Today we’d like to introduce you to Amadi Brooks.
Hi Amadi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Douglasville, GA where basketball and creative expression was a big focus in my household. One of my dad’s favorite mottos was “When you look good, you feel good, you play good.” As a family, we always did just that… played our ass off on the court & dressed to impress with what we had.
I attended Eastern Kentucky University on a full-ride basketball scholarship. There I earned my bachelor’s degree in Apparel Design & Merchandising with a focus in Visual Merchandising and a master’s in Sports Administration.
I knew I wanted a career where I could combine my love of both sports and fashion. Post college I worked with the Atlanta Hawks while also working as a part-time stylist assistant for Model Atelier designer Robin Harris. As a styling assistant, I had my first experience styling professional athletes at the 2019 WNBA All-Star Weekend. From that moment, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do. The next step in my career took me to West Palm Beach, Florida where I moved on to a role as an executive assistant in the sports industry. Through that role, I gained a lot of experience and had opportunities to work as a stylist on campaigns with brands such as Nike, Nintendo, and Away.
Fast forward to the beginning of 2022, I took the leap and officially launched Amadi B. Styling; officially opening my books as a full-time personal stylist and wardrobe consultant. As a fashion stylist, I’ve worked with powerhouses in the sports industry from Serena Williams to LaChina Robinson, Chloe Pavlech and more.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I believe any journey has its peaks and valleys. Having to transition from my goals of becoming a professional athlete after a career-ending injury was a struggle not only physically but mentally as well. There was a major internal shift that had to take place for me to find the same fire off the court that I had on the court.
College was a balancing act. I had to work part-time retail jobs to earn internship hours towards my degree while balancing the full-time job of being a DI student-athlete. Throughout graduate school and even post-college, I had multiple jobs and side hustles to afford the ability to still work in sports and pursue a career in fashion. At that time gaining experience and growing my network was more important to me than finances. Not only did I work in retail, but I also worked as a substitute teacher, a referee, a gym front desk manager, a Jr. Hawks basketball coach and simultaneously took custom orders for my artwork and jackets that I make in my spare time. In other words, I was determined to make it work and I knew something would shake. Along my journey, I was fortunate enough to have family, mentors, and a network in my corner that wanted to support me by putting my names in rooms and stepping in wherever they could.
Now I am fully embarking on the entrepreneurial journey. Being an entrepreneur has its own challenges no matter what industry you’re in. However, I know every peak and valley along the way has prepared me for this very moment. Staying grounded and strong in my faith has been an anchor for me throughout any storm that has come my way.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a celebrity fashion stylist, wardrobe consultant, and custom creator. I offer both in-person and virtual styling for any of my client’s needs; from personal events, appearances, campaigns and more. It’s been a blessing to style an array of strong women within the sports world including 23x Grand Slam Winner/THE GOAT Serena Williams, WNBA champion Sydney Colson, the 2022 #1 WNBA Draft Pick & Rookie of the Year Rhyne Howard and the 2022 #2 WNBA Draft Pick Nalyssa Smith. I’ve also worked with big names on the sidelines such as LaChina Robinson, Chloe Pavlech, Zora Stephenson and Autumn Johnson. All of these women have made major impacts in their respective fields and it’s an honor to be a part of their journeys.
I love the power that clothing has. Each individual has their own style and it’s my job to elevate and make their inner confidence shine through. What sets me apart as a stylist is my ability to enhance my clients’ appearance without changing who they are at the core. I am very relational with my clients and I pride myself in challenging them to step out of their comfort zone while maintaining a comfortability and a strong sense of who they are. For me it’s never the brands that make a look, it’s about how my clients carry themselves in it. “Look good, feel good, play good.”
I am proud of how I’ve created an avenue to stay around the game of basketball while pursuing the career that I love. Although I do have goals to grow as a stylist beyond sports, at this present moment I am extremely proud that I manifested this career and my dreams are coming into fruition.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can follow me on IG: @amadistyling and I can be contacted for booking through the link in my bio, amadibrooks.com.
I am always looking to grow my network with other creatives, models and artists in the Atlanta area. If you or anyone you know is in need of a stylist, let’s work!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.amadibrooks.com
- Instagram: instragram.com/amadibstyling
Image Credits
Photo 1. Personal Photo – Photographer: Ariel Williams, Complex Captures Photo 3. Fast Company Magazine Cover – Photographer: Djeneba Aduayom Photo 5. Photo Credits: WNBA Photo 8. Fast Company Magazine, Serena Williams – Photographer: Djeneba Aduayo
