Miien is a derivative of the word mien. According to the Oxford Dictionary, mien (pronounced mean) is defined as “a person’s look or manner, especially one of a particular kind indicating their character or mood”. Although our business nature and practices are centered around clothes and image, Mikara Reid added the extra ‘i’ in the consultancy name to showcase the power of you (your identity and individuality) when worn right. You wear you better than anyone else, so it was important to highlight that not only in our services but in our name because our name carries our purpose & DNA.

Image consultants are more like personal stylists but they also provide services regarding soft skills and personal style development, improving your confidence while keeping note of your individuality during the process. An Image consultant works on building your image and fashion identity while special occasion/event styling comes in as an add-on. A first impression needs to be the right impression and people generally face difficulties in expressing themselves through the way they look, hence they hire an Image consultant who helps them look their best versions.

Personal stylists and image consultants are quite similar, but certified image consultants, to be specific, focus on long-term personal branding and customized fashion plans while personal stylists focus on immediate needs depending on the stylists background, expertise and speciality. Personal stylists solely work on outfit solutions whereas Image consultants specialize in personal grooming and etiquette.

Both careers dress their clients for a purpose, but image consultants, specifically certified image consultants, zero in on long-term styling, etiquette, corporate presence, and customized fashion strategies while personal stylists focus on short-term and immediate needs. Both of these titles are used interchangeably, especially in the current digital age.

Depending on who you hire and their background or expertise, they may switch up with the two titles due to seo marketing or do both types of jobs as a part of their business. You may see personal stylist a lot through MIIEN’s website, for better online search visibility but her skill-set, background and niche is more advanced than your standard personal stylist.

Within our practices and Mikara’s perception, fashion is a self-expression of the latest, greatest, and most popular trends. Fashion takes away our attention from you (the individual) as a whole and puts a lot of emphasis on the intangible things about you. Personal style, on the other hand, is where your personality shines through, and it is reflected in what you wear, how you feel in your clothes, and how you select and shop for clothes and accessories. Personal style brings our attention and intentions directly to ourselves. In a nutshell, fashion forms relationships with the external things that are irrelevant to your lifestyle, body shape, and core identity, while personal style forms relationships with the internal things that are relevant to your lifestyle, body shape, and core identity. Mikara breaks this theory down in her self-help book titled What's Your MIIEN! ?

Having a system for your everyday fashion can improve daily performance, growth, and overall image. It enables efficient management of clothing, style goals, and viewer feedback. A certified image consultant or advanced personal stylist can help create a customized system for personal style management, which can help the individual to make better clothing choices. Simply put, it will provide direction on how to wear you confidently, have stress-free mornings while picking an outfit, and open up more opportunities that have you focus on them and not the infamous question: 'what am I going to wear today?'

It’s important to have an image consultant or a trusted personal stylist as your business partner (or your professional fashion friend) because they will guide you to elevate your personal style or professional image so it can be aligned with your lifestyle or profession. Personal style, or your “visual résumé,” is not a subject taught in school or part of a corporate training, but it’s a matter that can get a lot of opportunities started if you dress the way you want to be addressed. And with the help of a certified image consultant, you can be a few steps closer to achieving whatever you want in life.

The mode of operation of our consultancy goes against the grain of conventional fashion, we do not push the same messages as the masses. Mikara Reid’s proprietary system involves work that is very deep, thorough and it hits on a variety of oneself so that your clothes, confidence and career all align. That work is necessary in looking good for long-term goals especially while handling business affairs. This approach has not only satisfied hundreds of clients but gets to the root of wardrobe challenges that the masses don’t talk about because they ultimately want you to spend while being in an endless cycle of wardrobe dysfunction and frustration.

That’s why we pride ourselves to be you-driven and not trend-driven.

A Style Influencer focuses on selling (influencing) a product for possibly a commission. In a sense, they are the new age salesman that does not take into consideration your specific needs to elevate your personal style. A personal stylist focuses on curating a look as a final product that goes hand-in-hand with your everyday fashion. Some stylists do participate in influencing/affiliating/ambassadorial programs that align with their styling services and have been tried & true for their brand.

We know it can be tricky now-a-days but you can identify if they are a style influencer or a personal stylist that works with people on a daily by observing the little details like;

- if you see only them styling them, they are more than likely an influencer

- if you see a brand on their page consistently, they are more than likely an influencer

- if you see a variety of different body shapes or variety of brands you never heard or seen before - this is more than likely a stylist (this is a big tail tail sign since stylists always keep an eye out for the newest and latest designs that no one has).

