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My name is Belinda Reid and I hail from Newark, NJ but I was primarily raised in Phoenix, AZ. My interest in fashion, music, and food were cultivated at an early age. As a teen, almost 6 ft. tall and fairly thin, I contemplated a career in modeling. I gravitated towards the fashion industry enticed by models like Iman and Naomi Campbell. However, my strict Islamic upbringing caused that dream to be deferred. I never lost my passion for modeling, but I realized I would rather work with my love of fashion in another form; Styling.
While attending a community college, I worked as an intern at Vibe Magazine. At Vibe, I assisted the New Media Coordinator, Reggie Miller with various assignments – from styling models at fashion shows, to assisting the lead coordinator at talent showcases, to the set-up of room-sets at photo shoots. My interaction with high profile celebrity clients was ongoing, so professionalism was a fundamental principal – working with celebrities like Kimora Lee Simmons to Miguel A. Núñez, Jr.
I also worked closely with photographer, Dwayne Shaw. As a general assistant, my elegant range of style, appreciation to detail and genuine gift to connect well with clients made me a vital asset to projects. My ability to be eclectic yet maintain consistent quality and a distinct point of view allowed me to remain notable amongst past clients. Merging each client’s individual style, vision, and direction with my own aesthetics enhanced my styling technique even further.
Furthermore, my ability to extract contrasts from the garment selection – hard and soft, organic and metallic – illuminates the beauty and the unique features of each piece. My unflinching instincts for style and my open-minded approach, as well as my focused work ethic brought a refined appeal to each assignment. I gained practical skills and experience from being involved on numerous makeovers, set design, and art direction, relating to fashion and beauty shoots.
I remained in awe of the detailed craftsmanship of fashion’s finest labels so I continued styling upcoming artists. I pursued and maintained relationships putting looks together for friends and associates. In addition, I continued to assist various photographers with shoots in their studios. I was always aware that I wanted more from the industry than just assisting and styling on the side.
So in June 2011, I launched my own styling agency, Mkuu Styling. My niche is to offer the ultimate styling experience to my clients, from head to toe. I aligned herself with celebrity hair stylist/ salon owner “Za Lola”, Jamillah Sherman and various industry make-up artists. My target customer is one who needs styling services for various reasons, from a movie premiere/ celebrity party to a charity event/ gala or even new attire for a shift in employment. Mkuu aspires to style women and men from youth to seniors. I aim to dedicate my abilities and talents toward create stunning and unforgettable looks in addition to meeting all of her clients styling needs – basically, offering the ultimate styling experience from head to toe.