Amy Grace Winn, Owner & Style Director
Fashion is something that resonates throughout your life.
It is amazing how a special pair of shoes or the simplest of dresses can capture a certain moment. One’s wedding day is proof that a dress, made up of the purest color, can possess the power of a lifetime of dreams. I love the idea that fashion can express feelings inside of oneself that cannot be conveyed so easily through words.
My English education at the University of San Diego has helped me learn a new way to vocalize and write what I feel and understand. But my true education began with my internships at the Elite magazine, Harper’s Bazaar in New York City, and my PR background at the San Diego based J Public Relations. These were the arenas where I found my sincere passion in life: working with people and fashion.
I decided to start up my own styling company when I worked for Nordstrom in La Jolla, CA. It was here that I met a San Diego client in need of a fashion consultant. As I developed more relationships with my customers, I wanted to extend my service beyond my localized environment. I realized that fashion is not about how you look, but how you feel. Working in retail opened my eyes to the emotional connection of fashion between women and men everywhere. For me, fashion has always been my best friend, my second nature, my expression of self, my identity. When working with customers who struggled with their own appearance or understanding of themselves, I felt a magnetic force drawing me to them. It was as if I had the power to introduce a new idea in the form of a fresh ensemble that could open their eyes to the infinite avenues of expression through color and fit.
I can honestly say that I got the best feeling when a woman down on herself– maybe for weight gain, a breakup, or bad day — came in with a sullen disposition and left not only with a bag full of new clothes but also a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. Those were my favorite days. It wasn’t work; it was more a feeling of accomplishment… like maybe I had helped my customer feel great — and it made me feel great.
The inspiration to create Grace Styling came from the idea that I could help someone completely change their mind about the way they viewed themselves and give them a new sense of identity. It is custom in my mother’s family that each firstborn girl has the name Grace, and this is my representation of the tradition: my gift to the world, my passion, my hope that I can give something back and create a new understanding of the capacity that fashion encompasses. I invite you to enter this world of wonder and let grace and peace be with you always.