By Katie Galloway
Murphy News Service
Paige Frandsen calls out an enthusiastic “thank you!” to the third person in five minutes to compliment her outfit.
Frandsen, a stylist, wears a collared chambray top with a large black bow paired with a black and cream polka dotted cupcake skirt and color-blocked flats. Her hair is a perfect mess of curls and her bright pink lipstick adds a pop of color.
Frandsen has been a stylist for only about three years but she says she has known for quite some time that she wanted to do something fashion related.
“I always knew I wanted to do something in fashion so I always had creative jobs and studied things that could be used in a creative way,” Frandsen says. “I minored in studio art in college and majored in communications because I love public relations.”
“Styling was always the main thing I wanted to do but I needed to figure out how to do this since freelancing is quite hard to get into,” she adds.
Frandsen, a quirky 23 year old, was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in Fridley, Minn. After attending school at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., she attended Conde Nast College of Fashion and Design in London.
After experiencing life in London, Frandsen says she found that she is very adventurous and says she hopes to continue traveling around the world.
“I would definitely want to take a chunk of time in the near future and just travel, relax, and work in fashion with my fashion buddies from around the globe,” she says.
Although she didn’t always know she wanted to be a stylist, Frandsen says she knew she didn’t want to be a designer.
“I always knew fashion design was not for me since I love to put things together and create a vibe rather than creating a collection,” she says. “I have so many different ideas that I love to mix together.”
Frandsen describes her style as “very busy” and “changing day-to-day.”
“One day I feel like being laid back with knits and all things oversized and other days I love to be over the top … I like to always wear things that are unique and things that people haven’t seen before,” she says.
Co-worker Camille Schultz agrees that Frandsen likes to stand out.
“Paige is always wearing unique pieces and mixing and matching the unexpected,” Schultz says. “I’ll be honest, some of her clothes are very weird, but somehow her outfits always work.”
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olson are Frandsen’s fashion icons.
“They are such put together messes and I love it,” she says.
Currently, Frandsen finds freelance work styling for local projects through her blog, www.paigefrandsen.com. On the site she describes herself as “a lover of travel and all things patterned” with a “lively eye for styling.”
Her most recent gig was this fall as the assistant stylist for Envision, a Twin Cities runway show that pulls pieces from a slew of local designers and boutiques.
Christa Blaisdell, a client whom Frandsen styled for an event, says that Frandsen’s style and taste are an inspiration.
“It’s always fun to see what Paige will be wearing next. She always puts together such crazy fun outfits,” Blaisdell says. “I follow her Pinterest and Instagram accounts, as well as her blog, and I sometimes turn to them for inspiration, too.”
In addition to styling for events and individuals, Paige most commonly styles for various agencies, including Ignite Model Management in Minneapolis. Outside of Minnesota, Frandsen has worked in New York City for Elite Model Management, DNA Model Management, and Fusion Model Management.
Frandsen says in the future she sees herself continuing to style, as well as collaborating with people she has met along the way.
Katie Galloway is studying journalism at the University of Minnesota.