A personal shopper focuses on buying ANY item (not just fashion apparel). Their job is specifically to take off the burden of shopping from you, basically operating with the direction and budget you provide them with. A personal stylist focuses on developing and creating your individual style identity. This is the person that helps you discover your core style and aligns your appearance to suit not just your personality but your lifestyle also. When you think of someone that can help you transform your appearance, that’s the job of a Personal Stylist.

Our primary clients are men and women (age 32 and over) who want to take pride in their daily presence mainly for social gain in their career; fashion brands in various categories for whom their image is showcasing their products. We see each and every client who wants to find their fashion as a diamond in the rough, and with our special touch, we’ll help you reveal your inner originality.

Judging someone by their look is unethical. We are merely your partner in fashion, and our role is to empower your unique voice and accentuate your personality through the way you dress and express yourself. Our goal for this partnership is for you to find your self-confidence and inner happiness.

Yes, we offer gift options at all levels so that you can give the gift of style to your loved ones.

Click Here To See Options

We feel there’s nothing that can’t be resolved and will work tirelessly until you are 100% satisfied with our services. If you aren’t thrilled about a specific choice or the direction we’re going, simply mention it, and we will do our best to tend to your needs and cater to your individual style preferences.

We don’t limit our search for the perfect pieces to a single area or store. Instead, Mikara shops at vintage stores around the world and has connections with estate sale agents personally. It’s our belief that these vintage pieces from our rare finds hold unlimited possibilities and unique bargains for anyone with an eye for detail and the experience to identify a true gem. When it comes to retail stores, she keeps an open mind for quality clothes aka slow fashion. Since our practices have evolved into sustainable everyday style and wardrobe, we DO NOT support our clients in wearing fast fashion brands as this goes against Mikara Reid’s proprietary system for long-term results. You can find amazing pieces at Barneys NY, Nordstrom, Louis Vuitton, and House of CB. Every (quality) store holds a potential treasure!

When working with a client, we keep your budget in mind while also being versatile for long term results. You’ll get your very own customized shopping plan, including a list of as many stores that fit your style and budget.

We highly recommend that you book 1-2 weeks in advance. This ensures that you have plenty of time to get your thoughts together for our unconventional practices . There are same day bookings available for a limited period (during a slow season). You can inquire about booking by sending an email to us via: info@miien.co.

We accept all major credit cards. Checks and cash are not accepted at this time.

Our Wardrobe Management Service is offered to established clients who have already completed a wardrobe development package(s) and have built a rapport with us. Once an established client inquires about a subscription, the transition is easy because your style profile is already created, and all we need is the goal you wish to complete and the package you are interested in. Subscriptions are a minimum of 4 months.

We are also developing a personal style subscribe club for women who can’t step foot in our office and need a style club to provide them actionable tools and guidance in a group setting. If you’re interested, SIGNUP FOR THE WAITLIST HERE. Tiers start at $25/month.

Photoshoots are for immediate needs, and are notable for marketing purposes such as headshots, speaking engagements, e-commerce, advertising, social media etc. A meeting will be scheduled to talk about the concept of the shoot, reason for shoot, indoor or outdoor and what you want to represent/communicate in this shoot. Once the studio location, photographer, makeup artist, photoshoot goal is established, Mikara polishes the strategy and executes the looks needed for this photoshoot to be a success. After this is reviewed by the client, a view session via ZOOM will be scheduled for the client to see the full picture.

The stylist(Mikara) prepares the outfits for the day of the shoot and she will be onset assisting you with the wardrobe changes.

Each client has their own goals, needs, budget, and aspirations. Usually, services start in the low four figures to six figures for advanced and larger services. All services are custom-tailored for you, and there is no one-size-fits-all strategy or cost.

Our process is not your typical fashion consultation. We center our practices around bridging who you are with originality to your lifestyle, which would require in-depth sessions of personal inventory. Our approach to aligning to your clothes, confidence (& sometimes career) is comprehensive and thorough to help our clients to unlock the full potential of themselves and opportunity. Each client has their own unique wardrobe challenges and we cater to their needs but here is an ideal breakdown of our process at MIIEN:

• Client Intake

• Client-Consultation Meetings/Consultations

• Strategy

• Summary

• Completion

* Depending on the service, our self-actualized clients receive weekly actionable homework.*

If you haven’t found the answer to your question, we invite you to email us at info@miien.co for a detailed response.