Laura Kiechle - wardrobe stylist | by Autumn Thatcher

Style is the difference, a way of doing, a way of being done. –Charles Bukowski, “Style.”

Laura Kiechle is one of those people who you see walking down the street and know she’s got it. She has flair and confidence, and oozes personality. You want to hate her just a little bit but then you hear her speak and realize that she’s just as charming as she appears. 

Growing up, the style aficionado spent hours studying fashion magazines and analyzing the outfits worn by models. She began to see clothing as an expression, and by the time she could speak, knew enough about appreciating style that she would compliment well-dressed people in the grocery store as a little girl. 

Today, the 28-year-old wardrobe stylist has extended beyond studying style to creating it. She goes behind the scenes and dresses models, dancers, and even has some big-name celebrities under her styling belt. She chalks her skills up to being an extremely visual person.

“My whole life, I have looked at what people wore in terms of what they are trying to say with their clothing. It was natural to reverse that fascination and use clothing as a medium to create,” says Kiechle. 

A bachelor degree holder in Literature from Sarah Lawrence, Kiechle’s path to success within the fashion industry was completely self-navigated. She used her ambition to achieve great feats and to identify opportunities for herself within the realm of styling. 

“In fashion, you have to start on the lowest rung of the ladder and ascend through a hierarchy. There’s no short cut; there’s no replacing the experience that comes with the time spent as an intern, then as an assistant,” Kiechle explains.  

Her proactive nature led to offering free work for 14-hour days to stylists she admired, to working her way up to being paid, and eventually to being recruited for huge events and styling celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Jessica Alba, Kanye West, and Amy Poehler (to name a few) in a variety of capacities. The Utah native spent 10 years studying and working within the world of wardrobe styling, learning from the industry’s best. Her work has made appearances in Utah, Oregon, New York, Los Angeles, and Spain. Motivated by the concept of loving where you work and a commitment to her own happiness, Kiechle returned to Salt Lake in December of 2014, where she continues to inspire great style and collaborate with photographers, makeup artists, hairstylists, and models. 

“Every piece of the puzzle is working together to make a final product we can all be proud of,” Kiechle says.

She finds inspiration in street photographers who capture the way real people wear clothing, and enjoys shopping local at places like White Elephant Exchange, Uptown Cheapskate, and Unhinged Boutique. When attempting to define style, Kiechle points to “Style,” a poem by Charles Bukowski. She believes that truly stylish people are true to themselves.

“They are unafraid to take risks and have a sense of playfulness about life and it shows in their clothing. Just looking at them you know what they are wearing is making them happy,” says Kiechle. 

For those who wish to have a better sense of style, Kiechle offers some advice:

“Give yourself permission to buy and wear the things that truly speak to you. Also, get yourself a good tailor. All bodies are different and it’s not very expensive to get your clothes custom fit.” 

Check out Laura's work at: laurakiechle.com