Rising Stars: Meet Victoria Ruiz of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Ruiz.

Hi Victoria, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am Victoria (Tori) Ruiz. I am a 22-year-old Atlanta native, currently working at one of the largest vintage stores in Atlanta. I have found so much inspiration and have made so many connections and networking opportunities through it, which has allowed me to expand in my creative field as a stylist, model, and content creator. I don’t think I would be where I am right now if it hadn’t been for COVID turning my post-high school plans upside down and the unfortunate passing of my mother two years later, these two major events struck me with so much confusion and forced me to really self reflect on the path I needed to take in life. Taking the creative path rather than the traditional college education path was not easy especially when it came to fashion, it is a very competitive field but luckily the opportunities are endless. I always knew I wanted to be involved in the fashion world ever since I was a little girl, and my mother had a very large influence when it came to my comfort with self-expression and showing the world who I am and can be. I have always been a risk taker which is why I believe I fit so well in the creative field, freelance styling, modeling, and content creation have put me in places I never thought I would be in, and at this young of an age, it is only clear how much farther I take myself.

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?
It has not been a smooth road, and it usually never is in the creative field. Countless obstacles get in the way, Atlanta is becoming one of the most diverse communities for creative individuals but that also creates borders that can overlook all the creativity that’s going on. With styling for me, whether it’s styling myself or others originality becomes a huge obstacle to overcome, It is easy to fall into the popular trends and run with it rather than taking the time to truly create something from scratch, and creative direction can become difficult when you lack motivation and inspiration.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Right now I am a full-time stylist at a Vintage store in Little Five Points called The Clothing Warehouse. Outside of that, I do freelance styling with local photographers, models, and other creatives in the city. I am most known for my styling, I have had the opportunity to style a few celebrities and wardrobe buyers at my job, which has helped me connect and network with others outside of the store to style on more creative sets. I never limit myself to what I can and cannot do when it comes to styling and that is extremely important because it truly shows in my work. I am most proud of my consistency and perseverance over the last few years, I have had my moments where I sat with myself thinking I wasn’t meant for these kinds of jobs, but once I saw my work being noticed and appreciated I knew I couldn’t stop. I think what sets me apart from others is my ability to create such long-lasting relationships with the people I work with, I’ve always been a social butterfly but I have this ability to show others just how much they mean to me and when I work with anyone it is always feels special. I am also someone who has to always work with what I have, I’m a 22-year-old girl working 40 hours a week and spending all my free time doing what I can to build more work. I also style sustainably which is not always common with fashion stylists, any clothing I use for sets is thrifted or pulled vintage, clothes from my own closet, or garments constructed together to create some form of clothing. I simply work with what I have.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I believe my confidence is most important to my success. I am not easily discouraged by failure, of course it’s disappointing at the beginning but I always see it as room for improvement, and life is way too short to live in fear of not being good enough when in reality you are the only person who can define what is and isn’t good enough. Everyone will have their opinions about what you do but I’ve learned that anything negative that’s placed on you can be taken as ammunition to do better.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriaaruizz_/?igsh=a3lianl0aDNkOTUz&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_victoriaaruizz_?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Image Credits
Photo 1- @notnickspencer photo 3- @skymeeks photo 4- @hannamiddphotos photo 5- @whothefuckislordstylist photo 6- @ ryosatos photo7 – @skymeeks photo 8- @cathxcreations