from different areas. For example, after the hurricane in Haiti, we went to a rural area outside of Port-au-Prince to make sure they have everything they need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stylesaves.org/
- Email: info@stylesaves.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stylesaves
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StyleSaves
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/stylesaves
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