Cristina Pimentel, class of 2009, is the owner, brains and spirit behind The Fuschia Files (www.thefuschiafiles.com) – a wardrobe styling and consulting business. The business, she said, “was born out of the need for real women to be connected to the higher version of themselves at all times.”
Her enthusiasm for her work and her mission is indeed inspiring and she credits much of her success to The Greater Lawrence Technical School.
“My time at the ‘Voke’ was invaluable and opened the door to everything for me,” Pimentel said. “I have to say that any strides I’ve made is because of the staff at GLTS. They just wanted me to grow so badly! I went into that school with a goal, and everyone I encountered there helped me reach that goal.”
Born and raised on Prospect Street in Lawrence, Cristina was the only girl in her family. Her mother Ramia and father, Cesar, had three sons – all of whom are named Cesar! Her parents always encouraged her passion. “I was blessed, I always knew that I wanted to do this so I always kept my eye on the prize. Since I was a child, I knew I was going to graduate high school and move to New York. I knew I was going to be in magazines and make magazines and dress people so that they feel fabulous like I do.”
“When I was a child I would sketch on the back of my mother’s pay stubs and when I entered 7th grade I discovered how to put scissors to sweaters, jeans and t-shirts. My mom would get so upset, she’d find pieces of clothing that she’d just bought me hidden in the back of my closet,” Cristina laughs.
The decision of where to go for high school was an easy one – GLTS still had a fashion program then. “We learned how to create patterns, how to create mood boards. We learned how to sketch and how to sew. We learned how to source fabric and learned the history of designers. It was a wonderful, wonderful program.”
When asked who her favorite teacher is, Cristina gasps, “Kathy Howe fought so hard with me for the entire time I was in school because she saw that this was in me and then she’d see my grades. She was so, so supportive.”
After graduation Cristina headed to the Big Apple where she was accepted at The Arts Institute. She started working at NBC Studios styling on-air personalities and she really found her calling. It wasn’t designing clothes, but styling women that she wanted to do.
She answered an ad on Craigslist from a stylist looking for an assistant and Cristina got the job. “She fell in love with my brute persistence. I just wanted to know and learn and do everything. I interned with her for about six months and she exposed me to all her fashion contacts.”
That position led to an internship at Glamour magazine where she did everything from taking out the trash to doing “pulls” at Saks Fifth Avenue. After Glamour it was on to InStyle Magazine where she continued pulling clothes and putting together outfits for shoots, commercials and fashion spreads. “I was completely involved with that world and it was delicious!”
Soon, Cristina was the stylist at a small luxury boutique in Soho with a very well-heeled clientele. “They’d spend a thousand dollars on a pair of jeans. I was there for three years and where I learned the art of styling real women instead of models. Real women who had real bodies and real lives – and sometimes real budgets.”
Pimental has moved back to the area to get her newest venture off the ground. In addition to wardrobe and styling consultations, she also offers workshops to younger women who are starting off in the real world.
“I was blessed to be allowed to really explore my look and my life. My form of forging my own path was through style. I was not scared to mix prints and patterns. It’s important for young girls to find their own voice in everything they do, whether it’s clothes or school or cake…” she laughs. “Find your own taste in everything. It’s absolutely allowed and appreciated!”
Last year Cristina added yet another feather to her cap. Target Corporation hired her to do the merchandising for their stores in Boston and the North Shore. Three times a week she heads in and jazzes up their mannequins and clothing displays.
Pimentel’s long term goal is to create content that can be published in magazines and in books. She wants to educate women and men on how they can feel amazing at any budget and any age. “I want to be able to take her knack for styling on a very viral level. I want to be able to influence anyone’s closet, anywhere!”
Cristina laughs again. “It’s hard work but it’s awesome to live your dream!”