We had the good fortune of connecting with Carlie Doley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carlie, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Throughout my childhood and teenage years it was always apparent that I would pursue some kind of creative career. My grandmother definitely had a great fashion influence over me, she was always sewing, knitting, crafting, and so on, making everything from clothes to afghans, while teaching me to as well. Picking out clothes and styling were all things that I loved messing around with, and would help friends and family. This influenced me to experiment with various fashion courses at my high school, and these classes would confirm my deep interest in fashion. Fashion and the arts always come much more naturally to me than math or science, so pursing a career in fashion was definitely something I could see myself doing, and so I did! I attended Arizona State University and graduated with a BA in Fashion, with a focus in fashion styling and fashion forecasting. I now am a freelance fashion stylist and absolutely love what I do.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Styling is my art form. I take pride in my style and technique as a wardrobe stylist. I am often styling editorials or editorial based projects, but dabble in and enjoy all realms of fashion styling! I also have a knack for trend forecasting which is essential for styling. I am quite proud of being nominated to compete in Phoenix Fashion Week’s Print Challenge two years in a row (2022&2023), and placing winning categories both times. In 2023 I was even offered to creative direct my entire photoshoot, while simultaneously styling the project. This was an amazing passion project. I also had the opportunity to style Aaron Paul for the cover of Jetset magazine through Arizona Fashion Week, and that was absolutely amazing! My next styled collection will be presented at 602 Fashion Week April 2024, I am very excited for this! Getting to where I am today has been a long but successful journey. There have been many challenges that I’ve faced, and countless hours of blood sweat and tears put into my work, quite literally, but it has been the most rewarding experience. I am looking forward to everything this year has to hold and am so excited to be creating in my amazing community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many amazing things to do in Arizona, specially the Downtown Phoenix, Arcadia, and Scottsdale areas! From amazing food to breathe taking mountains, there is something for everyone. If you’re up for a day trip Sedona is beautiful! Hiking is excellent all throughout Arizona, you can’t go wrong. There are so many amazing restaurants. Some of my favorite AZ staples include The Macintosh, Postino’s, Culinary Drop Out, and much much more! Arizona also has wonderful museums, and they are an especially great inside escape during the crazy heat. There are many excellent local art studios and exhibits as well. If you’re visiting in the beginning of the month, First Friday is held in downtown Phoenix on the first Friday of every month and is an awesome community experience, you can’t miss it! The fashion industry is also booming in AZ, so you can always find a fashion show or event to go to!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would absolutely love to thank both Phoenix Fashion Week and Arizona Fashion Week. I have had many opportunities to work with both organizations and have received outstanding support, mentorship, styling opportunities, network connections, and much more. These two organizations have changed my life, especially my career, become my family, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I cannot wait to work with both of them again soon!

Website: carliedoley.com

Instagram: @carliedoleystyling

Image Credits
Katelin Richardson, Caroline Tiffany, Jeff Otto, R&R Amore Productions, Justin Proctor, Capture ‘n’ Shoot, & Katelin Richardson

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.