Influential Woman · Fashion
Alexis Thomson
Bridal Specialist for the West Coast, Oscar de la Renta
CA
Her Story
About Alexis
My journey in fashion began in 2010 when I earned my MBA in design, fashion, and luxury goods from the University of Bologna in Italy. From there, I moved to Paris and worked as a liaison between a Chinese company and the fashion houses there, which gave me a chance to really learn the Paris fashion scene and understand what differentiates luxury goods - the process of making them and the storytelling behind it. My background is also in film, so after Paris I went to New York and studied film because I wanted to do fashion films. That brought me to Los Angeles, where I was doing both in front of the camera and behind the camera work, still focused in luxury goods. I started my own personal styling business as an entrepreneurial endeavor. My bridal career started spontaneously when I was helping a friend find her dress and got hired on the spot at Pnina Tornai. I found a real synthesis of the fantasy of film and the beauty of luxury goods - it's very much a production, a wedding, so it's been a really good fit for me. Now I'm at Oscar de la Renta, which is a perfect synthesis of both the heritage and the styling. My job is to introduce brides to the Oscar brand through appointments and clienteling, dealing with women looking for the finest quality fabrics and design in the world. I take them through a bridal journey where they get to try on dresses and find out more about our craftsmanship - we do a lot of 3D cut out laces, and our silk tulle is some of the most elegant in the world. Being able to help the bride find that very emotional moment where she discovers her dress is a beautiful, intimate moment I get to be part of. I work closely with our seamstress to elevate the dress to its most perfect rendition, and then she wears it on the most important day of her life. I keep in touch with a lot of my brides because I've become part of their life.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Alexis
01What do you attribute your success to?
I think being authentic to myself and really just having a strong spiritual life and connection to my higher power, to God. I mean, I can't really say it's been by accident, but kind of like following my heart. A combination of following my heart and being resourceful and always striving to be the best version of myself.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is just be authentic. I'm not selling anything, I'm not selling myself when I'm true to who I am - to thine own self be true. And follow your gut, your heart and your gut. Trust your instinct, I guess. That's the best way to put it.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My mom always told me that being well-educated is the most important thing. No matter what you want, you have to get a graduate degree, and then you can do whatever you want. So I do believe that education is very important, a worldly education. I was blessed to be able to study in Europe, so that gave me a lot of insight, especially in fashion world, about storytelling and quality, craftsmanship. Learn everything, and don't limit it to Instagram or TikTok - the young women today need to experience the world firsthand. Meet the right people in the right circles. And that's not limited by what your socioeconomic group is, you can find the right people if you know how to conduct yourself in those circles.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say the biggest challenge is navigating bridal stress - the emotional element of the pressure a lot of these girls have never felt before. Just being able to hold their hands while simultaneously upholding the integrity of the brand. Sometimes they need things that maybe go above and beyond just a regular dress fitting. It's a little bit of psychology. And also just navigating the back end, making sure we can get things on time. I mean, these are VIPs, and this is sometimes the first time they've ever been a VIP, so sometimes it's a little bit stressful. But it's beautiful stress.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I think that having a strong family life or strong home life is very important. I'm, thank God, married 7 years to the love of my life, who supports me in every way, and I feel like that's a very important part - just making sure that your emotional and your personal life are in check, because then you can show up as your best self at work. I do believe in God, so that's a very big part of my life. And I also always say I have two passions, God and fashion. Pursue your interests just with vigor, and also keep your inner world peaceful.
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