Gilbert woman reinvents herself as clothing coach | Community

Gilbert resident Abigail Valentine has had back-to-back career hits. 

Her first was immersed in the glamorous world of Hollywood, where she curated outfits for the stars as an assistant designer.

“Even though I worked 60-80 hours a week, I loved my job and savored every moment,” said Valentine, who also worked on commercials and music videos.

In 2021, her daughter’s birth and the desire to be near family took center stage. Valentine and her husband decided to move to Gilbert, where she parlayed her designer skills into “Joy and the Valentine.” 

As a wardrobe coach, Valentine enhances closets by composing sharp, stylish outfits for women and men who desire a polished image for work or social occasions. 

Her skills don’t end there. She can easily curate a vacation ensemble as well.

“My motto is ‘you don’t have to be trendy to have a sense of style,” she explained. 

Valentine’s vast wealth of design savvy enables her to offer clients styling advice, wardrobe creation, shopping excursions, color analysis, wardrobe evaluations, and pairing of old and new items. 

She procures clothes in diverse stores such as TJ Maxx and Saks Fifth Avenue, depending on her client’s budget. 

Many of Valentine’s services are virtual, saving valuable time for her clients, whether they reside in the Valley or elsewhere.

“Abigail’s keen eye and attentive nature didn’t just find outfits for me,” said client Debra Ferguson. “She rediscovered and refined my personal style. 

“With patience and a remarkable understanding of fashion, Abigail has crafted a mature, edgy look that resonates with the rocker spirt I cherished in my younger days.”

Clothing has been on Valentine’s radar since childhood.

 “I would put together outfits and play dress up with them,” she recalled. “My dolls got in the act too; I created outfits for them, cut their hair, and sometimes cut and taped their clothes.”

Throughout the years, Valentine sought creative classes such as drawing, sculpture, and ceramics. She attributes her heightened sense of form and style to her grandmothers, who were both oil and multi-media artists.

 “My dad was a woodworker who made custom furniture,” she said. “He amazed me with the continual new projects he created for our home. My mother was a small business owner who had a knack for combining creativity with organizational skills. 

“My career choices reflect both my parent’s hard work.”

While in Hollywood, Valentine honed her styling skills from working on well-known shows such as “American Horror Story,” “Bosch,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Get Shorty,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Station 19,” “Jane the Virgin” and many more. 

“I had to focus on the characters in the shows, not the actors,” explained Valentine. “Their clothes were a vital aspect their self-expression.” 

To meet the challenge of finding the precise outfits, Valentine made frequent visits to the Western Costume Company, one of the largest rental companies in Hollywood. 

Seven miles of racks packed with clothes from all periods, cultures, and body types made it a Hollywood stylist’s best friend.

One impromptu moment stands out in Valentine’s mind when she reflects on her Hollywood career. 

“I was working on a show in Los Angeles, and I had a quick tailoring choice. During a chaotic, rushed fitting, I decided I wanted a shirt to be shortened, but we didn’t have the time for the actress to take it off, let alone properly hem it. 

“So I cut the top while she was still wearing it, and she walked out of the fitting room to shoot the set. For months, I had the bottom half in my office,”

In her current capacity, Valentine helps people build confidence through their wardrobe every day.

 “Until now, I dressed people behind the camera,” she said. “Now I have to be in front of the camera and advocate for myself. My main goal right now, she says, “is to help clients show up as the best version of themselves through the clothing they wear.”

Information: joyandthevalentine.com