MEET ERIC

Kentucky Gold was born out of the belief that everyone deserves to feel their best when they get dressed and that it shouldn't cost a million bucks to feel like a million bucks. I believe feeling confident in your appearance helps to advance your own passions, goals, and dreams so I followed my own passion and created this service so that I could help others follow theirs.

My love affair with fashion started with my mom. She's a seamstress in my hometown of Berea, Kentucky and some of my earliest and fondest memories are of her at the kitchen table with her sewing machine. I also remember the weekly trips to the fabric store. I would get lost in the endless, colorful bolts of fabric that lined the aisles and that's when I started imagining my own creations. My mother quickly realized that I had a strong point of view and started to let me pick out my own fabrics, patterns, and trims. She would then try to make those visions in my head come to life as I hovered over her, analyzing every stitch. She taught me everything I know about textiles- their differences, similarities, and how they feel, drape, and look on the body. I was that kid that understood the difference between charmeuse and chiffon and single edge binding vs. double edge binding before I knew how to ride a bike. You can imagine how cool I was, right?

She also taught me about the importance of fit, how a garment could and should look when it's correctly fitted for your body. By the time I was 12 or so, I was apparel shopping for my mom and putting together her looks. So a big thank you goes to my first client; my teacher, my mentor, the person I call mom.

As a teenager, one of my first jobs was at a specialty apparel store at the local mall. I immediately realized how I could use fashion to change a person’s mood and body language. I could make people happy by dressing them. That's also when I started to realize that getting dressed didn't come as naturally to everyone as it did for me. I discovered I had something to offer, something to say. I fell in love with that feeling and so my career in fashion and the human experience began. I went on to spend 15 years with a company that allowed me to help others feel better about themselves instantly through fashion. I loved every connection that I made during that time and I'm so appreciative of the skill set that I learned along the way. Now I get to do what I love in its purest form with unlimited apparel options. Let me show you how dressing you on the outside can make you feel on the inside.

-Eric Gabbard, Kentucky Gold Founder and Stylist

"I search for unique pieces that will enhance my clients' inner beauty.. You must exude confidence in everything you wear. Otherwise it really doesn't matter how amazing the look is. It really does come from within."

The process

personal styling

My approach to personal styling has always been grounded in great basics. Having a strong foundation is the key to having great style. Once you have those solid basics in your collection, shifting from day to night becomes easy and fun! Adding stand out pieces to your foundation helps create your personal style and express your point of view.

Intial CONSULTATION AND STYLE ASSESSMENT

I like getting to know my clients on a personal level. Having a strong understanding of who you are and what your day to day life looks like will ensure I offer up the best items for you. Together we will create a vision for the way you want to express your personal style.

We have so many visual aids at our fingertips these days, from Pinterest to Instagram and of course fashion magazines. Any inspirational images that you share will help me envision your new style more easily. We will discuss favorite colors, favorite parts of the body to feature, and of course talk about the parts we don't like to emphasize. We will cover it all, including your budget for new products and my hourly rate should we move forward.

SHOPPING

Once we have a solid game plan nailed down, I will go shopping. I will use all my resources to find pieces that meet your needs and my high standard of quality. I will only select products that I feel embody that "Gold" standard. However, please don't confuse high quality product with a high price tag. That’s not the case when you know where to look.

The fitting

Once I've finished shopping for you we will meet at my studio for a fitting and I will present the collection to you. All items will be displayed for you to easily see and try on. Piece by piece, we will determine if the items are worthy of your personal style. Alterations may be needed to help us achieve the perfect fit and I can help facilitate this if you don’t currently have a tailor.

The new you

Now that we have selected all the right pieces to enhance your personal style, I will send you back out into the world with the confidence to help you advance your own passions, goals, and dreams. Don’t worry, I will always be here should any static creep back into your closet.